[Linked Image]<br><br>Sorry I screwed up the last report before finishing.<br><br>Accomodations:<br><br>We stayed at the Towers of Mullet Bay and it was perfect. The staff was polite, friendly, and helpful. We were bumped from Belair to the Towers and we consider ourselves fortunate. It was really sad to see the condition of The Mullet Bay resort and would hope that the issues could be resolved very soon. It is obvious that the whole area was beautiful and a sight to behold before the hurricanes. The beach at Mullet Bay was very nice, one of the nicest we visited. Take the walk over the bridge (be careful) and dive off the rocks into the small inlet that fills with water when the waves roll in-lots of fun.<br><br>Dining:<br><br>Far and away the best eating I've done on any vacation. The list of restaurants we visited is to long to post but I cannot say enough about the food on the island. Well worth every penny spent. Service ranged from average to 5 star (La Rosa). I am generally not to effected by service good or bad as long as my drinks are refilled so I don't ask for much but our dining expierence on the island was flawless. We ate on both sides of the island by the way. Personally I reccommend the Dining in Marigot around the marina (sorry I can't be more specific, Port Royal maybe?).<br><br>Driving:<br><br>Driving is an adventure. Not for the timid. Very busy and use caution, lots of unexpected events i.e., people cutting in and out, motorcycle drivers from hell, people, goats, dogs, iguanas, cats, cows, in the street. Actually a lot of free entertainment I thought.<br><br>St. Barts:<br><br>Took a boat to St. Barts. Beautiful island and a great place to honeymoon or relax but not the place a person would want for entertainment but a nice day trip none-the-less. I look forward to the plane ride over some day. WOW!, pack an extra pair of underwear. It can be a rather rocky ride over if you take a boat, some people did get sick but it wasn't to bad.<br><br>Gambling:<br><br>We (the six of us) went gambling every night except once. I say the following only because it was my expierence and may not be the norm. Do NOT trust your table games dealer ever! The first night we were there, within the 15 minutes the dealer miscounted her cards on three occasions---all in her favor. My friend is somewhat of an idiot savant when it comes to addition and cards and he corrected her all three times. This happened at every casino we attended. Dolphin, Princess, Diamond, Tropicana, Casino Royale. I can understand mistakes, but when they are 90% of the time in the dealers favor it becomes an issue with me. Overall I would say there were 30 to 40 counting errors for the entire week. I realize these are not Vegas dealers but basic addition is not that hard. I would not play the slots or any other game where you do not have some control over the outcome. Me and my girlfriend finished even or down maybe a $100 for the week and feel pretty lucky.<br><br>Beaches:<br><br>The beaches are just plain beautiful. Clear water, aqua-green just like the magazines. The only one I was dissapointed in was Friars Bay. Rocky and some sort of pond or sewage pool in back. We did take a walk up the hill and through the goat field to what I beleive was Happy Bay. Desserted and georgous. I'm glad we took the walk but it seems it could be a little risky alone or with just a couple. We liked Orient beach with all the Euro flavor. The girlfriend and wives we were with felt right at home and joined into the European customs pretty quickly. Oyster Bay was very nice also.<br><br>The People:<br><br>I can't say enough about the peopole of the island. Every LAST ONE was friendly and made me feel welcome. There was never one time that I felt unsafe, unwanted, or like I was burdening them by being there. My friend Greg and his wife sometimes have an "air" about themselves that it is an honor for people of lesser financial resources to be in their presance. I quickly (day two) pointed out that it makes them and us a target for things we don't want to be a part of and they got the point. I think the people of the island are much more fortunate than many of us are not matter how much money any of us make. I thought there customs, the way they interact, and their pride in what they have and who they are was great. We found ourselves in areas of Marigot at night in our vehicle with many (hundreds) of people in the street/alley and was never even looked at or motioned to in a threatning manner. I would not be caught dead in Detroit or Flint, MI doing that let alone feeling generally safe. If you don't act like a scared tourist or an ugly American looking down on them you won't be treated like one like one I guess. I have read some threads on this board by members who will remain nameless who seem to have a less than favorable view of the people on the island and I think it is quite a shame.<br><br>Overview:<br><br>I honestly was not prepared for the poverty or the general lack of cleanliness on the island being it my first time to the carribean but I soon adapted and kind of just sunk into the St. Marteen flow. I think there is a little tourism burnout and the unfortunate hurricanes have taken their toll. I look forward to going back again soon and would even consider a time share someday. The Carib and Heineken prices alone will bring me back [Linked Image]. Thanks to all the advice I asked for in past posts, especially Pat, and see you some day at the SSB.<br><br>Rupperov[Linked Image][Linked Image]