In St. Croix, US citizens can check in via the internet.  And, somehow we became verified travelers once we checked in, which is great.  This means that we can go in and out of the USVI’s without having to check in again. 

Today we went into Christiansted to try to get a permit to go to Buck Island, which is a national marine park a mile and a half off of St. Croix.  Getting into a dinghy in 3-foot waves is a challenge, as is motoring to land. I ended up getting quite wet on the ride, but we made it.  It took us a while to find the dinghy dock, but we finally did.  This is the first time that we have had to pay to dock our dinghy.  There was a marine office right off of the dock, which was also a chandlery, where we took care of the fee.  Then we started walking to the fort, which is where we were able to get our permit.  It took us a while to find the park office at the fort, as we didn’t see any staff there at all.  We walked all around the buildings and didn’t see any staff.  Finally, I walked into a building across the street from the fort and found someone who could assist us.  Then the process was very straightforward and we were issued a permit, which is good for a year. 

Our next task was to try to find a grocery store.  The first one that we stopped at was called liquors and groceries.  They were closed, but we think the emphasis was on the liquors.  We found another small grocery store and picked up a few items before heading back to our dinghy.

We decided to have some lunch and then we were going to head to Frederiksted in the afternoon.  Where we were anchored was very rough.  We had three- foot waves and the wind was howling.  Again, it was dangerous to be up at the front of the boat.  However, I managed to get the anchor up and was able to secure it and our bridal.  Unfortunately, the paper bag and rope I had in my pocket blew away somehow.  We started winding out of the channel.  It took us both looking at the markers to try to follow the channel.  If we messed up, we would hit one of several reefs.  We were motoring into the wind, which meant we were going up against the bigger waves and then crashing down on the other side.  Sea spray was hitting us up at the navigation station, which rarely happens.  We were just about clear of the final reef and one of our engines stopped working.  Luckily one still worked.  Somehow Steve was able to compensate with the steering to turn us around and anchor the boat as quickly as possible.  We missed the reef, which we were thrilled about. 

Where we anchored is less rough, but we are rocking more.  Steve put out a stern anchor to try to keep the boat heading into the wind, thereby preventing the rocking.  Anyways, we thanked our lucky stars that this happened while we were still in Christiansted bay.  After looking at the engine, Steve called an engine mechanic, who was able to come out to the boat within an hour.  He thinks something electrical is happening, but needs to return to the boat tomorrow with a diagnostic computer.  In the meantime, we are staying at this anchorage, hoping that our anchor holds and that we don’t have to try to re-anchor. 

We arrived in St. Croix around 3p and then had to navigate the channels around the reefs.  Even though the channels are fairly well marked, there are so many red and green buoys that it is difficult to figure out which way to go.  Then, we had to find a place to anchor, as most of the mooring balls in the area were private.  The area where the boats are parked was very crowded and Steve had to weave in and out of boats that were moored to find a place where we could anchor.  We had to re-anchor once because the first time we dropped the hook, we were too close to other boats.  We finally got ourselves set around 4p. 

Then, we looked up and a water plane was taking off right beside and behind where we were anchoring.  The wind was very strong in this anchorage and the waves were a couple of feet high.  It was a rough anchorage but at least the wind was keeping us pointed in one direction, meaning that we wouldn’t roll to much. 

Originally we were thinking that we would return to the boat around 10p at night so that we could relax and sleep at El Momo.  However, I really wanted to return to the boat in the light.  We were very glad that we decided to return in the afternoon.  The sea state was quite rough and we were bouncing up and down in the dinghy.  It was probably one of the roughest dinghy rides that we have ever taken.  When we left our boat originally, all of the mooring balls in our area were taken.  When we returned, only one new boat was in the area – everyone else had left.  The weather was predicting that the seas would get rougher and the winds would pick up.  We could see that already happening in the afternoon.

We had a 1:30am wake-up call and were underway by 2a.  The seas were quite rough in the anchorage and it was dangerous to be walking on the deck.  We had the mast light on, so we could see well-enough. 

I was in the front of the boat, and all of the sudden something wet and white brushed against my arm.  I have no idea as to whether or not it was a bird or a fish.  Nothing was on the deck when I was able to turn around and look.  It was quite weird.

 Steve helped me get the ropes off of the mooring ball, as the sea was putting a lot of tension on them and I was unable to pull them up.  I got the ropes to the back of the boat while Steve started sailing us west towards St. Croix.  We wanted to arrive before the sun went down at 6p, which is why we left so early.  We saw flying fish along the way, but not much more wildlife.  We ran into a couple of larger squalls, but the wind really didn’t kick up too much with them.  Every time a squall neared us, we pulled the Jib in sum (reefed it), just in case the winds were to increase quickly.  Then, we sailed the boat from inside the salon until the rain passed.  Then, we would un-reef the jib to pick up speed again.  Because of our schedule, we had to run the motors, along with the jib, for about 2/3 of the trip, which was unfortunate.  We encountered 7 to 8 foot swells, however, because we were going downwind, the ride wasn’t that bad.  We were able to walk around the boat fairly easily.  Unfortunately, I had taken some seasickness medicine before we traveled.  (I woke up with an uneasy stomach after trying to sleep in the mooring field).  Even though the medicine is non-drowsy, I still get tired from it (and I only take a half a pill).  So, I slept for several hours and would wake up to give Steve a break at the helm so that he could nap. 

The next day we had planned to walk a 3.2 mile trail to The Bottom.  However, our legs were still tired.  So, after a hearty breakfast, we decided to enjoy the gardens at El Momo and simply relax.  I tried to update our website, but the wifi was taking at least 15 minutes to upload a picture.  I was able to do a little of my consulting work, however.  We had one slice of pizza left and some pineapple, so we ate that for lunch and then called our taxi driver to take us back to the dock.  We really enjoyed the short time that we spent in Saba and definitely want to return one day.  It is a magical place and it reminds me of a tropical kingdom in the sky.  For now we have to settle for the memories that we created this trip, which we will cherish.

Along our way, Cyrill, our taxi driver, took us to the overlook to view the airport.  The runway is only 1300 feet long.  Most are apparently 8000 and 1300 feet long long.  Only propeller planes can land.  And, there are cliffs on either end of the runway.  So, that means that planes have to hit the runway right at the beginning and then stop by the end.  Otherwise, the plane goes into the water.  It is crazy. 

After taking care of everything on the boat and in the customs office, we called our taxi driver, who picked us up and drove us to the top of the ladder trail.  “The ladder” is a set of 800 steps rising up from the shore to the road.  About half way up there is a customs house.  This is how everyone had to check into the island many years ago.  This is also how items were brought by boat onto the island.  We hiked down to the customs house and had lunch.  The view from there were beautiful, as it overlooked the water. 

The path itself was made out of stone stairs.  They were in very good condition.  There were just a lot of them.  After we walked up to “the road,” we had to go up a steep incline, just to get to “The Bottom.”  Along the way, we saw our taxi driver.  He convinced us to hop in his taxi and he drove us to “Windward.”  Along the way, he stopped and we visited a charming Catholic Church located in the middle of “The Bottom.” 

He told us a terrible, but funny story.  He said that in the olden days, the doctors on the island were not very good.  Sometimes people would be in a coma and the doctors would declare them to be dead.  So, they would be buried by putting a board over the hole and the placing rocks on top of the board.  Well, apparently some guy woke up from a coma and started knocking on the board, trying to get out.  The people burying them thought that some demons were trying to get out, so they hurried to put more rocks on top of the board.  It is horrible to think about this, but is is also a little funny.

We saw this interesting banner in The Bottom. Cyril, our taxi driver, told us that they are now trying to save the goats on the island.

From Windward, we walked downhill and through a town called “The Bottom.” 

It was a small, cute town build in the same architecture as The Windward. 

Along the walk, we saw a squirmy centipede. 

I’m not 100% sure which end contains its head.  It moved surprisingly quickly.

We also saw some pretty flowers along the road.  Of course, I had to stop to take some pictures, as they were so beautiful.

This morning we walked from our cottage back down to sea level.  We were going to mostly walk down hill, so we thought it would be a leisurely and easy walk.

We wanted to check on the boat.  So, we hopped into the dinghy and bobbed back over the sea to our boat.  It was looking fine, which made us feel a little more relaxed.  The sea state where we were is not that rough, so the boat isn’t yanking on the mooring ball too much.  While there, we packed some lunches and then headed back to the dinghy dock.  Going to the dinghy dock is rougher than returning to our boat because it is into the wind and waves.  But, we made it, albeit a little wetter than when we left the boat.

El Momo cottages are five minutes out of the town called “Winward.”  To get here, the taxi drove on the one main road on the island called, “The Road.”  This island has very steep hills.  After we checked in, we walked five minutes down hill to town.  Unfortunately, that translated into about twenty minutes up the hill after dinner.  We definitely worked off our dinner by walking back to our cottage. 

Saba is owned by the Netherlands.  So, there are many transplants from the Netherlands who live here.  Apparently the Catholic priests brought people from Malaysia to Saba, who have also established homes here.  It strikes me that there are a lot of stone walls and cement roads on this idyllic island.  I’m sure that this construction stands up to the hurricanes.  Apparently there is white rock (limestone) near the shoreline that is also used in building material.  The buildings and roads seem quite sturdy. 

The people here have been incredibly nice and welcoming.  There isn’t crime on the island, so it safe to walk around.  (Our cottage doesn’t have a key.)  And it appears that everyone knows everyone else. 

Our taxi drive is constantly saying hello to people as he drives us around.  Not only does he know the locals, but he also tells us about the tourists walking around.  He is quite a character, named Cyril.  I was so tired after walking up the hill after dinner last night, and my legs were incredibly sore.  We both slept well. 

The El Momo cottages are an adventure.  The taxi driver dropped us off at a sign on the road and told us to walk up the 68 stone steps to the reception office.  So, we shlepped our bags up this winding stone staircase with rainforest trees on either side.  When we arrived, nobody was in the office.  We had to call out for several minutes and finally someone hollered back that they would be right there.

We were placed in the “Sunshine Cottage,” which was up another dozen stone steps. 

It consists of two single beds pushed together.  Mosquito netting hung above the beds, making it seem like a princess bed.   In reality, the mosquito netting was functional, as the room didn’t seal. Bug spray came with the room, which isn’t a good sign. 

The bathroom is an out building, next to our room. 

It has a composting toilet, which I am having difficulty with.  We can’t throw any toilet paper in it, which is absolutely disgusting.  The shower is also in this building.  It has a stone bottom but the side windows open up to give us a view of the ocean while we shower. So, it definitely feels like an outdoor shower.  Having the toilet in the out building means that if we get up in the middle of the night, like I had to last night, I got rained on.  The grounds are very unique.  We feel like we are in a Robinson Caruso cottage, peeking over the trees and looking out towards the sea, with green foliage all around us.  To our east is the dormant volcano, which is frequently covered by clouds at the top.  Everything looks lush.  It is beautiful.