Fun in the water!

Here on St. Croix, one thing is for sure: You MUST respect the sea! She is beautiful and life-giving, but also fiercely protective and dangerous. If you educate yourself and practice risk management, you should be able to have an amazing time in the water.

My favorite, and simplest, way to enjoy the water is snorkeling. There's so much you can explore underwater, with oodles of coral reefs and the cruise ship pier. Even on a sandy bottom, or a bed of sea grass, you never know what you'll encounter. We've seen more than I can even list, some things being almost adorable, and others downright creepy. I hope to get a set of waterproof cards that we can take snorkeling and diving, so we can mark off as we identify the different flora and fauna.



 

If I had a horse I'd want to take him or her swimming.  It's not uncommon to see horses in the water, sometimes being exercised to heal from an injury. 



Below,  horse and owner feeling refreshed after their late afternoon swim.


One of the most exciting things we've done so far is to get scuba certified, at Sweet Bottom Dive Center.  We took a few weeks to complete the workbook, did a few days of testing and training at a relaxed pace, then had to take some time off while Mike went off-island  (back in the States we would say "out of town").  As soon as he returned, we finished up our PADI Open Water Diver Certifications.  There were several really nice people who contributed to our training, including Mel, Greg, Matt, and Darrin.  I was especially grateful to Mel, who held my hands and helped ease my anxiety the first time I went underwater (in the pool).  I think it was the weight of the gear, and the sensation of being pinned to the bottom, that got me unnerved.   







Below is Mel Gapen, who did most of our training.  If you're not already certified, and you want to do it, you can complete your PADI coursework online so you can get in the water that much quicker after you arrive here.

Sweet Bottom and other dive shops on the island also offer "Discover Scuba" (click the link) experiences, where you learn the basics and actually go on a dive under the close supervision of your trainer.  If you are not a diver, and don't ever plan to become one, this "Discover SCUBA" experience should most definitely be on your bucket list!





So far we don't have an underwater camera, but we're anxious to get one so we can share our diving adventures with you.  We've done some breathtaking dives, including one at the wall where we had five large sharks circling us for quite a while.  That's a story that deserves it's own blog post, and I will share as soon as I can.


Another thing we like to do is kayak.  We had these kayaks in Phoenix, to use out at the lake, but we're getting a lot more use out of them here on on St. Croix (duh).   Mike put together a Harbor Freight trailer we purchased before leaving Phoenix, and built a rack for the three kayaks.  One of the kayaks is a two person ride, and there are two singles, so all four of us can go out at the same time.



There are lots of places to kayak, including some lagoon areas.  One time we used the kayaks to get ourselves and all our SCUBA gear out to a dive buoy, where we moored the kayaks then dropped down to explore.  It's a challenge getting ourselves and our gear back up onto the kayaks, but we'll get it worked out.

These photos are from Altona Lagoon, near Christiansted.  Mike, Jesse, and I took a few hours to paddle the entire perimeter of the lagoon one afternoon.  The beach (sea) side is a popular Sunday spot for swimming, fishing, and cooking out. 



Mike made a friend who looks just like him - don't you think?  Same smile, anyway...




When we were loading up the kayaks some people came to sail their RC boat in the water.  There's always someone doing something interesting wherever you go.
 


One day we tried kayaking from the beach across the street from our house.  It was a windy day, lots of waves, and not good for this activity.  Mike and Jesse tried surfing, and both ended up with sea urchin spines in their feet.  The picture below is of me kayaking into the waves, struggling to keep from turning sideways, lest I get knocked over.  On the way back to shore, I (unintentionally) caught a wave which took me on a heart-pounding ride right up onto the rocks, where, thankfully,  Jesse was waiting to help me and my shaky legs out onto the beach. 




Follow THIS LINK to see what IS good to do on a windy day at our beach :)  Apparently, the youtube video I made won't play on mobile phones.  It seems to be because I added a clip of music to the short video, thereby making it a copyright issue.  But if  you're at your computer, and you want to see another fun watersport, click above where it says "THIS LINK"

The kayaking below was definitely much nicer.  Traci and Mimsel joined me for an invigorating trip out to Shell Island (Ruth Cay), across from Hovensa (oil refinery), where we beached, snorkeled, and had a picnic lunch before another energizing paddle back to the mainland. 



One of the things you'll most certainly do when you visit us is to kayak or swim in the bioluminescent lagoon, near our house.  I have no doubt that it will be a highlight for you, just as it is for us, although I don't have any photos to show you.  You'll have to trust me...


This is just a nice late afternoon picture of fishermen cleaning their catch at Altona Lagoon Beach. 




Another popular activity on St. Croix, although we haven't tried it yet, is Stand Up Paddle Surfing (SUP).  I hear it's a lot of fun, and great exercise.  One business on the island has full moon SUP outings, that include a beach fire finale...




I hope you're starting to get some ideas of what you'd like to do when you come visit.   Just let me know, and we'll start getting a plan put together for you :)

Until then,

Laurel

Tostones, Summer Camp, and the Yard-House!

St Croix has a beautiful and interesting mix of people.  Most Crucians (people born on St Croix) are descendants of slaves, from Africa, but there are also many Puerto Ricans and even Arab Palestinians. People like our family are referred to as "Continentals," and whereas I was initially self-conscious, I don't feel as out of place anymore.

There are many Rastas (followers of Rastafari) on the island.  A lot of us first learned about Rastafari (the name of the religious movement) through the music of one of it's most famous followers, Bob Marley, a Reggae artist.  Rasta and Reggae go hand in  hand, and Africa has always been a popular theme for the songs. I enjoy listening to the Reggae radio stations sometimes, because there's far less (what I consider) nasty content than there is in pop music, and it usually promotes more positive messages.   Click on this link to go to a nice Reggae song that I hear on the radio:  African Story, African Glory.

One of the many fun things about having such a great mix of cultures, is of course... the FOOD!  Below are photos of us making "Tostones," fried plantains, which are popular in Puerto Rico.  

First I had to learn how to open a plantain.  They don't peel "down" in strips, like bananas.  You  have to slice the peel lengthwise, into a few segments, then peel it off from the side.

. 

Next you cut thick slices of plantain, and gently place them in hot oil, where you leave them for a few minutes until they turn golden brown...

Remove the plantain slices, and smash them down with the back of a wooden spoon, then put them BACK into the hot oil to finish frying them.  Serve them with a little sea salt, as a snack or side dish, much like you would potatoes!  We really liked them, even though I'm not a fan of frying (I'm not good at it, I feel like I'm wasting the oil by only using it once, and I don't like to clean up afterwards)! 

    

We've been here two months now, and we're discovering that there is ALWAYS something going on somewhere on the island.  We watched the 4th of July fireworks from the beach, attended the 17th Annual "Mango Melee," one of the quarterly "Jump Ups" in Christiansted, and the kids attended a two week summer camp at YWAM St. Croix.   

Below are photos I took at the YWAM base, before/during the final performance of the summer camp.  Please click here for the Kings Kids link on the YWAM St Croix web site, and read about this wonderful program for Christian youth.  We are incredibly blessed that the kids had this unexpected (unplanned for) opportunity, where they started so many new friendships.  

The YWAM base is located on a beautiful and historic plantation (Diamond Ruby Plantation).  There is a group of staff who live there permanently, and other buildings for guests/volunteers who come throughout the year.  Every summer, the base is inundated with youth, some from as far away as Europe! 

The great house has offices, kitchen, dining area, and a large multipurpose room.   

What a great setting for a basketball game.  During the summer camp, Jesse was involved in the Sports outreach, not only training and playing, but also learning how to use sports to share God's love in the community! 

 

This is one of the houses where full-time staff live.  There are single people and also families with children who live, work, and serve at YWAM bases. 

Morgan spent two weeks living in the white trailer towards the back.

Jesse slept in one of the little buildings you can see in the background, each having three sets of bunk beds.  

 

This is the plantation's historic sugar mill.   Although there are no longer any active sugar mills on the island, the YWAM staff still grows a bit of sugar cane in their organic garden, just for fun.  The kids enjoyed fresh mangoes, tamarind, and genips from the bountiful trees on the property. 

Open air dining area... 

Multi-purpose room being prepared for the grand finale of the 2013 summer camp.

Morgan trained in drama, and learned to share God's message through group performances in the community. Mike and I were very impressed with ALL the music, dancing, and other skits.  One of the enactments even made me cry!

The camp counselors and youth leaders came over as a group, from Puerto Rico.  Both Morgan and Jesse now have friends in Puerto Rico and are looking forward to going there for a visit.  Here is a video I took of Jesse's small group leader introducing and saying some really nice things about him! It makes a mother feel good when other people recognize how special her children are ♥

I love the photos below, even though they are not mine.  One day during summer camp the kids went to the beach, and one of Morgan's new friends snapped these:

I'm very happy about all the nice kids Morgan and Jesse are meeting and spending time with.  I look forward to the kids having their first get-together here at our house, whenever they're ready to plan and execute it!  Jesse and I cleaned up the outdoor living room (I'm going to call it the "Yard House") and arranged the furniture to make it cozy.  

 The Hammock, perfectly located for catching the best sea breezes, was begging me to sleep in it.  Although it felt amazing to sleep outside again, which I love so much, I woke up around midnight, cold and wet. I'll have to figure something out for keeping the wet air from settling on me, but  doesn't make me feel hot.  Any ideas?

Well, I'd say we're just about ready for company.  Maybe a little tweaking here and there, but by the time you get here, we'll have everything set up for you.  So hurry up and plan your visit!

Laurel

Incredible Edible Wildlife!

Our first encounter with wildlife was when Morgan's bear was released.  She waited for months to see her bear again, and watched every box come off the truck until she was reunited with her sweet and cuddly friend!  Turns out the bear had taken a detour to Kingston, Jamaica, and had picked up a strange accent - and smoky aroma!  Okay, so her teddy bear isn't that wild.  Keep reading down the blog for some REAL Crucian wildlife!

 

I believe the most dreaded creature on the island is the centipede, and thanks to the monthly extermination service, the only ones we've found in the house were already dead or dying.  We've heard plenty of stories about how horrible their bite is, and they neither offer nor are afforded any  mercy.  The fear of them is probably comparable to the rattlesnakes in AZ.  One of our movers said we should catch several centipedes and soak them in a jar of alcohol (like tequila or rum).  Then the alcohol can be used to treat a centipede bite.  Then the other mover told us if we drank the remaining alcohol, the bite would hurt even less...  

 

There are public service billboards all over the island, with a picture of a woman and a giant centipede, and the sign saying:  "What's Scarier Than Unprotected Sex?"  and under the picture it reads: "Not Much..."  But centipedes are definitely a close second place. 

The picture below is of a mongoose.  Anyone remember Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?  It's a story about a mongoose who is adopted by a British family, in India, and he protects the family from a pair of deadly cobras.  This cartoon is based on the original Rudyard Kipling story.

Mongooses were brought to St. Croix in the 1800s to control the rat populations at the sugar mills.  What no one realized at the time was that the rats were nocturnal, and slept in the trees at night.  And the mongoose, well, they hunted during the day - and can't climb trees!  So now, about 150 years later, both species are thriving here on St. Croix.  

  

A while back I shared an experience on Face Book, about looking out my second-floor bedroom window one night and seeing an eight-legged monster crawling on my screen.   It was a LAND crab, like the one below, but with my first thought of it being a spider, you can imagine my terror at seeing it inches away from my face!!!  So I called for Jesse and Mike to come look out my window (I didn't tell them what they were looking for) and I was delighted to see Mike jump a mile when he finally focused on the creepy silhouette!  Hahaha! 

Our yard is frequented by one or more "Yellow-crowned Night-herons," who seem to delight in turning our driveway into a crab killing field.   Oftentimes we go outside in the morning to find little crab parts strewn all over, and the large body neatly emptied out (see pretty purple crab body below).

It took a while to figure out what kind of monster was making such a mess.  Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and just stare out the window, wondering what was out there.  I would occasionally see a shadow running in and out of the tall grass (like in Jurassic Park), and finally, a couple of times got a good look.  I'm pretty sure now we've unofficially-conclusively identified the culprit, and can sleep in peace.  If we have trouble sleeping, though, we can always go to the grocery store and pick up a "Marley's Mellow Mood" to relax us a bit...

 

Incidentally, tonight is a full moon and we were told that the land crab hunters would be out along the roadsides, catching these creepy crawlies to put on their dinner plates.  Our movers told us the crabs have to be "purged" by putting them in a box with clean (?) food for a few days, so whatever nasty stuff they've been eating will be expelled from their body and replaced with something less undesirable.   At this time, I don't know whether I'll be eating any land crabs.  Ever.  But if I get into a survival situation, at least I'll have an idea of what to do. 

Jesse, fearless hunter of the Lionfish, is displaying his catch below.  Normally we aren't fishermen or hunters, but the Indio-Pacific Lionfish is an invasive species that is doing terrible damage to the local, native fish population.  As such, we are encouraged to either set a marker when we see one of the fish (they hang out in the same spot and don't roam) or eliminate them ourselves.  Mike bought manual spears for Jesse and himself, and the next day we were snorkeling in the Salt River Bay and Jesse speared THREE Lionfish. 

 

I hear Lionfish are very tasty, but I'm not interested in learning to prepare them.  The spines are venomous, and some of the fish in this region are known to carry a toxin (ciguatera) that can make a person very sick.  I would, however, love to try them if I ever find them on the menu of a reputable restaurant!  What about you?  Would you eat the land crabs and Lionfish?   What about iguana???

Today we had to go to Jesse and Morgan's new school (they were going to attend school on-line, but our plans changed).  I was delighted to see two large iguanas while I was waiting outside for the kids to finish their placement testing.  These iguanas are used to people, and this one let me get within about five feet before he got defensive, so I was able to get several good pictures.

Below is a second iguana, with a much brighter green color.  It didn't let me get close at all, and took off into a tree, where it disappeared into camouflage.  

Incidentally, two of our movers (they were real characters) are from another Caribbean island, Dominica, and they love to eat iguana.  They catch them here on the island, and said they'll call us when they have their next iguana-Q on the beach.  They laughed as they told us the story about chasing a big iguana down the road, hoping to have it for dinner, but then a lady came out screaming at them not to kill her pet iguana!  They are really nice fellows, and immediately stopped their pursuit, allowing the woman to catch her pet and bring it home.  

Apparently there are at least five iguanas who live in safety at the school, and the kids have learned not to mess with them.  The iguanas can whip you with their beautiful, long tails, and I'm told it can really hurt.  The iguana below looks like it's posing for a glamor shot!  

Well, for now I don't think I'll be eating any iguanas, land crabs, lionfish, or drinking centipede-infused alcohol.  Of course what you do whenever you get here is up to you.  I'll give you the keys to the car and point you in the right general direction.

I'd like to end this blog post by thanking the person who brought our family to this beautiful island, and who is always reminding me to encourage our family and friends to come visit.   Let's not disappoint Mike, okay?  Here's a picture I took of Mike  yesterday morning, outside his office.  He has to wear his blues every Monday. 

So... Get your travel plans sorted out, and I'll help watch for good airfare...

Hope to see you soon,

Laurel