The contrasts of travel create an intriguing dichotomy while on the road. Today is a good example of experiences on the extreme ends of the spectrum.
I met a beautiful yoga instructor living on the island of St. Barths last week for about 5 minutes. This was in a “remote” part of that tiny island along the rugged shoreline in what the locals call the ‘natural pools’, a series of surf fed ocean water that creates several small swimming areas. I mentioned my travel website to her which she then looked up later and followed up with an email introducing me to her friends who own an eco farm and luxury resort property on the south side of St. Kitts (Kittitian Hill).
After a few back and forth emails with the owner and those on site, we arranged a visit.
I pulled into their long driveway on a motorbike I rented and was quickly whisked into a dream world of refined elegance combined with natural beauty. Their team manages a 400 acre Eco-resort centered around an organic farm named Bella Mont. Culinary activities, hiking, golf and relaxation are some of the main components of a stay here. Their villas are stunning both inside and outside with views overlooking the picturesque island of Sint Eustatius in the distance.
After the tour it was time for lunch.
I stumbled into the small village of Sandy Point where I smelled BBQ smoke before I spotted the grill. A bunch of people were scattered around a dirt driveway with chickens running around, flies buzzing and a rusted out car or two as the view. Caribbean music was blasting away. There was no parking off the street so I slid the bike over to the side near the grill barely out of the way of traffic on this narrow road.
The only item on the menu was BBQ Chicken – with flavorful sauce and cooked tender, this was a delicious meal. Promptly washed down with a Ginger Beer and then a Ginseng drink from an ice cooler. The owner, Pearl – simply calls her roadside BBQ stand, Pearl’s Bar but has no sign. I was told tourists never stop here but whiz on by – her BBQ like many others on the island is geared towards locals.
In the end, I value the memories that both types of these experiences create and am quite comfortable in both worlds.
Very nice story, Dave. We enjoyed it a lot. Fantastic pics. Meeting locals and having a chat during a trip like you did meeting a yoga instructor can open the door to another enjoyable adventure unbeknownst to a traveler. Way to go, Dave.
M&G
NYC
Thanks Michael – where abouts are you hanging your hat these days?
Hi Dave,
We’re back in NYC enjoying the summer Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and musicals. We’re volunteer ushers. We’re planning a trip back to Japan. This time we’ll focus on the Hokkaido region. Have a wonderful summer.
M&C
NYC
This post was a great read! Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks Agness – hope to see you in Europe or SE Asia at some point!
Chance experiences like this are the best aspects of travel – I love it when stuff like that happens!
Serendipity 🙂
Great story Dave! Always find a way to reach a Hidden Gem 🙂
Great one!! Keep up awesome work.
Hayyaa – gracias 🙂