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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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INTRODUCTION - This is a trip report of our stay at Cloud Nine on St. John in October 2001. This was our sixth stay on St. John (and our third stay at Cloud Nine), and we have gleaned lots of useful information from the experiences of others as posted to Internet bulletin boards, so this report is, in part, a payback attempt to share our experiences with others, and, in part, a reference for our next visit. This report supplements our previous trip reports, rather than duplicates them. For additional information on St. John you might want to read "Villa Serenity on St John" at Vacation Trip Reports http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/dwdudic or at http://www.caribtravelnews.com/c1200_02.htm#stjsandy. If, after reading these, you have any additional question, please send them to dwdudic@erols.com. ST. JOHN - We first visited St. John in 1996 to celebrate Sandy's 50th birthday, and we returned to celebrate her 55th. The reasons we keep returning are that St. John is beautiful, laid- back, uncrowded, and offers beautiful beaches and great snorkeling. Because 2/3 of St. John is National Park, the population is only about 3500 people on 21 square miles, and most of the people and houses are concentrated in the Cruz Bay area. CLOUD NINE - The three outstanding features of Cloud Nine are its location, its location, and its deck. The first location advantage of Cloud Nine is that it is at the summit of Gifft Hill, overlooking Cruz Bay. This is a nice location , since it is close to town, centrally located, and provides a great view of St. Thomas. When we stayed there in 1996, we enjoyed rising just before sunup at 6 am and sitting in the hot tub on the deck watching the lights of the cruise ships entering Charlotte Amalie, and sitting in the hot tub after sundown at 6 pm watching the lights of the cruise ships as they left Charlotte Amalie. (Unfortunately two palm trees have since grown, blocking the view from the hot tub. However the view from the deck is still spectacular!) The second location advantage of Cloud Nine is that there is no place nearby from which you can be seen. Since no one can see you, the only things you need wear on the deck at Cloud Nine are a smile, suntan lotion, and a hat (unless you're bald its really tough to rub suntan lotion onto your scalp!) The third advantage of Cloud Nine is the big beautiful deck, with a gazebo for outdoor eating, a hot tub for cool mornings and evenings, and a small (8' x16' x 3') pool for cooling off when the afternoon sun gets too hot. That deck is so great that many days we never left the villa, but spent the entire day getting an all- over tan on the deck. Cloud Nine itself consists of two buildings connected by a breezeway. One building contains the two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, while the other contains the kitchen, living room, and a loft bedroom WHAT TO PACK - Every trip to St. John, we've packed fewer clothes and more support supplies. For clothing at Cloud Nine you'll need suntan lotion (lots of it - we packed 4 tubes of #30 this time) and a hat. To go to the beach, you'll need a swimsuit, sandals, a colorful coverup, a hat, suntan lotion, bug repellant, and snorkel gear. We brought DEET 100 strength that we got at Walmart, because the no-see-ums can be really vicious. You'll also want to pack along some water bottles, as well as some granola bars or other snacks. We also brought some underwater cameras that we bought at Walmart for about $8 each. (You can bring beach chairs down from the Cloud Nine.) To go to town (or anywhere else on St. John) you'll also need shorts and a tee-shirt, and tennis shoes if you're going hiking. And of course a fanny pack, or back pack, to carry your water bottles, suntan lotion, and bug repellent. Don't leave the villa without them! If you pack any more clothes than these, you'll probably bring them home unworn. All my clothes fit into a one-gallon zip lock bag! Most of our luggage was food, because we ate most of our meals at Villa Serenity. We bought a soft sided 20 can cooler at Walmart for $10.00, filled it with 5 lb. frozen shrimp, frozen steaks, frozen scallops, and other frozen foods and carried it with us on the plane. In the past we packed a lot more food, but now that the Starfish has opened a new much larger market, we were able to buy much more food on island. When we packed, we packaged as much as possible into one quart and one gallon sliding top Zip Lock bags, in order to facilitate airport security inspections and repacking. WHAT TO DO - We arrived on St. John on Saturday 13 Oct and didn't leave Cloud Nine until Tuesday, because a tropical disturbance brought frequent rain squalls (3 inches in 3 days), high winds, and flash flood warnings. SNORKELLING - On Tuesday we went snorkeling at Jumbie Bay, and on Thursday at Francis Bay. However the water was still churned up and visibility poor. SUNNING - On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday we spent the day on the deck at Cloud Nine. BOATING - We had been looking forward to going sailing/snorkeling again on the Wayward Sailor, however it was out of the water until November. Similarly, the round island tour on Sadie Sea was not operating that week. However on Saturday we did go out with Robin and Rick Gallup on the Long Distance out of Coral Bay. On Saturday the wind was still blowing at 15 - 20 knots and the seas were choppy, so it was a poor day for snorkeling, but a great day for sailing. We went around the east end of St John, then around The Indians, over to Ramshead Point, and back to Coral Bay. DINING - Our favorite place to eat was the deck of Cloud Nine! The kitchen is nicely equipped for preparing meals, The villa has a nice gas grill on the deck which we used to grill steaks. Other nights we had steamed shrimp with pasta, and scallops. The view of the sunset over St. Thomas was better than from any restaurant, and besides we didn't have to dress for dinner (at all!) We finally ate cheeseburgers at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay, and they are certainly world-class. When we left on Monday 22 October, we ate at our favorite place for breakfast - JJs Tex Mex, located at the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. They have great cheese omelets. Miss Lucy's was closed until mid-November, so we couldn't eat there again. GETTING AROUND ST. JOHN - This time we rented a Jeep Wrangler from St. John car rental (co-located with Uncle Joe's Ribs). (Last year when we stayed at Villa Serenity, we did not rent a car rode the Maho Bay Shuttle to get to town.) We paid $440 for 9 days use, but we actually only went somewhere 3 days, and we actually went more places last year when we had no car. I think the money spent renting a car could be better used to rent day sails! If you are staying at a villa, you can call the Taxi Stand at 693- 7530, and they will send a taxi to get you. AIR TRAVEL - Because we fly using frequent flyer miles we made our flight reservations last May, then worked the Cloud Nine reservations around them. Originally we were scheduled to fly American Airlines from Washington National to Miami to St. Thomas. However after they closed Washington National on 11 September, we were able to change our flights to BWI to Saint Thomas. This is a much more direct routing. However, because it leaves at 7:15 am, we had to get up at 3:15 am on Friday 12 October, and have The Airport Shuttle pick us up at 4:00am, in order to get through the security checkpoints. It was crush hour when we got to BWI at 4:45 am. However we were able to use the curbside check in for our luggage, and that only took about a 20 minute wait. Then we were able to bypass the ticket counter and go straight to the line for security check in, which wasn't too long, and we arrived at the gate by 5:45 am. The flight itself AA1785 BWI-SJU-STT was uneventful and we arrived in St. Thomas about 1:00 pm. On our return from STT on Monday 22 October, the National Guard was stopping and searching each vehicle approaching the STT terminal. Once inside the terminal, the lines and inspections were no longer than normal (although they did put one of my carry on bags through the bomb detector.) We changed planes in San Juan, and there they pulled us both out of the gate check in line for a physical inspection of our carry-on bags and wanding of our persons. After that the flight was uneventful. STAY-OVER - Because air travel to St. John in the past has been something of an adventure, we planned to spend the night at the Best Western near the STT airport. We had reservations at the Carib Beach, but it was closed, so they honored our reservations at the Emerald Beach next door. This is a much nicer place to stay then the Inn at Tamarind Court on St. John, where we had done our layover before. RECOMMENDATIONS: A vacation on St. John is not for everyone. Its a bit of a hassle to get to, and there's no night life to speak of, but if you enjoy sun, snorkeling, and uncrowded beaches, then its for you. Similarly, staying in a villa is not for everyone. If you like being waited on, and being entertained then you're probably better off on a cruise ship or staying at Caneel Bay. Which villa to choose - Villa Serenity (where we stayed twice last year) or Cloud Nine? I'd choose Villa Serenity for a more adventurous, beach-oriented vacation, while I'd choose Cloud Nine for a more romantic, villa-oriented vacation. What I'd really like to do next visit is stay a week at each! This is the third time we've stayed at St. John in mid-October, and the second time we've been "stranded" at the villa by bad weather. In addition many of the activities we were looking forward too - Wayward Sailor, Miss Lucy's, etc - just aren't open this time of year. Although chances of a hurricane are low this time of year, I think we'd be better off going in late October or early November (while we still can get summer rates at the villas.) I'd recommend not renting a car for the entire stay, and applying that savings toward day sails. I'd go with Captain Phil on the Wayward Sailor for the snorkeling experience, and with Rick and Robin Gallup on the Long Distance for the sailing experience. I'd choose a sailboat over a power boat, and I'd choose cruising the USVI over visiting the BVI. I'd recommend the Best Western Emerald Beach for an overnight stay on the way to St. John. I'd recommend the ferry from Charlotte Amalie over the ferry from Red Hook. REFERENCES: Cloud Nine www.cloud9villas.com Linda & Allen 340-693-8495 Villa Serenity -www.carribbeanvilla.com/villaserenity Terry Witham - e-mail TerryRoberts@worldnet.att.net phone (340) 776-6342 Best Western Emerald Beach - www.caribbeachresort.com 340-777-8800 Wayward Sailor - www.waywardsailor.net Captain Phil (340) 776- 6922 Long Distance - Robin & Rick Gallup tlcnurses@unitedstates.vi 340- 774-2273 St. John Taxi Stand 340-693-7530 Sadie Sea - (340) 776-6421 Weather - (340) 774-4786
Here is my trip report for August 2001 on St. Thomas. Sorry it is so late. Last year I kept a running journal during the time we were actually on-island. This year I stopped shortly after we got to STT and it's taken me a while to get all my notes together. Some General Observations. Last year Pat and I seemed to have pretty definite things that we did; very focused.. places we went daytrips ... .etc. almost every day ... sort of a "search & destroy" trip. This year simple R & R seemed to be more important and as a result there were days when we really didn't do anything except beach it, drink it and eat it with maybe a little shopping thrown in. More of a "lazy - hazy" kind of vacation. I tried to use a different format from last year in the hopes that I could be more succinct and the report would be less verbose ... but it doesn't seem to have worked. This year's report will list what I felt were the most memorable positive and negatives of the trip. We really looked forward to once again seeing some friends from our previous trips when we were on STT. Managed to get re-acquainted with some and got to meet some others for the first time. We also hoped to see some others again this year who unfortunately were unable to join us on STT while we were there. Day 1 - Saturday American Airlines - Believe it or not our flights were on time or early and things went off without a hitch. Left Cleveland at 7:00 am got into Miami just before 10:00. Left Miami at 11:20 and arrived on sunny and hot St. Thomas at 2:00 in the afternoon. Discount Car Rental - Great as always. Got picked up promptly at the airport by Lionel and taken to the office to complete paperwork. Had a four-door echo with power steering and A/C. Rental for the 8 days we had it was $274.00. Plus the $19 we used to fill it up with gas after driving it all over the island for the 8 days. Secret Harbour - Checked into our favorite resort on the island. Sandra, who handles the reservations, was able to put us back into the same 1 bedroom beachfront suite that we have requested for the past three years. It was just as nice as always. Every year we notice a few changes. This year there was new furniture on the balcony as well as new artwork on the walls throughout the suite and a new VCR hooked up to the television. Ernest Halliday, the General Manager and Margaret at the front desk were friendly and helpful as always. Once we checked in we headed over to the Plaza Extra at Tutu to pick up snacks and drinks and the like to put in the fridge back in our suite. Then next door to Kmart to pick up some liquor and mixes. Then back through Red Hook with a stop at Marina Market for some more "gourmet" type items. We were set for the week. The weather - Once again the weather for our entire stay was almost perfect. Some of our island friends were commenting on how cool the year had been so far, including the summer. All I know is that it would hit about 90 during the day-into the 80's at night, cooler at the higher elevations with a nice breeze. Hot, humid, hazy would pretty well describe it..great weather for being at the beach. Dinner at Blue Moon Café - As always this is one of the restaurants we most enjoy on this island. And we weren't disappointed this year. Last year Julie, the owner went back home to the states on vacation so we didn't get a chance to see her. This year we were a week later and the same thing happened. Dinner was a blackened scallop with chutney appetizer followed by dinners of filet au jus (there was no béarnaise sauce to be had) combined with a Caribbean lobster tail; and mine was a pasta in a Cajun style Alfredo sauce with chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage. Day 2 - Sunday Continental breakfast at SH - Along with your room at Secret Harbour, you get a free breakfast daily. For us it is perfect because we are relatively light eaters to start with, and combined with the hot weather and a lot of loafing, a heavy breakfast doesn't work. SH gives you a choice of juices along with your coffee, toast, English muffins, Danish and an assortment of fresh fruit. The loafing begins - the first day on the island is always crazy..a full day of traveling. Then adjusting to the slower pace. Driving across the island on the left side..shopping for provisions etc. Sunday was our first real chance to just chill, which we did. Some morning reading; coffee on the balcony overlooking the beach and water; a great way to start out. We had heard that Bridgett, the young lady at SH who custom makes swimsuits, had announced her intentions to move back to the states by the beginning of September. We went over to the shop at SH and managed to run into Bridgett who confirmed that she was moving to Florida and who told us that even though most of her stuff had already been packed up, she would bring samples of what still was available. Pat found some fabric that she liked, so she managed to get a final suit from Bridgett before she headed back to the states. Our best wishes are with her. She's planning on doing some traveling outside the Caribbean for a change and also to visit some of those in her family she hasn't been able to see since her move to St. Thomas. Sapphire Beach Party - when we remember, we try to hit the Sunday afternoon beach party at Sapphire. This year was not one our better experiences. We got there in time to have lunch..a barbecue of ribs and chicken that was pretty good. But the band that played that day was way too mellow for the party. It took more than an hour before they started playing anything to get you up and going. The other dislike with Sapphire that day was the strong wind that was blowing in from the water. This was the closest thing I have experienced to being back in Aruba. We sat on the beach and felt like we were being sandblasted..sand constantly being blown in your face ... plus the winds were kicking up the water..not the same calm, quiet experience we were getting at Secret Harbour. Dinner was to be at Sandra's (the successor to Eunice's). We had tried to eat there last year and it wasn't open. This year I called ahead of time and was assured they were serving dinner. I think that it might now be called Glenda's Caribbean Spot. At least it appeared to have a new sign out front that read this way - serving the same great west indian food. We were the only people in the restaurant for our entire meal. The folks were friendly and we talked about Eunice and how she still stops in on a regular basis as she lives in a large house on the mountainside just across the road from the restaurant. Dinner started with conch chowder that was pretty good. Pat had seafood pasta that was just loaded with shrimp, mussels, pieces of whitefish and scallops. I had old wife (triggerfish) that was steamed. I had also asked for some of their homemade pepper sauce that was served in little 6oz plastic coke bottles. The sauce was excellent, but fiery and perfectly complemented the fish. (For those faint of heart, the old wife came in a west indian sauce that was excellent by itself and that was not overly spicy hot). Day 3 - Monday We were supposed to get in touch with some of our island friends when we got down to STT, but once we arrived the "vacation" mentality kicked in. It took me a couple more days of loafing on the beach before I could "force" myself back to using a telephone. Spent most of this day on the beach at Secret Harbour doing pretty much nothing. Sat at the beach bar right outside Blue Moon Café for a while. Bobbie Beach was still there, tending bar as he has been since Julie moved out to SH plus Big Dave was there, now in his second year at Blue Moon after coming over from Alexander's last year. This year's addition was Pedro..who said he was from Connecticut. Pedro is a former part owner of Club Rhino, a center bar that is/used to be in Palm Passage downtown. Stayed at the beach bar for lunch and had a couple of things from Blue Moon; a grilled chicken Caesar wrap and a reuben with super lean corned beef. Dinner was at Agave Terrace. Another on of our "must do's" every year. I know that the place has had mixed reviews in the past year or so, but we were not disappointed. Once more, the service was great and so was the food. The evening turned out to be perfect, so our railside table with the view out over the islands was extra good. Dinner started with a lobster bisque that was rich and not salty ...very good, but not as memorable as last year's version. Pat had a tenderloin with béarnaise sauce and I had blackened mahi mahi and a crab cake. Both entrees were accompanied by your choice of pasta salad (in a cheesy Alfredo style sauce) or beans and rice that were spicy and very good. Agave was the first of only two places we ate at during our stay that was in any way crowded (the other being the Caribbean Steak House & Saloon). It's always nice to watch the other guests at Agave for us "older" folks, it's fun to see all the newlyweds that always seem to be eating at this restaurant. Agave will remain on our list of places to visit again in the future. Day 4 - Tuesday Tuesday was one of the days we ventured into Charlotte Amalie to do a bit of shopping. Stopped at one of Pat's absolute favorite shops on the waterfront (White House Black Market).There's even one located in St. Louis so we can visit it when we go to see her folks. Had lunch at Glady's and it was very nice. We try to hit either Gladys' or Cuzzins every year and this year it was Gladys' turn. She is another of those unique island types. Born on Antigua, she has had her place go through a couple of re-incarnations. She offers her own homemade hot sauce for sale in either a mustard or catsup based version. Take some home with you if you stop by, it is a very tasty sauce. Lunch for Pat was grilled chicken Caesar salad with chicken that was so tender it fell apart as you tried to cut it with a fork. I had a conch roti with a mixed salad with green pepper, onions and radish. The roti was exceptional with a wonderful west Indian curry sauce and just a little bite to it ... made even better with the addition of some of Gladys' own hot sauce. For those of you who have not "experienced" Gladys before, she bartends in the main room of her place and will sing along to the music that plays throughout the restaurant. A great show to watch and listen to while you're eating. Tuesday night, for those of you who stay at SH, is the night Ernest Halliday always throws his Manager's Welcome Party for new guests. For those who have stayed at SH, you know ... for those of you who haven't been there ... this party includes some hot appetizers, some fruit punch and live music. As a part of that live music, Ernest sings some of his island favorites. Ernest and his singing have become a bit of a "legend" to those of us who have been repeat guests at SH ... and since I want Ernest to stay as my friend, I'll leave it at that. The party is a lot of fun and actually is one of the things I look forward to each year. Dinner this evening turned out to be a big disappointment. Mims is one of the restaurants we seem to have had consistently good service and food at for the past few years. This year was different. The dinner started with a bottle of wine that was served well above room temperature and got progressively worse from that point forward. The food, part of which was not as described by the server or the menu, was passable at best. Our server for the evening made no attempt to hide the fact that he clearly wanted to be anywhere other than the restaurant that evening. It was not one of our better dinners and Mims will be one of the places we drop from our list for next year. Day 5 - Wednesday Visited the Grateful Deli in Red Hook for the first time. It was also the first time I had ever accessed AOL while on vacation on STT (something I have previously sworn I would not do). I think I managed to read half a dozen emails and post one message on the travel board before I realized I was missing island time ... so I logged off and ate lunch. The restaurant has great sandwich choices and a wide selection of beverages in addition to allowing internet access. There was a pretty steady stream of folks coming in to log onto the internet while we were there. Before we left the states, I had discussed the possibility of visiting Paradise Villa with its owners. This property sits just above Secret Harbour on the road leading down to the resort. As it turned out the villa was empty for the first couple days we were on the island, so GrammyG53 offered to let me view it. Mike, who owns the jet ski rental at Sapphire met us at the villa and gave us the tour ... what a wonderful place to stay ... large rooms, pool, open spacious kitchen and a porch that offers a stunning view out over Secret Harbour. If you want to see this fabulous rental check out the website : http://www.paradisevilla-usvi.com/ ... and then speaking of getting to know your neighbors; since we have been staying at SH, we have always admired the white villa that sits up on top of the cliff just past SH. Each year we seem to learn a little more about our "dream house". Last year we learned that a Frank Daly from Chicago was the owner ... this year we actually met someone who had met Mr. Daly on several occasions during one of his stays on STT the search continues. Plus, as an added extra this year, we met the couple from Philadelphia who own the villa right on the beach, just past the end of Building four at Secret Harbour ... Phil and Lucille. Another few years of visiting SH and we'll get to meet ALL the neighbors. LOL Well, it was time to do one of those "tourist" things. In all of the years I have been visiting STT, I had never taken to cable car up to Paradise Point. That was to be our major "tourist" event for this year. As it turned out, it was pretty nice. We learned later that Paradise Point is one of the "happening" places this summer on STT, with free rides up the mountain, free drinks and some bands and parties taking place in the evenings. We rode the cable car with a couple from New Jersey who were on STT for the day courtesy of a cruise ship. We also went up with a young woman and her three children who were visiting STT from their home on St. Croix. It was an interesting mix. In talking with the couple from NJ, I learned that they had been to STT four times previously on cruise ships ... and yet they did not even know the island had an airport. They had been to several other islands I had also visited so I tried to talk about comparisons between the islands. It was a very difficult conversation and after a little while the couple admitted that they really didn't know much about or care to know much about the islands they visited ... their whole enjoyment came from being on the ship on the water. I found this to be a most interesting viewpoint and one that I could not appreciate at all. The views at the top were incredible and gave us some wonderful photographs. We also visited the souvenir shops and found them to be as nice as the ones at Mountain Top or at Havensite. Also enjoyed sitting on the deck with a cold Carib while taking in the view. Dinner tonight was at the Old Stone Farmhouse. This was our first visit to this place. We hadn't been over to the north side yet during this stay, so trying to find the restaurant in the dark was a bit of a chore ... but not too bad. While we are not fans of sushi, and while IMHO it seems out of place with the décor of the restaurant, the menu itself is varied and has a number of unique "signature" dishes that are very good and unlike anything you will find elsewhere on the island. The service was exceptional also and once again we were one of only three of four groups that were dining that evening. This will definitely be added to our growing list of places worth returning to again. Day 6 - Thursday Went to Brewers Bay in the morning/early afternoon. For those of you who have not been there, it's definitely worth the trip ... just on the other side of the UVI campus. It's really close to things ... just that most of us come into the airport, head into town or out to the east end and never consider heading the other direction, out past the airport. Brewers is your reason to experience the other end of the island. A long, pretty beach across the water from the airport runway, it offers some of the best shell hunting on the island. The day we went there were about a dozen people on the beach along with a couple of food/beverage vans in case you wanted something to eat or drink. There are picnic tables under the trees just off the road in case you want to eat lunch there. Dinner this evening was back at Romano's. Every year we hit either Romano's or Virgilio's and this year Tony won out. I'm not going to say a whole lot about the dinner as I wasn't feeling all that great and it wouldn't be fair, but what I was able to eat was excellent ... a wonderfully light egg and spinach soup followed by veal marsala. Anyhow, the place actually wasn't over A/C'd for once ... and with it being only about half full, the evening was a very nice one. Day 7 - Friday Friday was our day at Magen's Bay. We visit Magen's every year, and every year we enjoy it thoroughly. Friday and Saturday seem to work well because there are the fewest cruise ship passengers on the beach those days. George Jesner, the jeweler who now has his setup inside the Quick Pics store at Havensight had suggested that we go early in the morning on either Friday or Saturday and eat breakfast on the beach at Magen's. The restaurant/bar offers a good selection of breakfast items and since it is not a place that most people think of for breakfast ... it is never crowded. However, heading out early in the morning kind of runs counter to our ideas of a "vacation", so we didn't make it in time eat breakfast. Settled for some of the pizza by the slice that you can get there for lunch for as greasy as it is, it always tastes so good with a cold Carib after laying in the sun for a couple of hours. This year, there was an elementary school group having a "day at the beach". As always though, the beach is large enough that it appeared relatively deserted, even with those people having their picnic. We had been invited to have dinner at the house of one of our friends who lives and works on St. Thomas and we had been looking forward to this for several weeks before getting to the island. The original plan had called for all of us who had attended the AOL August dinner the previous year to get together. Unfortunately, as things worked out, Pat and I and our friend were the only ones from that group who were able to make it. The ride up the mountain, high over downtown CA was incredible in itself, but the view from the deck of the house, right next to the pool was absolutely amazing. It was a perfect setting for dinner which was a caribbean flavored barbeque with the fixings. Just sitting and enjoying the location and view would have been a great evening in itself, but the food made it even better. Our friend also invited two of her friends to join us; Janet who was an ex-Ohioan now living on STT and Olguita, a teacher at All Saints School who had grown up in Spain and lived in Puerto Rico before moving to STT. After dinner we took in the views out over CA and the harbor and then headed down the mountain. Our first stop was at Marisol, a favorite of our friend's, on Government Hill. By the time we arrived, the bar was the only part still open. Frederick, one of the owners was sitting in the courtyard reading the paper and Steve, the managing partner was tending bar. We decided to take advantage of Steve's bartending skills for the next couple of hours ... and even got the full tour of the restaurant for those of you who remember it as Zorba's the redecorating is great. Major differences in color scheme from the old place. After seeing it and meeting Steve and Frederick, I'm sorry that we weren't able to try it for dinner this year. It will be a definite stop next time around. When they were ready to close up Marisol for the evening we decided to head down to the Offshore Bar at Port of Sale next to Havensight. But, once we got down there, we opted to start out at the Sweetwater Rum House, a tiny little bar stuck at the one end of the parking lot ... kind of like a mini Duffy's. After enjoying the music and atmosphere and more than enough of the local distilled beverage, we decided to head back to Secret Harbour in the wee morning hours. It was the perfect end to a most enjoyable evening. (though not quite as 'wee' as last year, those island folk really do know how to keep us mid-westerners up past our normal bed time!!!! LOL). Our companions headed over to the Offshore to meet some other friends who had shown up. Day 8 - Saturday For lunch, we ventured down to Point Pleasant Resort to try Funghi's for the first time. This is one of those places we had heard about before, but had never had the time to visit. The location, right on the water next to the beach is very nice. We sat at a railside table and could look over the railing and see the fish swimming in the shallow water. At one point a family had just checked into the resort and sat at the table next to us for lunch. We looked over the railing and saw a baby shark swimming by ... pointed it out to these folks who freaked. I doubt that they went anywhere near the water at Point Pleasant for the rest of their stay. (It was their first visit to the islands ... we tried to make it up to them by giving them our Rotary discount coupon booklet since we were not going to be able to use it any more on this trip) The Second Annual AOL Dinner in August was set for this night at the Caribbean Steak House & Saloon. Compared to last year, this evening ended a bit on the early side. Day 9 - Sunday Well, the day to leave finally arrived and I've got to say that even after all of these years and all these visits to the USVI, I still hate to leave. Lately it has been a bit easier since we can pretty well count on being back again next year. So we checked out of SH and headed over to Havensight for some last minute shopping. We hoped to stop by The Crystal Palace on our way to the airport as we headed through downtown. As it turned out we did have free time so we made the journey over. Ronnie said he would be home so we stopped. Ronnie was kind enough to give us the grand tour. What an amazing place this is. First of all, it is located right in the heart of downtown, next to Government Hill. One of Ronnie's neighbors is the governor ... not too shabby. Walking through the building is like touring a museum. The furnishings ... woodwork wall hangings are all fabulous. The old photographs are simply amazing. And the view from the upper porch cannot be described fully ... a view out over downtown ... looking at water island, with Lindbergh out to the right and Frenchmans and the dock out to the left. I would recommend this B&B to anyone visiting the island. In addition to the place itself, the individual bedrooms are spacious and the added plus of having access to an island 'expert' is a definite plus. Check out the website: http://www.crystalpalaceusvi.com/ As a final note. Ever since our first stay on St. Thomas more years ago than I want to remember, we have always looked forward to experiencing those things that are off the normal "tourist" route. Our best memories each year seem to be of those people who we meet for the first time or see again after a year's absence, who share a bit of "THEIR" island and lives with Pat and me. These are the experiences that aren't written about in travel guides the insights into "life in paradise" that you can't get from reading or researching. To all of you, I want you to know how much we appreciate your friendship and hospitality when we visit. If I forgot to mention any of you in my report, I apologize. It's only about another 320+ days until next time, but who's counting?
The early morning streets of Porlamar, Margarita's chief commercial and tourist centre of some120,000, were congested as we climbed into the mini bus to begin our trip northward. We were on our way to explore Venezuela's tourist island which some like to call the 'Country's Paradise Isle'. Our first destination was El Valle del Espiritu Santo where the island's greatest shrine 'Our Lady of the Valley' is located. Driving slowly on narrow avenues, shaded by a canopy of trees, we made our way through the clogged traffic as the voice of Fernando, our guide, droned on and on talking about the miracles performed by 'Our Lady of the Valley'. Some half dozen Canadian fellow passengers appeared to be a believing audience. Listening to their comments, our guide seemed content - his tips this day would be bountiful. They savoured every word, even though it was apparent that many of his stories were tales of fantasy. As it turned out, a number had come on the tour just to pray in this renowned shrine, located in a lush green valley, known as the 'Valley of the Holy Spirit'. We had barely left the outskirts of Porlamar when our bus stopped before a pinkish church in El Valle, housing the patron saint of both fishermen and Nueva Esparta - the Venezuelan state made up of Margarita and the two neighbouring islands of Coche and Cubagua. The base of Fernando's tales, the Holy Virgin is reputed to have miraculous powers. To the faithful, this church and its edging museum create an atmosphere of piety - especially true for the religious Venezuelan Catholics. >>From the village, encompassed in an aura of holiness, we wound our way upward through heavily forested hills, gently lapped by the clouds. The view was breath-taking. To the right, the sheer mountain side towered skyward into puffs of mist hovering overhead; to the left, the valley below with its villages almost hid by greenery, appeared like a scene out of a fairytale. In the shadows of the 900 m (2952 ft) Cerro El Copey, the highest point on Margarita, we stopped at a police post, on an elevated spot in the mountains. Fernando, pointing to the edging hill said, "From atop this rise there is a marvellous vista." He had a point. The sweeping scenes were fantastic. To the east, the coast with its beaches appeared to be a stone's throw away. Closer, the tree-covered conical hills and spread-out towns glittered in the sunlight. The inviting panorama before us and the cool mountain air caressing our bodies gave me a feeling of serene contentment. At the 17th century Santa Rosa Fortress overlooking La Asunción, the capital of Margarita and Nueva Esparta, we stopped and climbed the ramparts. Below us there was a magnificent view of a jungle- like valley, encompassing a this red roofed town - a scene seemingly waiting for the artist's brush. A few minutes later our bus was parked by Plaza Bolívar - one of the loveliest squares on Margarita. On one side stood the 16th century Cathedral, the second oldest in Venezuela. It fortress-like outer walls, built to ward off pirate attacks, gave it a sombre look. Opposite to it stood the Museo de Nueva Cadiz, housing relics from Nueva Cadiz - the first Spanish settlement on the island of Cubagua - a collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and a huge scale model of Margarita. After touring the museum, we walked the charming streets between exquisite Andalusian-type homes, savouring the town's colonial flavour. Unlike some of the other urban centres on the island where rows of highrises overlook fields of garbage, most of the streets were very clean. It was as if we had been transported to another world. Northward, past Tacarigua, a cottage industry centre, we stopped at a large tourist handicraft shop, crammed-full of crudely hand-made goods. Like everything else in Venezuela, with the exception of gas, liquor and articles made in the country, the products were overpriced - of course, the inflated value included the guide's cut. Even though Margarita is supposed to be a duty-free island, prices for most food and consumer goods are the same as or higher than North America. One of the women picked up a few cloth handbags and a number of trinkets which came to a total of $100. She knew they were overpriced but was inexperienced at bargaining - the value only went down $10. Asking Fernando to translate, she tried again. Alas! It was like calling on a wolf to guard the sheep. The guide made sure his share was guaranteed. Smiling he told her, "This is the real price." I was sure that with a little bargaining one could have purchased the same items in Porlamar for less than $50. Past the beautiful Santa Ana del Norte, an attractive-historic town from which the Venezuelan hero, Simón Bolívar, declared the Third Republic, we were soon in Juangreigo (John the Greek) - named after a Greek shoemaker whom the townspeople loved. We drove through this third most important city on Margarita, famous for its sunsets, to La Galera Fortress, overlooking the town and bay. It was early afternoon and enchanting sunsets were replaced by Fernando's words, describing the bloody history of the citadel. After savouring the stunning panorama of Juangreigo set in greenery and edged on one side by the nearby mountains; and the deep blue bay on the other, we drove down to Playa La Galera, then took the excellent coastal road eastward. Traversing a lush countryside, dominated by the nearby mountains, we passed a number of crescent- shaped beaches, then stopped awhile on a hill overlooking Playa Puerto La Cruz. At Playa Manzanillo, a charming beach which is a large fishermen's port, we turned and drove along the coconut palm edged Playa El Agua - the most popular beach on the island. Southward, the countryside was a carpet of greenery dotted with blooming bougainvillaeas, hibiscuses and other flowering bushes. In less than half an hour we were in Pompatar, a major yachting centre whose history goes back to 1530. After examining the restored Castillo de San Carlos Borromeo and the Iglesia del Santísimo Cristo del Buen Viaje, we climbed the inside walls of La Caranta Fort on this last stop of our journey. As I gazed across the bay at the boats made colourful by the setting sun, I thought of our day's excursion, exploring Margarita's history and appealing landscape. The feeling was overwhelming that truly I had been seduced by the many attributes of Venezuela's tourist isle. IF YOU GO Facts About Margarita 1) Leave passport in safety box at your hotel. Make a copy of the page with your photo and carry it for converting money and as proof of identity. 2) The legal currency in Venezuela is Bolívar.(Bs.). The exchange rate is about 740 Bs. for 1 US$. 3) Even though Margarita is considered safer than other parts of Venezuela, be wary of walking at night in the residential sections of cities. 4) Nightlife in Porlamar thrives. Most large hotels have entertainment. Casinos, night shows, discotheques, bars and night clubs are found all over town. 5) There are a good number of excursions offered, but I found the only ones worth the price are: Round the Island Tour about US$40. and La Restinga Lagoon Tour about US$28. 6) There are over half a dozen ferries a day which connect Margarita and Puerto La Cruz on the mainland. For Further Information Contact Venezuelan Embassy in Ottawa: 32 Range Road Ottawa, On Kin 8j4. Telephone: 613-235-5151. Fax: 613-235-3205. Email: (EMBASSY OF VENEZUELA) embavene@travel- net.com Homepage: Venezuelan Embassy in Ottawa or Venezuelan Embassy in USA: Homepage: http://www.embavenez-us.org/
The official The Caribbean Travel Roundup World Wide Web site is http://caribtravelnews.com. The CTR is also available on America Online. Contact: Paul Graveline, 9 Stirling St., Andover, MA 01810- 1408 USA :Home (Voice or Fax) 978-470-1971. E-mail via editor@caribtravelnews.com or CTREDITOR@aol.com