The crossiant made us do it

Excitement time!! It was St Thomas day!! We got up early (well, late for me, but early for E) to get our midday flight, on Liat, the airline famed for never being on time. E was keen to get there early early early but I convinced her a little later was OK. At the airport, there was a small hiccup in checking in, as we didn't have an address and for the very first time the actual counter at our embarkation point would not issue tickets without it.

I had thought about this, and figured I'd just wing it when the time came for customs forms, but that seemed not to be a viable plan this time. Thankfully, we'd eaten the last of N's special crossiants and were but mildly disturbed by the fact we had about 10 minutes to somehow magically come up with an address in St Thomas. Whatevs.

Out came the iPhone to look for wifi signal, when that didn't work I asked a worker on his lunch break if I could borrow his blackberry, that was really slow, there were no internet vouchers at the newsagency... eventually we came to hotel site and just picked at random the first one that sounded not too expensive for our mid-range looks (turned out to be half a km from where we were staying anyway!).

On the plane, well n truly relaxed from said crossiant, we literally just stared out the window and before we knew it, we were on our descent to St Thomas. The flight is just 30 minutes, so I guess the 50 minutes on our tickets was to allow for their regular tardiness. Tut tut. I think it is the shortest flight I've ever been on, and I know E was freaking a little at how small the plane was. At least we could see (and hear) everything that was happening! haha

At the airport. I wondered if L would be there, considering I hadn't saved her number or called her to tell her we'd set off (she'd asked me to since Liat were so late)... but sure enuf, she was standing there when we arrived. Well, I assumed it was hear since I'd told her I was probably the only white girl on the plane with rastas, and she welcomed us into her arms with no hesitation. You see, I'd not actually met L face to face before since she was a friend of a friend, so it was all kinda "hope it works out" which, to be fair, is the way I travel 99% of the time.

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur.

L kindly took us for a short tour of the island, first Magen's Bay, made famous by the write-up by National Geographic or someone that said it was one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Now I am the first to admit living in Australia makes someone a kind of beach snob, BUT this beach was certainly not one of the most beautiful in the world. And I say that having SEEN some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I mean, yeah, it was nice buuuuuut... I've seen better.

Regardless, we just went for a quick dip and promptly fell asleep through post-New Years exhaustion.... and the crossiant. L actually had to wake us up (she felt bad, said we looked so peaceful) to get us going. I was literally out. E moreso. Grabbed a rum punch for the road and headed back the long way to the gorgeous place they call home.

Seriously, this place was beautiful. Situated at the top of the mountain (funnily enuf, called Mountain Top) about 50m from the touristy lookout for the whole island, with a house entirely made of special hardcore wood with imported blue, extra glazed tiles and its own water tank (which is good since the water wasn't working for most of the town at the time!). Then there was our apartment - a Mediterranean style almost villa, bedroom with a bathroom and a view to kill. Wow. It was more than either of us ever expected.

We needed more rest so it was back to bed for us, stuffing some random food from the fridge into our mouths beforehand. Ahh, the munchies. Finally admitted to L also that we were not usually so durrrrrr, it was the crossiants! She just laughed and said I should've told her earlier, she'd have told her husband and we'd have had a huge fatty altogether. That was exactly what we didn't need at this point - more excuse to have no brain.

I managed to get up in time for a late dinner... E not so easy. I thought she needed the rest so didn't push her, and I headed over to go out to dinner with L and her husband B. We went to Red Hook, the area renowned to be a good nighspot, except on this night, the Monday after the New Years long weekend, it was dead. The first place we trekked to, in the middle of nowhere, was also dead (after the boss just told B it was heaving after its reopening), so we went to the centre of Red Hook and found a nice place with a super energetic waitress. I wonder if I ever come across that energetic. It was kinda scary.

Ate way too much on B's tab and was fading fast when we called it a night. Fell asleep in the car home, not great for my directional skills since we were hiring a car tomorrow, but it couldn't be helped. I was beat.

I'm a drunk or she's just stupid

My day off started like every other day off... although I think I finally mastered the no-holes-in-mosquito-net situation, I found it hard to sleep in more than half an hour passed my normal wake-up, and excitement from my forthcoming chat with my boy did nothing to help. So off I trundled to Seaside to log on and wait. And wait. And wait. Hmmm.... internet troubles again?

Something in me was thinking not, so I waited more still. Thankfully, my good friend B was online and I had a nice chat with her. She has a good head on her shoulders and always levels me out when I'm a bit loopy. So some good perspective on my time here was gained through that conversation. Without giving too much away, she moved me on towards what I was already realising.

Luckily, it was a pretty shitty day for the beach so I had all the time on the world on my hands to wait. But when my computer battery started to blink at me, I gave up and headed home. En route, I heard my phone ring and probably flashed the nearby workers in my haste to get it before it stopped ringing. As it was, I missed it but it rang back straight away, and indeed it was who I was hoping for.

He told me he'd been delayed as he scored tickets to a Foo Fighters/Tenacious D gig, a good enuf excuse for me! Would've been an amazing show! He told me he practically ran home, almost asked Dave Grohl how much longer he was gonna play at one point haha... But eventually we connected, and before long I found myself sitting in Pineapple Pete's drinking beer after beer and eating lunch while the hours ticked into the early morning at his end.

It was a good chat. We both needed it. I was a bit bummed when he didn't come online at first, so it was a relief that we finally spoke. It is strange, this past weekend we REALLY missed each other... at the same time. It was the hardest time I've had away from him and indeed a turning point for me and my plans. While he's still in limbo about his visa, and I guess a lot of what I do depends on what happens with that.

After my beers, I was feeling content and all mushy from speaking so long with A, so after I wired some money back home I owed my sister, I jumped into a bus on the way to the airport to book my tickets to St Thomas for when Erm comes in less than a month. What happened next is either due to me being a bit tipsy (and well drunk on love) or the lady at the counter being a complete moron, but I managed to book and pay for tickets to St Thomas a full month before I was wanting to go. As in, I was due to leave in a few days!

I didn't realise the error til I was home, so annoyed I ran to the shop to get phone credit but as the airline's number didn't dial from my phone, I was forced to get back on a bus and go to the airport. Unfortunately, I got an annoying clicky-clicky sound from one of the guys hanging at a shitty bar and I bit - "I DON'T LIKE THAT FUCKING SOUND" I yelled as I stormed passed. God knows what he said, but I don't look forward to what he says the next time I pass. Probably will do the sound twice as loud. Am thinking I should have restrained myself.

The lady at the counter insisted I misled her and I was in no mood to do a he said, she said argument so I just shut up and let her change my ticket before she clocked off for the day. I think I had gotten there with 5 mins to spare. Thankfully, she didn't charge me anything extra other than the difference in fare, which I can pay later since I didn't have anything on me when I ran back to the airport. Well, that's a plus.

Was thinking about going back online tonight to talk more with A, but the rains have started again as predicted and I have no desire to walk in that with the lack of drainage this island has. And my laptop... and my nighttime walking rule! All bad bad bad. So no more chatsies. I just have the gentle rain and cool jazz sounds of my iTunes as company.