Just got back from 9 days in SXM and had another fabulous vacation! Good flights, great weather, beautiful beach, amazing food, and wonderful people!

Island observations in no particular order...

Windier than I ever remember it to be on Orient Beach.

More seaweed on the beach at Orient than I ever remember seeing before especially on the nudist side of the beach.

Both seemed to be returning to normal by the time we left last Sunday.

1 or 2 nights of rain...one gray morning that actually ended up being gorgeous and sunny by noon.

Island much in need of rain...very brown.

La Chappelle closed and there's a new Italian restaurant in Orient Village. Can't remember it's name.

Things appeared very quiet on the beach even on cruise ship day there were lots of empty chairs.

The little internet/dvd rental place in the village went out of business and the other 2 internet access areas at Tap Five were out of order.

Can't comment too much on island traffic as we were in Philipsburg twice and then just over the hill to Grand Case. Both times the traffic wasn't an issue. We've discovered that if staying at Orient and arriving around 4:30 or 5 in the afternoon, it is easier to get to Orient Beach going up thru the Lowlands, Sandy Ground, and around Marigot reather than going around the other way where there is always congestion at that time of day...especially on Rue de Kennedy.

The parts of the island that looked unkempt last year looked cleaner this year and vice versa.

The new construction around the Cupecoy area seemed to be at a standstill...just huge cement behemoths jutting out of the earth.

Noticed more police presence everywhere but not to the point where it was oppressive. For sure in Grand Case, in Orient Village there was security at both entrances. The road behind the beach bars at Orient were patrolled by cops on bikes or mopeds.



Grand Case...

Ate at Spiga's, Il Nettuno, Bistrot Caribe, Le Cottage, and Auberge Gourmande...the last one 2 times. Favorites for sure...the last 3. Oh my gosh, the food was amazing! I hope I can say this without offending anyone, but after our meal at Le Cottage, Bruno came over and asked if everything was okay to which I replied...okay, are you kidding...eating in Grand Case is almost better than sex,...to which he laughed and said...should I offer you 2 cigarettes?

Just before the little bridge in Grand Case they are building a free parking lot. Rainbow was closed and so is L'Alabama, however, the latter is re-opening in October under new ownership and with a new name. The place down by La Noche was closed...can't remember it's name. However 2 years ago we walked in there with our son and daughter-in-law and I commented on how awesome it smelled when my son quickly pulled me aside to inform me that the awesome smell was pot! I'm such a Pollyanna!

On a side note..

Had a wierd experience just past the little Catholic church in Grand Case where it's kind of dark. As we were walking toward California, a man that was standing there just yelled out...hey...what are you doing with my wife?! We stopped and looked at him and he was laughing saying...don't you remember me? I'm from Paradise car rental and you rented a car from me last year. Well, there is no way on God's earth that with all the people they see every year that they would have remembered us but he announced it so confidently that we actually thought that maybe this was true. At any rate, he asked if we were having a good vacation and did we have a good meal and the next thing was he was asking for money because he said his car ran out of gas and he was stuck. I was having that kind of uncomfortable feeling like this was a set up and before I knew it, my husband reaches in his pants and pulls out a fold of money and hands this dude $10. This from the guy who doesn't want me walking to the beach in broad daylight my myself. It all ended okay as this stranger thanked and blessed us for our kindness but in all honesty I still don't know if we were being scammed or what. It all happened so fast but I thought afterwords, we were really stupid engaging this stranger like that. And we're old enough not to be duped but we just may have been.

Just an fyi for those of you going to
Grand Case...

Saw Deepti and family but ended up buying something from G and N. (Rajeesh)

Philipsburg was a nightmare that day with the cruise ship and I think when it started to look like it was going to rain that morning, people revised there beach plans and did the same thing as us. It took 40 mins. to find a parking place.

On the recommendation of a friend, we stopped to eat dinner at Antoines. A girl there said the kitchen was closed down because there wasn't a cook anymore.

Villa Mayorca in Orient Village

Was very leery about making a switch from Green Cay, where we stayed for so many years to Mayorca. We decided to go for it and booked there because Green Cay's prices just kept going up. Ultimately it's more important that I get to the Caribbean not so much where I stay. We were pleasntly surprised and happy with our accomodations.

Things we liked...

Good location and 10 minute easy walk to the beach

Clean

Newly remodeled kitchen and bathrooms

Great private pool with deck and porch...table and chairs on porch.

Nice view of St. Bart's and although you're not high enough for a really great view of the ocean, you definetly can see it in a couple of places as well as the colorful housetops of Orient Village.

Felt very safe and secure there due to the decorative gated front door and windows. In addition, when we left or at bedtime we closed the hurricane shutters. It's really nice having deterants like that in place.

Next door there were 2 large dogs that barked when someone came around. They were NEVER a problem with yapping and carrying on otherwise.

Was concerned about privacy around the pool with the neighbors being so close. It was a non-issue for us because they were never out in their back porch area when we were.

Quick response from Cap Caribe when we mentioned the pool light and back security lights weren't working. They were right on it!

Just about everything you would need for the time you're there:

2 hair dryers....2 converters....ironing board and iron....soaps...coffee and coffee filters....sugar....butter....bread.....jam....soda....beer...champagne....club soda....milk and juice and I think a can of Pringles....beach towels....and there was even a float for the pool...we left 2 more floats as well.

Other things...

We definetly would book this villa again even though there were a couple of little things we wished were different. However, they weren't that big an issue that we wouldn't go back there again.

1 more section of privacy fence next to the other one just in case we aren't as lucky with the neighbors being around next year.

No dressers and no shelves in the closet except for the 1 above the rod. Nowhere to put underwear and tops, belts and the like.

No soap dishes in shower or no hooks on back of bathroom doors.

Little area for toiletries and cosmetics....I cleared where they had towels under the sink and made this the area for all my junk.

Every time you walked in from the pool in the back there were black footprints everywhere. I couldn't figure out where all that black was coming from. I suggested leaving a sponge mop by the back door and we did continually hose down the back deck and porch.

We bought 2 coffee mugs and left them there for Americans who like a CUP of coffee in the morning. The ones that were there were teeny tiny things.

Paper towels in the kitchen would be nice.

All in all, while it wasn't maybe decorated in Caribbean flair and there were a few minor things missing, it was very adequate and clean. And as I said before, I just am happy BEING in SXM. The place is secondary.

Hope this report was helpful to all. Now we wait for our turn to get back there next April, God willing. It can never come fast enough!

In closing...

Again, I hope not to offend anyone. But...everyone that knows me, knows that on my bucket list is finding a gay boyfriend to take me to the BOO BOO JAM! 13 visits and still no BOO BOO JAM!!!! Why a gay boyfriend? Well, because I'm married...happily I might add, but my hubby, God love him, is not interested in doing anything past 9PM except sleep. I figured if I had a gay boyfriend, I'd have a ball and no tongues would be wagging! So I HAVE to go back next year just to do my bucket list....and then I can die in peace....lol!

Take care all!

Paulette