We’ve all heard the old saying, “You get what you pay for”. There are times when I feel like my purpose in life is to repeatedly discover the truth in that saying. On Cyber Monday of 2022, I watched several travel-related sites for good deals. I came away with reservations for 8 nights at a well-reviewed hotel on the island of St. Thomas (part of the United States Virgin Islands), for only $100 per night. When I checked in this afternoon, I quickly realized why it’s only $100 per night. Now, there’s nothing truly WRONG with the place; it’s just that I didn’t realize it would be such a “no frills” experience. There was a time in my life when I gladly accepted the no-frills option, because saving money was my biggest priority. Now is not that time. So, what is it that I dislike about these lodgings? Well, first, I’m using the touchpad (which I hate) on my laptop because there’s no table or desk to set the mouse on. The closest thing to a table top is the top of the dresser, but that’s clear on the opposite side of the room from the only reachable electrical outlet. Secondly, there’s NO GLASS in the windows. There are screens and there are large metal slats that work as blinds, but there is no stopping the night air (and night noises) from coming in. And overall, the room just seems cramped – especially after unpacking all my stuff.

It was late afternoon when I got done checking in, so I went out to snap a few photos of the nearby Fort Christian. This fort is the oldest structure in the US Virgin Islands, having been built in 1678. Unfortunately, it was the wrong time of day to photograph the old beast. Light and shadows were not making their best effort. But take a look at Fort Christian anyway:

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In my initial meanderings I quickly realized that, like Grand Cayman, St. Thomas has a large population of feral chickens. So, off I went to KFC! Just kidding. I walked by KFC in my search for a good dinner. I ended up at a place called Greenhouse. Now I’ve gotta tell ya, I’ve had a lot of pulled pork in a lot of places, but their pulled pork sliders were the best pulled pork sammiches I’ve ever had! I think it was largely due to the bread, which seemed to be exceptionally buttery. I washed those down with a banana daiquiri, which unfortunately tasted much more like rum than like banana.

With food in my belly, it was time to return to the hotel, to find out what else I don’t like about the place. Now it’s the TV, which appears to be no bigger than my laptop screen. Of course, size doesn’t matter when you can’t get the stupid thing to work at all. Finally, it’s time for bed, though I’m concerned that outside noises will keep me awake all night since I can’t close the windows. I got to sleep with little trouble, but…did I mention the chickens? Lots of chickens, scattered all over the joint. One of which, a rooster, apparently has his own little territory staked out just below my window. And he’s malfunctioning. I was awakened by a hearty “Cock-a-doodle-doo” and assumed it must be about dawn. Then I looked at the clock. It was a quarter ’til midnight! And the little pecker did this two or three more times during the night. So, my sleep was less than satisfactory. Hmmmm…how might that affect Day 2 of my trip???