I just finished eating orange crème brûlée on the Christiansted boardwalk while watching an old drunk white guy fumble into a tiny canoe and paddle out to his sailboat anchored in the harbor, off in the black distance. He looked like Jimmy Buffet.

no shoes, no shirt, no passport, no problem

This is Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. This spot is where I was just a few minutes ago, digesting a mango banana smoothie and finishing a book.

I am finally here! I arrived via boat last night from St. Thomas (about 45 miles north of St. Croix). Speaking of boats, I apparently get ridiculously sea sick. I threw up about 20 times during the boat ride. It felt like being on an awful roller coaster that just goes up and down for an hour and a half. Ugh.

Once I got to St. Croix, I headed for food. After eating, I headed for the bushes along the street to throw up my food. That actually felt kinda good. After a cold shower and 11 hours of sleep, I felt much better.

Today, I took the afternoon to explore downtown Christiansted.


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My hotel is on the boardwalk that looks out on dozens of sailboats anchored in the harbor. I sat on a bench on the boardwalk and watched sea planes take off from the water (more expensive than the ferry, but a MUCH better way to travel). Then I walked into the city and explored the streets and arcades and beautiful architecture. I still had an empty stomach and needed something light that wouldn't end up in the bushes. To my luck, I ran across the Kalima Center for Health and Holistic Living. The center has a juice bar and raw food restaurant inside, and after skimming the menu, I decided on the aforementioned mango banana smoothie.

St. Croix is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to meet the people here and make some new friends. The island is obviously full of history (The above panoramic shot was taken in front of an 18th century Danish fort), and I can't wait to learn more about that as well. Also, I wish I had Adam Brimer's photography skills.

Here are a few more pictures from the past two days: