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Rats!!!
#63814
08/03/2015 10:53 PM
08/03/2015 10:53 PM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 169
Alaskan
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 169
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Rats!!! I daresay that most know of them, but few talk of them. If you haven't seen them, you haven't been looking - which is just as well, I suppose. I understand that every Caribbean island has them, and St. Martin is no exception. My most memorable experience was of walking back to GCBC one night in the fall of 2013 (or was it 2014?), following an absolutely wonderful dining experience at one of the premier Grand Case restaurants. As we walked along the dark stretch (about three blocks) between Spiga corner and GCBC, right about at Le Esplanade's driveway, I glanced up for some reason and there was a big brown and white rat keeping pace with us as it trotted along the telephone wire about 15 feet overhead. Mrs. Alaskan freaked out, but I thought it was really cool. Our "Fellow Traveler" jumped off the wire when he/she reached an intervening branch from a fruit tree. When we got to the resort entrance a minute or so later, I told the securiy guard what we had seen, thinking it was a really unique experience. He just laughed, saying the guards watch them using the wires as party highways almost every night. Does anyone else have an experience to relate? I've got more, but you've got the idea ... By the way, as far as I'm concerned, they are all legitimate residents of our ecosystem, and as far as I know, none of them are named Cecil.
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Re: Rats!!!
[Re: vetteguy]
#63819
08/04/2015 08:55 AM
08/04/2015 08:55 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677 Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677
Brookfield, CT.
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Not St. Martin, which certainly has more than its fair share of the icky creatures, but we were in Aruba one time, walking along the beach walk towards the old Americana Hotel from the Hyatt, and as we were walking by the pool area we could hear splashing noises. Trying to figure out what we were hearing, we went closer and realized the noises we were hearing were water rats, and lots of them, playing in the Hyatt pool in the absence of all humans. I was happy I wasn't staying there but then realized if they were there, they were probably everywhere, a fact which a security person further down the walkway confirmed.
Another time, we were in the airport in Barbados waiting for our flight to board when a good sized rat ran across the floor and under the seats just a few feet from where we were sitting amid lots of finger-pointing and screaming!
And lastly, lest people think I'm trying to draw attention away from our beloved St. Maarten/St. Martin, I've seen them in the alleys in Marigot and along the walkways by the restaurants there, transiting the overhead wires in Philipsburg as well as in GC and I've actually watched them run across the floors of a few of the most popular restaurants in Simpson Bay.
I came to understand early on they're an unappreciated but very real part of Caribbean living, just like la cucarrocha. They're there and you'll probably see them at some point if you visit often enough, but hopefully, not too up close and personal!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
Last edited by pat; 08/04/2015 09:07 AM.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Rats!!!
[Re: Alaskan]
#63820
08/04/2015 10:00 AM
08/04/2015 10:00 AM
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 880 Boston, MA
marge
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 880
Boston, MA
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Just like on a boat, many resort/hotels in St. Maarten kept cats to keep the critters at bay. Unfortunately, people routinely fed these cats. They got fat on milk and a constant supply of kibble and bits, and didn't need to hunt for tasteless rats. Fat cats...fat rats!
marge
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Re: Rats!!!
[Re: soualigacapt]
#63826
08/04/2015 02:14 PM
08/04/2015 02:14 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677 Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,677
Brookfield, CT.
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Funny, Bob - we had one run across the floor one night when we were there, too, but I can't say we invited it to 'eat with us'....... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
But to be fair, we've also seen one at one of the popular GC lolos and another time we were eating at Antoine's and one tried to run across the wires from the vacant building next door to join us. Thankfully, the owner saw it before we did and was able to knock down the wire with a broom and drive it away. We also saw one years ago climbing up the tree at a very popular Marigot lobster buffet one evening. Guess he wanted to buffet it, too.
A long time ago someone who lives on the island suggested to me the reason you often see some palm trees painted white five or six feet up their trunks is to keep the rodents out of them. I don't know if that was fact or fiction or perhaps an islander having a chuckle but it sounded reasonable to me. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Rats!!!
[Re: pat]
#63827
08/04/2015 03:01 PM
08/04/2015 03:01 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,455 Virginia wishing STJ
TomB
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,455
Virginia wishing STJ
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Living in Puerto Rico many moons ago, there were plenty of the nasty little critters. They were more like squirrels than what you think of as wharf rats. They primarily at fruit and loved coconuts! They would climb the trees and bore into the top of a coconut. Sometimes gorging themselves to the point that they were stuck. You would see coconuts going back and forth as the rat tried to back out, but usually what happened the coconut would break free and a ride to the ground was the result, which usually killed or freed the rat. Once on the ground cats out of nowhere would appear and the chase on.
They would get on the roof of houses and come down the vent and even ending up in the toilet. We had a close friend that experienced that first hand when she arose in the middle of the night to use the restroom. A soon as she sat down she heard a bunch of splashing. Jumping up (like a Saturn V booster rocket) and turning on the light found the intruder taking a lap around the bowl. My bet she still stands up to pee with the lights on 37 years later.
We had plenty more wild encounters with them critters, but suffice it to say there were definitely Coconut Rats in Augadilla, PR. The trees were painted by the base public works, but I am not sure that their efforts were successful. However, a wide strip of tin around the tree about halfway up seem to work well. If you google coconut rats there are some neat pictures of how they do their thing. Just remember squirrels are nothing more than cute rats.
Oh yeah I have been to a blues venue in DC (Georgetown) and seen some RATS, and they do not eat coconuts.
“Every time I open a bottle of wine, it is an amazing trip somewhere!” José Andrés
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Re: Rats!!!
[Re: whammy]
#63839
08/14/2015 07:28 AM
08/14/2015 07:28 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,397 Hershey, Pennsylvania
Tom
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,397
Hershey, Pennsylvania
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whammy said: This would definitely freak me out! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> There are some things you just shouldn't see! That's my wife's description of me on Orient Beach.
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