Arrived in Sint Maarten

Here we are finally, ‚the real carribean‘ – at least to me – because it really is off the ‚beaten track‘. Well apart from cruise ships and some resorts. This place here ‚Philipsburg‘ is the first of the like for us to experience: Like a Disneyland for the Cruiseships, a cute little beachfront ‚village‘ – all stores opens with the arrivals of the cruiseships in the morning and at five in the evening, when the masses get hearded back to the ships, everything closes and the locals go home or to simpson bay to party and hang out.

On arrival the official asked for the place of residence. We didn’t book anything, so we couldn’t tell her. Well but we need to have a place. What about onward or return ticket? Nothing of the like, but a flight back from Dom Rep to Bogota and San José mid March. And a printscreen for proof of funds. Well we need an adress she insisted, which didn’t lead anywhere. Ok, what are you working? Ok, but next time you need to have an adress! Ok, next time, sure!

North part is France, southern part Holland. No borders, it’s just part of the EU! Only half an hour bus ride from Holland to France for two dollars. You can also pay in Guilders or Euro. It’s such a mix of cultures, main language seems to be english, then there is french, also Spanish is an option. Then also Creole and Patua, the ‚broken french or english‘. Lots of jamaican here and from all other parts of the carribean, here you have a better chance of a future then on many other places around. Laid back and ‚well behaved‘ or like friendly and helpful folks. Very well maintained but life not overly reduce by too many rules. Small island with arround 70’000 inhabitants. From here we are making our way down south. For once we have a multiple flight plan and in one and half month we hopefully have a better idea about the whole carribean: From Sint Maarten were heading to St. Cristobal and Neivis, Guadaloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St Vincent and the Grenadines, from there west to Curaçao and back to Bogota.

Not the cheapest place to travel, but a weird different world of only small islands – Waterworld!

Island Saba (NL) in the distance, 2000 inhabitants