Oh, Irish,

Not laughing at you but smiling a little, I have to admit.

Had it been on MY sleeve I'd have been out of my mind but sadly, I'd have that reaction to any bug so it wouldn't take a two inch long cockroach to set me off.

One thing I learned to come to terms with many, many years ago with regard to the Caribbean and it's various and assorted 'night-life' is that cockroaches and rats abound. Not liking the fact at all but I accept they exist and usually tend to frequent the same places we enjoy. For the same reasons do you think? And if so, I guess we need to congratulate them on their good taste. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

They're one of the ugly facts of life around the world, but particularly so in the warmer climates of the Caribbean, St. Martin being no exception to this rule.

During one of our earliest visits way back in the seventies or early eighties, I was putting things away in the kitchen of the property we were renting and as I pulled open one of the base cabinet doors this ugly creature scurried to the darkest corner of the cabinet. When I stopped screaming and got down off the chair I begged my DH to call the front desk and tell them of the invasion of our monster creature and demand another unit.

About five minutes later one of the hotel maids arrived armed with her weapon of choice - a can of Raid or something comparable - and laughing all the while, she vanquished the creature from this world.

She then explained the reality of creatures and critters in the Caribbean to me, skeptic though I was, and definitely still fearing for the potential invasion of the army of friends and aquaintances of the now deceased cockroach, I tried to buy into it. Needless to say, it didn't happen - no more visitors over the course of our trip - and we were safe from the scourge.

I'd be a little freaked by the creature's appearance but I don't think I'd let it deter me from returning to a property I loved, be that a hotel or restaurant if I was generally confident in the overall cleanliness factor of the place in the first place. Over the years we've seen bugs (including many of the dreaded la cuckarocha) and rats - some huge ones at that - and at some of the best and most respected restaurants on the island but I will spare you the gory details of where.

It happens, they exist and sadly, you may see them almost anywhere, anytime, but most frequently at night.

However, I respect your personal dismay and I get it, and ultimately we all have to make the choices we're personally comfortable with. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />