We are trying for the earliest trip report ever...19 days before we go home.<br><br>Day 1...get up at 2:00 am Seattle time and do final packing to make it at the airport at 0415 for our 6:15 flight to Chicago. Wait in line to check luggage...aboutg 15 minutes. Go to the security checkpoing. According to their instructions, remove all coins from pockets, cell phones, etc. and put them through the scanner...don't worry about the wristwatch, they said.<br><br>Beep Beep Beep <br><br>Stnad over here please...go through the pat down and detail scan. Find out the alarm was set off by my watch. Gretchen, on the other hand had to unpack her carry on with them so they could find the fingernail scissors she had accidentally left in the case from another trip that they saw on xray.<br><br>On to the gate and wait an hour.<br>Go to the gate to board the plane...step over there please sir. You are the lucky person who was picked by the computer for a full search. Open and search the carry on...take off your shoes...go through another full metal detect scan. "You're clean" go ahead.<br><br>Off to Chicago. Note a couple in front of us reading an SXM tour guide. Tried to strike up a conversation but not much luck. Had a bowl of cheerios and a bag of raisins on the plane for "breakfast" and then had a personal pizza during the 2 hour layover in Chicago. <br><br>On to San Juan for another hour layover and then onto an ATR for a cramped, crowded, uncomfortable flight to SXM. Off the plane at 10:30 and over to the Hertz counter and off on the shuttle to the office where they tried to give us a type A carf..teeny...we informed them that we were supposed to have a free upgrade to a B car, though they had kept the paperwork at the airport. They gave us a Hyundai with 36000 km more dents than I can count and a "check engine" light that refuses to go out...but they assure us the engine is perfectly fine and no problem mon.<br><br>Checked in at Pelican and hit the sack.<br>Monday moring off to DDD market for minimal groceries, the French bakery for breakfastg goodies, cellular one for a phone and IDL for Internet connection.<br><br>Back to the room for breakfast and then off to Orient Beach for lunch. Baywatch is closed. Only made it half way to Papagayos before Sand Gravity struck and we were glued into a lounge chair until we found that Papagayos had quit serving lunch and had to settle for frozen concoctions. We did meet Paul and Maryann in the surf and had a very nice visit with them.<br><br>Back to the room and then to Banana's for dinner. New England Clam Chowder, stuffed mushrooms, crab stuffed Mahi Mahi and Lobster along with a couple of BBC's, a Mudslide and a Rum Punch...great!!!<br><br>Gave up on the idea of going to a grocery store for more supplies...just no motivation left. <br><br>What is that really warm feeling on my shoulders..I was sure I slathered on lots of sunblock, but then we were the whitest folks on the beach.<br><br>The island seems quite green and there were a lot of people around for a no ship day. Orient was very quiet except for the OB end of the beach which seemed busy to us though Paul and Maryann seemed to think it was also quiet.<br><br>We'll probably have to go back to the beach tomorrow to keep the sand from blowing away. There was a nice little shower this morning while I was running errands but then a nice day with a comfortable breeze at Orient 'til clouds moved in late in the afternoon. <br><br>I did take off my black socks at Pedro's.