As a New England native, I realized soon after my arrival in St. Thomas, that the Caribbean has a lifestyle very different from that to which I have grown accustomed. Everyone is much more relaxed, much more friendly, much more helpful.
It's a bit of a culture shock for some white people, for the Caribbean is a majority of people who aren't white. Probably not a good vacation location for a person who prefers whites over everyone else. That being said, whites sometimes appear and are treated more often as tourists, and sometimes even as ignorant tourists.
St. Thomas is a major jewelry industry sales location. And sometimes the shrewd salespeople try to take advantage of the innocent travellers. Not all of them are sneaky, of course. There are crafty salespeople all over the world. The traveller must just remember to look around often. Browse the shops. And, certainly, never agree to the first offered price. There are some things in the Caribbean you cannot find anywhere else. And, often, the Caribbean is considerably less expensive!
And, the U. S. Virgin Islands also have no sales tax, so there is another savings. But there is a hotel tax and probably some others, but not on restaurants, liquor, or jewelry.
And, due to special laws, customs allowance in the U. S. Virgin Islands is far more than the amount allowed from the rest of the Caribbean! The U.S. allows its residents $1,600 worth of duty-free imports from the U. S. V. I. every 30 days. All purchases over it are taxed 5%. Gifts of $200 per day can be mailed from there, and are not considered part of your allowance. All goods made on the island are exempt from taxes, but you must show a certificate of origin if it's worth more than $25. Keep your receipts available to show the customs agents, just in case. Apparently some people offer false receipts, and may be working undercover for U.S. Customs.
To experience the U. S. Virgin Islands in person, go to my website: http://kingarthur.traverustravel.com/index.asp
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