St. Maarten (Dutch) or St. Martin (French) is a fascinating mix of Holland and France, lush with Caribbean beauty all its own. The island has been shared by the two nations since 1648.
Tragedy struck the tiny island in September 2017 when the Category 5 Hurricane Irma raged over the island for a full eight hours. This was one of the worst-hit islands, and it’s estimated that more than 90 percent of the buildings were damaged; one-third were completely destroyed. Many of the destroyed buildings and infrastructure have not been restored or repaired.
Our ship, Viking Sea docked at 8:00 am, the rain just stopped and the sun was out so it was a nice day for our tour to explore the island! When we got off the gangway a strong gust of wind blew my hat and without thinking, I ran after it. In my younger days I probably would have retrieved the hat without much effort but I must admit that aging has taken its toll on my joints. I gave up after I saw it go over the pier and turned back to join my group; however, a voice called out and when I turned around a guy was holding my hat! It was stuck onto something before it was blown away to the Caribbean Sea never to be seen again! I profusely thanked the man and folded my hat and only wore it when the wind was not strong enough to repeat the funny event that day!
Our ship sandwiched between a Princess and MSC cruise liners.
We docked in the Dutch side of the island by its capital, Phillipsburg. It was dotted with colorful resorts and casinos. Below is the Rotary Lookout Point with stunning views of the vast
Some of the evidence of the hurricane’s devastations.
You could tell we crossed over to the French side of the island by the signs in the business establishments.
A fruit vendor we passed along the way.
A gated community for the more privileged residents of the island.
An invasive type of flowering vine is found almost everywhere the island (we call this plant cadena de amor in the Philippines).
You could always tell tourists from the clothes they wear!
Our tour bus took us to the French side whose capital is Marigot. Shopping was mostly done here since many of the stores in the Dutch side were still closed when we started the tour.
Tommy and Oya looking for bargains in the vendors’ square. Haggling is acceptable.
Trini with a pretty island girl.
Our tour guide, Felix was a very funny guy and used humor to educate us and at the same time entertaining us. We asked him if he spoke Dutch and French and he said NO and that he was never really interested to learn these languages.
The ship’s itinerary for the next several days.
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