Field Trips

While in St. John, Annie takes Zoe and me over to Maho Eco-lodge and artist colony to tour the pottery and glass studios. It’s fascinating to watch one of the glass blowers create a delicate glass angel fish in 15 minutes. In an island that recycles only aluminum cans, the studio’s commitment to recycling is impressive. The cooking oil that powers the furnace, the plain glass used in glassblowing and used to decorate concrete sinks and tables is all recycled. We spend sometime in the pottery studio watching several people work on pots and vases. Sadly, the operation has lost their lease and the property been purchased by an individual who plans to build a single family residence on the 32-acres. The glassblowers and potters are searching for a new venue for their studios.

Zoe is studying the history of the Americas, so we tour the Annaberg Sugar Plantation, part of the National Park system. One of the Bob and Annie’s friends is a docent that day and he explains the layout and process of production raw sugar crystals from cane. Luckily, the bake house is open, so we sample traditional “dumb” bread and passion fruit punch. The bread is similar to a scone and baked in a Dutch-oven over a concrete, charcoal stove. Miss Olivia, a local woman prepares the food. She is no nonsense and does not sugar coat the difficult conditions under which the slaves labored. After touring the rest of the ruins, we end with the garden. There another local, James, offers samples of cane and coconut. He shows us the native and tropical plants growing in the garden and when JT asks where one can buy a sugarcane plant he generously offers him a shoot and a plant to take home. For now, we’ve left Grandpa and Grandma Annie in charge of them.

For some insight to St. John’s present day agriculture, we visit Josephine’s. She has started an organic greens farm on St. John and supplies many local restaurants. A few nights we enjoy some of these mixed greens and they are so fresh they inspire me to look into the possibility of deck garden for greens when we return to Tahoe.

Another day, we hike the Reef Trail to see some petroglyphs. Their provenance remains unclear. Some experts believe they are pre-Columbian, carved by the Taino Indians, while others think slaves may have carved them. Apparently, some of the symbols resemble those found in Ghana, where most of the slaves came from. The petroglyphs are alongside a tranquil fresh-water pool and while there, JT spots a couple of deer in the forest.  Along the steep, rocky trail we see a huge golden orb spider and several large hermit crabs.  A taste of St. John history and a peek at some its present day-industries have given us an even greater appreciation for life on the islands.