The US virgin islands are very close together and it did not take us more than an hour to get there from where we were in St John's South East coast to Charlotte Amalie ... the Capital City of the US Virgin Islands. It is named after the Danish Queen with the same name. St Thomas was used in the old days as a haunt of pirates and privateers! The theme is still running thick in the commercial sailing boats all dressed up as Pirate boats!
The anchorage in Charlotte Amalie's St Thomas Harbour was unexpectedly good! Well protected against all weather ... in spite of the ferries and big cruise ships coming and going we did not have any trouble with a surge at all!... it was actually very pleasant and being so big, it offers plenty of options for anchoring. (It was a different situation the second time we anchored here over Easter... as I am writing ... we do have some swells coming in and we might have to move on...)
Every main shopping site is within a dinghy ride away and there are dinghy docks right in front of the Main Street (Shopping Street)!!! That we only realised too late ... but the "Safari Taxi's" - they are open sides vehicles that will take you anywhere for $4 - wether it is 2 blocks or 20 miles ... it is still $4! So ... a bargain to hop on and off them if you want to go to inland places or even shopping centres! It is a big town and walking is mostly uphill going anywhere from the shore and the normal taxi's are very expensive! The nice thing about these people that we have noticed was that when they hop into a taxi, they will not sit down until everybody has been greeted. It is just so nice and makes you feel welcome and part of them! They are generally very friendly and extremely polite and helpful people!
The dinghy dock right in front of the Cruise Ships get you out in front of the snazzy Yacht Haven Grande Marina! With a dinghy that hasn't got at least a 100hp engine (ours has a 15hp!)... you will find hardly any eye contact is been made by the marina goers or workers and you!Ha Ha!! Snobbish would be an understatement! It was funny!... We always get a bit of a chuckle out of "those people"! They are mostly from the super yachts .... And there are a lot of them! .... a lot of testosterone is hanging out there ... the shops are pretty nice around those marina's! Big brand names .... And even if you do not buy anything ... just go and snoop around... I never knew that Bvlgari has a clothes range for instance!!
The people who can speak English... mostly have an American accent (school teachers are mostly from USA or trained there... and a lot of them has at some stage worked in the USA as well)
This is the first City we have seen in all the Caribbean! It is very built-up and huge - I mean enormous hotels and resorts. The main drag is aimed to take your money and they depend heavily on the Cruise Ships for business! (Like the Taxi said ... they take it ... it's no good you hold on to it ...it only gives you pleasure when you part with it!!... well the Captain latched onto that quick smart!)
The prices are great being a tax-free island (a free port) since the Danish times ...(and many Americans only come for the shopping!) Camera's and jewellery (diamonds and watches) are the main trades! The big fashion brand names have their watches, sunnies and perfumes and cosmetics in every second shop! The shop assistance are the most polished, sophisticated and well spoken and EXTREMELY friendly and helpful people I have ever seen in those positions! In some countries they make you feel that they are doing you a favour to get of their bums to serve you ... not here!!!
There are other perks too for going into the big brand name stores and show interest in their watches or jewellery ...they then get you to think it over (that is if you do not buy it straight away!) in the VIP lounge where any drink from a great espresso or cappuccino to a glass of French /Californian red wine to any beer you like!!!.... All on the house! That.... by the way ... is how I scored a glass of very good red wine for free ... 11am in the morning! :-)

The town still has many of the original Danish buildings and mansions on the hillside overlooking the harbour. The architecture in Main street specifically have all their shops in the original old Danish buildings that was still left pretty much intact and has so much character and is quite beautiful! ... it is really charming to see all the old walls still in use for all the new shops and restaurants with the narrow alleyways and trellises and tiny balconies. There is an interesting looking Forte - it was shut unfortunately? - reminds us of the Old Forte in Cape Town! And then there is the famous Bluebeard Castle!(from the Pirate Days!)... I remember that gruesome story of The Horrible Bluebeard being told/ read to me as a child! I wonder if my older sisters will recall the story!

St Thomas is a great place to go to ... for a purpose... Not for it's natural beauty as such... shopping is great and they also have an international airport with direct flights from London and Miami ... so we are going to be back here to pick John Botha up that will join us for a few weeks and crew for us from Tortola to the Bermuda! Too much of that ... it's time to move on.... Spanish VI will hopefully bring back the charm of blue-turquoise waters and lonely bays!