March 2nd to 11th 2009
This trip was very different for us.
We had six people in our traveling party – 3 couples. We have been to the island several times since 2000, but each time we have traveled by ourselves. The other 2 couples were first timers.

We flew AA from San Francisco to Miami overnight and Miami to SXM after a 3 hour layover. The 4 hour difference in time wasn’t missed because of the little bit of sleep on the red-eye flight. We met Triple A car rental at the airport and loaded into a minivan. We then drove to the villa that we found on vrbo.com in the Pelican area. We split time at the villa pool, Orient Beach, shopping (P’berg & Marigot), sight seeing (Island Driving Tour, Fort St. Loius, and Different Bars) & eating.

Aqua Breeze Villa (http://www.comcortech.com/sxm/index.html) : First of all, Bruce the home owner was extremely easy to deal with. The villa is a 3 Master Suite house that is located on the hill above Pelican. It has a view to die for. There is a 180 degree view from the lanai patio of the west. The sunsets were amazing. The Regatta boats swarmed just below us for the race starts.

Buccaneer Beach Bar was home base. We stopped several times for a Shot of the Day and a beer as well as sandwiches. Grilled Ahi Tuna Burger ($12) is killer and the drinks are cheap.
Le Sucriere still has the best croissants (chocolate and plain) & quiches for a quick breakfast.
Lido (2 times) has damn good ribs (a whole rack $6???). I know the big debate as to who has the best, but it is no wonder the locals eat there.
Sunset Bar and Grill has a new deck and the grill in inside now, but it is basically the same place. I like that they have the live pilot communications being aired at the deck rail back up and working. Introduced the new couples to BBC’s with a heavy floater of Myers Rum. They are still $7 + $1 for the topper.
Baywatch is still Baywatch. IMO – They have the best food on the beach. Margarita Shrimp, Scallops, and anything with Andy’s marinara sauce.
French restaurant in Marigot for lunch (don’t remember the name) and had some really good Onion Soup. I found out what Ti Punch is as well as how strong they are…
Mama’s Pizza (Oyster Pond) – You just can’t find pizzerias like that in California. Brie and Gorgonzola cheese as toppings….forget about it!
Pineapple Pete’s Lobster Thermadore ($36) is OMG good. We also had the Crab Stuffed Shrimp and Conch Fritters. We left a few lbs. heavier (at least it felt that way).
Le Cottage was the grand finally. All 3 couples had something different and it was all amazing. This is a meal that would be hard to find here in the US. $150 per couple with wine and soufflés for dessert.
There are several places we ate along the way, but sun, sand, and beer have a way with your memory. It seemed like we were constantly eating really good food.

Orient Beach was fairly crowded. 1st day we were at Kon Tiki. $21 per 2 chairs and 1 umbrella. No free drink??? We did have a round of blended drink concoction of the bartender (½ raspberry & ½ passion). We added a healthy floater of CoCo Ma Dou Dou. It was green, but GOOD. We then went to see Willie @ The Perch…Hands Down best Rum Punch on the island. All six of us crashed for the last 2 hours in the sun (oops! Can you say burnt?) 2nd day we went to Club O. This was the most relaxing day of the trip. I couldn’t believe that the day over so quickly.
Friars Beach was a new 1 for us. It was rocky at the far end as well as in the water. It was unexpected to have waves (small) breaking on the beach. I didn’t realize that there is no reef there. Kali charges $8 for Rum Runners - $48 for 1 round for us…whatever!

Celine Friday Fun Sail – Let me start by saying that Neil is a great host/captain and we will be back for another. The trip to Tintamare was fairly smooth – breakfast & coffee was nice. We arrived to find that the snorkeling was a bust. The water was blown out and too cloudy. We did the mud and enjoyed a little sun. The wind steadily picked up until finally the umbrella broke and smacked a fellow traveler in the foot (oh S#*%! I thought it broker her foot). Luckily another passenger was an emergency room doctor. We iced it and the goose egg was down within an hour. Then a Regatta Cat almost rammed the Tiko Tiko. Their Jib was flapping in the breeze with a broken line. Wind was insane by 1pm. The guys swam to the boat for lunch and the girls took the dingy. On the way back to the beach in the dingy to pick up the coolers and supplies, Neil hit a large swell and almost flipped it. Killed the motor. Now he is paddling up wind trying to get to the beach. Myself and another passenger helped beach it to bail out water and restart the motor. Finally loaded, Lunch was awesome. On the way back we were met with 12 to 16 foot swells. Neil said that it was the largest he has sailed in since he had been there. Well I know why March is Regatta time. Again, we will be back.

All in all, the six of us had a great time. Amy & I agreed that this trip was significantly different from times past when we lay on the beach for a week and a half, but I am glad that we could share the experience with great friends.
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