St. Thomas, A Tropical Paradise (or NOT)

The Beauty and the Wonders of the Carabbean...To pick a banana, a coconut or a mango on a hot day when you are hungry and thirsty is truly euphoric! To cast your eyes on the most beautiful scenery known to man is simply breathtaking!

These pictures are real! There is no need to touch them up because the tropics are gorgeous. However, when living on a volcanic island, one must consider a couple of important facts.

Fact #1 - Almost EVERYTHING on the island is imported or pumped in.

Fact #2 - New technological systems are not common on small islands.

Now let's take a closer look at why these three facts are so important.

Fact #1 states that that almost everything is imported or pumped in. Why is this important? First of all, imported items are very expensive, when you can find them. Forinstance - milk - seems simple and common enough....I don't think so! There are 13 cows that supply the whole island with milk and it comes from a different location. When you can find milk that is not just powedered, ... once in a while you can find 1/2 powdered 1/2 real...it is over $8.00 a gallon. If you are lucky enough to have some money, it is wise to buy 2 or 3 gallons and freeze it. Then choose very wisely what you are going to use it for because you may not get it again for a few months. Keep in mind also that meats are rare and very expensive and offen have gone bad by the time they hit the markets...so be very careful. If you are not sure how to pick out fresh meat, you had best bone up on it before you buy or you can end up a verrry sick puppy.

Now I also mentioned "pumped in." If you live on this exquisite Island and happen to live near the top of the volcano, it may not be that easy to pump water to your home. In fact, although water surrounds the Island...hence, making it an island, one would think that water is cheap and easy to come by...wrong! Water is a very expensive commodity. If the water going into your home is strickly fresh water, it is about .25 to .35 cents a gallon. Let me remind you that the typical toilet uses 10 gallons of water every time you flush. Therefore many people have their toilets on rations. They flush only twice a day. So, if you happen to be visiting a friend and need to use the bathroom, better remember to ask if you can flush before you go in or you may find yourself with a very angry host or hostess aside from the fact that you might get knocked out from the stench when you open the bathroom door.For those of you using a rationed toilet, let me give you a handy dandy trick. Carry a a face cloth with you. Before entering, take a deep breath, hold it, enter, put your face cloth over your nose and mouth to breath, do your business as quickly as possible, hold your breath again and leave the bathroom, close the door and walk a few steps before you start breathing again. It works every time and you don't offend any homeowner.

I was one of the lucky ones. My toilet and shower were strickly sea water. I only paid .10 a gallon. By budgeting my money, I was able to flush during the day. I felt like royalty!

Fact #2 - Technology - Let's stay on the toilet concept a little longer. The systems that are used for pumping in water and electricity are old and rusted. They tend to be effected by the tides. KNOW WHEN TIDES ARE IN AND OUT! When the tide is out, most toilets do not work. In fact, they tend to back up at that time. So during low tide you want to keep your bathroom door closed and the top of the toilet seat down. See gentleman, no descrimination on this island. Even the woman have to remember to put the toilet seat down.

Also keep in mind, that during low tide the electricity will tend to go out. This isn't once every couple of months. It's pretty much a daily event. If you happen to be working on a computer get used to saving every minute or so. Trust me, don't worry about remembering all this. Make an error once and you never make it again!

There is so much to be said for island living. What a paradise! Do you know the national anthem on St.Thomas is "Don't Worry Be Happy." Jobs are few. Money is scarce. Bills tend to be paid at the last moment. In fact, if you go to the electric company to pay your bill on the last day it is due, you will probably be standing in line for a number of hours with a hundered other people. Someone will have a boom box and everyone will be singing the national anthem. It's a very patriotic island, you know!

Last but not least one more piece of advice. Live off of fresh vegetables and fruits that are grown on the island and go to the marketplace in the center of Charlotte Amalia in Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at about 7am and you will be able to pick up goods such as 20 mangos for a dollar, 2 bunches of bananas for a dollar, string beans .50 cents a bag. The key to these prices is being nice to the vendors who will almost always be the local Rastas. Just rememeber, any Rasta is your Friennnd!