the quirks of St. Maarten

*Honks are very friendly! They are not used to indicate "you idiot driver" but are greetings. There is only a few main roads on the island (and only one between Phillipsburg and Marigot). The bus drivers know people along their route and honk at them. Sometimes they hold conversations with people along the roadside (when traffic is really slow).

*The elevator in our hotel is very temperamental. I think it might have broken down at least once every day we were here (okay, that is a slight exaggeration). We trekked up and down a lot of stairs.

*The driving on the island is a bit crazy - there aren't lights or stop signs or speed limits. People just go and nudge their way in when they can. The roads are really narrow (even the 2-lane roads) and most streets are one-way.

*You can bargain on prices. We bought McKayla a dress that started at $30 but we got it for $15.

*The store clerks follow you around literally "on your heels"!

*Grocery stores are small markets that don't sell much but they do sell chicken feet.

*We actually saw someone purchase an octopus from a fresh fish market on the street.

*There is 80 different nationalities on this island. Almost everyone speaks English but so many other languages are spoken as well.

*The bus system is very interesting. It appears that anyone with a van can be a bus driver. They put a sign in their window that says their route (i.e. Phillipsburg- Marigot). These "busses" come by every few minutes (no real schedule but they are super frequent).

*While I was making this list we had over 20 police/ambulance/emergency vehicles drive by outside the hotel - all with lights and sirens going.

*Most washers and dryers seem to be out on the porches.