Tag Archives: kids

How to Find the Guana Bay Hike

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

 

Exploring Tall Ships in French Saint Martin

Saint Martin is an island with plenty to do! There are often fun activities to participate it, when you know how to find them. This weekend’s activity was a free tour of three tall ships in Galis Bay!

After Coach Tom told me about this excursion, I decided to take R and head over to Marigot to tour the ships. Ben couldn’t come because he had to study, but Dan, another med school spouse at American University of the Caribbean, joined us with his two girls.

The Ships

We got to tour three ships during our Sunday afternoon excursion. The first was a big, green pirate-looking vessel from Germany called Alexander von Humboldt II. The four-year-old was entirely convinced it was an actual pirate ship, although she made sure the rest of us understood that there’s no such thing as a real pirate anymore.

Living on a ship sounds rather restrictive, but I could actually envision surviving a long trip on this boat. The crew’s quarters below were pretty tiny, but it didn’t look too terrible. Plus, the view from the deck is fantastic– I could totally look at that every day. An unobstructed view the the ocean is just unbeatable. R, of course, is all about that ship life. He’s excited about a future in the Coast Guard. I think he’d do it even without the view. Of course, it doesn’t hurt…

The other two ships, Frederick Chopin and the Wylde Swan, were a bit smaller, but no less impressive. They also had more interesting steering wheels, which was all that mattered the the four-year-old.

The Wylde Swan also had a great kitchen area, and whatever they were cooking down in the galley smelled delicious.

The Wheels

The most important part of the entire tour, according to the four-year-old, was the steering wheel on each ship. I think she would have stayed there all day if her dad had let her!

Each wheel was a bit different. I was surprised that the wheels still looked like old-fashioned wooden wheels. I wonder if that is standard, or if most ships (even sailing ships) have more modern wheels.

I have to say that I was pretty thrilled to see the typical old wheels still in use! They have a distinctly nautical beauty about them.

Other Instruments

There were other interesting ship’s instruments, too, beside the wheels. The baby loved the compasses, which were pretty cool.

I really liked the ropes. There were so many of them! I’ve read a lot of books about ships, but I haven’t been on too many of them. I’m always surprised at how much rope holds the ships together.

I really wanted to climb up into the rigging. Of course, I didn’t (seriously) consider it. We estimated that I’d get about halfway up before somebody dragged me down. You know, they did say that we could go anywhere on the ship, and they never said the rigging was off limits…. ah, if only I didn’t have a reputation to worry about!

These are the kind of days when I wish I could stay here forever. I want to spend my whole life wandering around ships and looking at the view!

The island life is a wonderful life, and the sea is a glorious place to be! If my adventures have taken me to the deck of a ship in the Caribbean, where else will they take me? Only God knows. Too bad he’s not spilling the beans yet!

For now, I’m loving every moment of this Caribbean life. What a fun afternoon! Ships are pretty cool. Thanks to everyone who made it possible for us to explore these ships for free!

 

 

 

 

First Party of Christmas!

It’s finally that time of year! Time to roll out the wrapping paper, put up the tree, and decorate way too many cookies. To kick on the season right, the Pediatric Interest Group at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine put on a fantastic Christmas party for some of the kids in our area.

red noses

One of the groups that was invited to the party was Player Development Program, which is the baseball program that I volunteer with. Today, the team had a Little League game before the party,. The dugout was buzzing with happiness during the whole game! The kids were in high spirits as they anticipated the party, and they played with such gusto that they ended up winning nine to seven.
playing games

After the game, we all piled into cars and vans and got ready for the fun ahead. When we arrived, students and their spouses welcomed us with treats and games and loads of fun. The Pediatric Interest Group obviously put a lot into the day, and there was so much to do! The kids sat down for a yummy lunch from Jules and then dug into the pie, cookies, candy, and homemade goodies that the students and spouses brought.

table

When the sugaring up was finished, and when all the kids had received their shiny red Rudolph noses, it was time for crafts and games! Glitter, glitter everywhere. I’m pretty sure we’re all going to leave sparkling footprints behind us for the rest of the week. Too bad fairy dust doesn’t really make you fly. I’m going to think some happy thoughts just in case, though, because you never know.

crafts

There were coloring pages and paper crafts and games galore, but the one I thought was the most fun was the paper snowflake station. I taught the kids how to fold and cut snowflakes. I’m not sure they understood the connection between snowflakes and Christmas (or even snowflakes at all), but they absolutely loved the lacy paper and creativity. We ended up with snowflakes, boats, and paper shapes of all kinds.

paper snowflakes

The kids even got gifts! Jackie, a spouse at the school, and her kids made incredibly adorable presents. The girls got crowns and wands, and the boys got superhero masks and arm bands. Needless to say, they were beyond thrilled!

superhero masks

Just as the glitter glue and paper shreds  threatened to become a magical snowstorm, the party’s hosts took the kids outside to play and run off all the sugar. I helped clean up and waved goodbye to the kids. Thanks, Pediatric Group! We had a wonderful afternoon.

Saint Martin’s Day at the Airport

Saint Martin’s Day is the biggest day on the Island– aside from Carnival, of course! Princess Juliana Airport, which is in our neck of the woods, holds a family fun day to celebrate the holiday. R and his friends were planning to go, so Ben and I loaded up the little guy we were babysitting into the car and headed to the airport.

motorcycles

The air was full of festivity! Dozens of bikers in matching t-shirts zipped by, honking at us happily. Behind them, young biker-wannabees showed off their wheelie abilities on bicycles. The air was filled with the sounds of Caribbean music, and the scent of local flavors began to creep past our noses.

spongebob

Give a kid a balloon sword, and he’ll whack Minnie Mouse in the face with it. Guaranteed. What else do you expect him to do with it? Hold it gingerly and avoid smacking other people? Of course not! I’m the grown-up, so naturally, I had to ask him to do the impossible.

Balloon sword

However, when a king gives you the sword, you must wield it with honor to protect the kingdom.

balloon man

Even though the sword was pretty rad, the little guy was more enthralled with the bouncy house than anything else. There were two of them, so he ran from one to other for about two hours.

bouncy house

I could barely drag him away to watch the dancing and the singing of the Saint Martin National Anthem! The girl who sang the song was pretty awesome. We definitely enjoyed it, and even the little guy’s attention was captured. He sang along with his own version of the song: “O I love my paradise, nature beauty very nice.”

steel pans

The dancing was less interesting to him, but I was not about to miss it! There were a few different teams that performed, all of them decked out in patriotic colors.

The petting zoo was lots of fun! We got to feed the animals. The little guy loved the bunnies, but he said the pig was yucky.

pig

petting zoo

Between the animals, living statues, balloons, crowds of screaming children, and bouncy houses, the little guy was pretty pooped after three hours. I took him home.

living statue

Meanwhile, Ben hung out for a few more hours with R and his friends and the volunteer crew from K1 Britannia Foundation. They had a great time playing card games and munching on pizza and cake. I’m not going to lie, I was kinda jealous about the cake.

games

I’m sure going to miss Saint Martin’s Day next year! The parade in Philipsburg last year was super fun, and so was this year’s event at Princess Juliana Airport. Maybe next year, when we’re back in the United States, I’ll have to track down some island food and play the national anthem a few times.

sxm-day
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Flat Tires, Mud, and Mentoring

Well, it finally happened. I had to change a tire without my husband there. In fact, not only did I have to conjure up the memory of how to change a tire, but I had left my American phone at home, my island phone was dead, and I had two teenagers in the car. Also, I was stupid enough to park in the mud on a slight slope, which made the whole thing more difficult. And you know what? It wasn’t actually so bad. In fact, in ended up being a good thing, in a way.

Image result for changing a tire

Of course, no teenage boy who has been promised a beach excursion wants to sit in the mud and change a tire. But the kids I had had a pretty good attitude, and I was a darn good thing they were there, especially R, who never complained once and worked really hard for an hour. Together, we managed to jack up the car, get the blown tire off, not get our feet smashed when the car slid in the mud and fell off the jack, jack it back up, and put on the mock.
Image result for philipsburg

As soon as that tire blew out, I knew I had two choices: get really stressed out and frustrated, or play it cool and have a good attitude. To be honest, if I was alone I probably would have thrown a great big hissy fit and cried a little. But with two teens in the car, I didn’t have that option. If I could keep my wits about me, it would be the perfect opportunity to model how one ought to handle a crisis. I decided to stay very calm and not freak out. By the grace of God, I was able to do just that.

tire-606100_1280

We were quite a ways away from any buildings, so I just pulled off in a dirt patch and we got out to survey the damage. Yup, the tire was flat, and we were not going to make it any further than where we were. In hindsight, I should have made sure we were on level ground, but I was focused on staying level-headed. “Well,” I told the boys, “You two are going to learn how to change a tire.” And I silently thanked my dad for showing me how to do it way back when I was their age, because otherwise we would have been in big trouble.

Image result for sint maarten

I unloaded the massive amount of random stuff out of the trunk (you know, coffee pots, sheets, and spoons, the usual) and located the spare. After some hunting, I found the jack Ben bought and an assortment of tools. It took us what felt like seven years to get the car up, and I honestly wondered if we were actually going to do it. Even so, the whole time, we stayed pretty chill. Maybe it was a little overkill when I suggested we think up positive things about our situation (R looked at me like I had lost my mind), but better positive than negative, I guess. I’ve been in worse situations– Ben and I once changed a tire in the rain using a jack, a broken antenna, and an old fork, only to discover than the spare was also flat. We survived that, so we could totally survive this. Sure enough, couple hours later, we were back in Philipsburg with a new rim from the tire shop and a pumped-up tire. And R was armed with his newly-acquired knowledge of how to change a tire.

Image result for philipsburg

I learned a few things from this situation. First, it’s super nice to have a helpful teenage boy around who is strong enough to raise the front end of a car. Secondly, I’m more capable of taking care of myself that I thought. Third, I need to be vigilant about how I handle things these days, since a bunch of kids and teens are watching me.

Finally, I learned that being a mentor isn’t just about fun outings and giving advice. It’s also about walking through everyday life with someone, in the good times and the bad, and showing them how to deal with life’s storms. I think that maybe the flat tires of life are the most powerful mentoring moments.

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What has been your most powerful mentoring moment? Comment below to tell me about it.

 

Parrot Ville Bird Park in Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten’s Parotte Ville Bird Park is one of those secret gems tucked away in the island’s interior. You won’t find a website for Parotte Ville, but word of mouth travels fast enough to keep the visitors coming in. I’d been dying to go for months, but I wanted to take some kids with me. After all, kids make everything more fun. I used fall break as an excuse to take this Brother and Sister to explore Parotte Ville. Come with us and discover the magic of tropical birds in paradise!

parrotville 1

Cost: $5 for kids and $10 for adults

Directions: From Philipsburg, drive north into the Belvedare region, like you’re headed to Orient Bay Beach. The bird park is on Bishop Hill Road.

Experience: 

Bird Enclosure

Note to self: Parotte Ville is closed on Mondays. We ended up visiting the zoo on Monday instead, and made Wednesday our Parotte  Ville day. As soon as we stepped in the gate, we were greeted by George, who gave us an awesome tour of the park. He began by introducing us to each species and handing us cups of bird seed.

birds at parrotville

I was glad to get some into on the birds before heading in. The kids patiently listened, but they had already caught a glimpse of the birds and were about ready to jump out of their skin with anticipation! The birds seemed pretty excited, too, and peered at us expectantly through the wire mesh of the door.

Interior of Parrot Ville

Once we were in, it didn’t take long before the birds began to gather on our seed cups. George introduced us to Alex, a ringnecked parrot. He’s one of the birds with the most personality, and he even comes when called. Sister spent most of her time at the park hunting for Alex.

Alex at Parrote Ville

Besides Alex, there are plenty of other birds to see! These colorful conures were my favorite. They were the most friendly, and were perfectly content to sit on our cups and snack. As you can see, they are also pretty photogenic.

Conure

Brother is a perceptive kid, and he wanted to check out all the different types of birds in the park. To his disappointment, not all of them wanted a bite of his bird seed. He decided they were still cool to look at, though. We both were awed by how beautiful the birds look when they fly. At one point, nearly every bird in the enclosure took flight as if on cue and soared clockwise around the park. It was stunning to see the parrots fly through the air. They fly so differently than other birds– almost like dancers in the air. I could hardly believe that I wasn’t standing in the middle of an untouched Brazilian jungle. Brother asked me if I snapped a picture of that moment, but it wasn’t the picture taking kind of experience. It was the kind of experience that you just have to be present in and enjoy as completely as possible.

boy and birds

You don’t find stuff like this where I come from. It’s amazing to get to hold parrots and see these birds up close! It teaches kids to appreciate nature and to treat wildlife with respect.

Herb Garden 

I was interested in all the plants growing in the enclosure, so George showed me around. He grows a lot of herbs with healing properties, along with other vegetation. He plucked leaves from many of the herbs and let me smell them. Some I know and use, like lemongrass, but others were totally new to me.

White head bush

Museum and Playground

As if the bird enclosure wasn’t cool enough, Parotte Ville also features a great playground and a museum. Sint Maarten doesn’t have a lot of playgrounds, so finding one is a pretty huge event. Sister was excited to play, and Brother was fascinated with the museum. Eventually, Sister decided to see what all the fuss was about and found the museum pretty awesome, too.

heritage museum

George gave us a tour of the museum. It’s his private collection of Saint Martin history, which he gathered from his family heirlooms and household items. There is another heritage museum in Philipsburg, which I haven’t visited yet, but this one has a different twist. George told me that the Philipsburg one focuses heavily on indigenous Arawak history. “But who’s going to tell my family’s history?” he pointed out. “I have to start somewhere.” I’d say this is a pretty darn good start.

Heritage Museum SXM

The kids learned about such ancient artifacts as rotary dial phones and film cameras, and I enjoyed seeing the coal-heated irons and the pictures of local fruits that hang on the walls. Brother knew the uses of a lot of the items, which impressed George. Although he did think the washboard was a cheese grater. When we left, brother commented, “The past was good, and now is good… I think the future will be good.” I have to say that I, for one, am glad we live in an age with washing machines instead of washboards. But I do appreciate history and former ways of life, and I’m glad he does, too.

playground at Parrote Ville

Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying out the Flintstones car. By the end, the kids were happy but pretty pooped. We said good-bye to George, Alex, and the birds and headed to baseball practice. Later, Brother wrote a story about Parotte Ville.

bird-park

If you’re in Sint Maarten, make a point of spending a morning at Parotte Ville! There are tons of awesome things to do on the island, but this is one of my favorite. I’m already planning my next trip.

Parrot
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