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Mostly Ritzy St. Thomas |
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Story
At first glance
The Ritz Carlton seemed to be more Italianate villa than Caribbean resort, but once
we checked in and arrived at our accommodations, the more
intoxicating reality set in. Our balcony overlooked the turquoise
waters of Great Bay, a large harbor on the eastern end of St.
Thomas. Beyond the peninsula that encloses the bay, St. John was
clearly visible in the distance. White sand beaches, swaying palms
and two vast swimming pools beckoned to us.
 Although I had brought my tennis racket to St. Thomas with me, I
suspected it might never make it out of the closet. I was right. Day
after day, I was drawn to the warm, turquoise water. The
well-protected bay remains considerably calmer than the ocean, yet a
steady breeze provides ample “go juice” for catamaran sailing and
windsurfing. I hadn't windsurfed in almost a decade, but after a
somewhat klutzy first morning on the board, it came back to me.
Before long I was whizzing all over the harbor; I even managed some
slow speed jibes. Each day was more exhilarating than the one
before, but my curiosity began to wander to the kite surfers.
Kite surfing or "kite boarding" is a hybrid water sport marrying
hang gliding with wakeboarding. An enormous wing parachute is
attached to the rider’s harness and steered with a large handle not
unlike a jumbo waterski handle. The rider uses a slightly oversized
wakeboard to surf, cut and jump as he flies the kite high overhead,
dancing colorfully in the wind, rising and dipping in search of
steady propulsion. Most windy afternoons there were at least two and
sometimes as many as five or six kite surfers in the bay. I spoke
with several and am really psyched to learn this sport, but in the
unanimous opinions of everyone I spoke to, my week and a half in St.
Thomas was insufficient to really accomplish much, especially since
the wind was unpredictable. But I promised myself to research other
ways, times and places for learning this thrilling water sport.
 When the wind was light, there were always other watersport
alternatives. In addition to windsurfers, paddle boats and kayaks,
there was a fleet of Hobie Waves. One afternoon, gliding back and
forth across the bay in a light breeze, we even sailed our Hobie
beyond the mouth of the bay toward St. John prompting one of the
waterfront attendants to zoom out in a Zodiac inflatable to remind
us of the boundaries. Ooops…
Another afternoon we spent parasailing behind a thirty foot long,
deep sea v-hull, hundreds of feet above the rolling ocean far beyond
our serene bay. We toured the surrounding islands with a bird's eye
view of secluded beaches, world-class anchorages and magnificent
villas. Feel cramped at the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas? From my “eye
in the sky” point of view, 72-acre Little St. James Island may be
the vacation rental to book for your next Caribbean holiday. Our
parasailing captain informed us that this villa and totally private
island (private except for an army of servants tending to guests’
every whim) off the shores of St. Thomas and St. John could be ours
for a mere $3,000 to $6,000 per day. Maybe next time.
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