On this trip to STJ I wanted to do things I had not done before, eat at restaurants I had not yet tried, and beaches I had not yet seen. To this end, and the fact we were going to stay two weeks, I wanted to try the Reef Bay Trail hike. The original plan was that Hippolittle and I would do this, and we would do this with the National Park Service, so I made the reservations before we left. Whether or not you decide to do this hike, you should take the following into consideration:

It will pretty much eat 3/4ths of a day. You have to be at the NPS building at 9:00 and you return about 2:45-3:00. (Still time to go to a beach!) So if you are staying longer than a week, or need a break from the sun, and are interested in the flora, fauna and history of the islands, it (as I said in trip report part 1) it might be the best $20 you will spend there. The NPS doesn’t do this every day, so you need to call (340-776-6201) and check what days they are going. You can often go at the last minute, (Hippolita, and Hippolotta did) but there is no guarantee. I recommend Mondays as that is the day that Pat Dinesi leads the trip. I suspect all of the NPS guides, are good, but I will tell you that Pat is terrific!

Pat Dinesi of the NPS

The taxi ($5 of the $20) leaves at 9:15-30 and takes you to the trail head. There isn’t a lot of parking room, so the taxi drivers stop the traffic in both directions (in a tight downhill turn) while the group crosses the road. (Two reasons right there to recommend the NPS.) This is a very easy hike. It is two and a half miles in the shade (yes it is muggy), all downhill with many informative stops along the way. There is a side hike to the petroglyphs, where you have the lunch you brought with you from Deli Grotto, Simple Feast, or even Starfish makes sandwiches to go. This has a slightly uphill orientation and some sunny exposure. Take water with you. Each of us had two 16 oz. bottled waters, one frozen to cool us off, and one to drink on the way down. (By the time you are near the bottom the frozen one has melted, and is wonderfully cold!) Also wear a bathing suit under your clothes, so you can take a swim in Reef Bay at the end. And either wear of take flip flops or Tevas as the bottom at Reef Bay is rocky. (I did the hike in my Tevas)

The Reef Bay Trail (Hippolittle with the red backpack)

I’m not going to be the teacher’s pet from h*ll and tell you everything we learned, that’s Pat’s job, therefore I’ll just whet your appetite a bit. But first let me tell you a little bit about her. She is from a Baltimore restaurant family and has been on-island for many years. She as I have mentioned before, is extremely knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, history, the Taino (original natives) culture, and the economics of the early settlers. She is also very knowledgeable about what is going on on-island today! So sit near her on the boat ride back to Cruz Bay. (The rest of the $20, and one of the major reasons for going with the NPS…you don’t have to hike back up the hill!)

The first encounters are with the critters that you have been hearing at night the birds, tree frogs (you don’t actually see them in the daytime), lizards, butterflies. Then some of the flora. You will see the Bay Rum tree, which you get guess what from. The Genip tree, that has a delicious edible fruit. The Kapok tree with it’s huge buttressing roots, and it’s role in the island culture. You’ll learn where Jumbie beads come from. The Tamarind tree, without which we’d have no Worstershire sauce. There is one tree that produces a large peanut shaped pod that the locals call “stinky toe”. Naturally Pat has one with her and we pass it around and folks it smells exactly like…you guessed it! Stinky toe!

Pat showing her blazing speed at the root of the Kapok tree

The Taino Indians who were the first natives of the Caribbean island were a very interesting culture. There are actually three words of Taino that are still in use in common English today, hammock, hurricane, and Kenny Chesney! Er…ah no I meant barbecue. They would take the fluffy silky material from the seed pods of the Kapok tree and weave it with the web of the golden orb spider, which by the way has the strongest web of any spider in the world, and make among other things, hammocks. You will see many of these spiders and their webs on the trail and no you will not walk into them.

The economic exploitation of the virgins was, as most of you know, is because you could grow sugar there. All spices in the 15th through 18th centuries were of paramount economic importance…heck it’s what got Columbus the funding and the kitchen pass, from Isabella to sail! But sugar was special. Women in London rioted in the streets when the price of sugar went up a half pence in price. I didn’t learn this from Pat, (I know, I know … “teacher’s pet! teacher’s pet!”) But I did learn this from her. Sugar was so valuable that the housewives of London would not leave theirs at home when leaving, but would rather put it in a locket around their necks, from whence we get the term “sweetheart”! How cool is that! (Don’t tell Pat I told you!)

Unfortunately the production of sugar was very labor intensive, and consumed a great many slaves, who lived a brief and horrible existence in the islands. You will encounter some significant ruins on the way down. As Pat will instruct you, DO NOT TOUCH! Her cheerful demeanor will change abruptly if you do.

12 Slaves called this home!

After staying at Caneel as many times as I have, I finally visited the petroglyphs, from where Caneel borrows it’s corporate symbol. For years controversy has raged over what these symbols meaning was. Some said it denoted a fountain of youth, along the same line of thought others suspected healing waters, while yet others speculated that some terrible sacrificial rituals took place here. Me, my guess was latrine! A few years ago the site was visited by Ken Wild, who is like the Indiana Jones of petroglyphs! Here is a link to his findings. (Warning it takes a minute or two to load)

http://www.friendsvinp.org/Programs/archeol/Petro0204.pdf

After you read this, if you find yourself at a cocktail party, or other social event, and an argument about petroglyphs breaks out….well, you need some serious adjustments to your social life! (Outside of my circle of competence!) But in the meantime if this does happen you will be able to intellectually level all comers!

Petroglyphs (Note the “Caneel” symbol to the right of center)

Hippolita and Hippolotta lunchin’ at the glyphs!

After the petroglyphs you are almost at the bottom. This trail was once hiked by Lady Bird Johnson, who was shocked at the primitive outhouse at the bottom. Since she knew people in high places, federal funding was found to construct this….

The Lady Bird Outhouse! (through the doorway of a ruin)

After everyone has a chance to swim a bit, Pat steps out and signals the boat, whose owner begins ferrying you six at a time in his dinghy. There is free rum punch (you mix it yourself) and soft drinks and beer is a dollar. As mentioned before, this is where $15 of your $20 goes. Sit near Pat and you will get a first rate tour of the south side of the island. Plus some gossip you wouldn’t get anyplace else.

South side views…BTW Hippolyte’s secret villa is in this photo! (I’m considering a guess the villa contest, w/clues…waddayathink?)

When you get back to the NPS building, ask for the bird, butterfly and plant sheets, that they keep hidden behind the counter. It has a lot of info on what you just saw.

I had suggested on this and another board that a Jump Up (trans. disorganized gathering) for regular message board users take place at 5:30 at the Beach Bar. I think this is a great idea if a number of board users are going to be on island at the same time. I showed up with Hippolittle at the appropriate time and the one thing I hadn’t thought of became obvious. How to identify ourselves to each other! I sat by myself and tried to make myself appear as if I was expecting someone. (I have no what idea what this looks like, but I’m sure it looked stupid!) After a drink or two I approached several groups of people and asked in a conspiratorial way “are you here for the jump up?” Replies included the following… “No” “What’s a jump up?” “I don’t know what a jump up is…but I’ll try anything once!” Well even with the fuel of a few bush whacker’s I’m feeling REALLY stupid! Hippolittle has abandoned me for the beach. So I need some help from the rest of you. If you are going to meet people you’ve never met in a public place, what is an easy way to identify yourselves to each other. Given my experience, if you’re going to risk looking stupid, you might as well go in whole hog! So I suggest everyone where a neat sheet as a cape w/ sunglasses! If you are the only one that shows up…yes…you will look incredibly stupid!! But…if 8 or 12 of us show up like that…most of the rest of the bar will be at AA that night!

The Beach Bar

Next sailing with the Wayward Sailor!