Welcome to US Virgin Islands, my 13TH Territory out of a global total of 71. After my blog photos below are the key statistics, brief history and interesting facts about this destination.
An old couple beat me to my sixth “first-off-the-boat-title” according to Bundy – but then again, who is going to believe him !!! I had a bad a feeling about today. Today’s car rental company was the only one that had not replied to my recent emails or WhatsApp even though I had a confirmed booking email and document from them on 3SEP. I rang them days before and as soon as we were off the boat, still no answer to my call. In this situation it was best to go to their office. Given it was 2.6km away we took a taxi. Turned up to the given address and no car rental company in sight !!! Scam or bust. Either way I had not paid them so the taxi driver offered to take us to a nearby alternative. He had a car but we needed US Insurance – a new rule for smaller independent car rental companies. They hate it. I rang all the big players at the airport but most did not answer so at 830am it was time to taxi over there. We rode with Seman who was a Palestinian from Israel. He has been here in US Virgins for 17yrs !!! We arrived at the rental building away from the terminal and there was not a single car available. Just as I was about to burn the building down (that’s how I felt), Bundy rushes in smiling and shouting… Seman found a car !!! Seman found a car !!! Relief. He drove us to a nearby car auto workshop and handed us his mobile. A voice called Neal confirmed availability and we breathed easy. We had a shiny new Green Jeep Wrangler waiting for us !!! Perfect but at $USD185 instead of the original $USD105 but it turned out ABSOLUTELY worth it !!! Thanks to Seman, our Palestinian taxi driver and his mate Palestinian Neale and Bundy for explaining our hire-car-gone-wrong plight, we got a “Palestinian Jeep” that saved the day and enabled us to capture the US Virgin Islands !!!
Charlotte Amalie is the best-kept Capital to date. The main road has old Danish Buildings that date from the 1600’s with large barn-style doors. The main island of St Thomas is very small and easy to circumnavigate. It is extremely hilly with houses everywhere, especially at the top of ridges with unbelievable views. We really enjoyed driving our Jeep through the up and down and left to right snaky roads but truth be told, there is not a lot to see here in terms of attractions, especially historical monuments.
Our first stop at Mountain Top (Lookout) was not what we expected. There was a view to the North featuring Magens Beach (where we would spend most of our time) but the catch was a huge souvenir shop for all the older boat people.
The Tree Limin Zipline (Near St Peter Botanical Garden) was out of action so we proceeded to Drakes Seat Lookout where hundreds of boat people were climbing over each other to take photos. We waited until there open buses took them away then enjoyed the views alone taking shots without boobs or bums in the way !!!
Coki Point Beach had clear pristine turquoise waters making a delightful swim but it is very small and tight including the parking !!!
The highlight was next and last on the list - Magens Bay Beach !!! This beach is in a bay that features in the photos below and is almost a kilometre wide making it perfect for my drone and my 2km swim. The water was not as clear as Coki Point Beach due to open ocean current but was calm and spacious. Plenty of trees for shade and plenty of parking – all for a bargain basement price of $USD8 per person driving in via one entry gate. From here it was back to the boat. Magens Bay Beach was easily the BEST BEACH of the cruise to-date and the Palestinian Jeep was easily the best car to-date.
Drove back to the Palestinian Auto-Shop and got a lift back to the boat by a Jordanian this time !!!
There are New Year photos following the stats below...
US VIRGIN ISLANDS IN A NUTSHELL:
The U.S. Virgin Islands is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States.
• Capital: Charlotte Amalie, located on St. Thomas.
• Main Islands: St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.
• Population (2020): 87,146.
• Median Age (2020): 45.9 years.
• Ethnic groups (2020): 71.4% Black or African American, 16.6% White, 7.5% Multiracial, 3.0% other, 1.0% Asian.
• Languages: English is spoken by 71.6% of the population at home. Spanish is also widely spoken.
• Land Area: 346.4 km².
• The U.S. Virgin Islands is the only U.S. jurisdiction where driving is on the left side of the road.
• Primary Industries: Tourism, trade and services account for nearly 60% of the GDP. Manufacturing (rum distilling, electronics, pharmaceuticals) also contributes.
• GDP (2019): $USD4.068 billion.
• Median Household Income (2019): $USD40,408.
• Unemployment Rate (2023): 12.3%.
• Currency: United States Dollar (USD).
• Tourism: The islands host millions of tourists per year, with visitor spending in 2022 reaching $992 million.
BRIEF HISTORY OF US VIRGIN ISLANDS:
The history of the US Virgin Islands features indigenous habitation, European colonization, the development of a plantation economy reliant on enslaved labour, and eventual purchase by the United States.
• Archaeological evidence suggests human habitation dating back to 250 BC, by the Ciboney, Arawak, and Kalinago (Carib) peoples.
• Christopher Columbus was the first European to sight the islands in 1493, naming them "Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes" (St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins).
• Spain claimed the islands, and by the mid-16th century, the native populations had largely been killed or had left due to disease and conflict.
• In the 17th century, various European powers, including Spain, England, the Netherlands, and France, disputed and settled the islands.
• Denmark-Norway's interest led the Danish West India Company to annex St. Thomas in 1672, colonize St. John in 1718, and purchase St. Croix from France in 1733. Under Danish rule, the islands, collectively known as the Danish West Indies, became a profitable colony based on sugar, cotton, and indigo plantations, heavily reliant on enslaved African labour.
• Enslaved people staged several revolts, the most notable being the St. John Slave Revolt in 1733. Slavery was officially abolished throughout the Danish West Indies on 3 July 1848, a day now celebrated as Emancipation Day.
• After abolition, the plantation economy declined, making the islands less profitable for Denmark. The US, interested in the islands for strategic military reasons (especially control of the Panama Canal approach), held negotiations with Denmark multiple times.
• The United States purchased the islands from Denmark for $25 million in gold coin. The US formally took possession on 31 March 1917, renaming them the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The islands were administered by the U.S. Navy until 1931 when federal authority was placed under the Department of the Interior. U.S. citizenship was granted to residents in 1927. The first popularly elected governor took office in 1970.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT US VIRGIN ISLANDS:
1. They are the only place in the U.S. where you drive on the left side of the road. This custom is a remnant of the Danish colonial era, although most cars are imported from the U.S. mainland and have left-side steering wheels.
2. The U.S. bought the islands from Denmark for $25 million in gold. The transfer of possession occurred on March 31, 1917, a date still celebrated annually as "Transfer Day".
3. The territory includes around 50 minor islands and cays, most of which are uninhabited. The three main islands are St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.
4. A small uninhabited island near St. John is believed to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.
5. Over half of St. John is a U.S. National Park. Laurance S. Rockefeller donated more than 5,000 acres to establish the Virgin Islands National Park in 1956.
6. The islands have bioluminescent bays that glow in the dark. The glow is caused by special marine plankton and algae in the water.
7. Charlotte Amalie is the largest historic town in the United States.
8. The islands have their own unique indigenous folk music style called quelbe. "Scratch bands" play this music using instruments like washboards, gourds, banjos, and steel (the triangle).
9. Two major historical figures, NBA star Tim Duncan and U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, were raised on St. Croix.
END OF POST
No comments:
Post a Comment