St. Eustatius

[Kristie]

Has anyone been there?

I'll be living there for about 3 months this summer (research for my master's thesis) and I have a lot of questions, but I think I've exhausted all the information that the internet has to offer. So, I thought I'd see if any interferencers can help me out.

...I'll hold off on rattling off questions until I know if there's even anyone around here to ask.



and, since I know a lot of you probably have never heard of the place, it's part of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean, located sort of near St. Martin and Saba.
There are worse places to do research

 

[Angela Harlem]

i volunteer to help you by accompanying you on this trip to ensure it is suitable. no, really. it's the least i can do...for a complete stranger!

so when are we leaving?

 

[Kristie]

End of May!
But you'll have to get your own room.

Come on, nobody's been there? Or knows someone who's been there? Or is from the Netherlands and maybe knows anything at all about it?
I'm starting to feel like I'm the only person in the world who has ever visited this place...

 

[Popmartijn]

I am from the Netherlands, but I have to say that I know near nothing about it. It's part of the Kingdom that's kinda far away. And I think it's tiny too! Even when compared to Dutchieland itself (or Curacao, Aruba or Bonaire, the other 3 Antilles apart from the ones you listed).

But have fun!

One question though, why St. Eustatius?

 

[Kristie]

Yes, it's teeeny tiny, about 10 square miles.

I'm going there because I would like to be an underwater archaeologist - St. Eustatius was the busiest port in the Caribbean in the late 1700s, which means there are hundreds of wrecks around it. This summer I'll be there to help them start survey and investigation of what exactly is there so they can better manage the sites - develop some sites for divers, mark others as off-limits, stuff like that.

That's basically what I want to do with myself, and I figured since I have to go somewhere to do my thesis I might as well go somewhere nice

 

[Angela Harlem]

that is awesome. sounds fascinating. coicidentally my new globe has the caribbean sea pointing right at me

 

[anitram]

I know somebody who was on Saba, doing med school there, but he's back in the US now doing his residency.

 

[UberBeaver]

I'm going there because I would like to be an underwater archaeologist.

That has to be the coolest job I have ever heard of.

 

[Kristie]

I think so too!

Anyone can be an archaeologist, though. Lots of states have amateur groups that anyone can join and they will excavate sites.
If you're not that hard core most sites are open to the public these days, because we're trying to get archaeology to be more publicly accessible. If you see some people digging square holes go ask them what they're doing. They should be happy to show you around!

and thus concludes my public outreach moment of the day