I always hog the computer……so it is Pam’s turn…

Time sure flies … We left our home on schedule Feb 4th – planned to met Beryl and Mike at the airport – we didn’t – but we had their drinks anyway. The Air Transat flight was great – we upgraded to club class – but couldn’t sit together – no worries – club class isn’t that large and we sat behind each other – that way we could keep an eye on each other – but didn’t have to claim we knew each other in case one of us (Dan) was “over served” . The vacation was off to a great start- saw Walk the Line on the flight and got into SXM within 20 minutes of scheduled arrival time.
Baggage claim was uneventful – except for the fact that many drinks makes all bags look the same – I’m sure ours circled a dozen times before we spotted them.
Used our usual strategy and hailed a cab to the Great Bay… bringing us to check-in just ahead of the bus. (Cab costs between $12.00 and $20.00 US depending on how many drinks you’ve had on board).
And then, as though awakening from a dream – we find ourselves in our home for the week – a clean, comfortable ocean view room… even though its after 9pm we grab our sandals and shorts and head down to the beach to feel the sand between our toes. Aaahhh … we feel we are home …. And so the week begins!
The Great Bay has made some changes – including improved food presentation and selection – a new lobby bar adds to the fun, and of course some of the nicest employees – from the front desk to the towel lady … always a kind word and a pleasant smile.
Vacation for us is all about nothing … that is we do nothing except walk the beach, eat, drink and absorb the good vibes of the people we meet along the way.
It should be noted that the 2nd phase of the board walk has been completed along the bay – now stretching from the pier west to the Sea Palace – phase 3 is said to be completed next year – as far down as the Great Bay. This will help alleviate some of the foot traffic along Front Street. People still seem to be a little hesitant to walk down the alleyways along Front Street – we’ve never had any problems. A new facility is underway at the pier – it spruces up the old water taxi wharf and looks as though it may provide some children’s activities as well. We noticed a greater Police presence in town – not that there was a need – at least as far as we could see – but for many travelers it may provide some peace of mind.
Our daily routine includes stopping at Captain Jacks for our first drinks of the day … a beach bar easily identified by its large Heineken(sp) umbrellas – but the real draw of the bar is the chance to chat with Cynthia and Pamela – 2 hard working local ladies whose enthusiasm & humor keep us coming back… day after day… year after year.
We watch the ships come in each day delivering the masses of vacationing cruisers to the island… many an ashen white – be forewarned - sun screen is mandatory! Many return to their ships an ashen white – after sampling the $1200.00 Heineken’s freely offered by some of the jewelery stores – to help you upgrade from a .5 to 4 carats (LOL) !!
We walk the beach as if we own it – un bothered by the occasional request for time share freebies, or “hair braid’n”, a polite “no thank you” is all that’s ever required… and we move on… past the dock we wander until we come upon the Pasanagrahm (sp) Hotel – one of the oldest hotels on the island – bathed in charm with vibrant, delicate flowers climbing up the balconies… again the real draw is the terrific lady bartender – Janet seems to remember us year after year – always with a welcome hug and pleasant conversation. We meet the most interesting people at Janet’s Beach Bar – from magicians to ordinary people – this year we met someone from Fairbanks, Alaska – and no he doesn’t live in an Igloo!
Mid week we took an excursion – in search of the MaDoudou factory – we (Dan) left the directions at home – and it took several days before we found someone who knew what we were talking about … most just looked confused… finally a local cab driver took us round the French Side – to Cul de Sac – after good naturedly enlightening us on the politics of the island he drove us down a little street and there, off to the side of the road was a small shack… inside were beautiful works of art – hand painted bottles of rhum… where sampling was encouraged… (no Ed and Sandra - we didn’t try the centipede bottle) … we savored and sampled (Dan) and bought 2 bottles and a shot glass… along the way we enjoyed the countryside – perhaps a more day to day view of SXM.
On Wednesday, after confirming that Delivio’s Restaurant was gone, we treated ourselves to dinner at Antoine’s. As the sun went down – we sat facing the bay watching the ships retreat into the night… shared a lovely bottle of wine and entrees of lamb and streak with béarnaise sauce… after the gastronomic feast, we waddled back down the beach to the hotel…
A variation on the beach walk is to grab sandals and head into town. Shopping is not our bag but you can’t help but wonder at the duty free deals to be had – everything from electronics to flipflop’s – and jewelry – Magnificent Jewelry. We stopped in to see a friend – Kenny of Ballerina’s Jewelers – he has never let us down – this year we bought a local gem – tanzanite – a gorgeous purpley blue pear shaped stone – expertly set with a small diamond on each side – the perfect size for my hand!
Thursday night was a big night - Dan couldn’t wait to hand out his TTOL commemorative hats – and meeting many of you was an added bonus. We met at the Buccaneer Beach Bar – the event was hosted by Neil Rooney – manager and owner… short memories and long drinks (Dan) prevent us from naming everyone – but here goes a few… Carol & Eric, Mike and his wife, Dave & Brit, Norm & Betty… and the lovely Deepti and her Sister… (Deepti of DK Gems – another fine Jewelry Store in Philipsburg). Apologies to those we’ve missed.
Our week was winding down – a visit to Uncle Troubles Tees (Philipsburg) for souvenir tee shirts signals our last day…
We arranged a late check out – as our flight wasn’t leaving until 10:00… a friend drove us to the airport to check –in then we headed to the Maho resort for dinner … This year we experienced the Bajatzu Bar & Grill – a fabulous fine dining restaurant…. Salad – which can only be described as being as pleasant to the palate as it was to the eyes…. Delicious steak and succulent duck – each plate being presented with a balance of color and texture… we did not have time for dessert – for our plane was landing – but next year – we will be back – and we will be sure to leave time for the full Bajatzu experience.
And so we are now home – the return flight was a little late in leaving – but otherwise uneventful – its freezing here in beautiful Mississauga and we start all over again…. 358 days and counting!