So, I can’t believe we’ve been here over a week already, so guess I need to get started on this report!

We booked air on AA on frequent flyer miles a year ago, Miami to SXM for 25 K each. After doing a lot of looking around, we decided to go with Maranjo’s recommendation and booked Park & Fly for parking in Miami. I was able to get a special for $8.72 a night for valet inside although I had some problems booking online and had to call. I have to say, I was impressed, as we pulled up and they helped us get our bags out and carried them directly to the waiting bus and we were off within about 5 minutes of when we arrived at their facility. For those fans of Miami Fast Park, it is located at the next traffic light past where Miami Fast Park was. Depending on the experience on return, I think we have found our new place to park.

Our plane was on time and was only about 2/3 full, so we were able to snag 3 seats for the two of us and spread out to eat the lunch that we picked up in Miami, a cobb salad and a sandwich, which were both OK, not great. We landed about 10 minutes early and the only other plane in was I think a West Jet, and immigration was very quick. They DID hand out some immigration forms, which the lady did take and look at. They were not the old forms, with the tear off piece on the bottom. We had a to wait for our checked luggage, but we were soon picked up by our guy from AAA and to their office in Beacon Hill to pick up our car, which is the oddest color car we’ve ever had. It has some bumps and bruises, but that is fine. We were at our home away from home, Beachside Villas, before 4 PM.

We didn’t see anyone at the office. I don’t know if there is a manager now, other than Emmanuel or not. We don’t need any hand holding, so it doesn’t matter to us. We headed out to the Carrefour in Cole Bay. The Cole Bay Carrefour isn’t nearly as well stocked with booze and wine as the P’Burg branch, and they basically have NO specials on wine. As noted on the board earlier, Carrefour doesn’t hand out bags any more and the carts are locked up, but a quarter works, the same as at Super U. We had picked up a coupon in Destination Magazine which was supposed to be for 5% off at Carrefour. They honored it, but the discount only turned out to be about half that? Perhaps the coupon doesn’t apply to alcohol? Anyway, it saved us a little bit.

We decided to stop at Driftwood for carryout pizza if there was a spot and by some miracle, there is one. They play some nice music, Kenny Chesney, etc., and people are dancing. We get a couple of drinks and it’s a nice introduction to the island. I didn’t have my camera, but another guy who is there takes a sunset picture and emails it to me, which is nice of him.



The sky is beautiful once back at BSV and take a couple pictures here.






We bring in the rest of our groceries, sit out on porch and have our pizza, which is merely ok, but the view makes up for it. We unpack our stuff and settle in. Every other unit here is flipped, so it’s disconcerting with the bedroom being on the opposite side of where it’s been recently, so it will take a couple of days to get used to it, but it’s all good. It turns out that Dish is having a p*ssing match with Fox and there is no Thursday night football game on, which sucks. Whatever the issue is got resolved by Sunday though, so that’s good. We watched a bit of TV and went out to sit on the porch and talk to the guard, who says that his house is SORT of repaired since Irma. People here are very resilent.

They are doing some renovations to the units here. Our unit is partially renovated. They basically are taking out all the louvered windows and either drywalling them up or putting in casement windows. They also put in a small casement window in the area by the closet, above the shelf where they put the beach towels. Eventually they will be putting solid surface countertops in the kitchens and replacing the kitchen cabinets, but still with white cabinets. #14 is done and they are working on 13 right now. I don’t know if any of the other units are done or not. I don’t know whether I will be able to get pictures of 14, as I walked in to see it one day, but now there is someone in it.

Friday dawned pretty clear, but EXTREMELY hot, as there is no air moving. I have never seen butterflies here at Beachside, out by the ocean. I guess that’s because it is so calm. I took some pictures of the hordes of butterflies on the airport side of the building, but I was too lazy to go get the long lens, so they just look like pictures of the gardens, which are as stunning as ever, post Irma. It’s so hot neither one of us is much in the mood for breakfast, so we each have a quick snack and that’s it.



As always, I rent a small cooler and an umbrella from Craig/Bob at Packlight. We then headed out to Super U. We get lots of wine and some other stuff we didn’t get the day before, like bread, and got some plastic champagne glasses, at 2E for 6 of them. I don’t like the jelly jar wine glasses here at Beachside, so we then headed to Ace and got real glasses for $2 a stem. We then headed back to Beachside through Simpson Bay and there is no traffic! Amazing, a trip to Marigot and back through Simpson Bay and we slowed down a bit in Marigot, but otherwise, smooth sailing!! As of this morning when I’m writing this, we’ve been here a week and barely have had any traffic slowdowns! Yay!

We had forgotten to tell Emmanuel that we needed a grill yesterday, so we eventually got one, and had to have them come back with a new flame thrower and then to get the gas turned on, but eventually we enjoyed some burgers on the grill for lunch.


There is a dribble of seaweed in the water here, nothing bad, and most days they have not even bothered to rake here. I can never get tired of this view!


The wind came up some, so it’s a little cooler, but Saba goes away, and she’s been gone through today. That evening, we had intended to go to Puerto Cupecoy, but stayed in instead and have leftover pizza and snack stuff. Eric headed to bed early and I read my book. Real exciting people, we are.

Will try to get some more posted late today. Heading over toward Orient for lunch soon.