The scouting trip
April 17, 2004. Holger Dansk Hotel, Christiansted, USVI
We flew into St. Croix last night. Our trip was uneventful except for American Airlines canceling our flight out of La Crosse so we had to get up an hour earlier and fly to Minneapolis. We made a later connection in Chicago and still arrived here on time thanks to a shorter lay over in San Juan. That's a good thing -- the new San Juan airport is a noisy, uncomfortable place even when the air conditioning is working.
I followed taxis from the airport and we only got lost once finding our hotel, which is indeed right at the end of the boardwalk. Our hotel is an older place, not fancy, but adequate to our needs. We walked around Christiansted a little it, had dinner al fresco and came back for TV and bed because it had been a long day.
Unsurprisingly, I was up before Jean so I walked around and found a breakfast place. I eavesdropped on three guys at the next table who were trying to agree on some business investment if they could find someone to manage it. I was tempted to introduce myself and say I was looking for work, but that would have been premature. Need to find a place to live first. Found a nice big ruin while walking around and there are places to rent in the local paper.
April 18. Day 2 in paradise.
We spent yesterday morning touring the fort and exploring the touristy parts of the city. There is a lot of history here -- and lots of ruins -- and Jean says she thinks it's nicer than the Bitter End Yacht Club -- more authentic, a real place for almost 300 years. It seems quieter and less crowded that St. Thomas or Tortola -- more like St. Barts. More developed than Virgin Gorda or Statia. I think this might be the island for us. Not perfect though -- the quiet means few tourists which means a slow economy. I can smell some sewage from the gut outside our balcony. The food in the restaurants is not as good as the BVI or Leewards. The people seem friendly and proud of their island. We've gotten several referrals when we've told people we want to live here.
After a nap we drove out to Pt. Udall, the eastern most part of the US (not counting Iraq!). You can just barely make out the shapes of the BVI from there. We stopped at a beach on the way back. I went snorkeling while Jean picked up trash, shells and pebbles from the beach. I stepped on some sea urchins (?) that sent their quills right through my flippers and into my heels -- a painful reminder that I don't know very much about the sea! (Jean's surgery with needle and pocket knife seems to have been successful, thankfully.)
Today we're going to church, I'll call some people, and we'll explore the West End and Frederiksted.
April 19
I really should be writing these notes in the evening, but I was tired enough to fall asleep at 9pm last night -- cold sober too.
Yesterday we went to "Lord God of Sabaoth" Lutheran Church, #2 on the ELCA roster. The service lasted 2 hrs 20 min! Talk about alternative worship! It was a combination of revival meeting and Lutheranism with a bit of Buddhism thrown in! Pastor White (who is not) started out with an anecdote from Thai That Ninh and emphasized knowing God's peace "in the moment."
In the afternoon we toured the West End. The campus of the University is beautiful and big -- that was the area Jean liked the best. Frederiksted is smaller and more decrepit than Christiansted with a much smaller presence of government or tourism. LSS does a lot there however and seems to be highly regarded. There are many small, empty beaches north of Frederiksted (empty except for trash, I'm afraid) and that's where the remnants of the great estates are located.
(As I was sitting on our balcony, watching the rain come down, I just saw and heard a power line transformer blow).
Anyway, we stopped at the Salt River Marina for a strawberry colada and talked with Hugh, who said space was available for $8.50/ft, no problem with a draft under six feet. It does look like a real hurricane hole, and I talked to a couple who had just sailed around the world starting from St. Croix and finding no place better! Earlier I had talked with two sailors on 21' Pearson on the Boardwalk. They were very enthusiastic about the yacht club after they established my bona fides as a sailor.
So today we have to start pursuing leads on housing and make arrangements for Jean to fly to Puerto Rico to see Bishop Martinez tomorrow.
April 20
Probably just as well that I didn't try to journal last night as I was pretty anxious after our first involvement with Caribbean crime. But first ...
After a leisurely breakfast -- all meals seem leisurely here, even the "fast food" -- we found the local paper, "The AVIS" at the library and there were eleven rentals listed that looked promising. Pam McFadden showed us an apartment in a historic building here in Christiansted and knows of condos opening up in Coakley Bay. She also suggested we talk to Sandra at Richardson & Ayres in Frederiksted, who referred us to Marsha .... That seems to be how things work down here.
We drove back to Frederiksted and a salesclerk called Joyce "Mimi" Hurd at Sprat Hall for us. Sprat Hall is a remnant of a great plantation and both Joyce and her daughter, Judy, are characters. As Hugh said, nobody who lives here is completely "round." Anyway, there's a cottage on the property that might do -- except they don't allow pets.
After that we drove south of Frederiksted to Dorsch Beach, which was marked as good snorkeling. I forgot my gear, though, so I just stood and watched as Jean walked the beach. I didn't watch closely enough, however, because even though there was no one in sight or hearing, somebody went into our car (which I had not locked) and stole Jean's camera, wallet and my daytimer. We lost traveler's checks, cash, credit cards and Jean's ID.
That troubled us both, and I didn't sleep well last night. I think I learned something about myself though. First, while there are some parts of La Crosse or Minneapolis where I wouldn't feel safe, I'd have little reason to go there. This was a beautiful beach where Jean commented on houw special it was to be on a beach with no footprints but your own. But the thief seemed to come out of nowhere -- how vigilant or security conscious do you have to be? Will we now always avoid that beach, that end of the island, stay close to "white people" who are more safe? But as Jean pointed out, our homes in Mission and Madison were burglarized in"good" neighborhoods; maybe residential burglaries are so traumatic because you can't avoid the site? (No, current psychological theory would predict the opposite).
Anyway, I was awake for at least an hour and a half during the night. I couldn't relax, and I kept repeating song fragments in my mind. I've done that before, but this time I recognized their obsessional quality -- they were keeping me from thinking about something else. Partly I didn't want to think about the thoughts recorded above. More importantly, I didn't want to think about how difficult and scary relocating here might be -- and that God may be calling me to do it anyway. (Jean nearly canceled her trip to visit Bishop Martinez as her response to the theft; we'll know more about "Call" when she gets back this afternoon).
So today I take care of the legalities, get my traveler's checks refunded, get a haircut, visit the marinas, and maybe see some more rental properties. Busy day in paradise.
April 21
Yesterday went well. Jean's trip to visit Bishop Martinez was successful if a little expensive ($160 airfare +$120 taxi +$40 tip). It seems like there's a good chance of a part-time Call to Kingshill Lutheran Church, which is currently served by a a deaconess who would like to retire. I took care of business, ran into Melissa on Vinga on the way to the marina (no slips available right now, $7.50/ft/mo) and relaxed by the pool, catching a few rays until it was time to pick up Jean.
April 22
Yesterday morning we visited with Thelma Youngblood, the retired deaconess who's been holding Kingshill Lutheran Church together. She was friendly and her accomplishments are quite impressive, but she emphasized that their's is an African-American worship. Jean said later that she wasn't intimidated by that, but I would have been. We made arrangements to see a house in the neighborhood.
After a nap, we toured the St. George Botanical Garden, which is quite impressive. Ruins and restorations, modern sculptures, cactus and orchid gardens and a rainforest among other attractions. There, too, we were to meet Nick, who would show us another rental.
This one Jean and I both felt we could live with. It's a large two bedroom, two bath lower apartment with a big yard, a pool, and a view. It's a bit more expensive than I'd hoped and unfurnished, but we'll cope with that. It's someplace we can feel comfortable, keep the pets and entertain guests. We met our upstairs neighbors who seem nice. Jean is looking forward to playing "Lolette" to their 10 year old daughter, Maria. Today we went back, sketched out the floorplan and signed a year's lease. Then we went back to the Salt River Marina where Hugh assured us there's always a slip available.
So I guess we're about done with the planning part of this trip. Jean's napping again and I'm out by the hotel pool. Neither Melissa or Lourdes returned my calls, but Carla's friend, Judy, did. She offered useful advise on shipping, local furniture stores (owned by Arabs, she said). Hugh confirmed that Palestinians -- like our landlord -- control the 3 F's on the island: Food, Fuel & Furniture. Anyway Judy was mildly disparaging of our residency and cautioned us not to be put off by some hesitancy to welcome newcomers; she said too many of them leave again.
April 24
We make it back to La Crosse last night without incident. Today we got our photos printed, bought Edgar a travel cage, worked in the yard and started commissioning Ambivalence for the season.
I find that my anxiety is returning, but on the flight I had the realization that we probably COULDN'T make this change if we waited ten years. We might be better off financially but otherwise we'd be less capable. So I've started to make worry / "to do" lists and we'll soon be on our way.