Day 2: up early. I did not sleep well- could hear noise in hallways etc. I always sleep with a fan at home. So I asked for a fan from front desk and they said they would bring me one. Had pastries from a piece of cake for breakfast- asparagus quiche , some sort of sausage roll, and a sweet one -all great. Went to simpson bay area to get an idea where we were supposed to go for a scheduled appointment tomorrow. When you are newbies to an area, you spend quite a bit of time finding everything. We had maps, but soon realized they helped you get in the general area, but streets and addresses were kind of haphazard. Stopped at gourmet marche for some groceries. We like to fix some meals in while on vacation. Doing it together is fun and not the chore it is at home. Almost all grocery stores close by 2 pm on Sundays. Weather beautiful and traffic not too bad. Loved all the roundabouts- they ease the flow so much. What we found the most nerve-wracking were the motorcycles cutting in between the 2 lanes. My hubby told me to watch for our stops and he concentrated on not killing some evil knievel! Back to the room and - no fan. I called and assured we would get one. Had late lunch of stew chicken with veggies and rice from gourmet market deli- nicely seasoned and one portion more than we 2 could eat for $4.


To sapphire pool for afternoon. The pool area is nice- big with many nice lounge chairs and umbrellas. There are clean restrooms, outside showers, and a small kiddy pool area. Met a lot of nice, interesting people. Most of them have been coming here for years. Happy hour for drinks. We like to grill a lot, but no grills at sapphire. I had planned to get a small grill at ace hardware, but our balcony caught a lot of the nice island breezes, so vetoed that idea. Had a thin crust itallianne pizza from café with tomatoes, basil, pesto, olives, and mozzarella- very tasty with salad for dinner. Still no fan in room. I called AGAIN and assured would get one. But didn’t. etnas coconut ice cream with fresh mango for dessert- OH MY GOSH- I loved it! Couple of balcony cocktails and off to bed.

Day 3 : fresh fruit, croissants (oh so buttery and flaky from zee best!), and Greek yogurt for breakfast. John, my husband, used to break wild horses as a teenager and has talked for years about riding one. A few months back, I had seen on this forum about a fundraiser for lovemyislanddog animal shelter. Rob with sxm blue was matching any $25 and above donation to them as well as giving you a $25 certificate to use for any of their services. So I did this and used the gift toward a horse ride at lucky stables in cole bay. We had the best time. It is located in the sxm nature reserve- a pretty little park-like area. They have horses, goats, ducks, turtles, rabbits and few other various wildlife that just wander around. There is a covered pavillion , childrens swing area, and little snack bar. It has a small beach area with a few older loungers. John had his own private guided ride( no one else was signed up for that time frame) with Isaac who was great. They rode along a hilly path then into the ocean. I sat on the beach and videoed and cheered. I found a lot of beautiful shells there and had the beach to myself. You just have to ignore the GEBE plant next door and concentrate on the beautiful ships in the bay. We had a wonderful time and would recommend to anyone interested. The rides start at $65/hr- which Isaac actually gave john 1 ½hr

Next stop was cole bay ace hardware for a damn fan. Gave $28.95 for a simple box fan and all was well. Stopped at Cole bay grand marche for items- I loved that store! Had the best time finding French and Caribbean goodies. They have a very large selection of everything. Got frozen escargot in a sauce for $4.99/dozen! I just put them on a microwavable dish and nuked for 3 minutes- fresh baguette and salad for lunch. Little pool time and happy hour at sapphire. Dinner in, seasoned panfried talapia, butter pan roasted fingerling potatoes, roasted asparagus with parmesan, and coconut ice cream with fresh pineapple. Wine on balcony. Brief evening shower. Slept like a baby with my fan.