ENST259: Trip Description and Preparation

Full Breakdown of Trip Costs

Trip Description

Departure for St. John

We will depart North Carolina on the Thursday and Friday before Spring Break starts. We split up the group, because there usually are a number of students who need to take a midterm on that Thursday before Spring Break. We usually fly with American Airlines to St. Thomas through Miami. Once we arrive in St. Thomas, we'll take a taxi to Red Hook on the east side of St. Thomas, where we'll catch a ferry to Cruz Bay, St. John. Upon arrival in Cruz Bay, we'll take a taxi to the Cinnamon Bay campground.

On St. John

On St. John, most of our days will follow a similar schedule. We'll wake up around 7:30 AM, make our way to the taxis around 9 AM to drive to our snorkeling destination for the day. You'll bring water and lunch, and we'll snorkel until about 3 PM. Back at the campground, you'll have about an hour to shower before the daily student presentations. Usually, there will be 3 presentations per evening. After presentations, students may elect to travel into Cruz Bay for dinner, while others will choose to cook at the camp site. Quiet hours begin at 10 PM and are strictly enforced. We will usually have 2 free days. One free day will be reserved for the sailboat trip, which is HIGHLY recommended and is usually the highlight of the trip. Another free day can be used for kayaking around Cinnamon Cay, hiking the Reef Bay trail, scuba diving (you must arrange for this separately), or shopping in town. We will have at least one opportunity to night snorkel. We usually prefer to do this at Haulover Bay, which is on the extreme eastern side of the island. Because of the location, the night snorkel day is usually quite long, as we'll snorkel during the day at one or two locations, then stop for dinner, then return to snorkel after it has been dark for at least an hour.

Returning to North Carolina

Students will ensure that their tent and camp site is free of all trash, that the dishes/pots/pans have been washed, and that the sheets and towels are piled neatly. All food must be discarded or eaten. We usually depart the camp site around 9:30 or 10 AM to allow for some last minute shopping in Cruz Bay. We'll then board the ferry for St. Thomas, taxi to the airport, and then pass through customs before we board the plane for Miami.

Important Details

Flight

• Ensure that you have a valid passport or certified copy of birth certificate
• Provide emergency contact info to Greg prior to departure
• Bring frequent flyer information, if applicable
• Ensure the Insitute has a copy of flight information (departures, dates, times, etc.)
• You pass through US Customs on your return. PEOPLE UNDER 21 ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING LIQUOR BACK INTO THE COUNTRY! If you try it, they will force you to pour your bottles down the drain. For persons over 21, customs allows one bottle of liquor to be brought into the country, free of duty.

Transportation

• Ferry from Charlotte-Amalie to St. John - $10/person plus $2/piece of luggage
• Ferry from Red Hook to St. John - $5/person plus $2/piece of luggage
• Taxi from Cruz Bay to Cinnamon Bay is $5/person for our group (normally $8) (About a 20 minute ride). We arrange for all our rides with a driver named Kenneth Louis. He is extremely reliable, easy-going, and friendly. His cell # is 340-513-2438. You should also try a driver named Claxton at 340-626-0573. If you are arranging this trip on your own, please mention that you got his information from this web site.
• You will need to pay taxis into town as you go, but day trips and arrival/departure will be pre-paid prior to leaving Chapel Hill.

Camping

• We stay at the Cinnamon Bay Campground
• Drunkenness/binge drinking is not acceptable
• Group sites come with bedding, towel, pots/pans, silverware, propane cooking stove and lantern, cot, cooler, food storage, pillow, grills, water spigot, picnic table
• Campground has cold showers, restaurant (which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (price for dinner $12-$20, breakfast $8-$15), soda machines, grocery, kayak rentals ($70/half day), short hiking trail, and amphitheater
• Campground headquarters number - 340-776-6330
• There are payphones next to the main office, but many of these will steal your quarters.
• Make sure your calling card/minutes work in the US Virgin Islands. Cell phone reception is poor at the campground.
• Take advantage of campground programs like plays, talks, etc.
• Linen exchange Tuesday/Thursday, towels on Sundays
• 10 PM quiet time is strictly enforced. This includes normal talking. Use your "library voice"!
• Beware of donkeys and mongoose! They will open your cooler if left out and eat any food left outside of your tent
• $17/night for extra cot
• Tents sleep 4 people
• Coordinate with your tentmates before the trip on meals to ensure that you'll have some variety!
• Practice good campground etiquette. This means leave as little trace as possible. Examples include not throwing extra food in the woods near your tent, because it will attract insects, birds, and other animals to the camp site. Same for leaving bags of garbage out during the day: there are dumpsters right next to our camp site. There is no need to leave garbage out for an extended period of time.

Food, shopping, etc.

• Dolphin Gourmet Grocery across street from Texaco. Has a good variety of food, fruits, and fresh veggies
• ATM's are available in Cruz Bay.
• Good restaurants - Banana Deck, Mongoose Junction, Morgan's Mango, Sogo's (the last locally owned restauarant in Cruz Bay), and Skinny Legs and Sweet Plantain in Coral Bay
• NO place on the island takes state-side checks!! Most places take credit cards
• Expect to pay $5-$10 for breakfast, $10-$15 for lunch, and $15-$25 for dinner
• No one in our group has gotten sick from drinking the water.
• Use the buddy system - Someone should always know where you are

Things to Bring

• Snorkeling gear
• Skin suit or rash guard - doubles as protection against the sun and offers some protection against scraping coral or urchins
• Batteries - they are expensive to purchase on the island
• Beach towel, water bottles, sunblock, sunglasses, book(s), and hat
• Matches or lighter, pocket knife (don't pack in carry-on luggage!), some rope to hang out your wet clothes, a frisbee, fishing gear, and a flashlight (above and underwater)
• Summer clothing, light pants, shoes to hike in, and bathing suit(s)
• Food - Pack light food and food-related necessities like instant oatmeal; dried fruit; rice; pasta; camping meals; dinner mixes with dry seasonings; seasonings like salt, garlic, etc.; tupperware or sandwich bags for your daily lunches; sponge/dishsoap to do your dishes; plastic bags for trash; etc. The more you can carry, the less you'll spend when you get to St. John.
• Bug spray - bugs are hit or miss. Some years are fine, while others can be buggy.

Activities

• Good snorkeling spots. We will spend virtually every day on the beach at a snorkeling location from about 10 AM until 3 PM.
  • Salt Pond - Nice hike, reefs on left side
  • Hawksnest Bay - Popular spot, shallow snorkeling, picnic structure
  • Water Lemon Cay - Beautiful reefs, easy snorkel around the Cay, Ranger recommends swimming counter-clockwise
  • Past Mary Creek, Mary Point, is a great snorkel spot, but is a long swim with a strong current around the bend
  • Haulover Bay - Both sides good, especially the north side.
  • Reef Bay - Can hike from Cinnamon Bay ~ 5 miles total, one way. Has petroglyphs, plantation ruins, and informative signs. Deep water surrounds the reef.
  • Newfound Bay - Only accessible by boat, but excellent coral around the left side and westward
  • Lameshur Bay - Little Lameshur Bay and Great Lameshur Bay have great snorkeling
  • Tektite - former underwater observatory, near Great Lameshur Bay
• Maho Bay - Has many other organized activities, a restaurant, and good campstore. Great for sunsets.
• Bird watching - Francis Bay
• Scuba diving - Low Key Dive Shop
• Sailing trip on the Island Spirit. http://www.divestjohn.com
• You can get sunburned easily while snorkeling! Reapply sunblock frequently or wear protective clothing when in the water
  - There is a 24-hour Community Health Center on St. John, in case of a medical emergency