Transition Home...

It's hard to believe
almost Four weeks ago
I packed my bags
and said Goodbye to island life...

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

So it is about time I share some pictures from my journey
and
 last island adventure
(within the forceable future).

Waiting for the plane...

Oh tiny little Winair, you are an experience!
 

It is coastlines like this that make everything at home look flat!

Prior to flying home we enjoyed a few days in St. Martin
where we maximized our beach time!
 

St. Martin

Although I already really miss
the S.O.S. ladies, the Sun, Sand, and Warm ocean waters
just to name a few...

It is great to be home with family and friends.
Despite, the fact that, at times it has been quite chilly
We did managed to squeeze in some Canadian beach time
on beautiful Cape Breton Island, NS


Dad, Mom, and Me

Dad and I floating down a place we call "the gut"

 
Nathan and I in Cape Breton, NS


Hanging with Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Ghram Bell

I have also officially transitioned back into the working world.
I am back to work in the pediatric OR
at the IWK Children's Hospital.

I LOve that place.
It feels great to be back to work
(kinda like I never left)
13 months sure did fly by...

Where's the Beach?

Saba IS a Caribbean island

But its NOT exactly known for it's beaches.

In fact, it only has one wondering beach.

Wondering meaning 

it is sometimes here and most of the time not...

(Although if you remember Nathan and I were lucky to enjoy it for one day in December.)

Beach-less............. that is............ until now!

They have finally made a beach at "The Cove"

White sand (imported from St. Martin) and everything!!! 

I say finally because local people tell me this has been 

"in the works" for a while.

It is almost contagious how excited the community is 

about this new development:) 

After Nathan's exam today 

we celebrated with many of his classmates:
lunch out at Saba Snack and 

our first official Saba Beach day!

In a short time, it has become quite the popular watering hole!

And yes. That dog is collecting rocks. Too cute.

Take One: Nathan "smoking" a seashell

Take Two: Nathan being Normal-ish

Great day!

It really felt good to feel the sand between my toes on Saba!

Hodge-podge

Hodge-podge:  

A confused or disorderly collection of things.

This post is a "hodge-podge" of various experiences

 throughout the last week or so:

We have been duly welcomed to  hurricane season...

The Road has been turned into a river!

See the depth of the water! 

We've hiked around the Bottom...

Paris Hill is the hike

It is a very shot hike, but I hadn't done it yet

So it was good to check it off my 'To Do' list.

There is no Eiffel Tower

But

there were lots and lots 

of very camera shy hermit crabs

 And 

Plenty of Aloe Vera

We also got to enjoy a gorgeous sunset...

Which is actually a rare occurrence.

Where we live,

Mount. Scenery completely blocks the sunset 

so we rarely have the opportunity to enjoy it!

Sunset from The Bottom.

Wear more sunscreen

It is HOT down here

Summer in the Caribbean is hot, hot, hot

In between studying for exams 

I have taken advantage of the sunny days 

to relax with friends at the cove and by the pool.

Anne's Goodbye Party...Picnic and swimming ='s perfection

Although it is June 

my friends and family in Canada

remind me that summer has yet to find them...

Keep faith, you guys!

On another note...

Iguana's 

one of my favorite island creatures

LOVE the sun.

(Probably even more than I do!)

Hot, sunny days you can find them sunning themselves

 in trees and along the road.

Not too long ago 

my brother asked me advice on skin/sun care

(I must be an expert after a year (ish) in the Caribbean)..haha)

Chris this is for you:

Iguana's don't wear sunscreen.

If you don't want to look like an iguana

Wear more sunscreen!

Hockey Night in the Caribbean

You can take the Canadian's out of Canada

but that doesn't change much

Except

 Where you watch the game!

During the last three playoff games

Nathan and I have joined our 

Canadian friends and Hockey fans

to watch the game.

with a projector

on the side of an apartment building

under palm trees and the stars

In my opinion it was all very cute:)

Challenge Accepted

A few weeks ago
(prior to our vacation)

Nathan and I (mostly me) were getting island fever
So we decided to try something new and
test our limits with a challenge



The challenge:

To hike
All of Saba's 2855 ft
from Sea level to the very top
(the top of Mount. Scenery)

Mt. Scenery from Spring Bay

And
that is just what we did!

It started out as a beautiful, hot, sunny day

We hiked from our cottage down the Spring Bay trail to Sea level

Of course we made sure we touched the water!

Cati along the Spring Bay Trail

The town of Windwardside 

is conveniently about half way up the mountain

We refueled with a picnic lunch in the park

The '"kids" playing in the park

Only 1064 more steps to go!

On our way up we had great views!

We are getting into the clouds now...

Windwardside from Top of Mt.Scenery

Airport (top), Hell's Gate (left), Windwardside (right)

And then the clouds really came...

And then

 it rained

and when it rains, it pours

we got soaking wet.

But

all in all, it was a 

fun-exhausting-satisfying day

Or at the very least 

I was way too tired to care about island fever!

~*Savvy Saban Segments: two: The Road*~

nothing is more 'Saba'

than The Road.

named 'The Road' because it is the only one

(although there are side streets, but they wont get you very far)

It is very steep, in most places, it is hard to find a turn that isn't a switch back.

The Road itself is an experience and a tourist attraction.

In fact. 

The Road is a great piece of Saban history.

It was considered 'The Road the Could Not be Built'.

A monument in Windwardside (a town) explains the history of the road.

they say Dutch officials

visited the island and declared it an impossibility.

However.
much like the little engine that could

Locals would not take no for an answer

one local {L. Hassell} took a correspondence civil engineering course 

And with a team of devoted locals

Road construction occurred from 1938-1963.

The Road is constructed with concrete and
volcanic rock
makes the very important, cliff side, retaining wall.

This would have been tremendously hard work.

the entire road was built without the use of machinery.

Only a Wheelbarrow.

Now that is Perseverance. 

As almost the only straight section we call this the 'Saba Highway'

The pictures do not do The Road justice 

But.

This YouTube video

appropriately called the Saba Roller Coaster

Really captures the essence of The Road.
Taking you from one end of the Road {the airport} to the other {Fort Bay docks}

If you pause at {1min28sec}

And.

If you could look to the right ----->

you'd see our cottage.