Charlotte Amalie,
St. Thomas
18.20.270N
64.55.61W

Why is it that we have the hardest time with internet connections? Yesterday we had purchased some internet time but last night when we tried to connect, the signal kept dropping. We added our external antenna to boost the power, then all of a sudden, we couldn’t make the connection at all. We found out today that the internet provider takes an initial signature of the computer when you sign on. Any changes to the computer after that, ie, adding the antenna, changes the signature and therefore the provider thinks that you’re a different computer trying to use the access code. So now I have to sit in the cockpit to access the internet and keep playing with dropped signals. At least I can down load our e-mails rather quickly.

The rest of the day, we showed Gerry & Nicky around the area as cruisers instead of the guests they had been when they were last here. We walked over to the new Harbortown Marina looking for some logo polo shirts and a jib halyard for Orpailleur but they still aren’t completely up and running yet, at least not for those items. We walked up to the K-Mart for some items needed for the incoming guests. We picked up some fresh tea at the grocery and pointed out where the laundry was located. Then we headed back to town into jewelry central and walked up and down all of the alleyways looking at everything. Nicky and I had a blast just window shopping. Dale and Gerry were being very indulgent. Occasionally we would see a beer in their hands or some other frosty drink but they just followed us around and didn’t complain at all.

At one point, Nicky and I were talking with a woman about conch pearls. She had two and brought them out to show them to us. She told us what to look for and that the Japanese had purchased most of the conch pearls in the Caribbean area which had forced the prices sky high. Then she also showed us the most beautiful 3 carat yellow diamond that I have ever seen. Gerry walked in about the time she said that it would sell for $20,000 a carat. Gerry simply shook his head and left. The woman folded the diamond back into the paper from which it had come, placed it back into a box, closed the box and turned away from us. Nicky and I got the distinct impression that we had been dismissed. Well! We’ll just take our money and go elsewhere! Which we did.

Nicky finally found a slide that she liked to go onto a necklace that she already has. The only question was, would it fit. We’ll head back tomorrow to find out. I know I’m being petty, but I’d love for Nicky to put that necklace on, walk by the woman who looked down her nose at us, just to see the expression on her face. Kind of like the scene in the movie Pretty Woman, when she walks into the store and says: “Remember me. . . . Big mistake, BIG mistake.”