Vacation in St. Martin
Or, as the islanders say, Sint Maarten. Some of you may have wondered why the Dry Doc hasn’t made a post the past two weeks, well, even I need a vacation on occasion. One of the interesting things I noticed while on this island paradise is the attitude of the native people. They are nothing short of fantastic. Some of the most friendly people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. And why not! Everyday is beautiful in paradise. The days were sunny and in the 80’s. Not too humid. The nights were clear and in the upper 70’s. The sound of the ocean in the evening is intoxicating. The waves crashing against the sandy shore. The rum punch was addicting. I swear, I didn’t have any before the noon hour, I think! How good was the food? The pizza was a little weak, but the seafood was to die for. Expensive? Yes! Bargains? Some, especially the rum. Just one thing, the locals are on what’s referred to as “Island Time”. If you are in a hurry for anything, you’ll be constantly frustrated. On this island, as with many others, things move at a much slower pace. If someone tells you ten minutes, count on twenty minutes. I adjusted very quickly, after all, I was on vacation. What’s da hurry mon? You on iland time now, mon! There was music playing somewhere every night of the week. Mostly island music, but I did go to a quaint little piano bar one night. This guy from the U.K. was buying me shots of Tequila. Duh! And there was this little bar on the beach a couple blocks down from where I was staying that had a bonafide “Rock-n-Roll” band one night. Phillipsburg, (a main tourist town on the Dutch side of the island) was the place to go for any jewelry deals. On the French side, oh yes, there’s Orient Beach! Everybody was sunning themselves commando style! One of those 1000 places to see before you die! Snorkeling on Pinel Island was O.K. Not the best, but for a novice like me, O.K. Ocean kayaking was a blast but, oh my aching back! Ummmm, rum punch!
That’s it folks! Whether you go on a cruise and visit the island for just a day, or you decide to go for a weeks stay, just go if you can. You’ll have the time of your life!
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