e start this month's newsletter on a sour note. Regular visitors to this site may recall comments about the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in our June missive. A number of nations - lead by Australia and New Zealand - have been attempting to establish a whale sanctuary in the South Pacific (the World Wildlife Fund classifies seven of the 15 species of great whales as "endangered" or "vulnerable"). The 37-member IWC defeated the proposal last year, and it came up for a new vote at the annual meeting last month. What does this have to do with the Caribbean? Well, six of the IWC's member nations - Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines - all voted against the measure, ensuring its defeat (the proposal had 20 countries in favor and four abstentions, but required a majority for passage). Why would Caribbean countries vote against a wildlife sanctuary on the other side of the world? Because Japan - the world's major proponent (along with Norway) of commercial whaling - funneled millions of dollars in financial aid into these six nations. Apparently, small Caribbean islands are cheaper to buy off than larger countries, and Japan successfully purchased the vote they wanted. Only two nations are allowed by the IWC to slaughter whales: Japan, which hunts down a quantity each year for "scientific research;" Norway, which was exempted from the moratorium because it formally opposed the ban when it was first debated; plus, a few countries have exemptions due to their native culture or indigenous hunting traditions (St. Vincent is one of the latter). What galls us is how some of the Caribbean islands continue to promote themselves as "eco-tourism" destinations (like Dominica, where whale watching is a tourist activity), yet have no problem with the contradiction evident in its votes as part of the IWC.
e haven't heard much from Montserrat's infamous volcano of late, but once again, English Crater made its presence known in its spectacularly unsubtle fashion (perhaps all the recent volcanic action in Sicily and the Philippines was deflating its ego?). On July 29, the volcano had a major eruption that spilled hot gas and rock down its slopes, and sent ash well into the sky. While the event was the biggest of its kind in more than a year, it was nothing unusual for the residents of Montserrat, which is located just southwest of Antigua. But the following day, the ash fallout wrecked havoc on Caribbean airline operations in a long swath stretching between Puerto Rico and St. Maarten. American Airlines alone canceled 49 flights in and out of San Juan, 280 miles northwest of the volcano, while other regional carriers were also forced to scrub departures due to the thick blanket of ash covering runways. Meanwhile, life on Montserrat continue to normalize as the population slowly returns to the island - 5,000 people live on the island today, compared to 2,500 at the height of the volcanic crisis in 1996.
lthough some islands celebrate Carnival in the dog days of summer (as a way of boosting off-season tourism), we still prefer partying in Trinidad, in February - when the event is supposed to be held. The best Carnival in the West Indies happens in 2002 on February 11-12, though as the Trinidadians know all too well, Carnival fever starts to heat up the island several days - some might say weeks - in advance. Then comes Ash Wednesday, when the 125,000 attendees collapse in a state of delirious exhaustion, many of them bailing for Trinidad's north coast beaches, or off to Tobago, where serious relaxation can be found. August is not too early to start planning your 2002 Carnival experience - airline seats to Trinidad and hotel rooms in Port of Spain are generally sold out weeks in advance. Banwari Experience is a Trinidad tour operator that is packaging the event for 2002, and sells five-night stays ranging from $760 staying at Fabien's Guesthouse (a property we are not familiar with) to $1,809 for the Trinidad Hilton (airfare not included). Reservations: 868-675-1629.
e promised some comments about our recent trip to St. Maarten/St. Martin, the smallest territory in the world inhabited by two nations. If you've read your R&R properly, you know this is not one of our favorite islands, though we've always had a knack for the French side, which has dozens of gourmet restaurants and a smidgen of French haut couture. The Dutch side climbed aboard the development bandwagon first - a few decades back, really - but over the last ten years we've watched as French St. Martin played an enthusiastic game of catch-up. Today, a tour of the French side is intermittently depressing. Once fabulous Orient Beach has succumbed to construction cranes and numerous beachside shacks for vendors - there is no longer an undeveloped stretch of sand. A wave of tourist crime swept the French side last Spring, much of it concentrated around Orient, and the resulting negative publicity in France (the problems were ignored in the US media) has caused tourist arrivals to fall. A number of hotels have closed, possibly for good.
The island visit wasn't all bad news, but imagine our surprise to find the Dutch side in better shape than the French. Now, Dutch St. Maarten still is not our first pick for a vacation destination - there are too many tacky casinos, few really good resorts, crushing traffic (on the French side too), and the daily cruise ship blight is more than we can handle when shopping in Philipsburg. But road conditions have improved, roadside trash seems less a problem, Philipsburg has been cleaned up and seems brighter, and the beach lining the capital - sucked away by one hurricane after another - was dredged back in place early this year. The Dutch side has always had the better beaches, and with the French building on their beaches so relentlessly, and allowing vendors to set up camp, the difference is even more dramatic - we had lovely swims at both Dawn Beach and Guana Bay, Dutch-side beauties that are undeveloped, for now. Plus, we had a terrific meal on the Dutch side (at Saratoga, located at Simpson Bay Lagoon, where fresh fish is superb), proving that the French aren't the only ones who know how to cook a meal. We haven't recommended Dutch side hotels in previous editions of R&R, but we'll be adding a few for the next one. Among them:
The Sea Breeze Hotel (011-599-542-6054), where a cheerful ambiance makes this simple, 31-room hotel a good buy, despite an improbable location in a residential area a mile west of Philipsburg. The Pepto pink color scheme is garish, but rooms are clean and well kept if somewhat dark; all have air conditioning and a TV - a few have a balcony. There is a small pool and restaurant, and although a good beach is a 15-minute walk, you'll want a car for island exploration and dining. Doubles are CHEAP.
We love the Pasanggrahan Royal Inn (011-599-542-3588), a classic West Indian guest house, located in Philipsburg and right on the beach at Great Bay. It was originally a 19th century governor's house, and accommodations were built for Queen Wilhelmina on one of her periodic tours through the Dutch Caribbean. Least expensive rooms are decorated in wicker and have a balcony or patio; all are air-conditioned. Deluxe and "specialty" rooms are worth the few dollars extra and add kitchenettes and four-poster beds trimmed in lace from Saba - or spring for the Queen's Room, a charming glimpse into turn-of-the-century elegance. Afternoon tea and beach service is available; the restaurant is a popular local watering hole. Doubles are NOT SO CHEAP.
Sandwiched between a terrific, three-mile-long beach and the island's main runway, Mary's Boon (011-599-545-4235) is a unique inn catering to a loyal following that doesn't mind the occasional thunder of jets overhead midday (the owners seem impervious to the disruption - why shouldn't you?). The hotel has a storied history - it was built by the legendary Mary Pomeroy, a true island character who owned Nisbet Plantation Inn on nearby Nevis, guarding her property from government interlopers with a shotgun. After she was run off of Nevis, Pomeroy headed to St. Maarten and built Mary's Boon, in 1970, running this beachcomber inn for more than a decade until she finally disappeared in her self-flown plane. The garden studios are decorated in pleasant colors and tiles, while beachfront units have fabulous views up and down the beach. The barefoot ambiance is well countered by the attentive Texan owner/managers, the restaurant has featured food by the same chef for three decades, while the inn's honor bar is a treasured long-standing asset. Doubles are PRICEY.
fter our St. Maarten/St. Martin visit, we headed over to St. Eustatius and Saba - we'll give you the low down next month.
