We stayed for FIVE weeks this year, all at the Towers at Mullet Bay. Although this place could use some updating, I am very happy with it overall. The units are spacious, furniture is kept in good shape, and the staff is responsive to requests when something goes wrong. They have had the same people working there for many many years. It is nice to be welcomed back "home" by the same friendly folks year after year. There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas at the pool, and plenty of beach chairs reserved for Towers guests. No word on any changes to the ruined resort, unfortunately. .

Mullet Beach is our usual hangout. It was very busy there, with many languages being spoken besides English. It is a stop for the little jeep safari from the cruise ships as well as a favorite of the med school students. And yet, there is probably a quarter of a mile of beach that can be your own private retreat if you want to distance yourself from the crowd. Some days the surf was huge and too scarey for us to even try to swim, and others it was like a lake where we could bob until our fingers resembled prunes. Rosie's Ribs are still the best in my book. Our only brush with crime happened in the Mullet parking lot. The lock to our trunk was punched out...TWICE! Winston at United fixed it the first time, and it happened again toward the end of our stay. It did not appear that the trunk was entered either time. We had a very nice day at Baie Rouge. The surf was fun and lunch at Gus's was "delish". There were a lot more people there than my last visit, quite a few years ago. This beach has been "discovered".

Weather: The usual incredible weather was interrupted now and then by some torrential rains and wind. Two days were old fashioned rainy days, where we had to forget about the beach and pool and try a little shopping, exploring and dining. After the rains we could almost see the grass on the golf course turning from brown to green before our eyes. And speaking of the golf course, it is just about at the end of its rope. We played a few times, and probably will again, as long as it is there, but it was worse than ever before with weeds in the sand traps, sand on the fairways, strange little plants on the greens and just generally a mess. (But no snow!) It is probably unsalvagable as is, and when/if the area is redeveloped I suspect they will start from scratch if they include a golf course.

Dining: We cooked in the time share many nights. Sources for groceries were Cost-U-Less, Grand Marche at the traffic circle, Gourmet Marche in Simpson Bay and the Daily Express in Cole Bay. You can buy just about anything you need for meals at home from simple to gourmet. The Daily Express had the best wine prices. I think we bought the last two bottles of Diet Tonic Water on the island. It has always been available at Gourmet Marche in the past, but the proprietor there told us he was no longer able to get it. Spiga in Grand Case remains our favorite restaurant. The braised beef short rib is outstanding, and not something we would cook for ourselves on vacation. Friends introduced us to sushi at Bamboo Bernie's twice. They all agreed it is as good there as their favorite places in New York City. Steaks at Bajatsu were wonderful. The food at La Gondola was not up to the usual standards, but they had a party of 18 or 20 people there while we were there. Our experience is that this often causes a little melt down in a kitchen, so we will surely go back again next year. We had a lovely meal at Tropicana in the marina in Marigot. Also in the marina is La Belle Epoch where we go for lunch often. Their very thin crust pizzas and salads are great. I love the Greek salad there. Every time we were there La Belle Epoch was crowded to overflowing while most other places had very few customers. The long ride from the Towers to Poulet d'Orleans was well worth the trip. The owner's son Christian, whom we had not seen since he was about 13 years old, greeted and served us. He is now as charming as ever and a tall 18 year old. As a party of 6 we were the only customers on a Tuesday night. Business was down all over the island. Reservations at Tropicana for the same evening were availble with our choice of tables. The only place we were denied same day reservations was Bajatsu in Maho. Toward the end of our stay we discovered La Sucrier, a French bakery in Simpson Bay, on the lagoon side of the street across from a Tendal office. I can not eat wheat, but my friends and family all agreed that the croissants there are better than Zee Best or the Croissanterie. I have to be satisfied with checking the aroma which was wonderfully buttery. The appearance was light and flakey. The crepes at Zee Best were teriffic. (Again, hearsay, as they don't make wheat free crepes) I am very hesitant to mention any restaurants where we were not happy, but our treatment at Purple, behind Cherie's and next to Moulin Fou, requires a comment. The food was very good. Early in the week, my husband and I were at one of three tables occupied. When one of the tables was vacated, a French speaking couple took their place. From that point on, we were completely ignored. When we had finished our main course the waiter/owner managed to tear himself away from his compatriots long enough to toss the bill on our table. No "how was everything?", no offer of dessert or coffee, no clearing of the table nor had we asked for the check. Word of mouth is the only reliable source of advertisement for restaurants in SXM, and I suspect our description to our friends of our experience cost them a few thousand dollars. I often feel that we Americans bring this type of treatment on ourselves by our "non-European" ways, but in five weeks of eating and drinking and shopping all over both sides of SXM, this was our only unpleasant experience. Everywhere else we saw The Friendly Island at its best.

The overdevelopment of the Dutch Side is pretty shocking. Even with business down the traffic is bad during rush hour. When all these new units are occupied it is hard to imagine that many more cars on the road.

The Board Walk in Philipsburgh, a pleasant place to have a drink and relax, is getting lots of use. Front Street is clean and attractive, and Back Street is in the process of being upgraded to a similar look. Lots of cruise ships keep the stores there busy.

We wondered if five weeks would be too long to be away from home, but I think it only made it harder to leave!