Eating our way around the world: St. Maarten/St. Martin

In the week we’ve been here we’ve tried a variety of local restaurants, but this evening’s was a real local charm – Yvette’s – a restaurant in a home. Being Friday, it was filling up with local couples out for a TGIF meal. The waitress and young waiter, both family members, were so friendly and obviously well loved by the locals.

We’ve had to stay reasonably close to the resort because night time driving isn’t optimal! but even though this is the quiet side of the island, we’ve had plenty of options.

I’ve had seafood virtually every night we’ve eaten out – grouper several times – and this evening enjoyed a delicious whole red snapper cooked in a creole sauce and served with fried plantain and rice and  beans!!! it was wonderful.

#Canoa #BigFish #DinghyDockBar #Yvettes

 

 

Frigate birds

We encountered Frigate birds in South America and were fascinated with their soaring abilities and their superb aero dynamics. We’ve been watching pelicans flying and diving into the sea, here in St. Maarten, and also spotted what looked like frigate birds but with a red throat. Thanks to Wikipedia we learned the following:

“Frigatebirds (also listed as “frigate bird”, “frigate-bird”, “frigate”, frigate-petrel”) are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, Fregata. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails and long hooked bills. Females have white underbellies and males have a distinctive red gular pouch, which they inflate during the breeding season to attract females. Their wings are long and pointed and can span up to 2.3 metres (7.5 ft), the largest wing area to body weight ratio of any bird.

Able to soar for weeks on wind currents, frigatebirds spend most of the day in flight hunting for food, and roost on trees or cliffs at night. Their main prey are fish and squid, caught when chased to the water surface by large predators such as tuna. Frigatebirds are referred to as kleptoparasites as they occasionally rob other seabirds for food, and are known to snatch seabird chicks from the nest. Seasonally monogamous, frigatebirds nest colonially. A rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care is among the longest of any bird species; frigatebirds are only able to breed every other year.”

I especially love this old English description.

In the Caribbean frigatebirds were called Man-of-War birds by English mariners. This name was used by the English explorer William Dampier in his book An Account of a New Voyage Around the World published in 1697:

The Man-of-War (as it is called by the English) is about the bigness of a Kite, and in shape like it, but black; and the neck is red. It lives on Fish yet never lights on the water, but soars aloft like a Kite, and when it sees its prey, it flys down head foremost to the Waters edge, very swiftly takes its prey out of the Sea with his Bill, and immediately mounts again as swiftly; never touching the Water with his Bill. His Wings are very long; his feet are like other Land-fowl, and he builds on Trees, where he finds any; but where they are wanting on the ground.

Maho Beach and more

Once I knew we were coming to St. Maarten and I started looking up things to do …. the #1 thing on my list was to visit Maho Beach which is at the front end of the airport runway and where jets come in right over the beach! Oh yes! they do! and they come in fast and are hard to capture especially with waves lapping and people walking in front of you! We saw many smaller planes come in but two big jets which was exciting enough for me! ok! I admit it, I would have liked to see a 747!

We also visited Phillipsburg which was disappointing in that it is geared to cruise ships with duty-free shops, etc. and was hotter than h— for walking around. A few interesting buildings but a short visit.

I am obsessed with this woman at the resort who has nails that are about 12″ long!! I have to get in a conversation with her and try and find out the reason/history for this strange feature. Is she a Shaman-ess? is she going for the World Record? a big mystery!!

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Island life for a week!

This is definitely a laid back vacation! compared to our usual mode of travel. Loving the quiet side of the island here in Oyster Bay and Dawn Beach. Dinner last night at a lovely and typically Caribbean place right on the dockside – Canoa (Canoe) where we enjoyed delicious grouper (one of my favorite sea foods) and seafood pasta.

Spent a few hours under the umbrella and in the pool this morning!

.. before setting off for a trip across the the French side and around the perimeter of the island with stops at Anse Marcel beach and then on through Grand Case to Marigot.

 

 

Fun in the sun

After a day of R&R under the umbrella at the pool we are ready to get out and explore!

#OysterBayResort #beach #SintMaarten #infinitypool

A week in Puerto Rico

Our first visit to PR was in 2009, and we vowed to return soon – six years later we did it! It is an easy hop, skip and jump from Portland to San Juan, but the atmosphere, weather, food, environment is definitely vastly different than Maine! While staying at the beach in Isla Verde (at El San Jan – ELSJ) we enjoyed having a car to explore the countryside. Having previously visited Rincon in the west coast, and the south coast, we decided to stay in the eastern third of the island. The temps (at times in mid-90’s) meant morning and late afternoon sightseeing or beach walking!

Photos from “out and about”

Food and eating!

Old San Juan

The beach..

El Yunque National Forest

Costa Maya, Mexico

Costa Maya was a beach day! we caught a bus to Mayahual beach and spent several hours soaking in the beautiful water and relaxing under a grass palapa with some Corona! What a life! someone has to do it!!! and I’m thankful it’s us!

Belize

Day 4: Belize City – off the ship via tender for 15 minute ride across the turquoise waters where the ubiquitous diamond and jewelry shops awaited us. With Sid and June, we went through the gauntlet of hustlers and ended up taking an hour long horse and buggy ride through the streets of the city. For $20 we spent an hour with Ryan, our driver and guide, riding around the fairly shabby little town, but encountering people with big smiles and waves. He fed us lots of information about the town: it’s below sea level and they are reclaiming land; there is no public school system – all schools are parochial; independence was gained from the British on 9/10/1981 (formerly named British Honduras) while remaining a member of the commonwealth.


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