Visiting Philipsburg, St. Maarten/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Philipsburg, St. Maarten/Carlos Pueblo

This trip of 23 days is a back to back cruise, from Boston to Boston and

Boston to San Juan through Eastern Caribbean Islands. St. Maarten is

one of them and I have visited twice. There are two sections on the

island, one French and one Dutch, reflected the war history in Europe.

We have landed twice on Dutch St. Maarten and I am getting more and

more familiar with the street scenery of the town center. Many cruise

passengers come here for the crystal clear water of the beach and the

everlasting warm weather and sunshine. The Main street is located a

modern beach front full of resort hotels and beach chairs and umbrellas.

There is indeed a second street by the Main street with the business and

residential mixed buildings while Main Street is full of stores, gifts shops,

restaurants, jewelry stores, and liquors stores, etc.

Usually, I march to the town center from the pier and back. These Caribbean

towns, usually their capitals, remind me of rural Taiwan in the 50’s. I can

see buildings on the hill some with the wind damage. It is crowded on the

street as well, full of visitors, and I wonder if they are shopping. An art gallery

is caught by my eyes, Art in the Garden, owned by the artist himself,

Maximmiliaan Phelipa, who was born in another Dutch Island Curacao down

to the South Caribbean. He manages his residential converted fine art

gallery very well, with artificial lawn, some real flowers, swings, and mostly

two star fruit trees. There is a room for his art work exhibition in and out.

He mentions that his son is an instructor and owns a sport business in a

border town of Texas. The sport is called Capoeira.

I showed Mericel, my daughter on duty at the O’sheehan’s, the pictures of

the star fruit trees and indicated that I missed my sour star fruit tree when I

was just a little boy. I regret that Mr. Phelipa doesn’t offer me one or two

haning on the trees. She went up to her restaurant quietly and gave me two.

She said that was at least she could do for my home sickness. She is  tall and

pretty reminds me of Christina, my first daughter on Jade.

I went back again to the unique art gallery as I promised to the artist. The

beach wind came through the small alley between building that made it

more comfortable while sitting in the garden.