You can almost hear the three main islands squabbling at the family dinner table:
‘I can’t believe you sold out to the cruise ships, ’ St John says to St Thomas.
‘Of course I did. But I did what I had to so my inhabitants would be prosperous. You can’t feed an island on hippie idealism and ecotents, ’ St Thomas retorts.
‘Pipe down, ’ says St Croix, covering its ears.
‘What do you care? Tourism isn’t your main source of income, ’ the other two shoot back.
So it goes in the US Virgin Islands’ household, where St Thomas, St John and St Croix were all raised by Uncle Sam, but each grew up to have a very different personality.
St John is the greenest island, literally and figuratively. It cloaks two-thirds of its area in parkland and sublime beaches, ripe for hiking and snorkeling. It also leads the way in environmental preservation, with limited development and several low-impact tent-resorts for lodging. Dizzying cruise-ship traffic and big resorts nibbling its edges make St Thomas the most commercialized island. St Croix is the odd island out, located far from its siblings and offering a mix of rainforest, sugar plantations, old forts and great scuba diving. Its economy is not based on tourism, which makes it feel even more off-the-beaten path.
While the islands are American territories (and a favorite of American tourists since they don’t require a passport), West Indian culture remains their strongest influence. Calypso and reggae rhythms swirl through the air, and curried meats, callaloo soup and mango-sweetened microbrews fill the tables.
Last updated: Sep 25, 2008
