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the cold weather out west, I figured that I would spend the winter island hopping in the Caribbean and perhaps
even continue on to South America if time permits and I am still up for it.
I awoke early at my hotel in Ft. Lauderdale to catch my flight to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, via San Juan,
Puerto Rico. At the Ft. Lauderdale airport I was informed that I was required to book a return flight. My travel
agent didn’t make me aware of this condition. Foreign countries want to make sure that supposed tourists will
eventually leave and not try to illegally immigrate. The transfer in San Juan was seamless. I had a little trouble
with Immigrations in Tortola. My travel agent also didn’t inform me that I had to have confirmed
accommodations. They let me slide. At the airport, I booked a room for two nights at Sebastian’s Hotel/Villas
at Apple Bay. Apple Bay is known for its surfing. After checking in, I took a nap. This evening I went to Quito’
s in Cane Garden Bay for dinner and night life. The food was surprisingly good for a place that is primarily a night
club. After dinner I went to the bar for a drink, a Chilean Cabernet. I didn’t enjoy it – Cabernet is not my
favorite type of wine. I caught a cab back, time to sleep.
Friday, December 19: Awoke in Apple Bay, Tortola. I had breakfast at Sebastian’s Restaurant on their
balcony overlooking the beach. The banana pancakes were very good. I decided to walk to the neighboring
town of Long Bay Point after taking some photos of the surfers and one short video. Between each of the bays
on this part of the island is a rock outcropping. So, you must walk up then down along the coastal road to get to
the next beach. Once at Long Bay Point, I walked through this quiet town that caters to tourists. At the far end
of town I walked onto the beach for the return trip. I stopped halfway down the beach when I saw an empty
lounge chair. I relaxed and caught some rays for a while. For most of the time lying there I enjoyed total
solitude; the warm Caribbean sun, the sound of the palm trees blowing in the wind and the rhythmic crashing of
the gentle waves. Once reinvigorated, I finished my walk back. I decided to go for a swim in the warm, clear
blue waters. While hanging out in the water, I could watch the surfers approximately 100 feet away. From there
I rinsed off, then sat in the shade reading my book, “The Gift of the Jews.” An excellent book about how the
biblical Jews changed the very way pretty much everyone in the world thinks today. I got carried away reading
and didn’t put it down until I finished it around 9pm. This made for a late dinner at Sebastian’s. After I went
back to Quito’s, since they were having a local band that was recommended. There was a pretty good, diverse
crowd. After a couple hours and a couple beers, I decided to walk back to my hotel. It turned out to be a bit
more of a work-out then I expected – a large hill to climb and perfuse sweating. Arrived back safe and sound, if
a little worn out – slept well.
Saturday, December 20: Awoke at Sebastian’s in Tortola and had a breakfast in preparation of this upcoming
travel day. I was told that there was room on the Liat flight at 2:10pm to St. Martin. After waiting in line for an
hour at the airport, I was informed that the plane was having problems so they grounded it and went with a
smaller plane. There was not enough room for everyone from the original flight, especially late arrivals. I ended
up in the airport all day. My flight didn’t end up departing until close to 7pm. While waiting at the airport, I got a
burger and some excellent homemade passion fruit juice from a truck food vendor in the parking lot of the
airport. There was no food service inside this small island airport. Just goes to show, you never know where
you’ll find something good. The people running the food cart appeared to be a family affair with the mother as
the cook and order taker, the son as her assistant and the father doing the oversight and heavy lifting. (*Tortola –
No need to go back)
cont. December 20: Upon arrival late in St. Martin, I rented a car and drove to the other side of the island, the
French side, to stay at the Alamanda Resort at Orient Beach. I had read and was told that Orient Beach is the
nicest on the island. After settling in I was too tired to head out, so I stayed in this evening.
Sunday, December 21: After walking along the beach, I had lunch at a beachside restaurant. Then I got a
lounge chair where I enjoyed the magnificent view of this bay with its crystal clear blue water, cliffs rising at the
edges of the bay and small islands just off-shore. I napped and read about the island, which is the smallest land
mass in the world with two separate and sovereign governments. After a long day on the beach, I stayed in this
evening.
Monday, December 22: I had breakfast in bed, a definite luxury. Then I walked to the far southern end of the
beach, where there is a nude beach. I don’t believe that there was even one attractive person male or female. I
wonder why that is. Then I went for lunch at a beachfront restaurant, Pedro’s, where I had a burger. A waitress
there was nice enough to take a photo of me with the bay in the background. Upon my return to the section of
beach in front of my hotel, I got a lounge chair.
This evening I drove to the main French town on the island, Marigot, for dinner. After looking around town, I
chose a restaurant with outdoor seating along the main street called Arawak (the original Indians who inhabited
the island). The tilapia was pretty good. A young French boy kept walking by me along the ledge of the planter
next to me. He was very cute and friendly, but spoke no English. For desert I had a French desert called a
Profiterols – outer worldly, too good. Upon reaching my car a local informed me that I had a flat. He helped me
change my tire. I gave him $10. You just need to go with the flow when traveling … it wouldn’t help to get
upset anyway. After dinner I drove to Nettle Bay to go to the Monday night spot – Cohibar. It was suppose to
pick up around 12, but never materialized. The people seemed friendly enough, mostly a French crowd.
Tuesday, December 23: I had breakfast by the pool. As I was finishing up it started to rain. I checked out
and drove to the St. Martin Zoo. It was surprisingly good with interesting and some unusual creatures in a well
maintained tropical setting. A couple of the Parrots were very funny. They would say “Hello” in an almost
mocking tone and then crackle like happy old witches. They had cool fruit bats in a dark cave setting. They also
had monkeys, an exotic Golden Tamarind (the most beautiful animal at the zoo), Baboons, boa constrictors, a
rainbow boa, ducks, swans, peacocks, turtles, the largest rodent in the world (it can weigh up to 150 pounds),
love birds (pair up for life – unusual for birds), … The zoo was a nice change of pace.
From there I drove to the Dutch side of the island. I checked out a beach just past the airport, it was pretty
nice, but not as beautiful as Orient Beach. Then I found a hotel, the Maho Beach Hotel. This beautiful complex
has a lot of amenities, including: two pools, a small private beach, 5 restaurants, a gym, a full-service spa, …
After checking in, I walked by the pool and beach until it started to rain. Then I walked across the street to the
internet café. I capped the day off with a Hagandaz Tiramisu ice-cream cone – because I’m worth it (ha). Took
a nap before heading out. I had dinner at the Grand Café, one of the hotels restaurant/bars. I had dinner inside
by the bar to avoid the extra-ordinarily staticky loud live Christmas music outside. The chicken parmigiana was
pretty good. After dinner, I walked past the end of the airport’s runway to the Dolphin Casino. The one craps
table was seeing a lot of action. People playing the table were on a major roll. I overheard one young girl say
that she had only started with two $6 bets. When I saw her she must have had a couple of hundred in chips
sitting in front of her. From there I walked over to Bliss, an outdoor restaurant and bar on the water. Standing
by the railing, I could watch and listen to the waves crashing on the rocks below the deck, which I presume were
there for erosion control. The atmosphere there was very comfortable and laid back. I’d recommend it. I
walked back by the airport. I checked out Soprano’s Piano Bar and the local strip club, both pretty lame. I
didn’t last more than a minute in either. Time for bed. (*St. Martin – Not bad, varied, very commercial, good if
want that, not great)
Wednesday, December 24: After checking out of my hotel, I returned my rental car and caught a flight to St.
Barts. Calling from the airport to book a room in St. Barts over X-mas wasn’t so easy. I ended up at Les Islets
Fleuris, a remote mountaintop villa.
The plane from St. Martins to St. Barts was very small. The flight was only about 10 minutes and the landing
strip in St. Barts must be one of if not the smallest in the world. It was an exciting landing, descending between
mountains at a very steep angle onto this extremely small landing strip … your heart really starts pumping.
A nice older French lady runs Les Islets Fleuris, Catherine. She picked me up at the airport, then checked me
in to my private cottage – very small, two stars. After a nap I drove my bare bones car (no doors, speedometer
didn’t work, …) that she rented me with the room, into the main town, Gustavia, for dinner and drinks. The
villa/hotel is pretty rustic/basic, but has all the essentials, plus a great mountaintop view of the island and a very
nice pool. I had dinner in Gustavia at Le Bar De L’Oubli. This restaurant/bar is reasonably priced, especially for
St. Barts, has a view of the harbor, the food is good, and it is centrally located. After dinner I checked out the
night life; Le Select (across from the restaurant) & The Yacht Club. It was too early, so I headed over to Nikki
Beach Club, which had a few people, nice atmosphere. There are Nikki beach clubs in St. Trope, Marbea,
South Beach & here in St. Barts. I met the bar tender, Karin, who was very nice. I tried Tom Beach Club at Le
Plounge Hotel next, cool setting but quite. I ended up back at the Yacht Club, which was picking up around
midnight, a chic crowd, yachters and wealthy vacationers. From there I stopped by Feeling which is a late night
disco. At 12:45 it was still too early, so I went back to my mountaintop villa to bed. The first time that I have
slept with mosquito netting … different, not as comfortable.
Thursday, December 25: Christmas Day – most businesses and shops closed. I started my day with a
Continental Breakfast (juice, croissant, bread, and jam) on the main deck of my villa overlooking the northern
coastline of the island with all its bays, inlets and lush mountains. My first stop was the cemetery at Anse de
Lorient. It was very beautiful with its white washed grave beds and the multitudes of brightly colored flowers
throughout. Next, I walked across the street to the beach, Lorient, very beautiful, but sparsely populated. Then
on to St. Jean Bay. This is probably the most developed beach on this low key island, very beautiful geography
and not too many people. I then went to Flamands Bay, which is very pristine with only one hotel, very sparsely
populated. I then drove to Grande Roche which has a cliff with a spectacular view of the north-west portion of
the island and the other islands lying off-shore, including St. Martins. From there I hiked down a narrow, brush
lined path to Colombier Bay/Beach. In this natural harbor many yachts anchor. I met Steve Rubel, a real estate
developer/owner (he has 3M sq.ft. of S.C.’s and a few hotels) from Laguna Beach, CA. He seemed to be a
good guy. He sailed with his family and a friend’s family from St. Martin. Then I drove to the town of Corossol
hoping to check out the Shell Museum, but it was closed for X-mas. I should have known better. On my way to
Gustavia for lunch, I picked up a local boy who was hitching. He seemed to personify the islands character, laid
back, experiencing life one day at a time. The only decent restaurant open in Gustavia was the same place I had
dinner last night, Le Bar de L’Oubli. I like it here during the day even more, good music, good food at a
reasonable price, friendly service, view of the docks and boats and a nice breeze (helped by the fans) on this
warm day. After lunch, I went to Shell Beach which is a small beach and as its name implies a small portion of
this intimate beach is made up of small shells. This beach has a beach bar and faces towards the setting sun. I’m
sure it’s the place to be at sunset. Next stop Governor Bay/Beach, one of the best beaches in the world, soft
white sand, in a beautiful setting with lush vegetation on the hills surrounding and crystal blue water. Next up was
Grand Saline Bay/Beach. There is a short walk to the beach, which is well worth the trip. Another top beach,
similar to Governor Beach. I met a nice girl on the beach. She’s originally from Venice, whose permanent home
is now Nice, but currently living in St. Barts. She was very sweet, but too bad about the boyfriend. Before the
sun set, I wanted to check out the “Washing Machine” at Grand Fond Bay. I had learned that there was
supposedly a pool you could lie in and have the effect of a natural Jacuzzi. This did not turn out to be the case.
After jogging out along a narrow dirt/gravel/rocky path at the edge of a steep precipice, I reached the “Washing
Machine.” It consisted of one stagnant pond filled with sea urchins and a water hole that was dangerous to enter
and nearly impossible to get out of, not to mention the inconsistent surging waves. No, this spot was more for
viewing then for getting into. I headed back to my mountaintop villa after a long and productive (in the site seeing
sense) day. After an hour nap, I drove to Grand Cul de Sac Bay to dine at Gloriette Restaurant, very good food,
right on the water filled with small boats, and reasonably priced. I drove in to Gustavia to see what was going
on. I heard live music and followed it. It lead me to an open air bar on the water (Le Bez?). A band from
Boston was playing some original funk and they were good. When their set was over, I walked back over to the
Yacht Club. It was packed with a very diverse crowd. I met a couple of models from Fashion TV. They were
a bit haughty, Eastern Europeans (Poland and Romania) and in my opinion used their looks (etc.) to get to Paris.
Friday, December 26: Awoke to another Continental Breakfast with a view. After helping Catherine fix her
car, so that I could have one, I started my tour for the day. My first stop was Grand Cul de Sac Bay, the same
place I had dinner the night before. This sheltered Bay is an ideal place to learn or for the Beginner/Intermediate
wind surfer. There were many of them on the water. One young girl had her infant brother sitting on the front
end of the board with his feet dangling in the water. From there to Petite Cul de Sac Bay. This is a quite, remote
beach with calm surf, great for family get-a-ways. Then I went back to Corossol Bay to see the Shell Museum.
I was immediately greeted by the proprietor. He could have been the French version of the lead character from
Hemingway’s, “The Old Man and the Sea.” His skin was leathered from a lifetime in the sun and I only could see
one tooth hanging in his mouth. He was a warm and inviting man. The museum was a bit run down, but it did
have an impressive collection of shells and sand from all over the world – pretty cool, I would recommend it for a
change of pace. I went back to Gustavia for lunch. I tried a new place right on the water, Le Entracte. The
flank steak with rice and salad was very good and reasonably priced. I drove to Governor Bay where I enjoyed
the sun for a while. Then I went to Saline Bay. While lying out it started to rain, but ten minutes later the sun was
back out. It’s like that here in the islands, raining one minute, beautiful the next. Walking to Saline Beach I met
Fatima and Pam from NYC. They are spending two weeks in St. Barts. Upon my return to my place, I napped
for an hour before heading out for the evening. Dinner at Saladerie on the water in Gustavia. The food was
good, not anything special, casual atmosphere, comfortable. After dinner I walked around the waterfront in
Gustavia to see what was going on. I ended up at the same waterfront bar as the night before listening to the
same Boston funk band. I met a guy next to me, Peter, from Stockholm. He recently traveled through South-
east Asia for five months, including: Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, … Now he’s living and working in St.
Barts. He’s been hear nearly one year and is about ready to move on. I then walked back over to the Yacht
Club. They were being strict because it was a busy Friday night, but the bouncer remembered me from the night
before. I ran into Steve Rudel, his son, and his son’s friend in the club. I hung out for a while, but it was just too
crowded for me. The people there seemed to be having a good time.
Saturday, December 27: Last night I was rudely awakened by an insect which gave me a bite on my hand. It
left two holes about a quarter inch apart. I didn’t sleep too well the rest of the night. In the morning, I had
another Continental Breakfast with a glorious view. I figured that I would spend the morning in Saline
Bay/Beach, then decide if I would stay another night or move on. The beach was spectacular, incredible aqua
blue water, soft white sand, beautiful women barely dressed … who could ask for more. After reading up on my
next potential destination, I pulled myself away from the beach to head to the airport. Once there, I decided to
head to Nevis Island which is next to St. Kitts, south of St. Martin. I took a short flight back to St. Martin (great
aerial photos) to change planes to Nevis. (*St. Barts – Great for couples, pricey, but very beautiful, rugged,
great beaches, shopping and restaurants).