Return of Red Stripe

 

“On such a full sea are we now afloat.  

And we must take the current”

William Shakespeare

Captain Urlich wished us all a "Gut Morning".  He informed us we had cruised a total of 1186 nautical miles since leaving Miami and to look port side for our first glimpse of St Marteen.   

For our time ashore on this tiny island we had decided to hit the beach in Philipsburg.  This would be our last port of call before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Sister Ships

I counted a total of five cruise ships ahead of us so the approach into the harbor was slow going.  We watched the floating gas tanker come alongside and refuel our boat while we had breakfast and waited to dock alongside our sister ship “Freedom of the Seas”. 

We wandered along the concrete wharf with hordes of other tourists.  Our mass tourism flow was cleverly channeled past the market stalls and food kiosks towards the direction of the boat tenders.  We took a small detour at the fountain for photos.  Dolphin fountains always make me homesick and my thoughts wandered to far away friends and family.  My joy of travelling is always tempered by the absence of loved ones. 

Captain Hodge Pier

For seven dollars we bought an "all day rider" boat ticket which would allow us unlimited trips to town and back.  It was the slickest boat operation I had seen in a long time. Along with 150 or so of my new best cruising friends, we were rounded up and herded in the direction of an over sized catamaran. I quickly calculated the revenue being siphoned off us docile cruise cows for the few hundred meters boat ride into ‘town’. Today alone, assuming at least 2000 passengers alighted per boat, with 6 vessels at 7 bucks a piece…mmm. We arrived at the wooden jetty before I could figure out the profit margins.

Great Bay Beach

The beaches were already crowded and we walked along the promenade alongside the beach side cafés searching for waterfront sun loungers.  A friendly lady who introduced herself as Marcia managed to talk me into sitting on her section of the beach with the promise of free Wifi at Captain Jacks.  The price?  Twenty-five dollars.  The price of the 2 towels Marcia’s friend tried to sell me?  Twenty-five dollars.  The price of the massage Marcia’s friend’s friend wanted me to purchase?  The starting price for everything was twenty-five dollars.  Although, for Wifi in the shade and a lounger with a view of the bluest sea ever, it was totally worth it.

Red Stripe Lager Fan

A couple of hours later when the buzz of the jet skis reached crescendo I succumbed to the one of the waiter’s who offered to fetch a bucket of beers.   I cracked open my first Red Stripe Lager in a long time and continued to drink beer while a wide array of vendors shuffled by with hopes of having me part with my dollar.  The people watching was supreme. My favorite events were when the local hair braiders intruded on each other’s territory and then were loudly chased off the ‘turf’.

"Cock your hat - angles are attitudes."

Frank Sinatra

Feeling a little hungry we went in search of food one street back into Voorstreet.  The market and backstreet shops had a disorganized, desperate feel to them.  We decided not to try the local goat curry in fear of taking Nora virus back on board to our 3000 plus shipmates.

 

Returning beach side, the wind had picked up and lying on the lounger had become a lot harder, I was forced to stretch out my hand to hold the umbrella during occasional breezy gusts.  It was all too exhausting, it would be far easier to return to the sanctuary of the mother ship and a much less windy Wind Jammer Cafe.  However, I felt a little reticent pinging back through the security system at the gang plank knowing we faced 5 full sea days on our way north to Ponta Delgada in the Azores. 

 "And thou shalt in thy daughter see,

This picture, once resembled thee."

Ambrose Philips