About St. John, VI

I found him sitting on a white bench, beside a Palmetto palm, singing along with Kenny Chesney.

Blues what blues hey I forgot them,
The sun and the sand and a drink in my hand with no bottom.

“You Mr. Wonderful?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Can you take us to Caneel Bay?” I said.

Then Liz reminded me I needed a collared shirt for dinner at the Equator and I looked scragged like driftwood after five hours in the Caribe.

“Actually, no,” I corrected myself, “can you drive us back into Mongoose Junction? I have to buy a shirt.”

I mused at the irony of asking a cabbie to drive me five miles out of the way to buy a shirt while he sang a song about the needlessness of wearing a shirt.

“I take you back and forth,” said Mr. Wonderful, smiling. “I wait while you shop.”

He drove the three of us all over Saint John’s Island that day. He picked the older kids up at the ferry and brought them to the restaurant. He shuttled all six of us back to the pier to catch the last boat to Saint Thomas.

Every time I tried to pay him he shooed me away.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “You pay me tonight. Not going to be big bill at the end. You on vacation. Relax.”

Want to soak up life for a while
In laid back mode.

Mr. Wonderful grew up in Saint Lucia, another unspoiled paradise. He visits family in Brooklyn and Florida during the hurricane season of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

September is coming.

Everywhere we went folks knew Mr. Wonderful. We met a refined woman from North Carolina on a boat docked off Virgin Gourda of the British Virgin Islands.

“When you go back to Saint John’s,” she advised, “tell Mr. Wonderful that Beverly sends her love. That and a little George Strait might sound good in the back of his rumbling jitney.”

Monday morning I plan to pinch a few grains of that white sand into my black Oxford shoes before driving these Jersey roads to the office.

I could be Mr. Wonderful, the sort of fellow impervious to success or slight. The sort of fellow who holds his hand out to the world, a hand without a bottom.

I guess so could you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you're visiting Saint John's in the Virgin Islands and need a reliable gent to drive you about paradise, I recommend Mr. Wonderful.

(His real name is Leo.)

Mr. Wonderful provides sightseeing tours, beach trips and private service. His cell phone number is (340) 693-7306.

*** The Original Painkiller Recipe ***

As made famous by the Soggy Dollar Bar (so coined because one must jump ship and swim to the beach shack) on the isle of Yost Von Dyke, British Virgin Islands.

• Premium dark rum
• Cream of coconut
• Pineapple
• Orange juice
• Grenadian nutmeg

The proportions of said ingredients is your call.

The recession has hit certain industries harder than others. But, Caribbean real estate is one of its greatest victims. With people concerned about their life savings and getting their salaries frozen at work, there’s little concern about enjoying a week in the Caribbean for their vacation or buying Caribbean real estate to enjoy their retirement in paradise. But as the recession nears its end, the demand for Caribbean real estate is slowly rising and the supply of Caribbean real estate is now more affordable than ever.

Caribbean real estate in hotspots like the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands has seen sharp declines in home values. While this has been a plight for current residents, it also creates opportunity for new residents to get great deals on Caribbean real estate. It’s everyone’s dream to own a Caribbean beachfront villa as a second home or primary residence, and economic conditions has made this dream more attainable.

Those looking to buy or sell Caribbean real estate should take advantage of the incoming tourist season which is largely based in the winter season. There are incredible deals on Caribbean real estate from waterfront villas to luxurious condos and even beachfront mansions as highly discounted costs.

Just South of Anguilla is the Caribbean island of St Barthelemy, an amazingly scenic island with pristine beaches and plenty of available real estate. St Barthelemy or St Barts as it popularly referred to as, is a popular Caribbean island for its exciting attractions and incredible real estate.

Hotels and resorts are popular on St Barts and include the Carl Gustaf, Eden Rock, Francois Plantation, Hotel Guanahani and Spa, Le Christopher and Le Toiny. These hotels have amazing amenities like in-house dining, Jacuzzis, saunas, water sports and state-of-the-art fitness centers. Some of the incredible restaurants on St Barts are Brtolomeo – a French cuisine restaurant, La Plage- French cuisine restaurant and Le Rivage- also a French cuisine restaurant.

The people of St Barts also referred to as Bartians speak both French and English. The climate is tropical year-round and temperatures rarely fluctuate. The island also has communications services many other Caribbean islands don’t due to their undersea fiber-optic cable which gives them phone and internet services.

For more information on this topic, please visit Caribbean real estate.

St Eustatius is a relatively secluded island in the heart of the Caribbean. With neighboring islands like St Kitts and the Virgin Islands its easy to overlook this island. But for those seeking an authentic and pristine Caribbean experience, St Eustatius might be the perfect place. St Eustatius is one of the few places in the Caribbean you can purchase acres of waterfront land. The low population of St Eustatius means the natural beauty of the island is easier to preserve and the beaches are quite breathtaking.

The official language of the island is Dutch, which is largely because St Eustatius is a constituent of The Kingdom of the Netherlands. English is widely spoken throughout the island and there is a hint of culture from The Netherlands, Caribbean and English speaking cultures. Restaurants on the island include Blue Bead Restaurant - a nice French Cuisine café, Ocean View Terrace – a Caribbean cuisine restaurant and the Old Gin House Restaurant which is an International cuisine restaurant.

For more information on this topic, please visit Caribbean real estate.

St Martin is widely regarded as the Caribbean’s most popular island. Tourists from everywhere visit the island to not only experience the natural beauty of the Caribbean but also the exciting lifestyle of St Martin. St Martin is a must-stop for Cruise ships so tourists visiting the island change weekly if not daily.

The island has adapted to enhance its image as a tourist hub in the Caribbean by building incredible hotel-resorts, casinos and dozens of nightlife spots. Unless there’s a festival occurring, St Martin is relatively quiet in the day, but when the sun goes down St Martin turns into a booming Caribbean nightlife spot.

St Martin has heavy French influences, so the homes, attire and accents usually reflect French backgrounds. The main advantage to their French backgrounds is the incredible French cuisine that is produced in St Martin’s high-quality restaurants.

For more information on this topic please visit Caribbean real estate .