Jogging the Caribbean

Island Harbours Jogging the Caribbean

by Christopher Best I spent a year jogging around ten beautiful Caribbean islands after 9-11.

There is no finer way to really see the landscape and to connect with the locals.

2- Company Information

Copyright 2017 Christopher Best All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the publisher or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright, www.accesscopywrite.ca, 1-800-893-5777 Warfleet Press 1038 east 63rd Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V5X 2L1 www.warfleetpress2.com All photos from the collection of Christopher Best unless otherwise noted.

Cover Photo: Martinique Cover design by Christopher Best Text design by Christopher Best Printed and bound in Canada Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Best, Christopher 1949 Jogging the Caribbean, Connecting with the Locals ISBN RIGHT: The Aruba Carnival

Contents INTRODUCTION.................................................. ............................9 1. St. Martin.....................................................................................23 2. St.Barths.....................................................................................49 3. Martinique...................................................................................67 4. St. Lucia.......................................................................................87 5. Grenada....................................................................................107 6. Aruba............................................................ ...........................129 7. Curacao.....................................................................................151 8. Bonaire.....................................................................................163 9. Puerto Rico................................................................................175 10. Anguilla.......................................... ........................................187 11. New York..................................................................................205 Index......................................................................................215

Introduction

9

There is an island in the Caribbean, where it is considered impolite not to greet or say hello to everyone you meet, in the course of your day.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was like that everywhere in the world, I thought, as I stood on the main street of Island Harbour, Anguilla, one afternoon in the summer of 2002.

“Hey, mister! Why don’t you stay and live on our island? Everyone likes you,” said the young island boy.

“I would love to,” I said, “but my work here is finished and I have nothing left to do. I cannot jog around the island all day.” I paused for a moment and thought about it. I had been jogging around the island every day for the last month and it had been fantastic but I was too young to retire. Maybe later, when I was older.

Island Harbour, Anguilla was like the Caribbean of my dreams. It represented the best of the safe harbours I had found on every island I had visited on this, my first trip to the Caribbean. Every Caribbean island community is built around a safe harbour. Many safe harbours were fortified and grew into towns and even cities (e.g. San Juan, Puerto Rico). Island Harbour in Anguilla did not fit this pattern. It was still in its natural state. The people were friendly and I greeted everyone I passed with a smile and a hello as I jogged around the island.

“Are you in training to fight Mike Tyson?” yelled a man sitting in an outdoor cafe at noon one day, as I streaked by.

“No, I haven’t got time for Mike,” I yelled back, as I

10 - St. Barths

ran on down the road. Others just waved and smiled. On Anguilla, it is impolite not to greet people you pass during the course of your day. It was something that I had always done so I guessed I just fit naturally into their island lifestyle.

Anguilla was my last stop on a year-long adventure in the Caribbean that I undertook after 9-11. I had spent a month on each of nine other islands and had visited San Juan a couple of times in between (It is the hub where planes depart in all directions).

My first island stop was San Martin, the only island in the world shared by two nations, Holland and France. It’s also the only completely duty-free island in the Caribbean. Fifteen years ago, it was the timeshare capital of the Caribbean. Today, it bills itself as the yachting capital of the Caribbean. I jogged all over the Simpson Bay area.

My next stop was St. Barths.

“We will be landing in St. Barths in five minutes,” the pilot said over the loud speaker. Five minutes? We had only been in the air five minutes. As we began our descent, I saw a mountain dead ahead. I could see the runway on the ground below but thought for sure we couldn’t stop the plane in time. We stopped but ended up right at the foot of the mountain. A pinpoint landing, right on target! All I could think of was WOW! Even if I did not like St. Barths the landing was well worth the trip.

I was booked into the Carl Gustaf Hotel. Marvellous views of the

Introduction - 11

harbour of Gustavia greeted me when I arrived. There was even a bottle of locally distilled rum on my bed and a basket of brightly coloured fruit on a nearby table. St. Barths is the playground of the rich and famous, with beautiful beaches and beautiful people. I rented a Smart Barth car and for the month of November explored the island from one end to the other. Not a great jogging destination unless you love hills.

“When the rich and famous get tired of being seen on St. Barths they go to Anguilla,” said the lady in a shop on main street downtown.

“I will remember that,” I said as I left her store. I had booked hotels on only three islands, thinking I would book the others later. What the locals told me helped me choose other islands to visit.

My next stop was Martinique.

“What is your name?” I asked the beautiful island girl who came to take my order at a cafe, on the main street of Trois Islet.

“Chantelle,” she said. “I will give you my number later.” Trois Islet is where tourists stay on exotic Martinique, near the capital. Trois Islet has everything: car rentals, hotels, restaurants and from there you can head out and explore the entire island. Everything about Martinique is exotic, French and beautiful. I stayed at the Meridien Hotel, part of the same chain that I stayed with in San Martin. Every morning I would awaken and have breakfast on an open-air patio, under huge shady trees. The view of the ocean was magnificent. I was well into jogging mode by now so one morning, I decided to head off into the countryside to

12 - Grenada

see what I could see. Ten minutes into my run, I came to an intersection with high shady trees overhead. It was hot: 87 degrees F. I decided to go to my right because the road had more trees and looked shadier. I passed under luxurient vegetation, huge leaves, that I later learned were used to gather rain water.

“What rain?” I thought. So far it had not rained once. After living in Vancouver most of my life I had had enough rain anyway. As I rounded a corner, I could see to my right a grazing field and at the back of the field, below a hill, a thatched roof cottage. Soon, I came to a large parking/reception area where there was a girl sitting in a booth. When I asked her what this place was, to my astonishment, she said proudly, “It is the birthplace of Marie Joseph Rose Tascher, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, widely known as Josephine.” I couldn’t believe my ears. To think Napoleon’s wife had walked along this same unpaved road was remarkable. During my month on Martinique, I would make other amazing discoveries. There was a ferry between Martinique and my next stop, St. Lucia, so when it was time to leave, I decided to get on board.

My second week in St. Lucia I was told by the lady in the rental car office in Rodney Bay, “We are sorry, we cannot rent you a car.” I was not surprised but slightly disappointed because I knew that I probably looked a wreck after the accident. However, I was not about to let the events of my first week on St. Lucia disrupt my trip, so I buckled down and made the best of getting around the island. It turned out not to be a bad thing after all.

Introduction - 13

Fears turned out to be liars. I will let you read for yourself in chapter four what happened to me durng my first week on St. Lucia and how I spent Christmas Day 2001. So far, I had only visited the Leeward Islands. Before me still lay the Windward Islands. I decided to continue and make my next stop Grenada.

“Where are you from?” shouted a rather aggressive boy and his friends as I jogged along the Carenage (a walkway that follows the bay) towards St. George’s in Grenada, British West Indies.

“Canada,” I yelled back.

“We love Canada,” he yelled. “How do you like our island?”

“I like it fine,” I said. There was something a little too quick about the questions so I ended the conversation with a wave and turned at the next corner. I saw the same group a few times during my stay on Grenada. They were always friendly and inquisitive but I felt more comfortable keeping them at arm’s length. St. George’s is a beautiful historic port. It’s set on a hill and has a fort (Fort George) on its peak (Unfortunately it is not open to the public). To get to downtown St. George’s from the Carenage, one must go through a long tunnel which has been bored through the hill.

Once through the tunnel, downtown St. George’s lay before me. The first thing I saw was an open air market. There was a group of people selling vegetables and fruit. As I made my way through the crowd a woman came up to me and said, “Come here and see my vegetables.” When I didn’t go over, she started tugging on my shirt until a man told her to back off. At this, she quit. On

14 - Aruba

several islands, I felt an air of tension between the locals and visitors.

As long as you were careful, it never seemed to escalate into anything uncontrollable. I told a lady I met at a nutmeg factory about the incident and she said, “The islands that had slaves are more difficult than the ones that didn’t.

The locals are a little less tolerant and you need to be watchful.” After Grenada, I headed for Aruba in the Dutch Indies, where I would spend the next three months.

“Welcome to the Radisson Aruba,” said the lady behind the check in counter. “We hope you will enjoy your stay with us.”

“Thank you, I am sure that I will,” I said, picking up my bags and heading off to find my room. The Radisson Aruba is situated on Palm Beach right in the middle of several hotels, in what is called the upper hotel district. Behind the hotel is a garden extending to a pathway that connects all the hotels. It runs about seven miles along the beach. Some hotels have a bar and restaurant by the pathway.

“We call them walruses,” the waiter at one of the restaurants declared to me one morning. “Some tourists do not realize that in the tropics they cannot eat the same way they do back home. For breakfast they have pancakes, eggs and bacon and then lie in the sun until noon. For lunch, they have a big meal and then go back and lie in the sun until dinner.

Then they consume a big dinner. The next day they are sick. They learn to respect the tropical sun or they don’t last long. That’s why we call them walruses.” Every morning I would jog the

Introduction - 15

length of the pathway from the Marriott Resort down to the Wyndham Hotel and often back as well. There was always something interesting to see. Downtown Oranjestad, the capital, was equally fascinating. At the water’s edge one day I found several large (two foot long) iguanas, sunbathing on the rocks. I could see jet skiers on the water and the bright tropical sun shining down, made for an idyllic seaside setting. The architecture is very colourful as well, such bright colours! The Carnival added a touch of gaity as well. Read the chapter on Aruba and you will find out more about that.

My next stop was Curacao!

“I am from North Carolina,” the girl with the blond hair and beautiful smile said to me from behind the front desk at the Sunset Waters Beach Resort.

“Where did they find you?” I asked. Finding good, intelligent, enthusiastic staff is a major problem for island hotels throughout the Caribbean and here at the edge of the tiny island of Curacao was this beautiful, smart college girl.

“I came over here looking for an adventure and found this place and stayed. They are really good to me.”

“I bet they are,” I said. “They know when they have found a good thing,” I added. I had just taken the bus up from Willemstadt (the capital), about a half hour’s drive away. Curacao is a very historic island. It played a major role in the transportation of goods from the West Indies to and from Holland in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. It has the only pontoon bridge I saw in the Caribbean; it connects the two sides of

16 - Bonaire

the Willemstadt port entrance. Downtown Willemstadt is historical with brightly coloured heritage buildings. The district on one side called Otrobanda is in the process of being restored and has several heritage buildings which have already been renovated. After my business was concluded, I thanked the beautiful blond haired girl (I forget her name) and made my way back up to the main road above the resort. As there was no bus I started to jog back towards Curacao. It was a typically beautiful Caribbean day, the kind I had grown accustomed to during my time on the islands. I was enjoying the run so much that I decided it wasn’t all that far back to Willemstadt and that I would jog the entire distance.

Downhill I went, following the many bends in the road. I recognised all the landmarks. How exhilarating it was! I was in pretty good jogging shape by now. Having jogged every day for the past seven months.

Finally, I came over a hill and I could see below a road which led to the right. I knew it led to the Hilton Curacao Resort which was not far from Willemstadt, I had made it back, safe and sound!

My last stop in the Dutch Indies was the island of Bonaire.

“You like our women?” the man in the jewellery store in Kralendijk (the capital) asked.

“Yes, they’re beautiful,” I said. And they were. In fact, I discovered there were lots of beautiful girls all over the Caribbean, I stayed at the Lions Dive Resort in Bonaire. Every morning I would jog into downtown Kralendijk. My run took me past an ice cream store which always had a donkey standing outside. The beautiful Columbian

Introduction - 17

waitress inside (named Gloria), had made the mistake of feeding the donkey ice cream one day when no one was looking and now he visited her every day. Bonaire is about ten miles off the coast of Columbia and it was experiencing immigration problems (some legal and some illegal) from South America. After I had passed a few buildings, the road took a turn to the right and came out on the seaside where it turned left again, and became the main road through town. Every morning when I ran along this part of the seawall, there was a beautiful, well-endowed girl sitting on a blanket on the lawn in her yard. I always waved and she always waved back. Once I saw her walking, carrying a young child with some difficulty. Either the child was too heavy to be carried or she was carrying too much weight and was top heavy. Another time, I saw her in a bathing suit on the street near her home. I also saw her once, jumping into the back of a pickup truck late one night as I returned home. I imagined some clandestine rendezvous with an equally young lover or an all night party perhaps. Besides beautiful girls, I learned Bonaire is home to donkeys, turtles and pink flamingos.

I loved my time on the ten islands. I returned to three of them twice to conclude my business and, as I said, I travelled to San Juan a few times.

I was going to include Puerto Rico in my magazine but decided to leave it for my next trip. In Puerto Rico, I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, which is the last hotel on the strip in Isla Verde the hotel district of San Juan.

18- El Morro

Every morning, I jogged into Old San Juan.

“How much is the orange juice?” I asked at a shop on my route where I always stopped. It gets hot in the islands! I traversed the route through the hotel district with ease and made it to the ocean’s edge, about halfway to San Juan. A little further past the Caribe Hilton Hotel and up a hill, I found myself on my favourite part of the run. It was a stretch of road that ran parallel to the ocean below. Perched on a cliffside, it afforded a magnificent vista over the sea. I could see far and wide as I glided along under my own power. I could imagine Spanish galleons sailing by in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Ahead of me, lay the fort of San Cristobal and then the mighty fortress of El Morro. These fortifications protected San Juan from pirates and marauders. Soon San Cristobal would come into view and just past the fortress, I would veer off to the right along the edge of the original town with its brightly coloured buildings, accompanying me all the way up to the crest of the hill. On the other side of the hill, lay El Morro which is on a square point of land jutting into the sea. There is a green grassy field in front of the fortress which is often used for ceremonial occasions and pageantries. I would run down the hill towards El Morro, as fast as I could and out onto the grassy field, right up to the fortress walls, until I naturally slowed down due to the upward curvature of the field. It was exhilarating! The rest of the day, I would spend wandering around Old San Juan

Introduction - 19

and visiting the market to buy fresh fruit, all the while enjoying the colourful ambience. At dusk, pleasantly exhausted from my several mile run into town and my day of sightseeing (often ending with a jog along the seawall below El Morro), I hailed a taxi back to my hotel (the best ten dollars I ever spent). By ten o’clock, I was in my room on one of the top floors and in bed, ready to do it all again the next day. The next morning, I was awakened by the sunshine pouring in through the large picture window at about six a.m. (I always left the curtains open for that purpose). I was now on the sun cycle, up with the sun and to bed with the sun and I loved it!

I came to the Islands as a travel writer to develop a glossy, colour magazine on the Caribbean. In September 2001, 9-11 occurred and I was not sure whether I should change my plans. I decided to go down anyway, as the trip was already planned and booked. It turned out to be a wise decision. There were very few tourists in the Caribbean after 9-11.

Americans, you may recall from the news, were not travelling and the Caribbean resorts were hurting from lack of business. There was some fear that the tourists would not come back. No one knew what the impact of 9-11 would be. I was sometimes the only tourist in many of the hotels where I stayed. This meant that most businesses were eager to promote their hotel.

“I am sorry, the manager is off the island and will not be back for two weeks,” said the hotel desk clerk when I asked to speak to the manager

20 - Cap Jaluca Resort

at the Cap Jaluca Resort in Anguilla, in September 2002. By this time I had been in the Caribbean for ten months and I had heard the same comment many times. One of the biggest problems doing business in the Caribbean is that often the people you need to talk to are off the island, possibly promoting their businesses. I quickly realised that if I was going to be successful in my endeavour, I would have to fit into the island lifestyle.

“Don’t worry man, we can always do it tomorrow,” I would often hear that as well. For this reason I decided to spend a month on each island.

My accident on St. Lucia, actually proved to be a good thing: it got me jogging more and jogging afforded me a unique way to see the islands and allowed me to connect with the locals in a way I would never have been able to if I had just rented a car.

“We didn’t know you had a car,” said two young girls in Island Harbour, when they saw me driving my rental car one day.

“I only use it when I have to go to the other end of the island,” I said.

“I prefer to run.”

“Yes, we know,” said one girl, “we see you everywhere around Island Harbour.” Her name was Chantelle.

The following pages explore my best jogging adventures on each of the islands I visited and the wonderful people I met. I suggest you follow in my footsteps, spend a year and really get to know each island and their people. You’ll never regret it!

Introduction - 21

1. My First Stop St. Martin, FWI, November 2001

The first island I visited was San Martin. The San Martin Tourist Bureau in New York flew me down on November 9, 2001, and arranged accommodation for me for ten nights at Le Meridien, Saint Martin, a luxury beach resort in Anse Marcel on the island’s northeastern shore.

Surrounded by mountains and overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the hotel was nestled amidst tropical gardens filled with bougainvillea, hibiscus and oleander. It was a perfect introduction for this first time island-hopper.

San Martin has the distinction of being the smallest island in the world that belongs to two different countries.The division dates back to 1648.

The southern Dutch part comprises Sint Maarten. The northern French part comprises the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and is an overseas

LEFT: Marigot, the capital of St. Martin

24 - Anse Marcel

collectivity (part of a group) of France. The island is divided roughly 60/40 with France having the upper hand.

Anse Marcel is nestled in the most hidden cove in Saint Martin. Its white sandy beach is accessible by land or sea and yachts can anchor in privacy. Endless white sand beaches are surrounded by majestic mountains and a 150-acre nature reserve.

L’habitation Le Domaine of Le Meridien (a division of Forte Hotels) was a duo of luxury properties on Grand Marcel Cove. It boasted 395 deluxe rooms. It was the way hotels should be, with a focus on four core values: European with a French accent, respect for local culture, innovation and care and attention. A beautiful hotel. I say “was” because it is

ABOVE: The Riu Palace Hotel

St Marten - 25

now the Riu Palace Hotel, an all-inclusive beach resort. But when I arrived it was magnificent! It had sporting yachts for guests to take excursions to neighbouring islands amid the allure of French refinement and culture. You could dine on the beach while lying on your very own chaise longue.

My room was dipped in the hues of a Caribbean palette with luxury bedding, throw pillows, opulent drapery and artwork. The room was spacious and accommodating with every amenity you could think of.

The furniture I was told was handcrafted in Malaysia and all the rooms were appointed with every convenience. A private terrace or balcony opened to the beckoning breezes, alluring guests to alfresco refreshment.

My first night there I went into the lavish dining room only to discover that I was the only person having dinner. Someone else did arrive and she introduced herself as Barbara Warren, the Director of Sales. “I am sorry we do not have more guests,” she said. “We do not know when they will start returning.” It was just after 9-11 and it was an eerie feeling being the only guest in this opulent setting. It wouldn’t be the last time I would feel this way during my stay in the Caribbean. I assured Barbara that I would do my best to promote her wonderful hotel stateside and told her that I was sure tourists would soon be flocking to her doorstep. If the truth be known not I nor anyone else knew what was

26 - Chef Bruno

going to happen although once they saw it I just couldn’t imagine people not wanting to come to such a beautiful paradise.

An array of culinary delights was prepared for me by the resort’s Executive chef, Bruno. There were dishes from France, Italy and beyond and all were enhanced with Caribbean hints of flavour and style. The property had four restaurants and two lounges. I could have danced to a local band had there been anyone to dance with or mingled with guests around the poolside bar called Bar Carbet. As it was, I just retreated to my luxurious guestroom sans dessert and Champagne for a good night’s rest after the long flight down.

My first day in the Caribbean was magical. At seven a.m. the temperature was already in the eighties. Every day I was there it remained about 87 degrees until ten p.m.. I really liked this continuity. None of this three seasons in one day stuff that we get here in Vancouver. I spent my first morning looking around the grounds of the hotel and absorbing the ambience and warm weather. There was a small marina on site with a couple of stores to browse through. I traversed the property from one end to the other. I didn’t know at the time that the barren grass hills on either side were a nature preserve although I do recall seeing a couple walking along a trail towards the sea below.

I decided my first day I would go for a jog down the highway to the south west. I didn’t have a rental car and I wasn’t sure if I would need

St Marten - 27

one but I soon found out. I had seen a town or a village on the way to my hotel the night before so I thought I would jog to it. It was about a forty-five-minute drive from Princess Juliana International Airport to my hotel so I reckoned the village was about ten minutes away. I had seen another town further south about twenty minutes away but I would venture further afield later. Most of my run took me past fields of long grass billowing in the breeze. Soon a few houses came into view. Before long I was standing on the main boulevard of Grand Case, the gourmet capital of the Caribbean.

ABOVE: Grand Case

28 - Marigot

The town’s low-slung Creole architecture evokes New Orleans.

Grand Case lies on the Anguilla Channel which is on the west coast of the island. It has a long sandy beach and is well known for its many restaurants and beach bars. I walked down to a pier and discovered a marvellous hotel. The Grand Case Beach Club is an imposing yet intimate resort located in the heart of Grand Case. It is known as the perfect place for watching sunsets. You can witness the “green flash,” the little dot of green as the sun sinks into the sea.

As it had not taken me very long to arrive in Grand Case I decided to continue my journey on to the next town. Back on the highway, the houses were more numerous now and there were more people and cars.

It was all down hill so it was an easy jog. I could see the next town coming into view and it was beckoning me on. Ahead were miles and miles of coastline with several bays visible. The town spread inland from the sea and up the side of a hill to my left. There was an isthmus with a bay on both sides. I wanted to explore the town that lay in the bay on my side of the isthmus.

Marigot, the main town and capital, is located on the Bay of Marigot on the French side of San Martin. Originally a fishing village on a swamp for which it was named, Marigot was made the capital during the reign of King Louis XVI. King Louis had Fort St. Louis built on a hill near Marigot Bay. Today, that building is the most important in

St Marten - 29

Marigot. Marigot’s gingerbread houses and sidewalk bistros are typically Caribbean.

I turned right at the main intersection and found myself on Rue de la Republique (the main road of Marigot). Brightly coloured storefronts dotted both sides of the street. I could see the water in the distance so I carried on down. Soon I was standing in the Marche de Marigot, which is located in the harbour. The main road running along the waterside is called Boulevard de France. The street in front of the outside cafes on the waterfront was very busy. People were scurrying left and right.

There were many colourfully clad tourists with broad-brimmed hats to keep the sun off their pale faces. I, on the other hand, welcomed the sun and couldn’t get enough. There were vendors in the market selling

ABOVE: House on Rue de Republique, Marigot

30 - Cap Caraibes

goods, souvenirs and food. I could see a small boat waiting at the quay getting ready to depart, I later learned it was the ferry to Anguilla.

Further away from the water there were many luxury boutiques selling Hermes, Longchamps and Chanel. I wandered through the cobblestone streets and peered into the stores for a few blocks until I reached the Marina Port La Royale. There were restaurants on three sides and it was all very enchanting and very French. I walked around for some time and noted the streets names: Rue de General de Gaulle, Rue de President Kennedy and Rue Victor Maurasse. From the far end of the marina I walked back out to the seaside then headed back to Rue de la Republique. My first day in the Caribbean had been spectacular!

The next morning I decided to jog in the other direction: down the highway to the south-east. It was another beautiful day. I was quickly

ABOVE: Marigot

St Marten - 31

getting used to the Caribbean sunshine. As I rounded a corner a faraway beach came into view (1). I decided to jog down and have a look. Passing beautiful homes on winding roads near the water I found Le Village d’ Orient. It was quite new and the buildings were all painted with bright colours. There was a real estate office called Cap Caraibes so I went inside. Cap Caraibes sold new homes and marketed rental properties. There seemed to be much open land which if developed could be quite valuable. I googled it today and the village looks much larger than it did when I arrived in 2001.

I could see what appeared to be a resort further down the beach so I started jogging towards it. It wasn’t long before I encountered sunbathers with very little or no clothing covering their private parts. Further

ABOVE: L’Village de Orient

32 - Club Orient

ABOVE: Club Orient at Orient Bay

along I saw entire families in the same state of adornment (2).

Back up on the highway, I continued jogging in a south-west direction. Just past Orient Beach I discovered one of San Martin’s unique (1) Orient Bay, or in French “Baie Orientale,” sweeps around a blue cove, facing east, as the name suggests. The two mile long white powdered sand beach is protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef, and the bottom has a very gradual slope.

(2) A major attraction of Orient Bay is the nude beach and the world famous Club Orient, the island´s only naturist resort. Clothing is optional on the Club’s beach, and it is publicly accessible. The other parts of the beach allow more clothing but in fact you may encounter nude sunbathers anywhere.

St Marten - 33

attractions: The Butterfly Farm. Here you can get up close and friendly with many varieties of butterflies. In French, it is called La Ferme Des Papillons. They have hundreds of exotic butterflies from all around the world: South America, South East Asia, the Philippines, Australia, China, Africa and Malaya. I kept on jogging along the highway and was oblivious to time. The weather was so lovely that I seemed to relax more and more with each step. I eventually came to a hill so I stopped and gazed down at the sight below. I could see all the way out to the distant sea. A magnificent view! There were many buildings located on an isthmus. On the far side of the isthmus lay the sky blue waters of the Caribbean but on the inland side the water was darker and looked like a huge pond. Philipsburg is the main town and capital of Dutch Sint Maarten. The town is situated on a narrow stretch of land between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond (3). It functions as the commercial centre of Saint Martin island.

(3) When the Dutch moored on St. Maarten (in 1624) to repair the damage they had sustained during their voyage, they soon “discovered” The Great Salt Pond. This was a major find because now they had access to a vast supply of valuable goods. The salt industry was a very hard life for all those involved. During harvest season (six or seven months of the year) at least five hundred people, including children and senior citizens, slaves and free citizens from the Dutch and the French side of the island, would work in different groups with each person having a special task to fulfil. The Dutch side stopped production of salt in 1949, to be followed by the French side in 1967.

34

ABOVE: The Great Salt Pond in the back. I came in from the left/middle

I made my way down through the hills until I came to the outskirts of Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten (4).

Philipsburg has two main streets: Front Street and Back Street. Front Street is the main street with all the shops.

I jogged alongside the Great Salt Pond until I reached the main downtown area. Front Street is the closest street to the Great Bay (the open sea) (fifty meters from the beach). Besides the usual tourist shops and many jewellery shops, I found some interesting local venues as well.

(4) Philipsburg was founded in 1763 by John Philips, a Scottish captain in the Dutch navy, The settlement soon became a bustling centre of international trade. Two historic forts bear witness to Philipsburg’s strategic importance in St. Maarten’s history: Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willem.

(5) Guavaberry is the legendary folk liqueur of Sint Maarten/St Martin. It was first made there centuries ago in private homes. People made what they needed for family & friends. It became an integral part of local culture & tradition. Guavaberry is their national liqueur. It is a cherished symbol of the olden days.]

St Marten - 35

I discovered a Guava berry shop on Front Street so I went inside (5).

It was a very warm day and I had just jogged a long distance so when the girl in the store asked me if I would like to try some Guava berry I said sure, thinking it would be cool and refreshing. What I didn’t realise was that Guava berry liqueur is made from fine oak aged rum, cane sugar & wild Sint Maarten Guava berries. The fruit is found high in the warm hills in the centre of the island. They are rare and not at all like guavas.

The aged liqueur has a woody, fruity, spicy, bitter-sweet flavour all of its own. It went straight to my head and I had to sit down. For the next hour, my head was spinning as I continued to make my way down Front Street.

Waverly Square is located mid-centre on Front Street and leads down to the Captain Hodge Pier on the water. It received a massive upgrade in 2005. There were no cruise ships in the day I was there but I discovered

ABOVE: The Captain Hodge Pier

36 - Horizon View Beach Hotel

ered when there is a ship in the streets are jammed with tourists. When it is time to return to the ship someone yells, “Back to the ship,” and the streets empty. This ritual is carried out each time a cruise ship is in port which in Sint Maarten is often. It is the only completely duty-free island in the Caribbean. I walked all the way down Front Street and discovered many colourful restaurants: L’Escargot, Le Blue Peter and The Wajang Doll. At the very end was the Horizon View Beach Hotel which offered a beautiful view of the water from its patio.

I didn’t feel like jogging back to my hotel as it had been a long run down to Philipsburg (You really do need to rent a car to properly explore St. Maarten). I found a rental car company in Philipsburg and rented a car for the remainder of my stay on the island. With a car, it was much easier to get around.

The next day, I explored to the southwest of Marigot and discovered Simpson Bay. It is a nice drive around the bay on the sea route past Mullet Bay Golf Course and Princess Juliana International Airport. There are many resorts and rental properties past the airport. The sea route eventually connects with the main highway connecting Marigot to Philipsburg. While traffic is not bad around the outer destinations on the island I would avoid travelling between Philipsburg and Marigot during rush hour. On Sint Maarten people drive by the landmarks rather than by the signage.

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My last seven days at L’Meridien (on the French side) were up before I knew it. So on the Nineteenth of November, I moved to Cap Caraibe for three nights before departing for St. Barths on the Twenty-Second. I was still getting used to life in the islands and I was not sure how long I would need to be on each island. As it turned out I returned to Sint Maarten on July 22, 2002, after spending eight months on eight other islands: St. Martin, St. Barths, Martinique, St. Lucia, Grenada, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire.

On my second trip to St. Martin I rented a car and booked myself in for a week, from July 1 through July 8, at Cap Caraibe again. I included Cap Caraibe and the Club Orient in my magazine and visited the Butterfly Farm and several other venues in the vicinity.

ABOVE: Coming in for a landing at Princess Juliana Airport

ABOVE: In the back Simpson Bay showing the new Simpson Bay Bridge over the bay to ocean access. Simpson Bay Resort is in the foreground

After a week I moved over to Simpson Bay and stayed at the Flamingo Beach Resort from July 8 to July 15. It is located on Pelican Key. There is a cluster of resorts in this area. It is a short jog down Bill Foley Road to stores and a little further to the highway. I would often jog down the hill to the highway and then jog along the highway towards Princess Juliana International Airport. The incoming airplanes pass over the beach at Maho Bay as seen in the iconic photo on the next page. It looks as if the people on the beach can almost touch the airplane as it flies overhead.

(6) With its limitless all-inclusive meals, drinks, Kids Club and scheduled activities, it really is a destination within a destination, offering exciting nightlife, a variety of accommodation and first-rate amenities for singles, couples, families and groups. The resort features a large pool area with swim-up bar, cascading waterfalls, a kids pool, five restaurants and five bars, Serenity Spa and Logo Shop, Tour Desk, fitness centre and tennis courts, There is also one of the largest casinos on the island, an oceanfront wedding gazebo, and more than 24,000 square feet of meeting space.

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Just past the airport is the Maho Beach Resort and Casino. With over 600 suites and 40 shops, the Maho Beach Resort is quite impressive.

Today it is called the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino (6). When I first saw it I had the impression that the resort was a great opportunity waiting to be discovered. I guess the Sonesta people felt the same (7).

ABOVE: Iconic photo of an airplane passing over the beach (7) In 1937, real estate mogul A.M. “Sonny” Sonnabend pooled his resources with other investors to purchase the Preston Beach Hotel in a tiny Massachusetts seaside town. Thanks to the unrivalled service and hospitality he provided , his focus moved from real estate to hospitality. Excellent service and authentic experiences became the foundation for what would become one of the first U.S. -based international hotels - and they remaina cherished tradition that Sonesta has been honouring for over 75 years.

40 - Mullet Bay Golf Course

Just past the resort is the Mullet Bay Golf Course. Almost every day I would jog around the golf course. I couldn’t figure out why it was not in better shape. Some fairways were overgrown and the clubhouse looked as if it had been hit by a hurricane. I later discovered that it actually had been hit by Hurricane Luis in 1995. Due to problems with the insurance claim it was never rebuilt. I just recently googled it and it is still in the same state of disrepair today in 2017. This is a shame because it is the only golf course on the island.

Sint Maarten is considered to be the timeshare capital of the Caribbean so I decided to make that the theme of my chapter. I included several resorts and properties in Simpson Bay: The Inn at Cupecoy, Jennifer’s Vacation Villas, St. Maarten Condo Rentals, Sunterra Resorts and the Pelican Resort Club.

The rest of my time on the island I divided between Marigot and Philipsburg signing up businesses for the magazine. I wanted to include the high-end retail stores in Marigot, the gourmet restaurants of Grand Case and the jewellery shops and restaurants of Philipsburg. I still had lots to do.

In Marigot I met a local gentleman who owned several high-end retail stores. He agreed to put them all into my magazine. His stores carried all the top French brands: Hermes, Longchamps, Cartier. He knew several of the store owners on St. Barths whom he introduced me to. He had

St Marten - 41

stores on other Caribbean islands but none that I would be visiting on this trip. Too bad!

In Grand Case there were so many restaurants I wound up using a page from the Association des Restaurateurs de Grand Case which included all the restaurants so no one was left out. I also included the Grand Case Beach Hotel (which I had admired on my first visit), on my hotel page. I wound up staying with them for a couple of nights while I completed the Grand Case section of the chapter.

My travels took me all over the island several times. I signed up other smaller hotels including: the Hotel Privilege (which was located in Anse Marcel by Le Meridien), Esmeralda Resort, Golfe Hotel and L’Hoste Hotel.

For my activites page I included the Butterfly Farm, the Bayside Riding Club, Aquamania Cruises to St. Barths, Anguilla and Saba and Lee’s Deep Sea Fishing. I met Lee at his Roadside Grill in Simpson Bay and included the grill as well. I also managed to include the America’s Cup Yacht Race called the St. Maarten 12 Metre Challenge.

The Princess Port de Plaisance Resort & Casino is located just a short drive north of Princess Juliana International Airport on Cole Bay. I would often drop by and walk around their spectacular marina. This resort offers everything. Set in a tropical garden, it offers one of the largest casinos on Sint Maarten and includes a private High Roller room as

42 - The Inn at Cupecoy

well as a gourmet restaurant with live floor shows nightly. The hotel also has two pools, shops, a grocery store, two restaurants, two bars, seven tennis courts and a variety of water sports for its guests. The hotel has a seventy slip yacht club and full-service marina in Simpson Bay for guest use. I now notice Sint Maarten is billed online as the yachting capital of the Caribbean.

Today Sint Maarten has over twenty casinos with slot machines, table games, Texas hold em and sportsbooks. Luckily, the island is very small so staying on the French side of the island still allows easy access to

ABOVE: Princess Port de Plaisance Yacht Club

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casinos: they are only a fifteen to twenty minute taxi ride away (8) When I was on the island there were not as many casinos. I included seven in my magazine: three in Philipsburg, two in Simpson Bay and one in Cupecoy Bay. Just past Mullet Bay is Cupecoy Bay. Cupecoy Beach is a small, clothing-optional beach located at the southwest corner of Sint Maarten.

It is lined with beautiful rock formations and caves. In recent years several large condo developments have changed the scenery above the cliffs. The Inn at Cupecoy had just opened so I included it as well. I also included the Market at Cupecoy. When my time was up at the Flamingo I moved a few doors away to the Pelican Beach Resort.

The Pelican Beach Resort is now called the Simpson Bay Resort.

(8) The two largest Sint Martin casinos are the Princess Casino and Casino Royale.

They offer all the Vegas style casino games including slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, pai gow, 3 card poker, Texas hold-em and more! In addition to casino games, both offer a variety of live entertainment shows. Princess Casino has the lounge singer extraordinaire Melvin who sings show tunes while he walks around and serenades the crowd.

Casino Royale offers gymnastics (mini-version of Cirque du Soleil) and showgirls who dance to pop songs in a well-choreographed routine.

44 - Royal Resorts

It is pretty well synonymous with timeshares on the island. At one time there were many buildings under the Pelican trademark. All were located on or near Billy Foly Hill. The resort was originally owned by Erik Benninck-Bolt who was soon joined by Dr Martin Vlietman who rapidly became its primary owner and driving force due to his financial background.

In the early 1980s the first of Pelican’s many buildings was constructed: the Allamanda Building. It was sold as a timeshare. There was little competition on the island, only the Sea Palace in Philipsburg which was actually the island’s first timeshare. The Sea Palace was close to being sold out and offered no real competition to the Pelican which proceeded to construct the Croton, Calladium and Dieffenbacchia (a building with two bedroom units), all three having their own swimming pools and a view over Simpson Bay. The Casino was added around this time.

The next building to be constructed was the Flamboyant, which is now located right on the beach. I say ‘now’ because there was no beach when the Flamboyant was built. The beach was dredged up and put in later.

The next building was the most ambitious one: the Marina constructed in 1985.On its deck it offered water sports and restaurants. Up for leasing were studios, one bedroom, two bedrooms and three bedroom units.

Pelican at this time was billed as the ‘Number One Timeshare Resort

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in the World.’ -- not a bad accomplishment considering the worldwide competition.

Next, came the huge Bougainvillaea and Beaumontia buildings. They are located on a hill and they share an Olympic size pool.

In the late 1980s, construction was started on the Flamingo project which has now become an independently owned resort. Construction was also begun at this time on The Royal Palm Beach Resort, located between the main road and the beach in Simpson Bay. The Royal Palm was purchased along with the Flamingo.

The Atrium, at the bottom of the hill, had been an abandoned construction site until Dr Vlietman decided to purchase and complete it.

Now that’s a lot of buildings for one resort: Allamanda, Croton, Calladium, Dieffenbacchia, Flamboyant, Marina, Bougainvillea, Beaumontia, Flamingo, Royal Palm and Atrium.

In 1996, the resort was taken over by its Owner’s Association (TAPRC) who, in turn, turned over the management contract to Royal Resorts out of Mexico against much sage advice. Construction was then begun on Pelican Marina Residences. Royal Resorts was much smarter than TAPRC and over the years gained absolute control over the property, eventually purchasing it with money owed them by TAPRC and renaming it Simpson Bay Resort.

On a jog around Grand Bay back in Philipsburg I discovered the

46 - Belair Beach Hotel

Belair Beach Hotel on Little Bay Beach. It is the only all-suite oceanfront resort on St. Maarten. It is a unique combination of hotel, timeshare and condominium facilities. You can just sit on your private terrace overlooking the beach and the Caribbean and watch the world go by Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Kitts sit majestically in the distance. Cruise ships entering and departing Philipsburg pass by in all their glory. This hotel is located just three minutes from Philipsburg on the next bay.

Between Little Bay and Grand Bay are the ruins of Fort Amsterdam built in 1631. I jogged out to the fort and saw lots of old rusting Nineteenth century cannons. The fort is not in good repair but its still

ABOVE: Simpson Bay Resort & Marina

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interesting to visit. It was soon captured by the Spanish who occupied it as a military post until 1648. In that year a partition agreement was signed by the Dutch Republic and France. The island over the years and the Fort changed hands many times between the Dutch Republic, England and France.

I left Sint Maarten on August 1 for another five-day visit to wonderful St. Barths.

2. The Jet Set Capital of the Caribbean St. Barths

After my first stay in St. Marten, my next stop was the beautiful island of St. Barths, the jet-set capital of the Caribbean. The flight from Princess Juliana Airport to St. Barths on Winair was exciting. The de Havilland Twin-Otter (twenty-one seat) had barely taken off before it started its mountainous descent, landing about fifteen minutes after take-off at Gustav III Airport. It was more like a helicopter landing as the airplane does not have much room to slow down once it hits the short runway which ends abruptly at the beach. Pilots must have special training to negotiate the tricky landing. Winair has been making the flight and others to nearby islands for fifty-two years. Flights can be booked through Aubin Travel Services. Landing at St. Barths airport was truly an experience I will always remember.

LEFT: Gustav III Airport

50 - Carl Gustaf Hotel

St. Barths is located about twenty-two miles south-east of St. Martin.

Along with Saint Martin, Guadeloupe and Martinique they form what is known as the French West Indies (FWI). St. Barths is only twentyfive square kilometres and these days has a population of about 9500.

It is the only Caribbean island to have once been under Swedish rule.

Its capital is Gustavia, which also contains the island’s main harbour.

The language, cuisine, and culture are distinctly French. The island is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season, especially for the rich and famous during the Christmas and new year period (9).

The tourism office on St. Barths had booked me into three different hotels on the island so that I could experience several different types of accommodation. They were the Carl Gustaf, the Manapany and the Isle de France. They also gave me a rental car to use during my stay. I was to pick up my rental car at the airport and proceed on to the Carl Gustaf for a three-night stay. They had reserved a jeep for me which was great. I thought it would be lots of fun to drive around the island. But after a few minutes out on the road in the jeep, I began to think otherwise. It had no creature comforts and shook and rattled all over the place. It also had (9) Christopher Columbus named the island after his brother Bartolomeo. In the Eighteenth Century the island prospered under the Swedish who declared Gustavia a free port. Tourism began in the 1960s, developed in the 1970s, and led to considerable international popularity beginning in the 1980s.

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a stick shift and because St. Barths is mostly hills and mountains you are always changing gears. Finally, I made it to the Carl Gustaf which was situated on a hill overlooking Gustavia harbour.

The picture perfect, postcard site of Gustavia harbour came into view below me as I made my way to the check-in counter. The postcard below shows the iconic view of Gustavia harbour. The Carl Gustavia was terraced on a hillside and had fourteen luxury suites (I say was because it has been sold and torn down). I was taken down a brightly coloured hibiscus and a bougainville path to my suite where I found a fruit basket and a complimentary bottle of locally made rum waiting for me on my bed. The room showed an impeccable attention to detail and had an

ABOVE: The harbour of Gustavia, St. Barths

52 - Gustavia

unerring sense of taste. The calm turquoise waters of the Caribbean could be seen through every window. The hotel’s central, convenient location made everything accessible (10).

I couldn’t wait to access Gustavia’s picturesque streets by foot and visit an esplanade of luxury shops that offered exceptional clothes and jewellery. Jogging around Gustavia in the beautiful sunshine is an absolute joy and I did it many times during my stay. Several period buildings tell of the the island’s Swedish heritage. The town’s new elegant Town Hall is situated on the waterfront next to The Wall House, home of the island’s municipal museum and library. There is a beautiful park with a large anchor at the back of the port area. Several of the streets still bear quaint street signs with their former Swedish names. The streets around the port are lined with luxury boutiques and colourful shops with facades of brightly painted clapboard or traditional cedar shake offset by white shutters. Duty-free prices add to the allure of haute couture and jewelry.

Brands such as Hermes, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton have their own stores while other boutiques offer clothes, (10) The Carl Gustaf four star Hotel opened its doors on July 5, 1991. It was built with love and passion by its owner Jacques Laurent and his daughter Danielle who became the manager. It was designed by two of his friends who were both very attached to St. Barths. The King of Sweden gave his personal authorization to use the name in memory of the years when the island was “Swedish”.

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shoes and handbags of various international designers. Cuban cigars, duty-free liquor, and imported teak furniture add to the mix.

As I rounded one corner an outdoor restaurant/bar came into view. It appeared to be quite popular. Both tourists and locals alike were enjoying a drink or dinner on the outside terrace where leafy branches created just enough shade. Le Select restaurant has been a fixture on the island since 1949. The name of its casual garden restaurant is “Cheeseburger in Paradise” after the Jimmy Buffet song of the same name. Buffet considers St. Barths his home away from home and in 1999 he came down for the restaurants 50th anniversary. He brought his band and gave a free concert on the main dock, much to the delight of the locals.

ABOVE: Anchor in Gustavia harbour park

54 - Jimmy Buffet

Buffets fans flocked to the island for the occasion. They say that on that balmy moonlit night it seemed as if Gustavia was the centre of the universe. He returned in 2009 for the 60th anniversary of Le Select. When he first set foot in Le Select in 1976 Buffet said, “There was a big photo of Bob Marley on the back wall. When I came back in 2009 I found a big picture of myself on the back wall. I guessed I had found a home.”

I was beginning to get accustomed to being on the sun cycle: to bed at dusk and up at dawn. Gradually the muscle tension in my neck and shoulders from years of studying and work began to ease and I was starting to find a new lease on life. I had arranged with the tourist bureaus on each island to have a complimentary dinner at a few of the

ABOVE: Le Select Snack Bar in Gustavia

St Barths - 55

island’s best restaurants but I was finding that one doesn’t eat as much in tropical climates. Large dinners were soon replaced by lots of liquids and smaller meals throughout the day whenever I felt tired.

I was eager to look around the island but I wasn’t looking forward to driving that old jeep and shifting gears every five minutes. So the next morning I took the jeep back to the rental company and asked if they could give me something else. What they gave me was called a Smart Barth. Smart cars were well known in Europe but had not yet been introduced to the North American market. This one was named after the island and was amazing. Made by Mercedes, it had all the creature comforts I wanted and was a convertible to boot! I was in seventh heaven.

You have to remember, though, to always wear your hat or the eightyseven-degree sunshine will beat down mercilessly on your head.

ABOVE: A Smart Barth convertible

56 - Eden Rock

St. Barths is an island of charming little villages. It almost feels like you have stepped back in time. The next largest neighbourhood after Gustavia is St. Jean. It was here in 1945 that a Frenchman named Remy de Haenen landed his airplane on the only bit of flat land available. This little spot would expand to one day become the Gustav III Airport. St. Jean has one of the longest beaches on the island. Haenaen built one of the island’s first hotels: Eden Rock, which is perched high on a promontory looking over the Atlantic Ocean. Today a string of hotels, cottages and private homes with exceptional views can be found along the bay.

In the morning I often cruised to St. Jean in my Smart Barth for breakfast at one of the cafes on the main street. I followed this up with a jog along the bay road. There were several interesting shops that I found.

ABOVE: Eden Rock

St Barths - 57

They sold some some great souvenirs. Up the hill from Eden Rock is Village St. Jean, built in the 1950s by Andre Charneau, a pioneer from Guadeloupe. Today this charming hotel is still run by the Charneau family. Before long my three nights at the Carl Gustaf were up and I was off to my next hotel, the Manapany.

What I remember most about the Manapany is the huge four-poster bed with the mosquito net. It brought to mind the kind of bed you might see on a plantation or in Africa. The mosquito net covered the whole bed and it felt quite luxurious to pull it up and slip into bed each night.

I do not recall there being many mosquitos but at times there must have been. There had to have been for the net. In fact I do not recall anything negative about the Caribbean at all. I didn’t see any hurricanes as I made my way from island to island. It was always 87-degrees but after a couple of weeks of just drinking liquids and eating small meals I enjoyed the heat and soon I couldn’t get enough of it, so much so that when I left the Caribbean and flew north I couldn’t stand the air conditioning in the airports and had to go seek out large windows that let in some warmth. It took me quite awhile to get used to the cooler weather again after having been so long in the tropics.

Tucked away in the enchanting hollow of Anse des Cayes, where banana trees, coconut palms, bougainvillea and hibiscus are part of the

58- Manapany

attractive outdoor décor, Manapany (a Concorde Hotel), is conveniently located just a five -minute drive from Gustavia and the airport. Its forty-two guestrooms and suites facing the majestic ocean are set either directly on the beach or on the hillside. They offer all the luxury and comfort needed to create a truly unforgettable stay. My room was on the hillside. Federico Roy was the helpful General Manager during my stay.

Another hotel I visited was the Hotel Le Toiny, a stylish little hideaway tucked into a hillside on the south-eastern coast of St. Barths at Anse de Toiny. What I remember most about this hotel is the large central pool adjacent to the Main House. Forming a semi-circle on the

ABOVE: Dining at Hotel Le Toiny

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ocean side it was almost on the edge of the property with only some deck chairs below. The calmness of the pool water was matched only by the serenity of the ocean. You could sit and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at Le Gaiac Restaurant (which seats seventy) and gaze out to your heart’s content at the amazing vista. It is truly breathtaking. The thirteen exquisite cottage suites offer guests the luxury of spaciousness.

The suites resemble old plantation houses and the cuisine has a classic French flavour, touched with Provencal and Creole accents.

On my journey out to Le Toiny I drove between small green covered mountains, past meadows marked with low stone fences, along pristine beaches and sandy coves and past a smattering of neat little villages.

But I wanted to see more of Gustavia, the capital. It is a picture-perfect, postcard town and looks like it could be the setting for an operetta. Its harbour was always busy with yachts, boats and schooners and it is reportedly one of the safest in the world.

Renowned chefs from France and the USA frequently visit the island.

Many of them open restaurants and some even teach classes. Season after season young chefs who have trained in France’s greatest restaurants choose to work in St. Barths. Combining local ingredients with French and Italian traditions, they have made the island a gastronomic showcase. There are about seventy restaurants in all on St. Barths. Some

60- Shell Beach

are beach cafes featuring fresh lobster and charcoal-grilled steaks; some specialise in seafood; and some, particularly in the elegant hotels, present French Cuisine of a very high order. There are no casinos or movie theatres on St. Barths and evenings are spent over long leisurely meals.

I never saw any movie stars during my stay although I may not have recognised them if I had. St. Barths is very informal. Jeans and tee-shirts are the order of the day; beachwear of course, at the beaches; fashionable resort wear in the evenings. Ties and jackets are never required by men.

ABOVE: Shell Beach

St Barths - 61

There are at least fourteen beaches on St. Barths, even more by one account. They all have gleaming white sand. I visited only two of them during my stay and neither were crowded. One was Shell Beach, easily reached from Gustavia. Nudism is not allowed on either beach but many women go topless. The other beach I visited, St. Jean, is a resort beach.

It has lots of water sports that cater to guests of the small hotels in the area.

My daily jog around Gustavia: I would begin on the Quai de la Republique where I would park my Smart Barth in the parking lot. I would then jog by the Office du Tourisme on the waterfront and continue past the yachts until I reached Rue du Bord du Mer. There were lots of places to have a drink or eat or just sit and gaze at the beautiful boats in the harbour. The street behind is called Rue de General de Gaulle, with lots of boutiques. Turning right along Rue de Centenaire I would pass the park with the huge anchor and continue along the quay to another group of stores, One of them was St. Barths Properties. They were Sotheby’s representatives. It was interesting to look at the different villas for sale and the prices they commanded. Carrying on down past the post office you make a turn to the right and walk along the waterfront. You find more boats and shops and marinas along this side as well. If I had turned left instead of right at the post office the road would have taken me to Shell Beach.

62 - Monbars the Exterminator

There was always something to see on the waterfront. There were lots of people going about their business but it was still not crowded by any means. I discovered the Town Hall and The Wall House where the island’s museum is located. One day I went inside the museum and talked with the curator. The museum was just getting established at that time. By now I am sure it is a going concern. On the other side of the port area there are two old Forts on the hill looking out to sea. These are Fort Oscar and Fort Karl. Gustavia is a charming island harbour.

ABOVE: The Wall House Museum

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ABOVE: Anse du Gouverneur

In 1763 the island was settled by French mariners from Normandy and Brittany. These French buccaneers found the place to their liking and thrived on the vast quantities of plunder which they took from Spanish galleons. One famous buccaneer called Monbars the Exterminator is said to have had his headquarters in St. Barths and buried his treasure in one of the coves of Anse du Gouverneur or in the sands of Saline. Gradually the buccaneer’s descendents became farmers, fishermen, tradesmen and shopkeepers. In 1785 Louis XVI offered to trade the island to Sweden in exchange for some warehouses in Gothenburg.

Thus the harbour became known as Gustavia. That same year it became a Freeport. In 1804, the population was exempted from paying taxes. In 1877 it was sold back to France for 320,000 francs. There were conditions attached to the sale: it had to remain a free port and its citizens were to remain untaxed.

64 - Smart Barth

During the American Revolutionary War St. Barths continued to prosper. Swift American privateers operating legitimately with “Letters of Marque” sailed forth from St. Barths to attack British ships. They caused such heavy losses to British merchants that pressure was exerted upon the British King to end the war. The United States is indebted for its independence in no little part to these brave privateersmen who operated from St. Barthelemy.

The St. Barths Music Festival started in 1985 with the arrival of a group of professional musicians from the Pittsburgh area. They were a small group, about five of them, but they made a big impression on the island and founded the Saint Barths Music Festival.

Each year since the festival has grown in stature and importance.

The first ballet was produced in 1988 and jazz was added the following year. Then the festival became truly international with the addition of musicians and dancers from France, Switzerland, Austria, China, Cuba, Argentina and the U.S.A. The festival is held in January of each year.

The St. Barths Film Festival offers filmmakers from throughout the Caribbean basin a valuable showcase for their films and gives the people of St. Barths a chance to discover their Caribbean heritage. The festival is held every year the week after Easter.

St Barths - 65

I enjoyed my week on St. Barths and was sad to leave but I knew many more exciting adventures on other islands lay in store for me in the months to come. I was going to miss my Smart Barth as well.

Cruising the hills of St. Barths in a Smart Barth built for two remains one of my best memories of my first visit to the Caribbean.

My next stop was magnificent Martinique!

3. Exotic Martinique!

Martinique

“Here is my telephone number,” said the beautiful island girl one morning as I walked past the restaurant where she worked. I had talked to her a couple of times during dinner and she said she would give it to me. The women of Martinique are tall, slim, beautiful and statuesque.

They are the women carrying baskets of fruit on their heads that you see in pictures of the Caribbean. You have to have perfect posture to do that.

The restaurant where she worked was part of a new tourism complex called Creole Village in Trois Islets. The buildings were painted in the bright colours of the Caribbean. I didn’t appreciate it as much until I visited the capital of Fort du France. Trois Ilets was new.

Martinique is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. It

LEFT: Paradise

68 - Ponte du Bout

is the most northern of the Windward Islands and lies two hundred and fifty miles from St. Barths. Situated south of Dominica and north of St. Lucia it offers a plethora of flora and fauna. The lush vegetation extends down to the water’s edge.

I was booked into the Meridien l’Habitation Le Domaine in Ponte du Bout for seven nights, from November 29 through December 5. Following 9/11, tourist bureaus were offering free accomodation for a write up in a tourist publication.. They had also booked several dinners for me in towns all over the island: in St. Pierre at Le Fromager, in Le Carbet at La Datcha, in Fort de France at La Belle Epoque, in Saint Marie at Le Colibri and in Grand Riviere at Chez Tante Arlette. Looking back at this now, I almost wish I had taken them up on the dinners but, as I said, once I was acclimated to the 87-degree temperature I found I was not very hungry. Smaller meals seemed for me the best option. These restaurants were all over the island and Martinique, as I discovered, is one of the larger islands. I felt there would be enough for me to see in the vicinity of my hotel in Trois Islets and Fort de France, (the capital) so I did not need a rental car.

“How do I get to Fort de France?” I asked the waitress serving me breakfast the first morning on the patio of my hotel. I could see water in every direction. It was a magnificent day. “There is a ferry over there,” she said pointing across the road. “It is about a fifteen-minute ride and

Martinique - 69

you are right downtown.” I thanked her and marvelled at the lush vegetation on the hotel grounds. Everything was immaculately groomed. It only rained once during my entire stay in the Caribbean and that was in Martinique when all of a sudden it started to hale. Everyone had to retreat for cover for fear of getting hit on the head by large pellets. The shopkeepers brought out their umbrella stands and American tourists bought all the umbrellas. The cloudburst was over in fifteen minutes.

I could hear music past the restaurant. It seemed to come from another smaller hotel. As I looked inside I could see brightly clad locals dancing to Caribbean music. They were performing a show for the hotel guests who were all sitting in chairs around the edge of the room.

ABOVE: Dancers in a hotel lobby

70 - Fort Saint Louis

There was much to see in the vicinity of my hotel. Just past the hotel with the music and dancers I came to a beach where you could buy chicken and corn cob meals from local stands.

It makes me sad to learn that the beautiful hotel I stayed at in Martinique is no longer open. It became the Kalenda Resort about a year after my trip. Today, the hotel appears to be in a state of abandonment.

It has been torn apart and sits there in ruins, overgrown with vegetation.

This writer has not been able to find any explanation as to what happened to this once beautiful hotel. Too bad! It was by far the nicest and largest hotel in Trois Islet. I assume it became too costly to maintain.

As I headed over to Fort de France (the capital) on the ferry, I realized that I knew very little of the tumultuous history of Martinique.

Originally Fort de France was called Fort Royal and underwent a name change during the French Revolution when it became known as Fort La Republique. It later settled on its present name in the Nineteenth century Over the years it experienced several upheavals: captured by the British in 1762, partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1839, then devastated by fire in 1890.

St. Pierre, located north of Fort de France, was known as the Paris of the Caribbean and was the most important city in Martinique at one time. It is also the oldest city on the island and the cultural capital of Martinique. Fort de France was the administrative centre. St. Pierre

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was also the French pirate and privateering capital of the Caribbean.

French buccaneers regularly set sail to attack Spanish and British ships.

In 1777 there were thirty-one American privateers operating out of Martinique and they had thirty ships as prizes. In December of the same year it is documented that there were as many as eighteen American privateersmen in the harbour of St. Pierre. In 1902 St. Pierre was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Pelee. The entire city was destroyed and never rebuilt. From then on Fort de France became the most important city in Martinique.

As we approached the dock I could see Fort Saint Louis on a hilltop to my right. To my left was the long pier where the cruise ship passengers disembarked. When I visited you could see tenders bringing in cruise ship passengers to the pier but now I see on the internet that cruise ships moor at the pier. Passengers are greeted by a brand new development on the water’s edge: Pointe Simon.

Upon first glance at Fort de France, I could see why I was directed to Pointe du Bout for my accommodation. Fort de France was badly rundown and drastically in need of repair. Many of the buildings were old, made of wood, and deteriorating rapidly. The city looked like New Orleans with its French Creole style architecture. Yet amidst all the rapidly decaying buildings there is some amazing architecture. The first one I noticed is the Schoelcher Library, located at the corner of Rue de la

72 - St. Louis Cathedral

Liberte and Rue Perrinon. This architectural gem was built for the Paris World Expo in 1889, then dismantled and shipped to Martinique where it was reassembled.

Another architectural gem is the St. Louis Cathedral, built in the late Nineteenth century (11). It is in the Romanesque Revival style, and serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fort-deFrance. It is situated at the intersection of rue Victor Schoelcher and rue Blénac and is named after Victor Schoelcher who in 1848 persuaded the French government to end slavery in the French West Indies.

ABOVE: The Schoelcher Library

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The cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in the capital and has been labelled “the religious centrepiece” of Martinique. The entire structure has a frame of iron beams which support the walls, ceiling and steeple and make this a fine example of architecture from the time of the Industrial Revolution. The cathedral is referred to (in the Caribbean) as the “ Iron Cathedral’. It has also been called a “Catholic railway station.”

(11) The construction of the cathedral began in the mid-1600s and opened in 1657. Due to the natural disasters that have plagued Fort-de-France over the years the current structure dates back to 1895. It had to be rebuilt with an iron frame in order to withstand earthquakes. It is the seventh church to be erected on the site; it was designed by Gustave Eiffel and built by PierreHenri Picq.

ABOVE: The St. Louis Cathedral.

74 - Fort de France

Another architectural gem is the Regional Museum of History and Ethnography which features a handsome colonial period house surrounded by a garden. The travel through time continues inside the house, where the builders have recreated a late-Nineteenth century interior, providing insight into daily life and culture in Martinique. The collection of furniture and West Indies dresses, made out of Madras and broché satin and called douillettes, is worthy of note.

Another noteworthy building is the one which houses the Martinique Pre-Colombian Archaeology and Prehistory Museum. The museum is housed in the former arsenal that was completed in 1898. The museum saw the light of day in 1970 thanks to the curator Mr Mario Mationo,

ABOVE: The Regional Museum of History and Ethnography

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one of the pioneers of archaeology in Martinique. It offers the public the largest and most diversified archaeology collection in the Lesser Antilles. It enables the visitor to understand better Martinique’s Amerindian history.

“Where are you from?” this island kid said to me as he approached me on the outskirts of Fort de France. Before I knew it he was right beside me and had his hand in my right front pocket. I was carrying a bag with my new Cannon reflex camera and I was concerned that he might take that so I moved away from him quickly. He seemed satisfied with the few dollars worth of change that he got and I kept my camera. It’s not worth getting a knife stuck in you (if he had one) over a few dollars. It was my fault as I realized I had wandered away from the crowded

ABOVE: The Pre-Colombian Archaeology and Prehistory Museum

76 - Le Jardin de Balata

streets somewhat. One has to be careful. It was the only incident of that kind that I encountered on Martinique although there were a few more on some of the other islands I visited.

One of the delights of my stay in Martinique was my visit to Le Jardin de Balata. I took a bus up the hill behind Fort de France. Along the way I could see lush vegetation everywhere -- many species of plants and ferns and flowers that I had never seen before. Before long we arrived at Le Jardin de Balata, Martinique’s most prestigous horticutural treasure.

The Jardin de Balata (3 hectares) is a private botanical garden located on the Route de Balata about 10 km outside of Fort-de-France.

ABOVE: Le Jardin de Balata

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It is open daily and an admission fee is charged.

The garden was begun in 1982 by horticulturist Jean-Philippe Thoze and opened to the public in 1986. It is set on former farmland and has picturesque views of the Pitons du Carbet. Today the garden contains about 3,000 varieties of tropical plants from around the world, including 300 types of palm trees. It also contains a good collection of anthuriums, begonias, bromeliads, cycads, heliconia, mahogany, Musa nana, and bamboo (Dendrocalamus).

Le Jardin de Balata is breath-taking! Sounds of small animals and birds can be heard everywhere. The swooshing of leaves and the cawing of the birds make it seem magical, a place where time stands still.

It is nature at its best. Waterfalls and waves lapping on the shore of the ponds round out the venue. Exotic for sure. Natural you bet. Awesome and inspiring, always.

The many ponds are filled with little fish that seem to co-exist quite well with the hummingbirds. Coconut tress, palm trees and banana trees are found everywhere, reaching majestically to the heavens. Purples, violets, reds, yellows and greens fill your senses as you walk about. Lily pads lie calmly in pools of water. Narrow two foot wide walkways (high above the ground) with netting strung five feet high on either side allow one safe access to the higher levels of the green undergrowth. Huge leaves, two feet wide gather water when it rains. The manicured lawns

78 - La Mauny

and walkways attest to the care and attenion this place is given by those entrusted with its care. There is good reason Martinique is called the Isle de Fleurs.

A wonderful culture that is still visible on Martinique is that of the rum plantation. There were six or seven of them visible on the island when I arrived: Habitation Clement, Distillerie Dillon, Neisson, Plantation Saint James, La Mauny, Decouvrez and La Distillerie Depaz. They are located all over the island but I only visited one which was nearby Fort de France: Habitation Clement.

Located in Le Francois, Habitation Clément is the birthplace of Rhum Agricole: and carries on the traditional ways of producing rum.

It is a grand tradition that goes back centuries. The plantation has been completely refurbished by the Hayot family to remain a Martiniquean cultural icon for centuries.

A tree-lined driveway brings you into Habitation Clement. There is a natural pond on the left side of the driveway. Beautiful palm trees grow all over the site. Inside a storage area there are barrels of rum piled on top of one another from the floor to the ceiling. You can walk around and view the machinery of the processing plant. The vats where the rum is distilled are visible as well. It is all state-of -the-art yet, it is still a working plantation. Viewing larger oak barrels is part of the tour. It’s in the barrels that the rum is aged. The old Clement plantation house is now a museum. Stone walls and buildings give away the age of the

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original plantation. More modern buildings house a tasting room and another museum. Saddles can be seen in the museum that date from when everything was done on horseback. Antique desks and other furniture fill the rooms of the old plantation house. A dining room still has a table set for eight. A bedroom is laid out as if the plantation owner will be returning after a hard day’s work in the sugarcane fields. A claw-foot tub and four poster bed with heavily engraved posts indicates the plantation’s long history to the visitor. Many varities of rum are on display in the gift shop for purchase and viewing.

Martinique has long enjoyed the reputation of having the best soil for sugarcane cultivation, long before Honère Clément had the imaginative idea to press sugarcane to produce Rhum Agricole (12) (13).

ABOVE: Habitation Clement

80 - Musee de la Pagerie

One day I found myself out jogging. I didn’t really know where I was going but I headed off anyway. My jog took me alongside fields and then a golf course which I later learned is called the Impatrience Golf Course. I remember coming to a significant corner. Whether to go straight ahead or turn to my right was the question. I noticed some shade trees to the right so I took that road. Before long I was jogging along a shady tree-lined country road. Towering palm trees with larger than life leaves reached almost to the ground in places. I learned later that the locals use these trees to gather rain water. I could see why. As I continued on down the dirt road, I could see a thatched roof cottage in a field on my right. It was very quaint looking with brown shutters on its windows. I knew it was very old although I couldn’t say from which century. I later found out it was from the Eighteenth century.

(12) Domaine de l’Acajou was purchased in 1887 at the peak of the sugar crisis. The introduction of sugar beets and the increasing availability of cheap South American sugar lead to the collapse of the Martiniquean sugar industry (6).

(13) Homère Clément made the necessary investments and transformed one of the island’s most prestigious sugar plantations into a producer of the world-class Rhum Agricole. He had the planters return to the fields to harvest sugarcane once again, but not to refine sugar. His idea was to press his quality estate-grown sugarcane to extract the first-pressed aromatic and flavorful sugarcane juice to distill pure rum. Inspired by great brandies while studying in his early years in Paris, Homère copied the distillers of the great Armagnacs of southwestern France to perfect his method of rum production known today as Rhum Agricole.

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Further along, I came to a car park and a kiosk in a newer building complex. To my astonishment a sign read “This is the birthplace of Marie Joseph Rose Tascher de la Pager, the Empress Josephine.” I couldn’t believe it. To think I had just walked along the same road that Empress Josephine had walked before she left for France at age fifteen to marry Napoleon Bonaparte was astonishing. “Why,” you ask? Because I am sure nothing has changed on the approach to the cottage since Josephine’s time. There is no development of any kind except for the kiosk area. It looks, I am sure, just like it would have looked over two hundred years ago. Amazing! I just read online that it costs thirty Euros for a taxi ride to get to Fort de France. That makes me like it even better because I jogged the four kilometres out and back and saved thirty Euros. It was a beautiful day to be in Martinique.

ABOVE: Musee de la Pagerie

82 - St. Pierre

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the town of St. Pierre on this trip. St. Pierre is located on the coast north of Fort de France. In 1902 St. Pierre was destroyed when nearby Mount Pelee erupted. 28,000 people lost their lives. There were only two survivors - a prisoner by the name of Louis-Auguste Cyparis (also known by various other names), who later toured the world with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, and Léon Compère-Léandre, a man who lived at the edge of the city. There was considerable eruptive activity in the two weeks prior to the fatal blast, but since the phenomenon of the pyroclastic flow (nuée ardente) was not yet understood, the danger was perceived to be from lava flows, which, it was believed, would be stopped by the two valleys found between the volcano and the city. The city of Saint-Pierre was never restored to its former entirety although some villages were built (in later decades) in its place. There are many historic remains and a Volcanological Museum. I discovered a postcard (on my travels) of a photo that was actually taken on the day of the disaster.

It was time to leave beautiful Martinique. Rather than taking a plane to my next destination of St. Lucia, I decided to take the inter-island ferry.

It is about a ninety-minute ride and today costs about 74 Euros which is around $87 dollar. I am sure it was less in 2001. As I recall it was only about $30. The ferry is a catamaran and has seats inside. Personally, I would not take it again. I would definitely fly. I found the ferry ride

RIGHT: Photo of St. Pierre the day the volcano erupted

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long and tedious. It was also crammed full of people with no seating for latecomers. The sea can also be quite rough and the boat travels along at a fair clip making the ride uncomfortable.

4. Killer Traffic St. Lucia, FWI, December 2001

“What happened to you?” asked the man on the deck of a yacht anchored at a floating dock in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. “Killer traffic!” I replied with a sad smile. His eyes surveyed the three by three-inch bloody gauze bandages under both my knees. As I walked along the dock a man on another yacht asked the same question. It was December 21 and there were many yachts alongside the floating docks that day in the Rodney Bay Marina. The ARC Yacht Rally from the Canary Islands to Rodney Bay had just come in and I had come down from my hotel to have a look at the magnificent yachts that were now anchored in the bay.

It had been a few days since the accident. I had been walking along the main road heading back to my hotel after a jog. I had glanced to my left for a moment and the driver of an SUV coming towards me around a curve had glanced to his left at the same time. Neither of us saw each other but his wife did and she screamed just before point of impact.“What happened?” I asked, regaining consciousness in the back seat of their SUV. “Thank God you are alive,” said his wife who was LEFT: Friday Night Jump Party, Gros Ilet

88 - Glencastle Resort

in the front passenger’s seat. “We thought we had killed you, We are taking you to the hospital,” said the driver. “I do not remember even being hit,” I said. “You are probably in shock,” he added.

The hospital turned out to be a worse experience than the accident which to this day I still cannot recall. “You will have to wait until midnight for the night nurse to come on duty,” said a nurse. “She will wash both cuts under your knees and disinfect them.” She turned to the others and said, “Come this way, please.” In a short time, the man and lady came back and said to me, “They want us to pay for x-rays.” “How much?” I asked. “$300! We do not mind paying for them, we just want to be sure you are okay.” “No that is not necessary,” I said. “I do not think anything is broken. I am just a little shaken up is all. I just need to have the cuts washed and disinfected.” By this time I had been at the hospital for an hour with blood still trickling out of the cuts below both knees. It was going to be another hour before the night nurse came on duty so I said, “I do not want to sit here for another hour. All I need is my cuts cleaned and I can do that myself back at the hotel. Can you drop me off back at the hotel?” “Of course,” they replied, adding, “But are you sure you do not want the x-rays?” “No, I am fine,” I replied. “When you get home you better see your doctor and have him look at you,” said the man. “Yes, I will do that,” I replied. The nurse appeared and I told her that I was going back to the hotel and that I would clean the cuts

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myself. “You will have to sign a release form,” she said. “You really should have the x-rays. You may feel fine now but later you may not.

We will not be responsible if you leave.” “That is fine,” I said and signed the release forms.

Back at my hotel I thanked my new found friends and told them again not to worry and that I was sure I was fine. I was staying at the Glencastle Resort Hotel. It was a nice hotel, not expensive. It afforded me a wonderful view of Rodney Bay including Pigeon Island, Gros Islet and the Marina and all would play a part in the wonderful adventures that I would soon have during my stay in eclectic St. Lucia. Once in the lobby, the look on the night manager’s face was priceless. “What happened to you, man?” he said, staring at my legs which were red below my knees and saturated with blood. “It is not as bad as it looks,” I assured him.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” I asked. He reached into a drawer beneath the front counter and produced a small first aid kit which I hoped would do the job. I then retired to my room and proceeded to wash my legs and clean both cuts with disinfectant. Upon further inspection in the bathroom I pulled up my tee-shirt and saw to my astonishment that I was all black and blue across my stomach just above my belt. The hood of the SUV had left its indelible footprint on my soft underbelly. The cuts under my knees were from the bumper but strangely enough, I felt no pain at all (14). I did wonder, though, upon seeing my black and blue belly

90 - I Shot The Sherriff

in the mirror, whether I should have had the x-rays after all. I felt fine, except for being a little shaken. Once the cuts were clean, I cut two three-inch squares of gauze off a roll and taped them under my knees.

They were nice and white when I put them on but before long they turned beet red as they soaked up the blood still oozing out of the cuts.

Over the course of the next couple of days I replaced the bandages several times but they still seemed to turn red as quickly as I put them on. The only negative result of the accident or so I thought at first, was that the rental car company decided that I was not well enough to drive and that still baffles me to this day. Did they think my reflexes would be slowed down by the accident or did they not like the idea of someone driving one of their cars with bloody knees (it might give the wrong impression as to the type of people they rent to). I didn’t know. Anyway, it turned out to be a good thing because it forced me to get into better shape by walking and running all over St. Lucia which is exactly what I did!

(14) I would later discover (back in Vancouver, a few years later), when I fell and broke my arm in two places that I had a high pain threshold. I thought I had only sprained my arm (having never broken anything before). When I finally went to the emergency ward at Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital the nurse said to me, “You should be screaming.”

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On one of my visits to the marina to see the yachts, I noticed a young girl standing on a far float by herself so I approached her. “Are you alright?” I asked. “This is a strange place to be.” “I am fine,” she said. “I am waiting for a sailor. You know, I am working.” She was very young and I was surprised at first. “Do you want some company?” she asked. “No, I am fine,” She seemed very nice and about eighteen I guessed. “Where do you live?” I asked. “In Gros Isle. Have you heard of our Friday night jump parties?” “No, I haven’t.” “They are very popular and well known by the tourists. Everyone comes out onto the streets and vendors sell fried chicken and beer. If you come by on Friday night, look for me,” she said. “I have to go now,” and with that she left, I guessed to find a sailor. I do not know why I was surprised by what she was doing. Maybe I had not expected to find that happening on a float, in a marina, in a bay, in St. Lucia. After I thought about it, I guessed some young island girls would see rich sailors on world class yachts as easy pickings, especially if the sailors had been at sea for several days.

Gros Isle, I discovered, was located between my hotel and Pigeon Island, located to the north of the marina. On Friday night I wandered over to see what I could see. It is quite a popular event! The stores and bars set up tables on the street and sell their wares to the crowds of people that quickly gather. There were lots of tourists mingling with

92 - Bob Marley

the locals. A local band was playing Bob Marley songs, I Shot The Sheriff. The music of Bob Marley could be heard everywhere on the islands, usually in hotel elevators and bars. I found a garage band playing One Love in the countryside at a street party. I love Bob Marley, so whenever I heard his songs such as No Woman No Cry I gravitated to the music.

I came to realise, while Marley is Jamaican, he is revered on all the islands like an adopted son. Before long I saw the young girl I had met on the float. She was talking to a local man. When she saw me she went inside a nearby house and the man approached me. ‘You like her?’ he asked. “She seems quite nice,” I said. ‘She is in that house over there,’ and pointed towards the house. ‘Go on over, she is alone.’ I thanked him and disappeared into the crowd. In this day of Aids and HIV, I wasn’t about to get involved in anything that might turn out to be problematic.

I would encounter the girl again in a few days.

“Fort Rodney changed hands fourteen times in its history,” declared the young St. Lucian girl in the officers’ mess on Pigeon Island the next day. It was now a museum and housed a collection of artifacts from the fort’s Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries. Pigeon Island today is connected to the mainland and you can jog out to the point and then to the top of Signal Hill. In the past it was an island but in 1972 the inlet between was filled in. I found the old fort fascinating as I wandered through the buildings that were still standing. A brochure gave a brief

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ABOVE: Pigeon Island

accounting of each structure’s original purpose. The highlight of my visit to Pigeon Island was the jog up to the top of Signal Hill. Admiral Rodney had all the trees on the island cut down so he could spy on the French naval base on neighbouring Martinique. The view was magnificent in all directions.

“How much is the salad?” I asked the lady behind the counter at an open air restaurant on the far side of Rodney Bay. There were several colourful homemade salads set out on a table covered with plastic and everyone was helping themselves. At the end of a row of tables barbeque chicken was roasting. I stopped by several nights for dinner

94 - Grod Isle

during my stay in St. Lucia. The food was good and it was the only homemade food I could find. At $6.50 for both salad and chicken (an extra dollar if you wanted a glass of beer) it was a great deal! There were several hotels on the other side of the Bay that I wanted to visit so I spent one day meeting with their marketing people.

“Hello,” I said, as I came out of one of the hotels. It was the young girl I had met at the marina and saw in Gros Isle. By now she realised that I was not interested in being a client so she was more relaxed. We talked a little about what I was doing on the island and then she said, “That man you met, he will give me a hard time if I do not bring him back any money.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill. “That is all I have,” I said. “Take it!” She took the five dollars and thanked me. I noticed a man nearby watching us. I figured he knew that she was a working girl and he probably thought that I was a customer but it didn’t really matter. People will think what they will think. I felt sorry for the girl and I wanted to help her if I could. That would be the last time our paths crossed during my stay on eclectic St. Lucia. I try not to feel too sorry for the plight of those less fortunate that I meet on my trips but sometimes it is hard not to be compassionate. On the other hand, I have also learned you cannot help everyone.

My journeys around Rodney Bay took me to the J.Q. Charles Mall, a new mall not far from the marina and the St. Lucia Racquet Club.

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“If you take the road at the bottom of the hotel to the right and follow it for a few miles you will come to the St. Lucia Racquet Club and Golf Course,” said the girl behind the front desk at the Glencastle. The hotel was colourfully decked out in pinks and white. It had its own swimming pool in the front that always attracted guests to sit and their kids. I was still not feeling a hundred percent after the accident and I was limiting my walks to the Rodney Bay area for the time being. I didn’t yet feel like travelling down to the capital of Castries, which was located further south in the middle of the island. I needed to take a bus to get to Castries and would do so several times before leaving St. Lucia.

I enjoyed my walk out to the racquet club. It gave me a chance to see more of St. Lucia. There is a St. Lucian artist named Daniel JeanBaptiste who lived out in the countryside north of Rodney Bay and one day I stopped by to see his work. “I was born near Soufriere, south of Castries,” he started telling me as I sat listening to stories about his boyhood. “As a little boy I would spend my time fishing (with a homemade bamboo pole) off a jetty in the tiny fishing village of Choiseul. I did not realize that the plants and fish that so intrigued me when I was young would play such a major role in my art.” His colourful, beautiful paintings of fish and sea creatures in turquoise, yellows and reds were everywhere in his house. “I was able to capture the beautiful colours with water paints and by the age of twelve I was selling my paintings

96 - Nelson Mandela

ABOVE: Painting by Daniel Jean Baptiste

on the beach to tourists. My family moved to Canada about that time and at first, I felt that I had lost my inspiration. The tall grey buildings did not inspire me to paint. I persevered and earned an art degree and worked for several years as a commercial artist in eastern Canada.

Then, when I was older I moved my family back here to St. Lucia. Now this is what I do,” he said proudly showing me his wonderful paintings.

“I work entirely in silk. Each year I buy one-and-a-half miles of silk from China. It has to be the spring crop because that produces the best quality silk. I have my works in the hands of international figures such as Nelson Mandela, Paul Simon and General Colin Powell.” I left Daniel after a delightful chat and tour of his house and headed back towards the golf course.

As I stood in front of the St. Lucia Golf Course I wondered if it was

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open. I just googled (in 2017) the course and discovered it opened just after my visit to the island in 2001. In 2007 a new clubhouse was built and it now looks very attractive.

Christmas was approaching and I thought about returning home or going somewhere special but I was still feeling shaky at times from the accident so I decided to stay in St. Lucia. I wondered what Christmas in the tropics would be like. I didn’t think it would be too exciting because I was used to a cold, snowy Christmas’ with lots of family and friends.

“We will have a tree and decorations,” said the girl at the front desk when I asked her if they celebrated Christmas.

“Jump in, man!” said the driver of the Volkswagon van (public transit, island style) as he pulled up beside me on the island highway. He was headed for Castries, and I was finally feeling well enough to travel further afield. I would jump into a van many times over the course of the next two weeks to visit Castries and even further down island as far as Soufriere. In the van there was always lots of people sitting on four or five benches. They would all move over to let the next passenger jump on board and then we would all go barreling down the highway to Castries, “Where are you going, man?” the driver would yell. That determined the cost of your ticket. If it was Castries it was a dollar. If you were going further it would cost more. I always got off on the outskirts of Castries, not really knowing where I was going. I would jog past

98 - Coal Pot Restaurant

the brightly coloured buildings with people in the streets, cars, bicycles and motor scooters. One time I decided to visit the cruise ship terminal which is located on a stretch of land protruding into Vigie Bay called Pointe Seraphine. There were several duty-free shops located there where vendors sold souvenirs and there was also a welcoming centre.

The bay is also called Vigie Creek and one day I decided to take a jog around to the other side. “Are you open?” I asked as I stuck my head into the doorway of the Coal Pot Restaurant at Vigie Marina. “No, not yet,” a voice yelled from the back. “We will be open for dinner at five p.m.” said a dark haired Caucasian woman of about forty-five who came out to greet me. “I am Michelle,” “This is an interesting place.” I said, “What can you tell me about it?” “A young eighteen-year-old American boy named Bob Elliott set sail from Spain and in 1958 became the youngest man to sail across the Atlantic single-handed. In 1966 Bob and his wife built the Coal Pot Restaurant. It has remained in our family ever since. I am his daughter.” Looking out a window I noticed a cannon barrel protruding from the far edge of the building outside. “Where did the cannon come from?” I asked. “We found it at the bottom of the bay. It is said that Admiral Rodney’s fleet was refitted in this bay so it may be from one of his ships. Come back at five p.m., if you can, for dinner, we are very well known with with the tourists.” Michelle bid me farewell and I continued my jog around the bay.

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Every day when I left my hotel I would walk down the hill to the intersection. At the bottom of the hill was a small house with a big tree in its front yard. Christmas was fast approaching. The day before Christmas when I came home I noticed a fat sow pig and three little piglets in the front yard of the small house tied to a tree. Many yards in the Caribbean contain livestock so I didn’t give it much thought. Christmas morning was like any other morning, eighty-seven degrees and sunny.

ABOVE: The Coal Pot Restaurant

100 - Ladera Resort

The Christmas tree in the Glencastle’s dining room was nothing to write home about. It didn’t matter because I wasn’t in the Christmas spirit anyway. Without family around, as I was used to, it wasn’t the same. I reconciled myself to the fact that I was on a great adventure and that I should focus on that rather than worry about having a wonderful Christmas. After breakfast, I headed out the door and down the hill. Who knows what I might discover today. As I reached the bottom of the hill I couldn’t believe my eyes. Hanging from the branches of the tree was pig meat: legs, thighs, ribs etc. The lawn was a bright red. The sun was beating down mercilessly on it all and there were lots of flies everywhere. It is customary, I discovered, to give pig meat as presents to relatives and friends at Christmas time. The whole scene appeared very unsanitary to me but I was thankful I hadn’t come down when they were slaughtering the pigs. The blood remained on the lawn for several days and got darker from the rays of the sun.

“Jump in, man,” the bus driver said as he stopped to pick me up on the side of the road later that morning. “Where are you going? “Soufriere,” I answered. “That will be two dollars.” The sleepy port of Soufriere is located just past Castries. The southern part of St. Lucia is described as “the way the Caribbean used to be and it probably is true.” There were two hotels I wanted to visit. One was the Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa. The other was Ladera.

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The Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa is surrounded by the breathtaking Piton Mountains. It is a secluded luxury resort spread over 325 lush acres of tropical forest. Unsurpassed for its natural beauty, the resort is resplendent with native fruit trees, including mango, banana, papaya, coconut, avocado, star fruit, soursop and hog plum. This writer cannot determine who the new owners of this beautiful property are, as it is no longer a Hilton hotel.

The other hotel I wanted to visit was Ladera. Ladera is located on a steep hill two miles south of Soufriere. This hotel is the ultimate in luxury. The GM was Magnus Alnebeck. Ladera looks as though it has grown out of the hillside. Its twenty-four guest rooms and intimate restaurant are all open - literally - to the fresh breezes and what surely must be the most breathtaking views in the world. The views are part of the suites’ decor. Although completely private, all have been designed without a fourth wall.

ABOVE: Ladera Resort

102 - Rodney Bay

My time at the Glencastle Resort was up and I needed to find another hotel for a few days. There are lots of hotels around Rodney Bay so I moved over to the Bay Gardens Hotel for a few nights and then on to Marlin Quay for my final few days in eclectic St. Lucia. There is lots to do in St. Lucia if you don’t get hit by a car.

For undersea adventures, there are two tour companies: Dive Fair Helen and Barefoot Holidays.They will take you on a tour of the Grenadines and other places. Endless Summer Cruises is another. For an aerial view of St. Lucia try St. Lucia Helicopters. To discover the real rhythms of the island try a more light-hearted tour called Rhythm of Rum which is linked to St. Lucia’s rum history.

In Castries I had dinner one night at one of the oldest restaurants on the island, the Green Parrot. Situated on the lush hillside of Morne Fortune, this destination is well known for its exquisite cuisine served in lush tropical surroundings. The hotel overlooks the town of Castries, which really sparkles at night. Entertainment was provided by “Chef Harry” who puts on an unusual show for guests. Guests will enjoy the courteous staff and reserved ambience.

Also in Castries, a good place to shop for luxury jewellery is Columbian Emeralds. With a forty-year reputation for quality, integrity, and value, Colombian Emeralds International was voted best duty-free retailer. CEI specialises in genuine Colombian emeralds.

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The history of Rodney Bay is fascinating. It is named after the British naval officer George Brydges Rodney. Admiral Rodney won many battles against France by using the Fort built at Pigeon Island (located at the outer boundaries of Rodney Bay) to view any movements in France’s naval base in Martinique. On a cloudless day, one can clearly see Martinique. The Fort remains as if in a state of readiness (at Pigeon Island) and still has many cannons positioned, ready for battle.

Rodney Bay has become a hub for locals and visitors to the island.

From there one can climb aboard the brig Unicorn (used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean) and see the west side of the island from the sea.

At Rodney Bay the local cuisine is delicious and you are always within minutes of numerous shopping boutiques and the malls in Castries.

ABOVE: Rodney Bay as seen from Pigeon Island

5. Grande Anse Beach Grenada

I finally felt strong enough to continue on to my next destination, Grenada. One of the nicest beaches in the Caribbean has to be Grande Anse beach in Grenada: a wonderful two-mile long white sand beach lapped by the beautiful blue Caribbean. The length of the beach means you can go for long walks and lose yourself in the moment. I stayed in the Flamboyant Hotel at the southern end of Grande Anse Beach. This hotel is perched up on a hill and gets superb views of the entire beach and the capital, St. George’s. Steps lead down through landscaped gardens to the pool located below the road running right in front of the hotel. A restaurant and bar are located near the pool level. Every morning I would go down to the restaurant for breakfast which was self-serve from the buffet table. The view from the restaurant was fabulous. Dinner in the restaurant included local entertainment. My adventures in Grenada took me all over the island so I was seldom back in time for dinner.

LEFT: Grande Anse Beach

108 - St. George’s

The jog into St. George’s is spectacular and I did it many times during my stay. There are several other hotels on the 4 km jog into town. I noticed some were for sale. Owning a hotel on an island is risky business. You have to be able to bring in a steady stream of clients and this is not an easy thing to do.

Not far down the road is the Spiceland Mall. This was a relatively new mall in 2002. It was quite attractive and always provided a welcome reprieve from the hot Caribbean sun. As I recall most of the vendors were local. There were some very nice hotels on the beach nearby. I notice on the internet that one of them is now a Radisson. It wasn’t there when I visited.

Eventually the Carenage comes into view. There are lots of small

ABOVE: View from the Flamboyant Hotel looking out towards St. George’s

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businesses leading up to and situated on the Carenage. The jog around the horseshoe-shaped Carenage, a part of the port of St. George’s, is delightful: you pass heritage buildings and jog on wonderful cobblestone roads. There are many restaurants and bars as well and the Rum Runner (party boat) picks up and drops off here.

St. George’s has been described as the prettiest, most vibrant island capital in the Caribbean. There is lots to see including the Grenada National Museum, Sendall Tunnel and many picturesque streets. To get to the downtown market from the Carenage, follow Monkton Street

ABOVE: The Carenage leading to St. George’s

110 - Sendall Tunnel

to the historic Sendall Tunnel, a narrow 340-ft passageway built in 1894 that burrows through the hill and leads to Bruce St and the rest of St George’s. This tunnel was built for horse carriages – hence its tight dimensions – but cars and pedestrians use it today. It’s actually quite a charmless walk and safe if you hug the sides. Towering above you on the promontory is Fort George. On the other side of the hill is the downtown market place.

Built in 1705 by the French, many of the buildings in Fort George are now used by the police. Much of the fort is still intact and open to visitors. However, the buildings are very dilapidated from a combination of hurricane damage and neglect and there is little or no information obtainable within the fort itself. There are good views from the battlements.

ABOVE: Sendall Tunnel

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The Grenada National Museum is housed in French barracks and dates from 1704. It was once a prison. The building was also used as the island’s first hotel. The museum displays a variety of historical items including Carib and Arawak artifacts, sugar processing machines and equipment, whaling industry items, and Josephine Bonaparte’s marble bath.

I mentioned in the introduction my mishap with a local vendor in the marketplace. I was told that the islands which had a high slave population in the past are usually the islands with the most social problems today. 82% of Grenadians are black and have African lineage.

ABOVE: St. George’s marketplace

112 - Morne Rouge Bay

“Give me your money,” a young boy holding a knife said to me as I walked back to my hotel one afternoon near the Spiceland Mall. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a handful of change and threw it on the ground. When he stooped down to pick it up, scurrying around in the dirt, I hurried off down the road. There was a police station located about a block away so I went inside. “A young fellow just held me up with a knife,” I said to two officers, one behind a counter and the other at my side. I forget exactly what they said but it was something like, “Okay we will look into it. Thank you!” “If you hurry I am sure you can catch him,” I said. “It was just now and he is only about a block up the road.” They were not in any hurry to go after him. After I left the police station I thought, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew the boy. Maybe they had just released him for a similar crime. He was coming from the vicinity of the police station. I later learned that drugs were just starting to infiltrate the island and kids were looking for easy money. Too bad!

Be careful when you are approached by strangers and I suggest giving them something. In my experience, they are usually as scared as you are and it isn’t worth getting stabbed over a few dollars in change.

Grenada is a sailor’s paradise and there are numerous coves on the southern end of the island. Each has a beautiful resort. I went on many runs exploring that part of the island. Instead of going into St. George’s one day, I decided to explore in the opposite direction.

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Jogging up the hill and over to the next bay, I came across a view that took my breath away. Imagine a beach with hardly any people on it. White sand that feels like silk beneath your feet and a sea painted in long smooth strokes of teal and turquoise. You look closer and spot a breathtaking hideaway. Eighteen sea view and ocean view apartments, all air-conditioned, situated on one of Grenada’s most famous beaches, Morne Rouge Bay. It lies in a protected setting not far from Grand Anse Beach. The resort is called Gem Holiday Beach. I just loved walking along the sand on Morne Rouge Bay. The owners of the Gem were very hospitable and the resort is very reasonable.

ABOVE: The Gem Holiday Resort, Morne Rouge Bay

114 - Laluna Resort

Further down Morne Rouge Bay you will find the Laluna Resort, a romantic sixteen-cottage boutique hotel and adjacent to it, the luxury villas of Laluna Estate. The beach at Laluna is known for its yoga pavilion, Asian spa, Italian restaurant, and warm style that blends Balinese, Caribbean, and Italian influences.

Located on the dramatic coastline of Morne Rouge, only ten minutes from both the capital, St George’s, and the International Airport, Laluna Estate is a very private and exclusive villa development. It is nestled on thirty acres of prime waterfront land and was designed by two acclaimed Italian architects. It offers a warm, intimate atmosphere where you can enjoy the casual and unique Caribbean lifestyle.

ABOVE: Laluna Estates

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Just past the Spiceland Mall, I took the road inland one morning.

It wandered for quite a while before reaching the south-eastern shore.

There I found several resorts. The first was the Secret Harbour Resort.

It is regarded as the ultimate hideaway for romantic vacations in the Caribbean. Twenty beautiful waterfront suites situated in a lush tropical garden. All the suites are air-conditioned and offer two double fourposter beds, oversized Italian-tiled bathrooms, covered private verandas and other amenities. This resort has atmosphere and charm and many of their visitors are so delighted that they come back year after year as did Amber and Dominic K.* from England. I found this romantic tale they posted online called “A Day in Paradise.”

“After a relaxing night Dominic and I love to stretch out and float in the turquoise water of the resort’s pool. It’s so wonderful to wake up gently to the songs of birds, to inhale the sweet fragrance of frangipani, to experience the serenity of Mount Hartman Bay…What better way to start a day in paradise!

Dominic, my own private waiter, takes so much care of me. I wonder where he found this beautiful bouquet of Bougainvillaea flowers. I am so happy he also enjoys having breakfast in the privacy of our suite. It’s so good to share these moments together. I still cannot believe we found our “Secret Harbour”.

After breakfast I feel the desire to devour all of Grenada’s beauty at

116 - Secret Harbour

once. I have to have a stroll in the rainforest where the abundance of the tropics melts in a sphere of mystical sounds, luscious colours, delicate scents and where flowers ascend to heaven. A short taxi ride leads us through the bustling capital of St. George’s and onward to the lower waterfall of Concord. After a delicious snack we set our sights on the upper waterfall and begin our hike through the jungle. Soon the sky closes in above our heads and we get wrapped into a world of dark mellow green filled with the distinctive steamy air of the rainforest. The river cascading towards the sea harmonizes with the tree crowns moved by the wind.

What a symphony! Passing nutmeg plantations, we enjoy the concoction of fragrances: citrus, vanilla and cinnamon. The roaring of the waterfall gets louder and the jungle suddenly opens up. A fine mist descends like a curtain in front of the waterfall. Shy streaks of sunshine amalgamate with the pounding waters to form a rainbow. We are at our destination - or is it destiny? Like young kids, Dominic and I splash in the cool water of the natural pool - celebrating our invigorated youth. Holding each other, we watch this eternal display of nature. Time flies by quickly in paradise and we start our descent. Our eyes have been opened to experience new sights and we discover how our path is flanked by tropical flowers, like Heliconia, Alpinia and even a rare Rose of Porcelain.”

While I did not go hiking in the rainforest I thought the above narrative gave a good representation of one traveller’s impression.

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Further on past Secret Harbour, I discovered Coral Cove. It offers eleven Spanish-style individual cottages and spacious apartments. All are located on a quiet tree-shaded beach in Lance aux Epines. The view of the ocean and mountains is spectacular.

The facilities include a tennis court, a swimming pool, a beach barbeque and a one hundred and twenty-foot long jetty with a gazebo at the end of it. The jetty extends to a coral reef which protects the beach and offers excellent safe snorkelling. One can sit under the gazebo and watch the yachts sail by, read or just enjoy the beautiful view. Relax on a lounge chair under the numerous trees that shade the beach and enjoy the sea breeze or wander along the beach searching for interesting shells.

Coral Cove Cottages and apartments were designed for self-catering. They come with kitchens, living/dining rooms, balcony/patio or veranda, ceiling fans, cable television, private phones, internet access and en-suite bathrooms.

ABOVE: Coral Cove Cottages

118 - Isle of Spices

Another hotel I came across in this area is the Calabash Hotel. It included a delightful and popular restaurant called Cicely’s. It has recently been awarded five-star status but Cicely’s is no more. Every luxury is on offer, starting with breakfast served on your suite’s private balcony, or on the beach and ending the day with dining at their two renowned restaurants, The Beach Club and Rhodes Restaurant.

I loved my stay at the Flamboyant Hotel. From the balcony of my room I had a bird’s eye view of the entire Grand Anse Beach. I got to experience the beauty of Grenada first hand.

Each morning I jogged into St. George’s. This surprised the locals who would say to me with a smile, “I saw you jogging on the highway.”

Or, “I saw you jogging past my store this morning.” I have always found that jogging is a great way to meet people. It is about a three to four mile jog into St. George’s from the Flamboyant Hotel. Once past the mall and some local stores, the cruise ship terminal comes into view and the Carenage on the other side of the bay. There are many duty free shops on the Carenage. The red tile roofs on the buildings keep it cool from the sun’s rays. I must admit it took me awhile to figure out there was a tunnel you could walk through to get to the other side of St. George’s.

St. George’s is one of the prettiest and best preserved colonial capitals in the Caribbean. You have to hug the side of the tunnel so as not to get hit by the cars. But it is worth it! Once through the tunnel, narrow streets

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with cobblestones reach up a hill to the right. There are several churches and a road that continue on up to the fort. In 2004, St. George’s Anglican Church was almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. Today, the roof is back on, new windows have been fitted, new pews installed and the gallery has been rebuilt. Bell ringers from the United Kingdom have been voluntarily restoring the church’s bells. If you had seen it wrecked shell a decade ago as below, you would be amazed to see the impressive progress that had been made in its restoration.

The air in the market is redolent with spices: all-spice: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves. The aroma is intoxicating and when you are there you know why Grenada is called the “Isle of Spices.”

ABOVE: St. George’s Anglican Church before restoration

120 - True Blue Bay

I wanted to go back and explore the southern coves of the island. It is really a yachtsman’s paradise. With names like Prickley Bay, Secret Harbour, Coral Cove and True Blue Bay you know you must be in paradise!

One day I discovered True Blue Bay and the True Blue Bay Boutique Resort. This unique and colourful resort is set among tropical gardens and overlooks the spectacular waters of True Blue Bay. In the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries the area known as True Blue was an Indigo Plantation. As the price of Indigo dropped the plantations fell one by one into disuse. In 1968 the Caribbean Trade Fair was held in True Blue. It was during this time that the roads we enjoy today were built. Later the area was subdivided and over several years True Blue developed into one of the most desirable areas of Grenada and the home of St. George’s University.

In 1998 Magdalena and Russ (the owners) purchased what was then called True Blue Inn, which consisted of three two-bedroom cottages and four waterfront apartments. They dug in and started refurbishing and rebuilding. By the end of 1999, True Blue Bay Resort was a handsome fifteen-room resort. During the summer of 2001 they made another large investment and built twelve Indigo rooms. Shortly after (2003) the resort underwent yet another transformation and added five twobedroom villas and the Petite Anse Infinity Pool.

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In 2004 Hurricane Ivan spread its devastation across the island and the True Blue Bay Resort was heavily damaged. However, due to the positive attitudes and hard work of the Fieldens, their staff and many of the occupying guests, the resort managed to stay open and take care of guests and islanders alike. The rebuilding process was extensive. Most of the rooftops had been destroyed, the heavy winds had blown away the two-bedroom cottages and there was overwhelming damage caused by the ocean..

The reconstruction efforts resulted in addition: the True Blue Rooms and the ultra-romantic Tower Rooms. Both were completed in November 2005. The Dodgy Dock Restaurant and Lounge Bar (formerly Stuart’s Bar) were renovated (October 2006) and are once again an island hotspot.

ABOVE: True Blue Bay Boutique Resort

122 - Cecile La Grenade

In 2010 the True Blue Bay Resort renovated their old “Waterfront Apartments” and transformed them into ten striking “Waterfront Suites” featuring the owner, Magdalena’s, unique decor, comfortable Caribbean designed furnishings, king size beds, a fully equipped kitchen, living room and balconies with spectacular views of True Blue Bay. At present the Grenada Boutique Resort has 48 rooms, a waterfront restaurant, a marina, a dive centre, a yacht charter, a boutique, two pools and a spa.

One day I took a bus up into the lush, verdant hills of St. Paul’s at the eastern edge of the parish of St. George’s. I had scheduled a meeting with Cecile La Grenade, owner of De La Grenade Industries.

There’s a legend in the West Indies and many are they who do believe, “Rub your finger on the Captain’s head” Sit quietly on the edge of your bed, holding a bottle of “La Grenade” liqueur With thoughts and wishes most pure Press your finger on the Captain’s head Turn your mind to the path you wish to tread, The spirit of the Captain will hover around Good luck and fortune will forever abound!

La Grenade Liqueur is the oldest Caribbean liqueur and is manufactured by De La Grenade Industries in Grenada from a secret

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family formula handed down from one generation of the La Grenade family to the next for over two hundred years.

During the Eighteenth century Captain Louis La Grenade while sailing through the island’s trading in spices, received the recipe for this Liqueur from a Dutch missionary as recompense for a free trip to Grenada. The Captain skillfully added specially selected Grenada spices to the brew.

Today the exquisite Liqueur is meticulously prepared by de La Grenade Industries using Grenada’s finest spices. The factory is located on the family estate which is nestled in the island’s rolling hills.

La Grenade Liqueur is of such high quality that in 1990 it was awarded a gold medal from Monde Selection in Brussels.

De La Grenade Industries, a leading food processing company in Grenada, has pioneered the use of nutmeg pericarp (a fruit) in the manufacture of high value-added delicious products: Morne Délice Nutmeg Jam, Jelly and Syrup. These are distributed on the local market and exported regionally and internationally.

I had a delightful meeting with Cecile in the hills of St. Paul’s. She proudly showed me the products her company has developed. She showed me their Nutmeg Garden which is located adjacent to De La Grenade Industries. This garden is spread over two acres of beautifully landscaped grounds dotted with aromatic spice and fruit trees, herbs

124 - De La Grenade Industries

and a wide range of flowering plants.

The Nutmeg Garden offers a pleasant and memorable experience! It is a perfect complement to a visit to De La Grenade Industries Processing Facility. This garden offers the nature-loving individual the opportunity to see first hand the fruits used in the production of de La Grenade products, as well as many herbs, spices, flowers and plants which grow in profusion on Grenada, the Caribbean “Isle of Spice”. The garden is well laid out with nutmeg shells covering the paths and plants labelled through out. Opposite the factory you get a breadthtaking view of the Mt. Gozeau Tropical Forest Reserve, Unfortunately, I regret to inform my readers that The Flamboyant Hotel closed its doors at the end of December 2016. It was purchased by a Canadian hotel company and is in the process of being torn down to make way for a five-star hotel. Luckily, there is one other accommodation on Grand Anse Beach with similar great views. It is called the Grand View Inn and is located a little further up the hill from the Flamboyant Hotel. It too offers marvellous views of Grande Anse and the surrounding islands. But nothing will, of course, replace the Flamboyant in this writer’s memories.

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The Grand View Inn on a hill overlooks the famous Grand Anse Beach on one side and the Morne Rouge Bay on the other. It’s a mere five minute stroll to either. Known as the rooms with a view, their sixtynine units are spread through tropical gardens on two acres. The atmosphere is truly Caribbean. The airport and the capital, St. George’s, are only ten to fifteen minutes away by car. ‘Grand View Inn’ is a small, friendly Caribbean Inn. Many people dream of an island hideaway - you will find just that on Grenada. This Inn is perfect for those who wish to avoid impersonal resorts with activities that invade their privacy and prevent them from relaxing completely.

ABOVE: The Grand View Inn looking out on Morne Rouge Bay

6. Palm Beach Arunba

I had been on five islands so far. They were all small so I felt I needed to explore a more commercial area. I decided on Aruba. It proved to be a great choice. I arrived there on the 23rd of January.

The jewel of Aruba is Palm Beach. That is where nearly all of the five-star hotels are strung in a row along the beach. A beautiful walkway parallels the seven and a half mile beach front of the hotels: the Wyndham, the Radisson, the Hyatt and the Aruba Marriott & Stellaris Casino. Today the Wyndham has been replaced by the Riu Palace and the Radisson by a Hilton Hotel. In addition, there is a new Ritz-Carleton at the very end of the beach. There are a few others as well.

I was booked into the splendid Radisson Aruba for two weeks. It was an easy walk out through its back gardens to the walkway and the beach.

LEFT: Palm Beach and the high end hotel district

130 - Oranjestad

There is so much to see and do in Aruba that I wondered about trying to put together a separate magazine on Aruba and that is exactly what I did. Jogging around Aruba was a delight whether it was up to the California Lighthouse (north of Palm Beach) or down to Oranjestad, the capital.

On my daily run down to Oranjestad I passed a beautiful resort that always caught my eye and ear. On the inland side of the road (across from Eagle Beach) sits La Cabana Beach Resort and Casino. In 2002 it was called La Cabana Beach Resort and Raquet Club. There was Caribbean music playing every time I passed by and it charmed me and drew me in.

ABOVE: La Cabana Resort and Casino

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Past La Cabana several smaller resorts come into view before you reach the capital of Oranjestad. It is only a five or ten-minute drive from the hotel strip to Oranjestad. Everything is easily accessible.

There is lots to see and do in Oranjestad. It offers great shopping in a boutique setting. It is also where the cruise ships dock. There is an attractive hotel located on the waterfront: the Renaissance Aruba Beach Resort and Casino. This hotel boasts its own private island. Try out this tropical paradise at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino.

ABOVE: Downtown Oranjestad

132 - Baby Beach

The Renaissance Aruba’s private island hotel is perfect for your vacation getaway. Take the water taxi. You will arrive at forty acres of exclusive beach sand and shore. The Oranjestad resort also provides easy access to the Renaissance Mall, Baby Beach and Queen Beatrix International Airport.

A jog along the marina and the waterfront brings you in contact with several happy iguanas bathing blissfully on the rocks. You will also see windsurfers, water bikes and sailboats. The Seaport Mall is located right on the waterfront. A nice place to wile away a few hours on a sunny afternoon.

Aruba is the largest of the ABC islands, the other two being Curacao and Bonaire, my next destinations. They form part of the Dutch Caribbean. All three islands lie twenty-nine kilometres off the coast of

ABOVE: A day at the beach for these two iguanas

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Venezuela. Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather.

I loved the Dutch Colonial architecture. Due to increased government interest in maintaining the island’s cultural heritage, a number of old buildings and houses in the centre of town have been transformed into colourfully restored landmarks. The lime-colored Civil Registry on Wilhelminastraat is typical. So are the buildings in the photo below.

The town was built around a fort (Fort Zoutman) which dates from 1796. Initially the town had no official name and was referred to as

ABOVE: Stores along the waterfront in Orangestad

134 - Vegas With A Beach

the town on the Bay of Horses (Paardenbaai in Dutch), a place where native horses were raised and exported to neighbouring Curaçao. Ever since the town has been the capital city of the island.

There is lots of nightlife in Aruba. All the big hotels have their own casino. I coined the phrase, ‘Vegas with a Beach’ for one article. Many of the casinos have Las Vegas- style shows. Aruba’s casinos are an excellent place for those who want to experience the excitement of gambling.

Most casinos are open from noon to just before sunrise, although some casinos are open twenty-four hours a day for slots players. Machines use either US coins or tokens of the same value, depending on the casino, and many machines also accept US paper currency. There are nickel slots at all the casinos and some have penny machines as well. Aruba’s casinos offer the usual games: blackjack, roulette, poker, craps, Baccarat and Caribbean Stud Poker, a game that originated in Aruba. In addition to the traditional casino games, Aruba’s casinos feature night events with a theme, sports book, tournaments, bingo games, entertainment and special offers and prizes. The legal age to enter a casino is eighteen years and the casino has the right to request a valid I.D. as proof of age.

Stellaris Casino, Aruba’s largest, is located at the Aruba Marriott Resort. Stellaris Casino features over 26 gaming tables including roulette, ride poker, Caribbean stud poker, three-card poker, blackjack,

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state-of-the-art race and sports gaming kiosks and over 500 slot machines. It is open twenty-four hours for slot machines.

When my two weeks were up at the Radisson, I moved over to the Wyndham Resort and Casino for another two weeks. The Wyndham was located right next door and was the first hotel on the strip. I had a busy time in Aruba. Publishing another magazine on Aruba meant filling another two hundred or so pages.

The high-end hotel district along Palm Beach is amazing! I set out to get all the hotels on board. I figured to do them all justice each needed large photo spreads and six pages. I didn’t get them all in but I got most of them. The next few pages tell how the magazine came together.

ABOVE: Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino

136 - Eagle Beach

After the luxury hotel articles I decided to place full page ads on other hotels, mostly those on Eagle Beach: The Manchebo Beach Resort, the Holiday Inn Sunspree (also on Palm Beach). A six-page article on Oranjestad would follow. All the articles would start with double page photo spreads. Articles of four pages each would be enough for Queen Beatrix Airport and the Cruise Ship Terminal. Best Activities and Best Attractions on Aruba would each get eight pages.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the golf course at Tierra del Sol Resort & Golf is situated on the scenic north-west point of Aruba. It’s the only 18-hole championship golf course on the island. This desert links course combines the elements of wind, sea, and earth to provide a

ABOVE: Tierra del Sol Golf Course

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truly exhilarating experience for golfers of all levels. The Tierra del Sol includes a full-length practice range, putting greens and chipping areas.

Conveniently located just five to ten minutes by taxi from the high rise hotel district, Tierra del Sol Resort & Golf offers both short term villa rental and long term home ownership properties. It’s golf course is open to guests staying at any resort. The property also includes a range of first class amenities: spa, fitness centre, and tennis courts. The Tierra del Sol Golf Course is designed in such a way as to provide a wide variety of challenges for all skill levels.

Next, I would include an eight-page article on spas. On Aruba most hotels have their own spas and there are others in the beach areas. Vegas with a beach is never far away. The casino and shows of Aruba deserve lots of commentary so I allotted ten pages to the casinos article and six pages to the shows.

ABOVE: The Havanna Show at the Wyndham

138 - Chez Mathilde

Dining is a big part of the Aruba experience and so it would need to be in the magazine. V.I.P. Dining was given ten pages. There are many high-quality dining experiences on Aruba and they were all in the magazine: Chez Mathilde, Papiamento Restaurant, Le Dome and Promenade Restaurant. Another dining experience on Aruba is seafood and steak houses. In this article I included El Gaucho Argentine Grill, Amazonia, The Buccaneer Restaurant and Driftwood Restaurant. Then we had hotel dining. In this article I included Tuscany Ristorante in the Aruba Marriott Resort, Las Ramblas in La Cabana, The Captain’s Table (also in La Cabana), and the French Steakhouse in the Manchebo Beach Resort. Best International Dining concluded the articles on dining in Aruba.

ABOVE: El Gaucho Argentine Grill

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Shopping in Oranjestad is concentrated in three areas: Royal Plaza, Main Street and Seaport Mall. I wound up writing an eight-page article on the Royal Plaza and a fourteen page article on Main Street. There are so many boutiques on Main Street it warranted fourteen pages. A shopping article on Seaport Mall (now Renaissance Mall) deserved eight pages.

Luxury style meets Caribbean elegance at Aruba’s renowned Renaissance Mall Aruba, located in downtown Oranjestad. With over sixty fine retail shops, restaurants and entertainment offerings, Renaissance Mall Aruba is the only shopping complex in the Caribbean with so many fine luxury retailers under one roof.

Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada are the latest shops to specializing in high-end luxury brands. Along with A-list designers, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chopard, Rolex, CH Carolina Herrera, Adolfo Dominguez, Michael Kors, David Yurman and Cartier, the mall’s newest additions maintain a level of excellence that many shoppers have come to expect.

The major shopping centers are the Alhambra Shopping Mall, Palm Beach Plaza Mall, Royal Plaza Mall, Renaissance Marketplace, Renaissance Mall and Paseo Herencia Mall. When I was there is 2002, the Palm Beach Plaza Mall did not exist and the two Renaissance locations were known as Seaport. A lot of development has taken place in those fifteen years.

140 - Divi tree

Many shopping malls in Aruba feature wide open-air concept ceilings that allow the sun to shine in. They are all brightly lit at night, giving the downtown core a glowing neon display in vivid colours. Some have first class nightly live entertainment and casinos.

The last article in my magazine on Aruba covered Entertainment and was six pages long. The last page of the 224-page magazine had a picture of a Divi Tree, which always points to the west. Legend has it that you will never get lost on Aruba because the Divi Tree will always point the way.

I think the magazine was quite an accomplishment. It took just eleven weeks to put together. I marketed it as a trade publication free of charge to tourist bureaus and hotels on the U.S. Eastern seaboard and Canada.

Hopefully, there are some copies still read today by marketing execs because it really covered Aruba from one end to the other.

I took the bus down to the south-east corner of Aruba one day to visit the town of San Nicholas. I wanted to see what was left of the Lago Colony (15). Today, there is still an oil refinery near San Nicholas called Valero.

(15) Lago Colony was a community located on the east end of the island of Aruba, in the area presently known as Seroe Colorado. This town consisted of about 700 homes, a hospital, club house, bowling alley, and an American School, with grades one to twelve and approximately 180 students. The population of Lago Colony was primarily from the United States, although there were many from England, Ireland, and Scotland who were primarily officers on the lake tanker fleet.

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Lago became one of the largest refineries in the world, bested only

by Royal Dutch Shell refinery on Dutch-owned Curaçao. It was also a major producer of petroleum products for the Allied war efforts (16).

During World War II, the importance of the Lago refinery was well known to the German High Command and on February 16, 1942 the Lago refinery was attacked by the German Submarine U-156. The submarine’s deck gun exploded due to mistakes made by the German deck gunner and the refinery was not damaged. However, three of the lake tankers that carried crude oil from Lake Maracaibo were torpedoed.

It is interesting to see what remains of the Company Town near San Nicholas. There is also a nice beach called Baby Beach nearby (17).

(16) Originally in the 1920s, it was known as the Pan American Petroleum and Transport Company. It held the lease on a large area of Lake Maracaibo and incorporated Lago Oil & Transport Lake tankers to bring the crude oil from Lake Maracaibo to Aruba. In Aruba it was stored ashore in large tanks and then later loaded onto larger oceangoing tankers and taken to the United States for refining into finished petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, Bunker C and heating oil. In 1928 Standard Oil of Indiana purchased it. Then in 1938 Standard Oil of New Jersey obtained a contract to supply Britain with 100 octane Aviation Gasoline. However, because of the isolationism prevalent in the United States, the contract stated that the Aviation gasoline had to be produced outside the United States. Thus the Lago refinery became an important asset by providing the place outside the United States where the Aviation gasoline could be produced. The size of the Lago refinery expanded to produce Aviation gasoline for the British Government long before the United States entered World War II.

142 - Charlie Bar

Baby Beach is popular mostly because of the lack of waves and the shallow water. The Valero oil refinery is within sight of it. However, because of the direction of local currents, Baby Beach has clean, clear water. In the past, Baby Beach’s popularity led it to become somewhat littered. However, clean-up programs have largely restored the beach to a pristine condition.

In San Nicholas, there is a famous bar called Charlie Bar. It began its long history in 1941 when Charlie Brouns took it over. Before that time it was called the Veld Bar and then Rotterdam Bar. Charlie had come from Holland to Aruba by way of Curacao looking for a better life. He brought out his wife to be from Rotterdam in October 1939 narrowly escaping the German occupation. The bar catered to seamen and the refinery workers at the Lago Oil Refinery. Business was not so good at the bar until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour. With America entering the war the situation changed dramatically. The oil refinery delivered one sixth of the oil that the allies used during the war. Charlie’s Bar became an important part of the war effort.

(17) Baby Beach is a shallow, sheltered man-made lagoon located near Mangle Cora in Seroe Colorado, on the south-east end of the island of Aruba. It is frequented by locals and tourists. Because of the calm water, snorkelling at this beach is safe for children and others new to snorkelling.

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Personnel administration was based at Charlies, including donations on behalf of the seamen. Charlie’s son Little Charlie was born on April, 18, 1941. Charlie was known for his worldly wisdom and for his love of Marie. After Pearl Harbour, the Americans came to Aruba to guard the refinery. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands the islands became the target of German torpedos. It became a tradition that after every torpedo attack everyone would go to Charlie’s Bar to have a few drinks and see who was still alive.

Tires were at a premium on the island during the war. Charlie managed to buy an old Nash and make regular trips with it to the Coca Cola plant in Oranjestad and bring back soft drinks to San Nicholas. Whenever a torpedo scored a hit, a relief action was organized and Charlie’s Bar was where this happened. The victims usually lost everything so the relief effort played a major part in helping them out. San Nicholas in those days was filled with characters like Jet Engers who owned a store called Esquire across from Charlie’s. Jet (a lady) had everything in stock. She was Jewish and her family had suffered a lot during the war in Europe.

She was a fiery patriot. Other characters included another Charles who was a regular customer. He would bring in the mail that was mistakenly delivered to him each day.

Besides going to the Coca Cola plant in Oranjestad, Charlie visited the hospital. What would a wounded seaman do without his alcohol?

144 - LIDO

He smuggled in more than a few bottles during the course of the war or so they say.

Charlie’s Bar was very clean. You could eat off the floor it was so clean. It was hard in the war years to find help so the two of them, Charlie and Marie, worked fifteen hour days from 9:00 am to 12 midnight.

They often had to drink with their customers, which was no problem.

They had a bucket where unwanted drinks wound up so they helped themselves from the bucket. Charlie and Marie would do anything for the seamen. They sold stamps to the seamen. Charlie’s first visit in the morning was to the bank. The handwriting of the seamen was not always great after a few drinks but Charlie always vouched for them. They became his family. He was very proud of the fact that everything always worked out. All this led to Charlie Bouns becoming a synonym for honesty and fidelity. Most of the credit he gave to his wife who became the main “man” amongst the seamen. Famous people in those days included Boy Debrot, Berta from Tropicana, Emilio Caballero, Papa Ciga Pourier, Bislick from las Delicias, Benny Senchi, Frida Anagnos from “Brooklyn Bar,” Buchi from the namesake bar, Mimi Marchena, Yoki of Caracas Bar and Lolita.

The Germans sometimes shot lake tankers and everyone was afraid to sleep in their houses. So they all departed for the countryside for the night. The only problem was that police and firemen needed the keys

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to their houses in case one was hit. The answer was to leave the keys with Charlie. So everybody did just that because he was open until twelve mdnight. Marie decided to stay with her husband when she was asked to join them in the countryside. The two of them and Charlie, the porter of the keys, stayed.

With the end of the war in 1945, Aruba was not badly damaged at all so it became part of the relief effort to send goods and supplies back to the Netherlands. The aircraft carrier “Karel Doorman” came to pick up free of charge whatever the Islanders could gather up. Aruba in a manner of speaking was sold out.

A half a year after the war Charlie, Marie and Junior went back to the Netherlands to see how it was doing. The only means of transportation was by tanker but this was no problem because Charlie had such a good reputation with the seamen. They eventually made it to Antwerp and upon seeing all the destruction Charlie made a vow never to return again and to never leave Aruba again.

Charlie had one dream left. He wanted to open the first nightclub in San Nichols. This he did and called it the “LIDO”. It was first class and you needed a jacket and tie to get in. The restaurant gained a good reputation. Charlie closed his bar at ten pm and then the LIDO would open until two am and later to three am. During the weekdays they played the jukebox but on the weekend they had a six-man-band called the

146 - Dolf de Vries

“Blue Room Combo.” The clientele was the upper class of the town.

The Lido lasted for ten years until the Aruba Caribbean Hotel opened its doors and nightlife shifted to the hotel. The Lido had served a purpose when people needed a distraction.

At the time other things were happening in Aruba as well. The whalers arrived in the 1950s. When they did, businesses could stay open until midnight. You would often see one thousand people in the street.

Aruba was the last stop before the whalers set out to sea for the whaling, after which they returned to Norway.

Dolf de Vries, the Dutch writer, wrote his novel “Knopeen tellen” in Charlie’s Bar. He would sit in a room with no air conditioning and the shutters closed so as to not blow his papers away and write from eight-thirty am to ten-thirty a.m.. At ten-thirty he would take off his shirt and wring out the water. He asked Charlie for a cup of coffee and Charlie replied he didn’t serve coffee. However, when Charlie found out he was writing a novel he agreed. He came in every morning for two years until he finished his novel. He got to like Charlie so well that when he finished his novel he kept coming in making excuses that he still had some writing to do. When Dolf eventually returned to Holland he thought he had heard the last from Charlie until a letter arrived from Charlie one morning. The two remained good friends for the rest of their lives. Dolf said Charlie had a heart of gold and a lot of

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friends. This was evident at his funeral when people came from all over the world to pay their respects. His knowledge, Dolf said, did not come from books but from life itself. He felt by meeting Charlie he met the real Aruba. For his work during the war, Charlie received the Order of Knighthood. He died in 1989 at the age of seventy-three and Junior took over the bar.

ABOVE: Charlie’s Bar today.

7. Willemstadt Curacao

I arrived on the historical island of Curacao on April 19. The gingerbread capital of Williamstadt is amazing! When you enter the harbour historical buildings greet you of all different colours and sizes. Willemstadt was a centre of Dutch commerce in the Seventeenth century.

Taxes were levied on how wide your house was and that is why there are many narrow houses. Much time and care have gone into preserving Willemstadt and it’s houses as they were. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I was booked into Breezes Curacao. I don’t usually stay at all-inclusive resorts but this one was in a good location and it worked out just fine. It was about a twenty-minute jog into downtown Willemstadt.

Today Breezes is called the Sunscape Curacao Resort, Spa and Casino.

The Curacao Sea Aquarium is within walking distance. There was a dive shop at the entrance to the aquarium which had great beachwear.

After dinner on the patio of Breezes, I would walk over to the aquarium and back before retiring for the evening. Royal Resorts has a property

LEFT: Stores along the waterfront in Willemstadt

152 - Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge

on the island where the aquarium is located. It’s called The Sea Aquarium Resort.

The jog into Williemstadt along Martin Luther King Boulevard parallels the sea (18). There were not many houses when I visited so I had a clear unobstructed view of the ocean. Curacao could well be the best-kept secret in the Caribbean.

As I made my approach into Willemstadt the first thing that came into view was Fort Amsterdam. Sint Anna Bay cuts the land in two and leads away from the ocean into a larger bay called the Schottegat. What I believe to be the only surviving pontoon bridge in the Caribbean, The Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, crosses the waterway at this point. Fort Amsterdam is also on this side of the bridge. The bridge is original!

Built in the Nineteenth century, it is still in use today. With a few upgrades over the years, I am sure (19).

Fort Amsterdam is painted yellow. Embedded in the side of the Fort is a cannonball shot from a ship commanded by Captain William Bligh, long before he was Captain of the Bounty. There is an interesting museum in the Fort as well.

(18) The Dutch West India Company founded the capital of Willemstad on the banks of an inlet called the Schottegat.’Curaçao had been ignored by colonists because it lacked gold deposits. The natural harbour of Willemstad proved to be an ideal spot for trade. Commerce and shipping—and piracy—became Curaçao’s most important economic activities. In addition, in 1662 the Dutch West India Company made Curaçao a centre for the Atlantic slave trade, often bringing slaves here for sale elsewhere in the Caribbean and on the mainland of South America.

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The Plaza Hotel is located next to the Fort. One afternoon I went in and asked if I could have access to the roof so I could take a picture of the harbour and downtown Willemstadt. The picture is below.

The walk around Willemstadt is wonderful. On the other side of town, where the waterway extends to the right you will find the Maritime Museum. New technology has been used to highlight Curacao’s maritime history. It’s models of Seventeenth-century ships is fascinating. There are lots of other museums as well: The Fort Church Museum is (19) Many Dutch colonists grew affluent from the slave trade, and the city built impressive colonial buildings. Curaçao architecture blends Dutch and Spanish colonial styles. The wide range of historic buildings in and around Willemstad has resulted in the capital being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Landhouses (former plantation estates) and West African style kas di pal’i maishi (former slave dwellings) are scattered all over the island. Some have been restored and can be visited.

ABOVE: Fort Amsterdam, the pontoon bridge and the Schottegat.

154 - UNESCO World Heritage Site

located in Fort Amsterdam, then there’s the Postal Museum, the Tele Museum and the Numismatic Museum.

The area on the other side of the pontoon bridge is known as Otrobanda. It contains some UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The development of Otrobanda got a boost in the early Nineteenth-century when the once walled city of Punda became overpopulated. Otrobanda was connected to Punda in 1888 via the Queen Emma Bridge (affectionately known locally as “The Swinging Old Lady”) and in 1974 by the Queen Juliana Bridge. In recent years a large part of Otrobanda has been restored, including courtyard, Kura Hulanda by the architect Jacob Gelt Dekker (20).

ABOVE: Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge (20) Kura Hulanda is a name in Papiamentu, the native language of Curacao

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I saw twelve reconstructed buildings housing the largest collection of Afro-Caribbean artifacts outside of Africa. It is called the Kura Hulanda Museum. The Kura Hulanda Hotel (with 82 outstanding guest rooms) is part of this complex. The buildings here have been carefully constructed in the Dutch Colonial style. All the pathways, courtyards and squares are paved with cobblestones. Jacob Gelt Dekker, responsible for the hotel, opened a beach resort as well on the westside of the island in 2005 on 150 acres. “Originally, the plan for the ABC islands was clear-cut,” says Dekker. “Aruba would be for tourism, Bonaire would be a national park and Curaçao would be the government seat, and the island would

ABOVE Hotel Kural Hulanda and courtyard

156 - Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino

be the centre of industry, shipping and education.” With the addition of the Kurá Hulanda Hotel, Spa & Casino and the Lodge Kurá Hulanda & Beach Club, tourism is changing the boundaries established many years ago.”

There are many great places to stay on historic Curacao. In Punda on the Fort side of the bridge there’s the San Marco and the Plaza Hotel.

On the other side, not far from the Kura Hulanda in Willemstadt is a small Howard Johnson. Heading west on the same side you eventually come to the Holiday Beach Resort and Casino. Set in a private area of Coconut Beach, the Holiday offers an outdoor pool, a twenty-four-hour gym, a casino and a nightclub. When I was there there was a Denny’s Restaurant located on the property. Sometimes I find it is comforting to visit familiar restaurants when you have been away for awhile. In 2002 it was one of only two in the Caribbean.

Further down the road and around a corner you come to the prestigious Floris Suite Hotel, Spa and Beach Club. All its suites were designed by the famous Dutch designer Jan des Bourrie. Its fabulous restaurant is called Sjalotte. A little further along and off to the right is the Hilton hotel. This hotel is right on the beach. A superb setting!

The west coast of Curacao North of Willemstadt is known as the Gold Coast. Here you will find golf, diving, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. When I was there in 2002 the Sunset Waters Beach Resort was a

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favourite of many. I notice, however, that it is no longer in operation.

This writer cannot find out if another owner has taken it over. Too bad!

On a walk one afternoon along the waterfront past the Maritime Museum I encountered a 127 foot sailing ship called the Insulinde, moored on a dockside. I went up to the boat and said hello to a man and woman working on the deck. They introduced themselves as Captain Phil and Laura. Captain Phil is a Master Mariner and Laura the gourmet chef and they are both Canadian. Captain Phil comes from Newfoundland and Laura from Nova Scotia. Small world! As the owners of the Insulinde, they offered sailing charters to Bonaire and the uninhabited islands of Venezuela. They also held weddings on board for eighty people and private parties. What a life! The ship was built in Belgium in 1931 and it was originally used in the North Atlantic fishing trade. It would run fresh catches up to the great European seaports. For over twenty-five years they had been supplying lifelong memories to families, friends and crew who were lucky enough to sail aboard her. Today the Insulinde has new owners and at present is being refurbished in Willemstadt harbour.

The district where the Maritime Museum is located is called Scharloo. Formerly it was a residential neighbourhood lined with picturesque homes built by Curacao’s wealthy Jewish merchants during the 1800’s.

The Maritime Museum is actually located in one of these former man-

158 - Scharloo District

sions. Today many of these mansions are business and government offices but they have preserved the beautiful facades as a memory of the former glory and elegance that existed.

There are lots of tours and unique attractions on the island. One such attraction is the Ostrich and Game Farm. Besides seeing the ostriches up close you learn about these beautiful creatures from knowledgeable people. If you like you also get to ride an ostrich.

One day I visited one of the first plantation houses that had been restored and turned into a museum, Landhuis Brievengat. It dates back to the early Eighteenth-century. The rooms are filled with Eighteenth and Nineteenth-century furniture and household items.

ABOVE: Ostrich and Game Farm

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Keeping cool in the Caribbean!

I discovered by accident one day a good way to keep cool in the tropics. I was walking along a boat pier and my baseball cap accidentally was blown off my head into the water. I fished it out, wrung it and put it back on my head. For the next hour my head was nice and cool until the sun dried out my cap.

Another great way to keep cool is to drink a MacDonalds milkshake each afternoon. The problem is there may not be a Macdonalds nearby. I often substituted the milkshake with a chocolate malt. Both lower your body temperature significantly. I wouldn’t advise it everday unless you are doing much physical activity or you may wind up with another problem worse than the first.

8. Kralendyjk Bonaire

So Bonaire was designed as a park, according to Jacob Gelt Dekker.

Well, that makes everything fall into place. My first few days on the island of Bonaire I kept running into wild donkeys, pink flamingos and sea tortoises. Not to mention the coral reefs around Bonaire which are filled with tropical fish of all description (Bonaire is one of the Caribbean’s premier dive destinations). And where better to stay when on a dive destination than at the Lion’s Bay Dive Resort.

I arrived on Bonaire on May 22. Bonaire is definitely a fine nature preserve. Animals are able to roam freely, making it a spectacular place. Night time at Lion’s Bay is fascinating if you are a scuba diver, I am not but I enjoyed watching as they headed out after nightfall.

LEFT: Kralendyjk

164 - Kralendijk

I could see their flashlights underwater until they were too deep for their lights to be visible. Even from shore I could see coral and fish in the water from their lights. Lion’s Bay Dive Resort is located on the west coast north of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire.

Every day I jogged into the capital, Kralendijk, from the Lion’s Dive

ABOVE: The west coast of Bonaire just north of Kralendijk

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Resort. The road I jogged along can be seen just behind the big resort in the photo below. This resort is called Sand Dollar Condominiums. I met the owner who gave me a tour. Today it is still a thriving resort. Lion’s Dive is one of several smaller resorts in the upper left of the photo on page 164 between the two piers that jut out into the ocean.

166 - Karel’s Beach Bar

The run would take me past the ice cream shop I mentioned in the Introduction, the one where Gloria, the girl from Colombia worked.

Then, after a sharp right turn and then a left, I would find myself on the newly constructed boardwalk bordering Kralendijk Harbour (see photo below). The ocean is light blue for about twenty yards and then it turns a dark blue. Sailing boats are moored some twenty feet from shore. Larger craft are moored where the dark blue water starts. Along the beach are white kayaks ready for the day’s flock of tourists. It is a serene picture that I enjoyed every morning of my stay on Bonaire.

On my jog I would always pass a young girl in her yard and she would always wave to me. I mention her in my introduction as well. I think I am one of the lucky ones. I have always found if you are open with

ABOVE: The boardwalk leading to downtown Kralendijk

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people, they will usually respond.

As I came into Kralendijk my first stop was the famous Karel’s Beach Bar on the waterside (21).

(21) Karel’s Beach Bar is the culmination of four generations and 85 years of hard work, great food and excellent service. Zeezicht (meaning ‘sea view’ in Dutch) was founded in 1929 by Mr. Julio A. Abraham and was a place of gathering for everyone.

What started as a bar quickly grew into a popular venue and has been growing ever since, with every generation adding their own unique style and feel to the place while keeping the tradition alive. Zeezicht is been known for its fresh seafood and Karel’s Beach Bar is a landmark to anyone that has visited Bonaire.

ABOVE: Karel’s Beach Bar

168 - Fort Oranje

After Karel’s my jog took me past Fort Orange (22). This small fort was built by the Dutch in the Seventeenth century. Although ownership of Bonaire was swapped between the British and Dutch several times over the years, the Fort and its guns never saw action.

Just past Dive Inn Studios, I came across the Divi Dive Resort which is located on the waterside.

(22) Built by the Dutch in 1639, Fort Oranje was Kralendijk’s sole point of defence from British raiders, and pirates. Rebuilt and further fortified several times through its history, the Fort served as the home to the Governer of Bonaire until 1837. Eventually it was armed with several cannons taken from a British Man-of-War which had grounded on Bonaire’s southern coast in the early 1800’s.

ABOVE: Fort Orange in Kralendijk Harbour

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Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino allows you to experience the simple pleasure of tropical life. Whether you want to lounge around all day by one of their two freshwater pools, enjoy some delicious Caribbean-flavored meals from either of their Bonaire restaurants, test your luck in their on-site casino, relax with a massage in the on-site spa, or scuba dive and snorkel in the beautiful Caribbean, their Bonaire resort offers a memorable experience for all ages. You’ll love their spacious oceanfront and pool view rooms, complete with all the amenities you need to ensure a relaxing vacation. Take advantage of their new all-inclusive options to enjoy snorkelling adventures, fun activities, food and beverages as well as your hotel room—all in one convenient package.

My jog finally took me to the Flamingo International Airport (23).

Past the airport I jogged to the Bonaire National Marine Park (24).

(23) During the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, Bonaire was a protectorate of Britain and the United States. The American army built the Flamingo Airport as an air force base. After Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, many German and Austrian citizens were interned in a camp on Bonaire for the war’s duration.

(24) Bonaire is home to a wide range of ecosystems and numerous plants and animals with a special conservation interest. The lively fringing coral reefs, the waving beds of seagrass, the crystal clear bays, the forests of mangroves, the colourful saliñas and the tropical dry forests make this island a treasured place for nature lovers around the world. In addition, this tiny Caribbean island features five internationally recognised wetland areas that are under the protection of the Ramsar Convention. STINAPA Bonaire is mandated by the Island Government of Bonaire to manage the two national parks of Bonaire.

170 - Klein Bonaire

There is a kiosk or office at the marine park which I do not recall exactly. The marine park covers the entire island and reefs.

I continued jogging further along the seaside, past homes and a few bed & breakfast venues. One thing I noticed was the abundance of old cannons in the front yards of many of the houses. My understanding is that they were discovered by locals while diving the waters of Bonaire. People put them in their front yards as souvenirs or trophys. I discovered a cannon of my own on a beach just at the outer reaches of Kralendijk. Actually, I wasn’t the first to discover it. A bird had spotted it first and graciously agreed to remain seated on top of it while I took its picture.

ABOVE: Eighteenth-century cannons were everywhere

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I enjoyed my stay on Bonaire and the other two ABC islands. And I couldn’t help but like the locals. In my estimation Bonaire remains a park just as it was intended. While I didn’t see any sea turtles you will find them if you venture out to the little island of Klein Bonaire. I did see some pink flamingos and they were gorgeous.

ABOVE: A pretty flamingo

9. Old San Juan Puerto Rico

“When I arrived at the edge of the grassy field leading up to the mighty El Morro fortress, I ran with all the speed I could gather, fast and hard, all the way up to the fort.

The grassy field curves upward just before the fort and it slowed me down perfectly. It was exhilarating!” Chris Best

I had worked previously with a hotel manager in Hawaii at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa on an ad for one of my Vancouver magazines. He had a connection with the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel and Casino and agreed to include the Ritz in my new Best Caribbean magazine in exchange for a week’s stay at the Ritz.

I checked into the Ritz-Carlton on June 20 for seven nights. I was hoping to include San Juan in one of the articles in my magazine but it never came to be. Instead, I spent a wonderful week getting to know Old San Juan, Isla Verde and Condado. The Ritz is the very last hotel on the hotel strip in Isla Verde. I jogged (every day) through Isla Verde and then Condado as I made my way to Old San Juan. The run took me past the two famous Spanish forts of San Cristobal and El Morro.

LEFT: The famous Fortress El Morro and Old San Juan behind

176 - Old San Juan

The Ritz-Carlton is located close by Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. It is one of several hotels that line Isla Verde Beach..

ABOVE: The Ritz Carlton San Juan and Casino

At first, I intended to walk down to Old San Juan, not knowing how far away I was. I soon realised I had better start jogging or I would never get there. The jog took me past all the hotels on the strip: the Empress Oceanfront Hotel, a Hampton Inn, La Playa Hotel, the Inter-Continental San Juan Resort, a Howard Johnson and a wonderful old-world-looking hotel called the Wyndham El San Juan Hotel & Casino. I stopped and went inside the Wyndham. It had the elegance of a bygone era although

Puerto Rico - 177

it was badly in need of an upgrade. In passing I saw lots of restaurants and cosy island guest houses.

ABOVE: Isla Verde Hotels along the beach. Old San Juan is in the background

Unfortunately you cannot see the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in this photo. The Condado Lagoon, however, can be seen at the left above.

178 - The Condado District

Condado is one of the island’s preferred tourist areas. Fine dining, exclusive shopping, excellent accommodations and all-around fun are yours in the Condado district.

ABOVE: The Candido District

The Condado is a continuation of Isla Verde. My jog took me along the road which followed the beach. Sometimes, I would turn inland for a block but soon I would be back at the ocean. The view is marvellous all the way into Old San Juan. In fact, it actually got even better. There are many hotels on the Condado. Some are: the Regency Hotel, the San

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Juan Marriott, the Radisson Ambassador, the Plaza Hotel, the Hotel Normandie, the Condado Plaza Hotel and the Caribe Hilton.

ABOVE: The Caribe Hilton on the left. Condado Lagoon is in the foreground.

By the time I arrived at the narrow crossing that connects the lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean I was getting thirsty. Inside a cafe near the San Geronimo Fort (seen in the top middle of the photo above at the end of the Caribe Hilton) there was a fresh orange juice stand. Every morning I would have a tall, freshly squeezed orange juice before heading into Old San Juan. I can still taste it!

180 - Hotel Normandie

Past Geronimo Fort, the Caribe Hilton and the Hotel Normandie I ran. As I passed the Hotel Normandie my eyes made me wonder if a ship had stopped at the pier to welcome me. In fact, it is a “hotel-ship” and it has been anchored at Escambron Beach since 1942. Inside, you go back in time to the 1940s. Built in the Art Deco style its ship’s shape makes it a landmark structure. The design is similar to the great SS Normandie and is a reminder to all of the many trips the hotel’s owner and his wife made aboard the ship. They say you can still feel the love between them in the air of the hotel.

The run now parallels the Atlantic Ocean on your right. It feels like

ABOVE: The sea approach to San Cristobal fortress is on the bottom right.

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you are back in the Seventeenth-century. I imagined the Spanish Armada sailing along beside me heading for the safe anchorage of San Juan harbour just ahead, before long San Cristobal comes into view.

As I neared Old San Juan the road veered up to the right before turning again to the left. I was again back on the cliff overlooking the ocean with a clear view of the mighty El Morro Fortress in the distance. It is an awesome sight! The colours of the buildings of Old San Juan are brilliant and help transport you back to another time. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is spell-binding. I never tired of the run to El Morro.

ABOVE: The road on the left takes you down to the El Morro Fortress

182 - El Morro

When I finally arrived at the end of the road leading to El Morro I just stood there in awe. It truly is a wonder. Then, with all the speed I could muster, I ran as fast and as hard as I could, all the way down to the Fort. The grassy field curves upward just before the Fort and slows you down perfectly. It was the end of a perfect run and the beginning of another day exploring Old San Juan.

There is so much to see in the old city. I always visited the open air market to buy some fresh fruit and after my long run I needed it! It was always good! Then I began exploring the streets of Old San Juan.

Up one street and down another. The buildings are all close together and appear taller than they actually are. I learned that the streets are paved with blue cobblestones cast from furnace slag brought over as

ABOVE: The market near El Morro

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ballast in the Spanish ships, time and moisture are responsible for their colour. I walked past all the well-known attractions and at the end of each day, I usually jogged around the seawall below El Morro. About nine p.m. I would catch a taxi back to the Ritz which cost all of ten dollars. It was worth every penny. I always had dinner at one of the good restaurants across from the hotel. Eating out in Old San Juan can be expensive.

When my six days were up it was back to San Martin and St. Barths.

Then I took a small island ferry from Marigot to get to to my last destination, Anguilla.

ABOVE: The streets of Old San Juan

10. Island Harbour Anguilla

I arrived on Anguilla on August 12. I had booked myself into the Arawak Beach Inn on the far east side of the island. I soon discovered that the island was home to both high-end hotels like Cap Jaluca on the west end of the island and less expensive accommodation like the Arawak Beach Inn on the east end. I had to hail a taxi to take me to the Arawak. We travelled through the main commercial area of the island and the town centre before reaching the lush green countryside of the east side which I would learn to love over the coming weeks. I thought maybe I had made a mistake because the Arawak was nowhere near the town centre and a long way from the high-end hotels but it turned out I hadn’t. In fact, it was the perfect choice for me.

The Arawak Beach Inn is located right on the beach in beautiful Island Harbour.

LEFT: The Arawak Beach Inn

188 - The Arawak Beach Inn

I grew to love Island Harbour for its location, its beauty and most of all for its people.

The owner of the Arawak was and still is an English lady named Maria. I am sure she must have owned a pub in England because she ran her beautiful inn like a British pub, complete with bar tabs. Inside, the Arawak’s restaurant/bar is decked out in bright Caribbean greens and pink. Guests help themselves to drinks and keep their own tab on a sheet of paper behind the bar. It works splendidly as far as I could see. The chef was a delightful island lady named Maude whose house was located just behind the Inn. Maria was quite concerned that Maude might decide to leave one day and she would lose a great chef. My

ABOVE: Inside the bar/restaurant at the Arawak Beach Inn

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impression was that Maude was a real Islander and would be there probably longer than Maria. I got to know Maude a little during my stay at the Arawak and for some reason she kind of befriended me. She had a lovely daughter as well.

The restaurant/bar opened onto a delightful pool. There were ocean views in every direction. Endless blue. Some of my fondest memories of my stay at the Arawak are lying on my bed in my room in the early morning listening to the soothing sounds of the sea through my open window.

I had lots of fun exploring the area around the Inn and every evening I took a walk to the pier before retiring at ten p.m.. There was a store

ABOVE: The pool at the Arawak Beach Inn

190 - Island Harbour

not too far from the Inn where one could purchase extras like pop, fruit and biscuits. I visited the store every day to stock up on drinks and snacks (one gets thirsty when the meter hits 87-degrees, which it does every day). A beautiful island girl was working in the store. We talked a little but I never saw her outside of the store. I asked her if she ever came down to the pier at night and she said, “No, I always stay home.” I am not sure why she did not come out and I never did find out.

Maria rents cars as well and I rented a car through her. On my drive to the inn I realised it was too far to jog into town and it would have taken all day to jog to the high end hotels at the other end of the island. I only used the car when I had an appointment to discuss the magazine. As I mentioned earlier many of the marketing people for the hotels on the islands spend considerable time off island promoting their properties.

This caused me to have to wait at times. However, after nearly a year in the Caribbean I had learned to adjust to what is called island time.

I loved my stay in Island Harbour. Every morning I would get up at six a.m. with the sunrise and go outside. I would walk through the centre of town and over to the other side where I would stop at a local store and buy a half gallon of orange juice. Then I would continue my walk down a road for a few kilometres, turn around and walk back. It would then be time to get on the telephone and make calls to see what appointments I could schedule for that afternoon. I liked to give myself lots of time to

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allow for the fact that I did not know the island well and could have difficulties. If I had no morning appointments, I would head out for a jog around the east end of the island. On this run, I would head off in the direction of Shoal Bay (the opposite direction to my morning walk). I first passed a residential area where I waved at whoever happened to be around. My first morning out I met a man named Edward working in his field. Edward was about ninety but still worked in his field everyday.

Then there was Napoleon who was building a house. I usually stopped and we exchanged a few words. My run would take me past a house on my right with a balcony. On it, there often appeared a pretty young girl with a big smile who always waved at me and I waved back. I could see that people would think it impolite if you did not say hello, something that always came naturally to me anyway. Maybe people are like that all over Anguilla, I am not sure but they sure were around Island Harbour.

In the countryside, I felt free as a bird gliding along the road between the lush greenery. There was very little traffic. At the crest of Welches Hill I followed the road down to the Valley Road. Going to the right would take me to Shoal Bay Village. Going to the left would take me to East End Village, then Mont Fortune and White Hill and back to Island Harbour. So I turned left. Right away I saw some locals, two men and a girl, and stopped to talk to them. The two men were already drinking rum and it was only noon. The girl ran a boutique which sold island clothing for

192 - Smokey I and Smokey II

tourists. She invited me to visit her boutique. To make a long story short, she was very nice and I got to know her quite well during my stay on the island. I didn’t mention that when I first arrived on the island I felt I needed a haircut. So, before hailing a cab to the Inn I went into a local hair salon. A very beautiful girl offered right away to cut my hair so I sat down in her chair. All through the haircut she kept leaning over me and brushing her body against mine. I didn’t mind. She was very beautiful and certainly in touch with her feelings.

I said goodbye to the girl in the boutique and carried on with my jog which eventually took me to the seaside where I turned left and headed back to Island Harbour. This part of the run was very scenic and overlooked the ocean on my right. When I arrived at the top of the hill leading down to the centre of Island Harbour, I always ran down the hill as fast as I could. There was usually an elderly couple sitting on their porch who always waved at me and I always waved back. Everyone was so friendly on the island that it became contagious.

In Island Harbour, I was adopted by two black Labrador dogs. They stayed at a house down the road from the Inn. Their names were Smokey 1 and Smokey 2. I asked the owner of the house, “Why the names?”

“They just showed up one day and decided to stay. I feed them but they are free to go whenever they choose. I couldn’t think of another name and it seemed appropriate,” was his answer. The two of them followed

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me everywhere. One morning, on one of my runs to the junction they both followed me. They usually didn’t come on my longer runs but this time they did. Smokey 1 was by my side all the way. Smokey 2 was another story. He tried but he didn’t have the stamina of Smokey 1. He turned around and returned to Island Harbour somewhere before we arrived at the junction. My friend in the boutique came out and I introduced her to Smokey 1. She started pulling ticks from his underside and I think she gained a friend for life. Animals on the islands are often left to run wild. Sometimes they are helped by kind souls but that is not always the case. As we made our way back to Island Harbour via the sea route a pack of dogs in a yard started barking at me. Smokey always challenged them and protected me unless they had a way out of the yard in which case they would come after him. I would pick up a stone and throw it at the pack. This gave Smokey I enough time to catch up to me and off we would go, leaving the dogs in our dust. It was a magical time.

When I arrived back at the Inn one day there were several young Islanders playing on the grass in front of the Inn. Maria was away in England for a week. She didn’t let the local kids hang around even when she was there. One girl was playing on a swing with a couple of others and another girl was lying on a blanket. I went over and sat on the grass by the blanket. The girl on the blanket’s name was Caitlin. Her sister, Chantelle, was climbing on the swing with their young brother and

194 - Chantelle and Caitlan

another person. Their brother I had talked to a few times around Island Harbour. He was very inquisitive and asked me questions about where I came from. One time he was very sad and cautioned me that some people had told him that I wore the same shirt every day. He told me I should change more often because it looked like I didn’t wash. It took me a minute to realise what he was talking about. When I was in Aruba I found a store in one of the hotels selling very nice tee-shirts for twenty dollars. The only problem was that the ones in my size were all the same colour. I didn’t think it would matter so I bought three or four of them.

A smile appeared on his face when I told him.

At sixteen Caitlin was the oldest. Chantelle was two years younger and their brother must have been around twelve. They were all nice kids but with very different personalities. I saw them often around Island Harbour (during my stay). “We see you everywhere,” Chantelle said to me one day. On another occasion, they declared, “We didn’t know you had a car. Every time we see you, you are jogging.” Chantelle’s personality was very straight forward, outgoing and optimistic. She was young and eager to find out about everything. Caitlin I felt was maybe a little more calculating. There might have been a bit of competitive jealousy where her younger sister was concerned. While we were sitting on the blanket Caitlin started throwing rocks at her sister and I had to tell her to stop. I knew she was only playing, but if she had actually hit her

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sister on the head it might have been another story. I think both of them felt they had found a new boyfriend and they wanted to stake their claim. One day before I left I was on my balcony and I saw them on the grass below. I motioned for them both to come on up, thinking I would say goodbye to them. Caitlin came inside and looked around while Chantelle sat outside on the porch with a sour look on her face. I suspect Caitlin had told her to wait outside. It wasn’t but a minute when I heard Maria yelling from down below for the girls to come down. As I mentioned, she didn’t want locals fraternizing with her guests. I tried to assure her they would be fine but I guess a rule is a rule and the girls took off upset. Maria reiterated that she had a rule about locals hanging around the property and everyone had to respect her wishes. I caught up with the girls about ten minutes later on a sandbar and apologised to them. “You are paying for the room,” said Chantelle, “ Yes, but Maria is the owner and if she has rules we all have to respect them,” I replied.

In a few minutes, all was forgotten and we were all enjoying the sand, sun and sea.

Maria’s daughter was visiting from England. She had a couple of other children as well who lived with her on the island. They must have sung together for the guests because I mentioned it in my editorial on Island Harbour in my magazine. When my day was over I always returned to the Inn for dinner. Maude always made me a sandwich of

196 - Elvis’ Beach Bar

some sort as I wasn’t eating big meals after a year in the tropics. Smokey 1 was never far away. Maria’s daughter asked me once, “Why does he like you so much?” “Because I like to do what he likes to do, run,” I replied. If you are a dog person you will understand. If not, well I don’t think I can explain it to you. One night about 10 p.m. I was in bed and almost asleep when I heard a noise on the porch. I looked out through the window in the door and saw Smokey I all curled up in front of the door. I hadn’t realised he was sleeping over. He was never there when I opened the door in the morning. He must have gone home for breakfast, I surmised.

One day on one of my many trips by car to the other end of the island I saw a man at the side of the road hitch-hiking. He seemed too well dressed to be walking on a country road so I picked him up. We chatted all the way into The Valley, which is the name of the capital of Anguilla.

He turned out to be the Chief of Police. I think my driving improved remarkably after he told me. I am sure I followed all the road signs correctly and signalled properly as well.

Just past The Valley, The Valley Road becomes Rte.1. On the right a little further along is the town of Sandy Ground. I would sometimes park my car at the beginning of the salt pond (a couple of miles away) and jog into Sandy Ground (25). This was the only other spot on the island that I jogged. Elvis’ Beach Bar is one of the best local hangouts

Anguilla - 197

in Sandy Ground and there are many others. You never know who you might run across. On the wall now in Elvis’ there is apparently a picture of Paris Hilton with the owner.

ABOVE: Sandy Ground, Anguilla

(25) Sandy Ground is a village and one of the fourteen Districts of Anguilla. It is also Anguilla’s main port. The long curved beach is backed by high cliffs and a disused salt pond.

198 - Malliouhana Hotel & Spa

Continuing down Rte.1 past several ponds you are now in the highend resort district. Located here is one of the world’s top ten international resorts (according to Forbes magazine and Harper’s Hideaway Report). It was awarded “Grand Award Winner, Island Hideaway of the year” in 2002. It’s the only Caribbean hotel that has ever been given this distinction. Conde Naste Traveller placed it in the top three holiday resorts in the world. It is called Cap Jaluca. Doesn’t ring a bell? Remember when Brad Pitt told Jennifer Aniston that their marriage was over? That was on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean and the photo was all over the headlines. It was taken on the beach in front of the Cap Jaluca Resort where they were staying.

ABOVE: Cap Jaluca Resort

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I discovered an older traditional hotel called the Cocoloba Beach Resort. It was closed when I was there and up for sale. I didn’t know much about it at the time but I was given some information anyway.

The location was stunning: on a promontory between two of Anguilla’s best beaches: Barnes Bay and Meade Bay. I dreamed of having my own hotel and living there for the rest of my life. I often wondered what happened to that amazing property. Well, now I know. Today it is called the Viceroy Anguilla and is one of four five-star luxury resorts on the island. The Cocolobo was sold multiple times but no one was able to make it work. The property had the most magnificent view in the world but it seemed jinxed. Finally, it was sold to a California developer. He tore the entire hotel down and built a sales office in order to sell luxury condos and villas which he then built. It took a while to gather steam but finally, it was built and it opened in December 2009. There were the usual problems at first but it appears today it is going strong and has found its niche with the Park Avenue crowd who come down in droves in their private jets.

There were three five-star resorts on the island when I was there: The Malliouhana Hotel & Spa at Meads Bay, The Cuisinart and the Cap Juluca. Now the Viceroy makes four. I enjoyed visiting all the hotels and villas on Anguilla: Anguilla Great House, the Frangipani Beach Club,

200 - Kevin Bacon

Covecastles, Villa Coyaba, Turquaz, Les Alize, Indigo and Cerulean Villa. While I didn’t stay at the Malliouhana I did take a tour of it and it was stunning.

When the rich and famous get tired of being seen on St. Barths they come to Anguilla to relax. From the window of my apartment at the Arawak I could see an island not far from shore which was only accessible by boat. It is called Scilly Cay. The photo below is what you see from every window of the Arawak Inn. I was told that Kevin Bacon and Janet Jackson frequent Scilly Cay when they are on Anguilla. Not at the same time, of course.

ABOVE: Scilly Cay, Island Harbour

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One day in the late afternoon when I drove back to Island Harbour I could see Caitlin sitting on a bench in front of a house. There was an old man sitting next to her who I assumed was her grandfather. She was looking very down and depressed. The old man said, “She wants to have a baby.” It was a good time to make my exit so I said goodbye and drove off. Lots of young girls hope to marry rich tourists and leave the islands. I guessed that was what he meant. One day I thought about that long and hard and I came to this conclusion: To me, this place was paradise. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for taking anyone away from all this and putting them at risk in the neurotic environment of a large North American city. I am sure many Caribbean islanders are attracted

by North American cities but I bet after a while they would realise how fortunate they were to live in paradise. I could never see myself doing that, not that I was planning on it anyway.

One day, before I left Anguilla on (September 14), the girls’ brother said to me, “Why don’t you stay on our island? Everyone likes you.” I was flattered, to say the least, but what would I do? My work with the magazine was finished. Run around the island all day? I thanked him and said, “Maybe one day I will come back.”

I caught the ferry back to St. Martin after four glorious weeks on the magical island of Anguilla with its beautiful people.

11. Epilogue New York

My year in the Caribbean radically changed my life! I had seen a lot and visited eleven island countries. It took me along time though to put two magazines together. I wasn’t sure if I would be up to doing it again.

On all the islands I visited, I seemed to have an eye for picking out good hotel properties. On every island, I seemed to find at least one property which I felt had potential. However, after writing these memoirs I noticed something. Of the fourteen hotels I stayed at on my trip, nine have either closed, been sold (or are being sold) or have changed ownership. I have stated already that running a hotel on an island is something that should be considered with great trepidation. You need to have a world wide reservation system although even that apparently isn’t a guarantee of success. Two hotels in Aruba that I stayed at are no longer there: a Radisson and a Wyndham. On St. Martin, the Meridien is gone, as is the Meridien on Martinique.They are all large hotel chains. If they couldn’t make it how can the smaller hotels survive? The

206 - JFK Airport

Cocolobo on Anguilla was a good buy and certainly I wasn’t the only one to see its potential. Maybe only large five star resort hotels that offer diversification, condos and villas will be able to survive (in the future). I am glad I made this trip when I did because much of the old Caribbean was still there for me to experience. Every hotel I stayed at that is gone the Carl Gustaf in St. Barths, the Meridien in Martinique, the Glencastle Resort in St. Lucia, the Flamboyant in Grenada, Breezes in Curacao, the Lion’s Dive Hotel in Bonaire and certainly the Arawak Beach Inn in Anguilla, I would stay at again. Yes, the Arawak Beach Inn is up for sale as well.

I remember when I was in Anguilla I asked Maria if the hotel was for sale. Her reply was, ”Everything is for sale at the right price. Make me an offer.” I guess after fifteen years she finally decided to go looking for a buyer. Her partner in the hotel was and I assume still is, Maurice Bonham-Carter. I asked him one day when he was visiting (he was usually in England), if he was any relation to the actress Helena BonhamCarter and he said, “Yes, she is a cousin.” When I said I thought she was a good actress and you must be very proud of her, he said, “Oh, she is just an actress.” English reserve, I guess!

The Arawak Beach Inn is on the market for $3.5 million US. The views are as good as the Cocolobo so if you want to buy yourself one of the best hotel properties in Anguilla, you had better move fast.

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It too might become another five star resort development although I am not sure if it could be zoned at that end of the island with all the private residences nearby.

I spent the week of the 16th of September in San Juan before flying back to Aruba on September 23 for two days. With my business concluded on the islands it was time to return home. However, after being in eighty-seven degree weather for a year I felt I needed to spend some time in a transitional place and ease gradually back into a more cosmopolitan way of life. I wracked my brain for another place to go before heading home and decided on New York City. It was still relatively warm there, believe it or not! I had never been there and I wasn’t sure if I would ever have the opportunity to go again.

When my plane arrived at JFK from San Juan, I found a motel near the airport and booked myself in for a month. Every day for the next month I jogged into Jamaica Station and caught the train into Manhatten. Once in Manhatten. I always jogged around Central Park. I had to combat the cyclists who seemed to feel it was their domain but once they realised they couldn’t intimidate me they left me alone. I had just jogged every day for a year around eleven islands in the Caribbean and I was in pretty good shape. After running the park, I walked, starting in the Bowery and working my way up to Central Park. It’s a good thing,I saw so many of those old Hollywood movies when I was growing up in

208 - The Bowery

the fifties because I knew all the landmarks as soon as I saw them: 42nd Street, Macy’s, Broadway, The Empire State Building, the Bowery, Harlem, Grand Central Station and the rest. I also got a chance to walk around the 911 site which I must say television did not do justice to. In person, it was much bigger and more real than at least I had realized.

When my thirty days were up I caught a JAL late night flight back to Vancouver. The only seat available was in first class. Great trip, great times, great return!

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In 2003, I published Best Caribbean Magazine and Best Aruba Magazine. They were trade magazines and were distributed on the East coast of the US and Canada to hotels and tourist bureaus. Due to the high cost of printing these magazines in Canada only one issue of each was was ever printed.

It took a year to travel around the Caribbean compiling these magazines. For that reason we did not try to do anymore.

I now print all my books and travel guides in Shanghai. Plans are in the works to publish more magazines and print them overseas. To see what we publish and what we have available please go to our website at: www.bestraveler.org.

BEST ARUBA M A G A Z I N E

BEST CARIBBEAN M A G A Z I N E

Most

Beautiful Beach in the

Caribbean

10 Great

Adventures on the

Doorstep of America

210 - Books

JOGGING PORTUGAL, SPAIN AND A VISIT TO ROMANIA - (Travel Digest) In 1999, I took a trip to Portugal, Spain and Romania to develop several magazine ideas.

The trip begins in Lisbon and then I explore the Estoril Coast before heading south to The Algarve. From the Algarve, I travelled to Seville and from there south to Marbella.

The plan was to spend a week in each location but I often stayed longer until my work was finished. Marbella is the jet set capital of the Costa del Sol. I then caught a bus to Malaga the capital of Andalucia. From Malaga, I flew to Madrid and then on to my last destination, Bucharest, Romania. I spent a month in Bucharest and also travelled north to Transylvania and the Prahova Valley. When it was time to leave Romania I flew back to Madrid on Tarom, Romania’s national airline. After a few days in Madrid, I caught the midnight train to Lisbon. My many adventures along the way form part of the narrative.

JOGGING THE CARIBBEAN - (Travel Digest) In 2001, I booked several hotels on ten Caribbean islands. I wanted to publish a magazine on the Caribbean. I departed just after the twin towers terrorist attack. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. No one was travelling and hotels were eager to promote themselves to help bring back tourists. I travelled to Anguillla, St Marten/Sint Maarten, St Barths, Martinique, St Lucia, Grenada, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. I often flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico and stayed there between bookings as it is the hub used to travel to all destinations in the islands. My trip lasted a year and I spent a month on each island. My one magazine became two as there was much more to see and do in Aruba than I had anticipated. There were many adventures along the way, including an automobile accident.

THE TRAIN TO HAIDA GWAII - (Travel Digest) In 2009, I travelled north to Alaska and Northern British Columbia and visited over two hundred native artists in their studios, at shows and in their homes. My trip took me to Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Anchorage. After I returned to Prince Rupert I travelled east to Terrace, Greenville, New Aiyansh and Hazelton. Once back in Prince Rupert, I flew over to Masset on Haida Gwai and then travelled south to Skidegate in time to spend my birthday eating fresh seafood with a beach view on the last sunny day of the season. My goal was to compile a guide to native artists and culture on the westcoast. I now have five westcoast native guides as a result. www.issuu.com/metroguides

Tours - 211

BEST JOGGING TOURS Join us for 16 days and nights in the sunny Caribbean. We offer three different tours. Two are to the Caribbean and the third is to Portugal and Spain. Come along on an escorted jogging trip to all the places made famous in our two books Jogging the Caribbean and Jogging Portugal/ Spain With a Visit to Romania. Open to anyone who is in good enough shape to keep up with the group from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m daily.

TOUR 1 - (San Juan, San Martin, Anguilla and St. Barths) Spend four days and nights in each of the above locations. While in San Juan, we stay in the hotel district of Isla Verde. Daily, we jog into Old San Juan. Once in Old San Juan, you are on your own to explore.

We meet back up at the foot of Fortress El Morro for a jog around the bottom of the Fort at 6 p.m., before taking a taxi back to the hotel.

In San Martin you will stay in Simpson Bay. Daily jogs will take you around Simpson Bay, to Marigot (the capital of French San Martin), to Philipsburg (the capital of Dutch Sint Maartin), to Cap Caribe and Grand Case (the gourmet capital of the Caribbean).

In Anguilla, you will stay in Island Harbour right on the beach. Each day, we will jog out to explore the island. Besides exploring the area around Island Harbour, we will go up to the high end resort district and explore Sandy Ground, Cap Jaluca, Tha Manouhanni and the latest five star resort, The Viceroy.

In St. Barths accommodation will be in one of the splendid local French boutique hotels. Everyone (who can drive) will have a Smart Barth at their disposal (Mercedes convertible). Jogs will be around the capital of Gustavia and the town of St. Jean located on the beach.

Cost is $4995 US This includes airfare between the islands and all accommodation as well as other perks along the way. We meet in San Juan as visitors usually come from all over the world. Dates of this tour will be posted once we have ten people signed up.

212 - Tours

TOUR 2 - (San Juan, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire) Spend four days and four nights in each of the above locations. While in San Juan, we stay in the hotel district of Isla Verde. Daily we jog into Old San Juan. Once in Old San Juan you are on your own to explore. We meet back up at the foot of Fortress El Morro for a jog around the bottom of the Fort at 6 p.m. before taking a taxi back to the hotel While in Aruba, you will stay in the high end hotel district right on Palm Beach. Each morning, we will jog out to a different site i.e.

California Ligththouse, Tierra del Sol Golf Course etc. After lunch, we will jog down to Oranjestad (the capital of Aruba). Other days, we will travel to the other end of the island to San Nicholas and jog around Baby Beach and the historic Lago Oil Refinery.

In Curacao, you will stay in an all inclusive on the outskits of Willemstadt (the capital of Curacao). In the mornings, you will jog into Willemstadt and over to Otrabanda across the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge.

One day, we will explore the westside of the island. Another day, you will explore to the southern tip of this historic island. There may even be a ride on a three masted sailing ship to round off your stay.

In Bonaire, we will all stay at a Dive Resort on the west coast of the island. Each day we will jog into Kralendyjk (the capital of Bonaire) and continue out into the countryside to explore the nature reserve. The runs will bring you into contact with wild donkeys, pink flamingos and large sea turtles which inhabit the island. A trip to Klein Bonaire where the sea turtles live, may also be included.

Cost is $4995 US (for 16 days and nights) This includes airfare between the islands and all accommodation as well as other perks along the way. We meet in San Juan, as visitors usually come from all over the world. Dates of this tour will be posted once we have ten people signed up. P/N You are each responsible for your own meals. Everyone has different eating habits in the tropics. Because of the heat, small meals are often the way to go. Large meals each day, are not advised as you will probably not last. Lots of liquids is crucial to maintaining good health in the tropics. We have jogged all these routes and no what is required.

The Tours - 213

TOUR 3 - (Lisbon, Albufeira, Seville, Marbella) Spend four days and four nights in each of the above locations. We meet in Lisbon. While in Lisbon, we will stay on the Estoril Costa. Each morning, you will jog to Cascais and back before breakfast at a luxury four/five star hotel. After breakfast, we take the scenic coastal train into downtown Lisbon. The day is spent jogging around and exploring this fascinating old world city. Side trips, can be arranged to Sintra as well.

Next, we all hop on the train to Albufeira in The Algarve (south Portugal). In Albufeira, we will stay at one of the five star resorts on the beach for four nights. Each morning, you will go for a jog on the beach to either Albufeira or Vilamoura. After lunch, in the town we are off on another jog into the countryside or further along the beach (the beaches here all have hard packed sand).

To get to Seville, we will all take a taxi or maybe two or three. In Seville, you will stay in the heart of the city in the Santa Cruz district near the Alcazar Palace. Every morning, you will jog along the Guadalquivir River. After lunch, in one of the many districts i.e. Macarena you will jog around Seville and explore its sites: Plaza de Espana, Torre del Oro, General Archives of the Indies etc.

We all hop on the bus to arrive at our next destination, Marbella (the jet set capital of the Costa del Sol). You will stay right on the Golden Mile on the water in the heart of the city. Early morning jogs along the Golden Mile and over to Puerto Banus before breakfast, will get you ready for your afternoon activities. A jog further afield to Estepona, bus ride and jog around Gibraltar or bus ride and jog around another town on the Costa del Sol Torremolinis, Benalmadina or possibly even Malaga.

Cost is $4995 US (for 16 days and nights) This includes all transportation between cities and accommodation. This tour meets in Lisbon.

Dates will be posted of the next tour when 10 people have signed up.

To Sign Up For Any of Our Tours Please Go To Our Website at:

www.bestcelebrityjoggingtours.com

214 - Index

Index Symbols Fort Zoutman 133 42nd Street 208

A Admiral Rodney 98 Alnebeck, Magnus 101 Amazonia 138 America’s Cup Yacht Race 41 Anguilla 9, 20, 30, 183, 187, 196, 200, 201, 206 Anguilla Channel 28 Anguilla Great House 199 Aniston, Jennifer 198 Anse des Cayes 57 Anse du Gouverneur 63 Anse Marcel 23, 24 Aquamania Cruises 41 Aruba 37, 129, 207 Aruba Marriott & Stellaris Casino 129 Aruba Marriott Resort 138 Association des Restaurateurs de Grand Case 41 Aubin Travel Services 49

B Baby Beach 132, 141, 142 Bacon, Kevin 200 Barefoot Holidays 102 Barnes Bay 199 Bay of Marigot 28 Bayside Riding Club 41 Beaumontia 45 Belair Beach Hotel 46 Benninck-Bolt, Erik 44 Best Aruba Magazine 209 Best Caribbean Magazine 209 BEST JOGGING TOURS 211 Bill Foley Road 38 Billy Foly Hill 44 Bonaire 16, 17, 37, 132, 155, 157, 163, 171, 206 Bonaparte, Josephine 111 Bonaparte, Napoleon 81 Bonham-Carter, Helena 206 Bougainvillaea 45

Boulevard de France 29 Breezes 206 Breezes Curacao 151 Broadway 208 Buffet, Jimmy 53, 54 Butterfly Farm 41

C “Cheeseburger in Paradise” 53 California Lighthouse 130 Canary Islands 87 Cap Caraibes 31, 37 Cap Jaluca 187, 198 Cap Jaluca Resort 20 Captain William Bligh 152 Carenage 13 Caribe Hilton Hotel 18 Carl Gustaf 50, 206 Carl Gustaf Hotel 10 Castries 95, 97, 102, 103 Central Park 207 Cerulean Villa 200 Charlie’s Bar 143, 144 Charlie Bar 142 Charneau, Andre 57 Chef Harry 102 Chez Mathilde 138 Choiseul 95 Clément, Honere 79 Club Orient 32, 37 Coal Pot Restaurant 98 Cocoloba Beach Resort 199 Coconut Beach 156 Cole Bay 41 Collectivité de Saint-Martin 23 Colombia 166 Columbian Emeralds 102 Concorde Hotel 58 Condado 175, 178 Covecastles 200 Creole Village 67 Cupecoy Bay 43 Cupecoy Beach 43 Curacao 16, 37, 132, 151, 155, 156, 206 Cyparis, Louis-Auguste 82

216 - Index

D Decouvrez 78 de Haenen, Remy 56 de Havilland Twin-Otter 49 Dekker, Jacob, Gelt 154, 155, 163 De La Grenade Industries 122, 124 de La Grenade Industries 123 Denny’s Restaurant 156 des Bourrie, Jan 156 de Vries, Dolf 146 Distillerie Dillon 78 Dive Fair Helen 102 Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino 169 Dominica 68 Driftwood Restaurant 138

E Eagle Beach 130, 136 East End Village 191 Eden Rock 56, 57 El Gaucho Argentine Grill 138 Elliott, Bob 98 El Morro 175, 181, 182, 183 El Morro Fortress 18, 181 Elvis’ Beach Bar 196 Endless Summer Cruises 102 Engers, Jet 143 Esmeralda Resort 41

F Flamboyant Hotel 107, 108 Flamingo Beach Resort 38 Floris Suite Hotel, Spa and Beach Club 156 Fort Amsterdam 46, 152, 154 Fort de France 68, 70, 71, 75 Fort du France 67 Forte Hotels 24 Fort George 13, 110 Fort Karl. Gustavia 62 Fort La Republique 70 Fort Oranje 168 Fort Oscar 62

Fort Rodney 92 Fort Royal 70 Fort Saint Louis 71 Fort St. Louis 28 Fort Zoutman 133 French West Indies 50, 72 Friday Night Jump Party 87, 91

G Gem Holiday Beach 113 Geronimo Fort 180 Glencastle Resort Hotel 89 Golfe Hotel 41 Gothenburg 63 Grand Anse Beach 124, 125 Grand Bay 45, 46 Grand Case 27, 28, 40, 41 Grand Case Beach Hotel 41 Grand Central Station 208 Grande Anse Beach 107 Grand Marcel Cove 24 Grand Riviere 68 Grenada 13, 37, 107, 112, 206 Gros Isle 91, 94 Gros Islet 87, 89 Guadeloupe 50 Gustavia 11, 50, 52, 56, 59, 61 Gustav III Airport 49, 56

H Habitation Clement 78, 79 Harlem 208 Hawaii 175 Hilton, Paris 197 Horizon View Beach Hotel 36 Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino 156 Hotel Le Toiny 58 Hotel Privilege 41 Howard Johnson Motel 156 Hurricane Luis 40

INDEX - 217

I Indigo 200 Insulinde 157 Island Harbour 9, 187, 188, 190, 191, 192, 194, 201 Isla Verde 17, 175, 178 Isla Verde Beach 176 Isle de Fleurs 78 Isle of Spices 118

J J.Q. Charles Mall 94 Jackson, Janet 200 JAL 208 Jamaica Station 207 Jean-Baptiste, Daniel 95, 96 Jennifer’s Vacation Villas 40

K Kalenda Resort 70 Karel’s Beach Bar 167 Karel Doorman 145 Klein Bonaire 170, 171 Kralendijk 16, 164, 166, 167 Kralendyjk 163 Kura Hulanda 154, 156 Kura Hulanda Museum 155

L L’Hoste Hotel 41 L’Escargot 36 L’habitation Le Domaine of Le Meridien 24 La Cabana Beach Resort 130 La Cabana Beach Resort and Raquet Club 130 Ladera Resort 100, 101 La Distillerie Depaz 78 La Ferme Des Papillons 33 Lago 141 Lago Colony 140 Lago Refinery 141 La Grenade, Captain Louis 123 La Grenade, Cecile 122 Laluna Estate 114

Laluna Resort 114 La Mauny 78 Landhuis Brievengat 158 La Playa Hotel 176 Las Ramblas 138 Le Blue Peter 36 Le Carbet 68 Le Dome 138 Lee’s Deep Sea Fishing 41 Le Gaiac Restaurant 59 Le Jardin de Balata 76, 77 Le Meridien Saint Martin 23 Les Alize 200 Le Select 54 Le Select Restaurant 53 Le Toiny 59 Le Village d’ Orient 31 LIDO 144, 145 Lions Dive Resort 16 Little Bay Beach 46 Luis Munoz Marin International Airport 176

M Macy’s 208 Maho Bay 38 Maho Beach Resort and Casino 39 Malliouhana Hotel & Spa 198 Manapany 58 Mandela, Nelson 96 Manhatten 207 Marche de Marigot 29 Marie Joseph Rose Tascher 12 Marie Joseph Rose Tascher de la Pager 81 Marigot 23, 28, 29, 36, 40, 183 Marina Port La Royale 30 Marley, Bob 54, 92 Marlin Quay 102 Martinique 11, 37, 50, 67, 72, 73, 74, 76, 78, 82, 103, 206 Martin Luther King Boulevard 152 Mationo, Mario Mr. 74 Meade Bay 199 Meridien l’Habitation Le Domaine 68

218 - Index Monbars the Exterminator 63 Mont Fortune 191 Morne Rouge Bay 112, 113, 114 Mount Pelee 71, 82 Mullet Bay 43 Mullet Bay Golf Course 36, 40 Musee de la Pagerie 80, 81

N Napoleon 12 Neisson 78 New York 205 New York City 207

O Old San Juan 18, 175, 176, 178, 179, 181, 182, 183 Oranjestad 15, 130, 131, 136, 139, 143 Orient Bay 32 Otrobanda 16, 154

P Palm Beach 129, 135, 136 Palm Beach Plaza Mall 139 Papiamento Restaurant 138 Paseo Herencia Mall 139 Pelican Beach Resort 43 Pelican Key 38 Pelican Marina Residences 45 Pelican Resort Club 40 Philipsburg 33, 34, 36, 40, 43, 45, 46 Pigeon Island 89, 91, 93, 103 Piton Mountains 101 Pitons du Carbet 77 Pitt, Brad 198 Plantation Saint James 78 Pointe Seraphine 98 Pointe Simon 71 Ponte du Bout 68 Powell, General Colin 96 Prickley Bay 120 Princess Juliana Airport 37, 49 Princess Juliana International Airport 27, 36, 38, 41

Princess Port de Plaisance Yacht Club 42 Promenade Restaurant 138 Puerto Rico 17, 175 Punda 154, 156

Q Quai de la Republique 61 Queen Beatrix International Airport 132 Queen Emma Bridge 154 Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge 152

R Radisson Aruba 14 Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino 135 Renaissance Mall 139 Renaissance Marketplace 139 Rhodes Restaurant 118 Rhum Agricole 78, 79 Rhythm of Rum 102 Ritz-Carlton 17 Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel and Casino 175 Rodney, George Brydges 103 Rodney Bay 12, 87, 89, 95, 103 Rotterdam Bar 142 Roy, Federico 58 Royal Plaza 139 Royal Plaza Mall 139 Royal Resorts 45, 151 Rue de Centenaire 61 Rue de General de Gaulle 30, 61 Rue de la Republique 29 Rue de President Kennedy 30 Rue du Bord du Mer 61 Rue Victor Maurasse 30 Rue Victor Schoelcher 72

S Saba 41, 46 Saint George 13 Saint Marie 68 Saint Martin 24, 50 Saline 63 San Cristobal 18, 175, 181 San Cristobal fortress 180

INDEX - 219 Sandy Ground 196, 197 San Juan 17, 207 San Martin 10, 28, 183 San Martin Tourist Bureau 23 San Nicholas 140, 141 Scharloo 157 Scharloo District 158 Schoelcher,Victor 72 Scilly Cay 200 Sea Palace 44 Seaport Mall 139 Sendall Tunnel 109, 110 Shell Beach 61 Shoal Bay Village 191 Signal Hill 93 Simon, Paul 96 Simpson Bay 36, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45 Simpson Bay Bridge 38 Simpson Bay Resort 38, 43, 45 Sint Maarten 23, 33, 34, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 47 Sjalotte Restaurant 156 Smart Barth 55, 56, 65 Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino 39 Soufriere 95, 100 Spiceland Mall 115 St. Barths 10, 37, 40, 47, 49, 50, 51, 56, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 183, 200, 206 St. Barths Properties 61 St. Eustatius 46 St. George’s 108, 109, 112, 118 St. George’s Anglican Church 119 St. George’s University 120 St. Jean 56 St. Jean beach 61 St. Kitts 46 St. Lucia 12, 20, 37, 68, 82, 87, 90, 94, 103, 206 St. Lucia Golf Course 96 St. Lucia Helicopters 102 St. Lucia Racquet Club 94, 95 St. Maarten 46 St. Maarten 12 Metre Challenge 41

St. Martin 23, 37, 201 St. Pierre 68, 70, 71, 82 Sunscape Curacao Resort, Spa and Casino 151 Sunset Waters Beach Resort 15 Sunterra Resorts 40

T TAPRC 45 The ABC Islands 132, 155 The Alhambra Shopping Mall, 139 The Allamanda Building 44 The Arawak Beach Inn 187, 188, 206 The ARC Yacht Rally 87 The Atrium 45 The Barnum and Bailey Circus 82 The Bay Gardens Hotel 102 The Bonaire National Marine Park 169 The Bowery 207 The Buccaneer Restaurant 138 The Butterfly Farm 33 The Calabash Hotel 118 The Captain’s Table 138 The Captain Hodge Pier 35 The Caribe Hilton 179, 180 The Carl Gustaf 51, 57 The Casino 44 The Coal Pot Restaurant 99 The Condado Plaza Hotel 179 The Cuisinart 199 The Curacao Sea Aquarium 151 The Divi Dive Resort 168 The Dodgy Dock Restaurant and Lounge Bar 121 The Empire State Building 208 The Empress Josephine 81 The Empress Oceanfront Hotel 176 The Flamboyant 206 The Flamboyant Hotel 118, 124 The Flamingo 45

220 - Index St. Maarten Condo Rentals 40 The Flamingo International Airport 169 The Fort Church Museum 153 The Frangipani Beach Club, 199 The French Steakhouse 138 The Glencastle Resort 102, 206 The Gold Coast 156 The Grand Case Beach Club 28 The Grand View Inn 125 The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa 175 The Great Salt Pond 34 The Green Parrot 102 The Grenada National Museum 111 The Havanna Show 137 The Holiday Beach Resort and Casino 156 The Holiday Inn Sunspree 136 The Hotel Normandie, 179, 180 the Impatrience Golf Course 80 The Inn at Cupecoy 40, 43 The Inter-Continental San Juan Resort 176 The Isle de France 50 The Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa 101 The Kura Hulanda Hotel 155 The Lion’s Bay Dive Resort 163 The Lion’s Dive Hotel 206 The Lodge Kurá Hulanda & Beach Club 156 The Malliouhana Hotel & Spa 199 The Manapany 50, 57 The Manchebo Beach Resort 136 The Marina 44 The Maritime Museum 153, 157 The Market at Cupecoy 43 the Martinique Pre-Colombian Archaeology and Prehistory Museum 74 The Morne Rouge Bay 125 The Numismatic Museum 154

The Ostrich and Game Farm 158 The Plaza Hotel 153, 156, 179 The Postal Museum 154 The Pre-Colombian Archaeology and Prehistory Museum 75 The Princess Port de Plaisance Resort & Casino 41 The Radisson Ambassador 179 The Regency Hote 178 the Regional Museum of History and Ethnography 74 The Renaissance Aruba Beach Resort and Casino 131 The Renaissance Mall 132 The Ritz Carlton San Juan and Casino 176 The Riu Palace Hotel 24 The Royal Palm Beach Resort 45 The San Geronimo Fort 179 The San Juan Marriott, 179 The San Marco Hotel 156 The Schoelcher Library 71, 72 The Seaport Mall 132 The Secret Harbour Resort 115 The Spiceland Mall 108 The St. Barths Film Festival 64 The St. Louis Cathedral 72, 73 The Sunset Waters Beach Resort 156 The Tele Museum 154 The Valley 196 The Valley Road 191, 196 The Veld Bar 142 The Viceroy Anguilla 199 The Wajang Doll 36 The Wall House 52, 62 The Wyndham El San Juan Hotel & Casino 176 The Wyndham Resort and Casino 135

INDEX - 221

Thoze, Jean Philippe 77 Tierra del Sol Resort & Golf 136 Trois Islet 11, 67, 68, 70 True Blue Bay 120 True Blue Bay Boutique Resort 120 True Blue Bay Resort 122 Turquaz 200 Tuscany Ristorante 138

U UNESCO World Heritage Site 151, 154, 181

V Valero 140 Venezuela 133, 157 Vigie Bay 98 Vigie Marina 98 Villa Coyaba 200 Village St. Jean 57 Vlietman, Dr.Martin 44

W Warren, Barbara 25 Waverly Square 35 Welches Hill 191 White Hill 191 Willemstadt 15, 16, 151, 152, 153, 156 Winair 49 Windward Islands 68

My days of jogging on the islands showed me an endless variety of beautiful landscape and ocean. It also became a connector between me and the local people: “Are you in training to fight Mike Tyson?” Anguilla “We see you everywhere on our island.” Grenada “What’s your hurry man, we can do it tomorrow!” San Martin “Why don’t you stay on our island? Everybody likes you.”

Anguilla “What happened to you? My reply: “Killer traffic!” St. Lucia “You like our women?” Bonaire “We call them walruses.” Aruba “Do you know our Friday night Jump parties? If you come look for me.” St. Lucia “Why does Smokey 1 (a dog) like you so much?” My reply: Because I like to do what he likes to do, run.” Anguilla

My year in the Caribbean radically changed my life! I had seen a lot and visited eleven island countries. It took me along time though to get over the twin tower terrorist attack. Jogging did much to help me heal from those upsetting, traumatic events. When my Caribbean adventure was over I felt there was still something I needed to do. I felt compelled to visit New York and see the site for myself. Once I did, it felt like closure. Then, I was ready to return home.