Allamanda Beach Club The Valley

St. Barthelemy (or St Barths), a magical little island about 2 hours by boat from St. Maarten. Small houses, narrow streets, beautiful surrounding, baguettes, crystal clear water and great food... although it is quite pricey. As it is a French island, people speak French and it has a French touch. Many people go skinny dipping and most women are topless on the beaches.

The island had a bit ...

... We passed by Maho Beach, and unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to see a 747 fly overhead and land. We drove through all the other small cities along the coast. Though the landscape is different from Aruba and the Dominican Republic, they all share that relaxed “island” feel.

So where will our next adventure be to and when? You’ll have to wait and see.

... about. The Tidal Wave Beach Bar is a relaxed place to have something to eat. I had some fresh mahi mahi and salmon tartare for lunch. The food is a bit pricey, but convenient. Le Galion is great for adults too. If you would like to windsurf, do some paddle boating, or even kayak, just rent from Tropical Wave.

... and around the Caribbean. Beware of traffic in Philipsburg as there is a drawbridge that gets raised certain times of the day and causes a backup on the roads for up to 20 minutes sometimes. Also, keep in mind that St. Maarten is a cruise port, so going out shopping when the ships are there can be more crowded.

St. Maarten is quite mountainous compared to Aruba. The roads are windy at times and very tight. Having a small car ...

... and everything went perfectly with the wind and our crews performance. Our boat pulled out in front and won by 3 lengths!!! Wow!!! What a ride!!!

Afterwards, we did some shopping in the stores near the dock. The stores were interesting and the variety of wares being sold was vast. After that, we boarded the ship. We couldn't stop talking about and reliving our experience aboard the Stars and Stripes. We shamelessly bragged about it to our table mates at dinner.

Howdy everyone, bit of a monster entry this time as I have been a lazy bugger and haven't done one for two weeks. Im afraid I cant remember very far back about what ive done...this island life gets to you and I pretty much always forget what day of the week it is. From what I can remember from two weeks ago I went out drinking with an American guy called Matt from North Carolina. He's about the first person close to my age that has stayed at the Arawak so ...

... good beach. As we got back in the car a guy appeared by the JCB, but again as he saw us he got on his phone and tried to cover his face so I couldnt get a good picture of him. He jumped in the JCB and sped off, the road was unpaved so he managed to get ahead of us and we eventually lost him. Good news is that they think they now have enough to prosecute those responsible....crime fighting aswell as managing disasters!! After that it was a pretty quiet week, had ...

... work for a long time. Started off with lunch at Zurra's, which is one of the most exclusive restaurants on the islands, government paid for it of course! Then we set off for a detailed look at the west end of the island and all of the potential risk sites. It was interesting to see all of the resorts up close...so much wealth! Also to have a good look at all of the fabulous beaches (will add some photos soon!). We went down to a place called Sandy Ground, on the north of the island ...

... the bar, and if I wasn't checking out a different beach, I wanted to see at least a different end of it. The music was great, the food and drinks even better. Word got out that I was from Minnesota, and the next thing I know there is a couple from MN wondering if I know their nephew, who lives in the same town as I do. Shouldn't be a surprise that I don't, but hey, we're on vacation, we're now friends, and its all good!

... 6 am flight (no need to check in 2 hours early at this airport!). Our boarding time comes and goes, with no staff in sight, quite a few people outside, and a waiting area full of impatient passengers. An announcement is finally made, apparently there is an oxygen leak on the plane. A quieter announcement heard only to those around me is that mechanics having been working all night on the other stranded plane. Great. The truck with the ...