TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin BEERMAN Trip Part 8 (Conclusion)

SXM Part 8 (Conclusion)

It’s not often that I hate, but I sure hate check-out days! We really packed a lot into this brief weeks reprieve from the arctic air back home. We both woke up feeling better, not great, but better! With coffee brewing we quietly slid open the hurricane shutters for the final time. It proved to be another beautiful sunrise at Nettle Bay Beach Club.









Pretty much the same morning routine as usual, except for the packing part, uggh! Why does repacking my suitcase never go as simply as when I first packed it? I had plenty of room left in my duffle on the way down, I buy just 1 shirt and now it doesn’t want to close without me sitting and kneeling on it. In between assaulting my duffle and cleaning up the villa we would take short walks out to the water’s edge, realizing we lucked out with our last minute villa at NBBC.







Check out wasn’t until 1100 hours, so we decided to stop where we were at with the cleaning and headed into Marigot for another great breakfast at Sarafina’s, we love this bakery! It’s funny, I drive extremely slow on the last day of vacation, as if that will really delay the inevitable. It was perhaps 0830 hours on this Saturday and finding a parking space in Marigot was a breeze. Finally, after a week of constant checking we see the fish markets shutters are open, let's window shop there first! We really wanted to cook our own fresh fish at the villa but the timing was just never right, too bad because the seafood looked fantastic this morning.












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Breakfast at Sarafina's was very good again, this time I tried a couple of their small sandwiches that were just what the doctor ordered!

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We were fat and happy and back at the villa with plenty of time to finish packing up. Owner Marie showed up promptly at 1100 hours and the check out process was eazy peazy! FYI, as I mentioned before, we've had great experience in the past renting through VRBO, but this was our first foreign country using them. The entire process of renting this villa was unlike any before i.e. check-in and out with owner in the villa, but it worked out great and our deposit was quickly returned to us via PayPal, merci beaucoup Marie!! Once we bid NBBC farewell we drove towards the airport. Our flight was at 1500 and our car needed to be turned in at 1300 hours, great we had time for some more exploring. We saw a sign for Mullet Bay and made a quick turn into the parking lot. I know we shouldn't leave anything valuable in the car, but WHAT THE HECK!! We took a short stroll along the lovely beach covered in cloud covered. The beach is nice, but man what a lot of chairs and umbrellas!!

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After our barefoot stroll we still had a little time so we stopped at Maho to look around. My guess is we lucked out and found a primo parking space nice and close! This looked like a fun place to spend a couple hours at sunset, unfortunately we missed that opportunity. Quite the drunkfest going on here, I mean that in a good way, people were really enjoying themselves. We watched a few flights coming and going and when we saw our American flight give everyone a buzz cut we figured it was time to go, boo!

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So....how was our first visit to St Martin? Fantastic! If you've read my many reports thank you! you know exactly what we accomplished in one short week. Not really sure what our preconceived notions were, but the island was different from our normal stomping grounds in the USVI/BVI. I really can't make a fair comparison between them, they are uniquely different. The people of St Martin were fantastic, not one truly bad experience. The food was outstanding as we heard it would be. The long beaches and abundant beach bars were incredible. There is so much to see and do here that we must return with our daughter, who we missed dearly on this trip! A big Thank You to all of you on TTOL who helped with planning our most recent marvelous adventure!!

To be continued....somewhere!<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the report and the conclusion, Beerman!! We all hope you return to SXM, sooner rather than later, so that we can see your pics and read your reports once again! Thanks again for taking us along..

Thanks for your time and effort to post the trip reports and photos. The photos really capture the "feeling" of the Island.

Thank you for your wonderful photos and your daily reports. We will be going back for two weeks in June and hope to have as an exciting trip this time as you had. We love SXM and cherish every second we have on the island - as you did. Thank you again for providing us the excitement and anticipation of going back in 9 weeks (especially of going back to our favorite haunt - Karakters)!

Joe & Lori

Thanks again for your reports and pictures. Great meeting you guys also.

P.S. We did say goodbye <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

That last photo is a real heartbreaker!! Cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed your trip report. Thank you for all the effort of putting this together so we were all able to enjoy your vacation with you. Have read all of your trip reports in the USVI/BVI and also enjoyed them as we have spent many vacations there and appreciate the beauty of those islands. Now you have witnessed SXM and were able to see this island through our eyes to see what a special place this really is. Come back soon!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Thank you for your hard work in putting all these trip reports and photos together! We've really enjoyed going along with you on your adventures. I'll bet you'll miss that sweet dog. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks so much for all your time and effort with each segment of your SXM trip. I truly enjoyed all of your reports and feel you enjoyed this special island as much as we all do.Hopefully you will be able to treat your SXM addiction with another trip in the future! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all the reports and photos. They were wonderful and we enjoyed them.

Going to be there in 24 days. Your trip reports and pictures are the greatest. Thanks

Really enjoyed your reports. Can't wait until your next trip to anywhere so I can enjoy more. Thanks again.

Thank you so much for the wonderful reports and pictures! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Outstanding!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

I waited every day to read your latest report. But did I somehow miss #7?

I'll say our thanks for your reports also, they were a very good read and great pictures. It was good to meet you both at Raspy's party and glad you had a great time on St. Martin. Hope to see you again.

Thank you for all the time and effort you put into posting your reports. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them all. They heightened the anticipation for our upcoming trip on April 19th. I even learned a thing or two from a SXM newbie. Great job. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

As everyone else has said, thank you for your lovely pictures and reports. I hadn't realized what a beautiful place NBBC is. Thank you for the time and effort involved in putting these together.

Thanks for the wonderful reports these past few weeks.

I never saw photos of the Marigot Fish Market. Now I'm tempted to get up early and get out to buy something!

Wendyk, #7 was included in Part 6-2/7.

Thanks for reading everybody! Next trip in 2weeks, not to the islands but at least on the water! report will involve delivering a sailboat from Charleston to Annapolis, cant wait! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all your reports and pics. Relating your experiences helps the next guy enjoy his vacation even more. A real "play it forward". <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

24 days to go..10th trip and you have still managed to give us inspiration.

Beerman, thanks for sharing your fantastic vacation experience with us, Outstanding! I also have feelings for NB and Sarafina's. Hope you will have chance to explore SXM with your daughter in near future.

Thank-you-great reports.

Thank you so much for such an enjoyable series of trip reports and wonderful photos. Not only is your writing style highly entertaining, you give new meaning to someone who sees the glass as always half-FULL. You had such a positive outlook on all of your adventures, even the toe! (Hopefully fully healed up by now)

Thanks for letting us ride along on your journey and safe and happy travels to your next destination.

Thanks Beerman, it has been more then a pleasure reading your reports and seeing your terrific photos.

This really has been fun to read all throughout. One question though, did I miss Part 7?

Thanks a million for your reports as they have been a prequel to our own trip in 12 days.
To paraphrase Arnold: You'll be back! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

You're not the only one I confused, I put part 7 in with 6-2/7 because we slept through the sunset and had zero photos from the evening. Hey Carol, would it be possible to change Part 6-1 to 6, and 6-2/7 to 7?

Prairiegirl, Positive Is How We Live! My toe (nail) is doing just fine, not perfect, just fine <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Beerman, I will do it later at work. If it's not done today, drop me a note, in case I forget.

Going to miss your trip reports and particularly the pictures of your little island miss. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" />