Trip Day 9:
Sint Maarten, Dutch West Indies - Mercedita, Puerto Rico
Sunday 18th November

Checking in at St Maarten - the bigger the airport, the harder it is to get out to your airplane. This place was the worst yet.










Airborne St Maarten - they call it the Friendly Island. Yeah Right!












A little while later, passing the Virgin Islands. Not unlike Skerries, eh Finto.












Turning downwind for Vieques, first stop in Puerto Rico.












No fuel in Vieques, so a short hop across to Fajardo - this is Roosevelt Roads apparently 'secret' US airbase - now closed.











Fajardo. Here's where the fun started.













Passengers No.1 and 2.

No money changed hands, of course, because that would be illegal ...










25 minutes later, on final for St Thomas, in the US Virgin islands.












And back to Fajardo.













Airborne Fajardo (again), heading south-west for Mercedita airport, southern Puerto Rico.












This is not the runway at Mercedita (as I discovered on short final into the sun)













This, is.















Managed to get into town before the streets were blocked off, they are celebrating the switching on of the Christmas lights.

Not much of a photo but you get the idea ... off for a big fat steak, its been a huge day ...