Note: My trip report is my personal journal of my trip, and as such is long and detailed. If you’re not into that, then you’ve been warned!
Week One November 23 - 30
Our vacation began on Friday, as we drove 4 ½ hours from our home to Charlotte to take advantage of a non-stop flight from there to SXM. We stayed at the airport Hampton Inn on the recommendation of TTOLer Seascape, and were very pleased with our hotel. They recommended a number of nearby restaurants for dinner, and we opted for Portofino’s Italian Restaurant. One of the specials was a stuffed eggplant, which we decided to share. When our entrée arrived, we thought they had brought us two, as they had already split the entrée and the huge plates were filled. Very delicious and satisfying, and along with a bottle of Chianti, the perfect meal for the night before our flight.
The alarm went off at 6AM (much better than the 3AM we would have had to deal with had we flown from Greenville), and we were up and ready. Took the 7:30 shuttle to the airport, and after checking in had plenty of time for a nice breakfast before boarding. The flight was fine, just a little turbulence at one point, but the pilot was able to change altitude and the rest of the flight was smooth. Upon landing, we didn’t have a jetway, but were still in the terminal, through customs, picked up baggage and waiting for our rental before Alain’s guy was there. Myra is out on maternity leave, having given birth to her son on November 15, and Alain is managing the office, much to his chagrin. Still, we were out of there in our cute red Hyundai I10 in no time flat. Sharon had delivered our phone and Privilege Card to Alain, so no need to stop anywhere else on the way home.
Upon arrival at LaVista Beach, check in was as smooth as always. Once in the room, I opened the freezer to get my first ice cold Caribe. I had asked Jeannie to put one in there for me, as last year they weren’t quite as cold as I would like in the fridge. Big mistake…it was frozen solid! I set it on the table outside, but it still wouldn’t thaw quickly enough for me, so I opened it anyway, and you know the rest. Oh well, I won’t make that mistake again.
After unpacking we showered and changed clothes and headed over to Bikini for the ILMID fundraiser. As soon as I walked in I saw Joyce (Indi), and her husband Matt, along with Bruce. Later we saw Ann and Steve, Todd and MJ, Bob and Sheryl, Katie and her friend Maureen, Sandy, Jeannie, and probably some others who I have forgotten to list. It was a nice evening chatting with friends, although it was too loud for much conversation. The drawing for the ILMID benefit raffle lasted for a very long time, as there were a lot of great prizes donated to the cause. We won two gift certificates, one at Le Gout de Vin, and another at L’Artisinal, which is what Sophie has renamed her restaurant, Spicy.
Sunday we awoke to rain, and it had obviously rained most of the night. Still, it cleared early and we headed to Orient for our first Kakao day. Carl had the day off, but Nicholas greeted us and soon Cedric arrived. GP was there to make my breakfast, the best Bloody Mary on the island. John and Margie were already on the beach, and it was fun to see them again. We took our normal walk up and down the beach. There’s a fair amount of seaweed, and most of the beach bars aren’t spending a lot of time cleaning it up; it just comes back as soon as they rake. We did not find it bothersome, but we don’t get in the water much.. The beach at Bikini Beach, and at Kon Tiki have been taken over by what appears to be the same entity, judging by the chair and umbrella colors. The bars out on the beach at Kon Tiki are closed, but the restaurant appears to be open. Bikini is operating their bar and restaurant as usual, but there has been new structure built in the open area next to them, and the other folks are operating from there. What is going on is anyone’s guess, and I’m not going to get involved in the speculation here.
Palm Beach has taken over Boo Boo Jams umbrellas and are building a new structure on their beach, on the Coco side of Palm Beach. The beach up at that end is plenty wide, but from Kon Tiki down to the rocks it’s extremely narrow. There’s at most two rows of chairs in front of all the smaller bars, and even when it’s busy we didn’t see many folks in them. You have to walk up to Pedro’s and across the parking lot to get to Club O. The beach there is fine, until you get to Papagayo, where the ocean comes all the way up to the foundation.
Lunches on Sunday were Kakao’s specials for the day: whole fish. Mine was described by Virginie as a whole sea bass, but when presented was called sea bream. I don’t know which it was, but it was delicious. Presented whole, then filleted by the waiter, it was grilled to perfection and accompanied by a sesame flavored rice, and little vegetable garnishes that are my favorite thing about French food. The burre blanc sauce had a lovely lemony flavor that perfectly complemented the fish. David’s red snapper was presented in the same manner, and was every bit as good. We were told that they have fresh fish brought in each Friday evening.
We chose a bottle of white Sancerre to accompany our fish, and it was perfect. The total for both meals, a large bottle of water, the wine, and of course complimentary rum shots, was $122, and after our Privilege Card savings, it was $112. Service is included in the meal cost in France, but we left an additional small tip for the excellent service.
After such a large meal at lunch, we just snacked on cheese and crackers on the balcony that evening, and our first full day in Paradise drew to a close.
Monday I talked David into going back to Orient. Two beach days in a row are a rarity, so I was happy. We settled in at Kakao again, and pretty much repeated Sunday’s schedule. GP had brought the pictures from his African safari, so we enjoyed those. After our walk and some chair time, we opted for a lighter lunch, sharing a salad and a pizza. The endive and pear salad is always delicious, with crunchy endive, teeny diced pears, Roquefort cheese, and toasted walnuts lightly dressed in a creamy vinaigrette. After that our Pizza Especiale was presented, and was just as good as I remembered. The thin crust is lightly sauced, and topped with ham, moozzarella, black olives and basil pesto. For our wine we chose a dry rose which accompanied both the salad and the pizza perfectly. The total, with a bottle of water was $80 after our Privilege card discount.
We left the beach early enough to get cleaned up for the little meet and greet that had been organized for that evening at Marty’s Dream Pool Bar. There we saw several of the folks we had seen on Saturday evening, along with Bill and Elaine, Annie, Dan and Pam, Marty of course, and Denise. I’m embarrassed that I don’t know the name of the other lady who was working in the bar. If I saw you there and left you out of the list, I’m sorry! It was a fun time. We left there planning to have dinner at The Palms, but they were closed so we ended up at Satara with Bill, Elaine, and Annie. It was nice to have some quiet time with them, as generally we’re in a huge group and don’t get to talk much. We all had appetizers: David and I shared a chicken satay and spring rolls, and both were quite good.
Tuesday was our day on Passaat. We met Elaine and Annie, Ann & Steve, and Pat and John at SMYC for breakfast before the sail. I had the eggs benedict and David the French toast; my eggs were quite good, although the hollandaise could have used some lemon. I didn’t taste the French toast, but it must have been good as David finished it all.
The rest of the group arrived later and we boarded the dingy to head out to Passaat. There was a lovely wind blowing and it promised to be a gorgeous day for sailing. I’m sure it was, but unfortunately not for me, as I developed the first case of motion sickness I’ve ever had in my 63 years, and spent the majority of the trip trying to be even remotely comfortable. We sailed to the beach in front of La Samanna, where we anchored and noodled around in the water while our hosts prepared lunch. The food was plentiful, and the others said it was good. After an hour or so there, we pulled up anchor and sailed back, waving at Elaine and Vicki at Rainbow as we passed.
Wednesday I awoke feeling much better, and we headed to Karakter. There we met Todd & MJ, Bob & Sheryl, and Elizabeth and David. Vicki and Rick were also there and it was nice to chat with her for a while. Later Ann and Steve, and Lee Ann and Maurice showed up, so with the exception of Pat and John, we had a Passaat reunion.
There has been a report here of bad experiences at Karakter, but we certainly did not see that during our time there. The service was attentive, the drinks excellent and reasonably priced, and the food just as good as it’s always been. Their drink of the day was a Guavaberry Colada, and the cold fruitiness was just what my still tender tummy needed. For lunch David and I shared the Karakter Taste for Two, which is a tapas platter accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine. The tapas included their chicken satay, cocoanut shrimp (a favorite of mine), a tuna melt, gazpacho, and a veggie wrap. It’s just enough food and I love the different tastes. The entire day, with four mixed drinks, water, wine, and food, was only $72. A great value, especially when you consider that the chairs are free if dining there.
After lots of great conversation and floating around in the water, we headed back to LaVista Beach. We had planned on eating out, but I was still a little unsure of myself, so decided to stop at Market Garden for the makings of a pasta meal. David waited in the car with our things while I ran in, and when I checked out I was told that my credit card had been denied. After paying with cash and finally getting in touch with Cap One, I found no declines had been issued, and apparently it was just that the internet was down and Market Garden’s system couldn’t process the card.
Dinner at Chez Langston consisted of whole grain penne with ricotta, kalamata olives, and baby arugula accompanied by a fresh baguette and a glass of that white wine with the beach chairs on the label.
Thursday we had planned another Kakao day, but as we watched four huge ships sail past our balcony, we were questioning our choice. Still, we ventured over there and settled in for some of the best people-watching ever. Our walks were shorter than normal because of all the people, but still enjoyable. For lunch Kakao was offering a special of a chicken breast stuffed with crabmeat mousse, served with rice and vegetables. David ordered that and I had the chicken and shrimp curry. My curry was delicious, with just the right amount of spiciness. David was lucky to get the last special, as the waiter ran into the kitchen as soon as he ordered it to make sure. The mousse was incredibly flavorful, the chicken cooked perfectly, and the accompanying burre blanc clearly made with seafood stock. Unfortunately I was only permitted one bite… A bottle of white Sancerre accompanied our meals, followed by cappuccino and a banana vanilla rum shot. The people watching during lunch was even more interesting than on the beach…sometimes I’m embarrassed to be an American.
After lunch we walked up to Club O, hoping to find Sugarae, but didn’t see her. We did see Patty, and had a nice chat with her. Upon returning to our chairs I found a note under my towel from CaribbeanScout. How did she find ours in the sea of chairs???? I still don’t know, as our internet has been down since early last evening. We were sorry to have missed them, but will see them later in the trip.
Dinner again was cheese and crackers as we were still stuffed from lunch.
Friday morning dawned rainy, but by around 9:30 the rain had stopped and the sun was out. We had decided to spend the day hanging out at LaVista Beach, and began with an annual tradition: breakfast at the Hideaway with an island friend. You know who you are, dear friend, and we enjoy this tradition more each year. After breakfast, we stationed ourselves under a palapa by the pool and I read while David napped. We had the entire pool area almost to ourselves all morning. Lunch is cheese, crackers, fruit and wine on the balcony. We’re having dinner at Lal’s tonight, but I want to go ahead and get this much posted now, as our internet has been pretty iffy most of the week.
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