Flying High

We are off on another adventure. After docking in Saint Lucia we meet our group and head for the rainforest, about 45 minutes away by small bus to Saint Lucia Rainforest Adventures. Windy, narrow roads, passing the domestic airport where the runway runs parallel and close to the road, heading to the hills. Once we arrive we are divided into groups of 6 and helped into our gear. Hard hats and harness and then have a lovely 30 minute ride in an open cable carriage through the lower rainforest while our guide tells us about the different plants and animals that inhabit this area. Then it’s off for a ten minute walk to our first platform. Now this is a first for me, needless to say I’m slightly anxious but after the safety demo and instructions I am off flying through the trees on the first of 8 zip lines. This first one is about 100 metres long and I am clutching the handles with a very firm grip and dreading the stop at the other end. But I landed safely half way up a tree on a small platform and unhooked from the line and hooked onto a safety rope. We watched the others follow us down before attaching to the next zip line. More relaxed this time and what a hoot, flying through the tree tops. Philip followed as did the other guests. By the time we reached the last zip line we were pros. Philips off first for the longest and steepest ride back to ground level. Then it’s my turn again. I must be getting game as I could even ride with my hands in the air (off the handles) and turning around. What a buzz, I want to do it again. But alas we have to climb back up to our starting point for the ride back down through the tree canopy with great views of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

(P:- I am not so sure that the reporting on the above activity is 100% correct! Judith was aware we were “doing” a Zip line but I am reasonably sure she didn’t realise there were 8 lines as part of this fabulous cruise thru the Rainforest. On a few occasions zip lining was mentioned with some nervousness! Never to be beaten with her phobias (in this case heights and a couple of flimsy cables) she was eager to give it a go! The results were – she enjoyed it immensely! Eyes wide open and at time arms in the air, as close to “ flying through the canopy like a bird” as you can get the experience was another great first! Then back to our ship for my Siesta!)

Philipsburg, Saint Maarten

Our last port of call before returning to Fort Lauderdale, and a gorgeous harbour to enter as we watched this morning. Just a quick, light breakfast today before disembarking and walking to our pickup point for our “Taste of Saint Martin” food tour. This tour read up really well (after some Internet research) so we hope it lives up to what it says.

But before the tour here is a bit about St. Maarten. It is a small island just 37 square miles and is the smallest land mass in the world divided between two governments, the Dutch and the French. The Spanish abandoned the island in the 17th century and the Dutch and French moved in and after some conflict decided to split the island in two. Legend has it that the border was originally decided by a drunken wager between and Dutchman and a Frenchman. Each agreed to see who could claim the most land by walking in opposite directions around the shore and meeting on the other side. The winner, by a small amount, was the Frenchman, and still is today with the French governing 21 square mile and the Dutch 16. Today there is still a very definite divide between the two sides. Different policing, different taxes, different money, different schooling and different foods, (P:- and would you believe the Dutch and French both use different style, non interchangeable electrical sockets!) and this is what we are here to taste.

So, now onto the food tour. We approach our meeting point “The Amsterdam Cheese Shop” and meet our guide outside, who informs us that we are the only two on today’s tour so she will be able to personalise it a bit. Our first stop is this Cheese Shop for some Gouda cheese tasting and our first alcoholic drink of the day at 10am. (P:- correction make that two drinks! Evidently a must to cleanse the palate between samples). Cheese and bubbles, who can complain about that!!!

We tasted five different aged Gouda and several flavoured ones and all were delicious. Our Host TJ, (with blue hair) describes the cheeses as we taste. After a look around their lovely shop we head on our way with Albert our driver and Terrie our Guide. Terrie gives us lots of information about the Dutch side of the island and the history. Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side is only four streets wide and 1 mile long but manages to captivate most of the islands visitors. ,

Our second stop was just over the border into the French side, passing the marina where some massive private yachts were moored, to a quaint little restaurant on the beach overlooking some impressive mega yachts moored offshore. “Guayabera Beach Club” where we were served an early lunch and a rum cocktail (it’s still not midday yet) Coconut rum, plain rum, Curaçao and pineapple juice on ice. Our food was delicious, grouper, yucca, Johnny cake and salad. (Not quite enough to soak up the rum). As we were eating we watched some boats leave the marina via the lifting bridge. No money spared here, some of them are pretty luxurious. One mega yacht that is moored in the bay has a smaller yacht on its aft deck and another has a helicopter.

We leave this area and continue around the island spying some of the 37 beaches as we wind round the hills. Much of this island was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and there is much evidence of this still today. Broken boats piled up along the lagoons edges, hotels on the waterfront that were destroyed, homes that were just demolished and have now been left to rot away. There is reconstruction going on but it’s a slow process. Our guides home was only slightly damaged with gutters torn off and windows broken but all the homes surrounding hers were decimated. Why hers remained virtually untouched, while others were destroyed is amazing.

We wind through narrow streets and past waste land, over water drains called “guts” until we stop at our next destination. The “Gutside Cafe”. It hardly looks anything as we pull up and then climb the stairs from the road, but inside we are greeted by Lourdes and Richard, the owners and made to feel very welcome. This is a pretty basic local cafe, plastic chairs, large tables, drift wood, number plates, old shells and t shirts for decoration. Very eclectic but comfortable. Our next drink arrives, thankfully only a nip of coconut rum this time. Boy, I’m not used to drinking this much rum in one day. (P:- as most of you know I drink very little but being the last port of the cruise I felt I needed to ensure Judith didn’t feel like a lone drinker! Man I know I am going to regret this!!!) Then we are served, plantain, peanut chicken and a shot of spicy pumpkin soup. Again very tasty. (P:- correction, awesome food, ) We spend our time there chatting to Lourdes and Terrie and enjoying the food before heading (P:- correction again almost staggering) back to the bus and continuing round the island to our final stop for a French dessert and iced coffee. Then a quick stop to check out the beach which is lovely before heading back to our pickup point. 4 hours of enjoying the island and its lovely foods now we need a rest before dinner tonight. (P:- We were very fortunate to have a total circumnavigation of the Island, dirt roads and Nudist beach included, not normally done but seeing only two of us Terri was most gracious in doing it for us! Back to the ship for a well earned siesta time for me! (Man O Man I need it!)

We are reasonably confident we have run out of “rabbits” (fantastic experiences) to pull out of our hat, so now all we have left is a couple of sea days travelling back to Fort Lauderdale before we end this wonderful cruise.