Tag Archives: AUC

Nettle Bay Beach, Lagoon Side

Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m trying to visit all 37 Saint Martin beaches, and I’m starting to close in on my goal. At last count, I had been to 32 of them. I decided that this was the weekend to tackle the easiest remaining beach. I’ve been told a couple of different names for this beach, and since Anse Aux Acajoux is really hard for my apparently French averse tongue to pronounce, we’re going to stick with Nettle Bay Lagoon Side.

Now, there are a few ways to get to this little piece of Paradise. You can enter here:

Or here:

Or here:

None of these places had good parking, so we ended up parking at Nettle Bay Ocean Side, in the parking lot for Le Sand and Dreams Beach Bar.

You can park to the right, and then take the path to the left. That’s what we did. This is the path to take if you’re up for an adventure. Saint Martin is full of grown-over paths than nobody really uses anymore, so we assumed this was the way you had to go to get to the beach. About halfway in, I was wondering if this was really a secret beach, or if all the other people are just too smart to go bushwhacking through an overgrown footpath with hundreds of spiders in a place where killers have been known to leave their victims. As it turns out, the beach is neither secret nor only accessible through Spider Forest. So unless you want to catalog all the arachnid species on Saint Martin, I’d advise using a more civilized route.

In the end, the walk through the bushes was more than worth it. So much for a hidden beach! The entire strip was beautifully cared for and lined with the most charming of beach houses! Here, the palms wave gently in the breeze and boats bob up and down in the gently rippling water.

I’m curious why this side of the lagoon is so nice, while the other side (where we live) has muddy shores and tons of jellyfish. It would be cool to have a dinghy to explore the whole lagoon and see what it looks like as a whole.

We found several shops along the edge of the beach. There was everything from jet ski rentals to dive excursions! Who knew all this was hiding back here? Not us! There were also a few little beach bars, which were tempting. A glass of fruit juice would have been nice after walking so far on this hot day.

I’m not sure how long the Nettle Bay Beach Lagoon Side is (Ben guessed 3/4 of a mile), but I really wanted to walk all the way to the end. Ben and R were kind enough to humor me. There was a lot to see, so even though we were hot, we weren’t bored. One house has an antique canon in the backyard!

We eventually came to the end, went through a gate, and found ourselves on a residential street in Sandy Ground. It was another longish walk back, but we took a break in the middle at Parisienne, a bakery and pastry shop I’ve driven past often but never stopped in.

R got a sugar brioche and Ben and I split a chocolate twist. It was a good refreshment for a mid-afternoon walk. The woman working at the bakery was really nice, too.

Before long, we ended up back at Nettle Bay Ocean Side. That’s another beach for another post! If you want to learn how to find other lesser known Saint Martin beaches, check out these posts:

Lovers Bay Beach

Guana Bay

Le Galion Beach

Scuba Diving Creole Rock

Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ocean is the last unexplored frontier. I mean, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the bottom of the ocean! Perhaps that’s why Scuba diving is such a thrilling adventure. Last week, Ben had the opportunity to Scuba dive around Creole Rock.

Ben’s cousin Craig, his wife, Bonnie, and their son, Wally, came to spend a week with us in Saint Martin. While they were here, they spoiled us. And I mean absolutely spoiled us! One of the excursions that Ben has been dying to do is Scuba diving. That hasn’t been in the med school student budget, so we’ve been doing a lot of snorkeling instead. Well, Craig and Bonnie decided that Scuba diving needed to be on the agenda, so Ben finally had the chance to go! He said it’s way more incredible than snorkeling, and it was worth taking a break from studying the weekend before his comprehensive exam.


Jet Ski Flyboard Experience in St Martin

The Experience

We went with Bubble Shop in Grand Case. Max was our guide, and he was awesome! This post isn’t sponsored by Bubble Shop; I’m writing because Bubble Shop is a great dive option and it’s worth sharing. Ben isn’t a certified diver, so he and Craig did the Discovery Dive trip to Creole Rock. Wally, Bonnie, and I did the snorkeling excursion. Since there were five of us, we got the whole trip to ourselves. It felt like a personal chartered excursion!

We started out with a tutorial on how to safely dive and snorkel. Before long, we were all zipped up in wet suits and on a boat from Grand Case to Creole Rock! Max said that it’s called Creole Rock because it looks like the outline of a Creole man sleeping in the water. As we got closer, I could make out the outline of a nose and chin, plus the belly rising out of the water.


Marine Tour Around St Martin

What We Saw 

The day was a little bit cloudy, which isn’t ideal for snorkeling, but the water was so clear that it didn’t matter. It’s definitely worth it to get out from the beaches, far away from where everyone is kicking up a bunch of sand or the waves are bringing in a bunch of crud from the Sargasso Sea.

The clarity of the water was awesome out by Creole Rock! The photos don’t do it justice. I usually fix the photos on a web program, but my laptop cord turned in its two week notice and took a vacation this week, so it will be a few weeks before I can fix these on my computer. Still, you get the idea! It was pretty remarkable down there.

At least the photos aren’t too shaky! You can tell which Go Pro photos I take and which ones Ben takes. Ben has the magical ability to take clear, steady videos under the water. When I take them, they look like they’ve been through a tsunami or a category three hurricane. Luckily, Ben had the Go Pro during this excursion. 

Here’s a photo of a gigantic hermit crab in a conch shell! Someone from another snorkel excursion told us about it, and Wally was the first one in our group to spot the shell. For size reference, conch shells are generally nine or ten inches long. Look at those pinchers! Anyone feel like losing a finger?

You can see a blue tang and a queen angelfish in the photo above. I’ve seen a lot of blue tang here, but this is one of the few queen angelfish I’ve seen.

This is a trumpet fish. They’re small, thin, silvery fish, and they are hard to see when they’re near the surface. Sometimes, I’m surprised when I slide into apparently empty water and see a few of these sneaky little guys gliding by. At Creole Rock, they’re not very skittish. Since it’s a nature preserve, they let you get pretty close without fear.


Snorkel Tour from St Martin

Why I Liked It

The water around Creole Rock is deep enough to be interesting but shallow enough to feel safe. I like free diving a little bit, and this was a good depth for getting to the bottom and not feeling like I was running out of air.

I also liked the area because it was good for all levels. Even though I’ve been in the water at least once a week since I got to the Caribbean, Creole Rock was an interesting place to see some new things and nicer coral. People who don’t snorkel often enjoy it, too, because it’s protected and shallow- perfect for getting used to open water or for seeing lots of things without having to free dive (and for readjusting an uncomfortable snorkel mask when it’s too loose).

What makes the boat ride out to Creole Rock most worth it is that it’s located in protected waters.  It’s also too far out for people to break the rules and go snag some lobsters illegally. The fish aren’t afraid that you’re going to whip out a spear gun, and the coral isn’t bleached from too much touching. This is a perfectly gorgeous place to go. We can snorkel Baie Rouge or Mullet anytime (which we do love to do), but this is special.


2-Tank Scuba Dive in St Martin

We had a great time snorkeling and diving Creole Rock! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to do it before we left. Thanks, Craig and Bonnie!

 

Riu hotels, summer, holidays, deals, travels

The Sun Sets on Medical School

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Expats, Expats and TCKs, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are times in life for sunrises and other times for sunsets. Maybe that’s why I feel a little nostalgic and sad every time I watch the sun set these days. Each time the sun dips below the Caribbean Sea, there is one less ocean sunset to watch from our balcony in paradise and one less day to live here. We have about a month left in our island home, which makes me wish I could slow down the time and enjoy every nanosecond of it. However, every sunset brings good memories and the promise of another sunrise.

Ben is nearing the end of his medical sciences studies at American University of the Caribbean. He still has two more years of medical school to finish in the States, but our two years in Sint Maarten are almost up. In fact, he takes the comprehensive exam in two days! Everything he has learned in the last two years will be covered in this test. Needless to say, he’s off somewhere in the library right now, studying hard about Crohn’s Disease and enzyme deficiencies and other riveting topics. I helped him study last night and the amount of information he knows just blows my mind.

Ben has had a successful run during his time at American University of the Caribbean. Pardon my bragging for a minute! He made the dean’s list every semester, and earned a spot in the honor and service society for his high grades and his hundreds of hours of community service.

Now, as all of this comes to a close– the honors, the volunteering, the prayers, the TA commitments, and tutoring, the hours and hours of studying and the late nights in the books– it’s easy to look ahead and be overwhelmed by everything that is still to come. After all, he has the comprehensive exam, and then we move back to Arizona. In June he has to take his first licensing exam. Then we’ll get assigned to clinical rotations somewhere in the United States and have to start over again somewhere new. After two more years of student loans and loads of work, there’s two or three more big exams and finally, finally he’ll graduate and become a medical doctor.

I think it’s better, though, to look backwards for just a moment and appreciate how far we’ve come. There’s been a lot to overcome, and making it this far is not guaranteed. Yet here we are! I’m so thankful for the time we’ve had here. I’m thankful for the friends we have made, the people who have supported us, the hard work that Ben’s put in, and the grace God has given us to not only make it, but have an awesome experience while we’re at it. I’m thankful that we have thrived and not just survived. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been fantastic.

The best kinds of evening are the ones when I can look back on the day and say, wow, that was a productive day, and it was a fun one, too. That’s how I feel about our time here. As the sun sets on this season of life, I can look back and appreciate everything that has happened. It’s been a blast, and it’s also been worthwhile. If we could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

How to Find the Guana Bay Hike

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Guana Bay hike is a popular hike on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, but it can be pretty hard to find if you’ve never done it before. To avoid driving endlessly around or scrambling up a frightening hillside of loose rocks, follow these directions and enjoy one of the most beautiful hikes of your life! Here’s how to find the Guana Bay hike in Sint Maarten.

To Find the Guana Bay Hike: 

To get the hike, drive north (counter-clockwise) from Philipsburg. If you’re on Pondfill Road, drive toward the east coast of the island and go north (left) at the freed slave roundabout. Keep driving until you see the sign that says “Guana Bay” on your right. It’s kind of small, so keep your eye out. You’ll turn right at the next right after you spot the sign. The road will take you up a hill, then down and to the coast. You’ll see the beach on your left and the parking lot on your right.

Now, it’s probably good to know that the name “Guana Bay Hike” is a misnomer. The beach on your left is Guana Bay, and the hike does NOT start here. We thought it did the first time we went, because getting lost is apparently just part of hiking for us. It was still fun, but it’s not the trail.

If you’re here, you’re in the wrong place

When you see the beach and the parking lot (aka dirt patch), keep going. You’ll get to the end of the road at a while abandoned house. The trail starts here, going directly toward the coast.


Full-Day Jet Ski Tour in St Martin

The Trail Head: 

Like I said, the trail begins at the end of the road. It goes directly down toward the water, dipping down and passing this weird old garden thing before heading up. This is the path, and you can keep going until the end.

 

This is actually the very first Saint Martin activity that Ben and I did when we first moved here, over a year and a half ago! Our friends Austin and Stephanie took us here to give us a taste of the island life. Here’s a picture of Ben and I way back before we got our Caribbean tans. It’s hard to believe that this island adventure is almost over.

The Path

The Guana Bay path isn’t the kind of thing you want to do in flip-flops or even Chocos, really, although I have done it in Chacos. I also wouldn’t recommend taking little kids past the first couple bays, unless they’re seasoned hikers. I have taken kids to the rocky area and the first bay you reach. That part isn’t too bad.

After the first part, though, you get some narrow trails, steep drops, and straight-up hillsides. The end result, however, is worth it. It takes about an hour to get to the end.

By the way, “X” does not mark the spot when it comes to the Guana Bay Hike in Sint Maarten. Stay away from the old, disintegrated paths marked with a red “X.”

Very steep!


Fly Zone Extreme Adventure at Loterie Farm

Along the Way

Don’t forget to enjoy the treasures you find along the trail! One of my favorite stops is at the boulders. This is fairly early on in the hike. You’ll see all the big, black rocks. Climb down there and explore the tide pools and rocks. This is a great pace for viewing the cays and islands off the coast. The biggest one is St. Barth’s, and the closet cay is Guana Cay.

Another cool place is Geneve Bay, where you can often find pelicans swooping to the waves in search of fish. This is also a great place to hunt for conch shells.

There are also a whole bunch of goats on the path! When I take my dog, Kito, on this hike, she loves to chase them. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I just keep going and she eventually comes back. The first time she went racing after the goats, she was covered in cactus spikes from head to toe when she came limping back. Now she knows about the cactus and stays away.


St-Martin and St Maarten: Sightseeing Tour of the French and Dutch Sides of the Island

The End

The end of the Guana Bay Hike is the very best part! Here, you’ll find a deep natural pool that is protected from the waves. You can swim here, but beware of the urchins! My friend Jay was stung by one pretty badly. Just stay away from the walls and you’ll be fine. This is also a great place for sunbathing.

Beyond the Tide Pool

The Guana Bay Hike is already a pretty long hike if you go all the way to the pools, but if you’re up for more, the path continues. I’ve never been myself, but I believe the trail comes out at Point Blanche.

If you want to find more hikes in Saint Martin, check out my SXM Activities Page or read these posts on the Lovers Beach Hike, the Wilderness Hike, and the Pic Paradis Hike. Subscribe or like the 3rd Culture Wife Facebook Page for more posts on Saint Martin hikes!

Photo creds: Alyssa F. and Austin W

 

What’s It Like to Bring a Dog to Sint Maarten?

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Expats, Expats and TCKs, For the New Expat, International Travel, Spouses Organization, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wondering what it’s like to travel overseas with a dog? Turns out, harder than you’d expect but more than worth it! Here’s my friend Jon, the husband of a med school student at American University of the Caribbean and proud owner of a boarder collie, on how to bring a dog overseas and help him adjust. To read more of Jon’s pet advice, head over to The Healthy Pup. 

Once we realized that we would be moving to St. Maarten for two years, there was no question that Forte, our Border Collie, was coming with us! As we prepared for our move, we realized we didn’t like the idea of Forte stuck in a cage in the cargo hold, so we decided to make him an emotional support dog so that he could sit with us on our flight. We had our vet fill out the paperwork necessary for Forte to travel to St Maarten.

We knew that Forte’s high energy would be hard to manage throughout two flights and a layover, so the vet gave us a tranquilizer that we had Forte take after we got to the airport, which made him drowsy but able to walk along with us. We had quite a day – we woke up at 2 in the morning, flew from Chicago to Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to St Maarten. We landed in St. Maarten at about 3 in the afternoon, and Forte was great the whole time. He mostly slept on the flights (and lay on my wife’s lap a lot), and he waited patiently during the short layover we had. He’s weird about going to the bathroom in new places, so we didn’t have to worry about any accidents (but we did bring a few pads just in case).

 

Forte had no problem adjusting to his new home! We brought the blanket he always had in his cage as well as several of his favorite toys. Forte loves to play, so the minute we started throwing his ball around the apartment, he relaxed. We had to buy a new cage and retrain him to like his cage, and that was a process, but he likes his cage now, too! We also packed a few pounds of the kibble he was eating back home.

When we got to the island, we bought food and slowly increased the proportion of new food in his meals, which allowed him to transition to the food we will continue to buy on the island without getting an upset tummy. The dog park near the school is a great place to take Forte and throw the Frisbee for him, which is his favorite (my wife and I like it too, because it tires him out so much)!

We wondered if Forte would become depressed or homesick, but so far he has been his playful, affectionate self! We have done everything we can to make him feel at home, and it looks like we have been successful.


EarthDog Eco-Friendly Hemp Dog Bed – $84.00
from: The Ultimate Green Store

Air Show in Sint Maarten

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Things that go fast never lose their appeal for us. Sure, we may outgrow the toy trucks and die-cast tractors, but real planes? Forever awesome. Every year (starting in 2015), Sint Maarten holds an air show above Great Bay. This year, I took R to the Boardwalk to enjoy the show!

Of course, that was way back in November, but who cares? Better late than never. I couldn’t resist sharing the photos.

The first thing we did was explore the festival on the Boardwalk. Unfortunately, most of the activities were either for adults or younger kids, so R found it kind of boring until the show started. Still, there were some pretty sweet motorcycles because of the biker event that was also happening on the island, and he thought those were cool. So did I, if only for the sheer number of them, even though I seriously could not care less about motorcycles.

The air show started (after much waiting under some palm trees) with parachuters jumping from the planes. They landed not too far from us on the beach, one at a time.

Soon, the planes began to show their stuff. They seemed to fly dangerously close to each other! I think that might have been an illusion of distance and depth, but it’s hard to tell.

 

 

The planes did corkscrews in the air, falling through the air at heart-stopping speeds before leveling out above the bay and flying upward once again.

 

You know, I never thought I was much of an airplane person, but I’m learning how awesome they are! Between Princess Juliana Airport down the street and the airshow in Philipsburg, I just may be addicted to flight.