USVI-On-Line

My husband’s previous trip report is a hard act to follow but I’ll see what I can do. After such a busy and eventful day yesterday we decided to stay landbound today. Plus, my big toes were rubbed raw while using my new fins ( the ones that “will fit perfectly once I am in the water”). How I ever agreed to size 5-6 fins for size 9 feet, I will never know. Unfortunately, hubby’s fins were too big for me so we couldn’t swap out.
We got up at 7:00 and fixed French toast, and bacon for breakfast. It has been really overcast or misty in the mornings lately so the sunrises have been late, but this morning the sky cleared in time for it to peek over the mountain ridge to the east of us. It signaled another gorgeous day in paradise. We did some laundry and then stalked wild prey around the villa with our cameras. The kestrels were in fine form gliding over the hillside and then perching on the power pole behind BHR.

Our resident hummingbird flitted around from flower to flower but I have yet to see her take advantage of the feeder I brought with me. The banaquits got bolder and allowed us to be on the same deck with them while they fed.

They were accompanied by a small dark bird (green body,
Black head, eyes and beak). Maybe a black headed grassquit. We tried to chase down some elusive lizards. Some of them stopped to pose, others did not.

Our mission today was to explore the southwestern coast of the island. This is the first time that we had even been to this part of STJ. We were curious to see up close all the things that we had been eyeballin’ from our villa. We drove west on Boatman Rd. and then reversed direction onto Monte Bay Rd. It was cool seeing our home away from home from a distance. We backtracked and got onto Fish Bay Rd. and then onto Marina Dr, which we followed to the end, which was way up high and gave a great view of Reef Bay. We were in awe!



On the way back down we decided to see if the gate to Ditleff Point was open. The Ditleff peninsula has been subdivided and is being parceled off. A few of the sections have been sold and 2 are being built on. Sometimes the gate is closed and sometimes it’s not . Today it was open and this little jeep tour led us to one of the more surprising parts of our adventure. We drove all the way out to the Point. We parked just beyond the small brick courtyard and walked to the tip. It was beautiful out there!




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We felt very fortunate to be able to go out there and wonder if it will be the last time. It’s really too bad that STJ is being developed so heavily. I wonder if there will be enough ‘services’ for all these new places . Resources are not infinite.
We had started to get hungry so we drove into Cruz Bay and grabbed Panini’s at Deli Grotto. Mmmm-Mmmm good . Even though Jhud and I had shopped at Mongoose Junction twice before and had ‘seen it all’, he still followed me around while I revisited the shops and bought some stuff for the kids we left behind and memorabilia for me. I rewarded him with an ice cold Margarita at IScream.
Since I had never been to Jumbie Bay Beach, we drove out there and sat on the beach, taking in the atmosphere.
On the way back to the villa we stopped at Starfish Market and replenished our food along with some very unnecessaries like Ben and Jerry’s Double Chocolate Ice Cream. When we got back to BHR we saw an iguana playing in the dirt on the slope behind the villa. At least that’s what we thought he was doing. Until we saw the eggs. SHE was laying and then burying her eggs.



We watched for awhile and tried to take pictures in the dim light. We grilled up some shish-ke-bobs for supper. We ate on the deck and with the citronella incense sticks burning to keep away the skeeters it was very relaxing.

We love that drive out to the end of Marina Drive to Hilltop Road. We call it the "freak out" point. We do that drive every single time we come to STJ.

The first time we did it, I literally had a panic attack. It was all at once beautiful, remote and yet scary. I wondered how a paramedic would get to me to save me from what I thought was a heart attack.

This year, we ended up meeting up with a large dump truck barreling up the hill (that one lane hill, with the cliff) as I was trying to take a picture of Pete. You should have seen me scramble to the Jeep telling Pete: "We'll get this picture another time!" It all worked out fine, the truck passed us, Pete didn't go over the cliff and I got a good picture.

I always take a frosty cold beer with me before we head out there. It helps.

Oh, did you get to the point where there is a sign that reads: "You are here" ?

Mrs. Pete,
We did indeed see the sign and thought it hilarious. The road was REAL interesting with half paved and the other half dirt and a 4 inch lip to boot! I was a bit nervous when my daredevil driving hubby stayed on the paved side regardless of whether it was on the left or right. The curves were hair raising and I was on the edge of my seat (literally). Luckily there wasn't too much traffic up there in the clouds

The whole egg laying thing must have been very cool!