This is part one of trip number 21 to SXM. This visit was 18 nights, from July 20 until August 7, 2002.<br>We used AA frequent flyer tickets. We paid a total of $19.10 in taxes and fees (another word for more taxes) each for our tickets. Our flight took us from CVG to DFW and then DFW to SJU where we changed to American Eagle. All flights were on time and about half full. SJU was a ghost town on Saturday evening – where have all of the people gone? Normally it is packed. On each American Eagle ATR, the seats in row 3 have been removed. Row 4 has great legroom. It would be nice if they would spread that space out over the whole plane. <br><br>We went directly to the Hertz van and were whisked away to the Hertz lot. In 25 minutes from landing we had made it from our aircraft, got our luggage and were driving out of the Hertz lot. I was disappointed in that the car we got had not a single dent, so I had to be careful where I parked. It is better that every surface is dented a little. We had a class C car, a blue Plymouth Neon. Jim and Mary Ruos of Caribbean Islands Travel Service arranged our accommodations and Hertz rental car. The rate at Hertz was $132 per week with some free days because of our length of stay. The Neon had a US style remote entry and alarm which was much more pleasant than the anti-theft devices we have had on previous trips.<br><br>We stayed at Club Orient in a chalet. We had requested number 80 or one nearby and got number 80! This area is far from the noise of the restaurant, close to the office, and right on the beach. Number 80 is at the beach end of the day visitor path and has a privacy fence around the path side off the chalet. The bedroom is air-conditioned, and the rest is cooled by ceiling fans. The next morning while checking in, we met Ed Roman and his wife from Caribbean Islands Travel Service who were checking out.<br><br>The bedroom was missing a blind. In fact, only two windows had blinds. We reported it the first morning and were told they would send someone to replace it. No action, so on Wednesday at the Wine and Cheese party we mentioned it to the new Resort Manager Ed who has taken over now that Gina is gone. He told us that he didn’t like blinds, he preferred curtains and he had a master plan to replace furnishings including curtains over a five-year plan. In the 18 nights we stayed at the resort, we never got the blind. On day two, while fixing breakfast, Mrs. RAJ discovered that there was only one fry pan as opposed to the normal two. I asked the front desk to send another over. When that got no action, Mrs. RAJ asked the front desk. That request was never fulfilled during our visit either. Perhaps Ed didn’t like fry pans, perhaps preferring fondue dishes.<br><br>Fire ants are a growing problem. Club O needs to get the specific pest control chemicals before someone is killed by these creatures. We have a friend who is so allergic to their stings that he carries a hypodermic of medicine for stings. On one occasion, we opened a cabinet in the kitchen only to discover thousands of these ants were living there. I finally noted that the ants came out of the ceiling, so that is where I successfully sprayed. In doing so I noted that there a few thousand dead ants already on top of the refrigerator from a previous attack. So much for the cleanliness of the room. A few days later, I had taken a shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. It took me about 20 seconds to realize that one side of the towel was totally covered with fire ants. Oh boy! It took several days for the blisters to heal. It turned out that the ants had crawled down from the bathroom sealing and had decided the towels would make a great nest. We ended up spraying Raid on all of the towels. <br><br>Towels at Club O are now thicker, but you only get one per person. Also, there were fewer familiar faces around the property. Apparently there is a lot of turn over. There are definitely fewer housekeepers and they have more units to clean. It shows. The first week, the resort was fairly full, but over time, the number of guests definitely declined. <br><br>Orient Beach:<br>The beach is still great. I measured the distance from the steps at the Dolphin Watersports at Club O to the end of the beach at Mt. Vernon using the GPS. It is 1.36 miles each way. Nice to know if you are doing specified amounts of walking as I am. The Beach has recovered some over the last year. Peeping Tom’s at Kon Tiki no longer has one corner in the water. The beach in front of Pedros is still gone. In front of the next few restaurants, the beach is slim. In front of Club O it is about average. We are still analyzing the sand gravity data, but preliminary data indicate it is higher in front of Club O than any other place in the western hemisphere.<br><br>I think I found the best business on Orient. While conducting sand gravity experiments, I began timing the parasail rides, concentrating on the one operating between Pedro’s and Baywatch. The average ride was 6 minutes. They were non-stop from 9:00 AM until 4:00 - 5:00 PM, with a short lunch. I checked out the price and was stunned, $45 for one person, $80 for two at a time. With the rigging up of passengers, they were averaging between 8 & 9 operations per hour, the majority being two or three riders. Well I’ll let you do the math, but that is a goldmine.<br><br>Black sox are becoming less common. Only 5 actual persons with “black sox” were personally observed. White sox are becoming the norm for most cruise ship visitors. They look especially stunning in this year’s fashion sandals. No plaid sox were observed.<br>