The Healing Exfoliating Sands of Pinel Island

My first visit to this small island located on St. Martin was very interesting. My sister and I were escorted by two of the island's popular MacDaddys. Yes, they have them all over the planet. For fifteen dollars we got lunch, a boat ride and a trip to a market. The outing was accompanied by a stern warning that we had to hold tight to our belongings and not leave them in the cars. They lined up about twenty of us and showed us how easy it was to break into the cars without leaving traces. We were advised to take everything with us. They told us stories about how we needed to behave on the island if we wanted to protect our belongings. We were advised not to shop and put things in our car until later, because by the time we finished shopping everything would be gone. Any shopping for folks back home was to be done the day before leaving.

We listened as we watched the small craft unload on the island and return to pick us up. The boat operator spoke 7 languages. He used all of these to explain that we were to stay in our seats and keep our hands and feet inside the boat at all times. Upon arrival, we were warned that noone was allowed to remain on the basically uninhabited island overnight.

"We will not look for you. You hear the horn you are already late. So plan wisely and be packed and ready to leave by 4:30, no exceptions."

The water was magnificent and warm. It was very shallow and deepened gradually without rocks out to where the small boats were anchored. The sand was very fine. I sat on the beach and rubbed my feet in it for a very long time. Tiny little fish gathered around my legs pecking at something in the water. I got used to them. It is a most relaxing place. Later that night, I noticed that my feet felt like I had just had a pedicure. My feet were very smooth and soft. They were not that way before.

Miss Barbara from housekeeping explained that the little fish were actually eating the dry, dead skin exfoliated from my feet. The sand functioned as a very effective exfoliant and I fed the fishes. Now is that just to the left of gross.

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