|
 Saba
(pop: 1,200) pronounced ‘Say-bah’, is the
smallest of this group of islands. Only 13 kilometers
square, it lies 45 kilometers south of St Maarten and 27
kilometers northwest of St Eustatius. The island is an
extinct volcano which seems to shoot out of the sea, green
with lush vegetation but without beaches. In fact there is
only one inlet amidst the sheer cliffs where boats can
come in to dock. The highest peak of this rugged island is
Mount Scenery (887 meters), also known as ‘the
Mountain’, and because of the difficult terrain there
were no roads on Saba until 1943, only hand-carved steps
in the volcanic rock.
Although
the island was once inhabited by Caribs, relics of whom
have been found, there is no trace of their ancestry in
the local inhabitants. The population is half white
(descendants of Dutch, English and Scots settlers) and
half black. Their physical isolation and the difficult
terrain has enabled them to develop their ingenuity for
self sufficiency and to live in harmony with their
environment. Originally farmers and seafarers, the
construction in 1963 of the Juancho E Yrausquin Airport on
the only flat part of the island, and the serpentine road
which connects it tenuously to the rest of the island,
brought a new and more lucrative source of income:
tourism.
The
island’s geographical limitations have meant that
tourism has evolved in a small, intimate way. About 24,000
tourists visit each year, most of whom are day trippers.
There are only 100 beds available in the 11 hotels and
guest houses, as well as a few cottages to rent. Those who
stay are few enough to get to know the friendliness and
hospitality of their hosts, who all speak English, even
though Dutch is the official language. In 1993 the Dutch
Government stopped ‘driver license tourism’.
Previously, driving tests taken in Saba were valid in
Holland, where it is more difficult to secure a license.
The system brought Saba an income of about US$300,000 a
year. The only other major source of income is the US
Medical School, opened in 1993, which attracts about 150
(mainly US) students from overseas. Development is small
scale; the island still merits its unofficial title,
‘the Unspoiled Queen’. There is no unemployment among
the workforce of 600. The island is spotlessly clean; the
streets are swept by hand every day. The main road has
concrete barriers, partly to prevent cars driving over the
edge and partly because of landslides, which can be
frequent after rain. |
