The View From Luna Vista - Day 8 The Wrap-up
Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:13 pm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/252 ... f06cf4.jpg
Today is the day for the Walk of Woe. This was our fifth trip to STJ, but the first time we stayed there for the night. We spent the early morning doing our final packing and cleaning up the villa as well as writing our own top 10 list from the home office in Coral Bay, STJ. We said goodbye to our host and took the last sortie down Centerline Road.
We got into Cruz Bay without incident and arrived early. We shopped a little more, ate, visited with Ruth, gassed up the car, returned it to Courtesy, and sent you a message in the sand.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/255 ... 6faca3.jpg
The 9:15 ferry to CA was running. We learned that it is important to check if both routes are running. Since the ferry is suffering from high gas prices along with everyone else routes are sometimes cancelled unexpectedly. Because there were no cruise ships in the harbor, nothing was open downtown. We had hoped that the liquor stores would be the exception, but they were not, so we went directly to the airport. For a change, there were no lines at the counter or security. We waited sadly in the terminal and then slowly climbed the aircraft stairs and said farewell to one of our favorite places.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/256 ... f4f22d.jpg
You can not say goodbye to STJ without beginning to plan your next trip. To not do this would demand antidepressants or at least psychotherapy. It would be great if we could hit that winning Powerball ticket, but until that happens, we will have to go back to the way that we planned this trip and begin our countdown to paradise.
As much as we both travel, we could not have had the success and ease of this trip without all of you. I want to thank a number of people, but I will no doubt forget someone. (The rum haze has not totally lifted.) Then instead of making this positive for everyone, it will make someone feel slighted. I have some people who were exceptionally helpful, and they know who they are. All of you have provided input about villa selection, restaurants, beaches, packing lists, scuba shops and a thousand more topics. We knew what to expect and were able to make informed choices about where to eat, who to dive with, and who to stay with. Your experiences and willingness to share those experiences, made our trip so much easier and more enjoyable. Thank you one and all for generously sharing. Hopefully, our log of our experience will benefit others.
Looking back, we did not bring too many things that we didn't need and we did not want for too many things that we did not bring. Of those items, none were so important that we were unhappy about the choice.
In maintaining the spirit of sharing, we learned, sometimes the hard way, a little more about STJ that we feel we can pass on to you.
We had been cautioned that Skinny Legs' had a problem with their septic tank, and we are happy to report that the issue has been resolved - at least on that day. The only smell was that of hamburgers sizzling on the grill. In this world where "Mo" seems to be the name of choice, we had great food, wonderful service, and got to watch horseshoes played at an Olympic level.
We learned two days into our scuba adventure that parking is available for Low Key customers on site. The entrance is just past Low Key and the Beach Bar.
All electronics should be kept in a dry bag (Diana's cell phone went skinny dipping on the way to the Low Key boat one morning).
Car keys should be kept in a more secure location when in the water than one's pocket because they cost $150 to replace.
Diluted vinegar is a great remedy for the treatment of sea urchin stings (it goes without saying that the best treatment is to stay away from those spiny little devils). Medicinal rum is also helpful for painful stings and sore muscles.
Some (or perhaps all) rent car companies will not allow you to take the top off their Jeep. Since rental car companies can charge an extra fee for cleaning the vehicle, bring a bottle of water or soft whisk broom ($2 at Target) to the beach so you clean the sand off the feet before getting in the car.
Frequently we found the restaurants' servings to be so large that it pays to share something instead of taking leftovers to the villa.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that when we visit the island, we are guests in paradise. The people who are lucky enough to live there graciously share their home and their experiences with us. Everyone greets you warmly, willingly gives you directions and even walks you to where you are going, and makes every effort to make sure you feel genuinely welcome. We need to remember to treasure the gift that the island and the island culture are and thank the locals who are willing to share paradise with all of us whenever we can.
We took our long three-segment (STT-SJU-ORD-XNA) flight home and were considerably delayed in ORD. No, we didn't choose to go there. It is where the FF award seats were. When we did finally get to our home airport, American Airlines tore both ends out of our dive bag and broke two bottles of the rum we had purchased at the airport. After some negotiating, we agreed on a travel voucher to settle the claim.
The letdown from coming home is starting to fade and we are returning to our normal work-a-day lives. Diana's patient schedule has been unusually hectic with all of the patients who were not able to be seen while she was enjoying the island. On Friday, she was thrilled to get an envelope with her STJ bracelet that she had ordered while there. She has not taken it off and will undoubtedly wear it frequently to remind her of the waves and the warmth of the sun, new friends, and pleasant memories.
It was great fun to plan and anticipate the trip. The time on the Island met or exceeded our expectations, and the reports were fun to do. We have some very strong role models to emulate. It will take a number of trips to learn to do it as well as they do. We are willing to make the sacrifices and start planning for the second one right now.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/254 ... 7a4e61.jpg
JIM
Today is the day for the Walk of Woe. This was our fifth trip to STJ, but the first time we stayed there for the night. We spent the early morning doing our final packing and cleaning up the villa as well as writing our own top 10 list from the home office in Coral Bay, STJ. We said goodbye to our host and took the last sortie down Centerline Road.
We got into Cruz Bay without incident and arrived early. We shopped a little more, ate, visited with Ruth, gassed up the car, returned it to Courtesy, and sent you a message in the sand.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/255 ... 6faca3.jpg
The 9:15 ferry to CA was running. We learned that it is important to check if both routes are running. Since the ferry is suffering from high gas prices along with everyone else routes are sometimes cancelled unexpectedly. Because there were no cruise ships in the harbor, nothing was open downtown. We had hoped that the liquor stores would be the exception, but they were not, so we went directly to the airport. For a change, there were no lines at the counter or security. We waited sadly in the terminal and then slowly climbed the aircraft stairs and said farewell to one of our favorite places.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/256 ... f4f22d.jpg
You can not say goodbye to STJ without beginning to plan your next trip. To not do this would demand antidepressants or at least psychotherapy. It would be great if we could hit that winning Powerball ticket, but until that happens, we will have to go back to the way that we planned this trip and begin our countdown to paradise.
As much as we both travel, we could not have had the success and ease of this trip without all of you. I want to thank a number of people, but I will no doubt forget someone. (The rum haze has not totally lifted.) Then instead of making this positive for everyone, it will make someone feel slighted. I have some people who were exceptionally helpful, and they know who they are. All of you have provided input about villa selection, restaurants, beaches, packing lists, scuba shops and a thousand more topics. We knew what to expect and were able to make informed choices about where to eat, who to dive with, and who to stay with. Your experiences and willingness to share those experiences, made our trip so much easier and more enjoyable. Thank you one and all for generously sharing. Hopefully, our log of our experience will benefit others.
Looking back, we did not bring too many things that we didn't need and we did not want for too many things that we did not bring. Of those items, none were so important that we were unhappy about the choice.
In maintaining the spirit of sharing, we learned, sometimes the hard way, a little more about STJ that we feel we can pass on to you.
We had been cautioned that Skinny Legs' had a problem with their septic tank, and we are happy to report that the issue has been resolved - at least on that day. The only smell was that of hamburgers sizzling on the grill. In this world where "Mo" seems to be the name of choice, we had great food, wonderful service, and got to watch horseshoes played at an Olympic level.
We learned two days into our scuba adventure that parking is available for Low Key customers on site. The entrance is just past Low Key and the Beach Bar.
All electronics should be kept in a dry bag (Diana's cell phone went skinny dipping on the way to the Low Key boat one morning).
Car keys should be kept in a more secure location when in the water than one's pocket because they cost $150 to replace.
Diluted vinegar is a great remedy for the treatment of sea urchin stings (it goes without saying that the best treatment is to stay away from those spiny little devils). Medicinal rum is also helpful for painful stings and sore muscles.
Some (or perhaps all) rent car companies will not allow you to take the top off their Jeep. Since rental car companies can charge an extra fee for cleaning the vehicle, bring a bottle of water or soft whisk broom ($2 at Target) to the beach so you clean the sand off the feet before getting in the car.
Frequently we found the restaurants' servings to be so large that it pays to share something instead of taking leftovers to the villa.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that when we visit the island, we are guests in paradise. The people who are lucky enough to live there graciously share their home and their experiences with us. Everyone greets you warmly, willingly gives you directions and even walks you to where you are going, and makes every effort to make sure you feel genuinely welcome. We need to remember to treasure the gift that the island and the island culture are and thank the locals who are willing to share paradise with all of us whenever we can.
We took our long three-segment (STT-SJU-ORD-XNA) flight home and were considerably delayed in ORD. No, we didn't choose to go there. It is where the FF award seats were. When we did finally get to our home airport, American Airlines tore both ends out of our dive bag and broke two bottles of the rum we had purchased at the airport. After some negotiating, we agreed on a travel voucher to settle the claim.
The letdown from coming home is starting to fade and we are returning to our normal work-a-day lives. Diana's patient schedule has been unusually hectic with all of the patients who were not able to be seen while she was enjoying the island. On Friday, she was thrilled to get an envelope with her STJ bracelet that she had ordered while there. She has not taken it off and will undoubtedly wear it frequently to remind her of the waves and the warmth of the sun, new friends, and pleasant memories.
It was great fun to plan and anticipate the trip. The time on the Island met or exceeded our expectations, and the reports were fun to do. We have some very strong role models to emulate. It will take a number of trips to learn to do it as well as they do. We are willing to make the sacrifices and start planning for the second one right now.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/254 ... 7a4e61.jpg
JIM
Thanks for sharing. Im anxious to see your next ticker too!
