Rapid Travel Chai

Saba rises out of the Caribbean with its steep peaks shrouded in fog, the atmosphere out of King Kong. This is my kind of Caribbean.

It’s a long drop to any beaches so the emphasis is on hiking the steep hills whether on a trek or just to get to a bar to chill out. The small local population is very Dutch, with a dash of youth from the local medical college. Prices are higher than nearby islands since nearly everything is brought in from neighboring islands. I stayed at the basic El Momo Cottages, my stay most remarkable for the couple copulating, at length, in the pool, and the laid back guests poolside letting them carry on with the occasional snarky comment. Restaurants have typical island fare, plus a Mexican joint.

In this series:

• Northern Caribbean Island Hopping Itinerary
• St Maarten – Caribbean Vice
• Video – Maarten Airport Golf Cart Tarmac Transfer
• St Martin – The Quiet Side
• Anguilla – Discretion Island
• Saba – Kong Island of the Caribbean
• Video: Landing at Saba Airport, Shortest Commercial Runway in the World
• St Barth’s – Gorgeous People, Pricey Hamburgers
• St Kitts – Plantation Splurge and Mega Fortress
• Nevis – Is An Hour Enough?

Landing at the shortest commercial runway in the world is the top thrill for many. Others ascend Mt Scenery in hope of a break in the fog for a sweeping view of the island.

I got up with the sun, walked down to the main village and began the ascent to Mt Scenery by 6, needing to be back and cleaned up for my 11 am flight out. The quoted time is 90 minutes up, I cut that to about 70 by cutting out breaks. Some parts were slow going on slick stones and towards the top, muddy sections. The top was a wall of fog.

I was worried about the descent. I found a stout walking stick and went down gingerly. I made it through all the muddy and really slick parts and got cocky, speeding up and taking less care. Predictably my feet went out from under me, my sunglasses on my collar went flying and were crushed along with my stick. Nothing was broken but my elbow was ripped up and bleeding as well as other bumps and cuts. As I staggered back to the guest house some helpful locals called to me to alert my to dripping elbow.

Breakfast was given over to nursing my wounds and then I headed to the airport for a sprinting date with prickly pear cactii.

Not being a beach person, I loved the chill, somewhat foreboding atmosphere of Saba. Of the islands on my insland hopper trip, Saba is the most distinctive and the one to which I would return first.