It was finally the day of Granny's arrival. We took the bus to the airport early to meet her, as we wanted to get there in plenty of time. The kids were hopping around, constantly checking the arrivals monitors. She arrived right on time, ready for her Caribbean adventures!
Her hotel was right on the beach and was a lovely spot to take in the great views.
Patio along the boardwalk
View from the hotel dining room
First meal together at hotel
Lois having breakfast at the hotel
On the other side of the hotel, there were streets lined with stores filled with jewelry, clothing and electronics. We poked around several shops and Granny treated us to some lovely treasures and some necessities (Wavey had just blown out her flip flops).
Outside the Shipwreck Shop where Wavey found a great new bathing suit (Photo taken by Simon)
Street view from behind the hotel (Photo taken by Simon)
The beach was lined with beach bars and restaurants that were packed when the cruise ships were in town. We returned to eat at the Lazy Lizard as we enjoyed our food so much earlier in the winter.
Lunching at the Lazy Lizard in Philipsburg
Simon's "best ever" jerk chicken sandwich
Wavey's amazing sandwich and perfect onion rings (photo by Lois)
We got a late start to our second day with Granny, as we had some boat chores to do. We ran out of water aboard, and we had to come in to the marina to fill up with water and fuel. While we were doing this, the kids went to Granny's hotel and hung out with her on their own. (Again, no photos--what happens with Granny, stays with Granny...) Later in the day, we hopped on a local bus (actually a minivan with as many people crammed in as possible) and went to the French side to Marigot. We walked a lot around the town, and ended up having an early dinner at one of the restaurants along the Port La Royale marina next to lots of pretty yachts.
Marigot
Lobster by the marina in Marigot
Pizza for Wavey
My amazing mussels (Canadian, of course) in curry sauce
If it seems that we were eating most of the time, well, we were. I was enjoying eating out immensely; breaking out from the galley. However, when we weren't sampling some of the best food on the island, we were checking out some of attractions on the island. On day three, we took a cab to the Butterfly Farm to observe the gardens and amazing insects. We had a tour of this enclosed garden by Pamela, an Australian ex-pat who certainly knew her stuff about all things butterfly. We learned the difference between a chrysalis (made by butterflies) and a cocoon (made by moths). Butterflies like fermented fruit, which is why they are always drunk and can't fly straight. It was a great review of the life cycle of a butterfly which we could see all around us in different stages. (Photos below were taken by Simon.)
Chrysalides waiting to turn into butterflies
Chrysalides of various butterflies
Owl butterflies
Giant Atlas Moth - this amazing moth stays in its cocoon for six months and then lives for only five days!
Swallowtail caterpillar
We rubbed fermented fruit juice on our fingers and the butterflies came and licked it off.
Wavey observing mating butterflies
Simon's Owl butterfly having a taste
Wavey and Owl butterfly
Monarch
Beautiful colours!
Blue morpho sitting still (which is unusual!)
(taken by Lois)
After having a bit of a rest following our excursion, we decided to head to The Greenhouse restaurant, as Friday was lobster night. We had a lovely meal sitting outside beside Bobby's Marina. The kids entertained us (and neighbouring tables) by playing with the candles at the table.
Kids pretending to burn their fingers in the battery powered candles at The Greenhouse restaurant
Later, Wavey at the hotel under the bougainvillea tree at night after she decorated the bar with pink blooms
On our fourth day, we decided to take a cab to the French side to visit the town of Grand Case, which is known as the gastronomic capital of the island. The gorgeous beach is lined by loads of restaurants offering mostly French and Creole cuisine. There were some interesting shops and galleries dotted here and there and we poked into a few. As we were getting hungry, we decided to stop at a Ocean 82 (www.ocean-82.com), a scrumptious French restaurant with a spectacular view of the beach.
Dining in Grand Case
Lois' gazpacho
My beautiful Seafood Pot
I just about cried when the waiter brought me out this warm delicious gluten free dinner roll. And then he brought another one! Merci!
Kids playing on the beach below us, while we finished our meal
The kids were really lucky to each have a special night with Granny. They got to sleep in a big bed, snuggle with Granny, have a long, hot shower, and indulge in the breakfast buffet to start the day off. (John and I didn't get a sleepover, but we did sneak in a few hot showers while we visited--ohhh, it was so nice!) On Simon's night, their peaceful slumber was interrupted by a parade that went through the streets, a sort of warm up jump up in preparation for Carnival. It was complete with floats, food and drink trucks and loud music. They got to watch it from Lois' balcony.
Jump Up (photo by Lois)
On Sunday, and Lois' last full day with us, there was not a single cruise ship in port. Except for her hotel, the rest of the beach was pretty much shut down. It was the perfect day to spend on the beach, swimming and lounging with a good book. It was decadent to rent beach chairs and umbrellas. It felt like we were really on vacation.
Beach day
Last night on the town!
Wavey's early birthday passion fruit sorbet
On Granny's last day, we took a tour of the island that started with a visit to the Parrotte Ville Bird Sanctuary, and ended at the airport. Our guide Rufus, a native of the island, was a wealth of knowledge on both sides of the border. Parotte Ville Bird Sanctuary opened a little more than a year ago by some plant and bird enthusiasts. They have created a garden that is labelled by the names of the plants and their common medicinal uses. The owner also has a little museum, and they were happy to display items from the last couple of centuries.
Feeding the parrot
Blowing a kiss
Bird magnet
Bird trying to pick the button off the top of Lois' hat
I love birds, but admit I get a little freaked out when they are near my head. John is about the same, but he held it together a little better than I (at least on the outside.)
Everyone looks so calm. I am freaking out a bit with this bird on my shoulder
OK, now this is getting too personal (taken by Lois)
Wavey hanging out in the taxi after the birds
Holding (fake) gun used in the Pirates of the Caribbean 2 filmed in St. Martin
Border between the Dutch and French side
We pulled over to the side of the road about the same time that about four other tour buses did. There was no apparent reason why everyone was stopping, until we saw the iguanas. Living along the shore of a salt pond, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of iguanas living here. With the sounds of the taxis stopping, the iguanas emerged from the mangroves and came out to feast. Other tour operators brought lettuce from the store, but our guide brought out weeds he pulled from beside the road, which the iguanas seemed to prefer.
Feeding iguanas
Feeding frenzy
Amazing creatures
We made a brief stop on Orient Beach, which is a famous, long beach that is swimsuit optional at one end and clothing mandatory on the other. Our driver stopped at the place where the ends meet. The beach was packed, and we got to see a few people strolling starkers along the beach, and others clad in swim suits. The kids were keen to swim naked on the beach, but were not enthusiastic about seeing adults letting it all hang out. Due to our schedule, we did not test the waters. You will have to use your imagination, as I took no photos.
We arrived back at the airport just in time for Lois to get her woolies back on for the plane ride back to Ontario. Goodbyes are always hard for our crew.
Getting some last minute lovin'
As is our tradition, we chased and waved until we could no longer see Granny as she disappeared into the security gate. We reflected about our wonderful visit and the good feelings that still linger...
It was March 18th, when we were ready to head out to sea again. Our goal was to get to the Dutch side of St. Maarten to prepare for Granny/John's Mom/Lois' visit on March 28th. We decided to make an overnight passage so we could cover the 85 or so miles and arrive in day light. It was a fast sail, and generally uneventful, except that we were reminded how tiring it is to be up all night and then have active kids (who have slept all night) to endure the following day. Uggh. Despite our careful planning, we sailed too fast and arrived before dawn.
We had a week before Granny's arrival, so we met up with Shera, Jeff and Malea on So Blessed in the anchorage in Simpson Bay. We anchored right beside them in an area where a lot of tourist commercial boats moored. There was a lot of action in this anchorage with boats passing in/out of the bridge to get into the large Simpson Bay Lagoon, planes landing at the airport nearby, and the action on the beach from the resorts and restaurants that line the beach. We were also determined this week to revive our Bomeschool routine that had fallen off over the past several weeks. We made a perfect arrangement with the kids: school from 9:00 until noon. If all their work was done, then they could go and play with Malea. It was a dream week. Kids got up, ate, got dressed, and did their chores before starting on time for school. After lunch, they went on deck to hail the crew of So Blessed. It wasn't long before the kids were jumping back and forth between our two boats, swimming, paddle boarding, and doing crafts together.
Simon on Malea's paddleboard
Simon, Malea and Wavey swinging off the side of the boom
Paddleboard fun
Simon making pancakes before school...yum!
One afternoon, Jeff took all the kids and dropped them on an island in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, locally called Explorer Island. It is a flat, uninhabited island frequented by cruising kids looking for a place to get away. The three kids packed their supplies for an afternoon of adventures with no parents. The kids hung out for the afternoon and were picked up a few hours later with tales of daring and fun. (We have no photos, as what happens on Explorer Island, stays on Explorer Island.) Another afternoon, we all hopped on a bus and made our way to the St. Maarten Zoo (www.stmaartenzoo.com). This is a small, but interesting zoo with an array of birds, reptiles and mammals that thrilled the kids. (Photos taken by Simon)
Arriving to the Zoo with with Malea, Jeff and Shera
Toucan
Turtles basking in the sun
Tortoise
Scarlet ibis
Peacock
Donkey
Capybara (the largest rodent in the world)
Caiman
Guinea hens
The biggest attractions were the monkeys that threw their food at us (hitting Simon and John right in the head!) The kids were also able to pick up and play with the adorable guinea pigs and their babies. We had to check their pockets and drag them home at the end of the day.
Malea and Simon loving the guinea pigs
What? You wanna check my pockets?
Oh, please can I have just one...
...or two?
Jeff playing on the three-wheeled scooter that all the adults wanted to try
During the afternoons the kids were playing together, they revived the making of rainbow loom bracelets with a fervour. They started production with the plan of selling the jewelry to raise money for the St. Maarten Zoo. They worked together for hours and had quite a cache by the time So Blessed decided to sail off to Anguilla for a few days. They decided that they would each try and sell their bracelets and would meet up again to donate their funds.
Dinner aboard So Blessed
Eating and creating simultaneously
After five days of being back in St. Maarten, the kids and I went ashore to the Buccaneer's Beach Bar for Friday night Happy Hour. The kids had their little cash box, a sign, and their merchandise displayed on an empty paper towel roll. Having got prior approval from the staff the day before, the kids set off on the beach and around the bar to sell their wares. I sat, sipping my Happy drink and watched, as they excitedly went from customer to customer, making sale after sale.
Selling bracelets for the Zoo
Thirty minutes later, they returned with one bracelet left, $50 US in cash, and tons of stories. Turns out, most of the patrons were grandparents on vacation and were happy to spend a few bucks to buy something for their grand kids back home. One man came up to me and expressed his joy in seeing, "entrepreneurial kids with a conscience." Two couples at the next table to me flagged the kids down wanting to buy more. Once they had completed their task, the kids retreated to the beach where a movie was set up for all kids visiting the beach. John and I finished the Happy Hour sitting by a fire on the beach as the steel drum band played hits from the 70's.
Kids watching movie on the beach
Fire on the beach
I was happy to extend our five day streak of Bomeschool into Saturday with some learning in the field. We learned on the Cruiser's Net (morning VHF radio net where cruisers share information) that there was a kid's Engineering Day being held at Lagoonies, a popular watering hole in the Lagoon. A former teacher and his wife (now sailing around like us) volunteered his time to create a workshop for kids. About 20 kids of all ages showed up and were divided into groups. Some made solar ovens, and others made cargo ships out of recyclable materials. For those of you who know Simon, this kind of boat-building was right up his alley. It was fun to meet other cruising families and see the kids interact with each other.
Building a cargo ship
The design team
Testing the boats out
After lunch at a cool place called Pineapple Pete's, we went to a free fishing seminar held at Island Water World (big chandlery and marine store). We crammed into the picnic tables with about 60 other cruisers and got some fishing tips, along with free beer, drinks, snacks, and swag. We were pleased that we knew quite a bit already from Ben and Lana, who had generously given us tons of the fishing gear they recommended in the seminar. Despite the fact that they were the only kids in attendance, they asked questions and paid close attention. I love Bomeschool days like this!
After one week in Simpson Bay, we jumped south to Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island and anchored beside the cruise ship terminal.
Cruise ships in Philipsburg
From here, we could see the hotel where Granny would be staying when she arrived March 28th. We were all geared up in anticipation of her visit!
