MEGA TRIP REPORT !<br><br>Thanksgiving Morning finally came and we arrived at the airport in Hartford at 4:00 AM, 3 hours early (as recommended). AA failed to mention that the ticket counter didn’t open until 5:00 AM ! Oh well, a power nap on the floor was in order anyways. Security was a breeze, and our fears of someone pawing through our underwear and frozen steaks were unfounded.<br><br>Flight from Hartford to San Juan was fine. No food. We each got a granola bar and our choice of beverage. Flight from San Juan to St. Maarten was also a pleasant 33 minutes.<br><br>Then the S*** really hit the fan !! Our AA plane taxied to the new airport expansion aprons and we had to board a crowded hot shuttle bus for the short ride to Immigrations. Arriving at Princess Juliana Terminal, it was a fairly long walk to the Immigration Counters, all of this in almost 90 degree heat and overpowering humidity.<br><br>We waited patiently in line, and nearing our turn, my lovely wife SLIPP turned to me and said, “I think I am going to faint”. Alarmed, I helped her to a nearby chair, where she sat while I waited to clear with our documents. It must have been apparent that SLIPP was ill, because a nice Immigration Lady in the “locals” line passed us right through to the baggage claim area.<br><br>It was even hotter and more humid in the baggage claim, and while waiting for our luggage, another nice lady let SLIPP sit near the tourist kiosk while I waited for our bags.<br>Luggage was slow coming, and we suspect that it was because the plane was parked on the new expansion apron.<br><br>While checking on SLIPP for about the 4th time, she said, “can I put my head on your shoulder Hon ? I think I am really going to faint”. Saying that, she leaned over and promptly fainted dead away !! <br><br>It was lucky that I was there with her, otherwise she would have toppled over and possibly cracked her head on the hard tile floor. I laid her down on her coat from Hartford and asked the lady to please get some medical assistance. Soon, a man came over from our flight and identified himself as a Doctor from Puerto Rico. He was very very nice and checked SLIPP’s pulse and vital signs. She came to….dizzy and told the Dr. that she was not in any pain. SLIPP told him that she had never in her life fainted before. Whew for now !!! At that point, I was more concerned about my wife than any St. Maarten vacation. We figured that the lack of sleep, little food, drastic change of climate, and a glass of white wine in San Juan was the cause. <br><br>Airport security asked if we needed an ambulance. SLIPP said no and they provided us with a wheelchair and SLIPP (embarrassed) was wheeled out into the St. Maarten sunshine where we met Cholo from Unity Car Rental. The guys at Unity were SUPER.<br>They put SLIPP in a brand new air conditioned van and allowed me time to go and get some bottled water for her. <br>Then a short drive to the new Unity Car Rental location, where I got our usual Jeep. Everyone at Unity knows us and they were concerned about SLIPP. I can’t thank those guys enough for the assistance they provided !!!<br><br>I drove the Jeep to the Cupecoy Beach Club and two of the guards helped me get SLIPP into the Villa/Condo, where she promptly went to bed and stayed there until the next morning. I couldn’t sleep and checked on her all night long. Conclusion of this minor disaster was one lost gold earring, which probably fell from her ear while lying on the airport floor and her jacket. She was fine in the morning &#61514;)<br><br>Friday: A check of Cupecoy Beach revealed very little sand, but enough for us die-hards to stake out a spot for an umbrella and beach chairs. Sunset Beach Bar was WILD on Friday night with a live band. We brought our version of WILSON with us (from the movie Castaway). WILSON was a HUGE hit with the band and got a perch on the stage speaker &#61514; <br><br>We met Pierre at the new Sugarcane Café outside the Atlantis Casino. Super guy with a friendly staff and a great light menu. Also a great place to get SLIPP her ice cream cone at the end of a beach day.<br><br>Sat: We met long time friends Patricia and Christy from Canada and decided to do something “really different” for dinner. We went to the Marigot Market and bought fresh caught Red Snapper and Caribbean Spices. WOW that market sure had changed in one year. It is super clean now and you no longer buy fresh fish and lobsters from the boats. The fish and produce are in covered buildings, on ice, and very clean.<br>SLIPP bought yet another pareo for beachwear…..she simply cannot resist a bargain ! HAHAHA<br><br>I cleaned the snapper at the Villa and we stuffed them with crabmeat, breadcrumbs, and fresh Caribbean spices. Placed them in buttered tin foil and grilled them over charcoal. WHATTA MEAL !!!!!! (and yes, SLIPP simply loves to cook sometimes on the Island)<br><br>We did some of our local grocery shopping at the Food Center near Cole Bay and were disappointed that they didn’t have some of the items that we needed. We tried the Rams Food Store over the hill and were surprised that Rams had everything we needed and then some. The store was stocked to the ceiling, ultra clean, and became our choice of food shopping this year.<br><br>Sunday: Bai Rouge Beach. Met Gus at his Beach Bar and he and his gal Janet were thrilled to see us again. Water was getting a little rough on the Island. We suspected that some of the waves might have been generated by the hurricane Olga and were told we were right. <br><br>That night the TTOL Party at Peg Leg Pub. We got to meet some of the faces we have chatted with here. We brought WILSON and he was a hit as usual. (Thanks for the nice Welcome Neal..When you said Welcome Home, SLIPP giggled with pleasure.)<br>The lobster tails at PLP were delicious. Jack from Mr. St. Maarten was there and bought us a PLP cap. Thanks Jack…..sorry you missed our dinner party but your son and Brad were there and SLIPP fed them well.<br><br>We had a pleasant surprise back home at the Villa when the owners Joe and Carol called and invited us out to dinner Monday night. We had no idea that they were on the Island. <br>An even better surprise was the choice of restaurants. We were going to Le Bar De Mere on the Marigot waterfront, where I was dying to have the water shrimp !!<br><br>Monday: Had a pleasant afternoon at Bai Rouge Beach. We lounged at Gus’s Beach Bar for hours, chatting with Gus and his waitress Janet. I made a new addition to our list of many Island friends. A Rasta looking guy with the name Kosh was weaving the nicest things from palm fronds. Hats, bowls, flowers, etc. I bought SLIPP a small bouquet of palm woven roses. Kosh has a wife back here in the States in Delaware who is a church minister. More proof to us that the Caribbean people live somewhat a different life-style than we are accustomed to.<br><br>We had the dinner at Le Bar De Mere and the water shrimp were to die for !!!! Served with melted butter and a hot sauce, baked potato, and salad. We made it a MUST to go back one more time before this trip ended.<br><br>From there, Joe and Carol took us to La Diva for desert and coffee. We met the owner Michelle, who is another interesting gentleman. A Frenchman who travels to India every year to meditate has to be interesting….No ? We had after dinner drinks, Cappuccino, and desert. Michelle would not take any money when asked for the bill……we left a generous tip. <br><br>Tuesday: A Dreaded “Shopping Day” in Phillipsburg. Parking was still a hassle, but our Jeep managed to squeeze into a tight spot. Had dinner at Port Du Plaissance with Jack Rinaldi and son (Mr. St. Maarten). Bar-B-Q ribs were delicious. We managed to burn the Princess Casino for $250.00 so it was a real good night. Dancing later a Lee’s with a great reggae beat. We also checked out Soprano’s Bar in Maho and found it very pleasant to relax with the piano music. Drinks were kind of pricey there, but who cares on vacation !!??<br><br>Wednesday: Collected E-Mail at Cyber Café near the Summit Hotel. $7.00 per hour for computer use there and the folks are very friendly. One can also make hassle free phone calls to the States in private booths there. SLIPP was making her famous Italian Sauce for a dinner party on Thursday night, so I went to Bai Rouge Beach alone. There was absolutely NO sand on the far end of Cupecoy Beach which was a disappointment. Huge waves all over the Island….again blamed on Olga. We attended a cocktail party at the Ocean Club that night and met all our friends there. Did some gambling at the Dolphin Casino that night….broke even.<br><br>Thursday: Went shopping in a morning downpour. We later brought WILSON to Bai Rouge for a relaxing afternoon. Nighttime SLIPP threw her first dinner party of this trip. <br>15 people, and we devoured her baked lasagna, baked potatoes with onions and Dutch butter, salad, and French wine. All this topped off with French pastries bought at SuperMarche in Sandy Ground on the French side. YUMMY<br><br>Friday: Sand at Cupecoy is almost non-existent now. The monster swells washed it all back out to sea. Bai Rouge had plenty of sand, but the huge waves made swimming all but impossible. Went to Orient for the first time this trip and met more friends out there. We looked long and hard for TTOL hats or flags, but found none. <br><br>The beach from the No-Cameras sign to Papagayos was packed. Security was highly visible and there were no lack of Black Socks that day. They were strolling and gawking as usual. (you’d think that some of those people never looked in a mirror and saw themselves nude !!!!! LOL<br><br>Bought my Hunnie SLIPP an ice cream at the new Sugarcane Café (Atlantis Casino) then a stroll across the street to our Villa for a Power Nap. FULL MOON PARTY TONIGHT <br><br>Full Moon Party-----Kale’s Beach Bar at Friar’s Bay. WHATTA BLAST. One of the St. Maarten publications described a Full Moon Party as, <br>“Full Moon Parties at Kali’s attract the Island’s roisterers, music and non-conformism lovers, below the large shining disc called the moon”.<br><br>This is a MUST party for those that want the REAL flavor of St. Martin. No plastic clappers, fake leis, hokey stage shows, or other such “tourist nonsense”. Just a live reggae band, great bar-b-q ribs and chicken, and a spectacular 12 foot bonfire on the beach at midnight !! Some may be offended by the smell of all the Ganja Smoke, but No Problem Mon ! Dese are Da Islands Mon, it Gwana Happin….it be IRIE !!!<br><br>Little known to us, there was a reporter there from the St. Maarten Daily Herald and she had snapped a picture of SLIPP and I reggae dancing. It was published in the paper the next day and we were somewhat taken aback when some of the shopkeepers we know told us they recognized us !!!!! <br><br>Saturday: Some more shopping during the day, afternoon beach at Bai Rouge (too many Black Socks for us at Orient), light dinner at Sugarcane Café, SSBB with a local band being broadcast live on the radio, dancing at Lee’s, then the Dolphin Casino where we won a little money. <br><br>Sunday: A good day to sleep in for a while. It rained hard for about 2 hours and we both kicked back over breakfast with our novels. Back to Bai Rouge for an afternoon sun and then a power nap for the night to come.<br><br>Party that night at Boo Boo Jams on Orient Beach. Another MUST to see some local flavor. When we arrived, there was a bus there, unloading a whole bunch on Beauty Contestants. (they had the Miss Hibiscus Beauty Pageant while we were on the Island). <br><br>The sponsors of the Pageant were shuttling the gals all over the Island, I guess for promotional purposes. They were all from surrounding Caribbean Islands and every single one of them was beautiful !! Being the Island Gentleman that I am, I asked several of them to dance and they obliged with a smile !!<br><br>Monday: A quiet day. Still no sand at Cupecoy so it was Bai Rouge once again. SLIPP wanted to throw another dinner party, so we grilled steaks and fried shrimp and had 6 others come to dinner. Danced at Lee’s that night and on the way home, we noticed a reggae band playing on the sidewalk near a new store opening in Simpson’s Bay. We stopped the Jeep and joined the dancing on the sidewalk !!! Only in St. Maarten !!!!!!!<br><br>Tuesday: The girls wanted to take another trip to Phillipsburg for shopping. I seriously considered getting drunk on Island Rum and taking a cab in (to ease the pain). LOL<br>When we got into town, there was FIVE ships in port and I let out a groan that could be heard all the way to Orient Beach !! Wasn’t too too bad and the shopkeepers were complaining that even with 5 ships, they weren’t spending a lot. We got some good deals on perfume and visited Jay and Marcia at Trident Jewelry Store. As usual, I got suckered into buying SLIPP some more gold jewelry. New earrings and a nice bracelet. Had a nice relaxing lunch at Kangaroo Court, were I drowned my sorrows over a few Caribes and a slice of delicious Key Lime Pie.<br><br>Wednesday: Trip to Pinel Island with a whole group of friends. Was a beautiful day. Calm waters, lots of sun, and a nice relaxing lunch. Tried to find the Ma Dou Dou factory on the way back home, but gave up and figured they’d be closed at 4:30 PM. <br><br>Thursday: Checked out Cupecoy once again and found some sand !!!!! HOOORAY !!<br>Beach Boy John was cooking grilled chicken that day so we indulged in a Bar-B-Q lunch and several Rum Punches. Pssssst……John’s Rum Punches can throw a WHALLOP in the hot sun. Dolphin Casino that night where I walked out a respectable winner. Whew.<br><br>Friday: Time to kick back again. We have done so much up to now. Did errands in the morning, Cupecoy Beach in the afternoon where we had an impromptu photo session, and then back home for a power nap. Went back to La Bar De Mere that night and again had water shrimp. (thanks Noelle…I am forever hooked on grilled water shrimp now).<br>Princess Casino that night, where our friends Joel and Maxine won $600 in a slot machine. <br><br>Saturday: Another Market Day in Marigot Harbor where we made our last purchases (I was hoping). SLIPP got her hew granddaughter a new Island Baby outfit and we got one for our maid who became a grandmother for the 18th time during our trip. There was a real Kool 5 pc. Bongo drum group playing in the square, so I had something to do while SLIPP bargained from vendor to vendor, buying more “stuff” to cart back home. LOL<br>I bought some French wine, French cheese, French cigarettes, and more Ma Dou Dou rum to carry back home. <br><br>Had dinner at Bananas that night with 4 friends. John at Bananas was his usual cordial and bubbly self. The meal was superior and we’d recommend Bananas to everyone. Most of us had the stuffed Mahi Mahi and it just melted in your mouth ! OMG we are leaving the Island in less than 2 days….!!!<br><br>Sunday: We had to pack and move because we only had the Villa rented till Sunday. We were invited to stay with Maxine and Joel at their Sapphire Beach suite on Sunday night. Glad we did because they had this wonderful Hot Tub that eased my back pain from all the beach walking. <br><br>Sunday Day: Had breakfast in and then went to Plum Bay for some last minute pics. Went to visit our long time friend Marie Rigaud on the French side in Marigot. (Marie is a clothing vendor at the Marigot Market). We had Finz French Cheese, baked chicken, rice, Columbelle white wine, T-Punch, and French pastries for lunch. We are surely going to leave this Island “tipsy” LOL<br><br>We had planned a casual dinner for Sunday night and decided to go to Under The Tree in Cole Bay and take out chicken and ribs. It was a good choice because they were fabulous. Did a little more gambling on Sunday night and went to bed early for the airport hassle on Monday.<br><br>Monday Morning: We checked in early in the morning for our 4:00 PM flight. We had been hearing all these horror stories for almost 3 weeks, about folks being stuck for up to 3 hours, getting through security and ticketing. We had absolutely NO problem. A uniformed security guy wearing rubber gloves did open up each of our check-in luggage, but it was only a cursory “pat down” type search. He was very polite and did not disturb our careful packing. We breezed through that, got our boarding passes, and then paid our departure fee. This all took about 20 minutes !!<br><br>Had breakfast at the Turtle Pier (tradition for us) and then off to Cupecoy Beach for some last minute sun. Was sad to leave once again, but all those nice memories might hold us for several months until we long to go back. <br><br>Got to the airport 2 hours early, SLIPP got some last minute shopping in, and we bought fresh sandwiches for the ride from San Juan to Hartford. (Airlines still wont feed ya)<br><br>Parting thoughts:<br>Dere are still only four tings dat move fast in de Islands <br><br>Local Drivers<br>Lizards<br>Your watch<br>Your money !!! HA HA HAHA<br><br>Island conditions: They were excellent ! Everything was lush green and everywhere we looked, people were planting flowers, bushes, trees, etc.<br><br>Crime: There were 5 shootings on the Island while we were there. All local problems and all on the French side. Drug deals gone bad, etc. We heard NO reports of any crimes involving tourists.<br><br>Weather: We could not have asked for better. It did rain hard for 2 or 3 mornings, but the showers soon passed. It did rain a lot at night, which we could care less about. <br><br>Traffic: Only the “usual”. Both Phillipsburg and Marigot got jammed up with traffic during the busy periods. We mostly avoided that. There seemed to be a great deal of new construction on the French side, and we invariably got stuck behind a huge truck carrying crushed stone or concrete on those hills after Marigot.<br><br>Cruise Ships: Many many cruise ships are making St. Maarten one of their ports of call since 9/11. The merchants are happy about that, but complaining still that the passengers aren’t spending a lot of money. One thing of note is that a lot of the stores are asking for cash instead of credit cards. We were told that this is due to a 4% tax the Dutch Government imposed upon all the businesses 4 years ago to rebuild after the hurricanes. This tax was only supposed to last for 3 years, but hasn’t been lifted.<br><br>Golf Course: Mullet Bay is still a mess. Is anyone surprised ?? We saw very few playing golf and were told that none of the golf carts work anymore. We did see some activity on the course with some “clean-up”, but cursory to be sure.<br><br>Casinos: Most of the casinos seemed slow, with the exception of the Dolphin and the Princess. Most of the casinos are providing match play coupons, free dinner buffets, etc. to draw in more business. The Atlantis Casino across the street from us was giving an extra $10 at the gaming tables when you bought $100 worth of chips. Pick up a copy of the small magazine St. Martin Nights at the airport or the many shops. There are match play bet coupons in each magazine. <br><br>Unusual: There was an Antillean Coast Guard Cutter patrolling the sea between Great Bay and Cupecoy Beach for almost 2 weeks. Day and night they ran back and forth about ½ mile from the shore. They turned all their lights off at night and seemed to anchor off shore. We could see the cutter from the light of the moon. We had never seen this before, and when we asked, we were told that they are looking to intercept drug runs and illegal aliens. Not a bad thing.<br><br>Restaurants: Mostly all were open and no reservations seemed needed anywhere that we ate out. <br><br>In All: It was another Wonderful trip to St. Maarten…..our home away from home. Hope we didn’t bore you with this lengthy trip report. We hope we have provided some with useful information on your up-coming trips !!!<br><br>DON’T STOP THE CARNIVAL !!!!!!!<br> <br> <br><br><br>KIPPnSLIPP<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Administrator on 12/13/01 03:31 PM.</EM></FONT></P>