September 26, 2006
Pirate tales abound in the Virgin Islands
By Bob Schulman
In 1493, on his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus spotted a group of
Caribbean islands that were so pristine he named them "Las Virgenes" - after the legendary 11,000 virgin handmaidens of St. Ursula. Today, they're known as the U.S. Virgin Islands, having been a
U.S. territory since we bought them from
Denmark in 1917 to bolster our U-boat defenses during World War I.
Located about 1,100 miles southeast of Miami, the U.S. Virgins consist of three main islands named St.Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, plus 50 or so mostly uninhabited mini-islands or cays. The latter islands probably look much like they did when Columbus first saw them.
Ironically, a few centuries later these gorgeous spots became a haven for the Caribbean's most murderous pirates - brigands of the likes of Bluebeard, Blackbeard, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Morgan and Captain Kidd.
The legacy of the scofflaws' heyday of the 1600s and 1700s can be seen around the islands today at beaches and coves named after their adventures and in the names of hotels, bars and restaurants. For example, you can tee off on a championship golf course at the Buccaneer Resort on St. Croix. You can chow down at "Morgan's Mango" on St. John. You can take a "Pirate Cruise" around the bay of St. Thomas. And you can finish off the day with a wickedly potent "Swashbuckler" cocktail.
Swim with the pirates
Two of the most popular tourist sites on St. Thomas are the stone, tower-like castles of Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, and of Giles de Rais, called Bluebeard. Perched on hilltops overlooking the harbor, both castles have been converted to hotel-restaurants complete with bars and swimming pools.
At Blackbeard's, you'll hear stories of how local governors gave him safe harbor in return for a split of his loot. Other tales are about the 14 wives he was supposed to have had - all at the same time. Why so many? Because they didn't last too long. His favorite after-dinner entertainment, it's said, was to encourage the ladies to dance by firing his pistol at their feet. And he had a terrible aim.
Bluebeard - presumably a better shot - settled for a mere eight wives. His prize catch was island socialite Mary Mercedita, who wasn't aware that she was sharing his favors. One day, while hubby was off plundering, she opened his trunk and found papers revealing that she had seven co-wives. That would never do, especially for a socialite. So she got rid of the others, permanently, by inviting them to tea - laced with poison.
The story has a happy ending, however. As Mary was about to be burned at the stake for the murders, Bluebeard showed up and rescued her. They sailed away, never to be seen again on St. Thomas.
Yo ho's and rum
Legend has it Bluebeard later on showed up (without Mary) on an island today called Dead Chest in the nearby British Virgin Islands. Here, after his men buried a big load of treasure, he is supposed to have marooned them with only a sword and some booze. Hence, the song, "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."
St. Thomas and St. Croix deal with a different kind of booty these days: duty-free shopping bargains. Wall-to-wall shops lining their cobbled lanes offer a breathtaking array of everything from Swiss watches to exotic liquors. Best buys include top-name perfumes, designer clothes and hand bags, cameras, jewelry, china and fine crystal - at prices way below what you'd pay back home.
You can bring back $1,200 worth of purchases per person without having to pay U.S. customs taxes.
Footnote: Legend has it that St. Ursula was a British princess who died on a trip to Europe along with her 11,000 virgin handmaidens. Historians differ on just about all the details of the trip - including where they were going, and why - except that it was supposed to have taken place in 383.
Getting there: Nonstop flights to St. Thomas are scheduled from several U.S. gateways including Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, New York, San Juan, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale. Nonstop flights serve St. Croix from Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami and San Juan. Commuter flights carry passengers between St. Thomas and St. Croix, as do hydrofoils (a 90-minute trip). Visitors to St. John can take a short ferry ride from St. Thomas.
Staying there: The three main islands offer some 100 lodging spots with tourist-class accommodations, including two dozen large resort hotels. All told, they offer over 3,200 rooms, the bulk of which are on St. Thomas. Prices vary by season.
More information: Among good web sites are www.usvitourism.vi (the official site of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism) and www.usvi.net
The tourism department's toll-free phone number is 1-(800)-372-8784.
Bob Schulman is a freelance writer based in Denver. He is a member of the Mexico Writers Alliance and the Society of American Travel Writers.
