Friday, September 11

The End

I am more than home now. The internship and it's adventures have come to an end. There are many stories I haven't included and many more experiences that are likely missing from the blog simply because recanting every single waking moment just isn't that fun to read. I hope of what I have included, it's been an enjoyable read!

Thursday, September 10

Home Again?

Where is home? It has been St. John for the last few months. Now, it will be Alexandria, again.

The day began early. Mister Al picked us up at the hotel and drove us the short distance to the airport. Already sweltering hot just after 6:00am, we were dripping with sweat by the time we got to the check-in counter. The sun crested over the hills and showered us with light while we waited to unload our luggage and get through the check-in process, all of which is outside.

A welcome gush of crisp air blew our way when we stepped through the sliding glass doors into the Customs and Border Patrol area. A few trips to Jost Van Dyke were my only times away from US soil and not part of my current travel arrangements. It seems weird that we had to clear customs, since we were traveling from the US to the US, but I guess a lot of travelers will enter the Caribbean islands without getting the proper paperwork completed. Finally, we gave the five bags to the airline and were able to get some breakfast, after getting scanned and cleared through security. The food court was small but had plenty of choices. There were also liquor and small jewelry counters in the terminal waiting area. Our gate was easy to find amongst the less than a dozen available gates. In the food court, mom picked out a johnny cake with cheese and a side of bacon. I got a beef pate. Of the pate I've had, it was ok. I will miss being able to grab a pate for a tasty snack. Think beignet stuffed with seasoned meat (think also, hot picket, but tastier and fried). I also picked up a coffee. I used the machine that should produce tasty coffee with the press of a button (mixing powder and water). The cup of coffee was disgusting and while the button had indicated “mocha,” it tasted like stale chocolate and chalky water. Mom's coffee was a bit tastier. I guess next time I'll try a sip before I get the 20 oz. size, which in my case made the cup cost 3 times more than usual. For $12, I had a cup of something kind of gross, which I threw in the trash about half a sip later.

To board the plane, we had to walk outside and climb about 20 stairs to get into the plane. Non-stop service to Miami followed by a flight to DC filled the rest of the day. Watching the green hills and Caribbean seas disappear into the clouds filled me with a deep ache. I don't think I've ever been so upset to see clouds. I don't deny it will be fantastic to be home again, but I will seriously miss St. John. I've had a deep ache in my chest the past few days; knowing I'd be leaving was one of the worst feelings I've had in a long time.

On land again in DC, we met Dad after getting our luggage. Almost immediately, I was alarmed by the way Dad was driving- on the wrong side of the road (wrong to me). Driving on the right again will be something I've got to get used to, surprisingly. Off the plane, I'm feeling cold and grumpy.

A few hours had all of my items unpacked and mail sorted. The stress of travel is managed well with a good workout. I hit the gym right away, climbing and scaling the walls again at Sportrock. It felt awesome to see everyone again and do some climbing!

After climbing, I went to the grocery store. Holy molasses! The prices at Giant are mind-blowing to someone who has just been living in the Caribbean. For the $5.95 I usually spend on a bag of oreos (sad that it's a usual item, eh?), it was only $2.99! Creamer---normally $5, was $3.50. Yogurt, also in the $5-$6 range was only $3! Gah!!!! It's nice that eggs no longer cost $5 per dozen. I stared at all the price tags in shock and by the time I got to the register the shock and awe began to wear off as I paid my $50 for a huge basket full of goodies.

Jennie came over for a minute around dinnertime and then we decided to go over to her place for dinner, since she'd got some Chinese food from the Magic Wok. I drove over with her to pick up the order and then followed her back to her place. With her mom and dad, we ate deliciousness in the form of chinese food packed into those trademark white food containers. Jennie loved her bottle of guava rum and really enjoyed the t-shirt I got her from the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. The definition of the word friend on the back was all too perfect!

Got home from dinner later than I anticipated and finally got to meet up with Becca! She came over for a short spell and we caught up as she sampled her guava rum. Becca and Jennie both enjoyed the sweet fruity guava rum with fruit juice, on ice. Thinking I could hardly stay awake around 9pm, I went on to stay awake until around 2am, unpacking, everything. I didn't realize how much stuff I'd left behind until I went to put away what I had in my suitcases and realized there was no place to put things! I have too much junk! I eventually did get all of my things to fit in drawers and closets. I'm hoping I don't have the Hollywood-style closet explosion next time I open one of my dresser drawers.

Wednesday, September 9

Departure

Small Disclaimer: Imagine a sheepish smile on my face. I forgot to post the last few days of my time in the islands until the first day of October... I apologize if some of the posts are shorter or a bit different stylistically or otherwise.

Tomorrow, we fly. I'm stressed, anxious, and still in denial. The suitcases just barely fit into the car, but I figure it's alright that I have so many bags, since they're more like my moving boxes, but with wheels and nylon.

After the workout that was lifting all the bags, we headed down the hill for breakfast at the Deli Grotto. Then, we headed deeper into the island to drop off my fridge items with Keith and Breslin. They were the lucky recipients of all the perishables, condiments, and tasty treats that I haven't been able to eat or use. I think they got a pretty good stash of things – a handful of tuna cans, some whole grains, frozen veggies, and a load of spices and seasonings.

Wrapping up my final day, I walked around the Biosphere and said many goodbyes, all of which were sad. I hugged as many people as possible. For lunch, mom and I headed back to Mongoose Junction for a sandwich at the Deli, where a few people from the park were having their mid-day meal. Keith joined us for my last few hours on the island.

After eating, I stopped at the Friend's store and got Jennie a most awesome t-shirt. Then, we walked over to the dive shop where I got my dive log stamped. The day continued somewhat busily as we hustled to return the car, unload bags at the ferry dock, and board the ferry to downtown. I've not yet been on the ferry to Charlotte Amalie. It was a nice ride with great views of cays and islands not normally visible from the other ferry to Red Hook. On our ride, a few boobies flew overhead, as if chasing the bow of the ferry boat. I wearily watched them overhead, hoping no bird would unleash any waste materials onto our heads.

Our bags and luggage wheeled across the street into the back of a taxi, which then took us to the Island Beachcomber, which was just far enough that we needed a taxi instead of walking. The Island Beachcomber is nestled right next a Best Western and the Airport, on the beach, and split apart from the main part of town in Charlotte Amalie. The beachcomber rates for locals are fantastic. With proof of residency in St. John, I happily forked over the reduced rate in the form of a plastic card. We got to the room and it was quite warm. No AC? I asked the front desk and we were moved to another room, which then had a very chilled atmosphere. We eventually figured out how to turn down the AC and get the room to a more comfortable 72 degrees. Right away, we switched into our bathing suits and headed for the beach. A few short strides away, the water was warm and enjoyable. Of course, I'm biased and feel like the beaches in St. John are a thousand times better. The water here was a little cloudier (had a hard time seeing my toes when I was neck deep) and the view out to sea not as marvelous. It was still a fantastic beach (compared to back home or on the east coast).

After our bathing, we really bathed, washed up and headed out for dinner. The nearest suitable spot for dinner was actually the Italian place at the Best Western, Portabella's. Wow! I don't think I've had real restaurant-style Italian food in a long time. I miss having garlic and buttery cheeses melted over pastas and red sauces. At Portobella's we had a most tasty dinner. Some Cavit Pinot Grigio (oh man do I love it) and Ravioli for me, Lasagna for mom was most full-filling. Also, we saw a wedding while swimming on the beach earlier. Now at the restaurant, we saw the same couple enjoying their dinner. After our wine and Italian food, bedtime lured us to the room. We made it back to the Island Beachcomber by sand (parallel to the street). Within seconds Mom and I expired for the day and fell asleep.

Tuesday, September 8

Discover SCUBA and Drunk Bay

Small fiasco where I could not remember where I'd put the key to our rental. I fished through every bag and got increasingly frustrated. It's humbling when you forget where you've placed something. We did find the key and we were off. Down the hill, we enjoyed a tasty breakfast at the Deli Grotto once again. For just two coffees and a breakfast item or two, it's hard to get away for anything less than around $25. We both got the Sunshine Day Dream and I know I'll miss the breakfast sandwich greatly once I'm home again.

We set off in the direction of the dive shop after parking the car right outside The Beach Bar. Our dive sites were Little Saint James and Cow Rock, two sites I've never been to before. At Little Saint James, Mom got to SCUBA dive for the first time, ever! The dive was short and shallow, but she did it! I do mean short and I do mean shallow, though. Mom's not exactly a natural born Jaques Custeau, but I think after some more practice and time in the water with SCUBA gear, she could be crawling the bottom and playing with the lobster in no time.

For the second dive, we headed to Cow Rock, where I joined Mary and George for the dive. Mom stayed on the surface and snorkeled around the rock and back to the boat. Cow has the most amazing swim-throughs, filled with enormous lobster, corals, and fish hiding in the shadows. After you emerge, you can see your bubbles sneaking out through tiny holes, bleeding bubbles to the surface. I didn't see it, but someone else caught a glimpse of a reef shark. Ironically, we were on the hunt to see one the entire dive. I did however, see a sting ray floating across the sandy bottom. It was a fantastic dive and I felt a great sigh of happiness and sadness, knowing it will be my last dive in the Caribbean for a while.

As if two dives and a morning on the boat weren't enough to fill our day, we only were half-started. Mom and I enjoyed a lunch at Woody's, getting the grilled mahi sandwich and curly fries, with a corona. I know my mouth will water just thinking about this lunch, when I'm far away in Alexandria and without a Woody's to satiate my hunger. It's always delicious to enjoy a fish sandwich for lunch after a morning of diving. After some time perusing the stores around Wharfside Village, mom found a beautiful ring she had a hard time leaving in the store. We picked up a gift for her friend Gail and stuck our faces against more glass display cases. We did a few errands, which included me getting my final paycheck at Low Key Watersports (insert sad face) and taking it to the bank here on the island. We got some extra gas for the rental car (just over 2 gallons for $7) after our shopping and erranding around the shop. With a more full gas tank and still wearing our suits from the boat, we drove off.

We cruised around the island, enjoying the four wheel drive in the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Our next stop after lunch was the Love City Mini Mart. We got a bottle of Cruzan Coconut Rum (it's a whole dollar cheaper here than at Starfish! Crazy!), a coke for me, and ginsing up for mom. She says it's like carbonated apple juice. Drove to Lameshur where I showed mom my favorite ruins. The beveled window looking out to Little Lameshur Bay is fantastic. From there, we continued, driving to Salt Pond Bay's parking area. The 0.6 mile walk downhill was fairly easy. We found a shady spot near a picnic bench and swam around Salt Pond Bay. Mom filled up her empty bottle of Ginsing Up with sand from the beach. We decided to walk the extra 0.3 miles to Drunk Bay. Passing between large bushes, slightly overgrown vegetation, and the salt pond, we nearly collided with several cactus. As is the tradition when you visit Drunk Bay, we built our coral people. I started out with a figure for Kevin, since when we were here we didn't know that when you visit, you're supposed to create your own coral person. Then, I made mine, for the last visit. For the current visit, I made another, and so did Mom. Hers was the best of all four. We walked back to Salt Pond Bay for more swimming, just as dusk approached. The sand flies, no-see-ums, and other biting flies came out in full force, since we had the beach to ourselves, the bugs found us extra-appetizing. We quickly hauled it back up the hill in time to escape more bites. In the trunk, we extracted the jug full of fresh water and showered in the parking lot. After changing out of our suits we drove back into Coral Bay. We ate a tasty and delicious dinner at AquaBistro. Skipping the booze, we ordered Coke. I got the Gyro (out of this world kind of tasty) and mom got the Flatbread Pizza, which was also good. During the drive home, mom made it apparent that the inding roads are not her favorite part of the island. I was more hoping she'd feel like she was in a non-stop amusement park.

Got back to the house just in time for a few minutes of light. I rinsed off my SCUBA gear for one last time and dunked them in some diluted bleach water. Hopefully by noontime-ish tomorrow, the items will all be dry. We got back to the house and in a fury, we packed up all of our alcohol/duty-free rum goodness, clothes, and everything but what we need for tomorrow and Thursday. I figure it's much easier to pack at night, just before bed, so when you're exhausted after packing, you are already due for bedtime. We both felt quite tired from our big and long day anyway, so it was a bit like hitting the wall for me when I got through the first bag of luggage. Between us (this is mostly my fault), there are five large bags and two bookbags. That's a lot of stuff. I did live here for three months, though, so these bags are more like moving boxes than luggage. With bags packed, I emptied out the fridge, took out the trash, and threw in a final load of laundry.

On a side note: during her time here, Mom has seen mongoose, soldier crab, donkey, goat, lizards, pearly-eyed thrasher, seagull, ants, termites, fish, corals, and more.