we decide since it's a 'one ship day' here that we're going to take the water taxi from the next-door resort to downtown to do some shopping today...you have to go to town when the ship(s) are in dock, or the stores aren't open...but better to go on a one-ship day so that the place isn't totally overrun with cruisers...
so we take a little stroll over to our neighboring hotel - and on the way, we catch glimpses of some great things - piles of coral, shells and various flora washed up on the beach...
and we snap a few shots on the dock...that's our resort behind us...
and right at the entrance to our property from the beach....sea turtle nesting area...i'm totally reminded of my experience with the sea turtle in hawaii (you can read about it again - or for the first time - here and here) ...and i'm hoping we get to have a similar expereince here...and the sign is a good sign!
and it is absolutely unavoidable to have an encounter with an iguana....they are EVERYWHERE. there were easily a half dozen hanging out on the dock...and some, clearly, pose for pictures...
we catch the water taxi and head thru the harbor, past today's ship (the Carnival Victory) and right up to the sidewalk in the downtown shopping area...we encounter some great salespeople (HA!) on our way to a back alley restaurant we've heard about and order lunch at Gladys Cafe (and we were seated by Gladys herself)
we have rum-filled drinks (i think they find a way to put rum in everything here!) and some great curry chicken, homemade guacemole and chips and conch fritters.
despite my begging and pleading for a pair of diamond earrings from one of the hundreds of jewelers here in st. thomas, we only did a bit of shopping in a couple of shops (though i did get jason to at least walk into tiffany & co. with me) and we loaded up on some duty free liquor (so at this point, some of your christmas presents may not come as a surprise!) we did also round up some yummy belgian chocolates.
on our ferry ride back to our resort area, we caught a half-way decent glimpse of blackbeard's castle (we decided it was too hot and humid to climb the 100+ steps to see it today...) and the ship in port.
the heat took its toll and we took advantage of our air-conditioned villa until we were ready for dinner...at which point we braved driving...not just driving on the left...on roads you sometimes are going up so steep or down so steep that you cannot (literally) see the road in front of you...or turns so sharp you swear you're not going to be able to turn the car that way...oh, and all of this with on-coming traffic that is seemingly driving at 60mph (despite the fact that the island speed limit is like 35mph - but you more realistically cannot drive any faster than 25mph!)...but we did all this IN THE DARK. to a restaurant that we only had a vague idea of where it was (there are really no well marked roads or anything around here...truly adventurous!)
despite having white knuckles the entire car ride, we arrive at the restaurant without incident and are seated in a cute little caribbean seafood bistro. it is literally on the beach and quite delightful. drinks are good. food is good (incredible shrimp and clam stuffed mushrooms for appetizer...and jason got a grilled salmon topped with blackened shrimp and artichokes...i got shrimp and crab on pasta with lobster cream sauce...)
unfortunately, the trip was hampered by little biting bugs (bigger than no-see-ums, but smaller than mosquitos...) we were constantly scratching and slapping and it got so distracting by the end of the meal that we opted out of dessert there (in favor of those chocolates we bought earlier) when we were back at our villa, i counted over 50 bites on just my left leg...fortunately, it seems as though the itching is a short-lived phenomenon...and, it also reminded us to buy bug spray before we head out for a late night dinner again!
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