Todd, in a nutshell you have described what SXM is all about. We have never dined at the Palms since we stay so far away, but hope to someday. Speaking of how the island merchants become friends over the years, on our most recent trip I heard someone calling out to me as I left Carrofour. Turns out it was my favourite jeweler whom I hadn't seen in THREE years. As my husband reminded me "you must have spent WAY too much money there over the past 20 years......"

I didn't realize how much I had missed SXM until we went back this year (our first after Irma).