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PARADISE: A RETURN ENGAGEMENT
Part 3.
The annual AOL Forum dinner for all who share week 32 was held at Wikked in YachtHaven. It was a smaller group than usual, but it turned out okay since that allowed for a more intimate conversation. Ronnie, Shultz and Patty, Pooh and John and Gerie and I enjoyed the Yachthaven view. We had a great time. Food was good, the atmosphere was great and the service was terrific. Pooh showed us all pictures of her new condo at Mahogany Run. I’m soooo jealous! Ronnie made some good-natured comments about my “long winded” trip reports, and Patty suggested how they would be read more if people had a “spare hour or two“. My only reply was, “You should hear me tell a story!” It was all in fun and I didn’t take any offense but here I am on part 3 with no end in sight.
We met Marguerite, the school secretary where Gerie teaches, at Havensight where her cruise ship docked. We met her and her family around 10 am, so it wasn’t exactly when the ship docked. HEY! The Delly Deck is there. We had to have breakfast…Western Omelets to be precise. Throughout the course of our two-week vacation, Gerie pointed out to me all the restaurants on island that were known for serving a great breakfast.
“Gladys’ Cafe is supposed to serve a nice breakfast. You like Gladys’.”
“Right! Like I’m ever going to find out as long as Delly Deck is serving that western omelet.” Hey! When I like something, I stick to it. (You’d think that would impress a newly engaged woman, wouldn’t you?)
After the western omelet, we walked to the dock to meet Marguerite and her family. The ship was disembarking when we got there. We waited at the gate looking for Marguerite. At the end of the gate was a three foot long Iguana greeting the crowd. Most of the people stopped and took pictures. One young woman saw the Iguana and started screaming. She turned around crying and returned to the ship. So much for St. Thomas shopping for her.
Anyway, we had prearranged a beach date with Marguerite and her family at Coki for the day. Gerie and Marguerite hugged after Gerie showed off her engagement ring. Gerie and I took Marguerite’s two teen-age daughters and her mother in our car, sparing Marguerite and her husband, Ken some cab fare. Marguerite, her husband, her youngest daughter, and two friends took a cab. The other twenty-one members of Marguerite’s family took a ferry to St. John. (No kidding 29 members of the family went on this cruise together. If it were my family a few would have mysteriously fallen overboard).
Gerie and I drove Mom and the teens to Coki Beach. On the way I noticed an enormous amount of traffic. I first commented to Gerie about the traffic when we went to Food Centre on Sunday to get some essentials…you know…coffee, water, cookies, cheese, sugar.
Okay…the sugar story! (My God this is long-winded). A few weeks before we left Long Island, Gerie instructed me to start saving sugar packages when I stop at 7-11 in the morning for coffee, or at work when I get a cup from the cafeteria.
“Can’t we just buy sugar in St. Thomas? Weren’t there sugar plantations there at one time?”
“Items are expensive in St. Thomas…just trying to save some money.”
“Okay!” I resigned. I knew it was easier to comply than to try to argue. So for the next few weeks I took (stole) extra sugar packages anytime I bought a cup of coffee. When I got to work, I put them in my desk drawer. Throughout the course of the two weeks, I commented about the sugar thievery . A few days before we left, Gerie told me that she had bought a box of Domino Sugar Packages.
Now…what do I do with 200 sugar packages in my desk drawer?
Anyway…hasn’t the amount of traffic increased in St. Thomas over the past two years? I remember telling my kids in my best Caribbean accent, “Oh Mon, Total Gridlock” when there were two cars in front of us at a stop sign. Now there seemed to be a hundred-fold more cars on the road. And…everyone was driving faster than I remembered. And…we witnessed four accidents during our two-week vacation.
I think it has to do with the high price of the taxis. It’s now more economical or at least more convenient to rent a car than take the taxis. The taxi drivers are going to have to think this through and perhaps lower their prices. Supply and demand. Marguerite’s cruise ship was offering a day trip to Magen’s Bay, cab included, for $65 a person. We told Marguerite that we’d drive them to Coki Beach for $45 a person. We did it for nothing…Marguerite being a friend of Gerie and all.
At any rate we had a great time at Coki Beach. The water was clear, warm and beautiful. The girls had fun snorkeling and feeding the fish dog biscuits. Gerie and I snorkeled further out than I’ve done in the past. I may finally be getting the hang of breathing through that damned tube. The girls took advantage of the hair-braiding lady and the adults took advantage of the Bushwackers and Painkillers.
All of the waiters introduced themselves to us, which made us theirs for day. One of the waitresses got very indignant when we ordered from someone else.
“Didn’t I tell you that I would serve you?” she ranted.
“You weren’t around when we got hungry.”
“I was busy. I would have come back.”
Lot of competition at Coki Beach!
One of Marguerite’s friend’s ordered a Bushwacker and after drinking it got hungry enough to walk back to the Mailman’s Bar and Grill. When she returned she noted,
“Oh yeah…I’m Bushwacked!”
The waitress kept looking at her with disdain while she ate.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the day was hot, the water was warm and there was a large crowd. There were two ships in that day, and I guess Coki has become a favorite tourist spot.
There was an Italian family at the beach. They set up their spot on the beach with rented umbrellas and chairs and then all hit the water. The men in Speedo’s, the women in bikinis, The 10 or 11-year-old girl, topless.
“That girl is topless.” Gerie whispered in my ear.
“Really?” I had actually seen her five minutes earlier.
“I think they’re Italian…I recognize a few words.” I said.
“I guess in their culture, it’s okay.” Gerie commented.
“I guess.” I said.
The girl was 10 or 11 and I would guess about six to eight months post-pubescent. (I read a lot.) Anyway, it wasn’t enough to just note that there was a 10 year old, topless, post-pubescent, Italian girl on the beach; the lecher in me just wouldn’t leave it alone.
“Maybe next year we should vacation in Italy.” I offered.
“Men are pigs.” Gerie said.
“I guess it’s true…all women say it! But we men are okay with it! And you women love us anyway.”
Too funny!
As far as the young Italian post-pubescent topless female, guess her family doesn't adhere to the proverbial, "When in Rome..." admonition. Many times over the years I've seen non-American female cruise ship visitors parading topless along Magens in particular. Most of the time a Magens lifeguard or security person will nicely go up to them and explain that this isn't "done" here but it's amazing that they don't do their research beforehand and know where they're going and what's aceptable and what's not.
The iguana story also brought back memories. I worked for WICO for a decade and was down in the Havensight Mall one day when a big commotion broke out in the Scandinavian Center store. An obviously cruise ship tourist lady and her husband came flying out of the front door and I went in to see that a big old granddaddy iguana had mistakenly mosied in there. Finding himself trapped amongst glass shelving and all sorts of breakables, he was cowered in the rear trying to find the way out, An employee had a broom she was trying to "thwack" him with, everyone else in there was all a-kilter and the poor creature didn't know which way to go - and the broom-thwacking was serving no purpose other than to make him more nervous and steer him onto all the shelving.
I quietly removed the broom from the almost-hysterical employee's hands then, with the help of a wonderfully calm security guard, gently ushered out everyone. You could just see the big old iggy breathing a big sigh of relief as calm and quiet prevailed. The security guard and I spoke to him quietly and within just a couple of minutes the iguana checked out his surroundings and then made a safe beeline for the front door and FREEDOM!
RPNYY9, sorry, didn't mean to hog your thread, but your marvellous story-telling abilities got me t'inking and reminiscing. Guess you could return those sugar packies to your local 7-11? Tell them the story as I'm sure they'd enjoy it. Cheers!
Too Funny!
Men....Can't live with them and can't live without 'em! What ya gonna do?!!!!!
I have one too! lol!
Great story telling!
Loved reading yours too, STT Resident! I always laugh when a guest freaks when they see a lizard got into the villa! Sorry folks, but expect it!!!! I like knowing they are around, eating mosquito's!
Great trip report!
STT Resident. No problem with the thread hogging! I love hearing Iguana stories. It's another example of a little research into where you're vacationing goes a long way. There were 2 women on Limetree Beach that started screaming hysterically when an Iguana went marching by to get to his favorite Palm Tree. They obviously had no idea what it was they were screaming at (and running from). The rest of the beach was laughing at them!
Returning the sugar packages back to 7/11 is an honorable and practical thing to do. Thanks...I never thought of it. (so much for character, huh?) Although I'm probably on their video tapes and will be handcuffed the minute I step into the store.
RPNY99: Not to belabour iguana stories but after over two decades here I've become most fond of these wonderful creatures who's natural habitats have been increasingly destroyed over the years by development.
During mating season they become totally googly-eyed and end up in the middle of the road or in driveways in a sort of comatose state with the male and the female staring at each other in a trance-like state. Unfortunately that all too often leads to them being squished before they've even done the deed...but many motorists DO stop and shoo them off which sometimes takes a while and can be a little annoying when people are aggravatingly honking like mad..
The babies have a hard time surviving too. They're prey to rats, mongooses and hawks - and cats! I can't count the number I've saved from my cat population. If by the time I reach them they've been knocked about a bit and are obviously dehydrated, I drip some mild sugar water into their mouths before letting them out into the safety of the bush. I thought one was dead once and upped the ante with a teeny drop of rum in the water and the little sucker gulped and came right back to life! Ah, that Cruzan has many uses.
The adults are big on siestas, find themselves a tree branch to loll over and catch some shut-eye. It's not infrequent to suddenly hear a crash and a thump as a not-too-well-poised sleeping iguana loses grip and plummets down to terra firma. Well-relaxed, they sustain no damage but sit there for a moment with a befuddled "WHA' 'APPEN!" look and then amble off.
Cheers!
STT Resident: I had the misfortune of seeing an Iguana on the side of the road during this visit. I figured it was because of what I perceived as an increase in traffic. I solemnly swear, when I'm an STT Resident (Hopefully in seven years) I will not honk my horn when I'm behind you and you're shooing an amorous pair of Iguana to safety.
2 years ago I witnessed an Iguana fall from the Palm Tree outside Gerie's Terrace. It was a long way down. I thought for certain that he'd killed himself. But, he just looked around (probably to make sure that no other Iguana saw how foolish he looked) and walked away. They are indeed magnificent creatures!
John
STTResident,
You know, this young girl was at that 'tween stage. You wouldn't have authorities running to her to tell her to cover up because she was just a child. However her body was showing signs of growing into womanhood. Training bra kind of signs. The girl was certainly comfortable with herself. She was neither "flaunting" her body nor withdrawing in shame. She was just having a great day at the beach.
All I know is that I'll get my payback! If I ever go to an Italian beach I'm going shamelessly parade around in a fully covering one-piece bathing suit. Let their jaws drop in horror. That'll show 'em.
Gerie
here is a shot of stt resident saving a baby!!
Please tell me how to insert a photo...I also rescued a baby iguana and have the cutest pic to show! John, keep up the wonderful reporting...just love your stories....write a book will ya!!!!!
Enjoyed your trip report.
I too, think Iguana's are neat. My oldest son was kayaking and saw one trapped, wedged firmly in a
chain link fence. He went to aid it's escape but, was surprised how much the Iguana hissed at him, showing
aggression. But, since it's head was on the other side of the fence, and realizing it was frightened, my son, felt comfortable about
trying to get the rest of the guy through the chain link. After the iguana stopped struggling and relaxed
in his hands, it took about 15 min. of manipulation to free him. He said it ran a few feet away, and stopped to look back
another time before he was gone. Wonder how long the poor thing had been there.
You could never post too many iguana stories for me.
