The Cruzan Rum Distillery

This weekend in St. Croix was a little slow, so I took the opportunity to go with an acquaintance of mine to the home of St. Croix's most famous export, Cruzan Rum. The Cruzan brand was actually founded around 1934, but the former sugar plantation upon which the distillery sits has been producing rum since around 1760. Our first glance of the distillery was the old carriage house, which definitely harkens back to a time long ago: 

The history of Rum is deeply intertwined with the history of St. Croix. Throughout much of its history, St. Croix was one of the leading producers of sugarcane in the Caribbean, particularly in the 17th through early 19th Centuries. Much of the sugarcane grown in St. Croix was converted to molasses, which both allowed for easier shipping, and which forms the basis of distilling rum. 

The Seven Flags of St. Croix's Administrators
(L to R: Sovereign Order of Malta, Denmark, Netherlands, the United States, France, the UK, Spain)

As with many things in the world, globalization, climate change, and politics have transformed Cruzan Rum. While still largely managed by the Nelthropp family, whose ownership of Cruzan dates back to the middle of the 20th Century, the Cruzan brand is now owned by Beam Global Spirits. St. Croix's climate, which has become more arid over time, has also made large scale sugarcane production impractical. Because of climate change, the majority of molasses used to produce Cruzan is imported from Central and South America. However, due to favorable trade laws, Cruzan is able to import high grade molasses at a price significantly lower than many competitors. One high point of the trip was being able to actually taste some of the molasses being used for distillation (see below). It was definitely not like the kind you find in stores!

Molasses being poured to begin the distillation process.

At Cruzan, the distillery tour is much more "hands on" than at most distilleries. St. Croix's other rum producer, Captain Morgan, doesn't allow such a high degree of access to its production facilities. At Cruzan, one can get right up to the fermentation vats!

The molasses was moving due to the yeast particles alone...

Following fermentation, the molasses mixture is distilled using a column system, which happens to take place in the second tallest building on St. Croix (the competition actually isn't very stiff). Cruzan is known for their particularly thorough distillation process that removes most of the fusel oils and impurities that are often left behind in other spirits. For this reason, Cruzan is much less likely to produce the headaches associated with hangovers. After distillation, the raw Rum is then placed in barrels for aging at the St. Croix facility:

The various stages of aging. 

As you can see above, aging in the tropical climate results in a high degree of evaporation. By the time Cruzan's 12 year rums are done aging, as much as 90% of the initial liquid may have evaporated. In the tropics, aging also takes place much faster, so rums with lower ages have similar characteristics to much longer aged spirits such as Scotch and Bourbon.

The Cruzan Hospitality Pavilion

Our tour complete, we came to the high point of the day, which was a chance to taste the various Cruzan rum varities at the distillery's hospitality pavilion. After a few Cruzan drinks, we had definitely educated ourselves on the wide array of rums that our local distillery produces.

Cruzan is always a good call.

Before we left, I decided to splurge a bit and bring home a souvenir. I bought a bottle of Cruzan's premium offering, Cruzan Single Barrel. Aged for up to 12 years, the Single Barrel is a welcome addition to my collection at home.

I bought their limited edition large bottle, so a stock photo will have to do.

Beyond the opportunity to learn more about our local rum, the Cruzan distillery was a great way to become more knowledgeable about Crucian history and culture. It was definitely a nice way to spend a Saturday, and is a must-see destination for any visitor to our little island.


Cheers!

San Juan

Well, readers, it's been a good two weeks since I updated you on life down in the Virgin Islands. This week, my post departs from the USVI and brings us to one island over, in Puerto Rico. I had a 5 day weekend due to Easter, so I took the opportunity to cure my "island fever" and visit our neighbor island to the west. San Juan is about 90 miles from St. Croix, so the flight there takes about 30 minutes from tarmac to tarmac. Flights usually run between $100 and $200 including luggage, and, combined with relatively cheap rental cars and some moderately priced accommodations, Puerto Rico makes a great weekend getaway from the USVI.

In comparing Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands, the two locations couldn't be more different. While St. Croix has a largely Afro-Caribbean culture similar to that of many nearby islands, Puerto Rico's is markedly more Latin American. Arriving in San Juan, a bustling, urban metropolis, was a far cry from the slow pace of life on St. Croix. In addition to adjusting to the heavier traffic (and smoother roads), I also had to get used to driving on the right again, and reading road signs in Spanish. Nonetheless, there were some pretty good benefits to being in Puerto Rico. First and foremost was the coffee (seen below). If you're an Espresso fan, Puerto Rican coffee honestly puts Starbucks to shame. It's quite similar to Cuban coffee, though diabetics beware: everything in this part of the world comes with sugar!

Traditional Puerto Rican coffee

My hotel in San Juan was in the Condado section of the city, which features high rise condos and hotels, as well as scenic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. I greatly enjoyed staying here because it had a good mix of Puerto Rican restaurants and bars, as well as some more familiar places, such as Walgreen's and Chili's. As much as I like to assimilate as much as possible to a local culture, I was happy to see an American chain restaurant after so long!

Avenida Ashford in Condado, San Juan

One of my major objectives on my trip was to go shopping. As we don't really have department stores or the like on St. Croix, I took the opportunity to go to Plaza de las Americas, which is billed as the largest mall in the Caribbean (I honestly doubt it has much competition). I bought a few essentials (a dress shirt and a polo), and was interested to find that they do, in fact, sell bowties in the Caribbean, at least at Macy's:

Didn't expect to see these!

San Juan offered a wide array of interesting restaurants and bars to choose from. In addition, one benefit to coming over to Puerto Rico is that the general cost of living is considerably lower than that on St. Croix. While out and about, I was fortunate enough to have one of the better Mojitos of my life (see below). I'm pretty certain my cocktail was made with either Bacardi or Don Q, the two kings of Puerto Rican Rum. It's worth mentioning, for anyone contemplating a visit to both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, that the normal liquor prices in St. Croix are lower than the Duty Free prices in the San Juan airport, even for Puerto Rican rum. Liquor is pretty much the only thing cheaper on St. Croix than anywhere else, but at least there's something :-) Regardless of what kind of liquor you prefer, rums from either island are a pretty good bet!

What ended up being a pretty good Mojito

Even though I wake up to a view of the beach every day, I made an obligatory visit to Condado's stretch of oceanfront sand. I have to say that the view was pretty impressive, especially since it contrasted well with all the high rise buildings that dot the shoreline. San Juan offers the best of both worlds in many ways: There's outstanding beaches, and all the amenities a major city has to offer within walking distance from your beach chair or cabana.

The beach at Condado.

Breaking away from Condado, with my flight drawing near, I took the time to visit the San Juan National Historic Site, specifically Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Construction on the Castillo began in the 16th Century, and was a very impressive structure, offering outstanding vistas of Old San Juan and the surrounding area.

Welcome!

While the weather was windy and overcast, I was able to get a few good shots in of the castle and surroundings:

The main entrance to the Castillo

One of the Castillo's famous sentry towers.

Looking east toward Old San Juan

The weather was a little dodgy, but the photos came out well.

After visiting the historic sites, I ran into a bit of trouble at the airport, as my flight was delayed and eventually cancelled. Luckily, in large part due to the advocacy of one of my fellow air travelers, the airline found us accomodation for the night, and I got an extra night in San Juan gratis. I took the opportunity to have a really good Puerto Rican breakfast the next day, one which is hard to find in restaurants on St. Croix:

While our accommodations were a little unconventional (vacation condos attached to a hotel), the hotel managing them had a great location on the beach, and I was able to enjoy some more scenic views on my final day in the city.

A nice morning view!

All in all, I enjoyed my trip to San Juan very much, and plan on visiting again soon, and on a fairly regular basis for that matter. Living on a small island, everyone I know has stressed the importance of leaving the island every few weeks to break "island fever." We in the USVI are definitely fortunate to have such an exciting, accessible, affordable, and pleasant destination nearby!

So long, San Juan!

Cheers!

The best place for now...

"Sunday Funday" at Cane Bay

Another week is passing here on the island, and I hate to admit I don't have many photos to share. The soap opera that is my search for Jeep parts continues, but, as my mom says, one ends up having to laugh at how crazy it is. So far, I've had parts shipped in from Utah, Florida, New York, and Canada (that's right, Canada).

The inconveniences that come with island living can be exasperating at times. Having to wait a week to get almost anything to arrive from the mainland can be annoying, but I really do think that St. Croix is "the best place for now" for me. When I look at the alternatives of what I would be doing back in the Lower 48, life isn't so bad. The weather here is (generally) good, the people are friendly, and the stress level, aside from the annoyance of getting things shipped in, is much lower.

I have had a strange sense come over me while being here. There's a certain qualified feeling of living in exile down here. I truly feel disconnected from the mainland, and all the lives and happenings from back there. Sometimes that feels bad, but it can feel pretty good, too. Yes, it's hard to get things here, but you don't need as much here. Things are expensive, but there's less stuff to buy. Grocery shopping can be dodgy, but finding local sources of produce can alleviate many of the difficulties that supermarket shopping presents. Every day you get to see the ocean (every morning for me), and the beach is always 10 minutes away.

Living here allows me to think less about chasing an objective, and more about living. While my goals at this point are focused on a career back in the mainland, I think this place is the best for now, hiccups, complications and all.

Next week, I look forward to sharing more with you, as tomorrow St. Croix will be having our annual St. Patrick's Day Festival, which I understand to be a pretty significant event. Happy Weekend!

Cheers!

The New Condo

One of the big things i've had to do while I have been here is to look for a condo. Looking for a condo on St. Croix is a bit harder than back on the mainland, mostly because of how the island infrastructure works. First and foremost, the cost of electricity is much more expensive. At least compared to North Carolina, the rate for electricity is 5 times higher than what it would be back home. I am not exaggerating. Because of that, finding a place that's as energy efficient as possible is a must. Secondly, the water supply presents its own unique challenges.

Fortunately for me, I ended up taking a condo in a place that was on the city water lines. That, however, is a pretty rare situation. Most houses on the island get their water through a cistern, which, for those who don't know, essentially stores rainwater. When the cistern runs dry, you have to call the utility company for them to re-fill your cistern at a rate of 5 cents a gallon. Most houses with cisterns have pretty thorough filtration and purification systems for the water; however, not all do. One place I looked at didn't have potable water, for example. Needless to say that was a dealbreaker. I also really wanted an in-unit washer and dryer, which, yet again, was harder to find that one might imagine.

In the end, I went with a condo in the same complex I had been staying in at my arrival. The view is arguably not as good, but I still get to see the ocean, and the overall state of the unit is a bit better (the sliding door works, for example). Good home furnishings are hard to find down here, but the furnishings in my apartment look pretty good compared to what I saw elsewhere. Additionally, living in the complex provided some major benefits. The cable and water are automatically included in the rent (as noted supra, water can be a big issue here), and the fact the facility is gated gives me peace of mind. I have been harangued so much by our security guards about my parking permit that I think the overall safety level is pretty solid. Probably the best part, though, is that I was able to rent a unit for about what I paid for my apartment in Columbia, SC. So all in all i'm pretty content. So, without further ado, here's a few photos of my new place:

About the best photo I could get of the living room.

The kitchen in all its glory...

I'm sure y'all care about all my closet space lol.

Still figuring out the bedroom...

The dining area

Here's the view. The cherry picker is there because they are painting the building!

Cheers!

Island Shopping

It's not all play on St. Croix, but it is every weekend...

Well, readers, things are (sort of) coming together. I now have several items in my checklist checked off. First I bought my jeep, which now has been christened "Big Red" since that pretty accurately describes it. Big Red is still a work in progress, though. I am waiting for a safari top to come from Miami for him, which brings me to my one major "pet peeve" about island life: Availability of goods.

Yes, you can get anything to the island, but very little on the island. eBay has become my best friend because it's so hard to find a lot of random things down here. Even if you do find them, you'll pay a hefty premium for them. I have heard that you can find pretty much anything over on Puerto Rico, but since it's logistically kind of nuts to hop on a plane to San Juan every weekend, online shopping has to do.

To give you an idea of the crazy mess i've had to order on eBay, I thought i'd go through my purchase history. In the past week, i've ordered a NC flag car decal, a locking gas cap, locking lug nuts, a coolant bottle cap, iPhone earbuds, an iPhone charger, a coaxial cable for the TV, seatbelt covers, a leather repair kit, my Jeep safari top, and a iPhone FM transmitter. Before that I also had a wireless router and wiper blades shipped in, though both of those were mostly b/c it was cheaper to have them shipped down than to buy in the store. Now, granted, some of this stuff I would have to order on eBay if I was back on the mainland, but it's still a pain. On top of ordering, the USPS is about the only cost effective way to get things shipped down here, so you have to expect at least a week's wait for anything to come.

Slowly but surely, though, I am getting my stuff. The internet down here is slower, and patience is the name of the game, but waking up next to the ocean every day is a pretty decent offset for all the little inconveniences that life in St. Croix presents.

Cheers!

The Island Car!

Hello again, readers! The past week has been really busy, with a lot of different things having to be addressed. One of the biggest things i've had to be dealing with is transportation. I decided not to ship my car down from the mainland, since I figured the cost and added depreciation didn't make much economic sense. When I got here, I rented a car, and set about looking for something to last me for the duration of my contract. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a vehicle, but I wanted something I could at least recoup some of my money from when I leave the islands. After finding out about a mechanic who does work for several court employees, I ended up buying a 1997 Jeep Wrangler. Apparently these vehicles sell quickly on the island, it's easy to find parts for them, and they do have 4 wheel drive, which may come in handy during hurricane season. Yesterday I paid for it (thanks to the Post Office for having money orders) and went to the DMV, which was an interesting experience to say the least. The fact I was able to get the car bought, insured, and the title transferred in 4 hours is apparently considered quick. There are still some minor things that need to be done to it (new rear tires, the interior light bulbs need replacing, rear view mirror has to be glued back onto the windshield, new cover getting shipped in from the mainland, etc.), but I hope to have all that taken care of by Friday, and all in all I think the jeep should do the job:

I will hopefully be showing you photos of my new apartment soon as well. I finally was able to work out a lease, and I think the place I settled on is a good choice. Haggling seems to be the name of the game down here, but I feel pretty good about the deals i've gotten so far. Throughout this whole experience, the most valuable thing i've learned is to not let stress and anxiety overwhelm you. There are many things that are hard to deal with when coming from a faster paced, more results-oriented environment, but the flipside of that is that the pressure is off in situations where I would usually be under stress. Anyway, more soon!

Days 7-17

Sorry for the long delay, readers! This has been a rather interesting week on the island, mostly because I have barely been able to get 3G service on my phone. Since I haven't finalized a permanent apartment, either, I don't have wifi, so sometimes updating can be a challenge to say the least!

In any case, the past 10 days since my last post have been interesting. I have found what amounts to probably the best Sunday brunch spot on the island, The Palms. It's about 5 minutes from where i'm staying right now, and the prices can't really be beat for what you get. I will say that the cost of eating out is generally higher than what it is in the south, though not nearly as much as people seem to imply on the message boards. For example, brunch dishes here usually run about $10-15. However, you do get some fringe benefits for your dollar, like this view from the table (yes, I was eating when I took this):

Meanwhile, back at work, i'm finding legal research to be a unique task. While I do have access to the normal 'tools of the trade,' such as Westlaw, the old fashioned digest tends to be the most effective resource I have, along with our Court Rules book. Even our digest comes in Carribbean Blue :-):

Lunchtime at the court continues to be dominated by the vegetarian truck. I never have been a vegetarian, but I think the vegetarian options on the island would make it pretty easy to pull off. On Friday, I had vegetarian lasagna, which I thought was surprisingly good:

One great thing about here is that there is always some new and exciting vista to see. A few mornings ago, while doing my morning exercise, I was able to snap this sunrise photo:

On Sunday, I decided to seek out a few new places to look at. My final destination was Point Udall, which is the easternmost point in American territory. The point offers spectacular vistas of the Caribbean, and one really feels like he's at the end of the world/country/etc. when visiting. Here's a photo of the actual end of the island:

The drive to Point Udall wasn't too bad, but it had its rugged moments. I've been impressed that my little Toyota rental car has done so well with the driving so far. The flipside to the narrow roads and questionable pavement is that you get some pretty amazing views from your car. This is actually at Point Udall, but shows the route I took to get there:

All in all, every day here (so far) brings about a new discovery and adventure. The panorama function on the iPhone has never been so valuable. This next week should bring some interesting posts, as i'm (fingers crossed) finalizing a car and apartment here on the island. Haggling is the name of the game, which is an experience in itself, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here's a parting panorama of Point Udall:



Cheers!

Days 4-6

Well, readers, my adventures continue down here in the USVI! Work keeps going at a pleasant pace. So far, I find the legal work both challenging and interesting, without the negatives generally associated with the profession (stress, poor relations between colleagues, etc.) Perhaps the one thing that's been most challenging so far is convincing people that the USVI is, in fact, in America! I thought i'd take a photo of the flag pole in front of our courthouse to prove that the USVI continues to be part of the United States:

Note the Stars and Stripes, right by our USVI territorial flag, which includes the eagle from the U.S. seal. I will say, however, that while the USVI is politically part of the United States, culturally it is much more a part of the West Indies. There do seem to be many advantages to that, though. All the people here have been among the friendliest and most welcoming i've ever met. I've had complete strangers walk up to me, welcome me, and shake my hand. Individuals on the court staff have even dropped by my office to see how I was doing and if I was enjoying myself.

I believe that a little respect for Virgin Islanders and their beautiful home really does go a long way. Local Crucians (as St. Croix natives are called) greet one another depending on the time of day (Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Day, Good Night). I have learned that one is expected to extend this greeting to literally everyone he passes. The hardest part of this is getting used to using "Good Night" as a greeting, but hopefully i'll get there.

The food down here has definitely surprised me. I'm definitely not a vegetarian. However, about the best food i've found near my office comes from a vegetarian food truck. I think it's vegetarian to cater to the local Rastafarian community; nonetheless, even though I don't expect to be growing dreadlocks any time soon, the vegetarian dishes are pretty awesome (see below.)

The food truck in question is within sight of the courthouse where I work. While my own office doesn't have a view, our suite does. I can definitely say the view is amazing and unique:



Still on the topic of food, I also tried a local pastry called a pate (pronounced like the french word). Basically, it reminds me of a large version of the curry puff pastry, which was popular in Singapore, another tropical island I lived on about a decade ago. Basically, it seems to be a puff pastry filled with some sort of meaty filling. I tried both the beef and the conch fillings. I have to admit I didn't really like the conch very much, and I think these are pretty oily, so they will probably be eaten sparingly. The beef, though, was pretty solid:

In any case, my days here continue to be pleasant and interesting. I tentatively believe that moving here was a great decision.

Cheers!

Days 1 to 3

Greetings from the USVI! Because of issues with wifi (or a lack thereof) I am currently using my iPhone for just about everything. Hopefully I will be able to get that issue resolved soon! In any case, I thought I would begin with a short recap of my trip so far.

I arrived here on Saturday night, which went smoother than I imagined it would. I was met at the airport by my rental car company, who then drove me to their office, which is ironically just down the road from where I am working. I was met there by the guy I'm renting from, who has proven very helpful to me so far. Pretty much at the end of the day I was done, so I promptly went to bed. I can't say too much about what I saw then because it was dark and I was exhausted.

Sunday morning brought some interesting experiences, though. I woke up to the view from my condo (see photo above). The view made it all worthwhile. Later in the day the landlord took me out to a Super Bowl party where I met a bunch of great people, most of whom were transplants to the island.

I also went to the grocery store. Things are definitely more expensive here, and the quality of food available in the stores is not quite as high as what we're used to on the mainland. Nonetheless, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. I also have found out that there are good options for local produce and meat on the island if one knows where to look.

Day 3 was my first day at work. Everyone has been friendly so far, and I really can't complain. I have a new office, and I experienced my first local food at the chicken shack. My boss did tell me that it's easy to put on weight here, so I'll have to be vigilant and keep the visits to the chicken shack to a minimum.

All in all I like the island so far. Everyone seems really nice. I am having to learn to accept things moving according to "island time," which requires a bit of patience. However, waking up in the tropics with a sea view is a pretty awesome benefit in itself.

Cheers!