TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Our last Sunday.....

Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine........but it's amazing to me how a change of scenery can make everything new and different..........what happened to my mountains and my daybreak over them? Those of you who are tired of my same old Mullet daybreak photos from our high perch at the Towers will not be seeing anymore of them this trip, I promise! No golf course; no Mullet Beach or pond; and no sunrise that I could find.

And the sounds? OMG!! The roar of the waves crashing and slamming is like music to my ears. And even in our bedroom with all the sliders tightly closed and the airco running, you could still enjoy the sounds of the sea. And no early morning planes either - or have I just already become immune to them already?

This beach is a little too rough for my liking this morning but it is an awesome spot to enjoy the morning coffee from our porch. As of our 7AM coffee we've spotted one container ship heading out and one cruise ship heading in to P'berg. And an ocean full of cats and motor boats passing by, too.

Omgoodness - what an incredible spot this is. There is absolutely no inclination on either of our parts to go anywhere - we seem to have it ALL, and right here. We did burgers on the grill for lunch,and dinner? Well, we'll see what direction the spirits move us in. Cocktails on the back porch as we watch the cats line up to get through the bridge opening. We've watched the planes - big and little - come and go all day and we watched some patient flyers scanning the waters in front of us in search of their next meals. Those birds must have incredible vision, for sure. This is like heaven and earth all rolled into one neat package.

John did take a stroll down the beach. We were out 'reading' (another way of saying drowsing?) on the porch and we kept hearing this deep bass pounding into our rest time and finally, he couldn't take the curiosity any longer. And I know, by sharing the following, I'm opening myself up to another age discussion, but what the Heck!?

Believe it or not, the pounding tempo was coming from all the way down the beach at what once upon a time was the classy and reasonably calm beach spot, Karakter. It's a whole new ball game down there these days and I can only say Thank God we didn't book at Mary's Boon, another spot we've always enjoyed.

His description of what he saw - chairs packed in almost touching each other and almost to the waters edge, music so loud you can't hear yourself think, and topless girls in thong bottoms dancing to the beat of the music. Every red blooded guys idea of heaven, right?! Unless you're over the age of ........ . He stayed for a few minutes and took it all in, and I'm sure enjoyed the view for a bit and then headed home again. His first words were, "maybe we'll pass on lunch there this week after all." For those who stay there, I only hope you don't have to put up with this every day and that the music is limited to ONLY Sunday afternoons as I've heard rumored.

We've had an incredibly inexpensive day today but some really good food as well. Great cheeseburgers for lunch and for dinner - BBQed rib-eye steak with campfire-style baked potatoes. The chef did an awesome job and now we have left-overs for lunch at some point. Kudos to my cook!!

I think it will probably be an early bedtime tonight - it's been such an exhausting day...... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Dear Pat:
Even though I have no clue as to the places you describe, I enjoy your writing. I can envision that beach scene, we encounterd that once in Mexico when we were staying next to a Club Med. DH always want to go for a walk :-)
Thanks for always taking the time to keep everyone engaged. You are so kind to take the time.
Best always,
Ellen

Why thank you so very much, Ellen. I write for my own enjoyment, but it makes me happy to know it can be enjoyed by others, too. I hope things in your world are looking better.

Ah, my friend you have truly figured out the magic that is Beachside!!! Enjoy!!

Pat...sure sounds like a beginning to a fabulous week at Beachside. Watch out though.....the third weeks seems to disappear quicker than the other two!!!! We went to Karakter last month for dinner on a Sunday night....right as the music on the beach was ended. It did look like a fun day for the ''younger crowd''....but as soon as the music ended....we had a very nice QUIET and tasty dinner. We did not use the beach there....but the restaurant was quite good....and the drinks were very good also. You may want to consider one evening having dinner at Karakter, since it is soooo close to where u are staying...or not. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Thanks for another update.

We happened to go to Karakter on a Sunday and found the music to be way too loud. Very sad what has happened there but I guess it works for them but they are now off my list.

Thanks for the post Pat!! While we were at Mary's Boon we never heard anything that would make us not want to stay there. They DID have their own entertainment one night but we got there at the tail end of it.

We walked to Beachside one night to have dinner with friends. Our traditional garlic shrimp and pina coladas. As we walked by we noticed no one at Karakters, which we found odd. We long ago took them off our list for the poor service and over priced food. Too many other great options and we haven't even scratched the surface yet!

Enjoy your time at one of our favorite places! Glad we got to see you and John this trip!

I've been told the music we heard yesterday at Karakter is typical for a Sunday afternoon and meant to be geared to the local 'French' young people moreso than anyone else. Not sure if this is true fact or merely another justification for the unexplained. Truth is, we all have different likes and dislikes and they can't cater to just one crowd. I get it........and El Zafiro works for me......... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Trust me, after having spent a Sunday there (Karakter) back in March, it was very unpleasant. I grew up with loud music but this was off the chart annoying. Add to that the closeness of the lounges, they have lost what once made them a popular choice for many.

But trust me, JD, for every 'oldster' falling off their list of fans, there will probably be at least two 'youngsters' taking our places. This island is all about change, whether we enjoy the changes or not. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Yup. We don't go any longer either, although last year we did go with friends on a Tuesday night for live music. The music was very enjoyable (our era), but it was impossible to carry on a conversation, and being with people we don't see often, we really wanted to chat. We also felt the food wasn't what it once was.

Hey now! I had a guy in the grocery address me as "young man" just on Friday. Now, he was into his 80's I would say but it did shock me. "Oldster" huh??

You are correct, they would not go with that music format if it did not attract a crowd. Good for them but the group (and it is a large group of people) that helped "make" that place have given up on it in many cases.

Well, the original owner gave up on it first and we all hung around to experience the new and improved model. And the same will be said for this model someday, I'm 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="" />

Love your description Pat of all that BSV has to offer. David walks the beach daily while I accompany him on occasion. We did stop at Karakter for a couple of drinks one day and I had the tempura shrimp. They were not nearly as good as they once were. Thankfully music was not blaring that day.

Pat....I know at one time you had some connection to Caravanserai, now Alegria. Have you wandered by or heard any rumblings of what's happening over there? Never did hear what has happened with the TOCA group. What a shame.

PM,

My only connection was that of knowing the original Caravanserai back in the 70s and early 80s when it was the little sister hotel to the old Mullet Bay Resort. We did watch it morph over the years into Club Munday and something else, I'm thinking, but both as attempts to market it, unsuccessfully, as time share opportunities.

The resurgence of Caravanserai Timeshare and all that subsequently happened in that location is beyond me. I haven't heard anything about it's current status but as Alegria it looks pretty lonely over there. There are lots of people floating around the area during the daytime but it doesn't look like much nighttime activity there at all, and as local chatter goes, I haven't heard ZIP!!

Personally speaking, given the number of times it has been destroyed over the years in one storm or another, it's just not a location that ever appealed to me but sometimes that's what happens when you know a little of its history. It's a gorgeous location but there's always been way too much drama associated with it for my taste. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the update Pat...We were one time owners at Mullet Bay, then pre-c0nstruction at Millennium which morphed into Caravanserai. We actually loved Caravanserai's old two floor units. Sadly things at Caravanserai "changed" then Alegria resulted. Oh to return to the old days...

I agree Panman - we also long for the good ole days.

We were timeshare owners at Caravanserai and reluctantly stayed there a few weeks ago. A group of owners pooled their money and took on the new owner of "Alegria". The decision has been won, lost and appealed several times. Currently the Timeshre owners (TOCA) have won and Alegria must honor their agreements.

We hear there were over 3,000 people affected by this travesty...I for one am heartbroken. Really.

On another note - thanks for writing about your adventures Pat. I think hubby and I are going to have to try Beachside Villas! It sounds wonderful.

What did the group actually gain by taking them on as far as their contracts?

I was part of the group Georgia refers to, and I can't disagree with anything she says. However, I liked the music enough (and I'm a jazz snob, normally!) that I went on three Tuesdays back in November/December. True that the food isn't what it once was, but it's not bad; the good music made the evening enjoyable. I'm going to give it a try in June during the day as it's not nearly as crowded at that time of year.

Teresa--Beachside is my favorite place on earth! If you have any questions, let me know.