Wednesday, July 1, 2009

10 Things You Probably Don't Know About Saba


  • There are no wells or public water supply on Saba.  All the freshwater used on the island is collected from the rainfall.  Virtually every roof on every structure is lined with gutters and the water is channeled into cisterns.
  • Before “The Road” was completed in 1958, major sections of the island were accessible only by foot path. 
  • There were no indigenous inhabitants of Saba before Europeans arrived, so it’s got a pretty good kharmic history.
  • In the mid-twentieth century, Mary’s End, a settlement on the remote north side of Saba was relocated to The Promised Land, near The Bottom, because its lack of accessibility had led to, um, inbreeding among the residents.
  • The Justice of the Peace on Saba has twelve toes (see above.)
  • The scuba diving on Saba is considered to be the best in the Caribbean due to the Marine Park, which was established more than thirty years ago and which preserved the coral reefs and undersea life from human destruction.
  • In spite of the beauty and ecological wonders of Saba, the island has no recycling program and, in fact, all the garbage generated on the island  is dumped in a spot near the harbor and burned in an open pit.
  • Although technically Dutch, English is the main language on Saba and U.S. dollars are the main currency.
  • Saba’s airport has the shortest runway of any commercial airport in the world.  There has never been an accident during takeoff or landing.
  • Saba's motto is “The Unspoiled Queen.”  So is mine.



3 comments:

  1. I read somewhere that the pilots that land on Saba need to be specially trained to land there as the runway is only like 1300 feet long. That painting you posted above reminds me a whole lot like some Haitian art that I've seen. Very similar. I like the plain simplicity of it.

    I love the fact that there were no indigenous inhabitants of Saba. Good Kharma indeed! Thanks for these interesting facts Tom.

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  2. Wow, you ought to hook up with the Saba Tourism Board and become their spokesperson. I did know 2 of the facts (well 3 if you count your motto but that's not about Saba). Since I've been to St. Maarten many times I know about English and the US dollar. Also the snorkeling sucks in St. Maarten and I was told the best place is Saba. It's been on my list ever since. That makes 2 ambitions of mine that you got to do first. LOL

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  3. Well, then. That last comment makes me laugh. Unspoiled? Well, maybe the island is! You sound spoiled rotten on that island!

    And you deserve it.

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