Day Three: Sweet Sint Maarten/St Martin

I woke up this morning dreaming about St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  I was on the French side, in the turquoise waters of Orient Beach and letting the waves roll over me in dreamy rhythm.  Slowly, near imperceptibly, I realized that I was actually back in my own home laying in my own bed--or was I?  where am I!-- it would take a lot of convincing for me to not believe I was no longer at that beach.  Certainly I must have wrinkled the space/time continuum and stepped back into the past, it all felt so real.

St. Martin!  I forgot to write my blog post about St. Martin yesterday!  That is why I dreamed of you.

So my apologies for the fullness of yesterday.  I didn't even have a chance to think about it until I went to dream land!  Here's the low down on day three visiting the only island that is so lovely the French and the Dutch decided to share it instead of fighting over it.

When you arrive in Sint Maarten via crusie ship you're on the Dutch side (hence the double a spelling).  This is Phillipsburg, a town that caters to the cruisers.  We heard they had some good shopping so we checked out a strip of outdoor tourist souvenirs to pick mementos up for the kiddos.  Mr. Handsome picked up a straw hat and I tried out some lovely green chandelier earrings.  Necklaces for the girls, a dress for Miss Sunshine and a pirate swords and carved green turtle for the Baron and Professor.  Likely most of this stuff was all made in China as I highly doubt they've got any factories on this tiny isle, but still, it'll remind me of the islanders.  The ladies here all call you "Sweetie" They say, "Noh, Sweetie, I cannot lower my price on dat one.  Dat one is the Larimar."  So I left the $25. 00 larimar necklaces for the next tourist.  The women who worked at the tourist traps were so interesting and beautiful to look at that I wanted to take each and every one's portrait.


 


Did you know Mr. Handsome hates to shop?  It's true.  Practically breaks out in a rash.  He went and found a KFC to use the restroom instead.  I may not have taken a picture of the shop ladies, but I did snap a pic of the first KFC we saw in the Caribbean.

Once the girls had gathered enough treasures to appease the children back home the boys finally had their way and we hopped on a taxi for the north side of the island, Orient Beach.  Winding through the narrow roads we saw lots of colorful, dilapidated buildings.  Some abandoned mid construction. The people looked happy, though, and the children all wore bright yellow collar shirts. 

Should I mention that Orient Beach was of the European philosphy and au natural as they say?  Or should I leave that out?  Should I leave out that there was a store right there in the sand called "Adam and Eve Swimwear" and I deeply regret not taking a picture of it?  I think we'll leave that out.

Despite all that, and despite the crowds, the water was perfect.  Crystal clear and warm as a bathtub.  So blue that I didn't mind that you had to pay for a chair and for an umbrella and that local solicitors walked up and down the sands asking if you wanted to buy trinkets.  When we finally did buy something from this lady she paused, looked us in the eye and said, "I'm feeling da presence of da Lord's spirit right now. . . do you feel dat?"  I be feeling it alright sweetie, I be feeling it!

(I do be feelin it, sweetie, I do)

Did I mention that Steph and Tyler went Parasailing that day?  Cuz they wanted me to mention that for them.

 (And whose picture do we have here in the back of a local little restaurant on the French side of a small Caribbean island. . .whoa, its the President of my country, Mr. Barack Obama!)

 (some local food. . .yummy dirty rice).

And it didn't start to drizzle until we were getting back on the cruise ships.  Here we have Stephanie and Tyler holding hands as they stroll back on board.  I hear para-sailing is very romantic.

My only regret (aside from snapping a photo of the Adam and Eve store) was that there wasn't time to go see this on Maho beach.  Can you believe that!!?  You've got to be kidding me sweetie. We'll have to go back, right!?!