From the streets of Puerto Rico to the strip clubs of St Thomas...

Ok well I tried updating this earlier today but apparently it didn't take. My wireless connection at the Barefoot Buddha was shaky at best so here goes again...by the way, this is long cause I haven't been online for a week so shut the hell up Brandon and just read.

Hey everyone, sorry it has taken a while to update but internet connections vary from impossible to find to unbelievably expensive. One of the wireless connections I can get here in the harbor has a rate of over 25 dollars an hour. Or I could buy a 36 hour package for only $497.50. I’m in Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin islands and things here are C R A Z Y expensive. We arrived here on Sunday morning early. I'll get back to St Thomas in a bit.

After I landed in Ponce back in Puerto Rico, Brian picked me up and we headed back to the marina in Salinas where the boat was anchored. The plan was to leave the following day, which would have been last Wed. In the morning, one of the cruisers we met in Luperon brought us the weather report and it didn’t look good. Lots of wind and big seas were forecast so we waited to leave until Friday in the late afternoon when the trades die down. Puerto Rico was cool. We were anchored in a quiet place near the Salinas marina. My first day there I spent the majority of the time unpacking and getting settled into the boat. It was interesting since I have essentially "moved" on board and this is literally my new home. I have the aft port cabin (back cabin on the left Mom). The following day, last Thursday, I hiked around Salinas for a few hours checking things out, taking pictures and trying to find some place to use internet. It wasn't meant to be though, I could not find any place at all to connect. The following day I spent getting the boat ready to leave that night. We took the dinghy motor off and lashed it down well in the cockpit and hooked the dinghy up to the davit and lifted it up. Sorry to disappoint but we aren't losing any more dinghies or motors. We left around 5 that evening and had a decent run up the coast to the East. Our destination was a bay on the island of Vieques in the Spanish Virgin islands. We had read about these two bays at this island that were reknowned for their bioluminescience. We arrived in Point Ferro around 6 in the morning on Saturday and got anchored up. I slept most of the day cause I had run the boat almost the whole time. Our stay there was very tranquil and quiet and I was able to read 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. I really enjoyed the book. I've had it on my shelf for years but just never read it. I spent the majority of my time lounging around reading and doing some studying, I have the Rosetta Stone software and I'm working on my Spanish as I will need it this summer down in Colombia. During the night I went outside to see the famed water and how bright the phosporesence was but that night it wasn't much more than I have seen back home in Long Beach waters. I lounged around and did a lot of the same the next day because the plan was to leave around midnight and run the last 30 or so miles to St Thomas. We pulled up anchor on schedule and we were off at midnight. Had a great cruise over to St Thomas. Flat seas and tons of stars the whole way. The sunrise was amazing, there is a pic in one of the slideshows. We dropped the anchor right around 9 in the morning in the harbor of Charlotte Amalie. St Thomas is a U.S. Virgin island but we weren't sure if we had to check in with customs and this is the only port of entry on this island. We had to be here by today (Tuesday) because Brian's lady Tish and one of their good friends, Joann, flew in to hang with us for ten days. I slept most of the day on Sunday after we arrived so I was all fired up for the night.

This starts one of the cooler nights I have ever had doing this type of stuff. I went in originally with the plan to grab some sushi. As soon as I arrived at Beni Iguanas (rip off?)Sushi Bar, they were locking the door. I asked a local where I could get a little chow and a brew and he said to cruise over the Shipwreck Bar and Grill. Say no more my good man, sounds like my kind of joint. Jam packed with locals, tourists, and yachties this was a perfect place for me. Newcastle on tap and awesome chicken sandwiches, what more can you ask. Oh yeah, for girls, duh. They didn't disappoint. Spring break is nearing and it's obvious down here. One of the guys sitting next to me at the bar had moved here from Montana 10 months ago and we got to talking boats. He had another buddy with him that was a born and raised local. Eric is Montana dude, Roy is the local. They invited me to go to a REAL local bar that was way up one of the hills. I said sure and we were off. I figured if it got ugly I could take both of them and I only had about forty bucks on me anyway but these guys were aces, both way too cool. We hauled ass up the hill (they drive on the opposite side of the street here and Eric isn't really used to it yet) and went to Sibs. Total local dive bar, right up my alley. Had a great time there while Roy and Eric partook in some weed outside. They were gracious enough to offer me some but I was good with my Bud Light. We drank there until well after 3 when Roy asked if I wanted to go to the strip club. Roy is the proverbial island guy. Great island accent, black dude with all kinds of smooth and style and wearing a pink collared shirt. I had to go. We left and ten minutes later pulled up in front of basically a house. We went upstairs and found the "Strip Club". Basically a converted upstairs on a residential structure, I was treated to island living. A makeshift bar in the corner got our beers. Roy ordered shots as the next girl was announced. A six foot black girl with huge tits and an ass that wouldn't quit came out from the back room. Holy shit. I was in for some fun. It was unreal. You haven't lived until you check this place out. We ended up staying for two hours. It was wild. Roy informed me that Luscious, one of the girls, said that I was cute. I told Roy I was terrified and that we had to use the buddy system the rest of the night. Too much fun. The boys dropped me back at the marina around six in the morning and I finally got some sleep.

The last few days have been spent working on the boat and hanging low key. Tish and Joann arrived today so we will be getting out some over the next few days. Tomorrow I rented a scooter so I can cruise around and check the island out. As for tonight, I'm sitting in a place called the Offshore Bar and Cyber Cafe typing this and waiting for Roy and Eric to come pick me up. I managed to find internet here. For every beer I buy I get a half an hour free internet. My kind of deal. Leave it to me to find that. There are some locals throwing a big bonfire bash or something tonight so hopefully I'll survive the night. I have my laptop bag and I have to kayak back to the boat tonight so this should be interesting. Hope you're doing well.