Haitians Still Amazingly Calm Despite Unimaginable Circumstances

You would practically have to live on another planet not to know about Haiti's horrific tragedy this past Tuesday. A 7.0 earthquake that has resulted in a tragedy of epic proportions.

Sadly, living on an island seems to magnify everything; both good and bad events, circumstances, situations. I guess it's because islands are compressed, compact societies where it is often impossible to remove yourself in the event things get antzy. Everything is absolutely up close and personal, and you can't always get away from it even when you want to.

You can't just fill up the tank, catch a Greyhound, or even put on your walking shoes and leave everything behind. No, it takes forethought, planning and most important ... possibility. In short, in certain circumstances, you might just find yourself STUCK in place. Certain circumstances like disasters such as hurricanes and yes, earthquakes.

My heart goes out to the people of Haiti. How well I can relate to those (even the able-bodied), who are helpless in the present situation. I am a survivor of Hurricane Marilyn that hit the Virgin Islands in '95. To be completely dependent on the goodwill of others for your well-being is to say the least, frightening.

For instance, I can't imagine being in the tropics for several days without water. Even if uninjured, how do you exist in 90 degree heat without water for that period of time? I couldn't. And, the media is now making an issue about some of the people becoming violent. Who wouldn't? They don't have access to communications and have no idea when and where help is coming from.

The plight of these helpless people is heart-wrenching.

Right now, the only thing most of us can do to help them is to contribute money and to pray. Let's all do lots of both.

Vacationing in the Caribbean During Hurricane Season

One of my readers emailed me about the possibility of a hurricane during her vacation. She didn't know this was hurricane season and had planned a trip to St. Thomas right in the middle of the season.

Unfortunately many travel professionals are often tight-lipped about hurricane season to travelers heading into those destinations.

After all, if you knew a hurricane was possible during the time and at the place of your vacation, you'd probably think twice about going there.

Now, there's good news and bad news about making the decision to vacation or not vacation in such an area at such a time.

THE GOOD NEWS
I would go ahead with travel plans unless a hurricane is currently on the way to your vacation destination. If so, don't go. Or, at least wait until it passes, or until you have more information about it.

If nothing is on the way, then take a chance and go. You definitely get the best bargains during hurricane season. So, go ahead. Take advantage.

THE BAD NEWS
Once a hurricane is reported to definitely be heading to your vacation destination, (particularly to a Caribbean island), airline seats off island will disappear faster than a cold beer on a hot day. Not only will vacationers change their exit dates, but residents of the island will be buying up those seats as well.

If you're already at your vacation destination, and you learn a hurricane is on the way, pay attention to what's being said by local authorities. When they say, it will probably hit your location, immediately call the airline and change your return date. By the time it's definite the hurricane will hit, it's usually too late to leave the island by air. Seats are gone.

While living in St. Thomas, I stayed up one night for the 5am weather report, which was going to have more info on the approaching hurricane. By that report, they would know and be able to tell the public if the hit was definite. When the report came on, it was a sure thing that the storm would hit St. Thomas.

I called the airline immediately. No seats available. Every seat on every airplane leaving the island was gone.

Before the storm hits, all the airlines fly their airplanes off the island and are gone until such time as the storm is over.

So, bottom line, I would definitely go ahead with any plans made to travel to the Caribbean, or anywhere hurricanes are a fact of life. I would, however be very aware of the weather and weather reports, and be ready to act quickly in the event something blows up.

Hurricane Bill Was Good to the Virgin Islands

How marvelous that Hurricane Bill moved away from St. Thomas. The islands missed the trauma that a hurricane ... even a small one ... can bring. Bill is preparing to move up the east coast of the US mainland, probably as a bad storm.

Now, there's only a couple more months of hurricane season. September is usually the most active month of all, however I'm optimistic.

Let's all say NO MORE HURRICANES FOR THE VIRGIN ISLANDS!!!

Hurricane Bill Moving in on St. Thomas

This is hurricane season; words that have a special meaning to those living in an area of the world prone to these destructive storms.

I am a survivor of Hurricane Marilyn, which struck the Virgin Islands, and most particularly St. Thomas in 1995. If it is true that adversity builds character, then I am a towering mass of character.

Marilyn hit on September 15, 1995, lasted about 15 hours and was the worst hurricane in Virgin Islands recorded history. Over 95 percent of structures on the island were damaged or totally destroyed. Recovery took months and in some cases, years.


Hurricane Marilyn at its Height

It was three months before the island had electricity in some areas, one year before telephone service was restored to all parts of the island (I was one of those with no phone service for a full year), and years before homes, businesses and public buildings were restored.


Destructive Aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn

I could expound on what it was like to have to wait until the generator was turned on each day from 6pm until 9pm to flush the toilet, wash dishes, take a bath, etc., but, you don't want to hear about that. Let's just say, both the hurricane and the aftermath are experiences that I'll never forget.

Hurricane Bill is currently approaching the Virgin Islands and has been predicted to be a Category 2 storm that will possibly reach St. Thomas on the 19th or 20th.

I don't want to mention this, but I feel I must: Hurricane Marilyn was predicted to be a Category 1 (little more than a tropical storm). Now that's what it was when it hit St. Croix (about 45 miles from St. Thomas), that fateful evening. But, when it left St. Croix and crossed the ocean it gathered in strength and ferocity. By the time it arrived in St. Thomas, it was another story altogether.

Afterward, the National Weather Service admitted that the storm strengthened possibly to a Category 3, and maybe a 4. Let me say that for those who suffered through those 15 hours, it was obvious, we were in a storm that was at the least a Category 4 and at the most, a 5.

I am praying that this storm either disspates, or really will be no more than a Category 1.

An approaching hurricane is a frightening reality, especially when it is realized that the only possible defense is leaving the area, or if that is impossible, making the necessary preparations.

Steel Pan Music is ambassador For the Caribbean

When one hears steel pan music it is easy to imagine the beautiful tropical paradise that spawned the magical music.

Pan music is perhaps the most innovative musical contribution of the twentieth century, and is an intrinsic part of the culture of the Caribbean.

Steelbands originated in Trinidad and were born out of the people's need to continue the African tradition of drumming despite the British prohibition of the instruments, especially during Carnival celebrations.

For many years, revelers substituted bamboo tubes for the drums, which they beat on with bamboo sticks. Then, at some point during the 1930's it was discovered that metal produced a more melodious, resonant sound and from that point everything from tin pans to brake drums were introduced to the mix.

During the early years, the pan hung on straps around the player's necks or, as it's expressed ... "pan round de neck". The use of oil drums, which produced a wider range of notes, and the transporting trolleys came later.


Steelbands eventually sprung up in different parts of the Caribbean, including in St. Thomas where it was introduced at the 1952 Carnival (the first Carnival the island had celebrated since 1914). Needless to say, the music was a big hit, as it has been around the world.

Today, pan is the true ambassador of Caribbean music.

St. Thomas' Famous Mountaintop Burns Down

Mountaintop, the famous tourist spot atop St. Peter's mountain burned down on the evening of May 18th. What a huge loss to the community and to the many people who hold cherished memories of the attraction.

Famous for its Banana Daiquiris, which has used the same receipe for 60 years, Mountaintop was also famous for it's bird's eye view of the beautiful Magen's Bay Beach and a multitude of surrounding islands. The view was considered the best on the island of St. Thomas.

Also known as Signal Hill, Mountaintop was used by the U.S. Government in the 1940's as a communications center and at approximately 1,500 ft. above sea level is the island's highest point.

I remember Mountaintop as being one of the most colorful areas on St. Thomas. There was the bar, the shops, the Parakeet lady, the music ... and of course, the view. There was always a line of colorful Safaris loaded with cruise ship passengers and other vacationers coming up for some Mountaintop ambience.

We hope that the owners will rebuild and that Mountaintop reemerges even bigger and better than before the fire.

St. Thomas' Amazing 99 Steps

An aspect of St. Thomas that I have always found intriguing are the 99 Steps. These are steps found in various areas of Charlotte Amalie (the capital of the VI), that makes it easier (slightly) to traverse the many hills on the island.

In actuality there are 103 steps, not 99, which is really kind of funny.

The most popular of the steps are located on Government Hill next to Hotel 29, formerly a private home built by a nineteenth century sea captain for his bride, and Haagensen House, a restored nineteenth century upper-class family home.

The Steps circa the 1950's

The above photograph shows the area surrounding the steps before some of the amazing restorations of the past couple of decades, particularly to Haagensen House.

Everyone, including Virgin Island historians agree on how the steps became a part of St. Thomas' landscape. It seems Danish engineers who laid out the town (in Denmark), had never actually been to St. Thomas. After all, in the 1600's the trip from Denmark to the Virgin Islands would have been long, and hazardous.

The story goes these engineers had no idea of the island's hilly terrain, and when the mistake was discovered, the steps were added as an attempt to connect the various streets of the town to approximate (as much as possible), the original vision of a flat terrain.

The steps traveled to the island as ship's ballast.

The 99 Steps on Government Hill lead up to Blackbeard's hill, where one will find historical structures such as, Blackbeard's Castle, built originally as a pirate lookout, and Crown House, the home built for Governor Peter Von Scholten, the man who freed Virgin Islands slaves.

It is interesting to travel around the town of Charlotte Amalie and suddenly look up and notice some of the steps in various areas. Sometimes they're heavily used by town residents, and sometimes they look somewhat overgrown. But, whatever the case, they are always intriguing, and a beautiful feature of a beautiful island.