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Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
#269267
11/17/2021 12:45 PM
11/17/2021 12:45 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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LinkI'm sure the description of the events as "isolated" came from the French tourist minister. And I guess "all is well", until next time.
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: SXMScubaman]
#269280
11/17/2021 02:18 PM
11/17/2021 02:18 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Yes, since Irma, it has been way too often. For me, it makes the idea of staying on the French side unpalatable.
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269287
11/17/2021 03:24 PM
11/17/2021 03:24 PM
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 49 Knoxville, Tennessee
Need island time
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Posts: 49
Knoxville, Tennessee
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We realize we will not change anyone’s mind but still feel some people may have a different opinion. We stayed in Simpson Bay at the Horny Toad for 8 years. We loved everything about the Toad. One vacation we had to change our times & were unable to accommodate us at the Toad for our last 3 days. On recommendation of friends, we moved to Les Balcons. We are not night people. We don’t do casinos, we don’t do bar hopping, we are just homebodies that LOVE SXM beaches. When we were in Simpson Bay, we spent lots of time in traffic traveling to Happy Bay & Orient daily. When we moved to Oyster Pond area, we cut our time in the car from an hour plus to 15 minutes. From that time-on, we never went back to Simpson Bay. We were caught in Orleans before Irma & spent 4 hours in our car waiting for the road to open. The French side residents kept apologizing for us being caught in their fight. This vacation as we went through Orleans the first day of the demonstrations, we saw no older folks, only young men with a different attitude. We spent a couple of days enjoying Les Balcons & then we’re able to get past the roadblocks on the weekend. On Monday& Tuesday, we spent a total of 7 & 1/2 hours in the car going around the island. So are we moving to the Dutch side? No. That7&1/2 hous, we normally spent in the car in 5 days going back & forth from Simpson Bay. So our feeling is to each his own! We love the French side for its quiet, laid back vibe. We love the Dutch side for all the people we love that live there. It is all preference! French are protesting to try to keep their land…..who can argue with that?
Last edited by Need island time; 11/17/2021 03:28 PM.
We always need island time! Ben & Katie
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Need island time]
#269288
11/17/2021 03:27 PM
11/17/2021 03:27 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,267 Maryland/DC Metro
BeachKitten
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I'm with you island time.  Last week we just waited it out, and went to Orient and Grand Case when the main way was open. No biggie. We are going to do the same as you, and add days to our trip that will be reserved to solely stay in Orient Village. Cheers!
"It is good to do nothing all day, and then to rest"
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: BeachKitten]
#269292
11/17/2021 03:52 PM
11/17/2021 03:52 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Leona--At this point, the only way I would stay on the French side would be somewhere in Orient Village. There have just been TOO many disruptions. I do not consider it to be 'restful' to sit and home and worry before our trip, whether there will be another round of disruptions while I am there. One could spend your entire trip within Orient Village, if necessary. But then there is the issue of whether we won't be able to get back to the airport to go home, etc.. .
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269294
11/17/2021 04:16 PM
11/17/2021 04:16 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,267 Maryland/DC Metro
BeachKitten
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Oh yes, it would definitely be in the Village! I dunno...after what our country went through last year, and the chance that things happen in DC at any moment...I suppose I have a different view of these things. lol AND, I'd have my butt on a boat or a jet-ski to get to the airport. Or friends who know the backroads to lead me out. When there's a will, there's a way. 
"It is good to do nothing all day, and then to rest"
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: BeachKitten]
#269295
11/17/2021 04:23 PM
11/17/2021 04:23 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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I obsess over too many things regarding vacation already, to have to worry about taking a boat to the airport..
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Need island time]
#269297
11/17/2021 04:54 PM
11/17/2021 04:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 755 Chicago area & St-Martin
ChiTownHarry
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We love the French side for its quiet, laid back vibe. We love the Dutch side for all the people we love that live there. It is all preference! French are protesting to try to keep their land…..who can argue with that? And we love it too. We own a condo at Les Balcons. We made the mistake of going to Ginger in Simpson Bay for sushi. Took use a hour and a half to return to Les Balcons after picking up our sushi.
--ChiTownHarry
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269322
11/18/2021 07:16 AM
11/18/2021 07:16 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 217
PnPinNC
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We were on the island the last three week through the latest round of protests. Yes, we stay on the French side and would not even entertain staying on the Dutch side. I avoid the Dutch side at all costs - tell my wife that going over there sets me back on the relaxation factor. Now, having said all of that, the recent protests were not a problem for us at all, we traveled back and forth between Orient and Marigot all the time. For what it's worth, the Gerdarmes kept the route through Marigot to the Dutch side open the whole time. It was the main road through Sandy Ground and d'Orleans that were blocked. We saw them try to block the backroads through Orleans to Oyster and even try to setup a roadblock on the hill above Orient, but the the Gerndarmes were not having that - watched them tear those down about as fast as they put them up. The day before St Martin Day, they came through and cleare it all out, and that was it - over. Now, I do feel bad for those that rely on tourists - especially from the ships, because they got hurt in all of this. We have a friend who owns one of the large restaraunts on Orient, and she told us that she had been slow. ...but all said and done it is the French side that draws us to the island.
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: PnPinNC]
#269335
11/18/2021 10:05 AM
11/18/2021 10:05 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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So, in other words, the only roads that were blocked were because the gendarmes ALLOWED them to be blocked? I don't know whether that makes me feel better or worse..
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: PnPinNC]
#269340
11/18/2021 10:20 AM
11/18/2021 10:20 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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We do not discuss US politics here.
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269342
11/18/2021 10:27 AM
11/18/2021 10:27 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 18,421 St Maarten
BillandElaine
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Believe me, the gendarmes do what they are told to do, they don't make decisions. In France, protests come with some protections.
Elaine ********************************* God Bless the broken road....
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269356
11/18/2021 11:54 AM
11/18/2021 11:54 AM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 921
CaribLee
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Posts: 921
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"French are protesting to try to keep their land…..who can argue with that?"
I have no problem with a peaceful, legal protest. I don't consider blocking roads, burning things and demanding payments peaceful or legal.
Last edited by CaribLee; 11/18/2021 04:23 PM.
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: CaribLee]
#269364
11/18/2021 12:48 PM
11/18/2021 12:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,281 Brookfield, CT.
pat
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"French are protesting to try to keep their land…..who can argue with that?"
I have no problem with a peaceful, legal protests. I don't consider blocking roads, burning things and demanding payments peaceful or legal. Nor do I, CaribLee, here, there or anywhere - she says, feeling a little like Dr. Seuss - but it seems we may be in the minority here.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: pat]
#269365
11/18/2021 12:56 PM
11/18/2021 12:56 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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pat--No, I think most people here agree with CaribLee. Nothing about what these folks were doing, holding up people for money, burning stuff, etc, was peaceful. Demanding money to pass on the roads is extortion.
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269369
11/18/2021 02:04 PM
11/18/2021 02:04 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,070 Clearwater, FL
Biturbo
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Clearwater, FL
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So, is the main road through Sandy Ground open or not? We are staying in Parc Orientale for 10 days in January, and would like to drive to Jordan Village to meet friends for dinner, without having to drive around the island. PnP, I agree with you for the most part. We've been going to the island since '85 (our honeymoon) and have come to love the French side - the beaches, the food, the people we've met and the European ambiance. Having said that, we met a couple and spent a week at their small guesthouse in Dutch Cul-de-Sac in July and loved it. However, most days we still drove to Orient (usually through French Quarter). We still intend to go in January - it will be kind of celebrating 2 things (my wife's retirement and our downsizing and relocating) - but will have to think long & hard about future visits, unless things change.
I'm going where the weather suits my clothes.
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Biturbo]
#269370
11/18/2021 02:15 PM
11/18/2021 02:15 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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All roads are open now. By January??
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#269386
11/18/2021 05:23 PM
11/18/2021 05:23 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,070 Clearwater, FL
Biturbo
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And as we've found out a lot can change between arrival and departure. But warm weather in the middle of January (we've never gone then) will make us ready to depart the NE.
I'm going where the weather suits my clothes.
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: Seaisle]
#269793
11/24/2021 02:36 PM
11/24/2021 02:36 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 79,959 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Sorry to hear that. As of now, there are actually less Covid obstacles than there have been for a long time, but everyone has to do what they think best.
Carol Hill
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Re: Tourist ministers discuss "isolated" events on French side
[Re: bdeeley]
#269795
11/24/2021 03:44 PM
11/24/2021 03:44 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,281 Brookfield, CT.
pat
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Very nice and no cruiseship obliterating the view of Saba. 😊😊
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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