This was our 10th trip to the island and it was a very special time for us this year. We celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary on April 30 and decided as our gift to ourselves we would spend two weeks in St. Martin this year rather than our usual one. What a mistake…we enjoyed it so much that one week will never be enough!<br><br>Sorry if this report is too long but I kept a day by day journal of our activities and will try to post them in point form. If you wish, please feel free to SKIP THROUGH the day by day activities, I will place our GENERAL IMPRESSIONS AT THE END.<br><br>To save time and space in the daily postings this general comment can be added wherever (*) is found:<br>"talked to a lot of people, drank Caribs, snorkeled, read books"<br><br>Saturday, May 5 – Arrived in St. Martin at 6:30 p.m. flight from Toronto. Immigration cards were not handed out on the plane (even after my wife asked the stewardess) so we filled them out standing in immigration line. We were one the first ones through. Bags came quickly. Met Alain Arnell’s girl outside arrivals. She drove us to the yard behind Pizza Hut and we were on our way in 10 minutes. Arrived at Palm Court at 8 and checked in. Bikini Beach was closed for dinner so we drove to Talk of the Town in Grand Case. Had ribs, chicken and crab back and a few beers each, $23. Talked with artists Mair Patterson and Frenchy. Back to room to collapse.<br><br>Sunday, May 6 – Went to Surf Club for Andy’s breakfast - great. Found out Toronto had beaten New Jersey 3-2 (Hockey). Got groceries at the Texaco station in Cul de Sac. Went to Club O (*) booked Tiko Tiko for Tuesday. Went to Atlantis Casino that night for Ladies Night but no one at Atlantis seemed to know anything about it, we didn’t like the atmosphere there so we moved on to the Dolphin…lucky, I won $30. Stopped at Ric’s Place in Simpson Bay for supper and watched the end of the Raptor’s game.<br><br>Monday, May 7 – Woke up to lousy weather, had breakfast in the room then walked to Blue Bay and back. At that point the weather had not cleared so we went shopping in Phillipsburg. Went to G N Jewellers and bought my wife’s anniversary present (anniversary ring) while Umesh , who waited on us, kept giving me cold anaesthetics (Caribs). The weather had still not cleared so we went to Papagayo for lunch. Stopped at Surf Club South and picked up the TTOL temporary tattoos that Pierre had left with Cheryl for me. Also asked Cheryl about a Carib T Shirt, she said they were very difficult to get but she would try. That evening went to Ric’s and watched the Leafs lose. Returned to room and got a call from Elisa (owner of Palm Court) that the water would be unusable for 2 days. This would affect the whole French side. Bacteria had been found and they had to flush the whole system.<br><br>Tuesday, May 8 – Weather still crappy and raining. Went to Papagayo and checked with Philippe (Captain of Tiko Tiko). Cancelled cruise due to bad weather and rescheduled for Thursday. Drove to Phillipsburg again, stopped at St. Maarten Zoo but it was closed. Back to Club O in afternoon. Although overcast I managed to get a burn. Dance at Papagayo in the evening and met Jacques, the new manager – had a great time.<br><br>Wednesday, May 9 – Awakened at 3 a.m. by the noise of a torrential downpour. By morning it had not let up. Lawn behind Palm Court was flooded. Went to my car and the water was up to the bottom of the doors. Managed to drive to Cul de Sac for bread and heard on the radio that many areas were flooded and the schools on the French side were closed. Went back to Palm Court and waded through the knee deep water in the L"Hoste parking lot to get to Bikini Beach for coffee. Boca Raton and Capri Hotel reception areas were under water. Drove to Marigot for a look around (not much to do on a day like this) and then stopped at Talk of the Town for lunch. Rain stopped around 1:00 so we went to Papagayo and had a few drinks with Jacques and then went to the beach anyway. Had a great time talking with the few people who were there and spent a great deal of time in the water. That evening went to Casino Royale but did not stay long – very poor returns on slots. Stopped at Ric’s Place to watch the Leafs lose again. Great food at Ric’s and very inexpensive. Returned to room, at this point no sun for three days! (We were later informed that it was the most rain St. Martin had received in a 24 hour period since Hurricane Luis).<br><br>Thursday, May 10 – Cloudy but no rain yet. Went on Tiko Tiko cruise and the day turned our beautiful. This was our 5th time on the cruise. 12 people on board and met Frank & Anna, Joe & Claire, Randy & Rita, Bruce & Dora, Guilio and Sarah. After lunch I asked Philippe about the mud bath and he just pointed to the bucket and the beach and said I could do it. I mixed up the mud and we had a blast as usual and of course out came the cameras for the "group shots" . Some on the cruise said they had read TTOL but were not registered. I assured they should register, come on guys, where are you Joe, Frank? Returned to Papagayo and stayed for Happy Hour with the Group. Six of us then went to L’Amandier in Grand Case. Nice place but we found the waiters to be very curt when we did not order wine and appetizers. We just had spaghetti alfredo at $16 each, which was very over priced for what it was.<br><br>Friday May 11 – Went to Pastisserie in Cul de Sac for bread and then ate breakfast in room. Went for beach walk and then off to Club O for the day (*). Sightseeing to Anse Marcel and then to Grand Case. Made reservations at Le Repere du Pirate for an hour later. This is a must do. Found out about it on this board. Wonderful meal in a unique atmosphere (although very warm – no breeze). Shared an appetizer – goat cheese wrapped in bacon. Ordered prime rib for two ( it could have fed 4). Domenique the owner then comes to the table with a free after dinner drink of his own concoction. It is served in an old tea pot and is consists of Rum, Cognac and a few other things. I had 3 and had to stop him from pouring me more! Total cost including 4 glasses of wine was 360 FF or approx. $52 US. This is a must do! Stopped to talk to Frenchy and gave her dog Brownie some of our left over prime rib…the start of a beautiful friendship! Returned to the room and then went to the beach and drank Ma Dou Dou and looked at the stars.<br><br>Saturday May 12 – Raining again, drove to ATM for some free money. Stopped at Sunset Beach Bar and met Neil . He recognized my illegal TTOL hat. Had a great conversation with him. Returned to Palm Court via Terre Basse and had lunch in room (still raining off and on). Went to Club O for the afternoon (*). Went to dance that evening at Papagayo. Had dinner and spoke with Jacques for quite a while. Great Folk Singer entertained and then Karaeoke. Great MC did impersonations of Elvis and Bob Marley. Small but very lively crowd.<br><br>Sunday May 13 – Breakfast in room. Went to Club O (*). Lunch at Surf Club South. It was fabulous – Andy’s spare ribs a wonderful! My wife had a meat ball sub which she said was great. This was Mother’s Day – we spoke with Andy and Cheryl quite a bit as we have been regular customers of theirs since back in the Grand Case Days (94). Cheryl said she was not a mother, but she has Andy – good point! No Carib T Shirt yet. Back to Club O (*). That evening we went to Bistro Caribes in Grand Case for our Anniversary Dinner (on Cheryl’s recommendation). Shared a bottle of wine – appetizers: me, onion soup; she: caesar salad. Main: me, sea bass; she, sirloin tip. Great meal, wonderful atmosphere. Cost about 360FF or $52 US. Still had leftovers. Stopped to see Frenchy and Brownie and gave him the whole doggie bag…this was to become a habit! Back to room for a few Ma Dou Dous.<br><br>Monday, May 14 – Breakfast in Room, off to Marigot for 1 hour film processing, but this has never happened for us, we were told they would by ready by 6. Back to room for beach stuff and off to Club O (*), met Pete and Anne from NJ but originally from Montreal. Back to room for cleanup and off to Marigot for pictures. Went to Orleans to try Poulet d’Orleans and recommend on this board, but they were closed. Went to Talk of the Town for ribs instead and of course saved a few scraps for Brownie. Bought 2 paintings, 1 from Frenchy and 1 from Mair Patterson. Went to Bikini Beach Bar for a few drinks, wife was craving Pizza to we went to Madras Restaurant in the parking lot between L’Hoste and St. Tropez. Had pizza and a few more drinks. Great pizza….open until 11. Went to room and collapsed…so much for our cheap night out.<br><br>Tuesday, May 15 – Breakfast in room, we seem to be sleeping later and later. Club 0 (*). Lunch at Surf Club. This time I had a grouper burger and she chicken breast sandwich – both great! No Carib T Shirt yet but Cheryl got right on the phone and called her contact with a "gentle reminder". Did some shopping at Pedro’s Mall. Back to beach and met Jim and Carmen from this board and also Larry and Sherry. Spotted Jim because his TTOL T Shirt was hanging from the umbrella. Went to SSBB for TTOL get together organized by Lorrie Thomas. 9 present: Lorrie, Jim and Carmen, Sam and Louisa from Calgary and Brian and Stephanie from Boston. A tip of the TTOL hat to Lorrie for organizing this, it was wonderful speaking to everyone and putting faces to names. After get together we went to Dolphin Casino as my wife loves playing the slots, however, it was me who came out $70 ahead….this is getting too good. Stopped at Ric’s Place for a burger and met Ric. I was feeling under the weather - or was it the rum - anyway, my wife decided she would drive back to the hotel – first time driving more than a few hundred yards on the island. Back to room safe and sound.<br><br>Wednesday, May 16 – Breakfast in room. Off to Club O (*) by 9:30. We are getting there earlier and earlier and staying later and later. Introduced people around us on the beach to Ma Dou Dou – a great hit. Surf Club South for lunch with Jim and Carmen and introduced Jim to Andy’s ribs, still no Carib T Shirt. Stayed for Club O Wine and Cheese Party as guests of Jim & Carmen. Off to Grand Case with Jim & Carmen, introduced them to Frenchy and Brownie. Portofino for supper, never been before, great find, good food at a very moderate price, good band also. Less than $10 for an entrée such as Lasagna or Ravioli. I had mussels and chips. Still there were leftovers for Brownie, which we delivered on the way back to the car. The dog now recognizes me coming down the street. Made reservations for the Pirate for Thursday…in French (the owner speaks almost no English and one of the waiters is reasonably competent in English…part of the fun).<br><br>Thursday, May 17 – Breakfast in room. Spent the day at Club O (*). Went to Grand Case with Jim & Carmen for our dinner at Le Repere du Pirate. Again stopped to talk to Frenchy and promised Brownie his doggie bag. Dinner at the Pirate was very good but it was extremely hot inside and there was no breeze going through the restaurant. Not quite as good as our first visit but still a unique experience. On the way out we met Frenchy and Brownie going home and Jim gave her a doggie bag for Brownie which must have amounted to about a half pound of prime rib. That dog is on to a good thing!<br><br>Friday, May 18 – Had all our leftovers for breakfast. Spent the day at Club O (*) as usual. Lunch at Papagayo. The sun did not come out all day and the beach was very quiet. Most people were saying we needed some cruise ship people for entertainment. Went to Lolos in Grand Case from dinner and then on to the Dolphin Casino. No luck this time. Stopped at Sunset Beach Bar with Jim and Carmen. Recognized Fiona from the old Surf Club South days and spoke with her for a while. As we were sitting at the bar a waitress came over a gave each of us a shooter of the day. We thought this may be standard routine. Jim bought a Tshirt and I bought a beer cooler. A little while later the waitress brought us each a beer cooler. I thought this was getting too good. I looked across the bar and there was Neil grinning and saying "I wondered when you would notice". Had a few laughs and photos with Neil. Back to room to collapse….literally.<br><br>Saturday, May 19 (last day) – Up early and walked the beach to Blue Bay and back. Packed some stuff and went to Club 0 (*). Surf Club South for lunch. As we walked in Andy handed me my Carib Tshirt. Cheryl was off sick that day but she came through with the shirt! Had Andy’s ribs for the last time this trip. Back to Club O. Bid our farewells to Jim and Carmen and Larry and Sherry. Back to room to shower and pack (although checkout time at Palm Court is 11, Elisa let us stay as long as we needed the room). Left for airport at 3, stopped to fill car at GESS station in Orleans. Alain Arnell saw us pull in and came over and we exhanged a few quick barbs. Drove to airport but had time to spare so we went to SSBB for a few farewell drinks. Checked in airport early (5 for an 8 o’clock flight) to avoid standing in the heat. Departure area at airport is much improved and is now air conditioned (bar area). Bad flight home. If American Airlines has taken seats out to make more room, I know where they put them….on Air Transat. Very cramped conditions, bad food (and I usually like airline food). Arrived in Toronto at 12:30 a.m. (mercifully a direct flight).<br><br>For those who skipped the day to day log:<br><br>GENERAL IMPRESSIONS<br><br>Beach Gravity is a reality – we didn’t do half the things we planned but just let things flow naturally – best vacation ever.<br><br>We usually go in February/March and found May to be hotter and more humid. Spent much more time in the water (hours in fact) and generally stayed at the beach longer. There are also about one third the amount of people staying on the island. Cruise ships are reduced to 4 a week as opposed to the normal 24. Very few gawkers.<br><br>Noticeable increase in security. More Gendarmes on the French side as well as security guards. More Sherriffs on the Dutch side. Saw or heard of no crime while we were there and never felt unsafe or threatened.<br><br>The island is greener and cleaner than we have ever seen it.<br><br>The amount of construction was astounding to me. Palm Court is now completely encircled with buildings where it once stood alone. Construction is taking place along the road behind Kakao Beach Bar and Kontiki. Orient Beach is destined to become another Veradero or Cancun. The area behind the old Vince’s Konga Café is now built up.<br><br>CAR RENTAL<br>Rented from Alain Arnell for the 4th consecutive year. New Toyota Corolla with only 4,000 kilometers on it and no dents! This makes me nervous but I managed to return the car unscathed. I had requested a beater with lots of dents but I think Lorrie Thomas got my car.<br><br>BEST FINDS<br>Food<br>Le Repere du Pirate – Grand Case (behind police station). Send private e-mail for more specific directions. A unique experience.<br>Portofino – Good food at moderate prices<br>Andy’s Ribs – Surf Club South (Baywatch) is only open from 8-5 but it is a must for lunch. Andy’s spare ribs are the best and are so tender they almost fall off the bone. Great sauce, tangy but not hot – about a 2 Carib. The rest of the menu is also great, Grouper burger, Italian hot dogs, chicken sandwiches. We also saw some wonderful looking things being delivered to other tables. Most items are under $10.<br><br>Accommodation<br>Although we wanted to stay at Club O, circumstances dictated we could not. As an alternative we chose PALM COURT and it was the right decision. We had been in the hotel before and knew what to expect (identical to L’Hoste). The rooms now contain a 2 burner hot plate, sink and microwave in addition to the bar fridge. The rooms were cleaned daily and the cleaning staff were very good. Elisa Cohen, the owner, was accommodating in every respect. There is security on the grounds at night. The first Tuesday we were there we got a call from Elisa saying that the water was to be turned off so that the system could be flushed as bacteria had been found in the water. This applied to the whole of the French side. She kept us informed of what was going on my placing updates under our door. We left our taps running to flush out the old water and after a time left the taps running to flush out the new chlorinated water. After 2 days everything was back to normal. She supplied us with bottled drinking water during that time. No one we spoke to on the French side seemed unduly concerned, and all seemed to just take it is stride – no big deal.<br>Bad News – for those who know Harry the cat from Bikini Beach Bar, Elisa told us that Harry was killed by a dog about a month ago. After surviving Luis, I thought he was indestructable.<br><br>Radio<br>Listened to Bulldog’s rude awakening show most mornings. Laser 101.<br><br>Currency<br>Being Canadian, we decided to avoid an extra exchange rate and purchased French Francs before we left Canada. We avoided the conversion to from CDN>US>FF. We also took US currency for when we went to the Dutch side. I have not figured out how much money we saved, but will get back to you on that.<br><br>BEST THINGS<br>The best was the people we met, both old friends and new. We have known Andy and Cheryl and Philippe and Niko for a number of years now. It was great fun to finally meet Neil Rooney and of course Frenchy and her dog Brownie, but especially all the kindred spirits and beach bums and TTOLers – you know who you are.<br>Wearing my (white/homemade) TTOL hat was a great ice breaker and started many conversations. Some people we met were not registered on the board and hopefully now will register.<br><br>ABSOLUTE BEST<br>Spending a relaxed time with my wife of 30 years (Toddy). We are now ready for 30 more!<br><br>FINALLY<br>For those who haven’t left yet, please stop by L’Art du LoLo (next to Talk of the Town) in Grand Case and see Brownie, doggie bags are most appreciated, especially prime rib and sirloin tip. Tell Frenchy I sent you.<br><br>John<br><br> <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Administrator on 5/31/01 03:11 PM.</EM></FONT></P>