JET BLAST MAY CAUSE DEATH - Blown away at Maho Beach, St Maarten

Photo Credit: Bennyzheng Photography

An experience that blew me away. Literally. By blown away I mean fighting with all my might to keep vertical, squinting my eyes in the wind and shielding my face from the rocket sharp stabs as each grain of sand came pelting towards me. I’d anticipated it being quite a blast, not quite to this extent though. At no point did I expect to end up naked. I guess that’s what happens when you stand behind a 747 jumbo jet as it’s revving up to take off...

Sitting at the beach awaiting some planes

A few years back I was lucky to tag along on a weirdly exciting family adventure to the Caribbean. I call it weird because believe it or not it wasn’t the white sandy beaches, the clear waters nor the intrigue of island life that motivated booking the trip. It wasn’t even the allure of cruising with Royal Caribbeans latest and greatest ship to grace the waters- the Oasis of the Seas (though that was a well welcomed bonus!). We were actually traversing half way across the globe to sit at an airport and watch some planes come and go. Say what now? Yes. You read correctly. The one and only pull for my father booking the trip was the desire to sit on Maho beach and oogle at the jumbo jets as they made their journeys to and from Princess Juliana Airport in Sint Maarten.

What makes this beach special? 

Forget about quiet mornings, blissful sunsets or moseying about on the beach in peace. While the Caribbean is known for its quaint and peaceful beaches Maho beach is definitely the exception.  Why? Because it happens to lay a mere two car lengths away from the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. With a harrowing runway length of only 2180 meters in order for the jets to land they must swoop in at minimum altitude skimming right over Maho beach and casting an epic shadow over any beach goers. You can literally lay on the sand and through a rock up to the plane that’s how close they are. However I’d suggest against doing that.

For those brave enough it's probably your one and only chance to line yourself up behind a plane, dig your feet into the sand and feel the magnificent force being blasted from the rear.

If you’re lucky this may mean playing a serious game of tug of war with the wind or if you’re unlucky... (or luckier depending on your thrill seeking desires) it’ll be a quick trip straight out to sea. 

Need to see it to believe it?

Youtube is full of fantastically funny clips of tourists a-flyin' You can see one of my personal favourites here Plane vs Japanese Tourist. Be wary though taking on the force isn't for the faint hearted. Particularly that of the big name jumbos. There are a number of (almost humerous) large red warning signs stuck up along the fence warning and advising the potential for bodily harm or death via jet blast. Yes, death via jet blast. The beach has become quite a tourist destination in its own right with little Caribbean beach bars being opened up for business, some even sporting large arrival and departure signs to notify tourists exactly when to prep your panties for the show. One of the beach cafes I sat at went as far as broadcasting live radio transmissions that went between pilots and the control tower! 

The fun and games aren't just for tourists though – Look over to the sidelines of the beach or up along the apartments and I'm sure you'll find a collection of locals having a right old laugh watching on as the tourists are willingly or unwillingly blasted away.

How to get there?
Other than the obvious option of flying directly to the airport Saint Martin port is a typical port of call for many cruises making their way through the Eastern Caribbean. If you're already on the island there are a number of tours that run through Maho Beach though I'd suggest just getting a cab from the main port of Saint Martin and heading there yourself. A cab directly from the port to the planes will cost you around $8.

Photo credit: Mark Wippel

A word for the wise

Don’t wear a strapless dress to the beach that day. Being the thrill seeking anything-once traveller that I am there was no way I was missing this experience, even in my little yellow sundress. Mid blast, eyes squinted, sand pelting from all angles & holding on for dear life to my father’s arm I could feel my feet begin to lift off the floor. It all happened so quickly though within the next 3 seconds I fought, lifted, swung, fell & at some point during this sequence of movements... my dress flew off. I kid you not. I’m sure somewhere on the internet I’m actually a youtube sensation due to my naïve decision to wear a little strapless sundress for a day of taking on the ultimate blast of wind. If it wasn’t for my dad leaping quick smart to my rescue I would have ended up doing half naked cartwheels out to sea. Thankfully it wasn't quite that bad, much to the dismay of the two German tourists who had their camera glued to the scene... though I’m sure it was still a sight not to be missed. If somewhere in the big wide web there is footage out there... you're welcome youtube.

Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a thrill seeking tourist or just looking for another out of this world thing to gawk at, Maho Beach has it covered and is definitely an edition worth adding to your Caribbean adventures.
For another intriguing beach side phenomenon take a look at this bioluminescent plankton lighting up the shores of the Maldives!

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10 TIPS FOR THE VEGETERIAN/VEGAN TRAVELLER

I am indeed a vegetarian.
Or at least I was until recently when I made the decision to go completely vegan. :)
*Cue stereotype influenced mutter & responses*
Yes, I am fully aware I can be a pain to dine with, cook for or serve at a restaurant and I regularly have the golden phrase thrown at me
"BUT... BACON?". Before I begin enlightening you with my veg-happy tips let's clear that one up. Few vegetarians stop eating meat because they woke up one day and found themselves suddenly repulsed by the smell of fresh bacon & eggs. Personally my choices were motivated by ethical & compassionate reasons not because I no longer liked the taste of bacon!Being a vegetarian and on the road can prove to be challenging at times. Especially when navigating menus in another language, explaining you'd like a meal without meat to someone who speaks little English and the lack of time, space and utilities to prepare your own choice friendly meals. From my experiences here's my top ten tips for the travelling vegetarian/vegan.

1.       PRE ORDER
If you’re flying be sure to call the airline & pre-order your food. Too many times I’ve had my ready to go plate of almost-meat (I say almost meat. Sorry, have you seen those meals?) slapped down in front of me and ended up quietly nibbling on my bread roll & peanuts because I forgot to pre-order. Always pre-order. Airlines have many options you can opt for- veggies only, halal, vegan, no dairy, gluten free and a number of other pick and choose options.

2.       LEARN THE LINGO
Learn the golden phrases of the spoken language. ‘I don’t eat meat’ ‘with no meat’ ‘vegetable only’ ‘I am vegetarian’ I can’t speak Chinese though after repeating these lines on a daily basis I became quite the expert in insisting, demanding and ensuring there be ‘PU MAO RU’ in my meals. (I'm spelling this how I learnt to say it- apologies) Another handy hint is to have it written on a card in your wallet- especially if pronunciation of foreign languages isn't your forte.

3.       EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT!
Explore, enjoy and go crazy at the local food markets! Since living here in the Maldives 80% of my diet is currently fruit. I’m hoping the novelty wears off soon I know I can’t go on like this.. but for right now it's pretty great. If my body didn’t need anything else I would have no hesitation to live on tropical fruit and tropical fruit only. Enjoy what’s on offer at each destination, explore the weird and wonderful veggie displays down at the local fresh produce markets and taste the amazing fruits of the world!

4.       KEEP AN OPEN MIND OR CLOSE YOUR EYES.. 
While at those markets though another tip would be to avoid the meat sections. My reasons for not eating meat are ethical and compassionate. Walking around the market stalls of Asia and seeing all the animals displayed as they were, only cooked – was a little gut wrenching. Understand though different cultures hold different ethics, beliefs and ways of life when it comes to what they cook and how they cook it. You’ll just have to learn to turn the other way, accept it and know to avoid those areas.

5.       BE RESPECTFUL 
Don’t expect to be served on a silver platter. More often than not many big meat eating countries just don’t have a large number of vegetarians and therefor your request for a meatless meal may come as a shock, rude or inconsiderate (yes, believe it or not- it can come across as a symbol of negativity in some parts!) or at best they'll act like you’re just being a right pain in the a**. Get used to the occasional eye rolling or disapproving look as staff take back a meal with meat or attempt to prepare a custom meal without it.

6.      BE AWARE OF LOCAL COOKING PRACTICES 
 Be wary. Many meals although said to be meatless or vegetarian are still prepared in animal product to cook or add flavour. Even though the veggie plate consists of only veggies there’s a pretty high chance it’s covered in oyster sauce. (China, here's looking at you!)

7.       PACK YOUR OWN SNACKSNuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables & snack bars from the local supermarket all make for great pocket & bag friendly snacks to keep you going through the day. It's also a great way to save money! (Check out some further trips here)

8.       TWO HALVES MAKE A WHOLE- ORDER A FEW SIDES!
When there’s nothing on the menu take a look at what side dishes are on offer and make your own meal from a few of them. Fresh garden salad from the side of a hamburger, seasonal fruit from the dessert menu or a plate of veggies minus the accompanying steak all make for a delicious miss-matchy meal.

9.       CONSIDER TAKING VITAMINS OR SUPPLEMENTS 
Sometimes when traveling long term it’s really hard to muster getting all the essential vitamins & nutrients especially when you’re not cooking your own meals and getting in all the essentials you may be used to. Considering supplements could avoid dealing with total energy loss or other travel debilitating symptoms.

10.  HUNT DOWN THE LOCAL VEGETARIAN CUISINE
Splurge at one of the vegetarian restaurants! Sometimes it's worth spending a little extra. Not all, but most countries have at least one. I’ve picked up some pretty cool recipes and food ideas from fellow veggie-heads or stalls abroad!
An awesome website for hunting them down is www.happycow.net simply punch in the city or country you’re in – and voila! All your options are revealed via an in built google search. There’s also some great forum chats on the crem de la crem of animal friendly eateries abroad. Check them out!

Happy dining!

Do you have any tips, tricks or great vegetarian recipes? I'd love to hear them.

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