Brother Leo Ryan shares the experience of his visit to Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands

Editor's Note: Waukon native Brother Leo V. Ryan, CSV recently traveled on a cruise of the Western and Eastern Caribbean. Within the article below he shares his reactions to his one-day visit to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

by Brother Leo V. Ryan, CSV

Today, February 7, 2012 was the day on our Eastern Caribbean Cruise for a visit  to the United States Island Territory specifically called United States Virgin Islands (USVI). There are three islands - all small, all lightly populated. The three are St. Thomas (32 square miles with 52,000 residents); St. John (19 square miles with 4,300 population); and the largest, St. Croix (84 square miles with 54,000 residents).
Today we saw the U.S. Virgin Islands before sunrise and until after sunset. I awakened 0540 and opened the curtains of my 10th deck cabin (10102). It was totally dark outside.
Our ship, the MSC Poesia, (pronounced Po/si/a) was moving slowly through the waters. Actually, about 0400 the ship had begun navigating in the Virgin Passage that separates the Isla da Culebra from St. Thomas. An hour after I awoke (0650), dawn broke. We passengers could see the ghost of an island in the pre-dawn shadows but no lights on shore. Ten minutes later (0700), the Port Authority Pilot at St. Thomas was guiding our ship, MSC Poesia, to berth. Our 12-hour visit of this paradise island was about to begin.
The ship’s Executive Office had proposed some 15 different shore options for our nearly 2,000 passengers. And it seemed today that most of them were eager to visit USVI.
The Virgin Islands have a rich history. St. Croix (Santa Cruz) was first sighted by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World seeking to find a new route to India. He passed present St. Thomas, St. John and Tortola and named them as a group, “Las Virgenes”.
In 1672 the Danes arrived. They named the place Charlotte Amalie after the Danish Queen. The French arrived shortly thereafter and planted the French tricolor on St. Croix. The British soon arrived and placed the British Union Jack on Tortola. The British are still in control of Tortola, which is referred to as the British Virgin Island.
The early economy was based on sugar plantations. Slaves were imported from Africa to provide labor for the plantations. The islands were also a point for re-shipment of slaves elsewhere. The Danes abolished slavery in 1848, after which the planters abandoned their plantations. Both the population and the economy declined.
In 1917 the United States entered the picture. The threat of German expansion during World War I prompted the administration of Woodrow Wilson to offer to buy the islands from the Danish Government. The purchase of the three islands was seen as a military necessity to protect the Panama Canal. March 31, 1917 the transaction was completed. The purchase price was $25 million (equivalent to $426,000,000, 2010 value).
Ten years later, in 1927, the Islanders were granted U.S. citizenship. Until 1913 the Islands were administered by the U.S. Navy. Later the Islands were placed under the Cabinet Secretary for Interior with a Governor appointed by the U.S. President. A three-island legislation government operated since 1852 with 15 locally-elected members forming the Island Legislature. It was not until 1970 that the islanders could elect their own Governor.
In 1972 the United States Virgin Islands were granted a non-voting seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. House of Representatives has four members in the Congress who can speak and debate but cannot vote: District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands. Likewise, all citizens of Washington, D.C. and the islanders are U.S. citizens but they cannot vote in national elections.
So much for the background. I had always assumed in my many travels (185 countries as of this cruise) that I had visited the U.S. Virgin Islands. My visit today convinced me that I had not. Nothing that I saw or visited today replayed itself in my memory. Some of what I saw today, like Blackbeard’s Castle - now a U.S. National Historic Landmark, would have left a distinctive indelible impression in my memory. So for me, it was, as it turned out, my first visit.
The shore excursion which I selected was called “The Ultimate Island Experience”. Demand for excursions was high. I got the last reservation. The tour could be divided into four phases, and I will share them with you. At dockside we met our driver, Leslie, and climbed aboard his open air trolley bus. Leslie was both driver and commentator. His driving was quick, fast, somewhat erratic and, because of the terrain, “bouncy”. How accurate and complete his commentary was we will never know since whatever he said was new to us.
Phase One was the trolley bus tour with a little history and local commentary. Mostly “to your right” and “to your left” as we drove along the waterfront and narrow streets of immediate neighborhoods. Then our bus began a climb to the highest point on St. Thomas for views to the mountainside hill behind us and the ocean view to the other islands: St. Croix, St. John and Tortola, British Virgin Island.
The road both ways had many twists and hairpin turns. Once we were stopped by a civilian truck complaining about Leslie’s “reckless driving” and “illegal turns”. From our vantage point we could see homes submerged in the thick forest - often only seeing the house tops. Houses were of many sizes, all seemingly isolated from each other, heavily secluded by trees and tropical foliage. Our ship, Poesia, (and two others in the bay, Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships) appeared toy-size from this height.
Descending from the highest point, or near highest point, we returned to the oceanside for two hours “on your own” on the beach. About half the group took advantage of the bath houses and changing rooms to swim. A sign warned of “rolling waves” but the ocean seemed calm. Very few people swam far from the shore line. The sun was under the clouds and there was a gentle breeze. It was a pleasant interlude with a rustic bar, restaurant and gift shop available. Beach chairs and beach lounges were complimentary.
Most of the 15 optional shore excursions involved some extended time on various beaches or sailing, or snorkeling and/or boat trips. One was billed as a “Castaway Girl Barefoot Sail and Snorkel” option. Our beach interlude was agreeable to all American, English and German tourists in our tour group.
Phase Three was our visit to Blackbeard’s Castle National Historical Landmark. Leslie “dropped” us at the entrance. He did not even get out of the cab of his trolley bus neither to say “good-bye” nor to solicit “tips” - somewhat unusual behavior in this very tourist land. Upon our departure from the MSC Poesia we were each given an identification arm band, which admitted us to the castle complex.
Blackbeard’s Castle is advertised as “The Williamsburg of the Caribbean”. Having been several times to Williamsburg, VA, that historic cluster of early Americana, it was difficult to envision the sky tours and surrounding buildings to be a Williamsburg! But, then, as we have learned in life, first impressions are often deceiving.
Upon entering the castle precincts, we were handed a “Visitor’s Guide”. In the small courtyard we were immediately confronted by an enormous figure of Blackbeard (Edward Teach) carved, of course, in black stone. The tower looming over the courtyard was constructed in 1678 to protect the small garrison at Fort Christian, the original Danish settlement on the island (1671). The tower, in Danish “skytsbortarn”, was just that, a tower in the sky to protect against invaders from the north and to spot enemy ships approaching the harbor from the south.
It was admitted in the brief welcome by the National Historical Landmark guide that it was unlikely that Blackbeard himself ever used the tower. It was, however, a “look-out” for the Danes, who were on the “look-out” for Blackbeard’s pirates. The pirates would capture the ships for their cargo (“booty”) and for the ships themselves. The “booty” was sold for gold, the ships were dismantled for their materials. The tower itself was constructed from ballast (yellow brick) which was typically used to stabilize ships on their voyage from Europe to the West Indies.
The guide invited the “guests” (tourists) to open the folder for an orientation to the compound, then and still today known as “Government Hill” or “Kongens Gade”. Looking at the map, one recognized why “the hill” would be likened to the flat areas of Williamsburg. Government Hill is dotted with over 20 life-size statues of famous pirates and four interesting structures. The structures include Villa Notman, 1860 home of the Superintendent, Royal British English Steamship Packet Company. The Notman Villa also has a fragrance garden of bay rum trees and plumeria or frangipani used in making perfume. Britanna House (1847) was the residence of her Britanna Majesty’s Consul on the Island of St. Thomas. Haagensen House (1822) was the home of Hans Haagensen, who came from Copenhagen to manage the Bank of St. Thomas. He acquired this 1822 house from the original owner in 1837. The fourth structure was Hotel 1829 - the Alexander Lavalette, a French sea captain’s home, which was a private home until 1900 when it became a hotel.
But that is not all. A visitor has the options of visiting these four homes, furnished with their original furniture and décor, or not. One exception was the Haagensen House. Why? Two reasons: Because the Haagensen house itself is interesting, but more important because it leads the visitor to the Caribbean World Amber Museum and Hotel 1829. The Amber Museum has fascinating displays of amber from the Baltic.
Baltic Amber was first introduced to me when I was teaching in Poland (1991-2007). There is an historical  Amber Trail, especially along the Baltic, through present Latvia and Baltic Poland. This museum displays outstanding Baltic Amber but also amber from tropical jungles of Central and South America.
The Caribbean World Amber Museum has two fascinating exhibit rooms: The Amber Room with the Amber Wishing Stone is one. There is nothing anywhere to compare equally with the Amber Room except perhaps the Amber Room in Russian Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The second exhibit is the Rainforest Room displaying amber from the African, Central and South American rainforests. An extraordinary and spectacular feature in the courtyard of the Haagensen House is a waterfall cascading over a wall of 12,000 amber gems. It was all quite dazzling!
There is still another reason to visit the Haagensen House. This house is the only entrance to the rest of the walking tour and the only exit from Government Hill to the city of St. Thomas and Main Street of the island.
The entrance to Blackbeard’s Castle and its modest courtyard has a rum factory and museum on the right side (with a free shot of one of any six rums), the Salty Dog Bar and Grill, and a Pirate’s Den gift shop to the left. Only eight persons at a time are admitted to the tower. There is a winding, 99-step circular staircase approach to the top of the tower. From the top of the tower you can see St. Croix to the south and El Yunque in Puerto Rico 40 miles to the west. It’s worth the wait and climb.
Why have I waited until almost the end of this travelogue to write the above paragraph? Because after this commercial point, the visitor begins his or her real tour of this National Landmark. Remember, we are at the highest point of land overlooking St. Thomas. At this point one becomes aware that if a person is really to experience this “Williamsburg of the Caribbean”, the only exit is downhill. All the buildings and features I have described are on the hillside.
Welcome to the famous 99 steps! They, too, “zig-zag” and are uneven. They represent the original pathways to Villa Notman, Britannia House, Haagensen House and the Alexander Lanalette House. In their era there were ample slaves serving as domestics who would carry whatever the families living in their respective mansions might need. The steps weave in and out according to the property line. Fortunately, today there are handrails along the steps and usually sloping gravel walkways between sections of the 99 steps. Most persons in my excursion group were quite surprised with this only and unique exit from Blackbeard’s Castle.
Some of my readers may be now wondering if I forgot that I wrote earlier about four phases of this shore excursion. Actually, I saved Phase Four until last, not only because it was last, but because the 99 steps lead directly to it.
At the end of the 99 steps the visitor arrives at Main Street (Norre Gade). At the corner of Main Street is the Post Office. Main Street describes exactly what it is: the main shopping street of St. Thomas. Every one of the 15 shore excursions ends with time for shopping. In history, St. Thomas was one of the most important trading posts in the West Indies. For tourists, shopping is always an adventure and an open invitation to exchange money for local merchandise. At St. Thomas, this is an opportunity to exchange dollars - since we are in the United States and every purchase is duty free. United States Virgin Island is also a tax-free territory.
Main Street is one block from the Waterfront, they run parallel to each other. Our ship, MSC Poesia, was anchored in Crown Bay and the only way to return to the ship was by tender. At the time we began the shore excursion, each person was given a chit for a ride back to the ship on the Harbor Safari. For those who finished the 99 steps early and did not want to shop,  a 12:30 tender was available. There was also a 2:30 and 3:30 tender, and for heavy shoppers a last connection was available at 4:30 p.m. “All aboard” latest time was 6:30 p.m. but you get to the ship on your own. No one missed the ship.
At the beginning, I wrote about viewing the United States Virgin Islands before sunrise, then at dawn. This article is about a one-day visit in the United States Virgin Islands. The sun set at 6:17 p.m. It was already dark when we sailed at 7 p.m. St. Thomas was shrouded in darkness. The island looked magical with lights appearing on the shoreline helter skelter like twinkling stars, much like a stage backdrop of stars or like a winding string of Christmas tree lights. Both we tourists and the St. Thomas locals can rest after today’s tourist invasion which brought credit cards and dollars (modern gold) to this American paradise island, USVI!