I have just come back from a 7 day cruise to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Antigua and Tortola and can’t wait to tell about a fascinating new attraction on St. Thomas: the World Amber Museum which only opened on 16th February 2009.
To find it, head for Blackbeard’s Castle in the center of downtown and start climbing the 99 steps. At the first section you come across the signs for the amber museum but it takes a bit of twisting and turning and a few wrong steps before you discover the entrance. It’s in fact a replica of a tropical rain forest which generates the light green amber of the Caribbean. The modest fee of $2 is paid to a guy called Michael who runs a cafe at the bottom of the stairs and will happily point you in the right direction.
The museum is divided into two parts: exhibits and history of amber in the Caribbean as well as the Baltic Sea and a retail section.
Madelaine, a charming St. Thomasian answers all questions with a lot of knowledge and will also tell you about the “Udder Delight” a dairy farm which makes the best milk shakes, laced with any kind of spirit you might fancy.
A 16 feet high waterfall made of amber pebbles is just about breathtaking as are the many artifacts and pieces of jewelery which are exhibited. The museum is only a few months old, which means that mostly insiders know about it and therefore it’s not yet overrun with tourists, so you can enjoy a peaceful visit and, as has happened to me, a private tour. An absolute must see on St. Thomas.
Inka is German and used to be an international attorney with offices in London and Spain. Retired two years ago because I wanted to be a traveler and writer and now live between Didim/Turkey and Miami with plenty of travel in between. Next destinations: Istanbul, New York and Petra/Jordan. Inka’s first novel has just been published and can be found here
Inka,
You’re everywhere. I thought I’d seen your writing somewhere before. Keep up the great work. I’m the Camera Talk guy here, Ryukyu Mike at Matador and just plain confused at Trazzler !
Cheers,
Mike
Yes, our paths seem to cross. Loved your recent pictures of the butterflies. Ties in with my blog here about the butterfly farm in St. Thomas. Perhaps, one day, we can do an article together. Who knows?
Best
Inka