Sunday, March 25, 2001

by David

The view from our condo

Our first full day. We were still nervous about Jen's luggage. Let's just
say that the underwear gnomes could have made very short work of her. So we decided to stick
around Serendip for a while. We mentioned our predicament to Gayle, the very capable manager,
who promised she would call local places to see if anyone had reported missing luggage. While
we were talking to her, Jen noticed a large green lizard sitting in a tree. It was an iguana.
As we were eating breakfast on the porch, we saw a group of bananaquits and a few hummmingbirds.
After a leisurely breakfast, we walked down to Mongoose Junction (a local shopping complex)
and Jen bought a vastly overpriced bathing suit. She was desperate. I bought another pair of
sunglasses because I am a doofus and forgot mine at home.

We then hiked back home, stopping at Starfish Market (the closest St. John gets
to a supermarket) to buy some lunch supplies. We once again faced the EXTREME VERTICAL CHALLENGE,
but this time a nice man gave us a ride from the top to our condo, which is a little further up. We
learned from him that the hill is known as Jacob's Ladder, after a Mr. Jacob who lives (lived?)
at the top.

Finally we were ready to hit the beach! We called a taxi and headed to Caneel
Bay, one of the closer north shore beaches. There we swam, sat, relaxed, ate a picnic lunch,
and generally carried on in a beach-like manner. It was entirely clear so we were grateful for
the meager shade of a beachside palm tree.

At Caneel Bay beach.

After a few hours the shade had moved to places we did not wish to follow
it to, so we packed up, got in a taxi with a family bound for the
Westin (a resort on the other side of the EXTREME VERTICAL CHALLENGE) and headed home. The
driver took us a route we had not seen before. Unfortunately, it was blocked at a precarious
turn at the top of a steep hill -- perhaps that is why we hadn't ever gone that way before.
The driver performed a death-defying, backwards driving feat and brought us home the front way.
We had pasta for dinner, and went to bed at a reasonable hour.

A well-deserved rest after a long day.