Trip #5 to SXM since 1995 and the fourth consecutive year was very enjoyable. We stayed for a total of 13 days and relaxed…and relaxed…and relaxed….you get the idea! For eight of the days, our stay overlapped with our friends Chuck and Jo whom we first met years ago at Grand Lido Negril and with whom we shared a SXM vacation last year as well. They are great fun and made dining out every night a lot of fun. They were also the instigators for an interesting day trip we made to Anguilla this year. We missed them when they flew to St. Barts for a five night stay before heading home.<br><br>Some impressions:<br><br>CLUB ORIENT: Once again we stayed at CO, this year for the first time in a garden chalet (Chuck and Jo stayed again in a beach chalet). We had #59 and could see the beach and water from our back porch! We had worried about reports concerning beach erosion in front of CO and it was readily and shockingly apparent in the area near Papagayos, CO’s restaurant. However, for much of the beach in front of the rest of CO the beach was fine and there was plenty of room for lounges.<br><br>Security at CO was top notch—one of the reasons we like to stay there. There are other reasons as well of course!! The security staff was vigilant about stopping cruise people and others from taking photos—we saw them twice stop people taking photos and when the photo takers resisted giving their film up they were led away to the security office at CO’s entrance. I’m not sure what happened there but the security people were always polite but firm. Similarly, they are patrolling at night. The first year we visited SXM in 1995 we stayed at Green Cay Villas and while the accommodations were very nice, we never felt secure there.<br><br>The road to CO continues to be a bumpy journey---even more so this year it seemed to our bottoms. Someone responsible for the road has a twisted sense of humor—there are two speed bumps along the way----like I could go any slower than I was already going!<br><br>CO is just a very convenient place to stay and the accommodations are more than adequate. Many people never leave CO during their stay but not us!!<br><br>ANGUILLA: As we were planning our vacation via email with Chuck and Jo, Chuck suggested we try a day trip to Anguilla. Much research ensued by him and me planning the trip. As it turned out, it is really easy to go to Anguilla. Ferries run every half hour from Marigot to the ferry port at Blowing Hole on Anguilla. They also run to SXM every half hour on the return journey. Cost was $10 per person each way and the trip took just under 30 minutes from start to finish. <br><br>Once we arrived on Anguilla the four of us arranged for a three hour tour of the island with a stop for lunch at a beach front restaurant. We hired a taxi driver named George who had a Toyota van. George seemed to know everyone on the island and everyone seemed to know him. Chuck collects small flags of the islands he visits and when he saw one on George’s taxi he asked how he could get one. George took us to the tax collector’s office on Anguilla and went inside and got Chuck a flag! We visited several upscale resorts including Cap Julica and CuisinArt Resort and Spa—both lovely and both very empty as it was really low season on Anguilla. Cap Julica was even running a special for $995 a night. What a deal!!<br><br>Three hours with a lunch stop was more than enough to see this small British island. A day trip to Anguilla is highly recommended if you have never done it.<br><br>LUNCH TIME EATING: A word to the wise—I eat while others dine. Most lunches during our stay were at Baywatch where we renewed our acquaintance with Andy and Cheryl who own it. They seem to remember all of their past guests. Last year Cheryl was captivated by my wife’s Italian charm bracelet. My wife decided to bring her one this year complete with four charms to get things started. She explained to Andy what a nice gift a charm every now and then would make. I’m not sure Andy appreciated what she was saying but he was a good sport. If any of you know Cheryl, a nice thing to do would be to bring her a charm when you go to Baywatch so that she can fill the bracelet up—many of the charms are less than $25 each. We wished we had been able to find one which said “I love New York” for her but they are hard to find in California where we live. We saw Cheryl on our last day at the airport where she was flying home to New York to see her mother who had suddenly taken ill.<br><br>Lunch at Baywatch is not fancy but very good. I am partial to the hot dogs and French fries but also tried the meat ball sandwich—very good indeed! My wife loves the eggplant parmigiana with marinara sauce and had that every day.<br><br>We ate lunch one day at Pedro’s when Baywatch was closed. My wife had the ribs which she thoroughly enjoyed….I had a hot dog and French fries….very good. <br><br>On the day we spent shopping and visiting the Dutch side, we had lunch at the Burger King in Phillipsburg. A young couple with a small boy in tow ahead of us in the line looked at us and said “We are here because of our little boy..why are you here?” My wife replied without missing a beat by pointing to me and saying “I have a big boy to please.” They all laughed. I didn’t. After so many hot dogs on the beach, I needed a Whopper break. Besides which we had just purchased the bauble at Touch of Gold that my wife has been hinting at me buying for her for three years now. Burger King was all I could afford!!<br><br> DINNER DINING: I guess at dinner you do dine—especially if you spent as much time and money as we did on the French side for dinner. We dined (ate??) at the following restaurants during our stay:<br><br>Papagayos: 3 times on the nights it offered entertainment and dancing. Papagayos is Papagayos. On a good night, it is adequate. On a bad night, it makes you wish that there were Burger Kings on the French side. Service was somewhat slow this year which is a bit of an improvement over past years. It is convenient.<br><br>La Plantation (in the hotel of the same name on Orient Beach): recommended on the list of restaurants provided to us by Jim Ruos who always make our CO arrangements. It was a great find. I am surprised more people do not mention it in their reviews. The night we were there we were the only people eating during our whole meal----an experience that occurred at several other restaurants we ate at. I guess it is truly low season but our American Airlines flights coming and going were filled.<br><br>Il Nettunio (Grand Case, hereafter referred to as G.C.): A favorite of mind. People either love the place or hate it. I love it. We have had the same waiter every year although this year his handle bar moustache was not the flowing affair of previous years. Good service and a nice traditional Italian menu. <br><br>L’ Auberge Gourmande (G.C.): Our very most favorite restaurant in G.C. One of the very few places we dined in that was busy every night it was open. Beautifully decorated and great food. <br><br>Repaired du Pirate (G.C.); Located on a side street in G.C. Heard about it on Traveltalkonline.com . Looks like a dive from the outside. Looks only slightly better on the inside. The staff is dressed like pirates…maybe they are pirates. Very popular with the locals who made up the majority of folks dining with us that night. We saw the maitre ‘d of L’Auberge Gourmande eating there who recognized us and waved to us. Good food and very reasonable prices. An experience!!<br><br>Le Taitu (on the road to Mont Vernon); This place was recommended to us by other CO guests. Another great find. Serves French and creole food. The highest price entrée was only $18.00. We really enjoyed our meal here.<br><br>Alabama (G.C.): We had been meaning to dine here for years but for one reason or another we never did. Our big mistake! We really enjoyed this place in all respects. Like L’Auberge Gourmande, Alabama usually had most tables filled.<br><br>California (G.C.): Another favorite of ours—ate there twice. Best desserts on the island—love the crepes. Had pizza one night and chicken the other night. Fun, easy informal meals.<br><br>Hot Tomatoes (on Simpson Bay on the Airport Road): We dined here the day we shopped on the Dutch side. Simple but good fare. Looked like it would be a lively place later in the evening.<br><br>L’Escapade (G.C.): OK but not great. The only place we dined this year that we would not return to next year. Expensive for what you get.<br><br>FINAL THOUGHTS: We enjoyed our stay again this year. Club Orient is an unique place to stay. You can have a frantic run around kind of vacation on SXM or a relaxing beach oriented vacation. By the time summer arrives, we need to relax and SXM is the place we prefer to do so. Looking forward already to next year.<br>