Tire-d of Paradise 2

St. John, US Virgin Islands

During my second annual Caribbean photo adventure, I discovered perhaps the most photogenic palm tree on Earth. Mid-day light cast a strong shadow on the water. I walked through a narrow gap between two gates and walked down a long hill to get to this ‘private’ beach. Legal policy in the Virgin Islands was explained to me by a local, who said “the beaches in the islands belong to God, and in his hands they shall remain. Therefore, people cannot block access to any beach, even in front of their own house”. The tourists on the island had not figured this out, and I had a few hours on this beach all to myself. Also see the standard horizontal version of this photo.