Despite wicked weather to the North, where a nor'easter was getting ready to wreck havoc on flight schedules, it was an on-time take-orf from ORF, i.e., the Norfolk International Airport. After a transfer in PHL, I found myself winging my way to a new destination, the U.S. Virgin Islands, an American territory since 1917 when we bought it from Denmark. The archipelago's name makes these islands sound as if they should belong to Virginia, so let’s see what our alphabetical next door neighbor is like. It is like: warm, but not too warm, around 80 degrees when I arrived and around that temperature the whole time I was there. Knowing that the islands were in their dry season, I didn’t throw my umbrella into my backpack, my only 'bag' on this trip and every trip. Wise elimination? As the plane landed it was raining! But only lightly, and by the time I got to the other side of the terminal, it had stopped. Soon the sun was out. It would rain a little bit every day, just enough to freshen the air. I was told it had been a very wet six months. A $6 shared taxi ride (not enough change for a 'ten spot,' so it turned out to be $8) took me into the territorial capital and cruise ship megaport of Charlotte Amalie on the archipelago's most populous island, St. Thomas. No reservations for a room, of course, and the tiny tourist kiosk was closed at 3 pm! Why? The cruise ship passengers were gone for the day. Asking around led me to the Galleon House, a bed and breakfast built into the side of Government Hill, a very historic part of town. If you come, stay there, and make sure you ask for room 204. Its balcony offers the best view of downtown and the harbor (evidence below), but the view from the breakfast terrace is almost as good.
With only an hour or two left of daylight (it’s dark by 6:30 pm), there was just enough time for a walk through town and a quick bite to eat, my first meal of the day: a Caribbean chicken wrap (spicy and good) and fruit cocktail (from a can) at the Side Street Pub. Expect to pay high prices for almost everything, especially during high season, which is December through May. Every other establishment in town seemed to be a jewelry store, over 200 I am told. I don’t know how they can all stay afloat. I suspect they do have good prices, just because there seems to be so much competition. Cruise ship customers are their mainstay. The problem is that they have driven out diversity in Charlotte Amalie's downtown. Other than some art boutiques, there is very little else to buy. I think the whole town needs a make-over. The jewelry stores could stay because there is a 'gray zone' surrounding CBD (think: concentric zone model) which could accommodate expansion. The architectural resources of the old town are impressive: Danish and Danish revival warehouses and workshops that have been re-purposed for retail.
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