Island Times Blog

Day 2 was another fun- and learning-filled day. Early morning our taxi driver, Jermaine – aka “Mr. Reliable,” gave us a history lesson on the island of St. Thomas as he drove us to Red Hook ferry dock. We hopped on the ferry and arrived in Cruz Bay, St. John (continued…)

There we looked around the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor’s Center and met up with Susan Zaluski, the Director of the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society (JVD). She created a cultural scavenger hunt for the students to complete in Cruz Bay and then we enjoyed a traditional West Indian lunch and sampled a variety of local food/drink products, discussing their origins and importance. Then students had some time to enjoy some delicious smoothies made from local fruits. The owner of the smoothie stand even asked us to create a video that he could put onto TripAdvisor’s website…so be sure to check that out in a few weeks. The smoothie stand is called “Our Market Smoothies.” Later in the afternoon, we drove along the North Road and enjoyed some spectacular views and stopped at Maho Beach for a swim. We continued on to tour the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins and discuss the different historical periods of the Virgin Islands. Then it was time to check in to our new home at the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) and enjoy some dinner. After dinner Susan discussed the social and economic aspects of the Virgin Islands’ history, culture and natural resources. We talked a lot about the challenges to conserving natural resources. We ended this amazing day with a music and singing circle, complete with ukulele, guitar and drums. Ok, time to run….more adventures await the FATHOMS crew!!!