SXM Day 11 Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Last full day in St. Martin, we had signed up for a snorkeling trip to Creole Rock, and we were really looking forward to going. Got up early, once again, and went down to check on the status of the trip and we were informed that the trip had been cancelled because of the murky water, churned up by the storm the previous day. Oh well, guess it's Orient Beach! We took in the sunrise on the balcony, snapped some pictures of planes arriving at the Grand Case Airport, as they flew right over the bay into the mainland. We also got the treat of seeing the large brown bird that seems to own the Grand Case bay, and I got some pictures that due to the fog in the camera, look like Loch Ness photos. I'd really like to know what kind of bird that was, as it could fly at great speed, and hit the water in search of prey and dive several feet underwater, very impressive.

Hit the beach at about 9AM, once again, 1st on the beach. We had picked Coco Beach because of the proximity to a hill filled with cactus that made a dramatic backdrop to the setting, and the fact that it is away from the main population center of Orient Bay. It was still mostly overcast in the early morning, windy, and the surf was the exact opposite of our previous visit, large waves vigorously pounding the beach. The conditions were apparently perfect for the parasurfers, who ran all over the bay, and made for a colorful entertainment.

Took the obligatory beach walk to the end of Club Orient about mid-morning and that end of the beach was filled with cruise ship day-timers, a contrast to my first Orient Beach walk, when the people were few. The closer to Club Orient I got the thicker the beach was packed with the cruisers, families, partyers, parasailers, jet skiers, et al. I walked over the rock jetty that separates Club Orient from the main beach, and this time I was not the only "textiled" person on the beach, as there were many curious ship-goers taking in the scene. My second walk along Orient Beach only reinforced my desire to return and experience the wide variety of beautiful opportunities afforded along it's shores.

We retreated into the Coco Beach bar area for lunch at about 12:30, sat under palms and had some comfort food - we both ordered cheeseburgers and french fries. Brings a song to mind.......

By the afternoon, the sun had been beaming brightly for some time. I had decided, as I foolishly always do, to go for it, and went for the 4SPF for the day. At midday, all was good. We had a great day of sun, ventured into the rough surf for a little body surfing, and took a walk towards the northern end of Orient Bay in the afternoon. I took a lot of pictures of the hill next to Coco Beach, and of the clouds strafing the mountains in the distance.

Towards mid-afternoon, the realization of the "last day" started to sink in, and an early happy hour seemed in order, so I went up to the Coco Beach bar and ordered rum punches while the patrons at the bar cheered the World Cup game on TV. After a few return trips, life was very good on the beach in St. Martin, and we soaked in the last blissfull moments of our last full day in paradise, watching the local dogs play with the beach guy and the large poodle of a family from Philadelphia. All too soon our last day on the beach was over, and as we were the first on Coco Beach, we were the last off of Coco Beach.

After twice planning to dine at Spiga, we finally got our opportunity, as it had been closed the previous two nights.. The restaruant is very close to the Grand Case Beach Club where we stayed, and it was a short walk to get there. We sat one table away from the street, and enjoyed the conversation with a couple on a dive cruise. Both Lynn and I had a lobster dish that could be had hot or sweet, and we both opted for sweet. Whereas the meal was very good, we both wish we had of ordered a more traditional Italian meal - that's the whole reason we wanted to go there, and we went for seafood. The aforementioned couple went with strictly Italian dishes and were very complimentary of their meals. Don't get me wrong, the dining experience was great, but we were looking for traditional Italian and ordered otherwise. We walked back to our studio and soon to bed.