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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Edie and I just returned from trip #12 to our favorite island. The following journal is in a daily journal form but other than that will follow no cohesive structure known by man: Saturday 2/14 - Following a very uneventful flight on Canada 3000 from Toronto, we landed in paradise about 11:30 AM local time. This trip we flew down with two other couples (one set first timers, the other couple veterans of two previous trips). The game plan was for me to be the official tour guide. Obviously these folks didn't know about my taste in shirts or they would have never considered being seen with me all week! Anyway, we get off the plane quickly having got seats next to the door. First impression: Gosh its windy and Boy everything sure looks greener than usual. Translation: OH OH, lots of rains lately. In this case, first impressions were all too accurate. We were dogged by 15 - 25 MPH winds pretty much all week and frequent rain also. Did I mention it was cloudy much more so than average. The locals told me later that this has been the norm since mid January. Oh well, at least their gardens are green and their cisterns are full. We got through immigration in about 2 minutes which was a personal record for us. I'd like to think that I'm getting better at this every trip. The feeling of cleverness quickly evaporated when I waited 35 minutes for our luggage to be unloaded from the plane. Island time is still Island time and being clever will not change that one little bit <sigh>. After retrieving our luggage, we were met outside by a man from Sumerset. The cars were ready, the paperwork took only about 5 minutes and we were ready to leave. Again the feeling of being efficient crept through my inner most being. Once more Island time wiped that smirk off my face as it took 20 minutes to get out of the airport parking lot. Some guy ahead of us literally argued about paying for parking for about 15 minutes with the cashier. I can't tell you what he was saying in this G rated trip report but "No problem Mon...." was not part of the discussion. Finally, we got out of the airport parking lot and drove to Nettle Bay Hotel where we were staying. Nettle Bay doesn't get much publicity on the BB. Frankly I see why. Its sub- standard compared to any other Hotel I've stayed in on the island in previous trips. Poorly maintained, small rooms, with minimum amenities. However, we spend little time in our room and we got such a terrific deal for the flight down and Hotel that I can't complain that much. Its just someplace I would not stay again. After getting our friends checked in, it was off to Orient Beach to get some afternoon sun. I did finally meet Mike Baggot after just missing him on several previous trips but as it was his last full day, we never did meet up again. If you've never been on Orient Beach when the winds are 15 - 25 MPH (with occasionally stronger gusts) than you don't know the real meaning of body sculpting <g>. I always enjoy having a blast in the sand but not being sand blasted! Somewhat disappointed at the turn of events, we resolved to cheer up by going to the Konga Cafe for the evening meal. We were not disappointed. An excellent meal of Pepper Chicken, Fish Kabob and Accras with wine for $25 a couple. I still think that this restaurant is perhaps the best bargain on the island. I've never had anything but a great meal here for a very reasonable price. We next hit the casinos to round out the first day. For those of you who match play coupon your way to fame and fortune, I have some bad news: They've really tightened up on the use of match play coupons at the casinos. In one week, I normally would make about $500 or so. This trip, I was lucky to come out $300 ahead. Sunday 2/15 Still windy and more cloudy than normal. Did I get the right island? We stopped off at the butterfly farm which is always a special treat. For those of you keeping track of such things, in its first 19 months of operation, it has had to rebuild 3 times because of hurricanes, etc. I got a good chuckle when the guy who runs the place billed it as the world's greatest attractor of natural disasters. As always, we enjoyed the serenity and beauty of this place as well as learning new things about butterflies even though we have been here many times before. Next stop was Orient Beach where we once more had to contend with the windy conditions. We tried to sign up for a massage by Martha and was astounded to see that her and Anna were booked for over 2 weeks in advance. Talking with Martha, she told us that its been like that since Club Orient reopened. We ended up signing up for a massage for our April trip! If this is part of your agenda, I would recommend calling down there a month in advance and getting a reservation. I am happy to report that Martha, Milan and Emily are doing well. Emily is now walking all over the place and Martha has found a new physical fitness program practiced by new parents all over the world. We rounded out the day by having dinner at the cloud room. A good meal of BBQ Ribs (with a mild Creole sauce) and Bolonaise came to $29 for the two of us. As the sun set over the hills, I once more felt that contentment in my soul that only SXM can bring. Edie always laughs at the grin I seem to perpetually wear when I'm home. Monday, 2/16 Breakfly happy that you are there, and it starts right at the Croissanterie (be still my heart). Good crepes and great French toast. Edie has secretly bet the other couple that I cannot be this close to La Croissanterie without getting a chocolate croissant. It hurts me to the core to think that my wife believes that I have such little self discipline. She won a drink on the bet, by the way. Afterwards, we shopped in Philipsburg. Edie's birthday was on Wednesday, so an expensive jewelry store stop was on the agenda. The winds were still very strong, so we decided to spend our beach time at Cupecoy Beach which is protected from the wind. Frankly, we have not gone to Cupecoy in a number of trips because of undesirables that have frequented the place in past visits. I have happy to report that this has largely been taken care of. First of all, there is a security guy at the dirt road parking area (complete with a fake badge) that watches the cars for a $2 fee. "Barney" as we dubbed him (i.e. Barney of Mayberry) is only for show but we enjoyed talking to him and gladly paid him the $2 fee so as not to hurt his feelings. We did notice one incident occurring but after notifying the person who ran the concession stand, this person was quickly ejected from the beach. If you haven't tried Cupecoy beach lately, you may find it to be a pleasant surprise especially on a windy day. For dinner that night, we went to La Belle Epoque in the Marigot Marina and had French Onion Soup (so/so), a very good Calzone, and good European style pizza for $33. The evening ended at the Casinos with a modest winning streak. Wednesday, Feb. 19 Because it was Edie's birthday, I wanted it to be a special day. That means breakfast at La Crossanterie!!!! Well, maybe I like it there a little bit too <g>. Edie opted for the American breakfast while I dined on chocolate croissants. They were every bit as good as I remembered. I'd also like to put a plug in for their melon sized rolls. They were absolutely outstanding on several occasions that we stopped here. We like to eat them on the beach, with French cheese and a bottle of wine. No doubt about it, life is good! After breakfast, it was shopping at the Marigot public market and I played tour guide around Marigot, Fort Luis, etc. for the other couples. The afternoon was spent on Cupecoy beach once more to get out of the wind which was very pleasant. We were all in the mood to people watch so Dinner was at Cheri's where we had the grilled Chicken salad which was only so so this trip. We ended the evening in the casinos where we won a few bucks and never seriously threatened breaking the bank <g>. Thursday, Feb. 20 We ate breakfast at Papagayos. The food and service was OK and the prices were more reasonable than most places. Since we were already on Orient Beach, we decided to try it again. Cloudy and windy for about an hour, sunny for a few minutes, rain hard for 15 minutes and then the whole routine would repeat itself all day long! Wierd weather for SXM! We decided to go to Tutta Pasta and say "Hi" to Warren but when we got there it was completely booked and so we went to Sambucca. We had lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs for a reasonable price but the service was very poor. With all the really great restaurants on the island, I feel that we can do better than this. Friday, Feb. 21st We awake to a great day. Sunny and the winds have diminished. This is more like it! Breakfast is at the Grand Case beach club. The meal is only so so but what a view! The ambiance is everything previously reported. Great photo opportunities while chowing down <g>. Off to Orient Beach and how do you make words do it justice. Bob Marley wrote "Rise up this morning and smile with the rising sun" that is the closest I can come to expressing a day on Orient Beach. If a day could last forever, this would be the one. Dinner that evening was at Lynnettes. The King Bo Bo shows always seems to be a hit with first time visitors and although I've seen it several times, I still enjoy it as well. The curried goat was very tasty as was the Creole chicken. It was crowded for the show so the service was a little slow but not a problem. At $65 for the two of us, all in all it was an enjoyable evening. Saturday, February 22 We have an early flight but I do manage a quick dash to the La Crossanterie one more time. Do you see a pattern developing here? No the nice French man will not let you take 300 chocolate croissants home with you! We load up the car and check out but not before one last stop. I have secretly ordered 3 dozen Johnny Cakes (to go) from the Highway grocery next to Lynnettes. They are made by Clair who is one of the nicest ladies you will ever meet on SXM. Clair has all the charm and hospitality of the "old Caribbean" and boy can she bake. Her Johnny cakes are baked and not deep fried like other ones on the island. You have to try them! Ever the gracious lady that she is, she includes a bottle of homemade Guavaberry liquor as a going home present. I won't say it is potent but I am hopeful that it may regrow hair on the top of my head <g>. We next drive to the airport and drop off the car. The service from Sumerset Car rental was as good as advertised. I will definitely go with them again in April. As we wait outside the airport soaking up some last sunshine, I suddenly realized I have devised a means for not feeling depressed as I leave SXM. Simply return again in 7 weeks! LIFE IS GOOD! To be continued in April.......
I recently spent a delightful week (7 nights) at an all- inclusive resort in the Caribbean. I recommend it highly. All- inclusive at Le Flamboyant means 3 excellent elaborate meals daily and all the soft and/or hard drinks you can consume. You pay for each drink with coconut money which is provided to you at no charge. They can make almost any standard cocktail or elaborate Caribbean mixed drink you can imagine. Its a very well- equipped bar. The Club ABC package included round trip economy airfare on American Airlines non-stop from JFK, airport transfers, and a resort room without a view. Outside of each of the very large rooms is a covered porch with a dining table and a complete kitchen with stove, toaster oven, electric coffee maker, refrigerator, and a large supply of dishes, glasses, pots and pans etc. For those on the all-inclusive plan, this is really not needed but you can use the extra room and refrigerator to give a cocktail party. The main restaurant is divided into the Grill and the Terrace. The Terrace restaurant houses the regular French dinner menu and the 3 buffets each week; Mexican, Creole, and Italian. Another night is lobster night. The grill next door has a daily menu featuring a large variety of grilled meats and is available for lunch too. After lunch closes at 2:30pm, you can order take away from the Grill chef until 4pm. No one goes hungry on the all- inclusive. Breakfast is an elaborate buffet of fruits including pineapple, and papaya and juices, coffee, caf au lait, tea, milk, sodas, eggs individually crafted by the omelet man, or ready-made scrambled with bacon, sausage, toast, chocolate and regular Danish, French breads, and a hot water machine where you can make, as we did daily, 4 minute eggs. At lunch you could order simple hot dogs or burgers or lamb chops, veal scallopini, pork chops, entrecote, chicken nuggets, or other items. There also was a large salad bar, and wonderful deserts at every meal. At lunch and dinner unlimited red or white wine and domestic or imported beer was offered. The resort it self is located on a lagoon and has a lovely white sand beach. There's a water sports center where you can obtain snorkel gear, use a variety of pedal boats, sunfish sailboats, or wind surfing boats. These are all included at no extra charge. If you want, you can rent catamarans, speed boats , and other more elaborate equipment. There's an outdoor Jacuzzi, 2 large swimming pools, and endless lounge chairs for sunbathing and you can swim in the lagoon too. The hotel provides a shuttle to a nearby beach if you prefer, to a shopping mall, and to the French capital of Marigot two miles away. They also offer to their all-inclusive people, a free 3 hour around-the-island bus tour. There's a nightly free shuttle bus to the Lightening Casino for gamblers. This is on the Dutch side where all 9 casinos on the island are located. The French don't allow it. There's a town on the French side called Grand Case where there are about 20 fine French restaurants. If wed not been on the all- inclusive, we probably would have tried a lot of them. But, the restaurants are not large, the February crowds are huge, and the fine restaurants are rather expensive. So, we were quite happy with our selection the all- inclusive. One day we took the Marigot shuttle and in town visited the market place for handicrafts and another food market. Very little grows on St. Martin but they did have some oranges, tubers, potatoes, and, of course, fresh fish. We noticed at the hotel that a huge refrigerated truck arrived everyday with supplies from Miami. They included everything you can imagine. The island imports almost everything which makes it an expensive place. In Marigot we climbed to the top of the 18th century Fort Louis where you get a commanding view of the harbor and all the city. In town, filming of , Speed 2, had just ended and we watched as they tore down the elaborate sets. We also visited the Saint Martin Archeological Exhibition and Museum which has some ancient Indian pottery as well as stone and shell tools worked by the first inhabitants of St. Martin. In town also are a large number of elegant boutiques selling top quality silver, crystal, china, cashmeres, etc. at supposedly duty-free and favorable prices. Many cruise ships dock for a day at Phillipsburg, the Dutch side capital of this two-nation island. Phillipsburg has several blocks of boutiques selling much more than in Marigot to this clientele. Times-share condos are available and offers are made regularly that if you sit through a 90 minute presentation, you will get a gift such as $75 towards your car rental bill, dinner at a fine restaurant, or some such delight. We resisted. On September 5, 1995, the island sustained damage from an enormous hurricane with 200 MPH winds and a storm that lasted more than 24 hours. Now, a year and a half later, much of the damage remains unrepaired. The money or the will or both are not there to complete the work. The island depends on tourism for everything. They have no other industry. We met people from France, French-speaking sections of Canada, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile, and Americans too. Air France has non-stop flights from Paris and there are charter non-stops from South America. Many people we ran into are repeat visitors. It seems that everyone loves the island. We rented a Hertz car for a day and toured the island stopping at the Butterfly Farm, Oyster Pond Bay and beach and Mr. Busbys for an enjoyable outdoor lunch with a view of the aquamarine sea and the white sandy beach. We also stopped at Orient Beach and strolled over to the clothing optional section for our own curiosity. We spent some time touring around the shopping streets of Phillipsburg on that day. We also stopped at some of the other grand hotels including the ultra La Samana which is known as a hideaway of the rich and famous. We thought it looked elegant enough but was too quiet for our taste. We recognized no one there but they all stared at us guessing I suppose that we were famous. St. Martin has 38 beaches I'm told and each one has its own personality so if you like the beach, you'll love this island. If you like good food, you'll the island too, particularly the French side. If you like a cosmopolitan crowd you'd enjoy it as well. People bring their kids here so there are all manner and all age of very well-behaved children. There are people without children too and there are old folks. The age spread is wide as are the nationalities represented. Hope you get to spend some time at this bright and sunny oasis. Try it and you'll probably like it. ST. MARTIN, FRENCH WEST INDIES Le Flamboyant Hotel & Resort February 20-27, 1997 All-Inclusive Club ABC TOURS-$1399; Single Supplement-$399 Additional taxes-$38.95; Airport Exit fee-$12.00 by Gerald H. Dessner BRFR78A@PRODIGY.COM 1056 Fifth Avenue, #4D New York, NY 10128 212-831-0265
On Tuesday, 2/25, we left our house at 5:00 AM to catch our flight to SXM. We flew from BWI (Baltimore/Washington) on an AA flight at 7:45 AM with a scheduled stop-over in San Juan for about 1 hour. We got off the plane in San Juan, toured the airport (not much to see), and then all the passengers got back on board. We taxied to the runway and all of a sudden we heard a very loud grinding noise from the landing gear, which was repeated every time the plane tried to turn. The captain then got on the speaker and said that he was sorry, but we had to be towed back to the gate. The plane's hydraulic system had blown out. Now mind you, this is the same plane that we were on from Baltimore to San Juan. We were certainly glad the problem didn't occur in the air. Anyway, they said it would only take a couple of hours to fix. Right! Not a chance! In actuality, they were not able to get the plane fixed and we wound up spending about 9 hours in the San Juan Airport with tempers flying, a lack of information, and insolent American Airlines personnel. AA gave us chits to use in the airport restaurant for dinner, but it was the worst food we have ever had in an airport. We were all eventually rebooked on a 9:30 PM flight to SXM. We finally got to SXM at about 10:30 PM. So, in summary, we got there safe but we lost half a day in paradise. It was too late to stop for dinner, so we decided to just get the car which we had reserved with Hertz through Jim Ruos and head over to the French side to the hotel. No problem with the car rental. In fact, we made out, as it was more convenient for them to give us an upgrade (larger car) so we wound up with a Toyota Corolla which is very comfortable compared to the usual SXM mini-car. We arrived at L'Hoste and found a gentleman from the neighboring hotel waiting for us. Luckily, we had thought to call the hotel from San Juan to tell them that the flight was delayed and that we didn't know what time we would arrive. The office at L'Hoste had closed about 6:00 PM, but they left our key with the manager of the adjacent hotel. Anyway, we checked in and found the room to be clean, large and exactly what Carol and Jim had said the room and hotel to be. It had a refrigerator, plenty of closet and drawer space, a nice bathroom with a hand held shower (no shower curtain though), a separate closet with the toilet, and a nice sitting area with a balcony which had two chairs, a table and a chaise lounge. Very nice and comfortable. I brought snacks from home and a coffee pot with two converters that didn't work. We called the front desk and they sent Carl to our room. He also couldn't figure out why our converters didn't work. However, he went back to the office and got us a very large converter (transformer) which worked on everything including our coffee maker, a curling iron, and a hair dryer. That converter made living with 220 volt French electricity very easy and we certainly appreciated the extra service provided by L'Hoste. The manager of L'Hoste (Sarah Vlaun) and her staff were all very pleasant and helpful, making our stay all the more enjoyable. Wednesday, 2/26: We unpacked and then left for breakfast in Marigot at La Croissanterie on the Royale Marina. We both had a continental breakfast which consisted of OJ, coffee, and 2 croissants each. Bill was $14 w/tip. We skipped lunch and went food shopping at Match in Marigot. It was very clean, with a large selection and reasonable prices. For dinner, we went to Rancho Argentinean Grill in the Palapa Center in Simpson Bay. We shared a Calamari Appetizer (very good), we each had a 10 oz. medium tenderloin charcoal grilled steak which were out of this world and melted in your mouth. You didn't need a knife. The steaks came with an excellent baked potato and mixed vegetables. The bill with no drinks or dessert was $62 w/tip. Excellent dinner and we recommend Rancho highly. As an additional treat with dinner, they had a two piece South American combo that played guitar and sang. Thursday, 2/27: We had breakfast in our room, OJ and cereal that we had brought with us. Right after breakfast, we headed for Philipsburg to visit our favorite jeweler - Heeru at Touch of Gold. I was anxious to upgrade my diamond bracelet and some of my gold bracelets and necklaces. We knew that this would be an important part of our trip, so we had written to Heeru in advance giving her some idea of what we were interested in. Heeru and all of her staff recognized us immediately and were glad to see us again. They were all very attentive to us and provided us with lots of drinks. We looked over the latest updates to the Touch of Gold inventory while Heeru finished up with her customer. We found lots of new designs that looked interesting. Heeru joined us a short time later and the serious negotiations and discussions began. We made some preliminary selections and Heeru suggested that we keep both of the necklaces that I liked so I could wear them for a few days to decide which one I liked. That was a terrific idea and it spoke very well of the reliability and trust displayed by this establishment and is an indication of why we look forward to doing business with Heeru and Touch of Gold. I also saw a diamond bracelet that I fell in love with immediately, so there was no complicated decision process there. I was upgrading the diamond bracelet that I had purchased from Heeru two years before, and she credited me with the full price that we had paid at that time. That upgrade policy that Heeru uses is one of the reasons that Touch of Gold is so successful. Where else can you buy a diamond bracelet, wear it for two years and then get a full refund on the purchase price when you upgrade to a larger size? Unbelievable! Heeru let me walk out of the shop with the bracelet to wear the rest of the week without paying for any of the jewelry yet. We made arrangements to return over the weekend and left with all our jewelry. We had lunch in Philipsburg at La Riviera which is a block or two away from Touch of Gold. We each had a Salad Nicoise (very good) and free drinks with coupons from the tourist booths on Front Street. We really enjoy this restaurant and return every time we visit Front Street. The bill was $18 w/tip. For dinner, we decided to try the French restaurants in Grand Case. We didn't have reservations and wandered the street looking at the posted menus to make a selection. We had heard good things about many of the restaurants on the main drag in Grand Case, but the final deciding factor was the proximity to the water. We picked La Tastevin mainly because of the good reviews and the water view. We both had Caesar Salad and Shrimp & Scallops in lobster sauce which were excellent. It was so good that we dipped the French bread into the sauce and cleaned our plates. We had coffee and Proffiteroles (like cream puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce, yummy). In addition, I struck up a conversation with the manager, Xavier, about the good reviews that the restaurant gets on the Prodigy BB, so he provided us with complimentary after dinner drinks. It was an excellent dinner, with wonderful service and the bill came to $110 w/tip. Friday, 2/28: We had breakfast in our room again, but this time we enjoyed some croissants that we bought the night before from Portofino in Grand Case. They were very good, and it was a lot more convenient than going into Marigot for breakfast. We tried to go on Orient Beach by the hotel, but it was so windy that sand was blowing all over the place. So we decided to lay out on the chaise lounges by the pool for awhile. For lunch, we snacked on goodies in the room which I brought from home and bought at Match. For dinner, we decided to head for the harbor in Marigot. We didn't have any reservations and walked through the downtown area and the Marina. We wound up eating at the Brassiere De La Gare in the Royale Marina. It was very disappointing. We both had pasta with lobster or shrimp and a cheese and tomato based sauce. We selected the restaurant because it had many more customers than any of the other restaurants on the Marina, but we really didn't care for it. The bill was $43 w/tip. After dinner, we went to the Casino at the Pelican and made a small contribution to the local economy. Saturday, 3/01 We had breakfast at Surf Club South, which is in a new, larger location near the turnoff for Cul de Sac. I had French Toast (cinnamon flavor) and Jerry had a cheese omelet w/bacon. Everything was terrific. Andy was taking the orders, doing all the cooking, and taking the cash. We really couldn't chat with him as it was busy and he was jack of all trades. With two coffees, the bill came to $13 w/tip. We tried to go on Orient Beach but it was so windy once again that we decided to go over and try the East Coast beaches. We tried Cupecoy. It was less windy but the beach was very crowded. We stayed a little while and then went to Long Bay, which is just behind La Samana. There were fewer people, and we had a quieter, very enjoyable afternoon, baking in the St. Martin sun. We then had a late lunch in Philipsburg at Latitude 18 Degrees, which is just behind Touch of Gold in the Horizon Hotel and is right on the beach. We had a very good Caesar salad and a grilled chicken Caesar salad, which came to $19 w/tip. We went into Touch of Gold to visit Heeru, but she was not there. Apparently she was meeting with one of her suppliers. We visited for a while with Heeru's staff and made arrangements to return on Monday. For dinner, we had reservations at Mario's Bistro in Sandy Ground. This was a very difficult reservation to get as Mario's is the most popular restaurant on St. Martin at this point. Everything was wonderful and it was definitely our best meal. We had a table for two right on the water edge of the restaurant. I started with a Caesar salad and Jerry started with mussels in a tomato and cheese sauce (it was a very large portion and would have been a normal meal back home). Jerry then had grilled Mahi Mahi with a seafood risotto. I had Roast Duck in a honey garlic sauce with garlic mashed potatoes which was out of this world. For dessert, we shared a marble cheesecake with raspberry sauce painted on the plate. Everything looked too pretty to eat - it was presented very nicely. We both had coffee with the dessert. With wine, the bill was only $82 w/tip, and it was well worth it. We had a nice conversation with Martine and told her about the BB. She said that she wished people didn't talk up the restaurant. She doesn't want them to be disappointed if they have a bad meal. Oh, the waiters really are as cute as Althea had mentioned. Sunday, 3/02: We had breakfast in our room (OJ and coffee) as we were still full from last night's dinner. We returned to Surf Club South to try them for lunch. We each had hamburgers, onion rings which were pretty good, and free mimosas. SCS has free mimosas or bloody marys on Sundays from 12- 2 PM. The bill came to $16 w/tip. For dinner, we started to go to the Sea Galley in Bobby's Marina, but found them to be closed on Sunday. Our second choice, the Grill and Ribs place on Front Street was also closed. So, we wound up at Don Carlos in the Simpson Bay Airport area. We both had fajitas (one chicken and one shrimp) that were just fair. We were disappointed with the food and service, and only went there because we enjoyed it two years ago. The bill was $34 w/tip. This place is definitely not recommended. For dessert, we went to the Maho Beach area, and listened to the band at Cheri's while we had dessert at the Casino Royale Cafe, which is right behind Cheri's. We had one coffee, one cappuccino and we shared a Black Forest Cake which was very good. The bill was $9. Monday, 3/03: We had to find an ENT Doctor in Marigot for my husband as he managed to puncture his ear drum. We looked in the yellow pages and managed to find one by the harbor. The doctor examined him and gave him a prescription for ear drops. (It cost $90 for less than 5 minutes in the office and he would only accept cash. It was quite an experience.) We had breakfast at La Croissanterie again as Zee Best was closed on this particular Monday. This time, we skipped the continental breakfasts, and ordered a la carte. We each had Coffee and a croissant and the bill came to only $5 w/tip. We then headed out to Philipsburg for our wrap-up visit with Heeru at Touch of Gold. I had decided on the bracelet and necklace that I wanted. I also found some earrings that I liked and I bought gold chain necklaces for my daughters. We settled our bill with Heeru and said our good-byes. Actually, we will be doing business with Heeru from home, as Jerry ordered an upgrade to his bracelet which Heeru will get for him and mail to our home. A real international operation! We spent so much time with Heeru that we decided to skip lunch. We returned to L'Hoste to catch a few rays before dinner. For dinner, we went to Don Camillo, which is an elegant Italian restaurant in Marigot. We shared an eggplant parmesan appetizer. I had chicken parmesan, and Jerry had veal parmesan. I guess you can tell that we like cheese. We also had a side order of olive oil and garlic spaghetti. The bill came to $75 w/tip. Tuesday, 3/04: We finished up some of our breakfast food in our room while we packed up. Then, we went down to Orient Beach and walked the beach for a while, but it was windy once again, so we decided to go to the pool for a while before we had to change and check out and head to the airport. We checked our luggage early and then decided to have lunch at Turtle Pier across from the airport. I had a turkey burger with onion rings, and Jerry had a grilled chicken breast sandwich. With one iced tea, the bill was about $15.00 We had a great time and wish we could have stayed longer. We would definitely go back to L'Hoste which we liked very much. This was the first time that we stayed on the French side and we enjoyed the people and ambiance very much. We had made all of our arrangements through Jim Ruos, of the Caribbean Islands Travel Service, and his arrangements were perfect.
This is a semi trip report of our stay in Feb. for 1 week on SXM. We stayed at the Towers at Mullet Bay which were great accommodations. However other than the golf course being operational, it was very sad to see that all the condos, restaurants, beach bars, shops and casino are boarded up and closed. The manager said it is in the courts as to whenever they reopen - something about the management company taking the insurance money and the condo owners not in agreement with what to do (either rebuild or take everything down and put up high rise units). The beach is very nice there and other than an occasional snorkel boat of cruise passengers stopping off, almost deserted. The pool area at the Towers is also very nice. We are beach people and went to Orient (very windy and the water was choppy), Cupecoy (total nudity there - I can't imagine why these old flabby men like to go out in their birthday suits and parade around-no one looks in great physical condition save for a few French cuties). Long Bay was nice but the guard at La Samana objected to us walking on the beach in front of the hotel-think that legally you can but didn't argue with him. Rouge Beach was written up as the prettiest but didn't agree- very hard to walk on the sand there plus lots of ants came out when we started to eat up by the rocks plus the water was rough and could knock you down. Grand Case is quiet but a not very wide beach (older looking area). We were at Grand Case on a Sunday and the local Rotary had set up a barbecue lunch of ribs and chicken and the wives had made tons of covered dishes of rice, veggies, etc. along with the French Bread. It was only $6 plus a $1 for dessert and they had a band to boot. Great food and time. Had to make reservations for Mario's a week in advance but it was a truly great meal on the waterfront and Mario is a great chef. We did get to see the Regatta from Mullet Bay and bought Regatta t-shirts to take home. Liked Cheri's Bar (good food and lots of it and inexpensive. Went gold shopping in Philipsburg at Touch of Gold and the Gold Mine - the Touch of Gold proprietor seemed very honest and even eager to give us good buys. What with 4 daughters, 1 son and of course myself, we soon parted with a few dollars on the master card. We are not too much into gambling other than playing a few slots. However one night at the Atlantis Casino they were passing out coupons for the Grand Buffet which made it only $10 each and we had a super meal. It closely resembled a Cruise Ship meal (very nicely presented and quite delicious). We could not do justice to the desserts however because we were stuffed but the White Chocolate Mousse was to die for. Another evening we went to The Grand Cafe Europe (I think that was the name) across from Cheri's but upstairs and they were having their 5th anniversary. The drinks were only $2 and lots of free hors deuvers including mussels. We were treated to the band called Mothers Popcorn from Holland who were on tour(one of the members told us they were thrown off St. Bart's after a fight (he didn't want to talk about it) but they were great and we had quite an enjoyable evening. Can't finish without elaborating on our other passion - French Bakeries. There is one in Marigot that has outside seating (no name on it) where you pick out your breads and pastries and eat it there. Also found a bakery located beside a grocery on the road into Marigot where we picked up more goodies to be eaten back at the hotel. Why can't I find a place in Ohio that makes crusty French Bread and croissants - may have to open my own. All in all my husband and I were pleasantly surprised at how warm the islanders were and did not see any evidence of crime. Most of the beaches had (local cops?) on the premises which was reassuring. We have been to many of the Carib Islands and rate SXM as one of our favorites now. We had a great relaxing time.
The weather was a little off for SXM standards but I just loved it. It was a little cloudy the first few days but my super white skin enjoyed it. No big burn this time!! In fact I left with a pretty good tan. We spent most of our days at Cupecoy but did venture over to Orient for one day. The wind and the sand was unreal!! This was the first we have been over there since the hurricane and were amazed with the progress. It looks beautiful!! Now if the wind would stop. Cupecoy was pretty good. It was down to the farthest beach but the other ones were starting to come back. John the chair guy now has some competition. They even sell food there. John was happy to see all of his regulars back and was quick to tell you about the competition. It was fun watching them hustle for the business. From: Well so much for my complaining, on to the good stuff!! The first night we stayed at the Summit because our friends couldn't get in until Friday. A nice hotel, very clean and everyone is friendly. Went for happy hour that night, we needed it. Friday our friends had rented a condo at the Cupecoy Beach Club. So gypsys that we are we moved in on them on Friday. A real nice complex. Saturday we checked into our unit at the Ocean Club. A real easy check-in and we were off to the grocery in nothing flat. Went to the food center and got our supply of food and booze. A big problem at the Food Center that week. No butter had been shipped into the store in well over a week. I have never seen anything like this and their supply of margarine is zip. By the end of the week we had heard they had gotten some butter. The Ocean Club is a real nice complex. Very quiet and off the beaten track. The have added a happy hour at their poolside bar but it was much nicer to have cocktails on our deck and look out at the ocean. Sunsets were OK, most nights it was too cloudy. No green this time!! We did go the last night to Frank and Nina's for the sunset but someone decided it would be a great place to smoke a cigar so we left. But not before we had a few of Nina's great mudslides.<VBG With the overhang all the cigar smoke was contained on the deck. UCK!!! Now for the restaurants!! We decided to get out of our rut and go to some new restaurants. Granted there are still some you have to return to. The first night we decided to try Good Fellas again. It was good but a little bit more than Sambuca where we usually go first night. Jack had pasta with sausage and I had fettucini with something in it but I can't remember. We had a couple of drinks and the bill was $55 tip included. The next night it was my turn to pick- Ren and Stempy's. A great restaurant that not many people know about. Jack usually gets the snapper with Creole sauce but because of the rough water they didn't have any. Addie the owner recommended the mussels with spaghetti and I had the linguine with gorgonzola cheese. They were both great!! We had a bottle of wine with dinner and the bill was $61. Addie is local person and works very hard at keeping the restaurant going. At Thanksgiving time she didn't know if she was going to make it but she has. A good crowd both times we were there. Saturday was run around day so we settled for German food at Bavaria. I had the veinersnitsel (spelled wrong) and Jack had the bratwurst. Both are great and we each had a few drinks with dinner. The cost $38, not bad for a great meal. Sunday we went over to the marina in Marigot and window shopped. Stopped at one of the restaurants on the marina - La Belle Epoque. We each had great pizzas there. We had beer and wine with dinner and the bill was $36 and we even had leftover pizza for lunch. It was even better the second day. Monday was our big day in Philipsburg!!! Shopping at a Touch of Gold and then dinner at DaLivio's, not too bad, eh. Heeru treated us very well and we were off to enjoy a wonderful meal at Dalivio's. Jack finally got his red snapper with linguine and I had the Veal Piccata. We shared this huge Ceasar salad and a bottle of wine and then had a sambuca for an after dinner drink. Definitely no room for dessert. The whole meal was wonderful and the view out to the harbor was pretty. The cost was $110 and the restaurant will be added to our list of favorites. Tuesday we decided to see if the shacks were back at Grand Case but we only saw one and it wasn't the lady we like to buy from. So we decided we weren't that far from the New Surf Club South that we would drive over there and see it. The have done a great job!! It is nothing like the old place. I had the roasted chicken and also carppacio and Jack had a tuna steak. Both of them were good but I would have rathered a hamburger which they don't serve at night. I wonder if I can get them to deliver to the beach?<G The bill that night was $50. Wednesday we decided it had been a while since we were to Mary's Boon. We went for the Veal Dijon night. It was served with rice, green beans, quiche and this sherbet served in a orange peel(a refreshing touch to a good meal). The price has gone up some but we had friends with us who had never been there so it was fun. Cost with drinks and a Bottle of wine $111. Thursday we went to Alabama and as usual the food and service was outstanding. Karen and Pascal are great hosts!! Jack had the Cajun lamb and I had the lamb chops. I also had the goat cheese salad with walnuts and honey(my favorite) The cost for that night with drinks was $77. Friday we went to Le Residence, our first time there. Very nice. This is a fixed price restaurant and you picked one from different groups. I had the country salad and Jack had the escargot, both very good. The main course I had a sweet and sour shrimp (not what I thought it would be but good) and Jack had the lobster (very good). For dessert Jack had the grand mariner souffle and i had the crepe suzette, both delicious. Cost with wine $108. Definitely a return visit. Saturday it was back to the old tried and true - Ren and Stempy's. Jack had the snapper Creole and I had the tortellini with a bottle of wine the cost $55. This restaurant is a quiet hole in the wall place off the beaten track that serves the best food and has the best service. You can actually see them cooking in the kitchen. Addie the owner is very nice. Jack thinks the best snapper is served here. That is the end of dining in SXM. We didn't even try to get into Mario's they are booked forever. We did here of another restaurant right near Mario's but we forgot the name. Will find out later. Well now all I have to do is get ready for two weddings, one in June and one in November. Thank God it does not interfere with our trip to SXM <VBG>
Hi everyone!!! Mindy, Tracy and I returned home last Sat after 2 wonderful weeks in SXM. We left on Sat, 3/1 on AA's 9AM nonstop from JFK. Now we're no fans of AA, but we have to admit that we had no experiences like many others here. They boarded us at 8:30AM, backed out of the gate at 9:05 AM and we were on our takeoff role at 9:30AM. Scheduled arrival was for 2:04PM and the pilot told us we had a nice tail wind so the flight would take only 3hours and 10 minutes. I always sit on the left-hand side of the aircraft because of the arrival pattern into SXM. Well, about 1:30PM well into our descent and there to our left I spotted Prickley Cay, then we saw Anguilla, and next appeared the north coast of SXM. What a sight!! We saw Marigot, Sandy Ground, Baie Rouge, Baie Longue and then turned north towards Maho and the airport. I can't tell you how my heart felt at this point. We touched down at 1:40PM. As we descended the steps I saw a NW 757, KIWI 727, SunCountry 727 and US 757. The line for immigration was a mile long; but here is where it is good to travel with a 6 year old. The people of SXM must not like to see young children wait too long in line. We asked one of the women in uniform if we could go up to the front, pointing to Tracy (as we had done last year) and she told us sure...follow her. We went to the far right side and walked up to the booth marked for only for residents. No waiting... show our passports and we were on our way. We don't check any luggage so we were out of the airport in less then 10 minutes. We got our car, (the usual Accent piece of crap) from Adventure, paying $210 per week plus 8% tax. We were driving towards Sapphire Beach Club and upon observing the sky and weather with wind and sprinkles. Too much clouds and wind. Let me take a moment to tell you what I was able to find out about the "strange" weather on SXM lately. Since the 3rd week of January there has been a stubborn Bermuda high stuck in place. This kind of high produces a lot of relatively high winds. Winds rotate clockwise around high pressure areas. Based where SXM is in relation to the high, the winds have been sweeping in from the Northeast and east. This system is also responsible for blocking the usually bad weather which we have NOT seen on the east coast this winter. We were very lucky in that by about Thursday, 3/6 the high was being pushed out by a cold front/storm sweeping off the eastern US coast and the weather improved 1000%. As others have said, the island looks real green and we found a fair number of mosquitoes this year. Both are due to the above average rainfall for the past few months. We spent our days going to beaches all around the island. In the two weeks we drove almost 900 km or over 550 miles. Funny how last year people stayed away from SXM in droves because they were afraid of bad conditions from Luis. We found the beaches to be in better shape last year then this. Baie Rouge (our favorite) has lost some 8 to 10 feet (in height) of sand and the part by the water is almost all huge rocks. You can get into the water in 2 or 3 sections where is still sand, but it looks so different. And the maze the land owner installed to try to keep the beach bars/chair guys out is terrible. We only hope that the authorities don't have to get a stretcher in there to get a sick person out off the beach!!! Cupecoy comes and goes almost on a daily basis. One day there is beach in front of Sapphire & Ocean club and the next it moves to the far (clothing optional) end. In front of Frank & Nina's there was only about a 5' strip of sand. We couldn't even lie out at that end of the beach. Frank and Nina have no chair and umbrella rental business at this time. I feel for them. I also wonder if they are getting tired of their business. A couple of times we went over to their place to pick up some sandwiches which we were going to take with us to some beach for lunch. At 11:45AM or 12:15PM they weren't even there yet! I guess 7 days a week is a lot for anybody. More next. Here's a quick rundown on our dining. #1 has hot to be..... Mario's. No surprise there. We made reservations to go there on WED before we left New York. The meal was great and as we were leaving the restaurant we mad another reservation for the following Thursday. This is why it really pays to stay for 2 weeks (G) Both meals were GREAT. I had their gnocci (sp?) with 3 cheeses for a starter and I must say that this is now one of my favorite all time dishes. We went to L'Auberge Gourmand and Christine is as lovely as ever. The food was fine and we always have a good time there. We decided to try DaLavio due to the good mentions. As I was saying we tried DaLivio due to you guys here and we are now on the bandwagon. Had the veal chop and veal parm. Man were they both good. Tender and so full of flavor!! Can't wait to go back there and do it again. We tried Bar de la Mer in Marigot. The food was okay, but the service is so disorganized. It was so hectic and as we were sitting near the grill we saw how some orders come up and sit for at least 10 minutes till the waiter fetches them and serves them. In fact I ordered the red snapper, Mindy the lobster and Tracy a pizza. My fish was sitting so long that when the waiter brought it over I sent it back and got a new one. There is a lot of action to see while sitting at the sidewalk tables but we probably won't go back there just yet. We went to Restaurant Taitu in Mount Vernon. We had been there in July 1995 before Luis and enjoyed it so we were happy to know that they were back. We had a nice meal and the service was very good. We tried Tutta Pasta this trip and I'd rate it a 6.5 out of 10. The service is pretty good and the food is good, but not great. We did the Ren and Stumpy thing...I like the place except I think the prices are way too high for the quality of wine they serve. But overall, I think the food and service are very good. We went to Bistro Nu in Marigot and Jean Claude is doing a splendid job. The atmosphere is wonderful...just like being in the french countryside. Their food is delicious and not overpriced. One place we went which does not get any press here is Captain Olivers. We usually go there for lunch and had a really nice meal this time (as usual) Salad nicoise for $6.95 and a cheeseburger and fries for $7.99. Use your TI Gourmet for a free rum punch, look at the sea turtles, sharks, crocodiles, tucans, parrots, monkeys etc. and you have a really nice time. We went to Mr. Busby's which was just okay. They don't know how to make I rum punch. In fact I had some in my Heinekin bag and I gave the waitress a glass to show her how it should taste. Lunch was $40 there for some fish, ribs, cheeseburger and 2 drinks and a coke. The beach (other end of Dawn Beach) by Busby's is nice...umbrella and chair rentals available. The sand must be artificial because it was sooo soft. Like baby powder. We went to Pinel Island for the first time. A nice place especially with small kids and the water is real shallow pretty far out and it's real calm. The "find" of the trip was Piciolo Cafe (ex Drew's Deli) The presentation and food quality was wonderful. 2 starters, 2 main courses, 2 desserts, 1 bottle of H2O, 1 bottle of wine, 1 coke and 1 coffee was $57 (plus $10 tip). Their phone is 87 32 47. It's very small so a reservation is a must. Highly recommended. Mindy traded in a bracelet and earnings for a much nicer bracelet and on another visit later in the trip bought a new diamond and sapphire ring (both beautiful). Tracy got here second gold bracelet there too. I'm the only one who came away empty handed. But that's not really true...I did get a new earring (a small hoop). The island was really great as usual and we can't wait to return. The 2 weeks felt like 3 or 4 days. WE are so relaxed there and it's just like home. Oh yeah... our return on AA was okay too. Funny how I don't like to think about the return. Well that's about it. hope we didn't bore you guys too much. If we have to be here it's nice to be able to talk about our favorite place with wonderful people like you. See ya,
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