Traveltalkonline.com Forums


SXM Cruise Schedule TTOL Sponsors SXM Travel Calendar
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics38,429
Posts310,033
Members26,538
Most Online2,218
Jan 21st, 2020
Top Posters(30 Days)
RonDon 116
pat 43
jazzgal 41
Todd 40
Member Spotlight
Aries4
Aries4
Morrisville, PA/West End, Tortola
Posts: 437
Joined: July 2006
Show All Member Profiles 
Today's Birthdays
ecco, OceanDrop, vincent
Who's Online Now
48 registered members (pburke40, RickG, Scooter, duckfat, BillB42, marybeth, RonDon, tradewinds, sunmantwo, Sandsailsun, luvtotravel, SXMBND, johndana274, Tonythepilot, KirkB, OceanSong, lcote, Uksimonusa, MKGrey, Rbailey, louismcc, Time Will Tell, John, nevar37, ColoBoater, tpcook, Fred, taraavo, Alltech63, hokiesailor, charlie, 17 invisible), 963 guests, and 68 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Some Times on Orient #136190
07/19/2017 07:55 PM
07/19/2017 07:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 516
Rbailey Online content OP
Traveler
Rbailey  Online Content OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 516
Since some people seemed interested in my recollections of our first trip to St. Martin, maybe something on the changes over the years might also be of interest. Orient Beach is one such area. We first saw Orient Beach in June 1979, when we found the path over the peninsula from Le Galion beach. We were there in 1978 but did not think to try to find Orient then, but this is a picture of Le Galion in 1978.
[Linked Image]
Le Galion hotel was the base for those wishing to be close to Orient in those days. Club O was started about that time; I do not remember if there was anything built when we went over, but the beach was deserted – we saw 2 other people.
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

We went to Orient on all of our subsequent visits, which were most but not every year. Regrettably, I did not take a lot of pictures, but here are some from various times. But up to the mid-80’s one could walk the entire beach any time of the day nude or clothed. The walk form end to end a couple of times was something we did frequently. You could find conch shells along it, but also dump trucks would come along to load sand. Each year there seemed to be a few more people and shacks selling T-shirts and souvenirs sprang up at the entrance. But even as late as 1989 nudity was accepted along the entire beach. After that, of course, development and the burgeoning cruise passenger market took over.
81:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
83:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
86:
[Linked Image]
88:
[Linked Image]
89:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/oxCLmdrb.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/DWZ6vPJ0.jpg[/img]
93:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/RmloFmvG.jpg[/img]
94:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/iW3MsGoI.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/FpREYPB8.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/b4IMMMyi.jpg[/img]
97:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/M6YJsVR6.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/gPbCaboh.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/YQdEQJxS.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/wUtaoVnT.jpg[/img]
01:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/y27jIj5o.jpg[/img]
02:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/y27jIj5o.jpg[/img]
04:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/LliFN0Co.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/H7S6xrB9.jpg[/img]
05:
[img]https://t.imgbox.com/ZHjLJHAz.jpg[/img]

[img]https://t.imgbox.com/sH3FCm5c.jpg[/img]

SXM Sponsors
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136191
07/19/2017 08:20 PM
07/19/2017 08:20 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
Traveler
pat  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
Our earliest remembrances of Orient are clearly depicted in a few of your photos. It was such a beautiful stretch of beach. I forget what gimmies the French offered for development there but the development of the late 80's pretty much ruined what we knew as Orient. I guess if we didn't have those 'back in the day' recollections we'd probably love it as much as so many today do, but I'm glad we have those memories.

Thank you so much for sharing your photos. Like you, we took so few......<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."
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136192
07/19/2017 08:48 PM
07/19/2017 08:48 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 292
Long Island, N.Y.
arehouse Offline
Traveler
arehouse  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 292
Long Island, N.Y.
Thank you so much for sharing these!!!

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136193
07/19/2017 08:53 PM
07/19/2017 08:53 PM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,160
Greensboro, NC
charlieh Offline
Traveler
charlieh  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,160
Greensboro, NC
We went in 1987 for a while and only saw one other person on the beach. At the time I did not know that Club Orient existed and did not see it.

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: charlieh] #136194
07/20/2017 07:35 AM
07/20/2017 07:35 AM
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 131
Simsbury, Connecticut
shieneehead Offline
Traveler
shieneehead  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 131
Simsbury, Connecticut
Thanks for posting these. I can't believe how much actual beach there is! Especially @ Club O.


[Linked Image]
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: charlieh] #136195
07/20/2017 07:36 AM
07/20/2017 07:36 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 381
CT,USA
DICKG Offline
Traveler
DICKG  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 381
CT,USA
We were there in 1985 Pedro's was the only thing on the beach except for some cabins from club O , in fact it was a so,so day and Pedro's was closed . Just my wife and I had the whole place to ourself ,it was great and there was one vouyor he didn't see much

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: DICKG] #136196
07/20/2017 09:01 AM
07/20/2017 09:01 AM
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 99
Florida
W
WhitandTamra Offline
Traveler
WhitandTamra  Offline
Traveler
W
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 99
Florida
What a treat to see the development Orient Beach! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> We know it only since 2015 but love the Club O section. What we love about Happy Bay is that it is so undeveloped! I hope it stays that way but it probably won't.

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136197
07/20/2017 09:11 AM
07/20/2017 09:11 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 14,041
In beautiful Naples
contessa Offline
Traveler
contessa  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 14,041
In beautiful Naples
Wow, those are indeed amazing photos. I remember many of them very well. I have nearly duplicates of a few! We started going in '84 and it certainly has changed. I must say I loved to old Orient as well as the rest of the island but.....it's 'progress' and can't be stopped. We try to enjoy each stage.
Thanks for sharing!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
Contessa

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: contessa] #136198
07/20/2017 10:50 AM
07/20/2017 10:50 AM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 474
Maryland
Jim_Laraine Offline
Traveler
Jim_Laraine  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 474
Maryland
Thanks for the great pics and great memories. I believe we started going in 88. Forgot how much sand there was in front of Papagayo.

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136199
07/20/2017 11:06 AM
07/20/2017 11:06 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,469
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,469
Central Florida!
Thanks so much for the pictures! My computer has been having some 'issues', but finally got all of the pictures to display. It's amazing to see the 'creep' of the development up the hillside and along the beach over the years. It looks like several of the pictures were taken from around Green Cay Villas??


Carol Hill
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136200
07/20/2017 04:33 PM
07/20/2017 04:33 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 215
Michigan
mprevo Offline
Traveler
mprevo  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 215
Michigan
What I noticed about some of the older pics is that there is seaweed on the beach much like now. I understand we have some bad days of it now but it appears to always have been around I guess.

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: mprevo] #136201
07/20/2017 07:07 PM
07/20/2017 07:07 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,469
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,469
Central Florida!
Absolutely NO one was cleaning the seaweed at that time, so the amount of seaweed on the beach was very small.


Carol Hill
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Carol_Hill] #136202
07/20/2017 09:50 PM
07/20/2017 09:50 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 516
Rbailey Online content OP
Traveler
Rbailey  Online Content OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 516
Carol - Those pictures do look like they came from the same area as the picture on the Green Cay site, but the vllas were not there at the time and I can't give a specific location. But one year the hillside was all brush; the next visit a series of roads had been cut into it; the next they were lined with buildings.
Incidentally, the 02 picture is a duplicate of 01 that got in by mistake.
As for seaweed, it was an accumulation over time and I don't recall any heavy infestation of the sargasum type. Also, it was more apt to dry rather than rot. One year, though, there was a problem with tar balls.

Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136203
07/21/2017 09:53 AM
07/21/2017 09:53 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,469
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,469
Central Florida!
Green Cay was definitely there by 95, as we stayed there in February 95. Not sure when it was built.


Carol Hill
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Rbailey] #136204
07/22/2017 03:37 AM
07/22/2017 03:37 AM
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,989
Westchester /NYC
Colour1 Offline
Traveler
Colour1  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,989
Westchester /NYC
Thanks for posting these lovely photo's! It's interesting to see the progression over the years. Even in our times coming to St. Martin things have really changed! Are we still newbies after 16 years sometimes twice a year coming to the island??? LOL! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />


Sand Gravity, got to love it!
Re: Some Times on Orient [Re: Colour1] #136205
07/25/2017 07:04 AM
07/25/2017 07:04 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 601
PA
ChuckG Offline
Traveler
ChuckG  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 601
PA
Great pics, thanks! How about all that beach in front of Papagayo? Really hows how much it has changed.


Chuck and Joni

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1