I've got a fever of 115!!!!!!!

For those that may be new to my blog, I may have a bit of explaining to do.
115 is a countdown of days leading up to our next Caribbean vacation. We leave early on Halloween morning and fly to Dutch ST Maarten (SXM) for a one night stay, the next morning we travel via cab to the French port of Marigot and board one of the hourly ferry runs to Brittish Anguilla (AXA).

My fever is simply an obsession with being in the islands with my wife. We are fortunate enough to escape the every day drudgery such as bills, responsibility and work for a few days. Doing this yearly replenishes me to my very core. Yes I am obsessed but when you plan all year to go, save from each check. Book rooms, make flight reservations it keeps trips like this in the forefront of my mind. When we bring friends with us it is even more so because my need for uber planning is intensified so they can get a larger bang for their buck.

After the first night, we will spend three relaxing days and nights on Anguilla visiting different beaches and of course sampling all of the different rum punch recipes that we can. My intent is to get our little rental car out on “the wrong side of the road” and see the beauty of the island. Where there are side roads, we will take them and just see what we will find. Last year we did this and I discovered the villas on the cliffs that overlook Road Bay. What a view. Will visit some of the beaches we haven’t in the past and of course get our fill of our favorite little beach bar on Upper Shoal Bay. As a matter of fact, we will be there on a Sunday…and get to see first hand the music that lends its name to Gwen’s Reggae Beach Bar. We are so excited about the pickup jam session that they have that we can hardly wait to get there. Only problem will be that 3 days will FLY by and we will have to depart for a weeks stay on Dutch ST Maarten. We will however meet up with some life long friends on SXM and they want to experience AXA so we will get to return for a day trip…hello Anguilla Rums ltd (Pyrat rum bottling plant).

Our stay on SXM will be highlighted by the sacrifice of a pair of virgins….ok not exactly but our friends joining us for the week and they are virgins to the Caribbean. Having friends visit for the first time is like seeing the island thru a new set of eyes. Things that you have overlooked for years just pop out at me when someone else sees it and asks what is that or why do they do that those brief surprises and make me love SXM even more when shared with friends.

As I have previously noted, we have an agenda this time. That I don’t like but won’t get done the things I intend to if I don’t take care of the agenda. Have a blooming landscape photography business going and it is geared around the Caribbean. After all, this is a place that millions escape to each year, a place with stunning vistas and incredible sunsets. Meaning there are shots to be taken and many miles to put on the car to make sure I am in the place I want to be to capture the beauty of the island. Nice part is the middle of the day is waaaay to bright to shoot pictures so dang, will have to relax with my beautiful wife and friends on a beach, sipping a bit of ti-punch and paint pictures in my mind of all the beauty that my eyes soak up to keep me warm thru out the upcoming winter.

Yes, my fever is 115 today but as each day passes the number looks less and less daunting until it finally comes to pass that my feet are firmly entrenched in the sand as the waves of relief gently break at my knees.