This was the sixth SXM trip for us, and they just keep getting better..<br><br>Frank and Debby arrived on Wednesday, 4/23 with no problems along the way. Checked into Mary's Boon and spent the remainder of the day relaxing. Thursday included a trip to Phillipsburg to visit Sunny at Grand Jewelers and a beautiful new wedding ring setting for Debby. The remainder of the day was spent in stocking both our rooms with weekly provisions and relaxing. Friday morning consisted of a long walk on Simpson Bay Beach and a quick trip to SSBB.<br><br>Frank and MJ arrived on Friday, 4/25, again with no problems. Frank and Deb met us at the airport, with 2 cold beers, and we went on to Mary's Boon to check in and reacquaint ourselves with Richard (Dicky) and Frank . Both of us had beautiful, ocean view rooms. After settling in and unpacking we proceeded to Sunset Beach Bar for a welcome drink with Heidi, then on to the Driftwood Boat Bar to see Mia. Stopped by the "new" Cliffhanger Bar at Cupecoy. It was a bit too early so we didn't stay and went instead to the Atlantis Casino. After a short while we walked out a little ahead. On to dinner at Peg Leg Pub - delicious as always. We went home early to get ready for our stay on the island.<br><br>Saturday we got up early and enjoyed the beautiful view from our rooms. Headed to the Marigot market to browse. Had breakfast at la Bar de la Mer and then on to Orient Beach. Enjoyed a relaxing day on the beach and stopped by Baywatch for lunch and to visit with Andy and Cheryl. Saturday evening we went to Cheri's for dinner. We all enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, but didn't stay long after dinner. On we went to Casino Royale (no winners this night), along with a quick stop at Q Club (too early - nothing happening), and a late night at Sopranos.<br><br>Sunday we stopped for breakfast to go at L'Isle Flottant in Grand Case. Headed again for Orient Beach where we ate oceanside. Met up with Paul and Deb (PaulZ) and met Dick and Bev (vebkid) on the beach. Had a late lunch at Pedros (ribs) which was OK, but not as good as in the past. Returned to Mary's Boon and relaxed around the pool until dinnertime with the other "Week 17"a guests - what a fun group - Richard, John, Rob, John, Jack, Jim, Laurie, Terry and a group of crazy people from NY. Had before dinner drinks at MB where we met an interesting sailing crew from South Africa on their way to the New England area. Dinner was at Lee's where we visited with Henry, the bartender, a friend from previous visits. Turned in early as it was a long day.<br><br>Monday we repeated the second annual Orient Beach Bar Crawl, a day-long fun event we started last year . We began our day at Coco Beach Bar with breakfast and proceeded up the beach toward Club O, stopping along the way at every open beach bar. In order to complete the crawl we declared a 1 drink maximum at each stop, with the only exception being Bikini Beach Bar where we were enjoying the live music. We ended the day at the Perch. Deb (PaulZ) joined us about mid-crawl - a very enjoyable time. At last court we had made 14 stops, including lunch at Chez Leandra. Memorable shots along the way were at Kakao (kamikazes with Dar) and at Kakao Plage where JR served us an interesting, but good, red kamikaze. After the crawl we returned to MB to swim and get ready for dinner, this time at Hot Tomatoes. Excellent pizza, pasta and steak. <br><br>Tuesday saw a SLOW start. We headed to Dawn Beach on a mission to find a t-shirt for a friend at Scavenger's Beach Bar. Very quiet day, not many people, nice waves and a beautiful, relaxing day. On the drive back we almost had a collision with a run away bull who had escaped and thought the street was a good place to roam, and again with a boat being driven down the road. Also stopped for some scenic pictures. Visited Buccaneer Beach Bar on the way home. Almost empty, and not very welcoming. Stopped by Hot Tomatoes for the TTOL gathering. As always, Richard and Brad were excellent hosts, and we were able to put some TTOL names and faces together (including, but not limited to: Paul & Deb, Dick and Bev, Don and Lorrie, Bary and Marsha, and many others whose names escape me at the moment - no offense intended). Afterwards we went to dinner at SSBB, made a quick visit to the Absolut Floating Bar, and a late night snack stop at Hanabi for sushi.<br><br>Wednesday found us once again at Baywatch, for breakfast this time, and then a very enjoyable visit to the Butterfly Farm. Very informative and worthwhile excursion if you can drag yourself off the beach for a couple hours. Prior to our evening's adventure, we had an opportunity to chat with Bulldog at the MB honor bar. Quite an interesting person. That evening we joined a group of about 20 people for the Celine Pub Crawl. We are, and were, well aware of the controversy surrounding the previous week's cruise, but we found the night to be very enjoyable. It was a great group of people, an excellent night for cruising around the lagoon and gracious hosts at Hot Tomatoes, Uncle Harry's and Jimbo's. Really enjoyed the cruise and seeing all the yachts. Forget the controversy and go enjoy the evening! Captain Neil was a delight and made the night quite fun. Came back to Mary's Boon for late night coffee and baileys.<br><br>Thursday was spent on the Random Wind day sail. WOW! Captain Martin and Barbara treated us to a spectacular day with sailing, drinks, lunch and stops along the way at Friar's Beach and LaSammana. One of the highlights was Richard climbing off the RW to serve rum punch to all the swimmers in the water. All in all, a perfect day - well worth the time and money. Thanks to Richard for organizing this one for us! Afterwards we returned to the pool, then on to PLP for dinner again, and another round of late night drinks with Richard at MB.<br><br>Friday saw 2 of us back at Orient for our last beach day, while the other 2 stayed around MB for the day. One final lunch at Baywatch, and goodbyes to Andy and Cheryl. Also had to say goodbye to PaulZ and vebkid. Came back a little and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon by the pool together with Richard and Frank. A final dinner at SSBB and then one more late night stop at Hot Tomatoes and the MB honor bar!<br><br>Saturday we were up early and off to the bakery for breakfast which we ate on the balcony overlooking the water. Then it was time to pack and head off for the airport. No problems returning home (SXM/SJU/CLE). <br><br>In summary, it was a wonderful trip[img]/images/icons2/clapping.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/clapping.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/clapping.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/clapping.gif[/img]. We visited many old friends and old favorites, but also tried some new adventures (Hot Tomatoes, Random Wind, Celine Pub Crawl, Butterfly Farm). We must once again thank Richard (Dicky) for his hospitality and good humor during our stay[img]/images/icons2/kiss.gif[/img]. We thoroughly enjoyed his company throughout the week. <br><br>Can't wait for next year!<br><br>Frank/MJ/Frank/Deb