St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Trip photos.

Hezekiah - tour guide

 We got off the ship on Wednesday Charlotte Amalie and I really didn’t care whether we did anything or not. The usual stores (diamonds, watches and other jewelry, tourist stuff) forms a little village near the dock. All around us, people were loading up into “taxis”, open air buses with a driver. A two-hour tour costs $25 a head and Bob insisted that we take it.

He rarely insists on any activity while we’re on vacation so I went along, literally for the ride. We piled into the bus and were seated next to a congenial couple, from Hong Kong, I think.

The driver’s name was Hezekiah, but Bob says he was called “Lucky”. Maybe so, but we were the lucky ones. Hezekiah was energetic, knowledgeable and friendly. His booming voice required no microphone! He gave “just enough” information, staying away from the jokes and useless information provided on most tours.

St. Thomas - view from the mountain

The route took us through a small part of downtown, where buildings date back to the 17^th century. The U.S. Virgin Islands were bought by the United States from Denmark in 1917. It is one of the most prosperous islands in the Caribbean, due to tourism. Hezekiah proudly told us St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John have no crime. No snakes either, thanks to a population of mongoose. Iguanas were around us, but I didn’t see any.

The views from various stops on the mountain were spectacular. We passed on the “world famous daiquiris” at the top and, instead, listened to the friendly banter of taxi drivers.

St. Thomas makes a great impression, despite the rages of recent hurricanes. Rooves are still being repaired. In the meantime, properties are covered by blue tarps. Hezekiah said FEMA has provided adequate funding, but a shortage of construction workers keeps progress slow. In a phone call with Chris later on in the day (Verizon is domestic here, and service was great), I learned that some guys he knows at Sunbelt spent time in the Virgin Islands assisting with emergency power right after the hurricanes. It is a beautiful and fragile part of the world.

Suzanne

Trip photos.

We discovered Suzanne in our favorite Observation Deck on Monday evening after Havana. We returned on Tuesday for her first set, all music by Elton John and Bill Joel. On Wednesday, I read that she was playing at the Sugarcane, where she had an electric piano an recorded accompaniment on one of several laptops set up for her.

Suzanne is very talented. Her accent is “something” – maybe a hint of Eastern European. She plays everything with competence and polish, acknowledging events in people’s live, like an engagement one night and a honeymoon on the next. Her voice is smooth and soothing

Last night in the Sugarcane, we left early because rude customers at the bar talked through the entire performance. The volume got louder as alcohol consumption increased. Suzanne played on, as though oblivious to the noise.

A waiter from Goa

Trip photos.

We had dinner at the Manhattan again on Tuesday. We were seated at a rear window overlooking the dock, where workers were releasing the ship from its moorings. We sailed away as the sun set over Tortola. The food was good: shrimp and mushroom fettucine Alfredo for me, crispy flounder for Bob.

Our waiter was from Goa. He has spent 14 years at sea, working 8 or 9 months at a time before returning to India for a 2-month vacation.

The waiter told us that the hardest experience for the 200 Indians onboard is separation from family. The loneliness must be a big hardship for these hardworking people, who seem to be on duty for long hours every day.

Tortola

Trip photos.

We took our time getting off the ship at Tortola. Roadtown seems like any other cruise port, though maybe a more relaxed tourist trap than most. We walked around a little but couldn’t even find an empty seat to have a drink, so back we trekked to the ship, where we had a salad lunch and glass of wine.

This afternoon, I’m sitting on the deck overlooking the boat traffic in the small harbor. We needed only our ship key card to disembark and reboard.

Monday at Sea

Trip photos.

Dinner at Manhattan

The Norwegian Bliss is a ship that emphasizes the “onboard experience” more than ports of call. Monday was a good day to explore the ship after a swim and breakfast. We also decided to book our transfers to the airport, since the port was so busy and hectic last Saturday that we thought it could be a challenge to get to the airport.

We spent quite a bit of time in the observation lounge, where the bar and light buffet items are in the bow on Deck 15. After lunch, I wandered around a couple of lower decks, including a nice outside seating area on Deck 7. I had my first ever mojito, which was surprisingly delicious.

The higher end restaurants (where we have three free meals) were all booked so we had an early dinner at the Manhattan on Deck 7. It was a great meal: trout for bob, beet salad and chicken marsala with risotto for me.

We had a 7:30 reservation to Havana, beautifully staged and produced. About 45 minutes of pure energy and fun.

Easy Day

View from our balcony

After my swim I spent much of the morning in the Observation Deck, where I had a cup of coffee and took a few pictures. Bob joined me shortly before 11 and we walked around the ship a little before lunch. Polished off a bottle of sparkling wine (a stateroom freebie) after lunch and I went back to the Observation Deck to read and have a cup of tea.

Seafood dinner was great, especially the jumbo cocktail shrimp. I’m really too tired to do much this evening except read tomorrow’s activities. During the night, we’ll slip into the Atlantic timezone – ahead another hour.

The Pool

Few swimmers in the pool

Since I injured my shoulder a month ago, I’ve been swimming only once, the day after the injury. Today I decided to try it out.

The adult pool really is just for adults. I couldn’t believe, however, that there is no area at all where a poor swimmer might feel comfortable. The entire pool is between six and eight feet deep, with access and exit only by ladder or over the side. Very dangerous, but I loved it.

It’s a salt water pool so the other swimmer and I were both very buoyant. Breast stroke didn’t hurt at all; front crawl was too hard on the shoulder; back stroke felt pretty good. I’m a long way from being back to 36 laps but I think I’m on the mend!

Crass Consumerism

It all seems like too much: food, drink, spending. And I am one of the consumers. The international crew, many from Asia and Indonesia, work hard for very long hours, every day for months. Some speak just enough English to do communicate on the most basic of levels. Officers look and sound patrician – kind of like Minnesotans with Scandinavian accents. The disparities in world resource distribution are really hitting me in the face on this trip. Time to re-evaluate my choices and my life. Next week.

Embarkation Day

On our way

On Friday evening Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) texted a message advising us to arrive at 1:00 p.m. for boarding on Saturday, rather than 12 noon. Apparently, a medical emergency had caused the delay, and we learned later that the ship had turned back to Nassau after setting sail Friday evening, thereby creating complications for everyone – especially the person with the medical emergency.

We took a cab to the port at about 12:45  p.m.  I have rarely seen so much traffic in one spot. Looked like MSP over a holiday weekend. Our cab driver let us off at the wrong dock, but an observant porter noticed the error and back we got in the cab. The line at NCL was very long but we got through the line quickly and were soon in our cabin, not permanently but we were given enough time to drop off our electronics.

Miami Beach

We had a few drinks at the Surf Bar near the pool and spent an hour or so waiting for and going through the mandatory lifejacket drill. My mind is kind of a blur after this. We enjoyed a spectacular sail past Miami Beach, where the beach was still full of late afternoon swimmers and sunbathers. Darkness fell quickly and we dragged ourselves to the Prime Rib Buffet. The prime rib was rare and delicious.

The walk back to our stateroom was not more than a few hundred yards but it seemed interminable. Our suitcases finally arrived, and we began the unpacking task – really too much for my feeble mind to handle at that point. Of course, we both brought far too much stuff and I complained bitterly about my “rag collection”, wondering why I’d even bothered to bring so much, when my usual uniform is a black shirt and black shorts. I even brought not one, but two black dresses. Bob, by the way, is not better than I, but worse. He actually leaves most of his own crap in his suitcase, never to be either worn or even seen.

Hop-on Hop-off

Two loops - we took both of them

We decided on the Big Bus Hop-on/Hop-off option, mostly because it came as part of a combo package and I had read that this is a good tour. There was no Groupon for it, and that's sometimes a good sign.

Lance - tour guide from Harlem

There are two routes, "red" and "blue", which intersect at two places. For us, the best intersection was near Bayside Marketplace, where we were the day before. We got on the blue route at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral near our building, and transferred to the red route for the Miami city tour. Lance was a great guide, and we sat close to him so we didn't have to use the headsets provided. Lots of interesting information, and, like most people, we just stayed on the bus for the entire tour.

We immediately got on the blue route for the tour of South Beach and the rest of Miami Beach. We got off at one of the South Beach stops and had a beer (OK, I had two Guinness) at Finnegan's Way on Ocean Drive.`The tostados and spinach dip app was delicious and enough to tide us over for the rest of the day.

Ride on the Island Queen

Trip photos.

 We bought the "premium" Red Bus ticket that gave us a trip on the Island Queen -- the usual type of tour boat, with the advantage of a covered roof. We were just in time for the the 1:00 p.m. cruise on Thursday. We made our way to the top deck and flopped down in a row of three green plastic chairs.

Happily, the narrator had a pleasant voice and didn't overdo on commentary, maybe because she spoke in both English and Spanish. Only a couple of jokes.

The route was fairly predictable, with major emphasis on Fisher Island, "the most expensive zip code in Miami". We had a peak at the Port of Miami, departure port for our Norwegian Bliss cruise. My favorite: a few guys on a work barge who waved at the boat.

We were hot and tired, so the best thing for us was the cool breeze and shelter from the sun. We stopped in the marketplace after the boat ride. Interior spaces were, for me, too damn cold -- as they always are in warmer climates where the AC is jacked up to the max. We settled on Chili's, where we shared a mini-hamburger plate. I had a couple of "two-for-one" frozen margaritas. The mango drinks were OK and not too sweet, but I've had my fix for a couple of years.

Overbuilt, Crowded and Poor

Trip Photos..

Minnesotans are, generally, spoiled by our beautiful, still wide open spaces. We live in a densely populated neighborhood in the Twin Cities, but we seem to have more trees than people, and the tall buildings in Minneapolis look like Superman's Metropolis in the distance. It's all so comfortable and clean that we forget our Twin Cities poverty rate of about 22%, and I tend to look on Miami with an overly critical eye.

Yesterday we took the convenient and free Metrorail to a stop not far from our Bayside Marketplace destination. We walked through the park beside the water, where many homeless people seem to congregate. A woman on a bench near us fled as a police car approached. All around us, the tall buildings had stolen that should have been beach. All beautiful in many shades of white, in sun or shadow. The city is mostly well maintained and clean.

We walked to the marketplace along a curvy path. The people around us spoke Spanish, mostly. A French Canadian woman tried to get her husband to put away his camera and move along. "Le temps file", she said impatiently. That was enough for me to go over to his spot and take a few pictures of my own.

Bayside Marketplace is full of restaurants, all blaring different music, including Christmas carols. Hawkers everywhere, selling boat rides and bus tours. I knew right away that we had been here before. An entertainer with hardly any audience performed gamely on a stage. When we visited Miami in 2008, we heard a Cuban group playing dance music for many couples. The experience was kind of magical.

I felt sorry for all the people who have to eke out a living in that noisy place. The entire area was shabby and dated, in screaming need of a makeover. Soon!

Our condo

Trip photos.

The condo is beautiful and very comfortable. Very modern with neutral speckled tile floors. The kitchen dining area is well organized, with a well sized workspace between range/microwave and sink area. Black countertops; white bar; clear glass table; orange placemats. Full height glass windows to the balcony that runs the full length of the apartment. We each have our own closet, located between the bedroom and bathroom. Walk-in shower is very convenient; low toilet is not so great for a tall person, which I am not, so it's fine for me.

The apartment is fully equipped - I mean everything, including toiletry items and kitchen condiments. The previous tenants left some wine (two glasses) and champagne (also two glasses), which we slurped down within an hour or so of settling in.

Evening cocktail hour is great on the balcony with a panoramic view of the city, including the busy Port of Miami. The pool is on the 13th floor (labeled "R" for roof). Beautiful L-shaped. All interior spaces, including the elevators, require key fob for en

Early Out

Trip photos.

"Up at the crack of dawn" means nothing during most of a long Minnesota winter. My alarm went off at 5:15 a.m., around the time I usually think about getting out of bed, but of course it was long before 7:50 a.m. sunrise. It was also very cold when I put the trash and recycling out for the last time. About 0F, I think.

Uber driver picked us up at 6:30 on the dot. Very interesting guy who grew up in Sudan and Uganda, living through terrifying civil war as a young teenager. Came to Minnesota to attend to U, and recently, at age 42, returned to Sudan to meet the 26-year-old woman who will be his bride in a marriage arranged by the woman's uncle. The driver seemed a little doubtful about the prospect of an arrangedTrip  marriage, but hopeful. He will return to Africa sometime soon to decide whether he really wants to go through with this. As always, I felt humbled by the obstacles faced by people who immigrate to this country. "Mashallah", he wished us in Arabic, when we told him that our son had recently been married. And then, in English, "God's blessings".

The flight was on time and uneventful. The sun shone for most of the flight, and we arrived at Miami International Airport not long after 1:00 p.m. We took a cab with a crazy driver who whizzed over the bridge and through heavy traffic in downtown, getting us to our destination in no time. Taking Bob's bag out of the trunk, he dislodged one of the wheels from the base, a repair to be executed with ever handy duct tape. Happy to be "home"!