Ooof. This will be a short one. I’m sitting on our balcony listening to the steel drum band play Bruno Mars. I probably enjoyed the fruity drinks too much today.
Piña colada fan
Just after we made our hotel reservations, I went online and booked a Catamaran snorkeling adventure. We met the bus at 0845 and landed at the dock at 0920. Our tour wasn’t leaving until 1000, so we chatted with nearby friends and explored a few shops.
Waiting for the boat
The catamaran has a max of 60 – we were pushing 51. The start was a little bumpy – delayed by the late arrival of some cruise ship passengers from Wonder of the Sea.
We stopped at two snorkeling spots, plus two beach spots. Lunch was impressive. I thought the tuna and hand and cheese sandwiches were the meal, but they turned out to be just an apperatife when the chef surfaced with grilled pork ribs and chicken with curry sauce.
Exhaustion on the way back
Tomorrow is a big “?” We might rent a car and explore – we might hang at the resort and do the usual. The latter sounds fairly appealing right now, but I’m also exhausted.
We didn’t have to say bye to any blue skies as it was blue skies all day long. By popular demand, we of course spent the morning at the pool, but for the afternoon tackled #2 on the must-do list with a little watching of some BIG airplanes.
I can’t help thinking about my dad. He loved the water and boats. He hated sand. The house he and my mom retired to was perfect. No sand, great views of Little Creek Amphibious Base and the traffic that special waterway offers. Binoculars and a telescope – he spent his last days slowly. Slowly watching the amazing things moving around him. Ships, helicopters, toddlers, political unrest. This place is his speed.
Photo credit: Amir Louka
The airport at Maho Beach is technically the Princess Juliana International Airport, ranked by The History Channel as the 4th Most Dangerous Airport in the World. The runway is relatively short, starting just after the sand and ending just before some mountain elevations. It was first used as a military landing strip by the United States during WWII and opened in 1944 as a commercial airport open to public travel. At present, the entire airport operates out of makeshift tents that feel more like a state fair setup than a trustworthy aviation operation – but that’s just due to a huge renovation project that commenced in 1994 combined with the setbacks of Hurricane Irma (Cat 5) that struck the island in 2017.
Waterside table at Sunset Bar and Grill
When we approached the Sunset Bar and Grill, we were a bit worried about the size of the crowd and our ability to secure a table and food prior to multiple toddler meltdowns. By some stroke of luck, we walked up, asked for a table for six, and were taken to a high top with the best view in the joint.
The largest plane that lands here – Airbus A330
Despite being crazy crowded, the restaurant runs like a well-oiled machine except with new technology. Our waiter greeted us promptly, took our drink and food orders on an iPad, and returned within 15 minutes with frozen fruity fun for all.
I forgot to take any photos of my fish tacos – I ate them too quickly. The tuna tartare is worth trying, and the tortilla chips and guacamole were solid (verified by Ale, legit Mexican pedigree).
We stuck around until 3pm, awaiting the arrival of an Air France flight from Paris. The plane is an Airbus A330, the largest aircraft that currently lands at Princess Juliana. Amir downloaded an air tracker app – perhaps the sister app to his helicopter app he uses to track aeromedical flights – and was able to provide a realtime countdown to its arrival.
Airbus A330 landing at Princess Juliana Airport
After the aerospectating, we split up. Me and the littles went back to the room for some naps and downtime, Amir and #1BigSister for some beach time, and Ale for some free time to decompress. No big plans tonight as tomorrow we have an early start for a catamaran and snorkeling trip to a nearby island.
Sometime in October, we got another itch to travel – sooner than later – and somewhere warm. Amir found reasonable flights to St. Maarten, a small island in the Atlantic, a territory of the Netherlands.
He’s been here before – at least twice. When we met and were courting, I remember him showing me photos of a beach at the end of an airport runway where you can stand and be blown backward by the engine thrust from above. Now flash forward 11 years later – we are on our way.
Getting there is fun!
There’s no question this destination will satisfy everyone. #1BigBrother is in the peak of his transportation and trucks era. The planes will blow his hair and mind. The pool apparently has two waterslides, so #1BigSister has her dreams filled. I’m looking forward to all inclusive food that I don’t have to cook. Oh and dishes. No dishes. Did I mention the dishwasher broke just before Christmas?
#1BigSister in her mermaid bathing suit from Santa
As soon as as we hit tie doors of the Sonesta Maho, the kids were begging to go to the pool. I was impressed how fast we all made getting ready (swim suits, sunscreen, tactical wees) happen since we’d all woken up at 3am. Usually an extra early wakeup is a recipe for lack of cooperation. Today we got lucky thanks to a double waterslide and strawberry smoothies beckoning the kids.
Strawberry daiquiris in the pool
After the pool we walked just a few yards to the beach. Maho is one of the world’s most famous beaches, known as the beach where airplanes fly over. I was a bit skeptical of the serenity one could get with commercial jet noise, but I was quickly proven wrong. Planes pass in just a few seconds, hardly adding any noise pollution and giving a feast for eyes young and old.
Sunset at Sonesta Maho
We accidentally timed it perfectly. The sun was setting just as we approached. The beach was far less crowded than I’d expected. Everything seemed to come together to create the serenity I’d written off.
We have zero plans yet for tomorrow aside from sleeping in as late as possible. It’s 9:51PM (8:51 EST) as I type this, and that 3AM wakeup is really catching up with me. The two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc probably aren’t helping either.
This morning we awoke around 8am and slowly started our day. We’d stopped at a small market yesterday on our drive here to get some essentials for the house. As I mentioned, Villa Irene is beautiful but remote, with only a few restaurants nearby that are open since it’s off-season.
Our only alarm clocks were the sunrise and #1 toddler
We spent a bit more time this morning playing in the swing set while Amir planned navigation for our drive to Elafonissi Beach. We’ve learned to take screenshots of Google Maps and save them to your smart phone to ensure you have a map even without internet or cellular service.
Along the way we met some sheep. #1 Toddler was happy to place the “bahhhh” sound with the real thing.
Seaside chapel
Elafonissi Beach is world famous, a usual player on those infamous Top Beaches in the World lists. Its pink sand and crystal clear water are unique. In the summer it’s quite crowded, but today it was just us and the kite surfers.
The beach was warm but super windy. I can’t imagine it’s this windy year round or you’d never be able to keep your beach blanket in one place.
After watching the kite surfers do some flips, we walked the beach and collected a few shells. The wind was getting the best of us and threatening to knock over #1 Toddler, so we decided to wrap up. We took a last survey of our private beach and headed to the car in search of lunch.
Kochilas Tavern near Elafonissi Beach
Our AirBnB hostess, Maria, gave us lunch recommendations. We opted for Kochilas Tavern due to its proximity to Elafonissi and robust menu of fresh seafood.
Elderly Greek men sit and enjoy drinks and conversation
We picked a table near the window. There’s a lovely patio open during the high season. The waitress greeted us and was immediately smitten with #1 Toddler. She brought her a toy truck and a high chair. Everywhere we’ve gone, the people have been so welcoming to a toddler. We’ve not once felt put out, even when she’s spilled or dropped things.
Monster truck and seashells, the perfect toy combination
Amir and I always like to divide and conquer a menu. He selected the fresh fish, while I opted for the grilled octopus. We knew chicken souvlaki would be a hit with you know who. We went 3 for 3. Winning.
Grilled local fish, vegetables and hand cut fries
Grilled octopus, vegetables and hand cut fries
To drink, I ordered a Fix beer and Amir a Greek soda called Gazoza – think Sprite meets bubblegum flavor.
We ate everything on our plates, but I was craving just a little something sweet. We asked our waitress (who by the way turns out to also be the chef and owner) about dessert. She mentioned something about yogurt and glaze, and returned 5 minutes later with 3 plates – Greek yogurt with sour orange topping and Kataïfi, a straw-like filo pasty with walnuts, honey and spices. Oh, and two shots of raki. This woman was my new best friend.
Raki and Greek yogurt with fruit topping
Kataïfi
We settled up and headed back to Villa Irene. The drive back was beautiful but uneventful. My two other travelers both took 3 hour naps while I caught up and wrote yesterday’s post. We had planned to take an afternoon walk to explore the area right around Villa Irene, but the day got ahead of us, and the sun was soon setting.
TeamLouka 