"Free World Jam"

Alright friends... I apoligize at the outset of this posting that there will be no pics for awhile. As with many things on the island, the internet is really, really slow and it won't even load my gmail, much less upload photos from my camera. I will add them though as soon as I find faster internet.

This is a pic from the hike that I took the first day, straight up the hill from Cinnamon bay, which is behind me.

I'm sitting in 'quiet, mon' pub in Cruz bay, sipping a Virgin Islands Pale Ale and enjoying watching all of my ex-pat commerades prep for super bowl, islands style. This is an easy lifestyle to get used to. Will give the play-by-play (since its super bowl sunday. PS: I am jaded since the Bills were creamed three times in a row during elementary school days...don't care who wins. Sorry.)

Travel was very smooth and my favorite part of yesterday was seeing turquoise blue water for the first time, from the plane. I was 25,000 feet and in awe of how crystal clear and blue the water was...I could see the undulations of the sand underneath. Stunning. After successfully not dying during the up and down cab ride through the middle of the crazy, spiraling hills of St. Thomas to the ferry, I turned on my ipod for some Allison Hinds (the SoCa Queen...'southern caribbean' if you didn't catch that) while we sped for St. John while the sun was setting. I was so happy that I actually laughed out loud to myself. Susanna, the musem curator had planned to meet me at the ferry and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had a whole welcoming team: Susanna and her b/f Ronnie, Kourtney (as I was the 'new Sasha' at GW for awhile, I am now the 'new Kourtney', a former intern with a CRM position for NPS now) and our supervisor Ken. Kourtney, Susanna and I headed to "The Beach Bar" for some dinner, literally on the beach. Hehehehe...I like this. I already love my new team...super chilled out people with a fondness for all things archaic that tell a story, and beer. What else do you need? The plan was to have dinner and get me out to the campsight while daylight was just waning, but several drinks into the evening the "Free World Jam" band started. Uh, we can't leve now. I personally believed that it would be unethical to leave the band and thankfully (and perhaps with a little chuckle) my new friends indulged my island-virgin-ism and we listened for awhile.

Sub-note...I searched everywhere for a blog that allowed you to upload a song because I there is always a soundtrack going on in my head anyways, so I thought it would add a fun element to this story. A blog with music doesn't seem to exist (entrepreneurs..get on that!) so you'll have to entertain my song dedications with every posting. Last night, the band played a song I grew up with, and after a few beers and the glow of new friends, I happily danced on the beach to
"St. Thomas" off the old Maynard Ferguson album. So Papa, that goes out to you :)

That is Susanna on the right, me in the middle, Kourtney on the left.

So Susanna and Ronnie drove me out to Cinnamon Bay, my new home for the next two months, after a little while. I got the headlamp out of my bag, found the tent, and crashed. My internet time is running out, so the run-down:

Took several pics of the tent because I know people are intrigued by this. It's on a wooden pallet. It's a regular pop-up tent, but huge. I rigged nylon rope through it today, hung my orange scarf from Rachel, unpacked everything, and made it home. Not the most comfortable place in the world (the cot is just that, a fold out cot with a mini inflatable pad on top. Small, not so comfy, but it will do.) I see this situation as a sign that I must thoroughly tire myself out having fun and working hard every day so I don't have time to think of how small the cot is before falling asleep. Someone just yelled "GOOOO PATS!!!!!" and referred to their beer as "a bruski". Reminds me I'm still in a US territory.

My legs and toes enjoying the water last sunday :)

Went directly to the beach a 6:45 am to see the sunrise. Will talk about the awesome beauty of this beach when I upload the pics. Sat there for several hours this afternoon. Saw a group of people playing vollyball and really wanted to join. Instead, finished Eat, Pray, Love which I have loved up until the end. After all that, she falls is love with a freaking brazilian and GETS MARRIED???? How original. Brazilians are so difficult to fall in love with. Took away from her dedication in the Ashram. Ugh. Still, great book. But, seriously?? The world is so very ironic.

Worked further on sprucing my tent. Ate a granold bar and boiled water on the coleman stove for a cup of tea. Went on an awesome 2 hour hike. Came back and went to the beach. Ate another granola bar. That will get old fast. Showered (the showering experience will get its own entry as the poor little girl in the shower next to me with her mom was screaming "NooooooOOOO MAMA!!! NOooooOO Shower!!!" which gives a clue about how cold it really is). Got ready to go into town.

Now, to go into town: you can take a taxi (maybe $12?) You can walk (about 6 miles up and down very dangerous, narrow, hilly roads). Or, you can hitch. Hitching is apparently very normal here. So, I'm really sorry mom, but I can't spend $12 every time I need food or have to use a computer. And I'd promised Kourtney I'd meet her. So. I started walking....a car came....I pointed in the direction I needed to go (you point, no thumbs)..aaaaaand...they drove by. This happened about 4 times before a pickup truck stopped and picked me up. Perfect! Just like Uruguay! The girl in the back, an Ex-pat from Maine is my first new non-NPS friend and she had been playing vollyball on the beach today. It's an every sunday date, so next week I am in. Awesome, a free ride into town and new volly-ball friends.

I'm happy here. Can tell so much more but time is up.

Sending peace, love and island vibes. Salud!!