Sint Maarten: Day 8

We arose early this morning with hopes of renting scooters on which we would travel around the edge of the island. Once we were finally able to find such a business that was actually open we learned that they would be closing early as it was a Saturday and would not be open on Sunday, making rental impractical at the current juncture.

As we had gone deep into the French section of the island to find the business we decided to just carry on around the island in the car. Though we generally took a pretty direct route, we did stop in places such as Columbier and Cul-de-sac. Once we reached Orient beach we parked the car and made our way down the beach on foot. It soon became clear that this was really the popular beach, with lounge chairs and water related activities all over the place.

Eventually, after walking for some time we happened to spot a Newfoundland flag on one of the beach bars. Though we approached the bar, we decided that we would stop by on our way back and try to figure out what the story was.

Shortly after leaving the bar with the flag we came to a gap in the beach. After the gap was where the nude section of the beach started. As both of us were fully clothed with shoes on we didn’t think that our presence would be appreciated, so we turned around and made our way back down the beach.

When we reached the bar with the Newfoundland flag we walked up the stairs and saw the guy that seemed to be in charge. My father asked if he had been stationed in Newfoundland. It seems that not only had he been stationed there in the 1950s but that he also had a daughter there. Upon finding out that we were from Newfoundland he invited us to sit with him and provided some (real) iced tea on the house.

After speaking with him for a while it became clear that when he left almost fifty years ago he had no idea that he had a daughter. Only about 7 years ago the daughter managed to find him and establish contact. It seems that since then she has been down here to visit him several times.

It is likely that when we next go back to Orient Beach we will try to stop at this bar/restaurant for lunch.

We then made our way to Oyster Pond, which is a marina area just down from Orient Beach. Unfortunately, new developments have made it very difficult for non-timesharers/resort types to access the water. The adjacent beach has been completely surrounded by a new resort development, though is apparently accessible if you are willing to walk through the hotel lobby to the beach.

Upon returning to the Dutch side we decided to try to stop at the post office to mail a few postcards. Unfortunately, the facility was closed and did not have a sign indicating when it would again be open.

We decided to stop for lunch at the Sunset Beach Bar, the bar at the end of the runway. The idea was that we could do a little plane watching while we ate. Once there we found that all of the tables in the shade had been taken, so my father asked if we could share a large picnic table with the woman that was sitting there.

Within a few minutes of our arrival the woman at the table and her husband, who was sitting at an adjacent counter, were joined by another couple. It soon became clear that the newly arrived couple were just stopping by for lunch before their impending departure.

Eventually, though not without some effort and delay, my father and I and the newly arrived couple were able to order both drinks and food. Unfortunately, due to various timing issues we ended up ordering well after the couple.

When the man’s food arrived most of us were a little surprised to see a can sitting next to his steak sandwich. When asked, he explained that instead of fries, he had gone with the baked bean option. The man then removed the lid from the can of beans and began eating.

My father was so taken with the can of beans that he asked if we could take a picture. This comment brought us into the conversation with the two couples, one of which was from North Carolina and the other of which was from Bristol. As both couples were frequent visitors to Sint Marteen this was a useful experience. Both couples were quite familiar with Cheri’s Café, the couple from North Carolina even knew who the owner’s son and husband were.

We also learned that both couples had been coming to Sint Maarten for some number of years. It seems that the couples now either coordinate visits or make attempts to see each other when they are both on the island at the same time. In some ways this reminded me of stories of Israelis and Palestinians (or Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland) who are friends in a distant land, but under normal circumstances would never see each other or attempt to understand the other group.

Shortly after finishing their meals the couple from North Carolina left return their car and catch their plane. We continued chatting with the couple from Bristol for some period of time. Just as we were leaving they told us that the bar has a web cam that can be remotely controlled by web users. One could plan to be in a particular location at a particular time and be visible on the web cam, if one was into that kind of thing.

All throughout our time at the bar planes of all sizes smaller than 747s were landing and taking off. Some seemed to pass just feet above the fence at the end of the runway, while others cleared it with plenty of room. Shortly after arriving we saw the United Airlines flight on which we had arrived a week earlier.

Almost as soon as we returned to the apartment I went to bed to take a nap. I was hoping that a nap would cure me of a headache (a possible explanation for the brevity of this post) that I had had all morning and afternoon. While I was sleeping my father went to the university to continue preparing lectures.

At about 6:30 PM my father called to tell me that he would be retuning home shortly. He asked if I would start preparing our evening meal while he clued up.

I was able to get our pork chops, rice, carrots, and brocoflower going very quickly. Within a few minutes of my father’s return the components of the meal had been cooked and we were ready to eat. While the meal wasn’t the world’s most flavourful meal, it was satisfying and relatively healthy. According to my father, my paternal grandmother would have been very pleased to see such a wide range of colours on a plate, as it likely indicates a full range of essential vitamins and nutrients.