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I'm posting this message here because there seem to be more St. Croix people on this board. I'm puzzled about our experience when we tried to see the beer drinking pigs out at the rain forest. We were looking forward to this after so many people have mentioned how funny it is to see them. We drove out to see the sites of F'sted and the west end, really enjoying the day, and wanted to go see the pigs while my parents were visiting for a week with us. (We were there 2 weeks and they flew in the third week.) They lived on St Croix 30 years ago and were really enjoying revisiting all their favorite places, but the pigs were something new and we were looking forward to their antics and getting the Mamma Wanna drinks everyone always talks about!
My dad was 78 at the time and having some trouble getting around(hip problems), but young at heart and determined to see all the sights-- after a busy morning of sight seeing he was in obvious pain, but determined we would get to see those pigs! We parked and went up to where a man was sitting. When my husband smiled and said that we four had come for a tour, the man remained sitting,looked us over and just shook his head mumbling" No tour today". We asked him (politely) "Oh, is it not open today?" and he responded "No" and turned his head. Nothing to do but get back in the car. Since we were leaving the next day we didn't get to go back.
I'm wondering if anyone else has been turned away? Are they only open on certain days? I want to visit them when we go back in December,but want to make sure of the right times.
Having lived there years ago I realize a few of the island people can come across as alittle 'surly'-- when they probably don't mean a thing by it! I hated that it happened when my dad was there because he gets such a kick out of people and made many friends with native islanders when we lived there. He encouraged and helped several of the men working for him and several got good jobs at Hess(Hovensa) and stateside and were able to help their families back in the islands. Last year two men who he helped showed up unexpectedly at my parents home in Texas to visit. My dad was thrilled!
I'm wondering if when we went to the Domino Club they'd had so many tourists coming through, especially with all the Danish visitors, that the man saw just 4 people and thought it wasn't worth it. Or maybe we just caught the guy on a bad day! Please don't think I'm Island bashing--- we had a WONDERFUL time!! My husband and I have already visited again and plan to go back this December. Does anyone have any thoughts on what might have happened that we were turned away--- or suggestions on the best time for us to try again? We feel like Domino Club Rejects! 🙂
Posted : July 25, 2005 6:37 am
Hello Paula,
Disappointing. 🙁
There isn't a tour, that I am aware of. You go to the bar and say you want to see the pigs, pay the fee and buy the non-alcoholic cans of beer for the pigs and then they tell you to go ahead. You walk to the gate for the pen and there are a couple stalls and you hold the can for the pig to take from your hand. Sometimes you have to knock on their stall gate to get their attention. The pig takes the can, crushes it and drinks some, some spills and then it drops the can. Then you go back to the bar to have drinks if you want. I found the atmosphere a little weird. There was a guy sitting at the bar that said we couldn't go unless we drank a shot. And the owner was behind the bar, a woman. So we had the drink and then went to see the pigs.
I don't know their hours of operation for the pigs. I do remember going once and it was closed but there was a sign.
--Islander
Posted : July 25, 2005 4:20 pm
Topic starter
Ok-- thanks for the information Islander! I guess we hit it on a day the bar was closed or something. We'll try again in December. I've heard too much about it now to not see those pigs!:)
Posted : July 25, 2005 6:15 pm
paula-
be sure to go before 3 p.m. if the pigs have had too many visitors in one day, norma will cut the pigs off. it's better to show up around noon time. norma is great (the local woman behind the bar that runs the place). i don't know who the guy is you were talking to. like islander said, just go up to the bar and ask norma for some beer to feed the pigs. you'll have a good memory. have fun!!!
-adam
Posted : July 25, 2005 6:37 pm
Thanks Adam--- maybe we were there after 3, can't remember for sure, but we'd done alot of things that morning so maybe it was past beer drinkin' time! I'll be sure to try again in Dec.
Posted : July 25, 2005 11:55 pm
