Orient Beach, St. Martin

Orient Beach is way across the bay from Green Cay where we picnicked one day.

 

         St. Martin has two sides: the Dutch side is largely in the south and the French side takes up the north. In the island’s European homelands it is common for women to sunbathe topless. So it is common to see European women who venture here topless on the beach. 

 

         In addition to topless sunbathing, Orient Bay also offers a clothing optional resort called Le Club Oriental to appease vacationers who want to sunbathe totally au naturel. And from what we’ve seen and heard nestled among the yellow umbrellas along this stretch of sand, it appears to mainly draw tourists from English speaking countries, such as the good old USA. 

Kon Tiki is one of the restaurants along the expansive beach.

Local vendors dress for maximum protection from the sun. 

              

    One cannot help but see every imaginable shape and size of physique slung over chaise loungers or strolling along the waters edge.  You’d have to close your eyes or constantly avert them and then you’d most likely tumble right into a nude stranger. (EW! Sacre Bleu!)  Some bodies were pleasant to behold, but many were not.  Picture, if you will, dimples that have dimples… acned backs and worse yet- butts… lots of sagging things like cheeks, breasts, biceps, tummies, abdomens, sacks… freckles that give the illusion of a faint tan… stretch marks on guys and gals…celluloid here, there, and everywhere…red blotches where SPF was missed… white stripes under flabby folds of skin… piercings in unmentionable places brazenly adorned with glitzy bling…creative tattoos or Mother Nature’s placement of spider veins… bear-like hairy bodies…or absolutely no body hair on both ladies and gents making them look like prepubescent boys and girls.

 

        

         Multiple signs are posted along this stretch of beach that warn:  NO PHOTOS !

     

         My sister often chides me for offering excuses for the strange things people do… Maybe these folks came here because they couldn’t find a bathing suit big enough to wear. We spied one senior-type wearing a floppy hat and a hernia truss who had propped himself up on a NO PHOTOS sign to rest.  It must be torture for these people to apply sunblock or maybe not, if they have some helping hands.  And perhaps they get some relief from their arthritic joints if they don’t have to fumble with buttons and zippers while dressing daily. (What do you think, Lee?)

This one's for my sister, Lee.

Adam & Eve Swim Suit Shop on the beach.

           

       One old guy looked a bit confused as he shuffled by.  He wore a wide-brimmed hat, wrap-around sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt, and no pants.  I hope- no, I PRAY that by the time we are his age in his condition that we don’t remember where there is a beach like this to go to.