Note: I wrote this story in August of
2011, before we were scheduled to go to St. Martin the following month.
At times I anticipate what will be happening and write a few stories
and keep them in my library so that I can publish them in the future and
have more time to relax when on vacation. A week before leaving for
St. Martin, my doctor scheduled me for immediate back surgery and we
missed the trip. Rather than deleting the story, I saved it and am now
finally pulling it out of my library to publish. This is our last day
of vacation and most of the story is the same as it would have been back
in September. Only difference is that it is not my birthday, but you
can pretend it is when you read this.
It
was an ordinary day. My birthday! Exhilarating!! How else can I
describe it. And .... Carol and I are at one of our favorite beaches on
St. Martin. Got up at my usual time, about 6:30 AM. Spent a little
time on the balcony overlooking Orient Bay. We are staying on Orient
Beach at Mont Vernon. Our place is at the North end of the beach while
at the other end of the crescent-shaped beach, a little over a mile
away, is Club Orient which is a naturist beach. In other words, you
wear your birthday suit on this strip of crystal white sand. It is our
final full day in St. Martin, so I grab the camera and head down to the
beach early for a few final morning photos. The beach is unusually
empty at this time of morning. But, this is the off season and the
start of the hurricane season and some chose not to venture to St.
Martin for fear of
the chance of bad weather. Water in the mid-80s and the air
temperature in the same range. After a few beach shots, I head back to
the room for a breakfast of french pastries and fruit juice which I just
picked up at Tap 5. Been our breakfast for most of the vacation.
Then, off to the beach. I told Carol I would like to visit the South
end of Orient Beach for the day. No need to get my bathing suit wet
today. This is a clothing optional beach and I think I will choose the
optional part. Matter of fact, so might my wife. We hopped in the car
for the ten minute drive. Found a parking space behind the last beach
bar on the strip and walked the 100 yards to Club Orient. I can still
remember the first time that we tried a clothing optional beach. Seems
like so long ago. We walked half-way down the naturist section to where
it looked fairly deserted and picked two orange chairs in the back row
and put our bags and cooler next to them. Felt so strange to take off
your suit. After I did, I immediately sat down, checking to see if
anyone was looking at me. Nope! And why should I care. After all,
everyone else is dressed as we are. And ...... no one seemed to care.
And besides, what are the chances you will see someone you know on a
beach thousands of miles from home. Within a few minutes others came
and then we saw
the only textile person (clothed) on the beach approaching us. He was
the beach boy collecting money and putting an umbrella next to our
chairs. What a job! If I lived here I Would apply for a job like that.
Within three minutes he was gone. The sun on our skin warmed us
all-over. You need to put suntan lotion on parts of your body that you
never had to before. But, the feeling was vitalizing! Almost like
you're doing something illegal. But, then you realize how natural it
really is. After a few minutes we knew we had to get in the water,
since it was getting hot. Why did we sit in the back row? We walked
through the gathering bathers as quickly as we could, not taking our
eyes off the water. The water felt great. And, no sand in a wet suit
when you have to return to the chairs to relax. After an hour or so, it
seemed like we were seasoned naturists. I even strolled to the "Perch"
(beach bar) for happy hour drinks for the two of us. Most of the other
bathers were in their 50s, 60, 70s, and beyond. Since it is our last
full day on the island, we decided we would return to the room when the
sun is going down. Will make good use of the umbrella to avoid the hot
sun. Now, before you condemn us for being a little adventurous, you
should give it a try sometime. After all, as one of the t-shirts for
sale on the beach proclaimed, "If God intended us to be nude, we'd have
been born that way." And anyway, it was my birthday! It was another
extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - pixs were taken of the yellow umbrellas and orange chairs and Perch Beach Bar before bathers came to the beach.
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