Our stay was 18 days this time. Part of the trip we had the company of two first time couples, - Tod and Jennifer (relatives), and friends Jill and Herbert. Tod and Jennifer are now SXM converts and have already planned a second trip in May.

Flying from Oregon can be a logistic nightmare when FF miles are utilized. Suffice it to say that the trip was 20 hours and we were happy to arrive and have our car waiting by Mickey at Tropical . We have used Tropical several times and have always had great service at very competitive prices.

We stayed at Beachside Villas for the 7th time during the infamous tropical depression or “Big Blob” as somebody else aptly named the weather. We did have about 1 week of good weather and a smattering of semi-good weather over the last two weeks. The rest of the time it poured buckets and we abandoned many of our old outside haunts for inside activities. The Dolphin Casino knew us well before the end of our trip. During our stay, several $200 and $400 jackpots were hit on video poker. For the most part, we broke even. Good odds considering the amount of time we played.

Notable Highlights – TTOL Party at Buccaneer Beach Bar
The TTOL party November 6th at Neil’s Buccaneer Beach Bar was a great success. The type party to be remembered (well, most of it), for a long time. Thanks to Keefus for putting it together. Neil did an excellent job of being a host and leading many of us down the path to a slow recovery the next day. For those of you that have not been to BBB yet, it is a must. Ample parking and great setting. On our trip last November, BBB had yet to open, so we were anxious to see his new place. Later a “visit” was paid to the Lady C Floating Bar, where the party continued. Neil accompanied us and several drooled over his Harley. With Neil’s hospitality and beautiful place, BBB is it is definitely the place for a party.

Changes
The road at Cole Bay is paved and actually has sidewalks part of the way. The road into Friar’s Beach is much improved, as is the entry and parking area at Baie Rouge.

The new grocery store, Food Express at Maho, opened during our stay. It has an excellent selection and well stocked. Fresh meats, bread, and produce are available much like Ram’s and Grand Marche. The store is right at the corner of Airport Road and Maho at the 3-way intersection. Successfully backing out of the small parking lot requires more luck than skill.

Ram’s Food at Cole Bay has vastly improved. We were disappointed in their store in the past. It has been renovated, cleaned, and well-stocked. No sign of the pesky creatures scurrying about as noted in past reports.

Restaurants - A Few Notes
Dali at Maho. There have been mixed reviews on this restaurant. I had an excellent lobster thermidor, others had so-so prime rib. The Caesar salad was very good. About $185 for 4 people including a bottle of wine and tip. They had a difficult time handling the crowd and had a few unhappy people. We received good service.
Mezzanote – Simspon Bay. This is a new Italian restaurant, which had good service and mixed reviews on the food. I think the mixed reviews were due more to the individual’s personal taste than the quality of the dish. The meals were accompanied by fresh sautéed vegetables, which were excellent. We were, however, served small squares of pizza that looked liked they were left over from lunch, along with a basket of French bread. The “pizza” squares were good, it just seemed a little unusual. Friends at the next table picked up our bill, but I am guessing it was over $200 for dinner, salads, wine, coffee, and dessert.

Uncle Harry’s
This is one of our favorites places due to the good food and unusual atmosphere. We ate there twice. The first time our steaks were not up to Harry’s usual standard. We found out later that he had run out of steaks and had to “borrow” from another restaurant. Our second meal was excellent as usual. Like Neil, Harry along with Boozer the dog, is a great host. The bar at Uncle Harry’s does not skimp on the spirits. You might want to stop by or call to book at table. Uncle Harry’s is very popular.

Friar’s Beach Bar Cafe
It has become a tradition with us to spend Sunday at Friar’s Beach Bar Café (FBBC) and eat a leisurely meal in between naps on the beach. Significant improvements have been made with an expanded kitchen, eating, and conversation area. It is amazing the quality of food this beach bar café can produce. Over the 18 day period we experienced a gratinated lobster, mussel, and shrimp dish, fresh mahi mahi, grilled sardines, pork terrine and warmed camembert with salad and French bread, just to name a few. The chairs and umbrellas are free if you eat at the café. Four of us ran a tab all day for drinks and our meal which totaled $160 not including tip. Cash only, no plastic.

We have been at Kali’s Beach Bar when FBBC has been closed for their month long holiday. Our preference is FBBC due to the atmosphere and excellent food. It all depends on what one is looking for in a beach bar/cafe setting.

Minor Distractions
The “beach attendants” at Baie Rouge got into a big hassle about who was providing chairs and umbrellas to our foursome. Even though it was mentioned that arrangements had been in the parking lot for chairs, a different attendant commences to set up chairs and the verbal fight between them ensues. Some of the brouhaha may have been put on, but the f----ing language used loudly and frequently between the two guys became too much. Nonetheless, we had decent BBQ’d ribs, chicken, and hamburgers at Chez Raymond while once again, we waited out the rain.

It appeared to us that many of the restaurants were working short-staffed or were trying to contain their overhead with less personnel. We are used to a longer wait in SXM than stateside, which is not an issue for us. It was apparent at several places however, that the wait staff were behind, overwhelmed with customers, and at times orders mixed up. Combined with vacationing people cooped up due to the rain, we saw some very unhappy customers at several places.

Rainy weather. Hardly any tan to sport for our trip home. What can I say?