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#106302 08/29/2016 11:40 AM
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Greetings! We’ve been enjoying all of the great trip reports on Travel Talk and now we’re finally doing one after many years. I dug up our last one from 2001 on Caribtravelnews.com. I just read this one, what a trip down memory lane. If you have the inclination, you can take a look at:

ST. MARTIN BY JIM AND LARAINE
February 3 through 11, 2001
http://www.caribtravelnews.com/c0401_03.htm#stmjim

Ok, back to the present. Being semi-retired, for the past three years we’ve been able to spend 3 to 4 weeks per year in St Maarten. We don’t have our Pelican timeshare weeks anymore, gave them away when the AMF and supplemental fee were bouncing off $1500 per week. Now we just go through VRBO, HomeAway or AirBnB.

The island has been pretty quiet for the last two weeks. Two more left to go. It's actually quite nice with very little traffic and good service most everywhere.

The weather has been cooperating nicely except that pesky tropical disturbance last Wednesday, 99L. Sahara dust is keeping things hazy and calm this week. (You would think the Sahara would have run out of dust by now) Just spoke with the condo manger and she said they're watching a very large tropical wave developing. Probably be here a week from now if it keeps cranking. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=5

We tried a new Italian restaurant called Sale & Pepe near the garden market on Welfare Road. It was outstanding. We shared veal parm and a bottle of wine for $48 including tip. Had enough left over for lunch (Veal not Wine). Some of our old favorites are Taco Macho (Tacos :)), St Maarten Yacht club (happy hour & breakfast eggs benedict), Toppers (Beef Brisket & Lamb), Lal's Indian, Greenhouse (Prime Rib) and Bavaria for the Friday night grill. The new Pizza Galley dock bar is beautiful (Pizza of course with home made berry pie.) The new dingy dock bar (Old Shrimpys) has $3 make your own drinks for happy hour and a nice atmosphere (Wings were SoSo). Chesterfield at sundown to watch the lights go on on Front Street while having a beverage is always nice.

Favorites on the French side include Calmos Cafe, Layla's Beach Bar and the Perch (Willie left to get married last week, Perch is open from 11am to 3pm everyday but closed Mondays, happy hour 2 to 3pm).

Some of the beaches have experienced a lot of erosion. Maho is non-existent much of the time prompting plane watchers to stand in the road. Orient is pretty narrow at the Club O end with no beach in front of the restaurant. The trip down the rocky road into Orient always brings up the memory of the [censored] end of a 72 Camaro that used to stick up out of the salt pond. No sure why they got rid of that. No sense of historical preservation I guess.

On the more mundane side, the best place to buy no lead gas is at the station between Marigot and Grande Case. (.87e/liter) much cheaper than on the Dutch side.

Laraine bought an eternity ring from Jeff at DK Gems in Philipsburg. He’s friends with Laraine on FB and it was very nice dealing with him. Did some shopping around and he was the best that we could find.

Yesterday we ran into the group participating in the Presidente Poker Run at Walter Platz square in Philipsburg. http://sxmpokerrun.com/index.html

Each boat kicks in an entry fee and they blast around the island on offshore style race boats picking up a playing card at each stop (Port de Plaisance, Dreams, Buccaneer, Friars Bay, Phillipsburg) . The best hand wins $10,000 at the end of the day. Those folks party hard (hopefully not so much the captains)

We’ll try to put together another report at the end of the trip (with pics) instead of waiting another 15 years….. Cheers.

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Hey guys, thanks for the great report. Looks like we will have to venture out from the French side in November and try some of the places you mentioned. So the Perch closes at 3? Guess happy hour has to wait until Willie gets back. Enjoy the second half - hope the storms give you a break.
Dan & Katherine


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Thanks Guys! Actually the is still a happy hour from 2 to 3 but then they close. The fill in bartender is a very charming girl named Marine. No big deal after they close you can put your cooler on the deck and enjoy the view from a picnic table. Talk soon, Jim & Laraine

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Enjoyed your trip report and already looking forward to part two but I have to tell you, reading the old reports was like a walk down memory lane. So many great places and sadly, so many of them now gone but I thoroughly enjoyed the reads. Thank you for sharing.... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
pat #106306 08/29/2016 12:26 PM
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Pat--I made that link to the old trip report it's own thread, as I didn't want those comments to get too mixed up in this thread. Great reading, for sure!


Carol Hill
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Hi guys. Thanks for the first half of the report! Was the Poker Run wild? Where are you staying? Any pictures you'll be able to share?

Hope you don't mind, but I made a new thread about the old trip report. I found it very fun reading!


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Thanks for the report. Looking forward to reading your old one.


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Unfortunately we checked out of Simpson Bay Resort on Saturday, but drove over lagoon bridge on Sunday and over to BBB and didn't see that many boats.
Maybe they were all ready back to Port Plaissance.
The boats we did see sure looked like they were partying.

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Thanks all, I was worried that the old trip report might be a little too much info, glad it was enjoyed. We do have some pics of the poker run that I'll put up. Cheers!

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Looking forward to seeing the pictures of the Poker Run!


Carol Hill
Carol_Hill #106312 08/29/2016 07:04 PM
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Lots of Outboard powered boats, horsepower and partying. Poker Once Poker twice Poker 3 Poker 4 Poker 5

Jim_Laraine #106313 08/29/2016 07:36 PM
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My ancient computer here at home wouldn't play the video, but saw the pictures. Those guys had some serious motors on those boats!


Carol Hill
Carol_Hill #106314 08/29/2016 07:45 PM
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That is some serious $$$ hanging on the back of the boats!


J.D.
ruralcarrier #106315 08/30/2016 11:55 AM
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They asked Monz and I over to help. What a weekend we had. Thank you Presidente <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />


Nick Willis
"Mine Host"
Leverick Bay Resort & Marina
NickR #106316 08/30/2016 12:10 PM
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So, Nick, tell us about it! Whatever you can repeat!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />


Carol Hill
Carol_Hill #106317 08/30/2016 01:53 PM
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Where do I start Carol???


Nick Willis
"Mine Host"
Leverick Bay Resort & Marina
NickR #106318 08/30/2016 01:55 PM
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Hey, how about a trip report?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> We flew ____ (Liat??), stayed _____ ???, etc., etc! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />


Carol Hill
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Thanks for the report. Always interesting to hear comparisons of older and newer SXM as well as what's actually happening now.


Next SXM visit -November 2023. Also January 2024.
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Just a little update. Power has been off and on on the Dutch side a lot for the past few days. GEBE has a pump that failed and had some difficulty fixing it. Also tropical depression 92L is getting some attention here. 40% chance of developing into a tropical storm in the next 5 days.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=5


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