Hookah – Taboo or resurfacing culture?

Hookah has been a misunderstood way to smoke.  Older movies showed many shady characters who would be sitting around a hookah up to no good but in recent years the trend has resurfaced and hookahs are becoming more common.  Hookah Lounges are gaining in popularity in the world as an alternative to the bar scene. 

For centuries, Hookah smoking has been looked upon as an art form that’s been passed down from generation to generation throughout the Middle East. These water pipes were quite common during the 17^th century, frequently found in coffee shops along the narrow streets of the region. The Hookah Pipe has inspired many great discussions. Such topics included politics, religion and everyday common events as the pipe was set in the center of a gathered group and the attached hose is passed from smoker to smoker, all while partaking in some interesting conversation and sharing some all-around good times.

As with many things, there is some debate as to where the Hookah came from. There are different names for the hookah including Shisha, Nargila and Waterpipe. It’s believed that the very first Hookah Pipe design was crafted out of a coconut shell in either India or Persia, and then quickly spread through the rest of the Arab world. It was in Turkey that the Hookah was given some finishing touches and found its final form, not really changing at all in the 350+ years since. When the 20^th century arrived, the Hookah Pipe was such a fashion icon that upper-class Turkish women were photographed with their pipe, making it a significant status symbol in the process.

The evolution of the hookah pipe as we see it today took place over many years. From the most elaborate to the very basic the hookah pipe is now used by all levels of society and groups. Not only did the hookah pipe change in shape and size it also changed in name as it travelled through the regions. A hookah has four fundamental parts which do not vary, such as the base/smoke chamber, which is partly filled with water; the bowl, which contains the heating apparatus and tobacco; the pipe, which connects the bowl into the base through a tube plunging into the water; and the hose, which connects to the pipe’s second tube and is not immersed into the water, but the smoke chamber air. The heating apparatus can use charcoal or an electric heater, and the hose may or may not be removable. It is operated through indirect heat and water-filtration. When the smoker breathes in through the tube of the hookah, the difference in pressure forces the air to pass the coal wherein it heats the tobacco giving off smoke. Then, the smoke coming from the tobacco is brought through the water into the smoke chamber air of the smoker. When the smoke passes through the water, it filters both nicotine and tar from the tobacco and also gives the smoke a cool, smooth feeling.

The Hookah uses all five senses. First, it’s many are just amazing to look at, seeming as a collectable piece of art. Touch is obvious through operation of the pipe. Many Hookahs are made of different materials, such as glass and offer different sensations depending on where you touch the Hookah. Taste and smell are tickled through the tobacco and smoke, and the distinguished sound of the water bubbling in the Hookah is for the ears. Such a combination is nothing short of pleasing and relaxing to the masses that gather around the world to partake in Hookah smoking.

If you want to try out smoking a Hookah, this is what you may expect. First, select a place that has the kind of atmosphere you’re looking for. Perhaps some where laid back and chilled. The person/persons you plan on going with are a big factor as well. If it is your first time, be sure to go with someone who has some experience and can help you along the way. Slow, relaxed, unpremeditated conversation enhances the pleasure of a Hookah, while nervous or point-scoring talk is simply joyless.

What should you order? Shisha, also referred to as Tombac, Gouza, Moassel or Sheesha, was and still is the premier choice of Hookah smokers around the globe. This special blend of dark Shisha leaves, fruit pulp, molasses or honey, and glycerin contains only 0.5% nicotine and no tar. Shisha flavors have grown to include some interesting blends like Banana Split, Cherry Cola, Double Apple, and Pina Colada. Some of the most traditional flavors include Grape or Rose. Many Hookah smokers will occasionally opt to add ice, fruit juice, or even wine to the water in the glass base to alter the texture, taste or effect of the smoke.

Now, how do you smoke a shisha? Deeply, my friends, deeply! It's the only way. Keep in mind: It's a big piece of equipment, and drawing on it from the cheeks is just not going to make any impression. You've got to inhale. After about 15 to 20 minutes, the flavor will start to change. Often, the smoke becomes too hot. You simply use the coal tongs to remove one of the charcoals. Or maybe the taste tends towards sooty or dirty. Then you simply pick up the charcoals and drop them into the metal coal tray to shake off the ash coating, before placing them back on top of the foil. A little later, maybe after half an hour, the coals will be exhausted. The shisha can be refreshed with new coals once or twice, before the smoking mixture is used up.

Many Hookah smokers have their own pipe at home. If you are considering that, remember to choose your Hookah carefully. And once you have chosen it, it’s a bit of a production to set it up each time you want to smoke. To many veteran Hookah smokers, this process is almost a ritual in itself.

Start by breaking the shisha into small clumps and drop them into the bowl loosely. Load your bowl to just below the rim, so the tobacco will not be bulging or overflowing when you put the foil on. Try not to pack the shisha into the bowl too much. You want the bowl to breathe well so all the air will be getting to the shisha. Put the foil on, shiny side down, and make sure it’s pulled nice and taught over the rim of the bowl. Take some extra time to smooth out the foil that’s been folded over the side of the bowl so everything is nice and clean and as air-tight as possible.

Poke a whole bunch of really small holes using something fine like a safety pin. The idea is to have as many holes as possible so the foil will breathe really well, but make sure the holes are not so big that ash falls through them as your coals burn. Once you have the holes poked, you should take the bowl and put your mouth over the opening at the bottom, blowing through the tobacco and foil, then gently sucking back in. You’ll want to keep your hand tight over the rim of the bowl while doing this so your foil stays nice and tight. This is an important part of the process, as it helps you determine how well the bowl breathes. The better the airflow, the better your smoke quality.

Now it’s time to put the bowl on the hookah and get your coals ready. You will need to experiment with the amount of coal you use. In general, a little more coal is a little better than too little… and if the flavor gets harsh and makes you cough, that’s an indication that the heat is too strong and the shisha is burning. At that point, you want to take the coal off the bowl and let the shisha rest a little. You should also be moving the coal around the outside of the bowl as you’re smoking, about every 10 or 15 minutes.

As you enjoy your Hookah, take the time to let your mind drift back to the days of old and marvel how culture resurfaces time and time again.

Do You Know what good Bar Karma is?

Not everyone who spends time in bars understands the simple principals of bar behavior. As a rule of thumb, for the customer, the difference from being treated as a chump and being treated with respect is measured equal in proportion to the manners you give to those who serve the drinks. There's a simple equation: a happy bartender will, in turn, make you happy. It's bar karma. Proper bar etiquette is a large part of the beautiful dance that we call getting drunk.

The following is a pretty simple and straightforward list of bar dos and don'ts. If you want to keep your local bartender happy, it’s highly recommended that you follow it. Keep in mind, a happy bartender is likely to serve you faster, back you up quicker, and slide you that free drink earlier and more often. That way, everybody's happy. And it all starts with getting your bartender's attention.

Let's say that you and a couple of your friends are out at your favorite bar. The place is wall-to-wall people, and you're dying for a drink. How do you get the barkeep to come over and give you that drink? Well, one thing you shouldn’t do is pull out a twenty and wave it at him. Most barkeeps find this insulting. You are not the only one at the bar with money. They can always tell who's waiting to order a drink, and if the bartender seems to be ignoring you, he's probably just busy taking care of somebody who was there before you. But, for argument sake, let’s say your barkeep just doesn't notice you. It's perfectly all right to give a wave or a nod. Most bartenders will respond to "excuse me," or "pardon me, bartender/barkeep.”  Never snap your fingers at a bartender, unless you want to keep snapping them for the next twenty minutes while you wait for a drink. And I have yet to talk to a bartender who happily serves a customer who calls them "hey, you!"

Now it's time to order your drinks. Do yourselves a favor, and the bartender, and know what you want before you call the bartender over. In a crowded bar, every second he spends standing there waiting for you to decide between a vodka red bull and a vodka cranberry is time the bartender could be taking care of the hundred other people who are waiting for drinks. Know what you want and select ONE PERSON to be your spokesperson and order all your drinks at one time.  When you order all together, the bartender can make all your drinks at once, and avoid making four separate trips and avoid a raise in their blood pressure. After all, you’re at a bar, you’re there to drink. So know what the heck you want! Also: Bartenders don't know how to make every drink in existence. There are millions of drink recipes out there and some drinks have different ingredients and share the same name. Don't expect every bartender to make a Mai Tai like the one you had in Hawaii. If your favorite drink is uncommon, know the ingredients and your bartender will take it from there.

Likewise, you should pay all together as well, so the barman only has to bring you your change once, instead taking the money for one drink, going to the register, making change, then coming right back to where he just was, four times in a row. Ordering drinks this way is, clearly, four times slower. And don't forget to have the money ready by the time the barkeep arrives with the drinks. In a bar, faster is always better. And please, please, PLEASE don’t hand your bartender a handful of crumpled bills and expect to get any great service for the rest of the evening. Nothing slows a bartender down more than having to waste time straightening out crumpled, sorry looking bills. And it’s just really disrespectful. Your change is returned to you in a quick and timely fashion and not wadded up like used tissue paper.

As far as tipping, it’s just really easy to just keep it simple. Tip every time, and tip something for every drink. Remember, bartenders only make about $3.00 an hour. Like waiters, the rest of their money comes from your tips. And not tipping is of course the best way to insure that everyone else in the bar gets served again before you do.

Let's say that you've been at the bar for a couple of hours and have ordered a few rounds. This does not automatically entitle you to a free drink--a bartender doesn't have to give you a free drink if he doesn't want to, even if he’s your friend. So don’t expect it and don’t feel like you’re entitled to it. One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make is going to a bar where their good friend works, expecting free drinks. They tend to forget that this is a job and the bartender can’t always just give away drinks to their friends all night long. Never assume that you're getting a free drink; always at least offer the money. And PLEASE: If YOU order a round of shots, YOU pay. "Do you want to do a shot?" is an invitation to buy a shot for someone, not an invitation for someone to buy one for him or herself. And this can't be stressed enough: don't forget to tip on a free drink. If you don't tip on your free drink, you're not giving the barkeep a reason to give you another one.

And last, but certainly not least, if you absolutely must make or take a call, step away from the bar and head to the restroom area, or outside. These are the only appropriate place to carry on a conversation. Nobody wants to hear your personal business, hear about your latest love interest or be a part of your break-up call. And when you're on the phone next to them, trying to shout above the music, they can't help but listen and start to get annoyed, including the bartender.

That about covers it for the basics of bar etiquette. You follow these guidelines, you'll guarantee yourself a bartender that is happy to see you, serves you quick, and gets you drunk fast. And let's face it, being able to zip past the hundred other losers in the bar and get served first is cool. As always – remember to party responsibly!

Seaweed….not really a weed, but so much more! SXM Sint Maarten

It’s happened to just about all of us at some point. You’re bobbing around in the ocean on a beautiful sunny day, floating on your back, eyes closed, sun on your face…then…What just touched me? You jerk you head up and look around as something brushes against your leg. Eeww, gross! Seaweed! Ok, ok…Maybe not ‘eeewww’, but it can freak us out. But if you stop to think about it, seaweed is actually an amazing plant, and does a lot more than float around and gross people out.

There are two groups of seaweed. The first group is the simplest forms of the plant, {yes it is a plant not a weed} are the blue-green algae and green algae. These plants are found closest to shore in shallow, warmer waters. They can take many different shapes. Some look like little trees, with branches and leaves swaying in the water. Others can look gelatin, floating in sheets. And other still can look like strands of thread floating near the surface of the water.

The second group is known as the brown algae. This is found is cooler climates on chillier waters. Instead of floating along the surface, brown algae take root on the sea floor or stones and can be found at depths up to 75 ft. {23 m}. The appearance of brown algae is even more plant like, resembling delicate ferns under water. Due the reddish brown of the plant they can survive at deeper depths, absorbing the blue and violet lights only found down there.

Now, this is a versatile plant! Mainly it is an important plant in the food chain of the seas. The largest of the green algae, Ulva (sea lettuce), grows to a ribbon or sheet 3 ft (91 cm) long. It provides food for many sea creatures, and its broad surface releases a large amount of oxygen. Fucus, called rockweed or bladderwrack, is a tough, leathery brown alga that clings to rocks and has flattened, branched fronds buoyed by air bladders at the tips. Animals such as seals and sea turtles eat seaweed as part of their regular diet. But that’s not all: humans eat it, too!

Seaweed appears in the oddest of places; you almost certainly have eaten some sort of seaweed extract in the last 24 hours as many foods such as chocolate milk, yoghurts, health drinks, and even the highest-quality German beers contain seaweed. Seaweeds are found throughout the world’s oceans and none are known to be poisonous. In many Asian countries, seaweed is considered a delicacy. Japan, China and Korea are three of the world’s top producers and consumers of seaweed. The main food species grown by aquaculture in these countries are Nori or Zicai, Kombu, Kunbu or Haidai and Wakame. In Japan alone, the total annual production value of nori amounts to more than US$2 billion, one of the most valuable crops produced by aquaculture in the world. And there is more to seaweed than just providing food. It is used in many different industries, including the medical field. Kelp, a group of seaweed that generally include the many large brown seaweeds and are among the most familiar forms found on North American coasts. Some have fronds up to 200 ft (61 m) long. The kelps are a source of salts of iodine and potassium and, to a lesser extent, other minerals. When the seaweed is burned, the soluble mineral compounds are removed from the ashes (also called kelp) by washing. They are used chiefly as chemical reagents and for dietary deficiencies in people and in livestock. Kelp is also a commercial source of potash, fertilizer, and medicines made from its vitamin and mineral content. Kelps are especially abundant in Japan, and various foods known as kombu are made from them. A vegetable gelatin is made from species of red algae and is the most valuable seaweed product. Irish moss or carrageen, a red alga, is one of the few seaweeds used commercially in the United States. After being bleached in the sun the fronds contain a high proportion of gelatin, which is used for cooking, textile sizing, making cosmetics, and other purposes. In Japan it is made into a shampoo to impart gloss to the hair. Scientists are even trying to figure out a way to make seaweed into a bio fuel.

Down here in the islands, the most well known seaweed is sea moss. Sea moss has a bit of myth behind it. Most Caribbean men are not afraid to admit that sea moss is one of their secrets to sexual potency and virility. Caribbean men are not bashful to claim how much an elixir and aphrodisiac the sea moss drink is. It is believed to be an excellent reviver and energizer or as they say in islands "it good for de back". Recently, sea moss has even been used to promote fertility in women.

Used for centuries by Arawak and Carib Indians as a natural healing supplement, scientists are beginning to take notice of this little miracle from the sea. Sea moss contains potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, chloride, sulfur, phosphorous, vanadium, cobalt, manganese, selenium, bromine, iodine, iron, the list goes on and on. The nutritional content of sea moss could probably account for it being considered so good for you. Dried sea moss has 45 calories per cup of which 12% comes from fat, 70% from carbohydrates and 18% from protein. Its high quantity of mucilage is highly recommended to treat digestive conditions, ulceration of the stomach and duodenum, and inflammation of the urinary system. Unlike sea weed, sea moss is free of taste making it very easy to ingest. Sea Moss is also a great source of B vitamins and omega3 fatty acids. People who have used sea moss as a medical supplement claim to find relief from everything ranging from ADD to Alzheimer’s disease. That’s a pretty broad and impressive range!

Making a drink from sea moss is one of the most popular forms that people use to consume it. Once dried, sea moss resembles pasta. In this form it is simple to run through a food processor and sprinkle on salads, soups, casseroles, cereal and a number of dishes to boost your body's performance. When soaked in water, it retains its original form and can be used as a gelatinous substance in smoothies, shakes, cocktails and deserts. Once a sea moos drink is made, it looks like a vanilla milkshake and you can actually add different flavors to it.

So, the next time your swimming in the ocean and brush up against a clump of seaweed, try not to freak out. Instead, remember how awesome this little plant really is and raise a glass of sea moss in a toast to seaweed.

Deliciously Dark & Tasty! SXM Sint Maarten

It’s gooey. It resembles tar. It smells wonderfully sweet and coopery. It tickles the tongue with a sweet, almost tangy taste.  It’s a distinct, yet almost indescribable flavor. It’s a key ingredient in many holiday treats. Molasses!

The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word ‘melaco’, which is ultimately derived from ‘mel’, the Latin word for honey. But make no mistake. This is not honey. It’s a far cry from honey, in fact.  Molasses is a great substitute for honey and even maple syrup. Molasses comes, mostly, from sugar cane. The process of creating molasses actually led to the discovery of rum! But that’s a whole other story! Let’s stick to the deliciously dark wonders of molasses.

The pressing of cane to produce cane juice and then boiling the juice until it crystallized was developed in India as early as 500 B.C. However, it was slow to move to the rest of the world. In the Middle Ages, Arab invaders brought the process to Spain. A century or so later, Christopher Columbus brought sugar cane to the West Indies. Another two hundred years later, sugar cane cuttings were planted in New Orleans. Molasses figured prominently in the infamous slave trade triangles of the late seventeenth century. English rum was sold to African slave traders who brought slaves to the West Indies and then brought West Indian molasses back to England.

In the sugar cane processing plant, extraction can be done in one of two ways: diffusion or milling. The sugar cane stalks are loaded onto conveyer belts and subjected to hot water sprays to remove dirt and other field debris. Then, they are passed under rotating knife blades that cut the stalk into short pieces or shreds. By the diffusion method, the cut stalks are dissolved in hot water or lime juice. In the milling process, the stalks are passed under several successive heavy rollers, which squeeze the juice out of the cane pulps. Water is sprayed throughout the process to facilitate the dissolving of the juice.  Locals and many visitors to the Caribbean and other islands have long enjoyed the taste of fresh sugar cane juice made by a hand turned mill or press. Just imagine that on a larger scale. Before the creation of harvesting machinery, laborers performed the back-breaking work of cutting and stripping the sugarcane by hand. Mule-driven mills pressed the sugar cane to release the syrup, which was then cooked in large kettles over a fire until thickened.  

The extracted juice is clarified by adding milk of lime and carbon dioxide. Hold on…what is ‘milk of lime’, you ask? It may not be what you’re thinking. Milk of lime is used in the clarification process. Essentially burnt limestone rock, it is produced in the factory by heating lime rock in a super heated over or kiln. The lime rock is then mixed with sweet water—a byproduct of a previous clarification process. Carbon dioxide is released in the lime milk process. It is purified in tanks and also used in to clarify the sugar juice.  The juice is piped into a decanter, heated and mixed with lime. The juice passes through carbon filters, producing a mud-like substance. Called carb juice, this mud is pumped through a heater and then to a clarifying machine. Here the mud settles to the bottom and the clear juice is piped to yet another heater and treated again with carbon dioxide. Once again the mud is filtered out, leaving a pale yellow liquid called thin juice. The juice is pumped into an evaporator that boils the juice until the water dissipates and the syrup remains. The syrup is concentrated through several stages of vacuum boiling, a low temperature boil to avoid scorching the syrup. Eventually, the sugar crystallizes out of the syrup, creating a substance called massecuite. The massecuite is poured into a centrifuge to further separate the raw sugar crystals from the syrup. In the centrifuge, the sugar crystals fall away from the syrup that is being spun at a significant force. This remaining syrup is molasses, and it is forced out through holes in the centrifuge. The molasses is piped to large storage tanks. It is then pumped, as needed, to the bottling machine where pre-measured amounts of molasses are poured into bottles moving along a conveyer belt.

Crazy molasses fact: The Great Boston Molasses Tragedy!*

THE DATE was January 15, 1919, a Wednesday. It was about half-past noon. In Boston's industrial North End, folks were going about their business as usual. Only one small detail seemed out of the ordinary, and that was the temperature — unseasonably warm, in the mid-40s, up from a frigid two degrees above zero just three days before. The sudden thaw had lifted everyone's spirits. To anyone who was out on the street that day, it scarcely seemed a harbinger of disaster. But trouble was brewing fifty feet above street level in the form of a cast-iron tank containing two-and-a-half million gallons of crude molasses. The molasses, owned by the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, was slated to be made into rum, but this particular batch would never make it to the distillery. At about 12:40 p.m. the giant tank ruptured, emptying its entire contents into Commercial Street in the space of a few seconds. The result was nothing less a flash flood consisting of millions of gallons of sweet, sticky, deadly goo. The Boston Evening Globe published a description based on eyewitness accounts later that day:

Fragments of the great tank were thrown into the air, buildings in the neighborhood began to crumple up as though the underpinnings had been pulled away from under them, and scores of people in the various buildings were buried in the ruins, some dead and others badly injured. The explosion came without the slightest warning. The workmen were at their noontime meal, some eating in the building or just outside, and many of the men in the Department of Public Works Buildings and stables, which are close by, and where many were injured badly, were away at lunch. Once the low, rumbling sound was heard no one had a chance to escape. The buildings seemed to cringe up as though they were made of pasteboard.

The bulk of the devastation was caused by a "wall of molasses" at least eight feet high — 15, according to some bystanders — which rushed through the streets at a speed of 35 miles per hour. It demolished entire buildings, literally ripping them off their foundations. It upended vehicles and buried horses. People tried to outrun the torrent, but were overtaken and either hurled against solid objects or drowned where they fell. More than 150 people were injured. 21 were killed.

The story  isn't an urban legend per se, though there is a longstanding folk belief associated with it: On hot, summer days in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Boston, they say, a faint, sickeningly-sweet odor wafts up from cracks in the pavement — the stench of 85-year-old molasses....

*{Story courtesy of http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/molasses_flood.htm}

What ever happened to Manners? SXM Sint Maarten

I am trying to ask this politely as, lately, I’m seeing less and less manners and common courtesy on our little rock. I recently went to the movie and was sorely reminded as to why I don’t go that often. People have gotten so rude and discourteous. I had the distinct displeasure of having 2 young women (I refuse to call them ladies) sit directly behind me and began chatting throughout the entire movie. Added insult was the constant kicking to the back of my chair. Now, I realize it’s only $6 to go to the movies, but what gave these women the impression that their $6 was more important than mine? They were asked, rather patiently, by other patrons to stop talking. After the 3^rd request, one woman’s cell phone began ringing. Seriously? After enduring about 2 minutes of the phone conversation, I then lost my patients and told her to shut up. I received as response a loud teeth suck. Wonderful. Such charm. There is no such thing as a ‘good’ movie experience on this island.  Another couple, sitting in my row was just as annoying, as the young woman kept constantly complaining as to how cold it was in the movie. True, it was cold, but does a constant stream of complaints change the situation? Either get up and alert the Cinema staff or close your mouth. Besides the incessant giggling of the 2 woman and the complaining woman, add into the mix the unsupervised children rampaging about the theater. Again: SERIOUSLY? Where are their parents? Could the parents be watching the G rated movie while their kids are wandering through R rated movies? Again, is my money not worth as much as their money? Do I not have the same rights to get what I paid for? I did not pay to attend a daycare. If you can’t get a sitter for your kids, don’t go out. It’s rather simple. Children require making sacrifices, but not at other people’s expense. And where were the staff of the cinema? Shouldn’t the doors of the theaters be monitored? As for the ‘adults’ in the movies: respect the others around. Everyone paid to see a movie and enjoy themselves. Who are you to ruin someone else’s experience? Who are you to believe you are more important, that your money is worth more. If you can’t keep you mouth shut and your phone off, rent a DVD.

What is a mega yacht? SXM Sint Maarten

People move to the railing, eyes wide, cameras at the ready. Slowly they come, moving forward cautiously through the narrow channel. Oohs and Ahhs can be heard as first one, then another maneuver through the bridge. Cameras go off, people cheer and applaud. It can be consider a national past time in St. Maarten to gather at the Simpson Bay Bridge at 5:3O to raise a glass, daily, to the villas of the sea. The Mega Yachts are back!

Each November marks the beginning of High Season in the Caribbean. The rich, famous and infamous flock to our sandy, sun kissed shores to play in the emerald and indigo waves and to enjoy the wonderful Caribbean climate. Fresh from the Mediterranean summer season, they come on their yachts. Not just any yachts but MEGA yachts.

So what defines a mega yacht? The name ‘mega yacht’ started showing up around the beginning of the 20th century when the super rich began constructing large private yachts for personal pleasure. Examples of early luxury motor yachts include the Cox & King yachts, M/Y (motor yacht) Christina O and M/Y Savarona. Early luxury sailing yachts include Americas Cup classic J class racers like S/Y (sailing yacht) Endeavour and Sir Thomas Lipton's S/Y Shamrock.

There are several different explanations/definitions for mega yacht. Some people consider a boat to be a mega yacht by length, of displacement, or of cost, but it depends on who you talk to. One thing most people seem to agree on is that yacht can be classified as ‘mega’ based on size. Generally any yacht over one hundred feet in length and made with high standards and top quality materials. That’s the simplest way to begin describing a mega yacht. From there, the definitions get a little watery, but there are still general ‘facts’ that qualify yachts as ‘mega’.

Mega yachts are usually privately owned. Some are used exclusively by their private owners, while others are operated part-time or year-round as charter businesses. A large private yacht charter can range from a few tens of thousands of dollars to nearly over a million dollars for one week.  For these high fees, you get a unique experience unlike any other. These yachts are often referred to as floating villas or homes.  Just about anything you can imagine can be found on a ‘mega’, depending on the size of the vessel. What you find onboard these yachts can blow the mind away: helicopters, swimming pools, spas, basketball courts, movie theaters, concert halls, floating golf courses; what an owner decides to put on board is limited only by their imagination. These floating villas also have the advantage of taking passengers to destinations otherwise unreachable by any other means. Mega yachts typically have no real home port, although a yacht must be registered in a port of the country of which it flies the flag. Many times the yacht will have never been to the port!

More recently, over the last decade or two, there has been an increase in the number and popularity of large private luxury yachts, over 24 metres. The number of very large yachts has increased rapidly since the 1990s and increasingly only yachts above around 65 metres (213 ft) stand out among other luxury yachts. Yachts of this size are almost always built to individual commissions and cost tens of millions of dollars! And believe it or not, most super-yachts cost far more than their owners' homes on land, even though those homes are likely to be among the largest and most desirable. Makes it no surprise the owners book charters. Have to pay for those Megas!

As the world's wealthiest compete to keep up with one another, large private yachts are reaching colossal size. Many yacht builders are taking orders for super large mega boats well over 400 feet, 122 meters. Wherever you look today, yachts are straining to escape the bounds of gravity and even at times credibility, and as we try to wrap our minds around these trends, the word that comes to mind isn't super, or mega, but GIGA! These private giants of the seas have begun resembling cruise ships in miniature. A giga yacht is a vessel of 1OO metres of more. That’s over 328 feet! It boggles the mind! Though still fairly rare, giga yachts are getting to be a more common sight. The very largest yachts have begun to incorporate such features as helicopter hangars, indoor swimming pools and even miniature submarines!

What in the name of the High Seas is going on in the yachting world? Big yachts getting bigger-so big they're housing submarines? Big yachts looking like small yachts-enormous versions of what are essentially open and express cruisers. Yards and builders are getting bigger. Heck, even owners are getting bigger, with larger-than-life characters that span the spectrum from American and Arab and Russian and Chinese. Big yachts are getting bigger. I’m not just talking about size, but the price tag gets bigger as well! When you go from 150 feet to 300 feet, it is not twice the yacht, but closer to six times as large in terms of interior volume, tonnage, complexity and cost.

St. Maarten’s waters were recently graced by the one of, if not THE most expensive yacht in the world. The yacht ‘A’, which some said resembled everything from a capsized cruise ship to a submarine, has a price tag of $3OO million dollars. No, that is not a typo. That’s right! The "A" was designed by French architect Philippe Starck and Martin Francis, and built at the Blohm + Voss shipbuilding yard in Hamburg, Germany. It is owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. The yacht includes, among other things: a disco, several pools, lots of Baccarat crystal, a love nook, a helipad and state of the art security. A's trimmings also include six guest suites with moving walls to create four larger suites, each with a stainless-steel whirlpool bath. The master bedroom, located at the top of the watchtower, contains an enormous bed that rotates on a turntable for a panoramic view out all the windows. A also has a hovercraft, a garage, over 100 audio speakers, and more than a dozen plasma TV screens, many of which can be mistaken for mirrors. A's indoors include doors unlocked by electronic finger pads, spotlights, and motion sensors! Ok, take a moment to catch your breath!

Though, for most of us, owning a mega/giga yacht is the stuff of dreams and fantasies, we can still look out our windows and gaze upon them on a nearly daily basis, every high season, letting out dreams set sail on the seas!

The Caribbean Iguana SXM Sint Maarten

You’ve seen them everywhere. Darting among the bushes, high up in the trees or sunning themselves on your neighbor’s roof. Iguanas! Lovely iguanas ranging in color from vibrant green to even orange! Iguanas look like a missing link to the dinosaur age or like something out of a Medieval story about dragons. They may not breathe fire, but they can pack a punch if cornered. How much do you know about this Caribbean icon?

One of the most surprising things about iguanas is their extensive range. Their habit extends from Mexico all the down to Paraguay and Southern Brazil and, of course, the Caribbean. Scientists believe that these clever creatures have hitched rides on boats over the years, extending their range slowly but surely. Think of them as a lizard of the High Seas!

Iguanas live in tropical rainforest areas, generally in lower altitudes in areas near water sources, such as rivers or streams. In South American and Central America, they spend most of their time high in the forest canopy, about 40-50 feet above the ground. However, the iguana can adapt to nearly any area, as long as there is plenty of food to be found. Iguanas are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and meat. They tend to eat mostly plants, though, especially leaves and fruits. Sometimes young iguanas will eat eggs, insects, and tiny animals, like other lizards. Both male and female iguanas can store fat under their jaws and in their necks for times when there is not much food available. Depending on how much food there is to be had, iguanas can range in size anywhere from six inches to a whooping six feet and eighteen pounds! In some areas of Brazil there have been recorded accounts of iguanas reaching seven feet! Not something you want to tangle with. Keep in mind the overall length does include the tail, which can be as long, if not longer than the body of the lizard. Though the Caribbean iguana is often referred to as the green iguana, it actually comes in a variety of shades. Many green iguanas have green coloring with black tiger stripes. Their body color can range from vibrant green to a grayish green. On St. Maarten/St. Martin bright orange iguanas have been spotted on the French side!

The wonderful color variations of the iguana allow it to hide in the trees, keeping safe from predators. They also have some great adaptations that keep them ahead of anything that may want to hunt them. They have long fingers and claws, five fingers on each ‘hand’. This adaptation, combined with great sense of smell and hearing and superior sight, allows iguanas to travel through the tree tops with surprising speed. They also use the tail as a defense weapon. The tail has a pretty sharp edge and can be used like a whip, swiping at an attacker just like Indiana Jones. The tail can also break off, without a lot of trouble to the lizard, and will grow back in time. If they are spotted by a predator and need to escape quickly, iguanas can dive from trees into water, and swim well. Green iguanas are quite sturdy-- they can fall 40-50 feet to the ground without getting hurt!

Like most reptiles, iguanas are cold blooded. This means they need the warmth of the sun to regulate body temperature. They don’t produce their own body heat. When the weather is cool or cold, so is the iguana. So, the best way for them to keep warm is sunbathing. The favorite past time of any iguana is lying on a warm rock, soaking up the rays of the sun, just like tourists!

Iguanas tend to live solitary lives, but may be seen in groups occasionally in good sunny basking spots. Several areas on St. Maarten host dozens of lizards.  As for making baby iguanas, iguanas lay many eggs at one time, some times fifty in one clutch, in holes in the ground called burrows. These intelligent reptiles also dig pretend burrows to confuse any animals that may be looking for eggs to eat. After female iguanas lay the eggs, they leave them and do not return. It takes green iguana eggs about 8-10 weeks to hatch, then takes baby iguanas about 2 years to become mature adults. When iguana babies hatch, they grow up without care from their parents. Even though a female can lay many eggs, sadly only 3-10 babies actually survive to be adults.

The iguana is threatened by habitat destruction. The green iguana is listed as threatened and on CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention. The main cause is destruction of the rain forests and demands of the wildlife and pet trade. Many people in the United States and elsewhere want an iguana for a pet, so there is a big demand for their capture. Although many pet iguanas are now being raised on iguana farms, capture from the wild has lowered their numbers. Now there are captive farming operations, based in the country of origin and designed strictly for breeding iguanas as pets. Still, this may have a negative effect on the genetic diversity of the species, as they are being mass-produced. As iguanas are bred in a captive area, they lose their phenotypic and genetic diversity, as cattle do when they are raised on a farm. In attempts to conserve this species, exporters and importers of iguanas are required to obtain permits to move them across country borders. However, once they are in the United States, it is legal for someone to buy them. The pet trade industry has put a great demand on the iguana; 800,000 iguanas were imported into the U.S. in just one year. Sadly, most captive pet iguanas don’t live more than one year, while wild iguanas have a life span of nearly twenty years.

Many people are trying to develop protected areas for the iguanas, and to educate local populations about the importance of conservation. Some of these educational programs help local populations find new ways of using the land, without permanently destroying it. For example, for people who want to continue to eat iguana, programs are being developed to raise these animals for food, instead of hunting wild ones. Iguanas are hunted for meat in the tropics, however this does not seem to have much effect on numbers. Iguana meat is less commonly eaten because it is considered a low class food in most areas, but some indigenous people may depend heavily on it. In Central America, where iguana meat is frequently consumed, iguanas are referred to as "bamboo chicken" or "chicken of the trees." Iguana eggs are sold as a novelty food. They are boiled in salt water and sold at more than twice the price of chicken eggs by weight.

So the next time you see an iguana, take a moment to admire this dinosaur from another time. Appreciate this intelligent creature and smile if you happen to see one hanging around in the tree outside your bedroom window.