Well Monday began with a shock. Pam jumped out of bed, all perky and ready to go BEFORE everyone else! It really woke me with a start! I thought there had to be a fire, or an earthquake… although the last time we were in an earthquake, Pam slept through that! So you can imagine, it was very disconcerting for me.
After calling security to ensure all was ok, we decided we should try out Pinel Island. Most of the reviews we have read said that this a not-to-be-missed highlight. It’s a smallish island, fifteen minutes north of our condo, about five minutes across a small bay by water taxi.
The taxi was seven dollars each, for a round trip. Once on the island, the beaches are made of the same fine white powdery sand. There are numerous umbrellas, each with two attached chairs, for rent for fifteen dollars for the day. So that meant $29 for each of us.
There is a protected marine park, with bouys lining a “course” for you to swim and see a very nice assortment of coral. There were fish, but not as numerous, or as varied as we’ve come to expect. One highlight was certainly the schools of ballyhoo, who swam with us. In other places, they usually do not hang around, but move off. These guys just hung around and there were a lot of them!
The current was quite strong, especially when the course left the protected edge of the island. It was a work out! We saw parrotfish, Sgt Majors, trumpetfish, assorted grunts, damselfish, wrasses, etc. The surprising thing is that we have not seen one of my favorite fishes – I call them “flat bottomed dudes” – the trunkfish, cowfish guys. Not one! Amazing.
We had lunch on Pinel Island, and wow, that was one pricey meal. A simple hamburger with fries was 16 Euros! That’s $24 Canadian folks! So my recommendation is that you pack a lunch if you’re heading to Pinel! A can of diet coke was a steal at 4.50 Canadian.
It was a tiring trip. The surf was strong and gave us all a good workout. We came back to the condo for a quick change of clothes and a small nap. As the sun set, we thought we’d try the restaurant in the condo called Infinity, which overlooks the infinity pool.
It’s a very nice restaurant. Cloth tableclothes and napkins add to the sense of well being. The waiter was efficient and attentive. The food was spot on, from the “Classic Onion soup” to the coconut chocolate mousse and tiramisu for dessert. Tim had the daily special, a chicken scallopini served with a pasta in a light sauce, and pronounced it excellent. Pam and Maggie had the chicken stuffed with sweet sausage and were delighted with it. My roast pork was very nice too. The presentation was on white square plates with a modern plating technique. All in all, it was a terrific end to a really swell day.
By 9:30, I was ready for bed! I might have got a little too much sun, (there is apparently something called sunscreen that can help with that, so I might have to see just what that is….) so tomorrow I think we’ll do some exploring of the towns of Phillipsburg (Dutch) and Marigot (French), maybe take in the forts, and the markets. Pam has wagered that I will be buying AT LEAST three new Hawaiian shirts… We shall see!