West End Tortola, circa 1967

Photo of West End Customs 2001

My first visit to West End (Sopers Hole) was in the 1970s. I was tied up along the seawall at Charlotte Amalie and approached by an agent from St. Thomas Dairies who hired me to deliver a load of milk to West End on Tortola. For some reason they couldn’t do it themselves that day, presumably due to one of the many contingencies that was, and still is, likely to occur here in the islands.

Arriving at customs at West End, I noticed a monument dedicated to the arrival of the Queen of England on her first visit to Tortola. A brass plaque read something like “where the Queen first stepped foot on the BVI.” Interestingly enough, the dedication was located far enough away from the edge of the dock that the Queen would have to have a have taken a mighty leap to set her royal foot down that far away from whatever vessel she was on that tied up to the dock.

Commenting on this to a BVI local, it was explained that the original monument was indeed erected at the exact spot where the Queen actually stepped foot. (see above photo) In actual practice, however, this was an inconvenient place for the monument as it interfered with the loading and offloading of cargo on the dock.

It was in response to this difficulty the dedication was moved away from the loading area, explaining the British monarch’s seemingly extraordinary disembarkation at Soper’s Hole on the island of Tortola, BVI.

St. John Live Music – Friday April 13

Aqua Bistro – Steve Sloan – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Beach Bar – Jon Beninghof Band – 9:00 – 777-4220
Castaways – Mikey P – 9:00 – 777-3316
Cinnamon Bay – Eddie Bruce Drum Circle – 6:30 – 8:00
Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 -8000
Driftwood Dave’s – John W Lee -7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
Island Blues – Slammin – 776 6800
Morgan’s Mango – Lauren – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – T-Bird – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304
Rhumblines – Erin Hart – 7:00 – 10:00
Spyglass – James – 5:00 – 8:00 – 776-1100

See Weekly Schedule

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

The Bight, Norman Island, British Virgin Islands (BVI)

St. John Weather

Partly cloudy
High temperature: 88 degrees F
Water temperature: 80 degrees F
Winds: east southeast at 12 -16 mph
Sunset: 6:26 pm

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Sunday, March 4

Aqua Bistro- Lauren – 3:30 – 6:30 – 776-5336
Beach Bar – The Fiddler – 5:00 -777-4220
Concordia – Bo – Sunday Brunch 10:00 am
Driftwood Dave’s – Live Music – 1:00 – 4:00 – 777-4015
Miss Lucy’s – Samba Combo – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – 693-5354
Ocean Grill – David Laab – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304
Shipwreck Landing – Hot Club of Coral Bay – 7:00 – 10:00

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Bubbly Pool Jost Van Dyke, BVI

Surf’s Up! Good time to visit the Bubbly Pool on Jost Van Dyke, natures own Jacuzzi.

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Tuesday, February 7

Castaways – Karaoke Night – 9:00 – 777-3316
Driftwood Dave’s – James Cobb & Michael Beason -700 -10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Erin Hart – 4:00 – 7:00 – 714-6169
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Greg Kinslow – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Rascio on Steel Pan – 6:00 – 9:30 -693-3304
Shipwreck Landing – Chris Carsel – 6:00 – 9:30

See the weekly schedule

St. John School of the Arts Presents: Free Film Night

Concrete, Steel and Paint
7:30 pm at St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

White Bay Rainbow

When I first arrived in the Virgin Islands, turtle sightings were rather rare. At that time turtles were hunted for their meat, their shells and their eggs. A 1973 law, protected the turtles in US water and prohibited the harvesting of their eggs. Since then, most other Caribbean nations have either banned or limited turtle hunting and now, at least for the Green and Hawksbill species, they seem to be rather plentiful

Nonetheless, the illegal poaching of turtles continues to some degree and some nations like the British Virgin Islands have established a legal season for hunting turtles for subsistence purposes. In the BVI turtles are used primarily for their shells as decorations, while their meat is consumed mostly by indigenous islanders.

Turtle season In the BVI runs from December 1 through March 31 and allows for the harvesting of both Hawksbill and Green Turtles, but hunting Loggerhead or Leatherback turtles is prohibited and the collection of turtle eggs is banned.

The hunting, storage, and slaughtering of turtles is a cruel business and in today’s modern Caribbean where turtles serve better as tourist attractions than for decorations or dinner, many people would like to see Turtle hunting completely prohibited.  A Facebook group has been established to try to End Sea Turtle Hunting Season in the British Virgin Islands

BVI Law Concerning Turtles
1) No person shall

(a) disturb, remove from the fishery waters, expose for sale, sell, purchase or have in his possession any turtle’s eggs;
(b) interfere with any turtle nest or turtle that is nesting;
(c) remove from the fishery waters, expose for sale, sell, purchase or have in his possession any undersized turtle or catch a leatherback turtle or loggerhead turtle on which there is a moratorium;
(d) set within 100 meters of the shores of the Virgin Islands any net, seine or other article for the purpose or with the intention of fishing for, catching or taking a turtle; and
(e) fish for, remove from the fishery waters, or at any time have in his possession, expose for sale, sell or purchase any turtle from 1st April to 30th November in every year or as otherwise stated by the Minister by notice published in the Gazette and in a newspaper circulating the Territory.
(2) In this regulation.
(a) “turtle” means the whole or any part of a turtle;
(b) “undersized” means a carapace (shell) length less than
(i) 24 inches for green turtle
(ii) 15 inches for hawksbill

Sandy Cay, British Virgin Islands

Laurance S. Rockefeller purchased Sandy Cay in the 1950s, around the same time as his purchases of vast tracts of land on St. John. On St. John, Rockefeller turned this land, with the exception of the coastal area and beaches from Salomon to Hawksnest Bays, over to the National Park. The land that he kept was developed and eventually became the exclusive Caneel Bay Plantation, managed by Rock resorts. (The word “Plantation” was later changed to “Resort” probably because of its inherent political incorrectness.)

Meanwhile Rockefeller managed Sandy Cay creating his own little botanical garden. For many years the man on the ground there, doing much of the actual work, clean up, trimming and planting was Jost Van Dyke’s own “Nippy,” who to this day maintains a small business selling his wares to captains, crews and passengers of visiting yachts from his little dinghy “the traveling salesman.”

On May 1, 2008 Sandy Cay was transferred from the Rockefeller’s estate to the government of the British Virgin Islands and the island is now managed by the BVI National Parks Trust.

Rats were eliminated from the island in 2002 and in 2010 moorings were placed off the beach on the west side of the islands.

My modeling debut - Sandy Cay circa 1996

The above photo is an outtake from a photo shoot on Sandy Cay around 1996, when I filled in for the “old” male model, who didn’t make it down for the shoot.

Caribbean Flamingo

This colorful flamingo lives all by itself on a pond at Brias Creek, on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.
He or she must have come from either Anegada, where there are a flock of flamingos living in the big salt pond in the center of the island or from Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island upon which some 200 flamingos make their home.

Because of its size, my guess is that it came from Anegada as the Necker Island flamingos appear to be smaller than than those from Anegada.

Apparently it has been on Virgin Gorda for some time now, living a solitary existence, which is unusual as flamingos are generally highly social birds and live in large flocks.

An outcast? A loner? Can’t find its way back home?

I’ve also posted a series of photos of the flamingo in flight.

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

The above photo was taken from the washed out road that leads west and up from White Bay. I remember driving the full length of this road shortly after it was created. The road washed out and became unusable just a short time later.

St. John Music Schedule, Sunday April 10

Aqua Bistro – Lauren Jones – 3:30 – 6:30 – 776-5336
Concordia – Bo – 4:00 – 8:00 – 693 5855
Miss Lucy’s - Sambacombo – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – 693-5244
Ocean Grill – David Laabs – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304
Rhumb Lines – T-Bird  – 7:00 – 10:00
Shipwreck – Hot Club of Coral Bay – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693-5640

A word of caution: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day:

Virgin Gorda, Seen from Marina Cay with Squall over Gorda Peak

St. John US Virgin Islands (USVI) Tuesday, March 15: “The Ides of March”

St. John News:

The Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture announces “V.I. Agriculture: Your Food – Your Farmer.”
Wednesday on St. John at the National Park ball field 9 a.m. to 2 p.m
Read article in Virgin Islands Daily News

Reminder:
St. John Film Society
FREE MOVIE NIGHT
Tuesday March 15, 2011 7:30 PM at Sputniks in Coral Bay
A TRIBUTE TO ANNIE LOVE: A short 8 min film by local filmmakers Jeremy Garza and Trent Myers followed by our feature presentation HEART OF THE SEA Lisa Denker, Charlotte Lagarde (57 min) 2002 Remember to bring your own chair & call Juliette at Sputniks (775-7373) if you would like to order one of her delicious roti.

St. John Music Schedule Tuesday March 15

Castaways – Steve & Friends – 7:30 – 777-3316
High Tide – T-Bird and Kenny – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169
Island Blues – Bo & Lauren – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800
Larry’s Landing – Classic Rock with John – 10:00 – 1:00 – 693-8802
Morgan’s Mango – Greg Kinslow – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Shipwreck Landing – Chris Carsel – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693-5640

A word of caution: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule

More Love City News:
We’re back on the same time zone as the East Coast of America.
I’m back on island!
All is well! Weather’s fine
Jah Love!!!

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

Salt Island, BVI

Press Release
St. John, US Virgin Islands (USVI)

Tyre Palm Boom-Making Demonstration
Thursday March 17th (St. Patty’s Day) 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
In Front of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park Store, Mongoose Junction Cruz Bay
Presented by: Master West Indian culture-bearer, Justin Todman of St. Thomas US Virgin Islands
Sponsored by: Friends of VI National Park.

Mr. Justin’s crafts will be available, on limited basis, at the Friends of VI National Park Store. Additionally, he has indicated his willingness to teach those interested to learn this dying art of our West Indian

Contact: Cid Hamling at Connections for potential classes
Phone: 776-6922 or email connectionsstjohn.vi

Note: Tyre Palm brooms should be of great interest to wedding planners, and those who value our culture.

St. John Music Schedule Thursday March 10

Banana Deck – Steel Pan by Lemuel Callwood – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5055
Castaways – Mikey P Rocks the House – 8:00 - 777-3316
High Tide – Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 10:00  – 714-6169
Inn at Tamarind Court – Tom Mason & the Blue Buccaneers – 8:00 – 776 6378
Island Blues – Red Carpet Rats – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800
Miss Lucy’s – Rich & Greg – 6:00 – 9:00  – 693-5244
Morgan’s Mango – Mark Wallace – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Rascio Steel Pan – 7:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304
Skinny Legs – Loren – Guitar & Vocal – 6:00 – 779-4982
Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802

A word of caution: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule