This vacation was an unexpected trip and one that we both needed desperately! We had taken our usual 2 week trip in December and found that having my relatives share our excitement of the island was way too draining. After returning from that trip, our nerves were raw and Lord help anyone who got in our way!
I am pleased to say that our flight with Continental from Newark went without a hitch and we even arrived ½ hour early! After exiting the plane, we knew the routine and managed to go through immigration and get our bags within 25 minutes. We then proceeded to exit the airport and found Panoramic Car Rental's staff (also known as Ace for those that may not realize this) there waiting for us. The gentleman even helped us with our bags and walked across the street to the parking lot where I met Mohammed for the first time. He had a beautiful new car with air conditioning and power windows waiting for us even though we were under the impression that we would be getting the smaller car at the lesser price. Now I cannot guarantee that this would happen every time, or ever again, but it certainly will not be forgotten and was a wonderful surprise. With his car service, I didn’t have to barter for good pricing (like every year with other services that knew us) and even got an upgrade with no mention prior. That to me, means a lot. There’s something else that proved his kindness but that didn’t happen until the end of our trip.
Off we went to the Royal Islander La Plage where we were surprisingly told our room had already been cleaned and was available for us to go into so another wonderful surprise. We immediately changed into our suits and hit the pool. Ahhhhh…..
We now knew we were home.
I immediately walked over to the Driftwood Bar and ordered a mixed fruit Tropical Smoothie. Now I will not repeat this during my report but I did order one each and every day! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Now I could say that every morning we woke up, had our coffee, hit the pool, and frequented the casino each evening and I would be perfectly correct. You see, this trip was one specifically geared for relaxation….and relax we did. By day 2, I was not pacing the pool deck nor thinking about anything more than where we were going to eat that night…. Such a good feeling.
On Sunday we ate at the Paris Bistro and had a magnificent meal and topped it with his homemade sorbet and ice cream. This is the only place where I ordered dessert and it was well worth it.
On Monday morning we attended the Welcome Talk at RI and then I followed that with an hour of water aerobics in the pool with Tony the Tiger. What a workout!!! In the evening we took a ride over to Les Balcons as Harry and Kathy were having a wine and cheese party. This time we took all the back roads and we managed to arrive within approx. 35 minutes… a lot better than when we tried to get over to Baywatch for Amy’s party which we unfortunately never got to. Well, I do have to say that Les Balcons is such a beautiful little place. Everything about the place was just lovely from the pretty cottages to the landscaping, pool area, and views. Not only did I get to meet Harry and Kathy but also Clem and Bill and Elaine. I also met a few other wonderful people but my memory is just so horrendous. I truly apologize for this shortcoming.
After we left that party, we returned to the RI to meet others at the welcome cocktail party. Their steel band and great appetizers accented a wonderful day. That night we ate at Pizza Pasta in Maho and had a Margarita pizza. Can’t beat their great food at wonderful prices.
The next day was….well….pool day…. Did that surprise anyone? Actually we had some bank business to attend to so it was best to stay close by.
I also took a ride to our investment property at Rainbow Beach Club to meet with some people. I got the royal tour and walked out of there awestruck. As I was leaving the property I walkie-talkied Rick and found out that he was playing Bingo for me. And to top that off. he had just won a game!!! We got a $10 certificate to the market across the street and a free breakfast at the Tortuga plus some other nice items! Yeay Rick!!!! We ate at Los Gauchos and were greeted by Liesa the owner. We took a table outside in the Bistro area and watched a really cute show with a young female singer who should have tried out for American Idol. What a voice!!! The band got the audience going and a good time was had by all.
On Wednesday we actually left the RI property and took a ride to Friar’s Beach and enjoyed our time lounging and gazing across the blue waters at some gorgeous sailboats. I had a great cheeseburger and fries at Kali’s and well… we just relaxed…. Ahhhh. I just love Friars.
On Thursday we… well…hung out at the pool… In the afternoon I played Bingo and won twice!!! I won a massage at the Good life Spa and also another $10 certificate at the mini mart and a free lunch at Tortuga!!!! At night we ate at Bella Napoli at the Atlantis Casino complex. I have to admit that the pizza was delicious but it actually cost $23 for the small Margarita pizza and a glass of coke. The pizza was $14 and the glass of soda was $6???? They even added a $3 tax which they are really not supposed to do. Another restaurant that will never make my “favorites” list.
On Friday we took a ride to see Baie Rouge. Rick’s legs can cause him problems and so unless the beach is easy access, then it’s not for us and so we merely got out and looked at the beach. Very pretty, I must admit, but the water looked too rough that day and the stairs just were not inviting so we headed back to RI for some more pool time. We ate at the Sugar Cane Café at night at the Atlantis complex and this place is definitely on our list as the food prices are reasonable and they have very good light foods which is what we sometimes look for.
On Saturday, well, do I have to say it? Pool…Tropical Smoothie…and pure relaxation.
Depression also started to set in, knowing that this would be our last day on the island. We ate at the Wharf and Bernard (Paris Bistro) happen to be there which we did not expect. He came over to our table and asked if we had his 10% coupon with us. I said no, I had forgotten to bring it and so he disappeared and within a few minutes came back with one for us to use even though I had not even asked for it. I did appreciate that gesture very much. It’s the little things like this that count. The food at the Wharf was very good. It’s the sort of place where you can get a mere pizza or a Lobster dinner. He also had some entertainment as well. Just a really nice evening with what I call comfort food at good prices. Ahhhh..
Now Sunday was our day to leave and I was waiting to see what would go wrong. Something ALWAYS goes wrong on the day we are leaving. Well… Everything seemed to be going well, even though I held my breath the entire time… We drove to Atlantico Bakery so that I could pick up my croissants, then to the gas station to fill up the car…. Then Rick dropped me off at the airport with the bags while he went to park the car. As he was driving away I realized that he did not know to keep the doors unlocked…. And as I suspected when he returned he had locked the doors with the keys inside!
I managed to contact Mohammed to tell him about the incident. Of course, it wouldn’t be a vacation without something happening and unfortunately Mohammed would now be part of this vacation’s tradition. After we got home I e-mailed him and asked him to add the cost of opening the car to our bill and believe it or not, he told me that he would absorb the cost ($30). I could have easily said thank you and left it at that but I replied that he should charge us as it was our mistake and that he should not be penalized for our “traditions”. Now whether he does or not is no matter to us. It was the gesture that counted and I deeply appreciate it so thank Mohammed for just confirming that St. Maarten is the friendly island and no one can convince me otherwise.
Not the end…but just the beginning of our new countdown…
Vicki
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