St. Maarten trip report, first two weeks Feb. <br><br>We arrived at St. Maarten airport after an uneventful trip from Logan to JFK to SXM. Long lines, but no hassles to speak of. We were met by our friends who had arrived two days earlier, dropped off our luggage at our apartment at the Cupecoy Beach Club, and took a quick jaunt to Cupecoy Beach for a dip. Beautiful as usual. Destina, the guy who runs the chair concession greeted us warmly and got us chairs and drinks. Then on to do a little grocery shopping and to pick up necessary supplies, such as rum and cigars. Snacked in the evening and passed out early, as we had been up since 3AM. The apt. faced west, and I saw the best sunset I’ve seen on the island. Very impressive, and it was the only one like that while we were there. Nice greeting!<br><br>Next morning set the stage for the next two weeks. I’m an early riser, so I’d get up, have a cup of coffee, (a note here: If you make your own coffee, use bottled water. The desalinated water made for very iffy coffee.) then drive to the little Epicerie just inside the Marigot line, pick up croissants and pastries (great baker) and back to the apt. for more coffee and croissants while I enjoyed the view of the beach and the pelicans, and waited for the others to wake up. This also often led to conversations with various locals who were working around the place. Seems like everyone is from another island. Then usually a cigar, and a swim on the beach outside the apt. I could live like this indefinitely. <br><br>Cupecoy Beach Club is at the other end of Cupecoy from the public side. Nice beach, not as crowded, with the extra benefit that we could come and go without much hassle other than walking up the stairs. About noon we typically took a drive to Orient. About the only downside to being by Cupecoy is it’s at the other end of the island from OB. I was the designated driver and it didn’t bother me, but getting stuck in traffic a couple times wore on a couple of the others.<br><br>A couple of days after we arrived, the surf picked up in the evening, and the next morning we found that most of the beach was gone, except directly below our apt. where about 6 or so feet of sand had been deposited on a bunch of rocks that had been there and were now completely covered. The other end of Cupecoy was also gone again, and Destina was understandably downcast as he could see he wasn’t going to be doing much for the next couple of days. We swam at OB that day and the next, but after that the surf had quieted down a bit and we were also able to swim and sunbathe right by our place again. We spent our time either at OB or at Cupecoy outside our door.<br><br>A note about Cupecoy if you haven’t been there: not for non-swimmers. The surf and the unpredictable waves require at least the ability to float. Otherwise, I found it to be exhilarating, but also water that required you to pay attention, unlike OB, which is much calmer. The other end of the beach gained back some of the sand in a few days, and we found that a large rock formation that formed a tide pool had returned after being missing for a couple of years. (At least while we were there). Great beach. Are any of the other Caribbean beaches as active as this one? I live in Wellfleet MA on Cape Cod. We see lots of changes here, but usually over the winter or when there’s a big storm, not the case with Cupecoy. <br><br>One would think that as a musician I would be checking out the island music, but I found it hard to stay awake after 9 Pm. I definitely got my rest. We explored very little of the island night life. My wife and I don’t have much interest in gambling, but our friends enjoy it, and spent time at Atlantis (across the street) and the Dolphin. They were not impressed with either one. They thought the dealers were not very well trained. Don’t know how they made out overall. I notice that gamblers always talk about their winnings, but I also note that that casinos seem to do very well. <br><br>Went to a few restaurants. Citrus, which is just up the road from Cupecoy and has a gourmet market attached provided a very nice meal for my wife and I. Excellent food, service a bit rushed, but they’re still new. Very much recommended. The market was also nice, maybe a little expensive, but not out of line for a resort area. Had a good wine selection, a deli if one didn’t feel like cooking, and some frozen items, such as pasta sauce. Even had parmagianno reggiano. Their frozen bolognese sauce was excellent, and made for a nice stay at home meal. Fresh bread. If you want to try the deli food, go early rather than late as the selection is better and the food not as old. <br><br>We revisited a couple of places. Lee’s for grouper, an Indonesian place right on the edge of P-burg named something “doll” both excellent. Tried the sampler at the doll, which was about 19 or so dishes. Fairly tasty. Tried to go to Le Santal near the bridge in Marigot. After a 40 minute wait in which all we got was a bottle of water and had never been asked if we wanted drinks we opted to leave. “But you owe me for the water.” This place was a bit disappointing. Four tables had patrons, so the long wait was inexplicable. It’s a pretty place, right on the water, but watch out! This place was seriously expensive, but ladies, you won’t have to worry, because the “women’s menu” had no prices. This was as expensive a place as I’ve been and service should have been extraordinary, as that is part of any dining experience. We decided to go to Don Cadillo’s, which we had visited before. When we parked we asked the attendant what he thought of Don Cadillo’s vs St Germain. His response was “St. Germain’s bullsh*t, mon. Go to Don Cadillo’s.” Who could argue with that? Food was excellent, and they also have a nice wine list. Try the homemade pastas.<br><br>I ate lots of ribs on the island. On Cape Cod, seafood is abundant, but it is not BBQ central. Most I sampled were good to excellent. BBQ sauce seems to be sort of an afterthought at most places, with some having very generic sauce. Still, a number were excellent. Never made it to Ms B’s, but it’s on the list for next year. Best ribs I had were tied with Papagayos and one of the lolo’s in Marigot (Mina’s or Nima, something like that) The ones at Mina’s were different in that they tasted like they had been parboiled. Served at room temp. Very tender and tasty, served with fried plantains. In Grand Case I was unimpressed with the fare at Talk of the Town, but the stall next to it had great ribs and stuffed grilled crabs. Across the courtyard in the corner, the ribs were also excellent, and they had some sort of vinegar sauce that was very nice. Didn’t revisit L’Alabama this time, but it is highly recommended if past experience holds true.<br>After a week, the wives left, leaving me and my buddy on our own for the next several days. Like true studs, we barely managed to stay awake past nine. Ahh, the good old days. He & I went to Anguilla & spent a quiet day at East Shoal Bay where he snorkeled and I ate ribs from Uncle Ernies. (Also good) Met Pressure King, who handles chairs, snorkeling gear, car rentals and probably everything else. Nice quiet island that I found romantic in a way. It’s quietness and simplicity reminded me of the Cape before all the building. A lot like Block Island off Rhode Island. I’d like to return with my wife. The ferry ride from Marigot was quick and uneventful. Men: wear a shirt if visiting. They will ask you to put one on if you aren’t.<br><br>All in all, weather was excellent, people were friendly, made new friends (Hi Dave and Nancy) and had a great time. The island seemed greener than on previous visits, but the 911 slowdown was very much in evidence everywhere. In Maho I dropped into the internet café there, and after walking around and checking out the shops realized I was almost alone. Every merchant I talked to sang the blues on how slow it was. <br><br>My friend left a couple of days before I did, so that left me to my own devices, which consisted of doing exactly what I had been doing, which was laying on the beach and swimming and eating, and making sure the island didn’t end up with an oversupply of rum or Cuban cigars. Finally left, no problems at airport, either in SXM or San Juan. Another great trip, which reinforced my belief that the best times of my life have been spent horizontal.<br>
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