This week, in Moving Forward, Marshall and Lee and Roger continue their excursion tour of St. Thomas, not letting the sight of Dustin on the boat upset them. Sounds like a beautiful place! Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
They had the perfect view of the island of St. Thomas from
the top of the excursion boat as it made its leisurely way about the Charlotte
Amalie harbor. A young man with a carefully polished accent pointed out the
sights as they came into view. His voice was audible throughout the boat thanks
to the loudspeaker he used, and never clashed with the band, which continued to
play in the background.
“If you have a wife you need to get rid of,” he commented in
reference to a distant ruin on the top of a hill overlooking the harbor,
“perhaps you should take her here, to Bluebeard’s Castle.” The guide’s words
provoked laughter from the passengers. “The resort has all the amenities you
could wish for, and it’s close to all the shopping you could desire. But
ladies, watch out for any locked doors. You might not want to know what’s
behind them.” More laughter.
“Another popular destination is Blackbeard’s Castle, up on
Government Hill, legacy of the infamous Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard the pirate.
Teach supposedly used the tower as a lookout, probably to warn him if the
authorities were coming. There is a fantastic walking tour that includes not
only the castle, but several historical manor houses which date back to the
late sixteen hundreds. Many of these homes are listed in the National Register
of Historic Places. I highly recommend taking this tour if you have the time.
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, though, especially if you intend to brave
the 99 Steps. And I have to mention they have some of the best homemade rum on the
island.”
Even from a distance, Marshall was drawn to the ruins. Who
didn’t love pirates? There was something both romantic and earthy about them
that fired his imagination. It was too bad this cruise didn’t include the tour
of the castle. That would have been awesome. He stared across the harbor,
sipping his drink, daydreaming.
“You know we have another day in port, right? Before we go
on to the next island.” Lee broke into his thoughts.
Marshall turned toward him. Was Lee saying what he thought
he was? “Yeah, I thought we did.”
“We could always check out that castle, if you like.”
How awesome was that? Marshall broke into a big grin. He
wrapped his arms around Lee and hugged him. “How’d you know I wanted to go
there?”
“Seriously?” Lee laughed. “I can read you like a book,
remember. I saw your face when the guide was talking about it. You looked like
you were ready to jump overboard and swim just to get there. I thought maybe we’d
try something a little less extreme.”
Marshall blushed, even as he heard Roger’s quiet snicker in
the background which he quickly turned into a cough.
“You know that does sound like fun,” Roger said. “I think
I’m going to ask Kenny if he wants to go.”
Who’s Kenny, Marshall wondered. Lee looked as clueless as he
did.
“Kenny’s the guy I was dancing with last night,” Roger
explained without prompting. “We hit it off pretty good, but he already had
plans for today he couldn’t get out of. Tomorrow, though, he’s all mine.” Roger
flashed a wide smile at them.
“Maybe we’ll see you there,” Lee said.
“Maybe,” Roger echoed. “Not sure when we’re going. Hopefully
we’re going to meet up tonight.”
“I plan to take a lot of pictures,” Marshall said. This was
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he didn’t intend to squander it.
The Governor’s Mansion was the next site of interest.
Nestled in the mountain side, it was a large white colonial building,
surrounded by steps.
“This was a Danish plantation house at one time,” the guide
informed them, “the Estate Catherineberg plantation. At one time, they grew
sugarcane and processed it in their own mill. Now it serves as the residence of
the governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
A short time later, the guide announced they were going
behind Hassel & Water Island, at which time the captain would open the
glass bottom viewer over the coral reef. “You will see Mother Nature up close
and personal, beautiful animals you have never seen as close before.”
Well, of course they had to see this for themselves.
to be continued
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