We started off our day by enjoying the incredible breakfast buffet at the hotel (thank you All-Inclusive!!).
Then we caught a cab down to the main town on St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie. When I say "cab" I don't mean your traditional Yellow Cab. Oh no. These are 10 person vans that operate much like Super Shuttle... many different people going many different places. That wouldn't be an issue except the drive on the "wrong" side of the road here and the streets are barely wide enough for you to pass each other without exchanging the chrome on your side mirrors. Oh, and let me add that the drivers all must have been trained in NYC. They drive like maniacs and really could care less that I am praying that we don't slide down the side of the mountain we are driving over!
We arrived at the Seaplane check-in with barely any time to spare. And I mean- 5 minutes later and we would have missed our flight and our tour. The reason we were late was because another characteristic of our friendly cab drivers... no concept of time. They are either in a deadly hurry to get everywhere, or they are follow "island time" so you will get there when they feel like it!
So, back to the plane, and yes, I did say SEAplane. It was SO stinkin' cool!!!! There were only 6 rows on the plane. It was so small, the co-pilot just turned around in his seat to give the "safety briefing". The experience of riding in a seaplane is one I will never forget. Taking off and landing on the water cannot be explained until experienced!!
We arrive 20 minutes later in Christianhead, St. Croix- the birthplace of Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs). We met our tour bus and guide, Charles. He was an interesting man and very knowledgeable about the island. He is French and therefore kind of hard to understand sometimes, but very enjoyable. We were joined by a family of 5 and a honeymooning couple. We loaded into an open area bus and headed out. We drove ALL over the island and it was truly amazing. You honestly forget that you are in the United States... in my opinion, its one of the best land purchases the US ever made!!
Our first stop was the Cruzan Rum Factory and it was not at all what I expected! They have the process down to a very simple system, which means it is a very simple set-up and rather small. We saw the whole place and it didn't take very long! We saw the cooling process, the fermenting process and any other processed involved. We also saw the 2nd tallest building on St. Croix- it is 5 stories high. :o) We also learned some interesting facts that has made me a fan of Cruzan products. First of all, they have no waste. Everything they use is either in their products or sold to other companies for their used. Excellent! Second, of all the rums, they remove the most of the hang-over causing chemicals than any other!! You are less likely to get a hang-over from drinking Cruzan. (A theory I believe Jason may be down by the pool testing out as I type this!) It was fascinating.
Then we were off to see the Botanical Gardens. This really took me back to my days as a child living in Hawaii. It was lush and beautiful. Our tour guide Charles knew so much about all the vegetation. He was always tearing off leaves of things for us to smell and even had us taste a few! Jason tried a cashew fruit... I didn't eat it but judging by the look on Jason's face and the smell of the fruit, my advice is to stick with the nuts that the fruit produce!!
Then we headed to a the Whim Plantation. This was once a fully operational sugar can mill. The main house still stands as a museum and then pieces of the production equipment are still on the property. We saw a windmill and an animal mill. Very beautiful plantation.
Then we headed to a small local deli for lunch. It was TINY and provided decent sandwiches. It sat right on the beach. So we enjoyed a break and a great view before piling back in to the bus. Then we started one of my favorite parts of the tour... the Rain Forest.
As we drove through the rain forest, I would often just close my eyes, listen to the sounds and enjoy the cool breeze. The air was so fresh and crisp- you just lose yourself in it. I say we were driving in the Rain Forest for an hour... Jason says it wasn't that long. I guess I just really surrounded by it. One stop we did make was to see a termite nest. It was HUGE and it fascinated Jason.
After the Rain Forest we spent the rest of our tour driving along the coast line of the island. We stopped to see the Salt River area. This is where Christopher Columbus made his landing! He called it "The Bay of the Arrows" because he was greeted by an onslaught of arrows shot at him by the natives! It was a beautiful area. We saw Buck Island off the coast and enjoyed a gorgeous view of the ocean.We headed back into to town to be dropped off and conclude our tour. We did some souvenir shopping and then walked back to the Seaplane port. The flight back was even cooler than the flight over!! Like before, the pilot's area is open with no separation door. The approach into the harbor in St. Thomas was intense and I LOVED IT! We flew over land and we kept getting closer and closer to the land... we are reminded that we aren't equipped for a landing on land. Looking through the front of the plane from the cockpit I watched us suddenly take a nose dive and all I see is water- coming fast! Again- I was loving it!! Jason wasn't so sure... :o) Just before we hit the water, they pulled the nose up and we splashed down in a VERY smooth landing... awesome.
We took another terrifying cab ride back to the hotel, cleaned up and joined the wedding group for a very nice dinner here at the hotel. Then we moved over to the bar... I stayed down for some visiting and a few drinks and then came back to the room... the day on St. Croix had done me in.
The Bride...
So, that brings me to now. Jason is still with the party and I am looking at a comfy King bed with cozy down comforter... it is calling my name... more tomorrow...
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