St. Martin 2004 Trip Report – Part 3 of 3

Thanks for being patient with us everyone! We know it’s a long trip report, and with having to return to work with business travel and the dealings of day to day activity in our offices, we were forced to finish up our report this weekend. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/typing.gif" alt="" />

So, to those who haven’t read part 1 or 2, go find them and get yourself up to speed. For those who have been waiting for part 3, your in for a treat. Now would be a good time to open that last bottle of Mau Dou Dou <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Madoudou.gif" alt="" />and snuggle up to your computer with the one you love! This report is complete with a link to our pictures. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" />

Monday:
In all of our previous trips to St. Martin we have never really had the desire to head into Philipsburg. We’ve got to admit that we’ve actually purposely stayed away from Philipsburg as much as possible due to the traffic and busy environment of Front Street. This year, we decided to throw caution to the wind and head into town with a special jewelry purchase in mind.

We woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, had breakfast in our studio and headed into Philipsburg to begin our search for a ring for Renee. As we drove into Philipsburg, parking quickly became a major challenge… thus reminding us why we have stayed away in years past. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Crazy.gif" alt="" /> After driving from one end of Front Street to the other, we got a handle on the parking situation. It is best to park as far away from Front Street as you can. We found the large parking area near the telecommunications offices and secured the car. We weren’t out of the car for 2 seconds when the timeshare people approached us. Now that we know their strategy, it is easy for us to tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/duel.gif" alt="" />That’s the Boston in Zach anyway… <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /><img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> The timeshare people quickly figured that they were in for a losing battle and drove off. We proceeded to walk down to Front Street and have a look for ourselves.

Front Street is the ultimate candy store for shoppers. If you are looking for a particular designer or style, you are sure to find it here. We must have walked into 20 jewelry stores over the course of the morning before we found Venetian Jewelers. A gentleman by the name of Ash helped us out. He was great because he LISTENED to what we were looking for and LEARNED what Renee’s tastes were almost immediately. We were upfront with him, telling him what our budget was (which he really appreciated). He then produced a wonderful 14K white gold ring with 3 sapphires set in it. From looking at the price tag, it was way out of our price range, but after fiddling with his calculator for a few moments, he came up with a price that we thought was more than fair, and affordable to us. Next, he asked if we’d like a cold beer. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drinking.gif" alt="" />Now, I’ve read stories about the stores offering beer to their shoppers and Renee must have tried on 50 rings over the course of the day. Venetian Jewelers was the only store that offered this. Yes, it’s a simple gesture, but it went a long way… especially with Zach! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Over the course of a couple of brewskys, Ash continued to prove himself as a really good salesman, producing a pair of earrings that went well with the ring. As he now began to show Renee diamond pendants, Zach had to pull up the emergency brake, bringing the sales pitch to a screeching halt! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> We made our purchases and exchanged contact information knowing that we’ll definitely return for the pendant next year. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

We continued down Front Street, stopping here and there for some Cuban cigars (which we’re going to enjoy tonight… shhhhhh) and for a birthday gift for Renee’s Mom. At some point we ended up on the pier, looking out at the one cruise ship that was in port. All in all, it was a positive experience that we’re glad occurred during our trip. We will certainly return to Philipsburg for some shopping in the future.

We were pretty much starving <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/hungry.gif" alt="" />at this point and needed some nourishment in a major way, so we decided to see if Johnny B’s Under the Tree was open. After fighting the traffic up and down the hill to Cole Bay (are they ever going to fix this problem?), we passed by Johnny B’s. He was closed. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" /> We continued on to Marigot and parked the car down by the waterfront. Last year we had lunch at one of the lolo’s on the waterfront and the food was fantastic… price was good too! We chose one of the lolo’s called Le Gout and sat down for lunch. We both enjoyed good sized portions of curry Chicken with rice, plantains, salad & some beer and wine. Our waitress (Simple D) was very entertaining. She said that she was from Jamaica and here on St. Martin writing her own music (reggae) and trying to get produced. At the end of our meal, she sang us one of her songs and to our surprise, she was very good. We encouraged her to never give up and she said to keep our eyes and ears open in the future for Simple D. After lunch, we headed back to our room for a dip in the Jacuzzi and a quick nap before dinner this evening at Mai’s in Marigot! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

Before we left the states for the island, a couple by the name of Kevin & Gay wrote in their trip report about a restaurant called Mai’s. We had never heard of this place before this trip and based on their description of the restaurant, we had to give it a try. What a find! The place was really unbelievable in terms of décor, friendliness of the staff, ambiance, presentation, etc. We made a reservation prior to dinner and were glad that we did because every table was full. There are about 7 tables including a large table for approximately 10 people. From what we saw, Mai only has one seating per night and she was turning people away during the course of our dinner that had arrived without a reservation. This was the only restaurant that we dined at during our trip where reservations were completely necessary. We arrived at the restaurant, walked up the stairs and rang the little bell by the door. Mai came over and greeted us, letting us in and locking the white gate behind us. The restaurant is really Mai’s home. She has a large veranda style porch out front for dining. The rest of her home is filled with Vietnamese décor and is very charming…abundant with plants, flowers and melodic music filling the place. It was very warm and humid that evening, and we were glad that the veranda in which we dined was open air, allowing a nice breeze to pass through.

We ordered a couple of appetizers to share… the fresh spring rolls & Mai’s salad, which was made up of vegetables, chicken, fruit, lettuce, etc. You can see a picture of the salad in our photos posted at the end of this report. Presentation here was really phenomenal. For the main dish, Zach had the coconut shrimp in a curry sauce and Renee enjoyed the red snapper which was filleted and stuffed with veggies, finished with a special sauce on it. While the service is a bit slow (and believe us we are not complaining), it gives you the opportunity to really get into the whole “Mai’s experience”. Incredibly romantic, exotic and the food here is second to none. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

The other woman that worked at Mai’s was coming around the restaurant with a video camera. She explained that it was their last night before going on vacation for the month of June, and they wanted to get some footage of the restaurant in action. So, we made it into their home video! After dinner, we both had espresso coffee and shared a desert of candied fruits including candied lotus which was unique. All in all, Mai’s was a terrific find that we will most certainly return to in the years to come. We wish to extend a huge thank you <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/thanks.gif" alt="" />to Kevin and Gay (Cannucks) for writing about it in their report.

After dinner, we decided to give the Dolphin casino another shot. After all, we were up a little bit so far this trip. Zach played some roulette and ended up losing some. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/sorry.gif" alt="" />He just wasn’t lucky tonight. Renee wanted to hit the slots for a bit, so we gave that a try. Before we knew it, Renee had hit for 500 quarters, winning back everything Zach had lost and then some. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> So, our lucky streak continued (or we should say Renee’s lucky streak continued)! We hung out awhile longer for some more free drinks at the casino, and then decided to cash out while we were still ahead. Bliss was closed and Cohibar wasn’t really happening last Monday, so we headed back to our studio for the night in an effort to hit the beach bright and early the next day.<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/snore.gif" alt="" />

Tuesday:
We awoke on Tuesday to find yet another beautiful day in paradise. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We needed another full beach day before we left the island, and because we had plans to hit the Marigot market on Wednesday to stock up on our rhum, we decided to beach it for most of the day. We headed down to La Playa on Orient to claim our usual spot for the day. By this time, most of the vendors had come to recognize us and not bother us with the usual sales pitch for braids, wraps, pictures, etc. But the occasional vendor would try to sell us, and a simple but firm “non merci” would do just fine.

For lunch we ate at La Playa’s restaurant and split a turkey croissant & a ham and cheese panini. Both were very good and after a couple more guavaberry colada’s it was again time to hit the beach. We spent the afternoon being lazy on the beach… life was damn good right now, and we reflected back upon the previous weeks events. The hardest decision we had to make at this point was where to have dinner this evening. After our typical daily nap we headed back out to Mario’s Bistro for dinner again.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves the week earlier at Mario’s and had to do it again! Renee had the Chilean seabass special and Zach enjoyed the scallops dish that Renee had earlier in the week. That, coupled with a fantastic white wine and we had entered heaven once again. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" /> We were pretty much exhausted at this point in time… go figure right? So, we decided to call it an early night and hit the hay. Tomorrow would be our last full day on the island… until April! HA! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Wednesday:
Wednesday was our last full day on the island this trip, and we had not made our annual excursion to the Marigot marketplace. After breakfast in our room, we made the trip into Marigot and boy was it busy! There were multiple cruise ships in port and it was unusually difficult to find parking, but we managed. We located a pair of beautiful earrings for Renee’s mom’s birthday!! We made a few additional purchases after weeding through all of the junk for sale, and managed to find the guy selling rhum in his ususal spot. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" /> Once again he recognized us as regular customers and after sampling cup after cup of his famous rhum, it was time to buy. The funny thing is, that we already know what the rhum tastes like, and year after year, we ask him for a tasting as if we didn’t know what to expect! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> He must think that we’re a couple of characters. We try to bring back as many bottles as we can carry on the plane each year in an effort to make it last as long as we can. Somehow though, it never seems to last more than a couple of months. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" /> If you are reading this, you probably know what we mean because at the beginning of Part 3 we told you to go and open that last bottle you brought home with you. You’re your probably cursing us saying that you wish you had some left! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> Anyway, we got a tremendous deal on the rhum… partly because we were telling people that seemed interested in trying some that it was the best rhum on the island. Hey – we’re not kidding here! He’s got the best deals & rhum (next to Bistrot Caraibes) on the island! So, after helping him sell a dozen bottles, he usually gives us a good deal.

After making all of our purchases, and drinking all of that rhum, it was absolutely necessary that we grab a bite to eat! We wanted to try yet another one of the lolo’s in Marigot so we chose the one right next to Le Gout. It’s name escapes us now. These little restaurants all have really good food and are a tremendous value. This time Zach tried the curry goat (hey – the guy loves spicy food), and Renee had the garlic shrimp (the woman loves garlic)! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> After lunch, we were walking back to our car and were loading it up with all of our goodies when another time share couple approached us. We immediately told them that we were familiar with their timeshare sales pitch and they wouldn’t take no for an answer. It finally took us basically mocking them and laughing and pointing at them, and ultimately embarrassing them to get them to leave us alone. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pirate.gif" alt="" /> They drove off with their tails between their legs… trust us! It wouldn’t be the first time that a timeshare salesperson called us “crazy Americans”! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Upon returning to our room to drop off our stuff and chill out before dinner, we couldn’t resist opening one of the bottles of banana vanilla rhum that we had waited so long for. After our nap, we headed out for dinner at Bistrot Caraibes for what we called “The last supper”. We pulled into Grand Case and parked the car in the pay lot for $4. During the course of our trip we never felt threatened or weird anywhere on the island except for our first night in Grand Case when we parked near the basketball courts. We didn’t feel threatened per say... It was more like Zach got pissed off <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Mad.gif" alt="" /> that this bum asked for some money in exchange for making sure that “no one would slash our tires”. Zach gave him a buck and figured that we’ll see what happens. When we got back to the car after dinner that night the car was fine, but we opted for the pay lot whenever we were in Grand Case the rest of our stay. After securing the car in the pay lot, we noticed that there was a full moon. We ended up taking a couple of self timer pictures in the light of the full moon before heading over to Bistrot Caraibes for dinner. We were inquiring about the full moon parties happening at Friars beach, and no one seemed to know for sure. Looking back on things, we should have asked Kali himself but didn’t. However, we think that the full moon party occurred either on the Friday or Saturday after we left.

Each and every visit to Bistrot Caraibes this year ended up with us walking in with an empty bottle of their rhum and leaving with a full bottle! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> We were greeted outside by Thibeault & Aumery, and they let us choose whatever table we wanted. We chose a different table than before for a different perspective on things during dinner. We wanted to prolong the experience, so we went really slow throughout the meal. We started with a glass of their peach champagne. It was very fruity and a perfect beginning to the meal. For dinner, Renee had the garlic shrimp and scallops appetizer, prepared as an entre and Zach had the Stuffed Chicken breast a la Contessa! It doesn’t say that on the menu… but maybe it should as Thibeault made sure to tell us that it was Contessa’s favorite and when it was brought out he served it, calling it Chicken a la Contessa. As a matter of fact, we’re going to send them an email suggesting just that. For desert, we shared the homemade hazelnut nougat ice cream which was wonderful. Afterwards we sat and enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant as we sipped glass after glass of their homemade rhum digestif. There was a point about half way through the bottle that we made the boys come over and do a couple of rhum shots with us. After we kept making them drink more shots with us, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> they cleverly removed their glasses from the table. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> We did end up getting another bottle to go (hey – would you think any differently?) . After settling up, we said our goodbye’s and wished them well until we return.

On the way back to our car we bumped into a couple that was looking for a good place to eat. We immediately directed them into Bistrot Caraibes and mentioned the amazing meal that we had just enjoyed. From here it was off to our room to freshen up before heading over to the Dutch side of the island for one last night. We ended up parking in the Caravanserai parking area and heading over to Bliss which was closed. We heard music and ventured over to Bamboo Bernie’s to see what was happening. After a few cocktails and some dancing, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" /> who walked in but the couple that we had just recommended Bistrot Caraibes to. They came over to us and thanked us for the recommendation, stating that they too had enjoyed a memorable evening. They introduced themselves as Ron and Viviana. They were on their 25th anniversary and hadn’t been back to SXM since 25 years ago! We enjoyed great conversation and a couple more drinks with them before they decided to head back and turn in for the night. We continued to dance the night away, and again closed down the bar. We headed back to our studio and again wanted to see the sunrise one last time before we had to depart. So, we packed up a bag and headed down to the beach where we witnessed sunrise #4. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Love.gif" alt="" /><img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Kiss.gif" alt="" /><img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Kiss.gif" alt="" /> After the sun had come up, we realized that we needed to check out at noon, so we got in a few hours of sleep.

Thursday:
We woke up around 10am and began the depressing task of packing up all of our things. This year we took 2 suitcases… thank goodness we did. How the heck did we fit everything into one suitcase on our previous trips anyway? After checking out and saying goodbye to Bridget at the Green Cay reception, we headed down to La Playa to get a panini to go. Unfortunately they weren’t open for food yet, so we decided to head to Mrs. B’s on the way to the airport for a couple of cheeseburgers to go.

We got to Mrs. B’s and Renee stayed in the car with all of our stuff. There’s no way we were going to let our car get broken into on the last day! Zach ordered up the burgers to go. We headed over to the airport and got stuck in traffic. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Mad.gif" alt="" /> You guessed it… up and over the hill to Cole Bay. This time traffic was so bad that we had the opportunity to eat our burgers in the car. Mrs. B’s makes a mean cheeseburger, redeeming themselves from the year before when we caught ourselves saying “where’s the beef”? Upon our arrival to the airport, we unloaded our gear and Zach pulled into the parking lot to find Lesley Bruce waiting for us where we turned in the car and keys without a hitch. We will definitely be renting from Lesley again in April. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

We boarded our plane and watched as all of the tanned people filled the aircraft. Vacations have finally come to an end. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />
We saw the new planes landing, full of anxious people on vacations just beginning.
We were both quiet, with our own thoughts… recalling the surreal, blissful 10 days… and the memories that were created. We discussed the highlights of this trip: Getting to watch the sunrise, in the ocean on Orient Beach with two of our closest friends, IN paradise.
Getting to see the sunrise 3 additional times!!! The gastronomical dinners and gorgeous, sunny days... Zouk dancing... Philipsburg for the first time... New restaurants, old favorite restaurants... Dancing, dancing and more dancing. Finally winning at the casino!!
Being with the one that you truly love… in the place that you both truly love.
Then we realized that we couldn’t sum up the highlights… because being on St. Martin IS the highlight.

What is it about St. Martin that makes us feel like we’re 18 again?
What is it about that little island that is so enchanting, magical and addicting?
We mutually decided that we don’t think that we could find the words to give an answer… It can only be experienced.
Those of you that have been there, know exactly what we’re talking about.

As our plane taxied down the runway and lifted off from Princess Juliana airport… We looked out the window, down to the mountainous island of St. Martin/ St. Maarten with nostalgic eyes… as we waved, saying “see you next year”.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />
Here’s a link to our pics: Zach & Renee's trip report photos

We know this report was lengthy… but this was not only our trip report, but our diary of ‘another 10 days in paradise’… Thanks for reading it and thank you for all of your comments and questions – which we can now respond to.

Cheers!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />
….Until April 2005!