Jaunt to Saba

My friend, Nan, and I went down to Saba last year (2/2008) for my birthday! She set up a free flight via some buddy passes on USAir, and away we went. We stayed at Scout's on Saba, and had some great dives thru their dive shop.

Most of these shots are from the flight, around the island, and on the dive boat. The first road was completed only a few decades ago, given the steepness of the topography. Prior to the road's opening,all the goods were placed on pack mules and carried up from the docks via a 300 step staircase on the Northwest shore. The first car on the island had to be carried up from the docks and assembled at the top of the cliffs. The runway is also an adventure, being one of the world's shortest. Only slightly longer than an air craft carrier, the runaway is guarded on 3 sides by tremendous rocky cliffs buffeted by the heavy surf that always assails the windward side of the island. Only pilots qualified to fly STAL planes are authorized to land. STAL is aviator lingo for "Short Take Off and Landing" and not a little bit ironic, since you certainly don't wish to stall during approach or take off.

Five square miles in area, there are three climates, arid, temperate, and rain forest, as you climb up towards the summit of the island, a 3000' volcano cone.

Originally settled by the Scots, one can only imagine the mindset of the original settlers. "Look at all these wonderful flat islands all about the Caribbean! Each has fresh water, arable land, sandy beaches, and lovely weather. Lo! What's that? A dark foreboding rock 3000' tall, with cliffs all around, one well at the bottom of a steep mile long trail, no beaches, crashing waves, grey clouds, and rain that goes sideways! Let's live there!"

Yes, no doubt, it was yet another brilliant idea hatched after a binge of grog drinking.

These days, there are roads, a medical school that specializes in hyperbaric medicine, which I have personally benefitted from having been bent on Saba, internet, good lodging, quiet peaceful environment, and zero crime. The only drawback is that it is NOT a party island, and there is a rather high cost of living with very few jobs on the island. But Sabans are travelers, accustomed to earning their living on the high seas, trading around the world.

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• netherlands antilles
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• diving
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