Dutch St Maarten and French St Martin – one charming island,
two countries and two cultures – were our last port before heading east into
the Wild Blue Yonder…
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| St Martin in Person |
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| And here is his story... |
We docked at Philipsburg, on the Dutch Side, and shared the
gigantic dock with another Holland America Line Ship, the Westerdam, and
another Cruise Giant of Celebrity (that one with about 4000 passengers aboard).
It should make for a lively shopping scene at the local ‘arts and crafts’
markets as well as the duty free shops and beach bars.
The port area is immense with a cruise ship terminal
sporting the usual line up of shops and restaurants, information booths and ferry
shuttle service to ‘downtown’. Not yet enough for the booming cruise trade, as
an additional cruise ship dock is under construction, which will provide room
for a few more of these floating mega hotels who ply the Caribbean during
tourist season.
I headed for ‘Back Street’ where commuter buses take one for
$2 to Marigot on the French Side, about half an hour ride away, with stops
along the way for anybody who called ‘stop’ to get off, and anybody who waved
from curb side to get on. The streets of Philipsburg and Marigot were still
empty at that hour of the still fresh morning, just a few shop keepers opening
their blinds and a couple of French Cafes with their first local patrons,
smoking their ever present Gallic cigarettes.
Marigot as opposed to Philipsburg is popular haven for
sailboats and luxurious gin palaces of the latest and fastest and most
expensive designs – no cruise ships here, just a ferry terminal offering
passages to Saint Barts, Anguilla and various other nearby islands.
Talking about expensive designs…the shopping scene is all
but ‘tourist heaven’, as there are many designer stores and art galleries who
charge the famous French prices (very high) for the simplest and tres chic
outfits for discerning femmes and hommes addicted to European style and
fashion. On the other hands bistros offering French Cuisine of the most
tempting order are abundant, and almost affordable: crepes, fresh fish,
delicious sounding meat and vegetable dishes, with wide choices of French patisserie
to round out the picture. Not a Burger King or MacDonald’s, which appear almost
at every street corner on the Dutch side.
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| St Martin -net yet re built |
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| St Martin shack |
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| St Martin Watercolour Artist |
As a token gesture to the usual cruise ship crowd, an arts
and crafts market with the same old same old goodies on sale occupies a short stretch
of sea side boulevard, where tour buses make a truncated shopping stop before
heading off back to Philipsburg and $2 beers or the beautiful Oriental Beach of
clothing optional fame.
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| Marigot Arts and Crafts |
Another $2 ride brought me back to Philipsburg to stroll
along Front Street, which looked surprisingly empty of tourists despite the
invasion of the multitudes of the day. A walk along the white sandy beach,
lined with bars and restaurants ($20 dollars for beach chair, umbrella and 6
beers) proved an auditory challenge, as all of them compete in producing the
highest possible decibels of Caribbean music, mostly consisting of the good old
Chestnuts like Margaritaville etc. etc….
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| Philipsburg |
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| Front Street Philipsburg, St Maarten |
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| Escargot Restaurant St Maarten |
We left shortly before sunset, which gave us a spectacular
last look at LAND (St Barts and St Maarten) before starting the five day sail
to Cape Verde, almost at the coast of West Africa. Weather Forecast for the
Crossing: Benign!!!
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| Sailing Away from the Sunset, with St Maarten disappearing behind the horizon |
