Top pics from my time in the Virgin Islands!

Dear World,
I had used Flickr to upload a lot of my favorite pictures from the past few years, and it came to my attention that Flickr can actually sell my photos on merchandise without giving me any notice or compensation. While it is legal, I don't quite feel that it is ethical, so I'm going to dump my pictures into my Blogger account instead. So here's some eye candy of some oldies, but goodies! Enjoy :)

This is a green sea turtle in Turtle Cove, just south of the island of St. Thomas.

This is the Reef Bay Sugar Mill. You can sign up for a hike that goes through the forest and out on the beach by the sugar mill. You then swim to a boat that carries you back to where you started at the Visitor Center. It's an amazing time!

While you're on the Reef Bay hike, you'll stop at an area covered in ancient petroglyphs. These are believed to have been carved by the Taino indians.

Trunk Bay is one of the most popular places in the world for snorkeling. The large hill in the middle is surrounded by reefs where the fish love to hang out. There is also an underwater "trail" with signs giving you information about the sealife.

Another popular spot in St. John is the Annaberg windmill. Even though it is ruins of an old plantation, it's in pretty good shape. When you hike up to see it, you can also see some of the British Virgin Islands from the hilltop.

Speaking of the British Virgin Islands, they claim to have invented the painkiller drink here at the Soggy Dollar Bar, in Jost Van Dyke. It is known as a "sunny place for shady people." Definitely a fun trip. This bar is only accessible by boat, so...that's why your dollars are soggy.

Sunset at Cruz Bay is the best way to end the day.

Duffy's Love Shack is easily the most fun and tacky place to drink on St. Thomas. Do you love robotic sharks that play the Jaws theme and spews fog when you order a fish bowl full of alcohol? Great. You'll love Duffy's.

This is the drink you have to order to make the robot shark go berserk. 

Well that's the first batch of pictures I'm taking away from Flickr. Stay tuned for my next haphazard montage of memories!

Love,

Steph

2013 St. John Festival!

Dear World,
Today I celebrated my first Festival at St. John. This is very similar to the Carnival celebration held on St. Thomas every April. Evidently St. John has their Festival on the 4th of July every year, but there's a lot of stuff I've been learning that sets the Virgin Island holidays apart from the rest of America.
For example, July 3rd is actually Emancipation Day, which is also a holiday for the islands. Emancipation Day commemorates the freedom of the slaves in the Virgin Islands, which were under Danish rule at the time (1848, a good while before any slaves were freed in the United States). So, there's your history lesson.

Anyway, I set out to see the sights and hear the sounds of St. John's Festival, so I will share some of that with you:

Festival/Carnival village

Steel drum band, of course!

This little girl on the stilts really stole the show.

Majorettes of many ages with beautiful costumes.

Traditional Carnival costume

Oh, the fishnets.

So obviously I have been keeping busy with my St. John adventures, but don't worry-- I'll keep updating with more! 

Until next time,

Steph

Island Festivities!

Dear World,

I have been on St. John for a little over a week. Here's all the cool stuff that's happened to me:

1. I got a job within five days of moving here. Yeah, I'm that good. This was weighing on me pretty heavily so I'm glad to have that out of the way.

2. I got a dive camera! There aren't many places on the islands to get cameras nicer than what there is at Kmart (and I did look there...no waterproofs), so I ventured on down to Yacht Haven to a place called Boolchand's. They have jewelry up front, but in the back there is an array of crazy cameras. Some had GPS and wifi in them, but I have a phone for that. I just wanted one that takes pictures underwater. 

If you happen to be on the island, there is another store called Royal Caribbean that carries cameras as well. Just FYI. 

3. I took pictures underwater! My husband and our friends went on a day sail from Bolongo Bay resort, to St. John's Honeymoon Beach. There were good cookies, adult beverages, lunch, and more adult beverages. It was a grand time. Here are some pictures I took:

Snorkelers setting out to follow our tour guide.

Some beautiful purple fan coral.

Parrot Fish.

I'm not sure what kind of fish this guy is...but he reminds me of the book Rainbow Fish.

4. I got to see a barracuda! When it was almost time to head back to St. Thomas during our boat adventure, the captain pointed out a barracuda to us. Then he began feeding it roast beef slices. We got to see his pointy teeth and everything! Here's my picture, although you can't really make him out very well:

What a beast.

5. I ordered a shark tank full of booze. So, there's a very VERY very touristy bar in Red Hook called Duffy's Love Shack. (Yes, they did play the Love Shack song by the B-52's. I'm sure everyone who works there hates that song.) Anyway, after our boat trip we went there for dinner, where I ordered a shark-themed drink, complete with a giant robotic shark on the wall that comes to life for you while the theme from Jaws plays:

I think it would be scarier to be attacked by a robot shark than a real shark.

64 ounces of blue sugary goodness. The shark has "blood" in his mouth. (It's grenadine.)

6. I tried conch fritters! I like to try daring new things, so for my foodie adventure of the weekend, I tried conch fritters. Conclusion: they taste like hushpuppies. Which I like, so I would totally get them again:

Yes, that is a straight-up wooden plank my food is served on. 

Stay tuned for my next adventure! 

Love,

Steph