Jun 29th, 2006

Liver, Preee-pare to Die!
So where is St Martin, St Maateen, and why the heck do they spell it so many ways…?
Early in January, I got the idea of going back to the Caribbean, after spending a lovely 14 days in the US and British Virgin Islands last year.

In looking at Jamaica, Nevis etc, I ran across first an airfare, then a website. 5 months, a web site, and a certifiable obsession later, we leave tomorrow for 16 days in St Martin. St Martin is about 190 miles from Puerto Rico, past the Virgin Islands, in the Netherlands Antilles. It about 34 sq Miles and is ½ Dutch on the south and ½ French on the north.

Despite what you may Google; it is NOT the smallest Island in the world to be divided into two sovereign countries. To be pedantic, at 34 Sq Miles, it’s not even in the top ten.

Before you doughheads of West Island in Boundary Lake jump in here, you are actually only #4!!

Nope, we’d have to go to middle island, Södra Boksjön, to see the world’s smallest island cut between Sweden and Norway. At .2 Acres, it’s about the size of a small lot (8700sq. Ft.). I think I won’t be flying there soon.

You can sleep now I am sure!

I then learned about Traveltalkonline (http://www.traveltalkonline.com/) which my wife would say is a simple harmless Google search gone bad. It’s something like this:

“For dinner tonight, we’ll have the crack pipe soufflé, with the Cocaine reduction and a side of heroin needles.” Or as my wife puts it: “Your new girlfriend.”

I of course think she’s overreacting, and that renaming our Children:

“St. Maarten - St. Martin” and “SXM People Talk” is perfectly normal behavior.

Anyway, away we go!