do the beach hop bop

    Yesterday was yet another day off in St Barth.  My curious nature had me set on the continued exploration of this volcanic rock I would be calling home for the next six months.  This time I found it necessary to take it to the next level.  My plan was to hit the nearest rental establishment early in the morning to acquire the biggest, baddest, fasted, meanest....... scooter, they had.  Like a bat out of hell I was on the road  By 10:00am.  with the wind in my hair (over sized helmet), I was cruising on my very own (rental), fast (25cc), automatic (one speed), baby blue (chipped paint), mean machine (scooter).  Ripping through the rolling hills of St Barth (30mph max down hill), I was hell on wheels. Streets cleared (no one drives on Sunday) when they heard my pipes roaring (like a weed eater) down the road.  .
    Needless to say I covered much more ground with the help of my "mean machine." Hitting almost every beach on the island, I was riding the waves, free diving the reefs, and meeting the people.

    As I worked my way clockwise around the island I was amazed at the terrain the population of this island inhabited.  It's total of 8.1sq mi is packed with valleys, plateaus, lagoons, and even a small mountain they call Morne du Vitet.  Located on the eastern part of the island with an altitude of 938ft.



    In all St Barth has 21 beaches.  Each beach similar to the last, in that they all have soft sand, blue water, and warm sun. But when closely compared, each is unique and suited to specific activities.  I found the beaches on the North East side of the island catered towards surfing due to the large rolling waves coming in from the open North Atlantic.  

    The best diving/ snorkeling beach I found is Grand Cul De Sac on the Eastern side.   With crystal  clear water ranging 10'-40',  It is a playground teaming with life for divers and swimmers to observe.

    A really great beach for the afternoon and evening time is Colombier, on the West side of the island.  There is a bit of a hike to get there but the trail is full of it's own bit of life.  I nearly stepped on this turtle that was quietly having lunch on the path. As I was observing him eat another hiker came along the path and almost stepped on him as well.  I took it upon myself to relocate him to the other side of the path before the hare ran him over too.  But not after a picture with the future winner of the race.

    As the sun began to set I returned to what is still my  favorite spot, a cliff overlooking Shell Beach.  With it's shell covered shore, strait cliff backdrop, and beautiful sunsets, the beach draws a large crowd in the late afternoon.  The cliff however is quiet, and secluded with a great view of the busy beach. 


 Just a few more scenic pictures and my work is done!

Hope you all enjoyed my day off as much as I did.



KB




I found a forwarding address for Snow Goose through the port which enables me to receive mail.  For those interested the address is listed above in the "news, updates, and notes" part of this blog.