Thursday, November 19, 2009

St Thomas USVI - Cost-U-Less & Home Depot

This morning we went to Home Depot and Cost-U-Less... but first a bit about yesterday's water run.

We went to the Yacht Haven Grande marina in Long Bay, St. Thomas, USVI to fill two jerrycans of water. They are the blue 5-gallon ones (6 gallons if you fill tiptop). The guy at the dock was very nice. He told us that water was 20 cents/gallon and that we had two 6-gallon jugs.  He asked if we wanted a receipt and we told him it wasn't necessary. He then used a calculator to figure that 12 gallons at $0.20 = $3.60.  I had $2.50 out and then gave him $3.75 instead.  I was a bit confused but didn't want to make a scene... I don't think he did it on purpose. He probably charged us for 3 jerrycans or entered 30 cents instead of 20.  Next time I'll ask for a receipt.

This morning, DPNR asked us to move.  They didn't ask the boats in front of us so we moved up with them.  The DPNR officers seemed surprised that we didn't make a fuss... we said OK no problem... He said you must move immediately... OK.  He hesitated and then told us Thank you for your cooperation and have a good day.

So, after sorting that out, we hung up the rest of the clothes to dry and then dinghied into the Coast Guard dock near the green Legislature building. We crossed the street to catch the bus and dropped off a small bag of trash into one of the three small garbage cans they have there at the corner of Vendors Plaza and the Fire Station where the traffic lights are.

We caught the VITran Bovoni bus and he dropped us off in front of Home Depot's parking lot (we didn't have to walk up the hill).  It only cost $1 (exact change for the machine) each, while the safari/dollar bus is $2.

Home Depot was a bit of a disappointment. You can tell as we only spent $17 there :)

Cost-U-Less... No tortillas? darn! Didn't see the guacamole either. We bought one of their roasted chickens ($5.99) for lunch and now have some nice leftovers.  Buffy thought it was pretty tasty, too! Coca-Cola products were a bit cheaper there at $4.39 a 12-pack but it is easier for us to walk over to the Long Bay K-Mart and pay $4.99. Good price on potato chips (same as St. Maarten Cost-U-Less).  The corn chip strips they have at this store are good ($4.95?) but really bulky to carry on the bus unless you scrunch them down in your bag :) Price on an 8-pack box of S&W corn was good ($6.95?) so got one. Bought the box of Crystal Light which is cheaper than the tube.  Only place we've ever seen it is at Cost-U-Less. We might get a blue water jerrycan from them for about $12 which is much better than the marine stores. They didn't really have anything super special though :(

Maybe we'll go up to Tutu (hopefully on a ViTran bus as I'm cheap) and check out the big K-Mart and see what Plaza Extra has for food shopping. We've been told that they are less expensive than Pueblo.  The thing about Pueblo is that they are closer and easy to get to by dinghy.