Friends, Food and "8 Tuff Miles"

A picture of me because I realized that there aren't many posted yet and I like this one.


This is Sam, a good friend of Thor's and now a friend of mine.  A pretty incredible guy, ladies, if anyone is interested :-)!  I figured I should show you who he is, since I've mentioned him a few times. . . . And to the right is the huge crab we saw coming back home after a night out.  It was crossing the road and Sam stopped to pick him up so we could get a closer view. . . . He wasn't too impressed (the crab, that is).

So onto the food discussion: anyone who knows me knows how much I loves to eat.  And that's putting it mildly.  Especially when I'm traveling, it is hugely important to me to try any and all local fare.  Now, in St. John, food is very, very expensive.  For instance, the yummy ribs that Thor is sitting next to (Thursday nights at Big Belly Deli in Coral Bay, every week) cost $32.00 for two heaping plates and four sides, not including rum and coconut water (this is a fine drink, BTW).  A burger is $10-$15.  A box of Triscuits at the least expensive store on the island?  $5.95.  Ben and Jerry's (I learned about this accidentally on a late-night buzzed-out purchase) $8.99!! Ouch.  You have to wait to satisfy cravings until they can no longer be ignored and you shop very, very frugally.  Eating out is a treat. That being said, the portions at restaurants tend to be enormous; good for sharing and saving. But we try to eat at home as often as possible; mostly veggie curries and the occasional piece of chicken or fish, lots of rice and plenty of greens.  However, I've taken it upon myself to try some different delicious treats that are indigenous or infamous on the island and I'll detail some of them here.

Kalulla-- an African stew made from Okra, greens, spicy beans and crispy fried fish.  Bought for $6.00 at a street vendor.  Spicy, hot and delicious.

To the right is a box of incredible chicken parillada, or BBQ'd chicken, from Miss Candi's in Cruz Bay.  The women who own it are from the Dominican Republic and serve this crispy, sweet 

with a hot and tangy sauce called "DiComeback" sauce.  I got to practice my spanish with them and then brought back more than half of the meal, which we ate for dinner that night over, you guessed it, more rice!  Note the ubiquitous Presidente beer in the pic.  It is l

ight, easy to drink and cheap, cheap, cheap.  Also from the Dominican Republic. 

This is Miss Lucy's, a fine spot for Jazz Brunch on Sundays.  The view from the tables is insane-- can you believe it?  We went for brunch, met a very cool couple from Boston and lounged for hours at the table and explored the beach nearby.  Pure joy.

Ok. Lastly: on Saturday at 7:15 am sharp, I'm committing suicide. Not by any traditional means, mind you.  Instead, I intend to run/walk the 8 mile road (called "The Centerline") from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay up huge inclines and downgrades with 899 other people, all in the name of journalism. And sustainability.  The race is in its 13th year and draws more people, from all over the world, every year.  Bands play along the way and people line the road to cheer the runners on.  It is a huge event that generates a ton of business, over 40% of which, not including the money that goes to t-shirts, water, etc. for participants, is returned directly back to the St. John community in various ways.  That's real sustainable tourism.

 Though I'm certainly not in shape enough to run the whole thing , I am, as always, up for the challenge.  My goal is to plain old finish the race, standing up.  I'm sure there will be many disturbingly hilarious pictures to post and a grueling adventure to detail.  Can't wait!

Peep the race at www.8tuffmiles.com

Wish me luck!

I'll keep you posted. . . .