St. Maarten/St.Martin: August, 2006

Our second Eastern Caribbean port was St. Maarten, on the Dutch side of an island which is the smallest land mass shared by two countries. The story is that a Dutchman and Frenchman divided the island by standing back to back and then proceeding to walk around the island, drawing a boundary from where they started to where they finished. Similar to the tortoise and the hare, the Dutchman stopped for a drink while the Frenchman kept walking, so the French side ended up being larger.

Upon arriving in St. Maarten, we rented a car and drove toward St. Martin, the French side, where our first stop was the capitol, Marigot, a small city with lots of shops. My 15 year-old daughter Amy bought a lovely dress from one of the little stores for $20, and we were on our way back to the car when we stumbled upon the best place in Marigot, a little marina lined with sidewalk cafes. I insisted we take a break in the shade of a bistro canopy with a beautiful view, so of course the girls went to buy shoes, but I took a seat. Since a Caribe Beer was about the same price as a Coke, I decided the “Five O’Clock Somewhere” rule applied. I could have spent the entire afternoon there (or at least have made it past noon), but soon Amy had her new pair of lime green Converse hightops (a shade she had never seen in the U.S.), and we were back on the road.

The drive featured many scenic views of the beautiful turquoise water, white sand beaches and houses painted Easter egg colors. The French side is perhaps most famous for its nude beaches, but we decided to forego those and headed to Oyster Cove, where we found Mr. Busby’s Beach Bar & Grill. To me, this is what the Caribbean is all about, and Jimmy Buffet would be proud of you if you wasted away the entire day in this barefoot bar. We enjoyed a great lunch. The barbecued ribs I ordered were particularly good. With a big sign announcing Caribe Beers for just 75 cents between 11 AM and 4 PM, I had another with lunch.

Both Amy and I were fried from our previous day snorkeling on St. John, so we just enjoyed the ambiance, the view and a little reading, while Julie went snorkeling. She said it wasn’t great, but the water was turquoise and warm.

We didn’t make it into downtown Philipsburg, but those who did said its cobblestone streets were extremely clean and tidy, and the jewelry store deals could tempt someone to spend more than he expected but receive more than he imagined possible for the price.

Where have you always dreamed of going, and what will you do when you get there?