On my first full day in St. Martin we drove around the coast
on the French side of the island sampling French-Caribbean cuisine, taking in
the breathtaking views, and stopping by various beaches checking out the
beautiful water. We ended up settling at Orient Bay…this was the first nude
beach I have ever been to! There were some topless girls but I personally
didn’t happen upon anyone in the nude. However, I immediately became very aware
of the fact that I was in my (sexy) one piece, and I looked like a nun compared
to others on the beach!! Experiencing this atmosphere for the first time was
very eye opening for me for very different reasons. The nudity didn’t bother
me; instead I actually realized that there should be no shame in covering up or
uncovering your body. As a runner I have always been very aware of my body and
the type of shape I am in, and I am generally very hard on myself. Of course I
want to look good, but I like to feel like I’m in good running shape because
that is when I feel powerful as a woman , like I can take on the world and I am
unstoppable! At this beach I saw women of all shapes and sizes walking around
with pride about who they are and what they look like which in turn made them
all exceedingly beautiful, and you don’t see that as often in the United States
as you do in other countries. Why is that?
So along with the beautiful people Orient Bay or Baie
Oriental was equally as beautiful. The two mile stretch of beach has white sand
like sugar and turquoise water which waves are perfectly suited for body
surfing, leisure swimming past the break, and snorkeling further out on the
reef. Orient Bay is nestled at the bottom of multiple mountain peaks while Caye
Verte, Ilet de Pinel, and Ile Tintamarre pop out of the Atlantic on the horizon. There was lot’s going on at the beach with
parasailing, jet skis, and a random man jumping rope vigorously at the water’s
edge in a speedo. At Club Orient the cabana boys brought us mojitos, cigars,
and a cappuccino for when I needed my caffeine fix while we lounged around
reading and tanning. The day in essence was perfect much like the island.
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| My brother and I walked to this little unnamed island from the mainland near Caye Chateau. |
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| The view from Club Orient at Baie Oriental |
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