Day 7 --- St. Maarten

Our final port, was St. Maarten, and we set a wake up call for bright and early so we could be up and ready for the day!!!  We awoke before sunrise with the hopes of getting some sunrise photos, but unfortunately there was a mountain at port in the way. 

So instead I have a photo of pulling into port.....

The walkway to the visitors center, land and water taxis

The men on the dock tying up the ship so it doesn't float away.

Some yachts docked at the port

 Another island I'd love to come back to and spend more time.

 The visitor's center where we got our map of the island and decided to start our day off by taking a water taxi to Great Bay beach.  We got off the ship at 8am, to find out the shops don't open until 10am.

 One of the yachts at port....thought it might belong to a celebrity, but googled the name and it is a charter boat.

 Getting off the water taxi at Great Bay Beach

Plenty of shopping options along the beach

We rented a couple of beach chairs and spent a few hours relaxing on Great Bay Beach on the Dutch side of the island,.  Then took at taxi across the island to the french side of the island to the world famous Orient Beach.

There were tons of chairs available and each section had a sign....Free Umbrella, Free Drink and FREE RESTROOM (other sections had 1 free bathroom use....) and we were sold!!!  10 am on the beach, last day of vacation, we decided it was 5 o'clock somewhere and started our day off with our free beverage... mine -- A pina colada, and Julie opted for the rum punch.

 Our view for the next 5 hours....

Aside from our brief walk down the beach to see what all the gossip was about......

View of the sea from the "clothing optional" side of the beach

 The beach was absolutely beautiful

 White sand, crystal clear water

 People were parasailing

 Picture perfect

 There is definitely a reason National Geographic called it one of the most beautiful beaches

We left in the afternoon to finish up some shopping before our vacation came to an end.

 Back to Great Bay boardwalk

 We stopped by the Hard Rock cafe

 Loved the hanging hammock chairs at this open air bar

 Had to take a photo of the Carib ad on the side of the building

 and had a good laugh at all of the Harleys parked outside this church

 Baskin Robbins...they ARE everywhere

Every seaside boardwalk should have a pirate bar

This man (who was on some kind of mind altering drug) was entertaining as he wobbled throughout the shops and sidewalks, then decided at one point to walk into the middle of the road and start dancing......Whatever he was on ...surely had him seeing rainbows and butterflies, and possibly a unicorn or two.

Saying goodbye to St. Maarten and heading back to the ship.  Our week in paradise was officially coming to an end.

 At dinner that evening all of the waiters sang good bye

 We went to the theater that evening to watch the talent show

 It was definitely entertaining

Leaving port.......

 A photo of our room

 The couch, and twin beds....that were EXTREMELY comfortable

 The bathroom

 The itty bitty shower

And our last towel animal...thought it was a seal, or a swan, but after posting the photo on Facebook agree that it may possibly be a snake....

Day 6 -- St. Kitts

 St. Kitts was our other FAVORITE island!!!!  We took a taxi to Cockleshell Bay where we spent our entire afternoon!!!

 One of the locals set up beach chairs in the middle of the beach, and as his first customers he gave us a deal on our chairs!!!  He also had a cooler of Carib beer (the brand of the Carribean) on ice that he sold for $2 a bottle.  Too bad I didn't like the taste of it.

 View down the beach to the right

 My view of paradise for the day.  The island in the distance is Nevis island.  Known for the Four Seasons resort and golfing.

 This islander offered $10 horseback rides along the beach (from one end of the beach round trip).  He had the skinniest horses I've ever seen.

 In the water

 The horses surely enjoyed their time in the water cooling down.  He kept them busy with tourists riding them (while he'd sneak off and leave the tourists and visit our chair man Leroy for an iced cold Carib beer)

 Crystal clear waters and Nevis island

 And a few hours after our arrival, came the catamaran from our ship, for their "beach excursion".  Too bad they only got to stay a little over an hour.  We were there for 6 hours :)

 Julie with her Carib beer in the Carribean.  Life doesn't get much better than that....

 We had lunch at the Reggae Beach Bar and Grill

 The view from our seats

 In the Carribean you buy your beer by the bucket....Unless you have Leroy...in that case he keeps the cooler filled with ice and charges you A LOT less per beer

 The ladies room at Cockleshell beach....Julie's washing her hands

 I loved this quote that was hanging above the bar "Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm waters"

 View looking into the open air bar and grill

This pretty much sums up my day on Cockleshell beach.  A lot of snorkeling, some reading (great book by the way.. Summer People by Elin Hilderbrand), and a starfish I thought was dead and put it in my purse, then reached into my purse and found out it was alive and immediately returned it to the sea.

 Happy go lucky guide....guess a lot of sun and several beers makes life pretty grand

 Cockleshell beach was filled to the brim by the time we left at 3 in the afternoon

 Our taxi driver stopped along the way back so tourists could take some photos

Favorite part about this island.... To the left is the Atlantic ocean (choppy) to the right is the Carribean (smooth)  Both are beautiful.  Cockleshell Bay was at the end of this strip of land on the Carribean side.  In the distance you can see a mountain with clouds just above it..that is Nevis island.

 The bay where I want a vacation cottage when I win the lottery :)

 Our taxi driver with Julie...his taxi name says it all....as did his business cards.  Yes, he ALSO gave Julie his number.....another round of laughing ensued. 

 Museum back at port

 Heading back to the ship

 Leaving port that night

 The setting sun......

 Looking down to the Lido deck was the man that Quacked every time he saw us and then yelled "Hey Oregon girls"....we met him at the sports bar during the BCS game Monday night

 A view of the deck as evening falls

 Leaving the port

 Another rabbit, this time with a pair of our sunglasses

Me with the bunny.....I was exhausted at midnight and headed back to the room while Julie spent a few more hours at the casino playing Let it Ride