I feel a little bad about this, but I have not added to this blog in over 2 1/2 years. I apologize for the neglect, but I do feel I have a valid explanation why the long hiatus. It was Covid 19. When the world shut down because of the spread of the virus, my wife Kim and I also shut down. We didn't travel anywhere for the entire pandemic.

     However, covid is mostly in the past and Kim and I have been traveling once again. There are definitely blogs to be written on our travels since the world opened back up.

     Namely, we have been to Havana Cuba, Helsinki Finland, Brazil, London England, and at this moment just finishing up a week's vacation to Fiji for my wife's birthday and Valentine's Day.

     I promise to update any reader of this blog with the details, especially the highlights, of all of these trips.

     I have a lot to say about Brazil, but it may not be in this blog because we were there for a totally different reason for an extended length of time. 

     Anyway, here is a picture of each of the previous destinations named.

I think that people who have never been to the Caribbean often times think each of the various islands are pretty much the same. To some point, this can be true. They all have beautiful beaches. They all have palm trees with iguanas watching everything from the fronds. All of them are fantastic destinations during the cold and snowy winters in the United States during long winters. 

However, some of the islands can be incredibly different too. For instance, there is a huge difference between the arid climate of Aruba with its sparse vegetation and the lush rain forests and hilly terrain of Antigua.

What makes the Caribbean fun, is that most of the islands have unique characteristics which makes it intriguing to visit all of them.

For instance, when someone thinks of Jamaica, they may think of Dunn's River Falls and Jamican rum with plenty of places to party.

The Cayman Islands are known for their snorkeling and scuba diving destinations, as well as a sand bar in the middle of the sea where you can stand up and pet sting rays.

Curacao, for its own intrigue which can be read in one of my Deseret News articles from years ago. You can check it out here Celebrating in Curacao: A couple's anniversary trip to the Caribbean island - Deseret News

For this blog, I want to share some of the special attractions on the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. (Saint Martin on the French side of the island and Sint Maarten on the Dutch side of the island)

First things first. Many people who have never been to the Caribbean, or to Saint Martin specifically, still have heard of the airport. Magazines, travel articles, newspapers have dozens of pictures of people who stand at the end of the runway, on a beach, while jetliners fly overhead within a stone's throw straight up. 

Let me testify it is really very exhilerating to experience it live and in person.

The beach is Maho Beach on the Dutch west side of the island and is only separated from the airport by a chain link fence and a few dozen feet from the runway. Because it attracts so many visitors, there are hotels and places to eat right in the immediate area.

Flying in over Maho Beach when Kim and I arrived on the island of Saint Martin. Top right of the picture is where we had lunch a couple of days later.

 

Kim and I really enjoyed eating at Sunset Beach and watching the craziness of people try to hang on to the fence while planes took off without tumbling over the rocks and into the water. We didn't try this ourselves, and signs recommended that it not be done, but still there were plenty of participants.

I mentioned jets taking off, but there were also lots of regional turboprop planes that were just as close to the ground, if not closer, as they went over Maho Beach.

Maho Beach, even without an airport attraction, is quite scenic and beautiful. We took a taxi to the beach from our hotel. On this journey, we saw several swamped or damaged boats from hurricane Irma in September of 2017. We visited in April of 2019.

As I mentioned earlier, the island is divided between Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint Martin, with the airport being on the Dutch side. Both sides have their own flavor, but we stayed primarly on the southern Dutch side near Philipsburg on the Great Bay. We were lucky, our room was changed to an ocean view room (more expensive) because our original had not been cleaned properly.

Holland House Beach Hotel where we stayed. There is something to be said about having a beach front property.

View of the beach from our hotel room.

View of cruise ships from our hotel in Philipsburg.

Of course, the St. Maarten Hard Rock Cafe was in easy walking distance from our hotel.

One of the best things we have done in several locations around the world, is rent bicycles and ride around, either by ourselves, or in a tour group. In Sint Maarten, it was an organized group. We walked a short distance to the cruise terminals to catch our tour. I think what made the experience so special was a combination of the sights we visited as well as being caught in a downpour. The rain was actually quite invigorating and, since we were already sweaty from the humidity and exercise, quite refreshing.

Kim enjoying the rain, the sky, and the beautiful island of Sint Maarten.

Kim and I with our bicycle tour group after the downpour. This ride was only about a couple of miles but did consist of some hill.

Kim in downtown Philipsburg pointing out where we were on Sint Maarten.

   

See? I wasn't kidding about iguanas in trees.

I honestly never expected to see mountain goats near the cruise line terminal on our walk back to the hotel.

Marigot is the capital of the French side of Saint Martin. Even though the two countries share the island, the culture, architecture, and ambiance are completely different. I recommend if you want to see the French side, there is a bus people can catch that is much more economical than a taxi or some other means of transportation, and it's very reliable.

There may not be as much to see and do in Marigot, but it is very quant and colorful. On a hill overlooking the town is Fort Louis with spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Fort Louis, a short hike passed some beautiful homes

Kim looking out over the Caribbean Sea from Fort Louis in Marigot, Saint Martin.

Panaramic shot of Kim at Fort Louis overlooking Marigot, Saint Martin. What a naturally beautiful place that has only been enhanced with the quaint and colorful architecture. The north side of the island escaped much of the destruction from hurricane Igor.

If you have never been to the Caribbean, you should make it a point to go if possible. The water is so easy to swim in because of the salt content and much warmer than the Med. Once in the water, you just never want to get out.

Kim had never experienced the Caribbean Sea prior to our trip to Curacao. Now it is one of her favorite destinations which I will write about in future blog posts.

The largest of Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea is Mallorca. Although it is not as well known as Ibiza, it is a very popular vacation spot for tourists from both Germany and England. (As I will mention a little more about later in this blog) Even though maybe not as well known, it is one of the most scenic places I have ever been and a perfect travel destination for Europeans and Americans alike.

Even though we didn't get to spend much time in the capital city of Palma, we did walk through a portion of it when we first arrived on the island. Probably the most recognizable structure is that of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Palma, which really is pretty cool with its Gothic Architecture exterior. Unfortunately, we didn't go inside because of time constraints, but the exterior is incredibly impressive, and also just a stroll from the Mallorca Hard Rock Cafe. (And by now, everyone knows about my desires to go to every HRC I can.)

Kim and Logan enjoying the Hard Rock Cafe in Mallorca Spain. Actually, the food is the same at all of them, but the ball caps are quite unique to each location.

A front view of the the Cathedral of Santa Maria Palma. In September, the weather was totally beautiful and pleasant. Most people view and take pictures of the cathedral from the side which has a portion of the Mediterranean Sea in the foreground. (We didn't walk that far) 

 

This picture of the Cathedral actually taken through a car window while going to the airport for our flight to Madrid.

View of the harbor with crew ships taken from nearby the HRC. Flowers and Palm Trees virtually everywhere we looked.

Our hotel was located on Platja de Palma Beach; an extremely long beach with British families on one end and German families on the other. I'm not sure I would recommend staying on this beach because of how crowded it was and so many better options available. But it was a good place to rent electric bicycles and explore.

Also, it was pretty central to some of the other things you may want to do. The main drawback however, as told to us by people who live there, is the Germans were always drunk and the British were falling from balconies trying to jump from one balcony to another. (probably drunk also. one individual fell to his death while we were there)

I will suggest different places to stay later which I wish I'd known about prior to booking our hotel.

Located in Palma, and one of the coolest things we did while we were in Mallorca, is the Ferrocarril de Soller. (Railway of Soller) it departs from the Palma railway station. This historical train's one-hour journey is through olive groves and beautiful scenery to the town of Soller on the northern coast with one scenic stop to take pictures.

How many people still get to ride on a wooden train? This was my only time.

 

Kim and Logan both on the train, and the scenic stop where we could disembark and take pictures. Honestly, this train was so cool, and so relaxing, it alone would have made our trip. But then, the destination of the train, even added to the experience.

Soller is absolutely historical and beautiful at the same time. After disembarking from the train, we found a place to eat lunch and experience Soller life by watching wooden trolleys pass our outdoor dining experience within feet of our table. Lunch was good, and then taking one of these trolleys to the Soller Beach was fantastic. 

Kim and Logan on the far right of this photograph. What a truly European experience. And then, the beach!

Church of Saint Bartomeu as seen from our table when the trolley was not in our way. Doesn't this look like so much fun?

Several years ago, I had a melanoma on my back. Because of this, I don't always get in the water when Kim and Logan go swimming just to protect myself. This was the case in Soller. But

Kim and Logan sure had fun in the picturesque town on the beautiful beach.

Much less crowded, and more pleasant, the beach at Soller.

Kim and Logan enjoying the Mediterranean Sea.

Just taking pictures in my sun hat for protection. I wish I'd gotten in now, but at least I did go swimming a day or two later on another beautiful beach.

Lighthouses, both old and new, in Soller, Mallorca.

The trolley passing me by to the train station of Soller.

Panoramic view of Soller Beach.

The train to Soller makes for a long day, but so rewarding! I would recommend it to anyone. Honestly, I could see Kim and I retiring someday in Soller, or maybe one of the other beautifully scenic beaches in Mallorca.

If you like to visit caves, Mallorca has their own tourist attraction to see. Drach Caves tours are available with hotel pick up and enjoyable to see. Honestly, I've been inside so many caves or salt mines, they all look the same to me and so I would probably pass on it myself at this point. Don't all caves look alike?

One cool thing about the Drach Caves was that at one point on the tour, if you wanted to, you could take a subterranean cruise on a boat to deeper inside the caves

All in all, the cave tour can be quite enjoyable if spelunking is your thing.

I mentioned prevously that you could rent electric bicycles or scooters on Platja de Palma Beach. (the most popular and crowded beach in Mallorca) The beach is so long, the electric assisted bikes are really quite fun. The scenery along the beach is spectacular, but keeps in mind it is a European beach and sometimes swimsuits may be missing.

The beach, while we were there, had several sand artisans and their work was really quite detailed.

Kim and Logan on their electric bikes, and two beautiful sunset pictures, one with a parasailer.

Really, isn't this beautiful?

On our last day in Mallorca, we rented a car so we could drive around the island. The rental process was quite easy and not really too expensive for the day. Being mobile, we were able to discover the Calas beaches which encircle the entire island. From Palma, we drove in a counterclockwise direction and were able to see a few of these unique beaches. What makes them unique, is they are generally a small beach area at the end of an inlet from the sea. They are very excluded and usually require a little hike down to them from the surface streets. Also, some of them are bathing suit optional. 

Our ride around the island of Mallorca. Pretty tight little Fiat 500 built much better than Kim's Fiat at home.

One of the many Calas we came across, but I don't remember the name of this one. It was clothing optional so we didn't stay.

Cala D'Or, a fantastic, and family oriented, Cala. We did go swimming here and the water temperature was perfect and easy to stay afloat in.

View looking back at the beach of Cala D'Or. It would be so easy to live here. The beach was surrounded by homes. 

All in all, Mallorca was a wonderful experience. I can't wait to return. Even though it is part of Spain, the island has its own identity. I don't know how it compares to other Spanish islands, but if I have the chance to visit again, I most certainly will.

For more information on my trips, or on my writing in general, visit www.chrisahale.net. There you will find Deseret News travel articles and also information on my novels and non fiction works.