Location: Saba
Saba is the land of unicorns and leprechauns. It looks like it anyway because of its steep slopes and green vegetation. We’ve also seen a few rainbows since we’ve been here, so today, we stepped ashore looking for a pot of gold. It turns out that Saba is actually the land of steps. First, there were 468 steps (called the Ladder) up a cliff-side from a cobble beach and past the old customs house to reach the road. Then, there were the 1,500 steps along the trail that led us to Mount Scenery and the radio tower at the highest point on the island. To say the least, we got a workout today- but it was an amazing climb through changing landscapes: forests of palms, tree ferns, and lush vegetation crawling with snails, lizards, and even a snake squirming around us on our way. We hiked up and over the island to the windward side, where delicious smoothies and cheeseburgers rewarded us. We also visited Jo Beans Glass, a local glassblower that creates beads, jewelry, and creatures out of glass, included old Heineken Bottles and slave beads found in the sand in Statia. We all made it back to O*Star safe and sound for Mexican night in a slight drizzle and a view of a rainbow onshore. This evening ends with an Oceanography class and some much-needed rest. Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to getting the chance to see what lies beneath the water for some epic diving off Saba!