mort--I read somewhere that you were no longer going to go to SXM. I am sorry to hear that.

Travel is a PITA, that's for sure. Crowded planes, crowded airports, airlines squeezing out that last dime. Travel to SXM right now is more of a PITA than it SHOULD be, because of the corruption and mismanagement of the airport. It is a disgrace that the airport is STILL not fixed, more than 7 years post Irma. But corruption in the Caribbean--and elsewhere--is a fact of life.

And Alltech, yes, people are RUDE, everywhere. Gentility and civility have gone by the side of the road, especially here in the US. I blame it on Covid, and other factors, which have tipped the scales in travel, and life in general, toward lack of understanding and civility. Local people in SXM are, in the vast majority, the exception to that, as most local people show consideration for you and each other, if you reciprocate.

As for traffic in SXM, some things are much better than they used to be. I remember when Theo first started talking about the causeway, I thought it was a pipedream. Now, travel to Marigot is such a breeze from the airport! I remember years ago when we would travel from the French side to the Dutch side in the evening. There was no causeway, there was no roundabout at the bottom of the hill--but there was the MIDEA$$ shop!! Travelling towards Simpson Bay, we would routinely get stopped toward the P'burg end of the hill, near where Koyman (sp!!!) is. The car would literally CRAWL all the way up and down the hill, getting to the traffic light at theCole Bay end of the hill. Back then, it was part of the "charm" of SXM, somehow, and we didn't mind taking 45 minutes to get up and over the hill.

I never understood the attraction of timeshares and many people are disaffected towards SXM in general because of the policies of their t/s resort. Tom, you are one of them, as I remember you complaining about the management at the resort. SXM needs timeshare regulation, but there is none. I would put that to a lack of will on the part of politicians, who have no interest in standing up to the big money there.

Service charge inflation is rampant EVERYWHERE, including here in the US. Profit margins for businesses are razor sharp and everyone tries to get some for themselves, and push the line a bit. My perception is that the situation in SXM appears worse than here because many of us don't cook on island, thus have no choice but to get fleeced.

In many ways, SXM is much better than when we first starting going to SXM. In many ways it is also worse. I miss many things from old SXM. i think she would not miss me if I didn't come. I know I would miss her.