St_Maarten

Upon stepping through the door of the 757 we were quickly enveloped in the heavy tropical air.
Heat from the intense mid-day sun radiated up from the tarmac. By the time we walked the short
distance from the plane to the old St Maarten terminal beads of perspiration were trickling down my
lower back. But Amy was in her element in the heat of the tropics. Once we had gatherer the
luggage and picked up the rental car we were off to find our accommodations. It was only a 12-mile
drive but negotiating the narrow congested streets of Cole Bay and Phillipsburg, and winding our
way over Sucker Hill and Naked Boy Hill made the distance seem much greater. Finally almost 12
hours after our departure from Los Angeles we arrived at Oyster Bay Beach Resort.

Oyster Bay Beach Resort is a
charming immaculately maintained
timeshare condominium complex.
The resort is situated on a point of
land bounded on one side by a
picturesque marina and on the other
by the azure waters of the
Caribbean. From our balcony we
overlooked Dawn Beach with an
impressive view of the island of St.
Barth’s in the distance.

Our friends the Chen’s joined on this
trip. We have spent a number of the
past few Memorial Day weekends
backpacking with Ken and Sue in
Sierra wilderness but this year we
were off to the Caribbean. Our week
was spent snorkeling, SCUBA diving
and exploring both the French and
Dutch sectors of St Martin/St
Maarten. Originally settled in 1646
this 38 sq mile is the smallest
inhabited landmass in the world that
is divided between two nations.

The powdery white sands, calm warm waters and underwater sea reserve made Baie Orientale (Orient Bay
Beach) an ideal destination for an afternoon of snorkeling. Famous as a haven for naturists it is an ideal
sunbathing beach to minimize tan lines. Snorkeling just off the beach was somewhat limited but a 20-minute
swim across the bay brought us to an uninhabited island surrounded by waters filled with tropical fish, coral
reefs gorgonian and sea fans.

Our explorations included a three island snorkeling trip. Each island held something new to offer. The snorkeling was fun but we were disappointed to see
how much damage had be done to the coral by last summer's above average water temperatures.

On the last island we stopped to take a volcanic mud bath.

There are two capital cities on the island, one for the Dutch side, and one for the French. Phillipsburg, St.
Maarten is by far the largest city on the island, and the number one destination for cruise-ship passengers.
Founded in 1763 by John Phillips, the city has evolved into a major port of call.