The "Go Tell It On The Mountain" Story

It was an ordinary day. Heading up Pic Paradis in St. Martin. Pic Paradis is between the cities of Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island, and Grand Case, the culinary capital of the Caribbean. Paradise Peak, at 1,492 feet, is the island's highest point. The road is paved going up, but extremely steep. Wide enough for one car, but we did have to pass a large truck on our way to the top. Kind of scary! It is best if you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but we thought we could make it with our front wheel drive Corolla. After reaching the top we parked the rental along the road and walked along a short trail to an overlook. Fantastic views of the island and most of the neighboring islands. Could see Anguilla, St. Barts, Saba and many smaller islands and outcroppings which don't have any special names. It is a beautiful day and the water is filled with beautiful colors. The green vegetation is filled with a variety of colors from the many types of flowering bushes and trees that grow in the tropics. Breathtaking would be an appropriate word. The camera was snapping shot after shot. I had just purchased my first digital camera and was having a ball snapping the photos. Carol and I were the only people at the top of the island. After a short stay, we hopped back in the car and headed down. A day or two later I was reading the St. Martin issue of the Miami Herald and saw an article about a couple that were robbed and assaulted at the top of Pic Paradis. People were warned not to travel to the top unless you were with a tour guide. Wow, did that scare us after reading that. We were lucky! This story took place 7 years ago. Since then we have been back the same road that takes you to Pic Paradis, but only to go to the Loterie Farm which is home to the islands only zip line adventure as well as a 150 acre nature preserve. The zip line is one of the longest journeys through the forest in the Western Hemisphere. The Hidden Forest Cafe is also part of the Loterie Farm and a great place to have lunch after your trip through the trees. I have posted a story about our adventures on the zip line. We have never again ventured to the top of the mountain. And, never will. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos from the top are: road sign leading to Pic Paradis, photo I took by resting the camera on a rock and setting to 10 second timer, looking toward the east side of the island and St. Barts and Saba, photo looking toward Marigot, the road you travel to reach Pic Paradis at 1,492 feet.