You see that face? That is the face of someone perplexed and overheated in polo shirt (something which I have not worn since elementary school), which is just how St. Croix left me.
Basically, it is the red-headed stepchild of the US Virgin Islands. When we arrived, the locals seriously pulled out the bandwagon and all the stops. Why? Well, apparently we were the first cruise ship to arrive there in 6 months. Clearly, unlike St. Maarten (which was the next stop), tourism isn't as big a deal here, and it showed.
Not like they really need it, since the island has (according to them) the biggest oil refinery in the Western Hemisphere. After seeing it, I may have to agree. If you can picture this, imagine driving through rural Florida with a whole bunch of palm and mangrove trees and thinking "oh, this is pretty," and WHAM! all of a sudden you see a chainlink fence and refinery towers shooting flames out into the sky. Sort of puts the kibosh on one's notion of Caribbean paradise. All I'm going to say is that it seemed mildly appropriate for a US possession in the Caribbean to have a huge screw-you-environment oil refinery.
I frankly couldn't quite understand why we stopped there, since it wasn't a normal stop on the cruise's itinerary. The only conclusion I can come to is that there is a gay-owned-and-operated resort on the island and we were doing them a solid.
Not that I saw it of course, for me, the islands were basically for one purpose only--cigarette shopping. What did St. Croix yield? A packet of Djarums and a panama hat (see above) that made me look like a plantation owner. That's all I could find, and I had to go hunting for those. The ship was docked in Fredriksted, and the main town is Christiansted, which meant a good 20 minute taxi-ride.
A shared taxi ride.
Maybe it's the New Yorker or Veruca Salt in me, but when I want to go somewhere, I want to go now! Sod other's schedules.
Not that taking the taxi wasn't educational. For starters, they drive on the left. It's a US possession and they drive on the left and it's all legal. We first got knowledge of this when the taxis arrived at the ship's gangway to take people from one end of the pier to another. I kid you not. A walk of maybe 15 minutes, and they had taxis. Well, as these taxis were making their journeys, they seemed to be constantly ducking the pedestrians. I uttered loudly "it's the US, drive on the right!"
After finding sod-all in Christiansted, I wanted back on the ship. There were spa treatments to do. (Mostly involving electrodes attached to my abdomen and having the toxins shaken out of me.) So I tried to get a taxi. All the cab drivers were waiting for more than one person.
I don't play that.
Finally, some entrepreneurial soul sees the steam beginning the pour out of my ears and agrees to take me back to Fredriksted for $5 extra. I have no problem paying $5 more, but that just boggled my mind. Wouldn't it seem to make more sense on a day with a ship in port to just make everything individual instead of constantly waiting for 15 people to fill up a cab at $15 a pop? I'm no math genius, but I'd bet it would all even out economically.
Next Time: Vignettes from Open Seating Meals
5 comments:
My papa lives in St. Croix and I found Fredrickstead, or as the locals call it "The Ghost Town," to be quiet and relaxing. When I went several years ago, I think I was the only one on the beach, which suited me fine. Funny thing is many of the locals are from other islands and came to St.C for work and for their children to be US citizens. It's like the Texas/California of the caribbean.
oh, you look fine in the hat. My papa has one just like it. You're sporting a fashion accessory of a cultured 80-something year old, like my dear ol' papa. :)
Thanks Prince.
I would definitely like to go there to get away from it all, but to come from a floating circuit party to the ghost town was extremely jarring.
I never thought about it being like the Texas/California of the Caribbean, but it makes sense. The kind cab driver who took me back to the ship was from Montserrat.
love the new pic. you look so innocent. but we know better.
Not surprised at all, Mizez. Though they held a t-dance for us (I didn't go, because I was busy trying to find my way back).
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