The "Total Destruction of Orient Beach: Part II - Club Orient As It Used To Be" Story

Preface:  I wrote the following story close to three years ago, yet never posted it on my blog for fear of what people might think of me.  But years have passed, I have mellowed somewhat and I fear not what others may think anymore, since I now have many more issues to worry about in my life.  As you read on, the two photographs that accompany my preface will illustrate what has become of Orient Beach, Club Orient to be exact.  The destruction that Hurricane Irma has left behind, as illustrated in the photos, shows what Club Orient now looks like.  Total destruction that will take years to rebuild and even more years to return to normal.  Life may never be the same in St. Martin!

One lonely orange chair somehow still exists on an empty beach with ruins in the background.

Very little remains and what is still there is just a shell of what it used to be.

It was an ordinary day.  The warming sun stood about 45 degrees in the eastern pale blue sky and the salty aqua water lapped at the edge of the brilliant white sand.  It was beach time!  

Aerial view of Club Orient beach.

Carol and I made our journey from the parking lot of Club Orient through their beautiful grounds, dotted with chalets and palm trees, to the beach.  Found a spot in the back row of orange colored beach chairs and parked our cooler and beach bag under the familiar yellow umbrella.  The beach was beginning to fill as beachgoers were talking with one another while others were spreading tanning lotion over their entire body, for you see, this beach is a clothing optional beach!   If you have never tried going to a clothing optional beach, you have to try it at least once before you head to the retirement home; or maybe you need to try it after you head to the retirement home, since all ages fill the orange chairs.  It is truly rejuvenating as well as cleansing for the soul.  And, everyone on the beach is equal.  No one has a better bathing suit than you.  No one is richer or poorer than the next person and no one cares.  We are all here for one reason; the overall tan.  Parts of your body that have never seen the sun before will take in some vitamin D.  Embarrassing?  Yeah, for the first 10 seconds. Then when you look around and notice no one is looking at you or even cares about you, you begin to realize that its not much different than on the textile end of the beach.  

Familiar yellow umbrellas and
orange beach chairs of Club Orient.

Only difference is that you don't have to sit in a wet suit or try to get sand out of your suit.  Carol and I tried Club Orient about a half dozen years ago.  Picked a spot, got comfortable and only got off our chairs to get in the 85 degree water that is about 30 feet away.  On another visit I walked to the nearby beach bar during happy hour for drinks for the two of us.  Eventually you start to feel as if it is as natural as having a bathing suit covering your body.  As for your neighbors who perhaps feel the same as you, you eventually get the nerve to make a visit and talk with a few of them.  Talk of family, locale where you live and favorite time to travel on vacation are topics of conversation.  A few years ago a woman spent the better part of a day making a sculpture in the sand at water's edge.  As the crowds disappeared at the end of the day she pulled out her camera to take a photo.  Cameras are frowned upon on this beach for obvious reasons and will be taken from you by security personnel.  Upon seeing that, I located my camera and walked in her direction.  Asked if she would mind if I took a photo of the sculpture.  She told me she waited until the beach cleared to take a photo for herself.  I thanked her and commented on the great job she had done on the reclining nude sculpture.  We both took photos and then I asked if I could take a photo of her ...... just a head shot.  Told her I wanted it for a blog story.  She readily agreed and after taking the photo, I showed it to her so she knew exactly what I had taken.  She smiled and said she was anxious to read the story.  Here's hoping that she, and maybe you, read that article from May or June of 2014.  Well, tomorrow is another day and we just may give this part of the beach, "where nothing is better", another try.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.