US Virgin Islands--Part 6/Final

We decided to get an early start on Wednesday morning for the Food Fair. But somehow we didn't communicate well and everyone was waiting for someone else to suggest we get going. Therefore, we didn't leave until about 10:30. The weird streets, crowded and some closed for the Festival, meant we took two passes to find parking, but when we went to the arena we visited Sunday night we found a free parking lot with space, about 6 blocks away from Emancipation Park, where the vendors were situated. The theme for 2015 was “Culture to the Extreme" and the setting was a lot like East Lansing Art Fair with more food and less art. There is a bandstand in the center and there were musical groups and dance groups performing and lots of families out to enjoy and celebrate the Islands. People were friendly and cordial so it felt safe enough but it was hot as blazes. We split up into couples and agreed to meet back at Roosevelt Park, about halfway between the Fair and the car. Marv and I got chicken dinners with a large pumpkin Johnny cake, his with potato salad and mine with sweet potato stuffing, and a large chicken leg quarter. We walked to Roosevelt to eat in the shade where it was a little cooler. We were both too full to finish the Johnny Cake but it was very good. Returning to the Food Fair area we found it even hotter and more crowded. Marv bought a loaf of carrot bread and a loaf of coconut bread and I tried to get some mango juice. Standing in a crowded line I was afraid I was going to faint so we left without juice and made our way back to the Park, where Heidi and Kris were waiting. They hadn't eaten but said they'd rather eat back at the house. We were all happy to be back to the peaceful, quiet setting to spend the rest of the day enjoying the breeze, eating up leftovers, and preparing to leave the Virgin Islands.

 

Virgin Islands Festival Food Fair

School Girls dancing in the center of Emancipation Park

The Queen and part of her court

The Band Stand at Emancipation Park

Fort Christian is between the harbor and Emancipation Park

Thursday we had to leave Paradise but I think we all felt ready. We packed up and talked to Mark about a few things he could do to make his place more enticing to visitors (hang mirrors lower, clean better, get some luggage racks so bags don’t have to sit on the floor). But we had enjoyed the quiet and tranquility very much. We drove the long way back over the mountain to avoid the craziness in Charlotte Amalie and still had time to stop by Brewer’s Beach and to get gas. We arrived with what we thought would be plenty of time at the airport. But it took unusually long to get through Customs and Immigration (even though we only visited St. John and St. Thomas which are part of the US, we easily COULD have gone to the British Virgin Islands so everyone has to be checked out). Once we boarded the plane it was a very uneventful two flights and we were back in Flint and home to East Lansing by soon after midnight. It had been one of our most relaxing trips ever. We loved St. John and could imagine returning there sometime if we didn’t have so many other wonderful places to visit. We were glad to have seen St. Thomas but probably don’t need to return there unless it is to visit St. Croix or the British Virgin Islands. And we now have a much clearer map in our minds of the major Caribbean islands in that area.

Come back in July to read all about our “Gateway to the Black Sea” river cruise in June!