Daily Life in the U. S. Virgin Islands, Part 2

In the U. S. Virgin Islands, English is the official and most common language. You might hear a little French, Creole, or Spanish. English in the U. S. Virgin Islands is spoken fast with strong accent that makes some words hard to understand. Personally, I think the accents are fun, and I enjoy listening to them. Your ear will adjust so you can understand them more as time goes on. Incidentally, not everyone has the Caribbean lilt. Many have other distinct accents.

Postage from the mainland to and from the U. S. Virgin Islands are the same as on the mainland.

The phone service is the same as the mainland, with AT&T as the primary phone service supplier. The country code for the U.S. Virgin Islands is 340. Apparently, they do NOT have area codes? Making a local call from a public phone costs 35 cents per 5 minutes. If you want to bring your cellphone with you, be sure it is GSM capable. Then you'll be able to make and receive calls abroad, if you contact your service company and inform them of your travel plans. Of course, you can just rent cell phones if you prefer to avoid those terrible fees.

If you leave your laptop home, you can still read and send e-mail and check local sports scores. Internet cafe and locations have costs which vary considerably, but expect to spend $2-9 per hour. You can save some money by finding Internet access at the library or the hotels, malls, or airports. You can also connect to the Internet if you bring your own computer to the Islands. Many hotels provide in-room data ports for laptops, and a good number of hotels now have high-speed Ethernet access. Many hotels, airports, lobbies, and cafes are even T-Mobile Hot spots.

The U. S. Virgin Islands are in Atlantic Standard Time, which puts them an hour ahead of Eastern Standard. However, the U. S. Virgin Islands do not observe daylight savings time. So Atlantic Standard time and Eastern Standard time are the same during the summer months.

Expect most rainfall in the spring and summer in the form of mild sun showers. The limate is ideal, with perfect temperatures and rainfall. January averages run from 69-84. July temperatures are not so different, at 75-89. Rainfall averages just over 54 inches annually, with summer and spring as the rainy season. It's important to keep in mind that of all the types of natural disasters, hurricanes are the most predictable. You should have enough time to leave before a storm strikes. Still, it's a good idea to keep an eye on weather reports when planning a trip to the Caribbean during hurricane season. The U. S. Virgin Islands has perfect weather during winter, so most people go then, and prices reflect the increased tourism with increased prices. Off-season travel can save you a tremendous amount! The U. S. Virgin Islands have a stable climate thanks to trade-winds which keep them pleasant all year.

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