Update First Week, Part 1

A new image of local fauna.

Here’s a pretty big millipede that died next to my bed. (he was living at the time of this photo):

While creepy & crawly, I’m told that millipedes are alright, since they eat smaller insects and do nothing to humans (except maybe make us jump). Centipedes however do bite people…nothing dangerously poisonous, but I hear it does sting a bit. Fortunately, Centipedes are more brightly colored and have a scarier head, so avoiding them will be a natural reaction. The millipedes are kind of like little walking poops, so they look far less threatening.

It’s now June 2^nd around 7 AM and I’m killing some time before going to my second dive class (which will complete my certification). So, I will graciously provide a brief recap of the last few days.

Tuesday, May 30: I went to a beach late at night with my hosts, and after more waiting than I had anticipated I got to see a pretty enormous leatherback sea turtle come to shore, lay & bury its eggs, then return to the ocean. The whole turtle process took about an hour, and I touched it. Kind of neat, but it was about 2AM when the whole thing was complete, which I was previously unaware of the time commitment involved. I guess these special feats of nature take some time, but I was hoping we’d just strut on up and see about 20 turtles laying simultaneously. Yeah, it didn’t work like that.

Wednesday, May 31: This was a nice day. My hosts, Margarita and Dan arranged for their friend, the Judge, to come by for lunch. So, I got to meet my employer in a very casual setting, plus I got a free lunch out of the deal. The judge was very personable, didn’t start quizzing me about my legal qualifications, and just seemed like he’ll be a good guy to be working for. After lunch, I decided to go into Christiansted, the largest town on the island (which is also very close to me), and check out some sights. Of primary interest was the ‘Fort Christian Brew Pub’, which came highly recommended from some people I know, and also I hadn’t had a drink since my complementary rum in the airport.

First I saw all the historical buildings: Alexander Hamilton’s childhood home (yeah, he lived here for a bit), Fort Christiansvaern, and the scale house (where everything exchanged in commerce, including slaves, was weighed).

Then, I found the Brew Pub. I sat down alone at the bar and ordered one of their local brews. I expected to just have that and leave. However, 3 new drinking buddies, some dice games, about seven free shots, and five hours later was when I actually left. Needless to say, I was very happy to see that a great social scene exists here outside of the nature events. Not that I don’t appreciate giant turtles, but humans are alright too. I must say that the highlight was the chubby local bartender who loved bellowing “no ba-na-na” and guffawing every time an insinuation of gayness was made regarding one of my fellow drinkers’ affinity for banana flavored Cruzan rum. After finding my way home that evening, I collapsed in bed somewhat early and set my alarm to prepare for a big next day.

Thursday, June 1: Scuba certification day. In the morning I drove to the dive shop where I’m learning to dive. The shop is about 2x the size of the shed in the Moffett’s back yard. However, when the purpose of an establishment is to run dive tours, it makes sense that there’s no large land-based operation. The drive to the shop has some incredible views, and on an unintentional detour (ie- I got lost) I came upon the spot where Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas. First I spent about 2 hours learning some basics in a shallow (like 8ft.) area right off a beach. Then, we took out a boat and I did 2 real dives going to 40 ft. along a coral reef. While I can’t identify anything I saw (other than one small turtle), there were loads of fish with crazy colors, some even translucent-looking, and it was pretty neat. I returned home around 6 and was shocked at how tired I felt from diving. So, I made & devoured an enormous platter of pasta, turned on the TV and passed out.

Friday, June 2: Still killing time before dive class #2. I’ll be doing 2 more dives today (maybe going as deep as 50-60ft… I’m not really sure), and then I will be a certified scuba diver. Also, as a note for friends that plan to visit, even those who aren’t certified can do up to 40ft. dives with an instructor, and certified people would still enjoy such an activity. It’s called ‘discover scuba’, and is probably worthwhile since it’s fun and you get to see some neat stuff. A guy who was on the boat w. me yesterday was doing this, and he did the same dive I did. Also a note, bring more sunscreen than you think you’ll need. I’ve lathered it on (probably not often enough though) and still got burned a bit. The weather is generally warm but nice. Fans keep the apt. I’m living in very livable, but being out in the direct sun is what makes this place hot. It’s not really humid at all (probably the worst place is the airport, so after arrival it keeps getting better). Mosquitoes aren’t entirely devoured by various creatures as some travel guides will lead one to believe, but I’d say that there are fewer here than in NJ. Only problem is you tend to spend more time outside here than you would in NJ as well. So, I plan to buy some good repellent this afternoon. Also, I’ve been informed that taking Vitamin B makes you unappealing to Mosquitoes. So, to all guests I recommend you pick up a bottle and start popping them a few days before arrival. I haven’t tested this out yet, but it’s definitely worth a shot. Well, I’m off to dive. See ya.