ST. JOHN'S ISLAND, AMERICAN VIRGIN ISLAND

WE LEFT EARLY IN THE MORNING, AROUND 7AM, FOR ST. JOHN'S ISLAND, AN AMERICAN VIRGIN ISLAND.  WE GOT UP AROUND 6AM, AND LEFT THE HOTEL IN ST. CROIX, AND WERE OFF TO TAKE THE ANTILLE'S AIR BOAT., WHICH IS AN AIRPLANE THAT LANDS IN THE WATER, AND FLOATS.    AS I REMEMBER THE AIRBOAT HELD AROUND 10 PEOPLE.  IT WAS MADE OF METAL, INSIDE, AND OUR SEAT WAS RIGHT IN BACK OF THE PILOT.  WELL, THE ENTIRE TIME, I SIMPLY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE PILOT.  I WAS SO SCARED.  I SIMPLY LOOKED AT A SMALL RELIGIOUS MAGAZINE, CALLED THE DAILY WORD, WHICH I ALWAYS CARRIED WITH ME. 

THE ANTILLES AIRBOAT SEEMED TO BE FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE GOING TO WORK, AND THEY WERE USED TO THIS!

J KEPT REASSURING ME , THAT IF THE PLANE WENT DOWN, IT WOULD SIMPLY LAND IN THE WATER, WHICH IT WAS MADE FOR. 

THAT DID NOT MAKE ME FEEL ANY BETTER.

SO, THE ANTILLES AIR BOAT FINALLY LANDED IN THE WATER.  ON IMPACT, IT MADE A LARGE SPLASH OF WATER, UP ON THE WINDOWS.  I NEVER LOOKED UP, I WAS PETRIFIED.

FINALLY, IT WAS ALL OVER, AND WE WERE READY TO START OUR FUN TRIP ON THE ISLAND.

AT THAT TIME, ST. JOHN'S WAS VERY RUSTIC, AND I THINK THERE WAS ONLY 1 HOTEL THERE...................SO, WE DECIDED TO DO THE POPULAR THING, AND GO CAMPING!

BELIEVE ME, I AM NOT A CAMPING PERSON.GIVE ME A NICE HOTEL, AND SOFT PILLOWS, AND ROOM SERVICE...AND I AM HAPPY!

HOWEVER, I TRIED TO BE PART OF IT, AND EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING, SO WE TOOK A SMALL CABIN.

YOU COULD CHOOSE 1 OF 3 THINGS............TO SLEEP ON THE GROUND, OR IN A TENT, OR IN A CABIN.

YES, AND WHAT A CABIN IT WAS!  THE WALLS WERE MADE OF SCREENS, THE BEDS WERE COTS, AND THE FLOOR WAS CEMENT.  IT WAS ONLY NIG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE 2 COTS.  NO TOILET, NO KITCHEN, AND NO RUNNING WATER.  COMMUNAL BATHROOMS WERE AT LEAST A QUARTER MILE AWAY, WALKING DISTANCE.  THE OUTSIDE OF THE CABIN HAD METAL POTS AND PANS, FOR THOSE WHO WANTED TO COOK, ON A BUNSON BURNER. 

THE ROOM WAS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH LIZARDS....AND THE BEST PART, THEY WERE CLIMBING INTO THE COTS...................NEED I SAY MORE!

THE BEAUTY OF THE PLACE WAS THAT IT WAS SEVERAL FEET AWAY FROM THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE OCEAN...............IT WAS IN A FOREST...............ALL TREES, AND BIRDS, AND WILD ANINALS ROAMING ABOUT...............THE HUMIDITY WAS UNBEARABLE.  NO SHOWER OR RUNNING WATER..............

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE STAYING IN PARADISE....THE GARDEN OF EDEN..............

IT WAS LOVELY, BUT I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT. 

I BECAME COVERED IN MOSQUITO BITES.

THAT NIGHT, UPON ARRIVAL, WE TRIED TO ENJOY IT.  WE HAD A MEAL AT THE MAIN LODGE, AND AS I REMEMBER, IT WAS A TERRIBLE, RUSTIC, MEAL...........DRIED UP SANWHICHES FROM A VENDING MACHINE.......  WE THEN SAT OUTSIDE WITH THE OTHERS, GAZING AT THE STARS AND SKY, AND THEY PUT ON AN OUTSIDE SHOW, ABOUT THE PLANETS.........

LATER, AT NIGHT, I COULD NOT SLEEP, AS THE LIZARDS WERE LIKE HUNDREDS, CRAWLING INTO THE COT................AND IT WAS HOT AND HUMID.

MORNING DAWNED, AND I MUST SAY, IT IS BEAUTIFUL TO BE THERE, AT THE SIDE OF THE OCEAN , ALONG WITH NATURE.

J QUICKLY MADE RESERVATIONS ON THE NEXT ISLAND, ST. THOMAS.  HE KNEW I COULD NOT TAKE ANOTHER DAY OF THIS, AND CAMPING JUST WASn'T FOR ME.

SO, WE LEFT AS SOON AS WE COULD..........

J SURPRISED ME.  HE HAD MADE RESERVATIONS AT THE FRENCHMAN'S REEF, A VERY EXCLUSIVE HOTEL IN ST; THOMAS.  THANK GOD HE KNEW I NOW HAD TO BE SPOILED, AT THE FREBCHMAN'S REEf, AFTER EXPERIENCING CAMPING.

DIRTY, SWEATY, FILLED WITH MOSQUITO BITES, WE TOOK A BOAT TO ST. THOMAS.  I WAS A LITTLE EMBARRESED TO ARRIVE LIKE THAT, BUT SOON I FORGOT OUR CRAZY EXPERIENCE IN ST. JOHN'S ISLAND.

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURES!.............FRAN