Caribbean Travel Roundup Newsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor

Last Update Sep 28 Sep 97 1030ET

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ST. BARTHS BY DEBBIE MACINTOSH

We  just  returned  from  six  days on St. Barths 9/5-9/10.   Although in 
many  regards  ours  was  truly  the  "trip from Hell", the beauty of St. 
Barths,  the  friendliness of her people, and the casual yet chic tone of 
the island make us eager to return.

We  flew via Delta to San Juan and planned to go on to St. Barths via Air 
Guadeloupe.   Unfortunately, hurricane Erika intervened, and we found our 
Air  Guadeloupe  flight  was  canceled  when we arrived in San Juan.  Air 
Guadeloupe  booked  flights  for us on Air St. Barth, and we used tickets 
on American we had booked as a back-up to get to St. Maarten.  

St.  Maarten  airport  was a zoo.  The Air St. Barth clerk disappeared in 
the  middle  of  processing  our tickets, and after 15 minutes of waiting 
for  her return we were told she had "left for the day".  Finally, an Air 
France  clerk  took  over,  who told us to check our bags.  Since we only 
had  carry-on  luggage,  we were hesitant to let it go, but figured there 
must  be  no  "under the seat" room in these planes.  There was no formal 
boarding  -  it  was  all  very  disorganized.  When we got to the gate a 
woman  told us they weren't flying.  Then about 10 minutes later, she was 
outside  checking  tickets  for  our flight!  One poor guy was told to go 
back  inside  -  they  had  overbooked.  The landing took me by surprise, 
even  after  reading  about  it.   I was unprepared for the sudden "drop" 
onto  the  runway.  What a thrill!!  When we got on the ground, the pilot 
told  us that our bags would not be in until Sunday at the earliest since 
ours was the last plane in and our bags were on another plane - oops.

We  rented a  Suzuki from Thrifty.  It was a low-end model, no air and no 
power  steering,  but  cheap  - $180 for 6 days.  We had been told by St. 
Barth  Properties (who made most of our arrangements) that the mini-mokes 
aren't  great  on  the hills.  Our Suzuki did have 4-wheel drive, which I 
highly  recommend.   We drove to Gustavia one rainy day in 2-wheel drive, 
and  slid  backwards  halfway down a hill.  We wouldn't have been able to 
make  it  up  without  the 4-wheel drive.  Driving in St. Barts took some 
getting  used  to.   The  roads are very narrow and very hilly, but well-
marked.   The  locals  drive  fast  and  furious, especially those on the 
scooters.   On  the  way  back  from  Flamands one day, our brake warning 
light  came  on.   We  decided  to chance getting back, and exchanged the 
Suzuki  for  a  higher-end Suzuki with air and power steering - much more 
comfortable.

We  stayed  at  Village St. Jean, which was in large part responsible for 
our  happiness  during  our  stay.   We  had  booked  a  standard terrace 
cottage,  however,  they  did  not  want  people  on the top level of the 
cottages  because of the approaching storm and so upgraded us for free to 
a  deluxe  ground-level cottage.  We were disappointed we wouldn't have a 
balcony,  until  we  stepped  onto  our  terrace.  The view was front and 
center  overlooking  St.  Jean  Bay  and magnificent.  The outside living 
area  of  the  cottage had a large dining table, two benches, and two end 
chairs,  a  wicker  loveseat  and  coffee  table,  and a hammock.  Behind 
louvered  doors was a kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, stove, sink, 
and  pretty  French tiles.  There was a "sun terrace" two steps down from 
the  patio  which was as large as the cottage itself.  Inside the cottage 
was  done  in terra cotta tile, tropical prints and wicker.  The room was 
huge,  with  a  King  bed,  bureau,  two night tables, a wicker chair and 
stool.   The bathroom was done in grey and mauve tile, with little "star-
like"  lights  in  the ceiling and a built-in hair dryer.  The shower was 
"open",  and  there  were two large windows open to a garden area, making 
it  seem  like you were taking a shower outside in a garden.  The cottage 
was  surrounded  by  lush plants and beautiful flowers, making us feel as 
if we were the only ones there.  It was like having a private villa.

The  Black  Swan  had been recommended for purchasing bathing suits since 
we  had no luggage.  However, all of the stores were closed, boarded, and 
the  windows  taped.   We  got lucky, and found the West Indian Surf shop 
open,  and  quickly  purchased  bathing  suits, a warm-weather outfit and 
headed  to Match to stock up on food.  Once back "home" we settled in and 
decided  to  eat  at  the  hotel.  Unfortunately, Le Patio, their Italian 
restaurant  was  closed,  as  were  all  of  the other restaurants on the 
island  due to the approaching storm.  We ended up having grapes, cheese, 
crackers  and  wine  for  dinner  -  not a bad meal.  The wind howled all 
night, and it poured.

Everything  remained  closed on Saturday, and there was a driving ban and 
walking  ban  on  the island.  We sat on our terrace and read some of the 
books  we  had  borrowed  from the "lending library" at Village St. Jean.  
We  were  frequent  visitors to the office for the company and great book 
selection.   By  Sunday,  we were running out of food, and Catherine, the 
hotel  manager brought us 2 loaves of freshly-baked French bread!  What a 
treat.   We  ventured  out  to  take  a  walk Sunday morning since things 
looked  calm,  and  were  told to return by someone who stopped us on the 
road  because the hurricane was coming.  We spent another day reading and 
listening  to  the  weather,  and  watching the 80 mph winds whip the sea 
around.  

Monday  we  struck  gold.   The sun was shining, our luggage arrived, and 
the  shops  and  restaurants  re-opened.  There was very little damage to 
the  island  that  we noticed.  Mostly just branches down and sand washed 
up  onto  patios.   We  spent the day at St. Jean beach, which became our 
favorite  place.   We  loved watching the planes come in.  There is still 
evidence  of  Luis  here,  especially  in front of Emeraude Plage - giant 
rocks  piled  up to stop the erosion.  The beach on the other side of the 
air strip was much nicer.

Eden  Rock  in  St.  Jean was the first restaurant which opened after the 
storm,  and  our  first  "real"  meal  in  3  days.  It became one of our 
favorites.   The  food  was superb and reasonable, the view great, and we 
could  walk  to  it  from  where we stayed.  Monday evening we decided to 
walk  there for dinner, only to find them closed.   Aside from the storm, 
we  found  a  lot  of the restaurants we wanted to visit closed.  We were 
told  this  was  the  time  of  year  most natives take their Holiday and 
return  to  France.   The flip side is that nothing we ate at was crowded 
and we got superb service.  
   
Vincent  Adam  in  St.  Jean  was our choice that evening, and due to the 
brake  problem  with  our  Suzuki,  we  tried  to  find a taxi.  One taxi 
company  was closed, and the other spoke no English.  I.B. at Village St. 
Jean  later  told  us  that  it  is difficult to get taxis on the island.  
When  I  called  Vincent  Adam  to cancel, they told us they would send a 
driver  to  pick  us up and bring us back.  Again, such hospitality.  The 
meal  included  wine,  appetizer, entrée and dessert for 170ff.  The food 
was delicious, the atmosphere wonderful - we ate on a little open porch -
 it was the favorite of our stay.

Le  Repaire  in Gustavia was our choice for our second night out.  It had 
a  nice  harbor  view, was "open-air" as many of the restaurants are, and 
the  food  was  good.  The prices were also very reasonable.  We both had 
the Creole Platter, which was excellent.

Match  was  our  favorite  grocery  store.   It  seemed  to have a better 
selection  than  Unic.   Our  last night we cooked in, and relaxed with a 
bottle of wine.  We were amazed at how inexpensive the wine was.  

Tuesday,  our last full day, we toured the island.  We drove to Flamands, 
which  was  a  disappointment.   The  Baie  de  Flamands  is still there, 
destroyed  by  hurricane  Luis, and beach itself was badly eroded.  There 
was also lots of construction going on in that area.

Saline  was  very  different  and pretty, but seemed remote.  The road in 
reminded  us  of  something  out  of  the West.  The water was definitely 
rougher  than  St.  Jean,  and the beach had some erosion, though nothing 
like  Flamands.   We  never  did  get  to Shell Beach, or find Gouvernor.  
Somehow,  we  missed  the  turn.   Grand  Cul de Sac was very nice - very 
private,   but   again,   seemed   remote.    We  liked  the  action  and 
accessibility to everything that St. Jean Beach offered.  

Gustavia  is  beautiful  at  night, and there are alot of shops.  We only 
stopped  in  a  few, and didn't end up buying anything.  Our shopping was 
limited  to  The  Black Swan (a favorite for both merchandise and price), 
and  Bleu  Marine.   There were a lot of shops I would have liked to have 
had  the  time  to go into in St. Jean (next time).  We drove to Corossol 
one  day,  since  I  wanted  to find a straw hat, but were unable to find 
more  than a couple of people selling their straw goods.  Very tiny - not 
much there.  

All  in  all, we did not find the island as expensive as we had heard.  I 
bought  some  clothes which were no more expensive than I would have paid 
in  the  States  -  a  cute  stretch mini dress for $50 and a t-shirt for 
$20.   The  bathing  suit I got at the Surf shop was only $18 and a dress 
around  $60.    Food also seemed reasonably priced.  Most often, our bill 
came  to  no  more than $70 for two with wine and sometimes dessert.  The 
service  fee  is  confusing,  though.  Most times it appeared that it had 
been added, yet when we asked, we were told it was not included.
  
Next  time  we  go, we will do things a little differently.  We will stay 
longer  -  even  though the island is small, 6 days wasn't enough time to 
tour,  shop  and  unwind.   Two  days  are travel days.  We probably will 
still  go  off-season,  but  not  ever  again  in  September  or October.  
Originally,  we  had  planned  to  go  in December, and had to change our 
plans  due  to  a  job  change.   I  would  not hesitate to stay again at 
Village  St. Jean.  The rates are reasonable, the location is convenient, 
there  is  a  nice  pool  and  Jacuzzi  overlooking the bay, as well as a 
little  "convenience  store"  which  stocks  suntan  lotion,  wine,  etc.  
Catherine,  I.B.,  Bertrand  and Andre' were more than helpful in getting 
our  luggage  back, booking return flights, and seeing to our every need.  
Their  office  often  had  Bingo the dog, or Catherine's cat to play with 
when we came back from the beach.  

I  have  vowed to improve my French.  Although most people speak a little 
English,  and  try  very  hard  to help, being able to speak better would 
have  made us feel better-equipped to deal with some situations, and is a 
courtesy  to  these  lovely  people.   We  really  enjoyed  not having to 
"dress"  for  dinner  each night, as some islands require, as well as the 
attitude  of  the  people  with  regard  to  topless  bathing.  It's very 
freeing.  

Our  flight  home  was uneventful - Air Guadeloupe from St. Barths to San 
Juan  -  nice  plane, much bigger than what Air St. Barth flies, on time, 
and  a smooth flight.   We held onto our bags the whole way home.  French 
food, friendly people, beautiful beaches - life doesn't get much better.

ST. JOHN BY JOHN DALE KENNEDY

St. John USVI in summer??
I  think  this  is  the  ideal  time  to  enjoy the uncrowded beaches and 
friendly  atmosphere throughout the island. The weather only varies by 5-
6  degrees year round so visit in the "off" season and save loads of $$$. 
Carnival  starts  two  weeks before the Fourth of July, so there are lots 
of  great  local food booths, bands every night, crafts booths and on the 
Fourth,  a  Carnival  parade that went on for over three hours showcasing 
colorful  jumbie costumes, the loudest Reggae bands you've ever heard and 
plenty of activity along the street!

My  wife  and  I  rented  a  villa  called  Seawatch (June 21-July5) from 
Caribbean  Villas  & Resorts Management Company for one week with another 
couple  (Larry & Susan) and the second week we were alone. There are many 
villas  to  choose  from  on the island. I found this one on the Internet 
and  will give addresses at the end. It was a beautiful 2 bedroom (+loft) 
nicely  appointed throughout. Both bedrooms were king masters with plenty 
of  room.  The  loft  is  in the second level over the living/dining room 
which  is  in  a  separate  building from the other bedrooms and kitchen. 
Private  bath. So it really is a three bedroom. It's located in the Gifft 
Hill  area at the top of the hill and were thankful for the breezes every 
night.  We almost went for a beachfront, but think the choice with a view 
was a good one.

We  rented  a  Suzuki 4-door for two weeks from O'Connor. All the rentals 
places  are  pretty  much  the  same,  but  we  got a good deal by making 
arrangements  through  Bill  Dove who runs a travel advice service on the 
net  called  Book-It  V.I. (www.bookitvi.com). You can arrange just about 
any  sailing,  snorkeling excursion on the island with him and he adds on 
NO  fees.   We  had many Emails before we arrived and he was very helpful 
with  logistics,  advice and price quotes. He also owns Chilly Billy's, a 
local  breakfast/lunch  restaurant. Early bird specials (til 10:30am) are 
a steal and the Monkeybread French Toast was tooooo good!

I'll  avoid  the  typical  day-by-day  activity listing one sees in these 
reviews  but  just  wander  a  bit.  Everyday  was  spent in the NaClH20: 
swimming,  snorkeling,  sailing,  boating,  sunning  and  reading. I read 
Midnight  in  the  Garden of Good and Evil and Ronee read Rose Madder. We 
had  cable  but  didn't  watch  it much. We saw the first Mars photos and 
watched  as  Tyson  munched  on  someone's  ear,  but other than checking 
weather,  it  was  turned off. I brought about 50 CD's and we played them 
all  the  time  with  the  resident  CD  player.  Watching the sunset was 
especially  enjoyable  with  a  westerly view of St. Thomas all lit up in 
the  distance  and Great Cruz Bay below us. This is a very quiet, private 
place  allowing  the  fullest freedom of movement. The pool was unheated, 
but  provided  for  a  cool  refreshing  dip  at  the end of a day on the 
beaches.  The  stars  came  out  most  abundantly,  with  the Milky Way a 
prominent feature each night.

Restaurants: 
LaTapas.  Served  traditional  tapas  and  entrees; excellent fare as the 
newest  culinary  addition  to  the island; we ate dinner there twice and 
would have gone again save for wanting to try different establishments.

Ellington's   For all it's supposed to be, we were disappointed. The food 
was  well  prepared,  but  we  didn't particularly enjoy  the view of the 
Gallows  Point  Condo roof from the first level in the dining room. I had 
mixed  seafood  grill (too dry) and Ronee has succulent sea bass. Drinks, 
wine, meal and tip $90 for 2. Wont go back.

Chilly  Billy's   Great  for breakfast and take out lunches (which we did 
on   a   couple  hike/boat  excursions)  Nice  people  and  an  enjoyable 
bottomless  cup  of  coffee. Trivial Pursuit cards on the table were fun, 
too.  Priced  right  for families. Chilly Billy's, Box 1552, St. John, VI  
00831
Skinny  Legs  At Coral Bay, this is a place to behold. Salty yachties and 
locals  hole  up  here  and  enjoy  cold beer and the best burgers on the 
island.  Really!  Get  your protein and fat allowance for the week in one 
meal.   We  went  back  again  for  a  second  indulgence.  Great  little 
clothing/souvenier  shop  next  door  where  the  ladies bought very nice 
outfits.

Miss  Lucy's   Also  at  Coral Bay, this is supposed to be "island" food. 
While  it  was  good,  it wasn't as good as Cuzzin's on St. Thomas. I had 
the  goat.  Probably  the one I hit earlier in the week passing the sharp 
curve  next  to  the restaurant. Right on the beach, Miss Lucy's is an OK 
place to eat, but only 4 of 12 menu items were not "mainland fare".
Lime  Inn  Go  Wednesdays  for  all  the un-peeled shrimp you can eat; an 
island  bargain.  Other seafood around the table was tasty. It closed for 
Carnival the week before the 4th of July for a month.

Fish  Trap  Wow,  was  the  tuna tasty, or what? Wasabi sauce on top of a 
rare  tuna  steak!   I  asked  the  chef  for  the  recipe  and he gladly 
confirmed  wasabi  and  mayo.  That's  it! Salmon steaks around the table 
were the juiciest ever. Excellent spot worthy of several visits.
Asolare   Prix  Fixe at $39, included appetizer, entree and dessert. Wine 
list  OK but the red was room temperature at 72 degrees! but view of Cruz 
Bay  was  perfect.  Drinks,  wine,  meal  and tip $120. We went on a last 
minute  whim  and was able to get in early on the Fourth, then hightailed 
it back to the villa for drinks and viewed fireworks from the deck.

Barracuda  Bistro   We  had  breakfast,  but they serve lunch and dinner. 
Funky  joint  in  Wharfside  Village. Trivial Pursuit on the tables. Good 
food at moderate prices.

Woody's    We  didn't  eat  tere but took advantage of the $1 beer during 
happy hour(s). Check it out for some local flavor.

Beaches:  All  the  beaches  are  beautiful and each has its own distinct 
appeal.  The  water  is  azure perfect everywhere. Almost every beach has 
interesting  snorkeling  spots,  swimming  spots  and  sunning (or shade) 
spots.  It really depends on what you're looking for. I never saw a beach 
I didn't enjoy although Ronee did!

Trunk  Bay  Everyone  has  to do it once (it seemed that every tourist on 
the  island did) and once is enough. Snorkel around the right side of the 
cay and skip the underwater trail. It's overrated.
Hawksnest Nice for swimming and sunning.

Francis  Bay  Very  nice, clean and smooth, white sandy beach with shade. 
Picture perfect.
Waterlemon  Cay.  Park  just  beyond  the Anneburg ruins as far as the 4-
wheel  trail  goes  then hike about 20 minutes along the beach out to the 
point.  The cay is about 50 yards away. Snorkel around the island for the 
best  views  making  for  a  nice  leisurely  diversion.  This was really 
excellent  snorkeling.  The  hike  can  be  hot and there is little sandy 
beach  but  you  can  find  patches here and there amongst the rocks. The 
trail  clearly  marked  with donkey droppings! Take plenty of water; skip 
the alcohol.

Jumbie  The  only  beach  we went back to. It is small and the parking is 
limited,  so  there were usually few people there. Nice shade in the late 
afternoon.  Interesting  snorkeling,  nice  view  of  Trunk  Bay and some 
nudity.

Solomon  This  is  the unofficial nude beach. It's quite a hike from Cruz 
Bay  (20  minutes).  We  read  in the newspaper of a recent $250 fine for 
someone  who  was  caught,  but  it didn't seem to stop anyone. If you're 
bashful,  don't  go  there. If you haven't tried it, do so. You may never 
be there again.

Salt  Pond  Bay  What  a  gorgeous  beach. It's a 10 minute hike from the 
parking  lot  going  down  and  15 going up. This was a very nice curving 
half-  moon, white sandy beach with snorkeling to the left out beyond the 
point.  It's pretty shallow and we saw a nursing shark all alone about 15 
feet  from  shore.  Beach  regulars  told  us  it was hanging out the day 
before,  too.  Not  to  worry, it was just cruising. When Ronee spotted a 
"big  fish"  dart  past  her, I recognized it as a shark, grabbed my mask 
and  told  some  other people who did likewise and we all jumped into the 
shallow  water  in  hot  pursuit.  It really was a beautiful site. I was, 
however,  happy  to  see  it  in  shallow water rather than on one of our 
snorkels as chum out in deeper water!

Openheimer  Nice white sandy beach. A youth camp and private villa on the 
beach. Nice shade and sandy bottom.

Excursions:  It's  hard  to find a complete listing of ferry schedules in 
one  place  but  you  can  get  to just about anywhere in the Virgins via 
ferry.  We  went to the Baths on Virgin Gorda with our friends who hadn't 
been  there.  Its  mammoth  boulders  at the sea's edge cuts a strikingly 
beautiful,  almost  out  of place contrast to the dry scrub-brush profile 
of  most of the landscape. Go in the a.m. if you can via private boat and 
avoid  the  unbelievable  crowds  in the afternoon. Doubt if it's worth a 
$40pp/RT  ferry  ride  again,  however there are many charter sailing and 
power  boat  options. You can also ferry to Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and of 
course, St. Thomas.

We  also  took  a day sail on the Gypsy Spirit for the best snorkeling of 
the  trip at Lovango and Congo Cay.  Captain Doug Ross is buying a larger 
boat,  Gypsy  Spirit  II,  for  overnight  trips.  You  can find out more 
through Book-it.

The  best  boat  trip  was on Sadie Sea which circumnavigates the island, 
making  three  snorkel  stops.  Captain Sandy West is a wonder. She knows 
all  about  the  island  history, folklore, flora and fauna and the local 
gossip.  A  pure  delight. Each trip on Wednesdays makes different stops. 
AT $40pp it was the bargain of the trip!

We  saw  Sandy  again  as  the  trail  guide  on  the Reef Bay Trail hike 
organized  through  the  National  Park  Service.  It was an informative, 
easy,  but  hot,  downhill trek; take at least a quart of water pp. Along 
the  trail  you'll see petroglyphs, taste stinky-toes (you should taste a 
little),  bay  trees (aromatic) and other indigenous St. John secrets. At 
the  bottom  you'll  tour  sugar  plantation  ruins where there will be a 
moment  to take a cool jump in the bay before balancing on a dingy out to 
the  Sadie  Sea  for  a relaxing boat ride around the south shore back to 
Cruz  Bay.  Total  price $15 which included the cab ride to the beginning 
of  the  trail.  Bring your own lunch. Reservations needed. Call Cinnamon 
Bay.

Shopping:  There are plenty of places to spend your $$. We contributed to 
Tall  Ships  on Coral Bay. There are a few interesting shops at Wharfside 
Village.  Mongoose  Junction  is pricey, but definitely worth a look-see. 
Some  exquisite  works  at  the Bajo El Sol Gallery where we bought a few 
things  by  local  artist Aimee Trayser. Also Patton fine jewelry is some 
of  the best I've seen. Some of the art and crafts are local, but most of 
the  clothing  and jewelry is imported. Shop around if  you want, but the 
better  buy  is the island scenery itself. The two food markets are about 
the  same  in  price  and  variety  however,  Starfish  has the best wine 
selection.  If  you  know wine, you'll be sure to find some real bargains 
amongst   the   high  prices:  Penfolds  especially.  There  are  Tshirts 
everywhere,  but  if  you  go  out  to  Tall  Ships,  you  can watch them 
silkscreen an inspired local creation.

Critical Comments:
We  used a service called Delivery 4 U that I found on the Internet. They 
do  all sorts of food/chef/party stuff for you. We ordered their Survival 
Kit  which  included  food  for  4  for  $80 and I wouldn't do it again!.  
Whole  baked chicken, some fruit, horrible salsa, bag of chips, bread and 
muffins.   Oh,  almost  forgot,  that  superb  vintage  bottle  of  Andre 
champagne  which  we asked to be substituted with beer which they did not 
even  though they confirmed it in writing. OK, anyone can make a mistake, 
but  it just wasn't worth it overall.  Send out for a pizza or some other 
delivery and you'll be more satisfied.

We  were  upset  with  the  cleanliness of the streets, country roads and 
upkeep  in  general. OK, I understand the laid back attitude prevalent on 
the  island,  but this is caused by not just islanders, it's the tourists 
too.  The  island  should  start some kind of clean-up awareness campaign 
for  the  new  arrivals.  Plastic bottles in guts on trails, plastic bags 
underwater,  paper  and  soda  cans in the bushes. I'm sure it's hard for 
the  National  Park  Service  to  keep  up, but how about a local support 
group to start the ball rolling??

On  the  other  hand, sanitary facilities at the restaurants and shopping 
areas  were in excellent condition. One get's used to one flush a day. If 
it don't float, don't flush it!

Tips
You've  heard  it  before,  but  be  sure to use 15-30 SPF sun screen. BE 
CAREFUL  even  if you think you know your limits. Take pure aloe vera for 
those  burns  you will probably get. Use it directly and liberally on the 
burn before bed and again when you get up.

Drink  lots  of  water.  And when you think you've had enough, drink some 
more.  3-4  quarts  a  day will keep you healthy and provide the flushing 
you need. This is especially true if you're drinking alcohol.
Mosquito  repellant  is  also necessary on many parts of the island. They 
are called no-see-ums cause they are very small, bite and run.

Before you rent a condo, rent a villa!

Conserve  water  wherever  you go on the island and get used to unflushed 
toilets.  It's  a  necessary  conservation.  Learn  to  take a two minute 
shower.  Don't  let  the  water  run.  Lather  up  and wash off. Use more 
deodorant.

In  you're  in a villa or condo with kitchen facilities, think about what 
you  want to eat and bring some food yourself. We brought some pop tarts, 
microwave  popcorn, powdered milk, good scotch. When packing, bring less. 
You  really  don't need lots of changes. Shorts and Tshirts is the island 
style for everyone. Dress down and enjoy it.

Pack  a collapsible sports bag or dufflebag to check on your way home and 
pack  it  with  dirty  clothes and non-breakable things. This way you can 
safely pack your delicate souvenirs in the larger suitcases.

Explore  the  island.  Go  where  it's  just a little bit of a challenge. 
You'll see special things.

Drive  on  the  left.  It's  really  not  hard. The cars are U.S. so most 
people  will  be  used  to having all the controls in the same place. The 
roads  are  not  bad. They are steep in places and several hairpin turns. 
This  is part of the adventure. You'll be driving like a local before you 
know it.


Resources  Before you go on vacation, read something about the places you 
plan to visit. Some recommendations in no particular order:

Frommer's  Irreverent  Guides:  US  Virgin  Islands  by  Jordan  Simon. A 
wickedly  honest guide for sophisticated travelers, and those who want to 
be.

The  St.  John  Beach Guide by Gerald Singer. Gives notes in great detail 
about  every  beach.  How to get there; description; facilities; and good 
local notes about the areas.

Frommer's  Virgin  Islands  by  Darwin  Porter  and  Danforth  Prince.  A 
thorough  guide  to  US and British V.I. with lots of phone numbers, etc. 
Not editorially free, fun or honest as the Irreverent Guide, however.

St.  John:  Off  the  Beaten  Path  by Gerald Singer. This one has it all 
including  trails,  off-trail hikes, places of interest, coastal ecology, 
history,  top  pick  beaches and snorkeling. Some duplication of Beaches. 
However, having both books provideda little more info,

St.   John:Feet,Fins   &   Four-Wheel   Drive  by  Pam  Gaffin.  A  cute, 
informative,  savvy day- tripper's travel guide to exploring St. John via 
jeep. 

Websites  There  are many more, but here are a few that I went to several 
times.  Also  check  out  some  BB  for  related topics: snorkeling, nude 
beaches, sailing, scuba and the like.

Virgin   Island   National   Park   -   St,  John,  USVI:  http://www.st-
john.com/nps/

Caribbean      Travel     Roundup     Newsletter-St.     John     (USVI): 
http://shell2.ba.best.com/~ctr/sjf.htm
Tradewinds  A  local  newspaper  online,  also available bi-weekly via US 
mail  for  $30.  Subscribe  ahead of your visit for at least three months 
ahead     and     learn     a     lot     about     what's     happening: 
http://www.tradewinds.vi/index.html

St.John, US Virgin Islands: http://www.usvi.net/usvi/stj.html

CNN   -   Weather  Forecast  for  St.  John:  
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/cgi-bin/weather/pickcity.cgi??Forecast_Cities=StJohnUSVirginIslands

Book-It Home Page: http://www.bookitvi.com/ 

Caribbean        Villas       &       Resorts       Management       Co.: 
http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/
Online Villa: http://www.onlinevacations.com/ratevil4.htm

YUCATAN BY ERIC ROSE

Eleni  and I just returned from 10 days in Mexico and here's a summary of 
the  trip.  All  prices  are  in  pesos (about US $0.13) unless otherwise 
stated.

  We  first  flew  into  Cancun  and headed straight to Playa del Carmen, 
about  1h south. Travel options from Cancun to Playa include bus (need to 
get  to  bus  station  by  cab), which doesn't run at night; taxi, pretty 
expensive,  and  the third option, bargaining with one of the van drivers 
hired  to  pick  up  people staying at the all-inclusive resorts in Playa 
who  will  take  you  along  for a negotiated fee that they get to pocket 
(this is what we did, $100 per person).

  Playa  del Carmen is a tourist town (former sleepy fishing village, say 
all  the  guide books) with tons of restaurants and hotels. Still, pretty 
laid  back. Nice pedestrian walkway down the main street which runs for 4 
or  5  blocks  with  bars,  restaurants, handicraft shops, etc. Many many 
tourists  from  Europe, a few from the US. Beautiful beach plus the ferry 
to Cozumel.

  In  Playa del Carmen we stayed 4 nights at the Pelicano Inn, which we'd 
recommend  pretty highly. Like many of the hotels in Playa, it's right on 
the  beach.  It's a very new, clean, sparkling white stucco Spanish-style 
villa  with  a  beautiful  tiled  courtyard.  We  stayed in a beautifully 
furnished  room  with  king-sized bed, private bath, private balcony with 
ocean  view  and  hammock,  and  plenty of room for $88/night with buffet 
breakfast  included, a bit of a steal. Only one complaint: incredibly hot 
and  the  two  ceiling  fans  were  almost completely ineffective! It was 
really  an  oven.  AC  would  make  it just about perfect. The section of 
beach where it's located isn't too crowded but definitely not isolated.

  Note  that we discovered later the best snorkeling beach in the area is 
Playa  Cocos,  about  2km north of Playa del Carmen (you can just walk to 
it  along  the  beach).  Real live reef (rocks plus coral) about 100m off 
shore, very calm waters, great fish-peeping.

  After  a  couple  of days playing beach bums in Playa we were ready for 
some  new  scenery.  We  took the ferry to Cozumel for a day and rented a 
scooter  from  one  of  the  many  shops  (no trouble finding them, their 
agents  accost  you  as  you get off the ferry) for $20. Scootered around 
the  Island,  first  to  the  San Gervasio ruins (well-excavated and with 
good  explanatory  signs  in  Spanish,  English,  and  Maya!),  which was 
interesting  but  being  much  older  than a lot of other Maya ruins, had 
none  of  the stone carving, bas-relief, etc. that make the other ones so 
interesting.  Definitely  worth  seeing  if you're already on the island. 
The  road down the East coast of the island is very beautiful. Stopped at 
a  couple  of  beaches on the Southwest coast of the island for some good 
snorkeling.  Good  cheap lunch at Comida Casera Tonitas on Calle Salas at 
Calle 10.

  The  next day we headed for Chichen Itza, one of the main archeological 
sites  on  the  Yucatan  peninsula,  actually an entire Precolombian city 
covering  a huge area. Took a bus there (TRP line) which was not too bad, 
but  it  took  about  4 hours (many stops). Stayed at the Mayaland Hotel. 
Maps  show the Mayaland to be right on the grounds of Chichen Itza, which 
it  is  geographically,  but  the secondary entrance to the archeological 
park  that's  across  from  the hotel has been closed, reportedly because 
the  vendors at the main entrance were resentful at the loss of potential 
business.  That  means  that  to get into Chichen Itza you have to take a 
road  all  the  way  around  the main entrance, about 2 miles away!!! The 
hotel provides a regular van service to & from, though.

  The  hotel Mayaland was a splurge ($100/night, breakfast included), but 
worth   it.  A  very  beautiful  turn-of-the-century  hotel  in  splendid 
condition,  full  of open courtyards, tropical birds, lots of vegetation, 
fountains,  stained  glass,  tile floors, wrought iron, etc. etc. Feels a 
lot  like  old Spain but in the middle of the jungle. Nice swimming pool. 
Rooms  pretty  comfortable.  The  restaurant  was  nice enough to chill a 
bottle  of  white  wine we had lugged all the way from Playa and serve it 
with  dinner  at  no  charge.  The food at the restaurant was uninspired, 
however.  Might  check  out  the  restaurants  at nearby hotels if you're 
going  to  stay  there  (Mallan's  guide recommends the restaurant at the 
Club Med hotel next door).

  Chichen  Itza  itself  is awesome. Built over several centuries, it's a 
document  of  the  development  of Mayan culture from 8th-14th centuries. 
Many  many  buildings  in  fairly good shape, from tiny stone huts to the 
huge  pyramid.  Much more thorough access for visitors than you'd find in 
a  similar European site. Definitely worth a couple of days, which if the 
amount  of  time we spent there. Bring water, it's hot with little shade! 
There  are  tons  of guides for hire but we just found our one way around 
using  "Chichen  Itza"  by  Roman Pina Chan, available at bookstores down 
there.

  From  Chichen  Itza,  we  took  another  bus  to Merida, the capital of 
Yucatan  and  the largest city in the region. It's a beautiful, European-
style  city with lots of small open parks and tree-lined boulevards. Also 
lots  of  lovely  architecture,  including a few buildings surviving from 
the  16th  century.  We  especially  liked  the  museum  of  History  and 
Anthropology.  We  were  there  on Sunday, which is a special day because 
they  close  off  the central area to traffic and lots of people come out 
to  walk  around,  eat,  talk,  listen to music (lots of Jazz, classical, 
plus Mexican traditional music).

  A  word about music in Mexico. Music is everywhere. I was amazed at the 
number  of  musicians on the street, in restaurants, etc. etc. and at the 
diversity  of  regional  styles  (a  lot  more  than  the  big-sombrero'd 
Mariachi  bands  I'd  imagined), and the skill of these street musicians. 
Really  amazing,  some  of  them. My favorite, I think, is the style from 
Veracruz,  which  combines  a  full-sized harp with guitar, mandolin, and 
lovely  vocal harmonies for a really special sound. Didn't see any female 
musicians, interestingly.

  In  Merida,  we  stayed  at  the Gran Hotel. Wow! An aging Belle Epoque 
behemoth,  with  enormous Corinthian columns, open-air central courtyard, 
bronze  sculpture  everywhere,  etc.  Charles  Lindbergh and Fidel Castro 
have  stayed there. We loved it. Great atmosphere. Our $50 room was small 
but  comfortable  with AC and ridiculously high ceilings and a balcony on 
a  very  European-looking  public  square.  Very nice dinner at Almendros 
restaurant at intersection of Calles 50 and 59.

  Our  trip  took  a bit of an unexpected turn when we went to the Merida 
bus  station  Monday, only to find that there weren't any available seats 
on  buses  back  to Playa del Carmen! (We had planned to go to Akumal for 
the  remainder  of the trip, which is about 40km south of Playa). Instead 
we  took  a  bus to Cancun and the ferry to Isla Mujeres, just because it 
sounded nice.

  On  Isla  Mujeres, we stayed one night at the Posada del Mar. We didn't 
care  for  it  too  much: pretty shabby, really. The beach was ok but not 
great  either,  and  we high-tailed it out of there pretty quick the next 
day.  Once back on the mainland, we made a snap decision to go to a place 
that  we  had heard about on the net and also gotten rave reviews from an 
acquaintance  of Eleni's: the "Posada del Capitan Lafitte," a place about 
10km north of Playa del Carmen.

  Capitan  Lafitte  is  pretty  darn  steep  at  $120/night,  though that 
includes  breakfast  and  dinner. It's a bunch of cabanas scattered along 
an  otherwise  isolated  section  of  beach,  with  a  restaurant,  pool, 
poolside  bar,  and  dive  shop. Very lovely and sleepy and tranquil. The 
cabanas  are  cozy  and  comfortable, RIGHT on the beach (open your door, 
walk  ten  feet,  and  you're  wet),  and spaced out far enough to give a 
sense  of  privacy.  Paradise,  basically.  Only  2 small complaints: the 
beach  is  beautiful, but the water is REALLY shallow (you have to go out 
at  least  30m  before you can swim without scraping your belly along the 
rocks,  and  100m  out  the  water  won't  be up to your neck); also, the 
cooking  at  the restaurant was uninspired and apparently oriented toward 
gringo   tastes  (for  instance,  tortillas  of  flour  rather  than  the 
otherwise  ubiquitous corn tortillas; refried pinto beans rather than the 
black beans traditional to the Yucatan).

  On  our  last day in Mexico we went back to Playa del Carmen to do some 
shopping  for  crafts,  etc.  Highly  recommend the Talavera (traditional 
pottery  from Guadalajara) shop at corner of Ave 5 and Calle 6. Then back 
to Cancun and home!

  Overall we had a great time. Very friendly people, good food, beautiful 
beaches, interesting culture. Would definitely go back.

  Well,  sort of wanted to put in more personal moments, opinions, clever 
stories but I've typed a lot and will close for now! 

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