Caribbean Island Activities

Hello!

Today is the last day of our pre-school work vacation so we have been trying to do as many activities as possible on the island before everyone is in lockdown mode. We have been swimming down at Fort Bay where the ferries to St. Maarten come in. We’ve been doing some snorkeling there and there are so many tropical fish in large schools – very cool. There are a few bars along there so sometimes we stop by for a beer after our swim. The past two times we have asked the bartender to call us a taxi, but instead the locals have offered to drive us back into town in the back of their pick up trucks. (Note to Mom and Dad: I never go alone, I promise).
 
We hiked up Mt. Scenery the other day which is supposed to be the hardest hike as it is the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I would have started with a smaller one myself, but the guys wanted to try this one so I decided to go along. It is 1000+ steps up and some steps are much steeper than others. I was happy that I went and I felt good after, but I think I almost died… seriously. There are several different ecosystems on Saba so we were able to see many fruits and plants and trees that would definitely not be found home in Nova Scotia.
We’ve gone to a few restaurants for dinner as a group including a Chinese place and a pub called Saba’s Treasure. The locals of Saba are always friendly no matter where we go – from the coffee shop to the grocery store and, of course, the university.
Orientation and registration are tomorrow so I am looking forward to seeing the class together and getting things started.
Some more pictures...

 
Sitting on my balcony enjoying the rain - I love how it just seems to hang in the air
 
Fort Bay - where we swim

 
The bar we have a drink at after swimming

 
Hiking Mt. Scenery


Island in the distance
 


 
Some of the 1000+ steps we hiked

 
Highest peak in the Kingdom of the Netherlands


So steep...
 


Black Eyed Susan - National flower
 


Eating an orange... not ripe enough yet (it tasted awful)
 

 
Looking down

 
Bananas!

 
Lots of moss and other vegetation covered the steps which made them slippery enough for a few falls...

 
Great view

 
The grade schools

 
So many steps...

 
Ascending into the fog

 
Group photo at the top (too foggy to get a scenery shot) - can't believe I made it


 
This is the mountain we climbed - can't see to the top because of the fog

 
Did groceries then guy at the store drove us home in the back of his truck


 
 
Dorms in the background
 
 
Beverly and Adam on one of our walks around town... before we got caught in the torrential rain

 
Walking down to Fort Bay again... winding turns




On the way back in another truck
 



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