It’s been a long time since our first days of Pride and Prejudice Balls P.E. class, Friday morning hikes, and drama improv. But even after many years and many miles, these friendships have stayed strong.
My friends Taylor and Bethany came to visit me a few weeks ago! Taylor and Bethany have been my friends for many years. We have a lot of memories under our belts, and the week they spent here created many more. I actually managed to find some new things to do with them, just when I thought I had conquered all the activities on the island. Of course, we also covered some old favorites with a new twist.
For the first time, we saw monkeys on Pic Paradis! These vervets are escaped pets who have moved in to the Columbier area of the island and proliferated. They’re actually quite a pest, but at least they’re cool to look at.
The day we hiked was perfect. Can you see St. Barth’s in the background of the picture below? Usually, that island is like a mysterious phantom rising out of the mist. Even on relatively clear days, it’s hard to see more than its outline. This day, though, you could not only see the entire island, but even little white sails in the harbor! We couldn’t have picked a better day to take a hike to the island’s best viewpoint.
Fort Louis is always top of the list for visitors. As you can see, Taylor and Bethany brought their best acting skills to liven up the dead ruins of the fort.
Bethany noticed this little shack at the bottom of Fort Louis Hill. I had never stopped to look, but she discovered that it houses an old stone oven.
Taylor took every opportunity to enjoy the beautiful clear Caribbean Sea! I hung out with Bethany on the beach while Taylor did some swimming at Indigo Bay.
In case you ever wondered, Philipsburg is right here on Map:
We found this crazy contraption on the beach in Pburg. I’m not entirely sure how you’re supposed to use it, but it was pretty cool anyway!
Fort Amsterdam is a great place to take a deep breath of fresh air and look at the past, present, and future of the island. My favorite thing to do here is bird-watching near the pelican nests.
We did a lot of water sports while the ladies were here. Snorkeling was awesome that week, so we spent a whole day doing that. We also tried out stand-up paddle boards at Orient Bay, and of course enjoyed the water’s edge. The sunset over the water is spectacular. Ben and I even taught Taylor to surf!
No Johnson Tour of Saint Martin is complete without a trip to watch planes at Maho beach, an afternoon with the kids at Player Development Program, a visit to Roland Richarson’s gallery, or ice cream at Carousel.
Bethany and Taylor took me shopping for groceries and we made a delicious meal together! We ended up making and African-style beef sauce for rice with fruit and salad. You can get the recipe here.
Ben’s first day of break was also the last day of Bethany and Taylor’s visit. We celebrated by taking a trip to the abandoned hotel, La Belle Creole Resort. Ben climbed all the way up the highest tower on a rickety old wood ladder!
They say that if you’ve been friends with someone for seven years, you’ll be friends for life. I’m finding that to be true so far. I’ve been friends with Taylor and Bethany for a decade, and we’ve been through a lot of good times, laughter, deep talks, and crazy moments. Here’s to many more years of adventures!
