USVI-On-Line

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 6:13 pm**

Do Not...

If you are new to St John arrive after sunset unless you have someone to assist you.

Rent a villa with no screening on windows, doors etc.

Rent a car without a/c from now thru fall.

Leave your CAR windows down overnight. If you do you will have a thousand skeeters in your car.

Leave ANY valuables in your car at Salt Pond.

Go to Tortola on a day trip.

Go to the Dolphin Market.

If you have a bald spot on the top of your head, forget to put sun block on that spot!

Do...

Bring plenty of OFF DEEP WOODS green can. Apply liberally.

Bring plenty of flying insect spray.

Wear a hat and sunglasses even if it seems cloudy.

Bring Bullfrog spray on waterproof. Apply liberally.

Bring Benadryl spray on 3 oz , put in frig and use on bug bites.

Buy a SWATTER from Ruth at St John Spice. Bring 2 AA batteries with you.

Go to Vie's private beach on East End to snorkel. She is open from 10-4 Tuesday thru Saturday. (Most of the time) I swam with a turtle near the reef on the right side and swam with a barracuda next to the rocks on the left very close to shore. There is also a maroon Eel living in the rocks on the left side. WARNING .. Do not get to close to the rocks on the right side at low tide. The water to the reef on the right side gets deep quick, I would suggest a snorkel vest here.

Eat Vie's garlic chicken and conch fritters.

Tell Vie GIZZMO sent ya!

Go Skinny Legs! Look for the fans. Sit at a table under a fan. (less skeeters)

Go to Connections in Cruz Bay and Coral bay for Internet access.

Get a throw away Go Phone from Cingular/AT&T if you need cell phone service.

Go to Jost Van Dkye for a day trip. Ferry service from St John is Fri/Sat/Sun only.

Go to Maho beach , snorkel right side.

Provision at the Starfish Market. I found it very hard to find. It is down the hill from the Lumberyard, Dolphin market and the closed Texaco. It is located in the Marketplace. If you are staying in Coral Bay Lillys is ok.

Use a credit card WHEN you can. Save your cash for the places that do not take credit cards. There are several ATM's in Cruz Bay. Lillys market has one in Coral Bay.

Stay in the breeze whenever and wherever possible. There are always less skeeters.

Parking in Cruz Bay is brutal. Look for a space in the Lumberyard.

GET A PORTER on your flight out of St Thomas if the airport is busy AND TIP WELL!

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 6:15 pm**

why is Dolphin Market on the don't list? I haven't been there so just wondering.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 7:10 pm**

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Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 7:10 pm**

I never made it to Starfish, but DID shop at Dolphin, Lily's and Love City Mini Mart.

I have no idea why you say not to shop at Dolphin, I thought it was a really great market and I got the BEST fresh asparagus and russet potatos there! IMHO, I thought their produce section was just great! (and I expected all the produce on STJ to be substandard based on comments here)

While the "looks" of Love City would keep me from going there under normal circumstances (like at home in Calif), I went in based on comments on this forum. It's teensy, but fairly well stocked, and the guys who run the place are super nice. I especially like the "beer garden" across the street - LOL!

Lily's was a little better stocked and not as cramped as Love City, and somewhat difficult to find, but it was a good market with decent produce and what appeared to be a nice meat/cheese case in the back.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 7:23 pm**

I have to agree with CG. The produce section at Dolphin was a plesant surprise. Even tho I just went in to price the booze, everyone was friendly and the selection seemed as good as Starfish (well, maybe not the beer).

Love City was nice as well. Desperate for some water, and pricing the booze (again) it was just what the Dr ordered.

Maybe price is a factor in the decision?

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 7:45 pm**

MrB it seem like a pattern booze pricing

A man after my heart

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 7:46 pm**

Gee... Maybe we caught Dolphin on a bad day

As far as the Skeeter's ? These comments are for anybody going in the next few months. The SKEETER's are out in Biblical #'s. Everyone on island says it has never been this bad. We had planned on hiking but gave that idea up after going to Annaberg Ruins. We ran back to the car. At Maho we could not sit on the beach and I think I gave a pint of blood at the Donkey Diner. Our week was in the water or at a bar with a breeze.
Which ain't bad!

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 8:38 pm**

One thing that we used quite a bit was the $5.00 phone card....it is local from St. John to the U.S. mainland and has 6 hours & 24 seconds on it. Reception on my cell phone wasn't great from our villa. We used it almost every night to check in on our fur babies and my elderly parents. When we left there were several minutes remaining; we gave it to our waitress at JJ's. We bought our card at Lily's; they keep them behind the counter, so you need to ask for one, I think it's called a "local phone card".....mia

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 8:48 pm**

MIA you are ABSOLUTLEY RIGHT. I should have put that in the DO list. We took a phone card from Dollar General that is 3 cents a minute. Brought it back home and still using it. PLEASE anybody that has more DO's or DONT's please add your knowledge!

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 6:47 am**

Go to Tortola on a day trip.

How come this made the do not list.???????????????

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 7:18 am**

I love going to Tortola! For any length of time. If you like island music check out Quito Rymer at Quito's Gazebo in Cane Garden Bay.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 7:23 am**

I would put it on my do not list as well. I like Tortola but if I were on STJ for just a week, I would not spend my one off island day there.
I would go to the Baths or go to Jost instead and save Tortola for a longer trip.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 8:15 am**

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Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 8:25 am**

I think i've seen GO phones at the local walmart.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 9:24 am**

DO

1) Be polite (not that I would need to tell anyone from this board

)
2) Adjust to "island time"

3) Move over if you see a local riding on your tail in his car - we do have jobs, ferries things to do and it can be really frustrating behind some one who is going 10 miles per hour, stops and "honks" their horn before every curve - not a hairpin turn or a bend, a curve - stops to take photos in the middle of the road of every cow, donkey and goat

It's cute and when we are not on a schedule (and yes I do allow extra time to get to "town" from Coral Bay) it's OK but sometimes it's a little too much when it happens every single day

DO NOT

1) STAND ON THE CORAL ( again I know no one here would do that

)
2) Plop down on the beach 2 feet from another group when arriving on a beach (especially during "off season" sometimes can't be helped in "peak season" we know) take a little walk or at least send one of your group to see what is available. I see it happen everyday, and now, especially as the beaches are becoming more and more empty, it is so rude. I watched a group of 5 with 2 children arrive at Maho yesterday and sit 3 feet from a nice couple sitting in the shade reading books, when 2 "trees" over there was no one and it was a great area with a mix of sun and shade - perfect for the family.

OK, I'm off my soap box now - I think I should have had breakfast before I checked this forum - but you did ask

Pia

USVI-On-Line

OUR list of Do's & Dont's for newbies and oldies alike..

OUR list of Do's & Dont's for newbies and oldies alike..

Why Not?????????????????