We flew out of Charlotte after a park-fly stayover. USAIR. Flight arrived nearly 30 minutes early. Very bumpy flight, but happy to arrive early. Immigration was pretty bad. Apparently several planes came in at the same time. Long lines. Took nearly an hour. Luggage was waiting for us, as was Lesley. Car was a Toyota Corolla that had not been treated too kindly, but it runs well and Lesley was a pleasure to deal with. Would certainly use him again.

First impression of SXM. I'll have to admit that it was a little more "third-world" than I had expected, based on the reports Ihave read and the pictures I have seen. We weren't shocked at the conditions we saw as my wife and I have traveled extensively. But sometimes photos sanitize the situation.

Believe it or not, we left the airport and drove directly to Orient without missing a single turn. Traffic was minimal and the trip only took us about 30 minutes.

Check-in was a breeze and we were on the beach in minutes. Since we hadn't eaten since the night before, we decided to grab some quick beach food. Pedro's ribs. They were fair and only cost $13. Went to bed early as we were extremely tired. Slept from 9 pm until 6 am.

Went over to Cheryl and Andy's for breakfast. Got there before they started serving so we drank coffee and got to converse with Andy. What a trip! He told all his latest jokes as well as some that I'm sure he has used for years. Great breakfast. Wife and I split a Chili cheese omelet, home fries, and 2 cups of coffee. $18. Plenty enough food for two people.

The beach is beautiful. It is a little windy, but only a passing shower. Weather not too bad.

After breakfast, we drove to Grand Marche for supplies. Prices were not too bad. Again, pleased that I didn't make any wrong turns. Did notice that things began to look a little better today. I was able to appreciate the beauty of the island as we drove around. We are beginning to like this place.

Back to the beach for a few hours. Met some very nice people. Planning on meeting up with one couple for a cookout Friday evening at their villa.

Had to try some of the famous Tap 5 pizza and was not disappointed. Very tasty.

After a few hours of conversation, here I sit typing this report. Looking forward to what the next few days bring us.