November 29 -December 15, 2002
On Friday 29Nov02 – we flew from Albany to St. Thomas arriving on time in the midafternoon. Jumped into a van for a swooping ride up over ridges and around curves on narrow, twisting roads with spectacular views of bays and offshore islands, driving on the left, down to Red Hook peninsula for the 5 PM ferry with minutes to spare.
A 20 minute ferry ride to St. John’s port city of Cruz Bay and onto an awning-covered taxi for the equally swooping ride to Cinnamon Bay Campground in the Virgin Islands National Park. Here we checked in and loaded our baggage onto a big pushcart, bought a few food supplies in the camp store and lighted our flashlights for the walk to our tent…a large army platform tent with iron beds, good screens and overhang sheltering the pienic table, propane stove and lamp.
Put the sheets on the beds and stored food in the cooler and locker provided. Supper on leftover airplane food and a tropical rum cooler. The tree frogs are so noisy along with the sound of surf washing ashore that it takes awhile to get to sleep.
Sat. Nov. 30 – Returned our cart and picked up a cooking kit at the front desk to prepare oatmeal and coffee at our campsite. Walked along Cinnamon Bay beach, the longest on the island, all fine sand. Sandwiches at our campsite and a visit from a black and yellow “banana quit” (a chickadee size bird that loves sweets). Walked the camp nature trail that starts across the road from the entrance in the ruins of an early 18″ c sugarcane factory and estate (foreman’s) house as well as a later bay rum factory. Signs along the trail show pearlyeyed thrashers, which we have seen, and quail doves, which we hear, golden orb spiders, large shiny black millipeds, orange throated anoles or tree lizards, mango, calabash, bayrum and other trees. Went for a swim, cooked Kung Pao Chicken camp meal and played UpWords.
Sun. Dec. 1 – An hour of kayaking on a double floatboat pushing upwind to the yacht harbor in Maho Bay, then drifting back around our cay (island). Delightful surf and breezes. Saw diving red boobies. At lunch (pic) a giant black millipede was on our kapok tree trunk and doves pecked around on our path. Swim and shower in
Happy hour with rum and tromical ivice drinirs
PM and to camp store for ice, etc. Happy hour with rum and tropical juice drinks.
Mon. Dec. 2 Took taxi to Trunk Bay and swam the snorkeling trail with its underwater signs out to the island and back. Took a break and did it again. Pretty good coral and fish including pumpkinseed parrotfish. Lunch at their picnio tabloc
Sun. Dec. 1 An hour of kayaking on a double floatboat pushing upwind to the yacht harbor in Maho Bay, then drifting back around our cay (island). Delightful surf and breezes. Saw diving red boobies. At lunch a giant black millipede was on our kapok tree trunk and doves pecked around on our path. Swim and shower in PM and to camp store for ice, etc. Happy hour with rum and tropical juice drinks.
Mon. Dec. 2 – Took taxi to Trunk Bay and swam the snorkeling trail with its underwater signs out to the island and back. Took a break and did it again. Pretty good coral and fish including pumpkinseed parrotfish. Lunch at their picnic tables in company of pearlyeyed thrasher. Taxi to Cruz Bay for email check at Connections and groceries at the Dolphin Market. Back to tent for nap and happy hour with the last of Ruth’s chestnuts. Another passing shower added to several during the night. Ranger slideshow in evening showing island history and nature at the ampitheater. On path we see big soldier land crabs with red legs.
Tues. Dec. 3 – Hiked up Centerline Trail to View Point and back, about 3 miles. Huge termite nest in tree. Lots of land snail shells. Mongoose sighted at camp. They are not numerous as the rangers have been eliminating them to save the birds. A mama and baby donkey hang out on our path during lunch, the baby lying down for a nap. They move on in time for us a take a swim.
Wed. Dec. 4 – Shuttle taxi to Annaberg picnic area and 2 mile walk along Leinster Bay Trail (Old Danish Road) to Waterlemon Bay where we spend 2 hours snorkeling out to the cay (island) and back. Lovely sea turtles near the shore and skate or manta ray burying itself in the sand. A squadron of pelicans taking off the the trees and plopping down all around us to feed on the billions of small fry in this bay. Many corals: Lavender fan, brain, staghorn, red post and others. Many parrotfish, trumpet fish, angelfish, tang, neons and others. The old Minolta underwater camera took on moisture and went haywire. Hitched a free ride back to camp on the Maho Bay Shuttle.
Thurs. Dec. 5 – Snorkeled north end of Cinnamon Bay along the shore, during a brief shower at the end, which does not interfere with the viewing, a new experience. The drops look different from underwater. These frequent showers encourage the tree frogs to come up out of their bromeliad nests at night. As soon as the sun goes down they start to tune up, a chirp here and a click there, then the shaking of a million sleigh bells.
Fri. Dec. 6 – Hiked the 2 miles to Centerline Road but missed the bus so hitched 2 rides to Salt Pond, the first with a carpenter who is doing well building vacation homes in Coral Bay, and the second with two young men who are having a vacation home built there. Wore our water boots as the shore is coral here. Snorkeled an hour on the right shore, rather windy but OK. After lunch we hiked up Ram Head, about two miles, along the shore and up onto a high ridge peninsula which is where a revolting group of slaves once threw themselves off rather than go back into slavery. Great views of surf crashing below and many barrel cacti, as this is a semi desert part of the island. Caught the 2:15 bus back to our Centerline Road Trailhead and hiked down into camp.
Sat. Dec. 7 – Alan’s 80th birthday! Celebrated with a waterfront lunch at the Caribbean Grill Rambalaya with Bech and AmstelLite beers and shrimp and Carib chicken salads. Also check email, bought groceries and gift Tshirts and admired the park Christmas tree. It is strange to see decorations on palms and hear reggae carols among the bougainvillea. Alan used his weatherman skills to provide a perfectly clear and sunny Carib day.
Sun Dec. 8 – Got our linens and towels exchanged and went to the beach to snorkel around our cay. Wonderful visibility in the morning sun and the best coral and fish we have seen yet. Relatively light breezes too. Then walked the Cinnamon Bay beach in both directions. During lunch a few showers came through but we were under shelter. Put out some tangerine to attract the banana quits and also filled the half coconut shell hanging over our grill with water for them. After supper we treated ourselves to a shared slice of pecan pie and spent the evening listening to a reggae trio, two lady singers and a one-man band guitar player with recorded keyboard. They did reggae carols, rock and roll, big band songs, blues…reggae everything. Very good. Some campers got up and danced.
Mon. Dec. 9 – Walked with a couple from St. Louis back to Waterlemon Bay for another grand snorkel, this time up along the right side of the cay and back. Several large sea turtles, one with a long slender yellow and black remora attached to his head and feeding on something. Hitched a ride back with a young couple from Alabama who were interested in seeing our campground. The Ranger’s slideshow this evening showed island critters such as the red love bugs we have seen clustered in the paths, the big striped frangipangi caterpillars and the night heron. One of which we encountered stalking in the light of our flashlights among the bushes on our walk back to our tent.
Tues. Dec. 10 – Took it easy most of the day and then went for a half hour snorkel at the north end of the beach. Saw an interesting new fish long and striped like a rattlesnake and Iying flat on the bottom like a flounder. I finally beat Alan at UpWords in the evening after three losses in a row, but he triumphed again in a second game.
Wed. Dec. 11 – Shuttled to Caneel Bay and hiked the Caneel Hill Trail via Margaret Hill and Caneel Hill with views of Cruz Bay and Mt. Thomas, two miles in two hours. Several soldier crabs and tarantula holes on the trail. Sandwiches in Cruz Bay Park watching the park hens and chicks and rooster peeking around, Humming bird and tiger striped butterfly at shuttle stop.
Thurs. Dec. 12 – A lazy day in camp – got our fresh linens and a new block of ice. Took a beach walk. Put out papaya peels at lunch and soon had 6-8 banana quits pecking at them. Flew the traveling kite on the beach and watched the windsurfers speeding in and out of the bay. Our days fall into a rhythm natural to the climate. We get up with the sun as it shows over the ridge behind us about 7:30. Swimming is best before 11 AM or after 2 PM to avoid sunburn. Supper must be eaten by 5:30 or it will be eaten in the dark. Evenings are spent in the open air restaurant where fans and lighted tables are available. Tonight we indulged in the biweekly barbecue at the Tree Lizards Restaurant.
Fri. Dee. 13 – Shuttle to Francis Bay Trailhead and one mile walk to the beach. Snorkeled along the north shore. Many and larger fish including barracudas, silver angelfish, sea bass, etc. Hiked up to Maho Bay Resort for an icecream bar on their boardwalk.
Sat. Dec. 14 – Perfect tradewinds for our last day. Snorkeled out to the cay and along both sides. Sunlight showed the purple fans and other soft corals to best advantage. Saw our first squid of this visit. Also pink squirrelfish with dark hooded eyes.
Sun. Dec. 15 – Plenty of time before our 5 PM flight so ate lunch on the ferry dock and took the long (40 minute) ferry ride to downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas’ capital city, near the airport. On time and early flights back to Albany about midnight. Airport Valet Parking sent their van to pick us up and had our car warmed up and running, so we jumped into our winter coats and drove home through snow banks, making the adjustment to winter climes with minimal discomfort. Another grand Caribbean getaway!
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