TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin The last day..

Well, we go home today. I actually am ready to go home. After about ten days, I miss my puppies at home and start thinking about all the STUFF that awaits when we get home. I don't think we will get any other sections of the report posted today, so God only knows how long it will be before they are posted. The weather since Wednesday has been very hazy, after the stunning blue skies the first couple of days. I don't see any more seaweed in the water, and the beach is pretty clean this morning. Not really from worrying about crime or anything, but most of our big meals have been at lunchtime, and we have spent a LOT of time here at 'home', and we have vegging down to a science. There's no one coming in here today, so we will stay here until time to go to the airport. Hopefully the AA flight isn't late today, as it has been almost two hours late, the last two days.

Over all, it has been a wonderful trip. I missed eating in Grand Case and our best meal of the trip by far was Tropicana. Overall, the Dutch side is in pretty good shape. There are a few places that aren't open yet, like Skipjacks, Liberty Inn, and Lee's is gone, but of course that had nothing to do with the hurricane. We had very little traffic at any point. People have been very warm and open, but have made no secret that they NEED visitors. We've seen lots of damage that has not been repaired, but it didn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. Possibly that's because Beachside has come through so BEAUTIFULLY rebuilt, after all they went through. If Beachside were in ruins, I think I would have felt a lot differently, so I guess maybe it depends to some extent on whether your particular "ox" has gotten gored. The French side has a LONG way to go yet, and while no one has said as much to me, I wonder whether many on the French side have just decided to wait until after this hurricane season to even think about rebuilding. Maybe that makes sense to them..

In any event, if you can get air and accommodation and you can manage your expectations, COME. The island is here, battered in some places, but the beaches are gorgeous, the water is blue and it feels like home..

Safe travels and thanks for the reports and pictures.

Thanks!

Safe travels. Thank you both for sharing your trip with us.

Thanks for all of your postings. In a previous post you asked what was available in the way of food at the airport. My reply may be too late for you but maybe helpful to others.
After security there are a variety of places selling food and drink. A small bar whose name I do not know, Bacchus selling sandwiches,salads, beer wine,etc., Domino's pizza, a place selling wraps and at the end a place that advertised "make your own sandwich" along with a hot table that had rice and peas, chicken, fish and salad. We bought a sandwich from Bacchus that was very good. I think it was $8. They had a special on beer 2 Presidente for $5. We arrived early for our flight so there was no lines at any of the places but as 3 flights were all departing at the same time it did get very busy and crowded as we approached take-off time.
Wishing you and Eric a safe and uneventful trip home.

Safe travels to you both. Has Tropicana opened for dinners also?

Thanks for the info -- still here at BSV now. On the AA afternoon flight (well the only AA flight), so have plenty of time. Will be checking later to make sure when the AA flight leaves MIA, as the last two days it has been late.


But the beach here is fine, and actually we have gotten a lot of new sand over the last several days. So the beach is wider and no seaweed, and Mother Nature actually buried some of the seaweed with her new sand!!! Do NOT fool with Mother Nature -- that is generally a bad thing to do!

We have the vast majority of our packing done, suit cases still open for the last stuff. But we are in good shape and just relaxing.

Do you know how hard it is to just relax and watch the waves, enjoy the breeze, etc. It is really hard but somebody has to do it, so we are volunteering!!! Oh forgot about fixing the drink, such effort!

Safe travels, Carol and Eric. I think we will all anxiously anticipate the final chapter of your trip.

pandp--thanks much for the info! I think we will definitely check out Bacchus.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes..

Carol. word from people we know on French side isn't that they're waiting for this hurricane season to pass , but that they still await funds.

OK, could well be.

Have a safe trip home.

Thanks Carol and Eric for sharing your trip with us. Glad to hear all went well and you had no safety concerns. Safe travels as you prepare for a return to reality.😎

Correct, no safety concerns whatsoever. Of course we never ever leave anything in the car. Only one time we left anything in the car, some wine that we bought before going to lunch. But even then the car was where we could see it, not that I watched it at all even. Car was unlocked and so somebody could have opened the door and popped the trunk and got our couple of bottles of wine.

But the wine survived, at least until it got home and was attacked by the cork screw!! But it sacrificed itself for the cause!!

But again never felt unsafe or even uneasy at any time. But we went out for lunch more this time..... not intentional, just the way it worked out. Went out for dinner several times, but lunch was the main thing. Nice 2 hour lunches have a place and we really enjoyed them. Had not really done that before and so not only was it a change, but it was nice.

Of course having the grill here and doing some of the meals that Carol has posted pictures of is not bad either. Also, neither of us can eat a huge 2 hour lunch and also a big dinner the same day. Have to watch the food intake while on vacation -- NOT!!!

Time flies in Paradise.

Good trip it seem from your guys reports and im sure good for you two to get back on island.

Weve been last 2 Junes and wanted so much not to break the new habit and to see and “appreciate” what had happen ed and to “help” out with patronage. Will have to wate til Decemeber.

OK, AA flight from MIami took off, so hopefully we should be on time going home. Got to get a shower and get out of here!

Have a good trip home! Nice that you are able to stay past 1:00.

Our AA flight arrived late from Miami, and we boarded quickly once it was there. Made up the time in the air.

Thanks. They don't have anyone coming in, apparently. Signing off now!!!

Weekday flights are so much better out of SXM.

AA2219 estimated arrival is 2:51.............. Thanks for the reports and safe travels!

You’ll probably have landed by the time you read this, but hope you had a safe trip home. We’re still here until Thursday and will save our trip report until we get home.

We did have a wonderful lunch at Mary’s Boon today and spent some time sunning and swimming on the beach there. We actually drove to Orient Beach first this morning (Club O end), but left immediately because there was a TON of seaweed in the water floating around and washing up on the shore. Definitely too much to swim in. First we've seen on the Club O end. It was awful and really smelled bad.

"Definitely too much to swim in. First we've seen on the Club O end. It was awful and really smelled bad."
I have a feeling it will only get worse there. Especially since there are only a limited amount of beach bars there with the incentive to clean it up. Even if they clean in front of their places the smell will travel. And your right. It smells awful.

Anybody no if club o has a tractor or if they are raking by hand.

If by hand, that would be a good thing for the friends of Club O to rally and buy along with a container maybe to lock it up.

I would think that would be a priority that Club O would want to invest in for the benefit of their business and not for clients to have to foot.

Cant argue that thinking but im sure there is a list of things to buy a mile long.

Plus, as far as ive heard Club O isnt operating the beach right now. That is an ad hoc operation of some employees. So maybe friends buy them an old tractor and they can sell it to Club O.

Ive watched the guys rake seaweed by hand down by Mont Vernon and i cant imagine a less fun job in the morning day after day. Especially when you can see the tractor next door making quick work of it.

Nothing beats hands on labor. No parts to break down, just your body.

Well, we're home. No real issues, other than the standard unpleasantness with flying these days. Arrived home at 12 AM, to two puppies who didn't care it was midnight, they were just so GLAD to have us home, they wouldn't go to sleep!!

Just like Christmas eve in some households. Don't ya love it?

yes Carol, we were sad to see Grand Case, it was a war zone, but we did eat at bistro caribes (sp) it was amazing, albeit too warm though. We asked to sit by the window, but because it was only 2 of us ,they said no. We wondered why since they were 75% empty, but anyway the meal was delicious. Skip Jack said he will be open November, we saw him at Snoopy's Bar. we also ate a lot of our meals at La Patrona in Simpson Bay Villas (where were staying) the place was immaculate, the service impeccable, the food outstanding, we also spent some days at SBYC That is one of our favorite places for breakfast and happy hour snick snacks ....

That's why I love dogs, unconditional love. We have 2 dogs and whether we just go out for frozen yogurt or are away all day doing chores when we get home they act as if we've been gone forever.

I'm sorry we didn't eat in Grand Case, it just didn't work out. I honestly really did not want to deal with that road, especially at night. About the only thing I can truly say that I was disappointed with is that we had very few really GREAT meals. Nothing really upscale. I missed something like Dreams, or Temptation or Kakao. I was disappointed in Emilo's and in Antoine's. We probably should have gone to Mario's.


As you said with regard to Simpson Bay Villas, Beachside Villas was immaculate and looked like nothing had happened, other than the vegetation. We went to LaPatrona last time on island and did enjoy it.

Or Le Moulin Fou!

We have eaten at Moulin Fou before and I thought it was good, not fantastic, but Maho in general just didn't seem appealing to me.

Ooh, i can still taste my meal there 1 year later.

Moulin Fou was an awesome meal a few weeks ago.

This is true. My parents JUST got insurance money to fix property that was damaged. And they had all their paperwork and all i's dotted and t's crossed. I feel bad for those who didn't have all that info at their fingertips.

That's just sad. Were they insured with Nagico?? That seems to be their modus operandi, to not pay, regardless of whether one has paperwork or not..

Well said Carol.

Yup, Nagico 😩