TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) SXM Trip Reports and Photos part one of our trip (warning: LONG)

Before I go into details about our trip, I first wanted to express my thoughts for Ray. MrCroz mentioned that he had received a PM blasting him for writing about good times, so I don't want my report to be perceived as insincere. I do not know Ray personally. However, I understand his situation well and although I have not been vocal about my support I've been rooting for him like many of you. I'm amazed how TTOL members have really come together to support him during this obstacle; strength comes in numbers.

Regarding our trip, to date this was the longest (10 days!) and probably the most memorable, even though this trip was for both business and pleasure. To say the least, construction is happening on island time. I'll omit the details of our errands and fill you in on the fun parts. Be prepared for a very long read...

DAY ONE: Tuesday, 1/18
AA667 7am departure means the alarm going off at a brutal time of day, considering that we were up till 1am packing. Bad habits are hard to break. Cab arrived 4:30am sharp, covered in ice, and we were off to JFK feeling anxious for sunny SXM. AA allows 24hr advance check-in, which we did online in order to change our seats and print our boarding passes. Still had to go to the counter to check in luggage. Maximum allowance was 2 bags/passenger, 50lb weight limit/bag with no fees (3 bags if first class). Boarded on time, but delay in takeoff due to de-icing of the plane. I managed to fall into a deep sleep despite the noise. By 8am we were in air and the flight attendant was offering snacks for purchase: cookies, nuts, turkey sandwich. Who eats this stuff at that hour?? Recooperating from a nasty bug coupled with minimum sleep, I spent most of the flight snoozing. Before I knew it, I was looking down at the beautiful Caribbean water. What a feeling. Lesley was there waiting with the car and kindly gave us a hand with the luggage. Vacation officially begins the moment we see his smiling face and he hands over the keys. First stop, Topper's for lunch. It's usually Lee's, but no available parking broke the tradition. We reversed in and sat at the bar, within a few feet of the car. This is our one exception of leaving anything in the car, since there's nothing of significant value, just clothes and toiletries. We ordered the kalamari kamikaze, based on rave reviews posted here, and mango chicken salad; both were thoroughly enjoyed. Next two stops were for errands while I waited in the car: Talk Cell (along the salt pond) for TelCell sim cards and Sang's for the essentials- booze, water, and snacks. Once the sim cards expire, we're both going with Chippie; decision influenced by the recent informative thread on sim cards. Hoping to get better coverage on both sides of the island and love the option of topping it off online. I'll probably PM Sharon at some point with more questions. Something we noticed, the salt pond appeared vibrant green with algae buildup.




Now that we were well fed and temporarily done with errands, we made our way to Esmeralda for check-in. We were given the villa directly behind L'Astrolabe, room number 556. We hit the pool with drinks before taking a long, much needed nap. Woke up refreshed and ready for dinner. Made the mistake of heading to Grand Case, forgetting about Harmony Nights, with cars parked everywhere. Even the lot at Cito's was full. We weren't up for large crowds and long waits, so we headed back towards Orient and decided to try Rancho Del Sol. Entrees consisted of grilled mahi mahi and steak tartar, flan for dessert. Overall an ok meal, but wouldn't rush to go back other than for convenience. Post-dinner went for nightcaps at Bikini Beach Bar, one of our favorite hangouts for the WIFI and fun bartenders.


homemade rums

DAY TWO: Wednesday, 1/19
Despite the firm bedding, slept like a baby. Woke up with just enough pool time before tending to the daily errands. Done with errands for the day, we headed over to Philipsburg for lunch and shopping. Four ships were in port, so town was congested but bearable. Living in NYC, congestion doesn't really phase us. We chose Taloula Mango's on the boardwalk for lunch, since I had a $50 certificate from the silent auction back in May. Lunch consisted of creole chicken with rice and mahi mahi sandwich. Another ok meal. What Taloula Mango's has going for them is the live music in front of the restaurant.



They had a game called look under your seat to see if you won a prize. Lo and behold, P was a winner!


His grand prize.

Note, Taloula Mango's no longer has WIFI access. Following lunch was shopping in search of a purse, which was forgotten in the midst of midnight packing, and a quick stop to see Raj at DK Gems. Found a designer bag at 5th Avenue; no more bulky pockets. Stopped by to see Raj about a minor problem with the backings of studs recently purchased there. Problem quickly solved and then out came the Heinekins, the marketing ploy that works well... only in the Caribbean. I was shown a beautiful, irresistible bracelet. Never was into jewelry much, but as of lately I am metamorphisizing into a lady. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Dangerous territory. Loved it but said I'd sleep on it, knowing full well I'd be back. Back to Esmeralda for pool time and drinks, an ongoing theme during the trip. Not a bad theme either, especially since 99% of the stay we had the pool all to ourselves, even though the villa was fully occupied. We did have some company, who I decided to name Mama Oreo and Baby Oreo. Mama Oreo assumed the role of protective mother, while Baby Oreo socialized with us or maybe it was the pringles that kept her near. I decided to share.


Baby Oreo eating my limited edition paprika pringles.

Pre-dinner, we went over to La Plantation for a glass of wine and WIFI. For dinner, we decided to head over to Grand Case with intentions of trying Piazza Pascal- closed. Plan B, L'Auberge Gourmande with no reservation. Although pretty full, we were given the option to have the next table with a short 15minute wait. We decided to take the table. To pass the time, we went across the way to Fish Pot, where we had a drink at the bar while observing the lobster tank. There were some very large lobsters in there. We factored in island time, took an extra five minutes, and arrived back to the restaurant just in time to be seated. Appetizers consisted of french onion soup (I was on a quest to find my favorite) and escargot with garlic and parsley butter. For entrees, grilled lobster (daily special) and vegetable raviolis with mushrooms and mixed vegetables. Dessert was profiteroles, one of my weaknesses. The highlight of dinner was the grilled lobster, which were three small and very tender tails, nothing like the monster lobsters at Fish Pot. Post-dinner, back to Bikini Beach Bar for our nightcap and WIFI.

DAY THREE: Thursday, 1/20
Deja vu, woke up with some pool time before resuming errands. After business was taken care of, Patrick (owner of La Pierre) invited us to an art exhibit at Radisson Blu the following night. Invitation accepted in hopes to find some interesting artwork for our blank walls. Lunchtime rolled around, so we headed to Calmos in Grand Case, with a 50euros certificate in hand. Parked in the free lot across the street; no issues of loitering this time around. We had a leisurely lunch consisting of grilled chicken creole w/ potato and zucchini gratin as the choice of side (my usual) and mahi mahi sandwich with the gratin as well. Both came with a small salad, piece of corn on the cob, and slice of watermelon. Something about the gratin here; it always hits the spot. I also recommend the Calmos drink: rhum, mango, peach, and something else that I can't remember (maybe malibu?). That very much hit the spot. We were offered complimentary shots of their homemade Banana-Vanilla rhum. After lunch we hungout for awhile, soaking in the rays and view, and connecting to WIFI before heading back over to Hope Estate.



Picked up some items at US Market and of course forgot to bring my reusable bags, again. There are bags for purchase by the registers, but I didn't want to add yet another one to the collection, so we put the few items directly from handbasket to trunk after checkout. No big deal. I posted previously that a quarter worked to unlock the carts. Apparently, jamming plastic in there works just as well, something oddly enough I observed a local do. I prefer using a quarter.



Random thought regarding US Market, it's been posted here that there is no connection to USA and that US is someone's initial... Not that it makes a difference to me, but if this is true, I do find it an odd coincidence that the facade's colors are red, white, and blue.



Back to the pool for some rest and relaxation. For change of pace, we decided to head over to the Dutch side for dinner and nightlife. We intended to try out The Wharf but couldn't find it; got a good laugh later when I read the thread about it being closed. We ended up at 3Palms, where we've been as part of the Celine Pubcrawl excursion. At that time we only sampled the dessert, which we liked and also the ambience, so we felt it worthy of trying out for dinner.



Appetizers consisted of caesar salad and beef carpaccio. For entrees we had lobster salad and blackened snapper two ways served with asparagus risotto and vegetables. Dinner coupled with live music (solo saxophonist) and overlooking the lagoon made for a nice meal. WIFI is available here as well. For some nightlife we headed to the Red Piano Bar. We sat at the piano, so we were able to talk to Greg (pianist) in between songs. Nice guy and extremely talented. He's looking for venues in NYC and I'm hoping to help him out, even though he decided to pause in the middle of a song and frown.

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A good friend of mine is a jazz pianist and I'm hoping with his connections, Greg may score a gig or two. We hung around and listened to Greg play for awhile, but with Hollywood Casino a short walk away it was hard to resist temptation and soon we were off playing blackjack. Good news, ended the night with $140 winnings. En route back to the resort, we witnessed a massive blaze on the hillside behind the salt pond. The photo is blurry, but it gives you an idea that this was no small fire.

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Very bizarre. Tomorrow's goal, beach time...

DAY FOUR: Friday, 1/21
I woke up and hungout by the pool, waiting for P to wake up. I knew it'd be a wait, since it'd been a late night and he likes his sleep. At noon, housekeeping called to tell us they wanted to service the room. That was our queue, so at long last we hit Orient Beach! I decided on Palm Beach because I think it's one of the better beach venues, has WIFI, and I wanted to attempt lunch there again despite a disappointing lunch on a recent trip. P told me afterwards that he didn't want to go there but just went along with suggestion. (He asked me to include this in my report; since he's a lurker, I will.) I know Palm Beach gets rave reviews here, but our two dining experiences have been less than desirable. What we had: smoked duck breast salad with foie gras and mini shrimp burgers with salad (daily special). My shrimp.. it was raw, with a hint of pink. Best part of the meal was the homemade banana-vanilla rhum shots offered at the end. I really tried to like this place or at the very least understand the hype. Minus the food, it's one of my favorite spots along Orient. We decided to make use of the complimentary beach chairs with the purchase of lunch.

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(plastic) beachchairs are complimentary with lunch

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View of Mount Vernon from our beach chairs.

Strange to have Palm Beach practically all to ourselves, being high season and all. Back to the pool before heading out to Radisson Blu for the art exhibit at 6:30pm. We arrived early, so we went to La Locanda for a glass of wine. No activity minus P and I. Has anyone been and can offer a review? I don't think it gets much mention here.

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The art exhibit took place in the lobby of Radisson Blu and was on a much smaller scale than we both anticipated. Unfortunately, nothing spoke to us and we left empty handed. Art work ranged from low $200s to high $5000s. We briefly greeted Patrick and then headed off for dinner in Grand Case. We wanted to try Le Ti Provencal in its new location, now in the former location of La Marine. Valet parking is still offered here, which is definitely a bonus on this congested strip. This was one of our favorite meals this trip. It came with a price tag, but well worth it. Prior to ordering, we were shown selections for fresh catches of the day. Appetizers consisted of french onion soup and tuna tartar (daily special). The french onion soup was the only minor disappointment this meal. While the flavor was there, the lack of broth missing from my soup was odd. I still enjoyed it. For entrees, we chose "big eye" fish and langostine. I don't remember the real name of the fish, but if anyone knows please share so that I can make note of it. I felt nostalgic ordering the fish, as it was the same type that I enjoyed in the former La Marine; it was as spectacular as I remember. The langostines had arrived just before us and was a real treat. Cost was expensive at 14euros/100gram. Grand marnier souffle ice cream (plan b, champagne sorbet) wrapped up an amazing dinner. This is on the list of places to go again next trip. While waiting for valet to bring the car, I browsed in the boutique shop located in front of the restaurant. Bought a couple of pareos and beach bag from Patricia, very charming lady. Back to Bikini Beach Bar for a night cap and shots with the bartender, Junior. He likes his shots. No complaints.

DAY 5: Saturday, 1/22
First breakfast of the trip at L'Astrolabe for the complimentary continental breakfast of fruit, baguette, croissants, juice and coffee. They stop serving at 10:30am; we made it just in time. Minutes after getting comfortable in the beach chairs at Coco, the cell phone rings and poor P was off to Dinghy Dock to meet someone.. more errands. The original plan was for us both to go, but lucky me stayed behind and waited on the beach. En route back from Oyster Pond, there was a random checkpoint by the Gendarmes. P was not stopped, but the guy driving behind him with local plates was asked to pull over. P returned to the beach just in time for lunch. We ordered "La 4 Saisons" (regular size) pizza to share, with toppings of tomato, mushroom, artichoke, bell pepper, onion, and lots of garlic. Before paying the tab, at a currency rate of 1:1.30, Nicolai (beach guy) offered us complimentary shots. He wouldn't tell us what is was... so we braved it out and went ahead. Tasted like orange infused rum.

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My beach bag purchase, similar ones also for sale at Coco's giftshop.

I really wanted a massage, especially with the massage booth in view from my beach chair, but there was a sign posted "Will be back at 2:30". Would have to postpone this thought for a later time. We lounged around for awhile longer before heading to Mr.Busby's to meet someone else.. errands continue. A short while later, we were back to Orient at Bikini Beach Bar. Corinna was tending the bar; as we approached, she had a peculiar smile on her face as she asked what we wanted to drink. We ordered our usual two Caribs, no lime and a split second later she slid it across the bar. Apparently Junior, who was there but off duty, told her that would be our order. He's come to know us quite well in a short time. While there we had some good conversation with a guy name Chris, owner of Lassens Bar in Chicago, who was on a solo trip to the island. Really nice guy. I also sent a PM to Bill and Elaine, at the request of Luci Frye of Sxmcooks, to join us for Sunday lunch. First time meeting Luci was at one of her workshops, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and now we make a point to visit with her and her family on our trips down. Wonderful people and great company. Hoping to find the time for another workshop in the near future, which I've promised to bring Elaine. Back to the room to rest before meeting a friend for dinner at Le Cottage. Bruno was not there due to family emergency, as per our friend. Yet another amazing meal, no big surprise. Le Cottage is really top notch. What we had- appetizers: crab tasting menu and vegetarian tasting menu. The only problem I had with the vegetarian tasting menu was the sorbet melted before I got to it. That's what happens when you're too busy talking. Entrees was fish all around, mahi mahi and cod. I forgot to jot down the description, but I do remember the mahi mahi was served over bok choy and more importantly everything was fantastic. Dessert was grand marnier souffle, shared by the table to satisfy the craving for a sweet ending. I felt badly for the couple who came and were turned away due to no reservation. They were told to return on Monday if they wanted, as Le Cottage is closed on Sunday.