Docks

Last night was one of cool breezes – if it stays like this I won’t need the fan. On the way to the office this morning, it was nice to drive through the back streets of town. Some of those old buildings are being renovated by Americans. It always take a fresh set of eyes to appreciate something that has been around forever.

Today at lunchtime I went by the new cruise ship docks with my parents. It’s funny, but both cruise ship docks are owned and operated by the government, but different branches. So the government is competing with itself. At first it seemed strange, but it may actually be a good idea. The new one still has some empty storefronts and it’s sort of strange to have the cruise ship dock next to such industrial buildings, but my Mom told me that’s how the other cruise ship dock used to be back in the day. Still, I was surprised by how ramshackle the building across the street is. It must be owned by yet another branch of the government.


Besides that, we picked up one of my mother’s cousins at the airport and drove her and her husband to the ferry at Red Hook. They are staying on St. John for a few days. They’ve never been here before, and I can’t imagine just leaving them to navigate their way across the island when we can drive them. My parents can’t imagine it either, so we had a nice drive with them, stopping to see the view along the way, giving them a bit of a tour.


I got to see the new dock at Red Hook. It’s very nice, very modern. It even has bathrooms and benches to sit on while you’re waiting for the ferry. Looking at the old dock, which is somehow still standing (though it did collapse once when I was in high school), I couldn’t believe how rickety it looks. Part of me is nostalgic for those old days, but a bigger and growing part of me is glad for the progress. I’m not one of those automatic fans of change, but we really needed it. The new facility is nice.


May I say, though, I how I love that we still have the same little kiss-me-ass ticket booth shanties we've had as long as I can remember? They tell me it's temporary.


Oh yeah, and in case one does want to accuse me of favoring progress for its own sake, here is the old ferry dock:

Doesn't it look like it's about to collapse? Yeah, trick question - it did collapse when I was in high school. They did a quick fix on it, knowing that they would have to build a new one. Sixteen years later, they finally have.