Lizards and donkeys and goats

Before we started the hike toward Pic Paradis the other day, I asked about snakes. Apparently (if the kindly woman who stood to make 5€ if I took the hike wasn’t kidding me), St. Martin is snake free.

Which doesn’t mean that there are not other dangerous critters wandering loose on what the tourist board would have you believe is a carefree paradise.

Goats: Across the parking lot from our condo balcony lies a body of water called Étang de Chevris (which, unless my French is mistaken, means Dangerous Infestation of Goat Gangs). We see them loitering about the pond, clambering on rocks that line the road, and hiding in the shadows of parked cars. Very intimidating!

Snails: Not the delicious, escargot variety whose native habitat is a shallow bowl of garlic sauce, no, these are the huge ones that sneak up on you very, very slowly and then —whoop! — there they are, just sitting there, laughing their silent snail laughs. Very sly!

Donkeys: There are a pair of them who wander about Mont Vernon. They gambol (that’s right, they gambol! Frolic, too!) in the garden beneath our balcony. They stroll along the winding sidewalks and they lurk behind bushes leading to the pool. I suspect that they are in cahoots with the goats, perhaps planning a takeover of the resort. Very shifty!

Lizards: Here on the main island, we’ve only seen little, scurrying ones scooting about the edges of the tennis courts. But over on Pinel Island (a 15-minute ferry ride away) they grow to King-Kong proportions. Big and fierce enough to eat a goat, they gather near the restaurants where they strong-arm treats from the tourists and strike intimidating poses.

And I don’t want to even get into the size of the butterflies down here.