We deplaned the old fashioned way on a rolling stairway and walked across the tarmac to a small building where we quickly passed through customs but then had to wait quite a while for both of our bags. Then it was off to get our tiny KIA car from Thrifty and we headed out to find our way via mostly unmarked streets to find the Divi Little Bay Resort. We had just arrived at the outdoor (but covered) reception area when the skies opened up and the warm rain poured down for ten or fifteen minutes. By the time the skies cleared, the two bellmen were nowhere to be found so we trudged our bags down to the end of the peninsula to our first floor one-bedroom condo. Our view was across the bay to the city of Phillipsburg and the area where up to three cruise ships would dock.
Sunday, we walked into town to check out the Carnival which brings groups representing various islands into town to dance through the streets to the rhythms of bands that preceded them on tractor trailer rigs. After several hours of dancing, they finished up going down the one-way, one-lane Front Street as the music played from concert style speakers and reverberated off the buildings that line the street. Let's just say that most island women have no body-issue concerns and anorexia isn't a cultural problem. It was quite an experience and when the music began to ring in our heads a little too much, we headed over to boardwalk for some barbecued ribs and either beers or rum drinks.
Tuesday, we drove around the island - two countries, no border control - as we enjoyed scenic outlooks over beautiful turquoise shaded waters. We stopped at Orient Beach, a long crescent shaped beach, for a few hours of sunning and lunch. We avoided the far end of the beach which houses a 'naturalist' resort and paid our $14 for two beach chairs, an umbrella, and two drinks. Being on the French side, there were a few topless women including two who sat beside Carolyn which meant I never looked at Carolyn when I talked to her! After a good lunch, we continued our roundtrip.
Wednesday started off a lot cloudier than the previous days, but we headed out for a half day catamaran snorkeling trip on the Golden Eagle IV. After being the lone passengers boarding at Bobby's Marina, we picked up a full compliment of passengers from the three cruise ships docked in the harbor. Meanwhile, we made friends with two of the crew members, Kars, a tall, curly haired blond from Amsterdam spending six months working after finishing high school, and Billy, a Scottish lad from the Borders south of Glasgow who was spending a month trying to figure out his next move which was probably the Navy. The snorkeling was OK off a tiny island, but as we walked along the beach a boat from the 'naturalist' resort arrived with a group of unclothed passengers. Let me assure you, none of these people were models, and we cut short our stroll along the shore. On the way back from the island, it began to rain rather heavily. Our seats along with quite a few others was not covered so we got fairly soaked!
The following day we tried another type of boat - a 12 meter. I was a backstay grinder and Carolyn was a winch wench as we sailed aboard US 56 against a Canadian boat in a short race. We were beaten to the starting line but after rounding the second mark we had taken a one boat length lead. However, by the time we closed in on the finish line, a slight wind shift required us to go to the far side of the finish line and we lost by about a boat length. As we cruised back into the harbor, they let me take the helm. I wished for a little more wind than we had, but it was a good experience and a good workout. I can't imagine how exhausting a four or five hour actual race would be.
Our final full day on St. Maarten, we headed around the island again, stopping at the French capital of Marigot where we wandered through the marketplace and purchased a memory water color, and then drove to the ferry for Penel Island. Penel can only be reached by boat and has two competing beach managers and two restaurants. We perched on the Yellow beach, but Carolyn soon shifted 15 feet to the Blue beach at whose restaurant we ate. Carolyn had a huge barbecued lobster while I tried the pork ribs. At four, we took the final ferry back to our car and headed home to Divi.
Saturday, we had to pack it up and fly out, however, a baggage handler decided to drive his baggage ramp under the right engine and wedged it under the engine cowling. We ended up sitting on the plane for four and half hours (at least we had AC and a movie) while we waited for a replacement plane to be flown in from Puerto Rico. By the time we got to Atlanta and passed through customs, we had missed our connecting flight by several hours so Delta put us up at the 'glorious' Holiday Inn North. Since we had only had crackers and cheese since noon, we were fairly hungry and the only place open at 1:00 am was the Waffle House. Evidently, a Southern staple, it comes across as a low rent IHOP which would not receive an "A" from any Health Dept., but we were hungry. To bed around 2 am and up at 6 am, it was back to the airport and then on to LA.
Other than the plane problems, we had a great, relaxing trip with beautiful beaches, fun activities and good food.
1 comment:
Would that be Goldfeathers?
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