Not a big crowd there today.

Karakter had one today too - I wonder if it was better attended

Not many people but the music was loud . The constant thumping of the base music has been going on all afternoon. It is quite annoying.

I HATE that crap. I would complain. That is a residential area, no place for that crap.

Is it not already quite noisy because of the airport ?

No. There are usually only about 6 to 10 large jets per DAY, mostly just in the afternoon and for 30 seconds at a time. That is a whole different situation than that annoying boom, boom, boom of a base for HOURS on end, constantly.

That's a shame if the music is that loud and annoying. Each time we were there earlier this month (5-6 times) over our two weeks, there was background music daily but it was pleasant and not loud and throbbing. That would be more than enough to send me elsewhere, for sure! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Today was a special event at El Fifaro. I understand that but if they decide to promote loud music as a weekly event , we will complain as it is very annoying.

Pat--that's the problem, for people in the neighborhood, they CAN'T go elsewhere, if there is loud music. You can't be in your own house without being disturbed. I would be very unhappy if they played that crap when I was there.

I have often had to go up to DJ's to explain to them the the Bass sounds travel much more than Treble. In most cases the DJ was half deaf, and he did drop a little Bass. We live in Nettle bay and are disturbed by the music from Fort Louis Yacht club on the other side of bay! Sound travels very well over water !

And there's the catch - if they are creating a disturbance and interfering with people's peaceful enjoyment of their property, the residents in the area have to take it to a higher authority, assuming there is such on St. Maarten, assuming they can't resolve it with the offender in the first place. It's been done before on both the French and the Dutch sides of the island so people really need to take a stand, assuming it does become a common occurrence.

Knowing how sound travels, and particularly over water, I can't imagine the neighbors on either side being terribly tolerant of something like this as a regular occurrence, but by the same token, a once or twice a year event needs to be tolerated within reason by the neighbors, IMHO, and I think that's what Benni is alluding to. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Why don't we all wait to see if this is a regular thing or just a one-off because of the Dutch Dive on New Years Day. The music has always been kept low every time I've been there and I assume they will continue this policy.

The point is that if people DON'T complain, they will think they can get away with it and then they WILL do it all the time.

I don't think they will, because in addition to being a beach bar, they are also a hotel. They understand that their hotel guests will not want that noise any more than nearby residents. That is the conversation that I had with Nicole, one of the owners of El Zafiro, last month.

They also need to understand that if they don't want everyone in the neighborhood to hate them, they can't do that crap.

Points well taken.

Given our experiences last month, (and didn't we decide we were there together a few days?)' I think we're all worrying needlessly but I guess time will tell, won't it?! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />