The lovely island of St. Maarten - St. Martin is well known for its dual
personality....one side of the island is owned by the Dutch and the
other by the French. Two governments, two police forces, two economies.
Only the landscape is shared. Tourists move freely between the two
areas, perhaps crossing the border several times in one day of sightseeing.
We were booked on a tour with Bernard's Tours....after gathering in
Bolero's for Carol's roll call, we departed the ship and were met by one
huge motor coach driven by Junior with Bernard as our friendly tour
guide. We were a group of about 50 and were taken on an informative
sightseeing tour of the first the Dutch side from Phillipsburg, with
stops for photos at scenic lookouts. Our first rest stop was made at
Rima, a large souvenir store with good prices. Then on with the tour and
a stop for lunch at Marigot. Our little party of 5 decided to eat at Le
Bistro de La Mer which rewarded us with a magnificent meal of 'chowder'
with a whole lobster, Caribbean crab, mussels and Mahi-Mahi. As the meal
progressed and the pile of shells and 'carcasses' on our table grew, we
attracted attention from many patrons passing by our table. Washed down
with a good bottle of wine, this was indeed a great meal and a good
memory of our day in lovely St. Maarten.
Our tour continued with a stop at Orient Beach on the French side. This
area is very well known for not only it's beautiful shoreline but its
carefree patrons......half of Orient Beach is clothing optional.
Although none of our party chose to partake of the opportunity to rid
oneself of tan lines, some of us walked the beach to get our feet wet in
the warm Caribbean waters and to perhaps steal a glance at one of Orient
Beach's resident characters. He is known by the locals as simply "OMG".
You can figure the rest out yourself ;)
Back to the ship with one last stop for my favourite local beverage,
the Guavaberry Colada , from Baker's on the pier.
After a shower and a stop in the Dragon's Lair for a quick beverage, we
were off to the dining room for good food and good company. The evening
show was by Bobby Arvon, who wrote the theme song for the TV show "Happy
Days". A consummate entertainer, he put on a great show of stories,
songs and impressions and left to a standing ovation.
Off to bed after a frustrating session in the Online cafe attempting to
work with the ship's painfully slow Internet connection. Tomorrow: St.
Kitt's
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