UPDATE: 27 October 2003
Saba
Guest
reporter: René - an attorney and Auburn University alumna who recently moved back to
Auburn, Alabama.
Editor's note: Saba is a tiny island within the Netherlands Antilles - a group of Caribbean islands owned by the Dutch. Saba sits just southwest of St. Maarten.
CARIBBEAN VACATION OR
ECO CHALLENGE?
As many of you know, I had really been looking forward to visiting my
friend, Judd, who is in medical school in the Caribbean. When most of us think
of the Caribbean, we envision palm trees, white beaches, crystal clear water and
sail boats. Well, the Dutch island of Saba (pronounced say-ba), where Judd is
living, is not quite the scene from a movie - although it is the
volcanic-looking backdrop to the original King Kong movie. For those who need a
better visual - picture this - a five square mile island, where the elevation
increases from sea level to 2800+ feet in a very short distance; there is one
road that winds through several villages of white houses with red roofs and
green shutters perched along the mountain side. Sounds quaint (and it is), but
it takes a while to get used to the steep ascent/descent along the ridge of the
mountain through a series of switchbacks.
So,
you might ask, what is there to do, if you are not sunning on the beach with a
frozen drink in your hand? Hike, dive and snorkel. Of course, you could also sit
in on a biochemistry lecture, which I would not recommend, or dissect brains in
neurology lab. Since I am not a scientist and am not certified to dive, I stuck
with hard core hiking and swimming among the sea creatures.
The
hiking was amazing - quite a challenge at times, especially since I wasn’t in
near the shape that I was when I visited Judd in West Virginia last year (just
after running the half marathon). For such a small island, the terrain on Saba
is very diverse - from tropical atop Mt. Scenery and the higher elevations, to
rocky and dry along the bottom portion of the North Coast Trail. The temperature
is in the 80s (day and night) and it is quite humid, although there is a
constant wind. Many people come to Saba to hike Mt. Scenery, which provides
spectacular views along the steep climb through palms, fern trees and giant
elephant ears, but I was most impressed by the North Coast Trail, which offered
views that were equally as breadth-taking and the opportunity to hike through
several different ecosystems. This hike, guided by James from the Saba
Conservation Foundation, was probably the highlight of the trip. As we made our
way along the narrow trail, James cleared the overgrowth with his machete and
told stories about drug trafficking, pirates and the early inhabitants of the
island, all the while educating us on the flora and fauna of each area we
traversed. I was most excited when he found the root of a balsam tree hanging
from the base of the tree some 15 feet overhead and let us "swing through
the jungle."
Judd
and I pushed each other to our physical limits - neither of us wanting to admit
that we were tired or not "up" for more. So after hiking each morning,
we’d get something to eat, rest for a little while and then dive into the
water each afternoon for adventures in snorkeling. There are numerous small bays
and coves, and the rocky shoreline makes for great snorkeling and diving. My
first time out, in Well’s Bay, we saw a turtle, a nurse shark and a sea snake,
along with all sorts of colorful fish. We also swam through a small cave that
was pretty amazing. Before snorkeling in Cove Bay (which was pretty rough
waters), we hiked along the edge of the rocky shore where the waves crashed
creating tide pools that were home to plenty of sea urchins and crabs. Quite an
experience.
All this to say that, as always, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Judd and experiencing a different part of this great earth. However, the next time I visit the Caribbean, I think that I want to relax on the white beaches and/or a sail boat with a frozen drink in hand. For now, I’m back to lawyering in Auburn and enjoying the cool, fall temps and game days on the plains.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SABA
 | www.sabatourism.com |
| www.sabadivers.com |
Note: All photos compliments of sabatourism.com.