Pack Your Trunks

We spent yesterday taking a long but very worthwhile journey to one of the top beaches in the world. Our ship docked in the morning and we were finally free around 9 AM. We hopped in a taxi (see other post for more info on taxis) and drove 30 minutes across St. Thomas to a little town called Red Hook.

We then boarded a small ferry that took us across to St. John's (about a 20 minute ride). Once there, we took yet another taxi around the side of the island to Trunks Bay Beach. St. Thomas is a US territory so this beach is actually operated by the government and had a small bathroom facility and even a little gift shop and grill.

If you have ever seen the color of true aquamarine stones, then you have seen the color of this water. It was the most brilliant shade of blue I have ever witnessed in nature. The sand was light and powdery, which is different from the sands we have seen so far.

We immediately put on our snorkel gear and set out to explore the underwater trail set up in the park. It basically consists of some underwater signs that talk about the animal and plant life in the area. And boy did we see some life in that water! Fish, eel, octopus, sting ray and beautiful colors of coral met our eyes. It was possibly the best snorkel expedition one could expect.

After lunch and some soaking of the sun (and round 2 of snorkeling for some) we trekked back to St. Thomas. Once there we did a little shopping in Charlotte Amelie and then jumped back on the ship.

Today and tomorrow we are at sea. So far this morning, Stephen and I have gorged ourselves on a buffet breakfast, played Bingo, done some laundry (OK not fun but necessary), soaked up some sun, took a dip in the pool and managed to fit in a cocktail or two. And it is only 2:00. This afternoon I plan to complete a 5k walk for breast cancer while Steve enters a Blackjack competition. I am hoping that our karma is even for this.

This cruising business can become addictive ......