TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) SXM Trip Reports and Photos My trip part 2

... Actually it sort of had several different levels for sections of tables too so it wasn't just flat all around so some spots were higher or lower. The staff was friendly and the owner, was also quite friendly. I think he said he hailed from NYC, or had lived there for a time, and had also spent several years in my current home-town Washington, DC and had worked on Capitol Hill, which I once did too. He also did the marketing for the America’s Cup challenge race where you are placed in two teams and two boats that competed in the Cup race against each other. He’d even come to our resort’s orientation to talk about it, but we didn’t recognize him without the hat. That was another activity that we wanted to do, but just didn’t have enough time for. <br> <br>We also ran into Martin and Barbara at the restaurant and they talked us into going dancing with them, even though it was our last night and we had a plane to catch the next day. I can't remember the club but it was a bit past the airport and a big casino was nearby and there were lots of big boulder looking rocks out front and a big bar and dance area too. It was fun, but they played way too much techno stuff at first.<br> <br>Now for the important stuff, the food! We ate at the Divi several times, I think the food there is good, but sometimes service gets slow. It really depends on the waiter. We had to wait over half an hour to get some water one night, I had to wave, then glare at the head waiter for him to remember us. I think he felt bad because he sent someone else over to give it to us. I went on a morning ocean kayak with Divi Staff on Monday for $20 and we kayaked from Divi over to Phillipsburg (about 40 mins each way) and had a delicious breakfast at the Kangaroo Court. We were even graced by a visit from the restaurant cat at our table. He even deigned to let us pet his little white and brown head! <br> <br>We ate at the Greenhouse one evening, and it was nearly deserted. The waiter messed with us when we came in and asked if we had a reservation. My Mom started to laugh and I kind of looked around bewildered (I get a little slow sometimes). We had a yummy dinner, and one meal was half off because I brought my internet coupon with me (Yes, I'm cheap!). We also got 2 for one drinks, I had to help my Mom finish her beer, since she was the driver. I also got one of the best pick-up lines I've ever heard leaving there, a drunk older Frenchman asked me if I was from heaven. It was a riot. I was flattered of course.<br> <br>Our most memorable meal was at Cherrie's . That place was a hoot! We got there after the entertainment started and their band is great. Not only are they good musicians and singers they put on quite a show. It is a great place for us touristy types. They gave us little hand clappers (a plastic stick which turns into a hand at the center with two other plastic hands hinged onto each side) that you wave in the air to cheer the band. Of course they did almost every song under the sun with a reggae beat, the all male band had two of their strapping singers dress up as women, one who went around and made "sexy" poses and flirted with half the men in the restaurant. The other dressed up like a little girl with a blonde pig-tail wig and butterfly wings. He got the men in the audience in the act and had about 5 of them dress up in costumes like his and they had a dance contest. The winner was supposed to get 2 bottles of champagne but they all got a bottle for being good sports. There were 2 extremely talented 7 year olds in the audience, 1 from NYC who did the moonwalk and danced just like Michael Jackson to a Michael Jackson song, appropriately enough; and the other ran up to the front and joined the singer in doing the "wind" and the merengue. She was from St. Maarten and the singer joked that if you are from the islands and don't have rhythm by the time you are 6 they send you to the States!<br> <br>We went to Lee's near Simpson's Bay for dinner on our first night of freedom (i.e with a car). They had very good food but the drinks left a bit to be desired. Who ever heard of anywhere in the Caribbean where they make a bad pina colada? [img]/images/icons2/frown.gif[/img] Well, I found it. Maybe he bartender was having an off night. They also had a good band that let a visitor from NYC get up and sing a few songs. <br> <br>We got lazy one evening (actually we were tired and got way too much sun) so we wimped out and got KFC which we ate in our studio. We also got beer at KFC. I think it is a sign of civilization to be able to buy beer at a fast food restaurant! Maybe I'm a hayseed, but when I went to Madrid in college one of the many impressive things I saw was a beer vending machine. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. [img]/images/icons2/cheers.gif[/img]<br> <br>Unfortunately, we didn't get to eat out on the French side. We wanted to hit one of the nice restaurants and even wanted to hit Ms. B's, but just ran out of time. [img]/images/icons2/sad.gif[/img]<br><br>My big disappointment, was not taking the opportunity to do more shopping on the French side, we only hit one shop, or getting any good French wine. I was also disappointed that I didn’t get to take an island tour, particularly the Ducks tour which I’d really wanted to do, particularly since there is a Duck tour in DC that I’ve never taken because my visitors never stay long enough to fit it in and I’d feel silly going alone in my own city. [img]/images/icons2/blush.gif[/img]<br><br>I loved seeing all the goats, and some of the cows along the country side. I even got, what I hope is a good picture, of myself standing next to a cow. I felt kind of bad for all of the dogs roaming around, someone told me that many of them are pets but I could tell a fair number were strays. I know most of the cats I saw were strays. [img]/images/icons2/sad.gif[/img]<br><br>Well, I think that's it for me. Hope I didn't bore you all too much. I really had a great time, and even though I didn't do everything and some of the advice I got from this list flew from my head once I was there, it was all good. I have to go back!<br><br>[img]/images/icons2/cheers.gif[/img] [img]/images/icons2/cheers.gif[/img] [img]/images/icons2/cheers.gif[/img]<br><br>Ps: Sorry this is chopped up like this.<br><br>