Virginity

Eight months.  That was the time I spent circumnavigating the Mediterranean.  Through Europe, Asia, and Africa, I realized wishes born a decade earlier.  What I dreamed was superceded only by what I hadn't, and that by those who had shared the dreams with me.  The friendships I formed and cultures I penetrated made it difficult to leave the region, but a promising reunion provided the necessary motivation.  When I left the Crossley family and Bella Vita catamaran, it was a cool November day in southern Spain.  Rejoining them, however, would be in the ever-warm climate of the Caribbean.  I first flew to Europe and then briefly to Puerto Rico before hopping on a Cessna to the British Virgin Islands.  I spent one night in Madrid and another in the San Juan airport, but it was the two hours I walked around JFK's terminals that I will remember most.  It wasn't even NYC proper, just the strange breed of airport city, but it was still significant for me.  I walked under the star-spangled banner and, for the first time, filed into the 'Citizens' queue rather than 'Visitors' one.  The immigration officer stamped my passport, undeniably documenting my return to the U.S., and as she handed it back to me, said two simple words no one else had or could: "Welcome home."

For more than a month, Bella pinballed around the Virgin Islands, the hub of Caribbean sailing, and I as her passenger.  However, as this was my second time aboard, I made some specific goals for my time at sea.  Not only did I intend to contribute as a swab, as I had before, by cooking meals, washing dishes, cleaning toilets, and, of course, swabbing decks, but I desired skills that might make me more seaworthy.  Under the gracious tutelage of Skipper Pete and his family, I began my education towards becoming a deck hand, and, later, a mate.  I've learned how to secure the boat whether at anchor, on a mooring buoy, or in a marina.  I've tried to involve myself whenever Pete has a hatch open, whether it be to inspect the watermaker or debug an engine.  And when we're crusing through the aquamarine waters, and I'm not nagging Pete with dozens of sailing questions, I'm often practicing my knot-tying abilities, the sailor's bread and butter skill.  Outside of this self-imposed classroom time, there have been countless opportunities for leisure.  In fact, I can't think of a time that's not been leisurely.  When Tom and Harri are busy with their neverending schoolwork, there are movies to watch, books to read, and a guitar that receives no other attention.  As a group, we entertain ourselves with after-dinner games and conversations, the occasional overland excursion, and the always exciting dolphin, manatee, or whale sighting.  And like a constantly singing siren is the sea itself, no more than dive away.

In short, it was here where I first thought, "This is why I came to the Caribbean."

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) were my first Caribbean islands, and I think they will be difficult to top.  Tortola, the main island, is the transportation and commercial hub, but its full moon parties in Trellis Bay are [apparently] a must-see event.  Due to its 50 undiscovered chests of silver, Norman Island still goes by the colloquial name R.L. Stevenson gave it more than one HUNDRED years ago: Treasure Island.  For a mellow heart rate by day and more lively one by night, look no further than Jost Van Dyke, where Foxy's Bar and Restaurant becomes the perfect antidote to a long, "hard" day on the beaches of White Bay or Sandy Spit.  And to my fellow underwater adventurers, the subsurface world of the BVI is equally interesting and entertaining, whether scuba diving a site like the RMS Rhone or merely snorkeling the reefs around The Indians.

For me, though, it will be the islands of Virgin Gorda and Peter Island whose memorial glow will burn most brightly.  Shortly after I arrived, the Crossleys took me to 'The Baths', a Virgin Gorda attraction they had been planning on since arriving to the islands weeks earlier.  Cited as one of the "1000 Things to See Before You Die", 'The Baths' are a collection of massive boulders at the water's edge.  As though a giant spilled his marble bag before boarding a boat, these rocks kiss the incoming tide, forming an intricate but explorable maze of pools, shadows, and narrow paths.  Peter Island has no such attraction.  More than 20 years ago what little development the island had was wiped out by a hurricane.  Despite this, we returned to the island on four separate occasions.  The reason being a small bay, appropriately named 'Little Harbour', which may just be my singular favorite spot in the BVI.  It was here I was tickled by a school of no fewer than a thousand finger-length fish.  It was here I snorkeled away from "Barry" the barracuda and alongside a pair of young Hawksbill turtles.  It was here I sat on the ship's deck at sunset and watched brown pelicans dive for their supper.  In short, it was here where I first thought, "This is why I came to the Caribbean."

When I've heard a 'U.S. versus British' Virgin Island debate, the BVIs inevitably win.  Not that I'd disagree with this, but I'd have to make a few concessions in favor of the USVIs.  In the battle of the bulge, wallet bulge that is, the USVIs are the clear victor, with products and services costing half what they do in their British counterparts.  Every Virgin Island has seen turmoil in terms of leadership, but the USVIs boast the most and, therefore, some of the richest history with Carib, Spanish, Danish, English, and American domination.  When many people learn the BVIs have more islands, backwater bays, and hidden coves to explore, they immediately flock to them.  What they may not realize though, is that the USVIs are not devoid of natural beauty.  Almost half the island of St. John is a U.S. National Park, with another significant percentage protected beneath the water in the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.  The oft forgotten island of St. James makes a lovely respite from its three larger, more visited kin.  And even on the large island of St. Thomas, there are areas such as Magens Bay that can usually guarantee a calm anchorage, clean waters, and a strip of sandy beach.

On three separate occasions, I spent considerable time on, or near, the island of St. Thomas.  When we needed commercial infrastructure that only a large city could provide, we'd often stop in the busy harbor of Charlotte Amalie.  We became regulars at the local grocery stores, banks, and bookshops, not to mention Hooters, once we learned they were one of the best Wi-Fi points in town.   We paid the island some tourist attention when we rented a soft top Jeep and toured its perimeter.  It hardly took half a day, but it exposed the softer, dare I say more virgin, parts of St. Thomas, which Charlotte's cruise ship harbor could not.  However, there is something to be said for the shopping district geared towards the daily swarm of cruise ship passengers.  It still retains its 200-year old Danish architecture despite the buildings being inhabited by 21st century proprietors.  Due to its oversized wooden doors and narrow stone paths squeezed by weathered brick buildings, it is the one place on the island where a short stroll can transport a person centuries back in time to a continent an ocean away.

When we cleared out of the USVI on our way to Puerto Rico, it was the island of St. John I knew I'd miss most.  Our stint there was short, which made our departure all the more bitter, but it still became the most memorable of our USVI stops.  In fact, the only reason I can't say Peter Island's 'Little Harbour' was my favorite overall Virgin Island spot is due to my experience on St. John.  Incredulous as it may sound, there are not as many beaches on these islands as one may guess, which made Maho and Honeymoon Bays all the more valuable to me.  I'm not even the most avid beachgoer, but sitting on Honeymoon, as if the name wasn't proof enough to its quality, has become one of my very favorite memories in these islands.  True to form, the U.S. National Park has done a crack job restoring and protecting this wonderful island.  For the history buff, there are colonial-era sugar mills and ancient Carib petroglyphs to occupy one's time.  Any naturalist will find it difficult to leave after learning of the multitude of dive sites, animal nesting grounds, and hiking trails, including a few underwater ones, the island has to offer.   And to satisfy the occasional shopping desire, Cruz Bay offers a variety of options without smothering the tone the rest of the island represents.