We arrive St. Maarten in the Netherland Antilles early in the morning and slide into our berth alongside the Norwegian Epic. Breakfast is on the aft deck where it is warm but very windy. As we leave the the ship, we encounter throngs of people at the pier. Caribbean steel drums are playing and tour vendors are hawking their specialties. Many shops can be found within a 5 minute walk and with Kelly's list we make good use of our time. The girls start to slow down as the morning heat rises. We are urged back to the ship so they can play in the Oceaneers club and Kelly and I then strike out for more distant shores. We take a water taxi for $6 return and find ourselves in downtown Philpsburg. Many of this location's European roots can be found here however tourism is their staple. Narrow streets lead to inevitable traffic jams although there are not many vehicles are few. Shopping is excellent - expecially electronic goods plus the are nice beach cafe's and bars. The sand is white and the beach is long and shallow.