Orient Beach - highlights... * TTOL party at “Los Gauchos” restaurant on Pondfill Rd in P-burg was fun and a chance to meet some of the BB regulars – thanks to Kathy and Harold – this restaurant deserves your support in addition to serving the best pina coladas... * The beach at Club Orient has returned – now 60’ of sand between Papagayo and the bay and even more up the beach... * Our best new find – Café Alamanda for a relaxing quiet dinner at the Alamanda Resort on Orient Beach – top honors to the chef.

More notes... * Club-O where we stayed this time, upgrading is underway – most notably at the Papagayo restaurant with new manager Michelle providing full American breakfasts and fine, if not gourmet, dinner selections plus improvements to enhance the ambiance of the restaurant. Eddie, the General Manager is making progress to upgrade accommodations; some units already outfitted with new furnishings with brighter, color coordinated features. * Routine inspections were made of other hotels on the beach – all in good condition and benefiting from a good year with most all or largely sold out for April. * Sarah at Hotel L’Hoste with new restaurant “Ouaiechi” on the boardwalk a P-burg – haven’t tried, but very reasonable menu. * For lobster lovers, Café la Plantation at resort on Mondays; L’Astrolabe at Esmeralda on Fridays... both with live music.

Plus... * The euro situation – as most hotels and villas we represent support the dollar at par value, restaurants are more costly. * A week worth of car gas was only $16 - quite reasonable... * An interesting flight from DC to SXM... check-in a breeze with no waiting, our 747 with 188 seats occupied by 24 passengers to SJU... although connecting flight was full... on our departure from SXM, arrived early without any check-in delay... * And our first every experience with theft of a baggage item that we are awaiting response from AA.

Island green and traffic as usual – drive defensively! Returning to Virginia the only serious matter... departing SXM at 85 deg and landing at 40 deg with snow the following morning!

Jim