Once this was just one of my wild imaginations, I never thought it could really happen. I feel that I don't have the right words to describe the experience, it was too strong but I will do my best to convey it. During our last vacation in the Philippines my husband first met Dodong Owen (one of my brothers) who is working in a cruise ship that travels from Europe to the Caribbean and back and my husband told me perhaps it could be possible to meet Dodong at one of his ports of call. I giggled at the idea but it was too good to be true so I didn't really entertain the thought so much. Then we arrived (me and my husband) in Martinique and enjoyed discovering the island together. Every now and then my husband asked me to check my brother's schedule. Then he promised we will really catch him once he's in the Caribbean. We were hoping to see him in St. Lucia by November of last year but then we were disappointed because there had been some delays in the validation of my "Titre De Sejour" (permit to stay in France) so I couldn't leave Martinique at that time. It was very sad and frustrating because from the south of Martinique we could see St. Lucia, it is that close....and yet we couldn't go there! My husband saw my frustration and he promised we'll meet my brother another time since he is scheduled to go to some french islands (St. Martin and Guadeloupe) a few months later.
We had no other choice but to wait. What's adding the frustration is that the delay wasn't even our fault. My husband did all that he could to have the process done faster but sometimes things are just so impossible in this island.
Then came December and we've finally decided to meet Dodong in St Martin. My husband had been scouting for the best vacation deals, air tickets and hotels that he could find. One day he got home a little soaked with rain yet with a beautiful smile then he gave me the receipt of the hotel reservation and plane tickets to St Martin. I was jaw-dropped surprised! I was so happy and excited for it yet I have to wait for a little over a month. Thankfully the Christmas holiday changed my mind :)
By the 18th of January (Friday) we headed for St. Martin. We thought it would be a direct flight but we had a stop over in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. The flights went well. We arrived in St Martin at past five in the afternoon, it was already dusky yet it was still enough to appreciate what we could see when we landed. A car from the hotel was waiting for us and the driver was very kind. He explained to us some things about the island.
This small island is divided in two parts, the French side and the Dutch side. We arrived and stayed at the French side until Sunday morning. We stayed at the Mercure Hotel, it was very nice...so huge and the staffs were polite and very professional. Our room was very huge, inclusive of breakfast, with balcony, a view of the beach, very calm and the price was very interesting. We then maximised our stay!
The next day (Sunday) we woke up so early, had our breakfast and left the hotel to go to the Dutch side (St Petersburg) where we will be meeting Dodong. I couldn't contain my excitement! The island is filled with hills and when we were on the last hill looking over St Petersburg our driver told us that the two gigantic ships we could see from afar were the cruise ships, one of them must be AZURA (Dodong's ship)....Oh my God! I was jumping in the car! I was like a little girl who is soon to receive her first Christmas present :)
There was a little confusion with our meeting place as there were two possible gates where Dodong could possibly arrive so I left my husband at one gate and I went running to the other one. After some minutes of walking and running I saw a man who I was so sure and later have confirmed to be a Filipino. After speaking for a few minutes he confirmed that he knows my brother. My cellphone got busted so I had to leave him a message in case he sees my brother. Then I continued to walk half-running with lots of blisters on my feet and I saw a group of Filipinos who recognised me right away as the sister of their colleague and they pointed me his direction. I was so overwhelmed that when I saw my brother I jumped at him and grabbed him sooooo tight while crying some tears of joy. We were both laughing and crying at the same time. We walked back to get my husband then back again to visit MS AZURA (one of today's biggest ships in the world).
Inside the ship was another world. Everything was beautiful. We were so mesmerised! There were a lot of restaurants, bars, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, a casino, a huge theatre and God knows what else. We couldn't possibly visit the whole ship with our very limited time. I was so happy to see where my brother was working and staying at the same time. His cabin is small but very nice, he has only one room mate and the space is just enough.
After visiting the ship we went out and had lunch at the Hard Rock café. It was so perfect though time went by so fast. My brother surprised me with a souvenir t-shirt from the Hard Rock café, it brought me to tears...i was soooo touched. Ah! we also bought some gifts for the family since Dodong will be going home at the end of February. My husband had a crystal skull bottle of Vodka, he's not crazy of Vodkas but he likes the bottle so much.
Another interesting thing about St Martin is their prices of things because it's tax free. It is a perfect shopping destination.
We went walking for a few minutes after eating and we saw a lot of shops of everything, from simple souvenirs to electronics and expensive jewelries. In the end it was not easy because we wanted to stay longer yet we were so far from our airport and we didn't want to miss our flight. It was bitter-sweet but it was perfect! Yes I cried so much again when we left because I hate goodbyes and I brought my husband to tears too by seeing me crying. Dodong did his best to be strong, I was afraid he broke down in the arms of a complete stranger when we were out of site! LOL...
It was a very unforgettable gift from my husband! The happiness that we all felt when we were all together was priceless and every single day of my life my heart will always be filled with gratefulness.
Now we're thinking where to catch him next?hmmm....we'll see :)
