TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) SXM Trip Reports and Photos SXM-TRIP REPORT 11/03-11/11

I'll try to keep this brief.<br>With all the talk about long lines and delays, we decided to stay at the Philly Marriott Friday night. Got a SR discount. It was great getting up and walking to the ticket office just as it opened. Not too long of a line (about 15 - 20 minutes). Back to the room for a leisurely cup of coffee/tea. watched the morning news. To the gate 1 hour to flight time, boarded on time and relaxed. Good flight down on USA, in fact about 20 min earlyUSA.<br>The new bus at Julliana got us laughing. It drops you off at the corner of the depature building. This means you have a longer walk than before. Longer to bask in the warm SXM sunshine.<br>Got rental car and went shopping for essentials - (liquid and food), in that order.<br>We were checked in and in the Caribbean by 2:30, a record for us.<br>Met up with a bunch of people that share the same week at the RI. Also met Bob & Sharlene at the PLP and Bob D at the airport and Cupacoy.<br>SXM and the Dutch side especially was green and clean. <br>Tourism is really down. The RI was almost filled, but that's due to the die hard T/S people. The Maho on the other hand had 10 rooms out of 600 rented. The old Concord has been refurbished and had a couple of Canadian tour groups in. They said they paid $795 which included air, ground transfers, room, and all meals. Not bad.<br><br>Food--- Not a bad meal anywhere. Excuse the spelling)<br>Boat House:<br>Traditional first night meal. Good as always. The consistancy of the good food is kind of scary.<br>Sol e Luna: <br>Got this tip from you guys. This was the best meal we had. Had the place to ourselves (just 2 other couples). Setting, atmosphere and food was outstanding. I had the pescatore, wife had scallops. Took half of it home for lunch. Owners daughter waited on us, a real charmer. She introduced us to her father (also the chef). Rita was dumb struck, he's a good looking George Clooney. Thanks again for the tip.<br>Sabastiano:<br>Always good, and Chistine is always the perfect hostess. Didn't even get my usual seafood in parchment. Got shrimp over pasta. There were six colosal shimp pilled on top of pasta with spicy souce.<br>Saatoga:<br>Always hold this for our last SXM meal. John still makes the best sea food dishes on the Island. If you haven't tried it, your missing out. <br>Le Bar de La Mer:<br>This was a new find. Went out with Norma and Rolland Cupacoy & P'Burg beach). It was their choice. Three of us had the medium lobsters and Rita had a whole grilled snapper. The meal was outstanding. Wife said it was the best snapper she's had. Our lobster was cooked to perfection, juicy and not over done like it tends to be on the Island.<br>Pizza Pasta:<br>Good staple Italian food, freindly staff, and inexpensive.<br>Ric's Place:<br>Great breakfast, I get my eggs poached, not easy to do, but they were done to perfection.<br>Peg Leg Pub:<br>Lunch of onion soup and 1/2 lb hamburger. Great job Neil. Also stopped in a couple more times for ADD's and BDD's. <br>Le Germain:<br>This is a tradition. Wednesday market and brunch. Crepe's are the best.<br>Ms B's:<br>Lunch on the beach. Best ribs ever. Good service and freindly people. There was a full house, while Mr Busby was almost empty.<br> <br>Beaches:<br>Cupacoy--- Not bad at the beginning of the week. Surf was a little rough, but manageable. Wed. night we were comming back from dinner with Norma and Rolland and Norma said, lets take a look at Cupacoy. She pulled in past the wall and as soon as she heard the surf, she said the beach is gone. She pulled the car up to the edge of the boulder wall, shinning the head lights onto the beach. It was the wildest sight I've seen. The huge waves were just puonding the rockes were the sand used to be. The next day there was no sand.<br>Plumb:<br>Good shape after the storm, but no one there--too deserted, didn't stay.<br>Orient:<br>Still no sand from Kon Tiki to Club O. Didn't stay as the wind was very strong, very few umbellas up at Club O.<br>Rouge Beach:<br>Not bad, plenty of sand, but the water had big swells that produced Wai Kiki waves. Smart a__ me thought I had the waves figured out. Took the chance and timed one wrong on the way out. Got pounded and then repounded. <br>Maho:<br>Good up until Wed. Night. Beach level was about 7feet below the last step coming from RI.<br>Mullet:<br>Almost deserted, but looked ok.<br><br>Weather was very nice. At the beginning of the week we had a shift in the trade winds. During the shift there was one day the breeze died. Man is that sun hot<br>Only one overcast day on Thursday. We chased around the Island for sun. Found none until we came back to Maho, guess what, it was shinning there most of the day.<br>We stayed an extra day. Checked out of RI early Sat morning dropped our check in luggage with Norma, stopped at Z Best for an on-the-go breakfast, cought the 9AM ferry to Anguilla. We got our rental car and off to the Carimar on Meads Bay. Did pretty good this time with the driving. Ritas job was to yell at me when I'm on the wrong side of the road. Only got yelled at once, and didn't blow any of the turn-abouts this time. The Carimar is a small hotel right on the beach, walk off the patio and your in sand. <br>Our ultimate mission was dinner at Blanchards. For lunch we went to Shoal Bay and Unkle Ernies. I had the rib/chicken combo, Rita had snapper. Both were great, but I would rate Ms B's ribs a notch higher. Didn't stay as the beach was rougher than Meads.<br>Dinner at Blanchards was very nice. The staff was very professional and the setting is relly nice. We did have to switch dinners as Ritas was pretty hot, although she ordered mild. I like stuff on the spicy side so there was no problem. Dissapointed that Malinda & Bob were off Island and returning next Thursday, but Rita got the rest of the sraffs signatures in her book. Everyone was very nice and it was a memorable evening.<br>Up early on Sunday and back on an early ferry. I had changed my cell phone to EastCaribbean cell on Monday and wanted it changed back before I came home. The girl at ECC gave me her cell number and said come to the office, I'll be in even though we're closed, and I'll open up for you. That's service<br>Picked up our luggage at Normas, checked it in at 10AM, and back to the RI. Our flight wasn't until 5PM and we spent the day at the pool with freinds. <br>Flight home was one of the smoothest I've had, not a bump. The pilot kept the plane in a steep accent until he reached 35,000 ft, then zoomed northward. We got in 20 minutes ahead of schedule.again USA.<br>Don't hesitate to go. I know it's natural to be nervous. I always said that half the people have a fear of flying, they other half are liars.<br>We have been going to SXM since 84 2X/yr and had grown to take it as a matter of fact. The past events, I believe, put us in a different frame of mind that made us be more focasted on appreciating the Island and it's people. They are making a lot of sacrifices to compensate for the lack of revenue. Norma & Rolland have a very nice home and they have cut way back on expenses. They and other SXMers I'm sure are hurting but not complaining. They all wish us well.<br>On a funny note. I asked her if she was for or against K'Mart. She said the people are for it. They say they are held hostage by the local murchants that supply inferior products at very inflated prices. Many of the people wait for cheap air fares to PR and go over on buying sprees. She said childrens clothes are the worst. Unless you buy designer stuff, you get junk that doesn't last. Also K'Mart going to hire a lot of people, something the small shops don't do. <br>Sorry guys, I'm with the people now. Look at it this way, now you won't get ripped of buying film.<br>Boy I'm glad I kept this short.<br>Jack_S<br>22weeks and counting<br> <br>[img]/images/icons/umbrella.gif[/img]<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Administrator on 12/10/01 02:49 PM.</EM></FONT></P>