by Gale Randall

e were on St. Croix for a week of scuba diving and relaxation organized by LiquidAssets.tv, a dive/film company. Arriving on the island via the seaplane from St. Thomas, we touched down at Christiansted harbor, then hired a cab to take us along the verdant north shore to the Cane Bay Dive Shop, passing picturesque coves, sugar plantation ruins, and Columbus’ 1493 landing site at Salt River. We were to meet up with the dive crew for a welcome reception, and even though I’d be one of only three non- divers in the group, I felt right at home among them, soon realizing there.’s plenty to do on St. Croix.

Our first base on the island was to be Carambola Resort just beyond Cane Bay, a sprawling West Indian-style complex with many amenities and suites set into twostorey buildings featuring screened-in sitting rooms overlooking the sea.

We were treated to a wild moko jumbie show, with colorfully dressed fellows dancing on stilts.

While my friend was off scuba diving, I entertained myself prowling the Carambola grounds, hanging out at the café/bar and pool, and catching up on reading. Fronting an expansive beach, Carambola features a lush Robert Trent Jones golf course, good-sized pool, three restaurants, dive shop and a spa. It.’s a truly romantic spot. On one walk I spotted a pert mongoose observing me from a hill above. For several minutes the critter and I engaged in a staring contest, then took off in different directions.—not an uncommon occurrence on St. Croix, an island where the nonnative mongoose has proliferated.

Quite a bit less commercial than St. Thomas but not quite as bucolic as rustic St. John, St. Croix seems a happy mix between its sister Virgin islands. One evening we joined the group for a catamaran sail from Christiansted Harbor, passing historic Fort Christianvaern and sailing east as far as tiny Buck Island, then returning for a delicious seafood dinner at Rum Runners restaurant on the city wharf.

Later in the week we moved to attractive Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino on the drier, southeastern side of the island. One night at Divi, we were treated to a wild moko jumbie show, with colorfully dressed fellows dancing on stilts and inviting the audience to join in. To be a Moko Jumbie, which originated in Africa, require years of practice. Our last day on St. Croix featured an island tour aboard Sweeney.’s open air bus, visiting the Cruzan Rum Distillery, having lunch in the rain forest and shopping in downtown Christiansted. We didn’t sample the rum until after the distillery tour, however, as it entailed climbing precarious stairs to view huge vats of molasses bubbling away. The sugar cane is no longer grown on the island and is now shipped in from Guatemala.

After a lunch in the jungle at Montpellier Domino Club, we observed two happy and immense pet pigs crushing and downing cans of stout—no doubt the restaurant.’s main attraction. Christiansted, with its historic section harking back to Danish times, was lively and fun, with many shops featuring Crucian jewelry, perfume and rum.

LiquidAssets: www.liquidassets.tv.com.

Carambola Resort: www.carambolabeach.com.
Divi-Carina Resort: www.diviresorts.com.

Cane Bay Dive Shop: www.canebayscuba.com.

St Croix Info: www.gotostcroix.com.

Gale Randall is a travel writer based in Palo Alto, California.

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