This years trip to the island included quite a few firsts for us as we attempted to escape the pull of sand gravity that usually grabs us by mid week, and finally got a little further down that list of things to do that never seems to get close to being completed.

Flights – Norfolk to Charlotte to SXM - US AIRWAYS arrived early and uneventful, the return not quite as smooth as weather in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area created a 2 hour delay on our return, the silver lining there was we had plenty of time to get through immigration which was jammed packed when we landed in Charlotte.

Car Rental – Kenny's Car Rental, as usual Lesley was waiting for us when we arrived with our van and 10 minutes and we are on our way. Lesley also met as promptly on Easter Sunday as we dropped off 4 of our party at the airport and we exchanged the van for a Corolla. I know he has plenty of supporters on this forum which he has earned with his exceptional service and pricing.

Lodging- This was one of our firsts as we rented a townhouse in Orient Village for 10 days. This 3 bedroom unit was completely air conditioned and has its own private pool. It was a leisurely 3-4 minute walk to the village and the beach which worked out nice since each couple could operate on their own schedule and we would still eventually wind up on the beach at some point in the day.

The wife and I were fortunate enough to extend our trip for another 5 days and we got a great deal through one of the travel sites ( $105 a night) at the Flamingo an oceanfront 1 bedroom unit 7422, another first for us. The unit was large and in nice shape as were the grounds and pool area. We have now stayed at The Royal Palm, The Villas at Simpson Bay, and now The Flamingo and I would be hard pressed to have to rate them, all three have their own advantages depending on what an individuals priorities are. On a side note as the wife and I were having breakfast at Bon Appetite the trucks were bring down old furniture from the units on the hill so I assume there are some serious renovations going on.

Firsts- Staying that long at Orient meant we have no excuse not to finally have a breakfast at Paradise View. Our group thoroughly enjoyed their breakfast and of course the view which is just awesome. Also got a chance to met and donate to Bernadine's cause, great lady and very appreciative for any donation received.

After all these trips finally got over to Calmos Cafe for some late afternoon cocktails, weather was great and so were the drinks. Glad we finally got there.

Anse Marcel has to be one of the prettiest places on the island. We enjoyed a nice day lounging and had an outstanding lunch at the restaurant on the left hand side facing the water, the name unfortunately escapes me. Great food and drink however it was a bit pricey.

Bikini Beach, I know this is a sensitive subject for some on the board but we did split out time at Orient between here and Kakao. The lounge chairs had the most comfortable cushions I have sat on at Orient and the lunches were outstanding. I highly recommend the fish pot lunch entree.

Rancho Del Sol, if only the food matched the view over Orient Bay at night. The staff was friendly and attentive but the general consensus of the group was that the meals where just average.

Cote Plages in the village. Very interesting menu and our group had meals ranging from pasta to beef to seafood kebabs. Everyone enjoyed their meals and I can highly recommend the shrimp and scallop kebabs. We will be back on our next trip.

Little Italy- We selected this place our second night on the island because of the special of the night half a Caribbean lobster over pasta. After our third round of drinks we started to become concerned whether our food was ever going to arrive. The manager did come over to offer us another round of drinks and a bottle of wine to compensate us for the delay/mix up but that was like pouring fuel on the fire. Eventually our meals did arrive the lobster was very good but the pasta was terrible. Nice menu, maybe we just caught them on a bad night, however with so many other choices I'm not sure we will be back.

Soggy Dollar Bar- Hard to find, but worth the effort. I is really quite the experience to sit outside and have a beer just a few feet away from some incredible ships and sail boats. The prices are cheap and the yacht crews can be very entertaining after a few drinks.

Sint Maarten Yacht Club- The wife and I had lunch there Easter Sunday waiting for our room to become available at the Flamingo and breakfast the morning of our return. Good food and service, not sure how come it took me so long so get there.

La Bamba - Finally made it to the Sunday night Rock and Roll night. We had a great time as the music was great and the people watching even better.

Oldies but Goodies

Andy and Cheryl's- Had the opportunity to have lunch and visit Cheryl twice during our stay. We are originally from Philly so we love the menu and the food and of course the company. Good as ever.

Piazza Pascal – Donna and Pascal are great hosts and I think they are probably the value in Grand Case. I had the Shrimp Scampi while the others had the ravioli special and the fish special (Red Snapper I think). A great bottle of wine and of course dessert. Great as always.

Le Piment- By far my favorite place in the village. Food is always outstanding and our meal this year was no exception. I had one of the specials, duck breast in fig sauce, another had the rib-eye, and a third had the beef tender lion, and last but not least was a lamb special. We also ordered takeout pizza when we had had too much lunch eat a large dinner.

Kakao- Can't come to the island with out spending a couple of late afternoon/early evenings hanging at GP's bar listening to music and enjoying the company of the regulars who seem to wonder down every afternoon for a drink. Always a highlight for us.

Karakter- The wife and I spent a day at Karakter's and split the tapas for two for lunch When the weathers right this is one of our favorite places to hang on the dutch side.

Moulin Fou – Our favorite Maho restaurant. Enjoyed the duck special while the wife has a salmon dish of some sort. Outstanding service and excellent food.

Fusion- This was our first time at Fusion at its current location and we were a bit concerned because it was empty. Food and service were just as good as we had remembered as I enjoyed the filet while the wife enjoyed her lamb.

Pinel Isle – Took our annual visit to Pinel however this time we went over to the Karibuni side of the island. Our group decided that the service and food were better at Yellow Beach where we normally go.

Miscellaneous

Yellow Sub- Ate and drank several times at the new Yellow Sub. Very convenient when you are looking for some American type food if you not in the mood for a big dinner, also has a large screen tv for sports and American tv channels. They have a salsa /reggae night and a live acoustic performer a couple of times a week. I hope they make it, it's a nice change of pace in that area.

Casino Petit- The new store is well stocked and not priced to badly for the convenience.

Weather was great all 15 days, only 2 afternoon showers that rolled through quickly, water was wonderful.

Fastest fifteen days of my life,had a great time.

Thanks for reading, didn’t plan on it being so long.

Walt