bjlapen@... (Tony) wrote in message news:...
> tinnesda@mhd1.mnstate.edu (Tinman) wrote in message news:...
> > I have just been accepted for the work exchange program at Maho Bay in
> > the virgin islands (St. John). I was wondering if anyone else has
> > done this, or is doing it, that could tell me what its like, and some
> > cool things to do while I am there. I will be there through June of
> > 2004.
> > Thanks in advance
> > -Dave
>
> Nobody else answers, sooo...
>
> Stairs, lotsa stairs.
> If you like rustic and local, and want to get away from
> the Touristo Resorts, Maho Bay has to be one of the true
> gems of Carrib. Very laid back, very smooth.
> {There are lots of stairs, there)
> I did not work at the place, I was a refugee from the
> Touristo Hoards, but I did hang out with the workers, some.
> The workers were in on all the tours, Beach tour, Plantation
> tour, Island tour, and all starting with a huge cooler full
> of that lethal native rum punch, at 9:00 AM.
> Then there was Wed. Night dining out and partying in Cruz Bay.
> Rum, lotsa rum. Cruz Bay has rum like Maho Bay has stairs.
> The midnight ride home was beyond belief.
> There were 18 of us packed into this pickup truck/jitney type
> of thing, and all of us rummed up to the gills.
> The mountain road is all frightening steep and
> hairpin curves. With a sheer cliff on one side, no guardrail.
> Scary, very scary. The brakes are borderline between working
> very poorly and not working at all. The driver is loaded worse
> than the passengers. Some of the passengers start jumping up
> and down in rhythym, getting the truck to bounce around.
> (Is this a good idea?) One of the workers is a kindergarden
> teacher. She starts leading the crowd singing nursery rhymes.
> Most scariest thing imaginable.
> We *all* start jumping up and down, and singing nursery rhymes.
> Jitney creeping down the road at 15 mph, tops, 18 crazy people
> crammed in, jumping up and down and singing nursery rhymes, and
> drinking that lethal rum punch. All the way to Maho Bay.
> Most insane thing I have ever seen in my life.
> Then there was the midnight skinny dip. Two of the workers ran
> into the water and tripped over a huge nurse shark that was
> snoozing in the shallows, right at the water's edge.
> After getting tripped over a few times, the shark moved off a bit,
> where some other people tripped over it.
> I don't think any of it is all too rough, but any manual labor
> out in the mid-day sun is going to be *hot*.
> Getting up to cook breakfast for the guests, after the Wed. night
> Cruz Bay adventure, may well be the worst of it.
> Did I mention they have lots of stairs, there?
> You'll see.
>
> Cheers,
> Tony.
Thanks for the reply, sounds like a lot of fun. I am prepared for
the heat and the stairs ( I Hope ), I try to keep myself in good
physical condition, even though I sit in front of a computer all day
long for work.
Sounds like there are some crazy people that work there too. Are
most of them young or late 20's or what? I am 25 myself and have a
pretty solid career, and just want to get away for a while, do some
physical labor, and of course try some of that punch ;). I also
travel a bit so I am used to unforseen hardships here and there. I am
sure its going to be a great experience, I can't wait for this summer.
I will be there in June, so if anyone else is going to be around
there at that time, should drop me a line.
Cheers,
Dave Tinnes. |