Zaandam Holiday Voyage, Cruz Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands...

This was our first port since the Grand South America voyage as we are now on the Zaandam Holiday Voyage. It was dark when I went out to get sail in photos but was able to capture the ominous clouds and a few good photos... The tenders were delayed due to the lack of a pilot but we still were on shore via the first tender. The stunning island of St. John in the US Virgin St. John is the smallest of the 3 U.S. Virgin Islands, which are located in the Caribbean Sea. Virgin Islands National Park occupies more than half the island. It is known for its picture-perfect beaches with crystal blue water and white sandy beaches. In 2017 two hurricanes, Irma and Maria, made landfall on the island and caused significant damage. On our walk today the effects of these storms are still evident, and many buildings are under repair. The settlement on the island is small, there is no shortage of bars and restaurants where you can enjoy the Caribbean way of life. We went right out of the tender pier and walk down along the waterfront from Cruz Bay passing a number of resorts and the cemetery to a point overlooking Franks Bay and we turned around heading back towards town. Next, we walked to Mongoose Junction, a shopping and restaurant complex however, very few places were open, so we decided to head back to the ship. The rest of the day was spent on the back deck before the rain showers drove me inside.  I worked on photos for a bit, looked out and saw the sun was out again so off I went…  Finally, was chased away for good by a big, black ominous cloud blocking my sun…  All for the best, have to get the blog done!