Tired of me yet?? Part three will cover sightseeing, tours and a little blurb on wireless internet connections.
Sightseeing, Tours and Activities
You vets will likely have no use for this section of the report, but (former) newbies like me might find it helpful. As this was our first trip to SXM, there were a lot of things aside from beaching that we wanted to do/try. I eventually dubbed the trip as a “tick mark” trip referring to the objective of checking off as many things on the tourist list as we could comfortably do in 8 days. The gray mornings helped this cause as that’s when we did most of our exploring with essentially no loss of beach time (which is ALWAYS a primary objective for me). In no particular order (and not always during daytime) these are the things we did/saw.
Mont Vernon Plantation. This is a restored plantation and grounds a short drive away from Orient near the turn-off for Cul de Sac. Nicely restored buildings along an interpretive trail that described how things worked back in the day. Apparently, it was an all-in-one plantation growing coffee, sugar cane, cotton and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. And of course any plantation worth its salt (they did that too I think) would certainly put the sugar cane to good use by producing rum, which they did. Tour included both a coffee and rum tasting, and probably worth the 12 bucks a head if you’re at all interested in the history of the island.
Zip Line at Loterie Farms. Also easy to get to along the way to Marigot. Turn left at the sign for Pic Paradise. Our kids had done the zip line during our cruise stop and raved about the excursion. There was never any doubt (in my mind at least) that we could handle the exertion of such an outing, but I had pretty much scratched it off the list in the interest of other things. My wife twisted my arm and I’m glad she did. I guess you could call it an obstacle course of sorts consisting of rope swings, bridges and ladders, as well as the occasional namesake zip lines. The guide gave good instructions and came along with us through the course. Julian was great. We went early before the cruise excursions got there (9:30 AM) and had the place to ourselves. Because we were essentially alone, and because we’re such happy and fun-loving people, Julian may have gotten a bit TOO comfortable with us. Keeping in mind that you’re strapped in a harness the whole way and never in any danger of falling, he would occasionally shake the ladder or tight rope we were on just to have a little fun with us. I enjoyed the additional “challenge” although my wife got a little nervous in spots. I finally (kiddingly) told Julian she was in charge of the tip and he should govern himself accordingly! Smooth sailing after that. Took us a little over an hour to complete the course. If you’re in relatively decent shape, I’d recommend this outing just to say you did it. Julian told us the oldest customer they’ve had was a 78 year old woman – who could say no after hearing that?!
Joyce Prince Tour. Came to hear of Joyce Price via a cruise message board, and she’s very popular with cruisers for day trips. We had done a similar tour on St. Lucia and loved it and thought we’d give Joyce a try. She has her own very nice, very new SUV and will tailor the tour to whatever whims and desires you have. She was only available on our 3rd day there (Sunday) starting at 8 AM and only for 3 hours, but we took it. She had water and beers in a cooler in the back. Never too early for a tall frosty when in the Caribbean! Hooked up with one other couple from a cruise. Essentially, it was a drive around the island which we wanted and really enjoyed as it helped us get our bearings for the remainder of the week. Took us through various areas, including some of the timeshare spots which was great as we wanted to investigate those for future use/purchase. We think we’ll try Maho and/or Simpson some day (Royal Palm, Royal Islander), but didn’t think much of Pelican. We stopped for a bit in P’burg on Front Street for shopping, which I’m sure Joyce does as part of arrangements she has with certain merchants. She “suggested” a few places, but there was no pressure whatsoever and we roamed around as we pleased. Couldn’t resist a colada at the Guavaberry Emporium. Playing tourist is not relegated solely to cruisers! One of the jewelry stores did offer a bit of a discount since we were with Joyce, and my wife did take advantage with the purchase of a gold starfish pendant. If one of your objectives is shopping you’d need more time, but it was all good for us as we already had plenty of liquor and jewelry.
Marigot Market (Wednesday). We can now say, “Been there, done that” and probably never again. The stuff you’ll see there can be had almost anywhere else on the island. Reminded me of the straw market in Nassau, with about the same degree of pestering and haggling. The one somewhat unique stand I saw was a lady selling various spices and BBQ rubs. But during a brief conversation she “rubbed” me the wrong way and I moved on. She was a bit snippy to folks wanting to get a whiff of the spice before buying, and I understand her sanitary concerns, but she was a bit too uppity about it for my tastes. If you’ve never been, don’t let my review stop you – go and check it out for yourself and make your own call. I did enjoy a morning Johnny Cake at one of the stands, and it is a nice spot for walking around and taking in the sights of a Caribbean marina, but I wouldn’t say such a visit has to necessarily be tied to market days.
Celine Pub Crawl. A very enjoyable evening with Captain Neil. Not as much food provided at the stops as I would have thought (or wanted to counteract the drinks), but I’d recommend it and would do it again. We left from Skipjacks as advertised, then to Peg Leg Pub (also as advertised) and then to Shrimpy’s which replaced Lal’s which was a disappointment to me. I was psyched up to try a little Indian food, but we’ll just plan on a dinner there the next trip. There were ten people altogether which was an OK size although I would have preferred more which may have resulted in a more festive party. Rum punches flowed freely on board, and a drink apiece was included at each stop. The rum punch at Peg Leg’s was good enough for me to have one more on my nickel. Great steak and fish kabobs there. As I recall, Shrimpy’s had a variety of fried appetizer type stuff. The third food/drink stop was back at Skipjack’s where we left from, and by that time I had no idea what I was eating. I think it was good though! The Celine and Captain Neil also offer various full day charters and from what I could tell, those are likely very good trips to take if you’re ever inclined.
Harmony Nights. Held on Tuesday nights as you all know. Another thing that now having experienced it we’re not sure we’d need to do again. But in this case I suspect the vendors and the music change now and then during the season so we might saunter down the boulevard one more time on the next trip. Parking was a non-issue for us as we’d planned all along to make this night the night we’d try the Sunset Café (more later), so we parked on the grounds of the Grand Case Beach Club for sunset, happy hour and dinner, then just walked into town from there. Obviously, a little longer walk than from the public lot right in the center of town, but very doable and very safe. We saw no less than 2 security guys along the way manning road barriers (they close the streets) and keeping an eye on things. Not sure what they’d be able to do in the event of an actual incident, but it still provided a little peace of mind. This was our first look at the lolo’s, although we did not partake having just come from dinner. Everything on the grill sure looked good though, and it did make me think about having lobster or ribs for dessert. No surprise that the places (Talk of the Town, Sky’s the Limit) were packed. There are also a few nondescript snack (and drink) bars along the boulevard, one of which was offering 12 oz bottled bears of all varieties for a buck. A full belly, the warm night air and a $1 bottle of Amstel light in hand makes for an evening hard to beat.
Pinel Island. Not sure where things stand at the moment, but it turns out we made this trip just under the wire as the ferry strike in support of the new restaurant being built (or not being built actually) started the next day or the day after. Still 6 bucks a head round trip. This was a trip we may or may not make again. After all, we already had paid-for chairs and umbrellas back at Waikiki, the snorkeling was close to non-existent (we’re pretty spoiled in that area), and the food and drink prices were sky high. Of course the trusty soft side cooler that rarely leaves my side was with to quench any thirst that occurred. Glad we made the trip, and would highly recommend it to first-timers. I did enjoy wandering around the island off the beaten path, and could see from a distance areas of the island opposite from the chairs and umbrellas that might have provided better snorkeling. There were beautiful views of St. Barth’s and other assorted cays from the highest point on the island. There are no trails per se, but you can easily see where the tall grass had been beat down by others walking before you. I did not realize it at the time, but it turns out I got a pretty good briefing on this new restaurant issue from the guy we paid for our umbrella who turned out to be the son of the lady building the restaurant. The building in question easily puts to shame the other two eating establishments there, and if ever completed will be very nice. Two stories, big deck overlooking the beach, and plenty of space for patrons. In a nutshell for those unaware, the authorities have suddenly begun to drag their feet in the issuance of additional permits and whatnot in order to get this place built. The theory, and accusation by the owner, is that the other two business owners are leery of the impending competition (and rightly so from what I could see), and have been pulling strings to make it tough on this lady. The son did not give me those details, but he did allude to the other businesses being squeamish. The official word is that this establishment is out of compliance with what is allowed on Pinel which she deems confusing (and BS) considering the other two business are having no issues at all. Ah, life in the Caribbean.
Activity NOT done – Anguilla Day Trip. This was high on my list, but there were just too many “tick marks” ahead of it. Something to look forward to the next time around.
Wireless Internet Options
Not a big deal because we really shouldn’t have our PC’s with us anyway on vacation, right?! But I know this subject does come up so I’ll tell you what I know. Contrary to reports I read before going down, Waikiki does NOT have wireless access. Apparently they used to, and this is a huge loss as I was hoping to do as others before me have done – hop online right from the balcony of the Cap Caraibes. I think I posted while down there that I didn’t believe the first person at Waikiki who told me they had no access, so I asked two others on two different occasions and got the same story. All 3 directed me to Bikini Beach which did have access. You do need a key code to get on, and the purchase of a single drink (or whatever) will get that for you. The good news is (Bikini personnel, please don’t read this!) the code does not change often, if at all, and once you’re in it recognizes your PC and you shouldn’t have to put the code in again. Worked all week for me, although it did require the short walk from Waikiki to Bikini. How AWFUL it was to have to walk that 100 yards (not even) along one of the world’s most beautiful beaches on a sunny, warm day and plant yourself at a table under a thatched hut with a drink in your hand. Clearly, I could think of worse situations in which to look in on my office email! Last, and final, part to follow . . .
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