Back in the USA

There’s no mistaking it. We re-entered the USA today. This morning, our boat docked at Charlotte Amalie East on the island of St. Thomas, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Everyone on board, including passengers not going ashore, had to be seen by US Immigration before the vessel was officially permitted to remain in port. It seemed such a pointless ritual until you realise that flights from the islands are treated as domestic routes upon landing in any of the nation’s 50 states.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are a relatively new possession. They were purchased from Denmark for the equivalent of USD 25 million in gold bullion in 1917. The territory comprises the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas, plus 50 surrounding minor islands and cays. As part of the deal, the USA signed a treaty ceding any claim over Greenland. That’s right, in other words, Trump’s current musing over this frozen Danish territory literally violates a treaty signed in 1917.

After breakfast, Garry and I joined another one of the Silver Shadow’s all-inclusive land excursions to the Mountain Top observation deck and Magens Bay Beach. Sadly, the tour proved a little underwhelming. Our minivan raced up the hillside to Mountain Top, while other vans in the group stopped at scenic points overlooking the harbour below.

Upon arrival, we discovered that the Mountain Top complex doesn’t look over Long Bay, where our boat was docked. Instead, it offers an uninterrupted view of Magens Bay. I was disappointed we never got to capture a photo of our boat in port. However, the aquamarine waters of Magens Bay and the islands beyond were incredibly picturesque. I’ll let our photos speak for themselves.

Mountain Top sits on the summit of St. Peter's Mountain, the second-highest peak on St. Thomas. It proved a bit of a tourist trap. The complex is a huge market hall filled with all manner of souvenirs, plus a couple of bars serving Banana Daiquiri. Mountain Top claims to have invented this drink. Garry and I decided to buy a T-shirt. We’ve decided to start collecting shot glasses from every island we visit as a unique souvenir collection.

 

Our tour continued to Magens Bay, where we enjoyed a couple of hours on the beach. This is a white sand beach that spans the width of an unusually symmetrical and highly sheltered rectangular cove. Garry and I spent half of our time in the bay’s surprisingly warm waters, including a couple of occasions when a brief tropical shower passed through the area. A flock of young pelicans entertained us by fishing on the wing, while foraging turtles continually popped up for air nearby. It’s both mesmerising and a little unnerving to have a pelican dive into the water beak-first just metres away. 

After lunch on the boat, I decided to venture out again. I walked to the nearby Skyride gondola that transports guests up to Paradise Point, a hillside lookout offering an uninterrupted view of Charlotte Amalie harbour. The view was spectacular, and more than made up for the photo-op we missed on our morning tour. If I'm honest, it was hard to stop myself from taking "just one more photo". I later learned that this deep-water harbour was once a haven for pirates (including Blackbeard). These days, it’s one of the busiest ports of call for cruise ships in the Caribbean.

 

Two other ships were in port today, both carrying more than 3000 guests. From the lookout, our ship looked like a luxury yacht docked next to them. A guest lecturer on board has introduced us to an app that tracks the location of cruise ships worldwide. Today’s port visitors are among the largest we’ll encounter on the cruise. According to the app, at least 12,000 visitors were in port today (and only +300 of them came from our boat!).

I finished my afternoon excursion with a visit to the Pirates’ Treasure, a museum about shipwrecks and the history of pirates in the Caribbean. The museum was fascinating. Pirates really were a thing three hundred years ago. Exhibit after exhibit told the story of buried treasure, treasure-laden shipwrecks and the exploits of famous pirates. Its exhibits also included items salvaged from shipwrecks, including several silver ingots.

I learned that between the late 17th Century and early 18th Century, St Thomas earned a worldwide reputation as one of the most feared pirate lairs. The island’s large, naturally protected harbour, strategic location and most importantly, its pirate-friendly governor made the island a refuge for the notorious French pirate Jean Hamlin and others.

It all began in 1680 when Nicholas Esmit became the second governor of the Danish West Indies. He turned St. Thomas into a haven for pirates on the run, sheltering their ships, buying their loot and helping to repair their vessels. He even sold commissions to privateers. The museum claimed that Esmit even fed and entertained pirates at his residence. Once again, history comes alive as we travel through faraway places.