Trip report 3/18/05 - 3/26/05
This was my third visit to SXM--traveled with my friend Allison, who arrived for her first time.
Flights: AA out of JFK: Leaving out of NY we sat on the runway for three hours with engine trouble ..time for me to pop a xanax! I'm a panicked flyer to begin with, so this news didn't help any...then waited longer to try and find someone to push our plane out of the terminal...not a great way to start our vacation, but finally we were on our way....Flight home we sat on the runway for a little over an hour--there were so many planes waiting to take off we had to wait in line...Pilot announced that he was shutting of the engines to save fuel and there we sat again...
Our trip was booked thru Sandy Molloy-a sponsor on this site. Sandy was awesome--prompt responses to all my questions, emails and phone calls. Very friendly and helpful--would recommend her very highly!! Thank you Sandy!! A+
Hotel: Caravanserai....my first time staying on the Dutch side and this hotel fit the bill perfectly. Located right in the heart of things--and a skip (some nights a stumble) across the parking lot to SSBB, Bliss, Bamboo Bernies--We were originally booked for a gardenview room--which was no big deal, as we didn't spend much time in our room besides showering and sleeping...but unknown to us, Sandy got an upgrade for us to a poolside room. About 5 steps from our door to the pool--where we didn't really spend any time either, but it was nice to jump in the pool to rinse off the salt every day after the beach. Our room was fine--we had a small frig, iron, hairdryer, coffeemaker, huge shower, no tub--pretty much all we needed. The front desk staff was helpful & friendly--quite happy with our accommodations. Breakfast was included in our booked price at the Chinese restaurant across the parking lot of the hotel. We ate there the first couple of mornings until our third day when we were served french toast and buttered toast that was covered in fuzzy mold! ...that was our last breakfast there!!
Car rental: AAA--an Ignis that was just fine and got the job done, no problems. Even being over three hours late, AAA was there to pick us up-- Departure day went smoothly too. My third time using AAA and would use again and recommend to anyone...
Phone Rental: Sharon Harris--Met her at the Royal Palm as soon as we got our car and paperwork completed....Lovely lady! Used the phone all week with not one problem! Dropped off at the Palm on departure day--no problems from start to finish. Would definitely recommend her service and will use again. Thank you Sharon!! A+
Our week:
Friday: Since we were on the road at 4 am, it had been a long day and later than planned arrival...by the time we had our car and phone we headed to the hotel, dropped our things, changed into shorts and tees and headed over to SSBB for a bite to eat...Allison had a burger, I had a swordfish sandwich..both were quite good. We sat right at the grill bar and it took forever to get our food--we had to repeatedly ask what happened to our order--some people were getting ready to leave without getting their food they were so angry....we had a couple of cocktails and listened to a band that was playing for a bit, then headed to our room and crashed.
Saturday: Headed over to Orient Beach--glorious day! Not a cloud in the sky, water was perfect--life is good. Lunch @ Baywatch where Cheryl and Andy greeted me like an old friend--even with my only two previous visits. Great people. (I'll try to recount our meals, but not good with the memory part of my brain!) Lunch included margarita shrimp and mussels a la Andy---mmmmm!! wonderful...Stayed on the beach all day, headed back to hotel to shower/change and headed to Hot Tomatoes for a quickie dinner--shared three apps--met the lovely Gabe who escorted us on his arms to our table and bought us a drink immediately--then headed over to Lady C to meet up with Sheila (she314) and her friend Kim (?) and a friend of ours from home, Michelle. Met Sheila and the March gang three years ago and we had a grand time catching up, BSing and drinking lots....Met her friend/bartender Colin--another sweetie...we had made plans to go from Lady C to Bliss to meet up and do some dancing and more partying, though when we arrived we could not find Sheila! Circled the bar searching, but wasn't to be. Place was packed! Sorry to have missed you there Sheila! We stayed and danced until 3 am and then stumbled our way across the lot to the hotel....
Sunday: Friar's Bay Beach--Lunch @ Friar's Bay Beach Cafe--(chairs and umbrella free if you eat lunch there)....back to hotel to shower/dress and stopped at the Burger King trailer for a quick burger to get some food in our stomachs before the Booze cruise on the Lambada (?) that our friend Michelle had booked for us that evening. Departed from the Pelican (where Michelle owns her timeshare)--$10 for the sunset cruise with all you could drink--awesome!! Crew was lively and great fun--we had a blast! The rum punches and champagne were flowing freely...After the cruise we went to Pineapple Pete's for dinner-another first for me---great food, great service, reasonable prices...I had rack of lamb, Allison had lobster thermidor, Michelle I think had coconut shrimp? Dinner was great.
Monday: Bag of pastries and croissants from Zee Best--wonderful!! then headed for the boat to Pinel...arrived at 8:30--were told to come back at 9:30 or 10:00 and that there were buses of cruise ship people arriving--decided to pass on Pinel that day...stopped at the Butterfly Farm for a quick visit--then to Orient for the day...Lunch at Paradisio (?)--and don't remember what we had, but another lovely beach day..Met Luiz and I picked out a bathing suit to be made for me...will return later in week to pick up.....Went to dinner and show @ Cheri's Cafe that evening--my second, Allison's first and she got a kick out of it...I had shrimp with stir fried veggies, she had ?...both good and reasonably priced...
Tuesday: Grand Case Beach; lovely and quiet--lot less beach than when I was there three years ago...was great to sit and raise the flag for the beach boy to deliver cocktails...life is good...Lunch @ Sunset Cafe--mozzerella/tomato salad, club sandwich--all good....massages on the beach---aaaahhhhh....then took the Scoobitoo to Tintemare, indulged in the mud bath and had a great afternoon...beautiful sunset sail back to Grand Case Beach Club, another perfect day. Had planned on doing Grand Case Festival on the way back, but were so tired and salty we headed back to hotel...Dinner was at Pasta Cafe--Allison had a pasta with marinara--which she said was watery and awful ( our only complaint with any meal that week, other than our mildewy breakfast) and I had a ravioli in a vodka sauce which was wonderful...Allison couldn't eat her dinner and they wouldn't even take anything off the bill or even offer a drink...not a repeat place I'd say....From there we headed to the Hollywood Casino--I played craps, she on the slots...I lost $100 in half an hour, won it back and an extra $40 and Allison won $40 on the slots--our dinners were paid for and we had some fun...
Wednesday: Mullet Bay Beach--another first for me. Beautiful beach!! But extremely hot today and not a breeze to be had...left around noontime, headed to Phillipsburg for shopping at the open market (another first for me); Lunch @ chesterfield's(another first for me)--fish sandwich for me, club sandwich for Al--great food, lovely restaurant, reasonable prices A+....Met our friend Michelle that evening at Bamboo Bernie's for Happy Hour--5 to 6 pm, free frozen mudslides and beer, (other drinks 1/2 off), 6 to 7pm $1 and after that $2...we met Mr. SXM, Jack Rinaldi and his wife and son there and had a lovely chat and few drinks with them (and mardi gras beads that Jack was handing out)...from there to Hot Tomatoes for a cocktail (michelle knows Gabe very well), then on to Turtle Pier for lobster night (Turtle Pier another first for me--lots of new --and wonderful--firsts for me this trip)..dinner was great, Michelle introduced us to Al the owner who had reserved lobsters for us earlier that day--two of us had lobster with garlic butter and another lobster thermidor)--wonderful meal..Went to the bar after dinner and danced a little to the band playing--great fun..and Jack Rinaldi and his entourage (and beads!) was there too--we had a great evening!
Thursday: Croissants @ Zee Best; Orient Beach; Allison had another massage, I vegged on the beach...Got my suit from Luiz--perfect!! I just love it!! Very nice man... Lunch @ Tex Mex--very good, the owner hysterical and free shots of tequila!! By the time we left the beach, Allison had broken out in an awful itchy rash all over her arms, chest, neck & shoulders...we went to the St. Martin Clinic where they diagnosed her with an allergic reaction to lobster --of all things! She said the doctor was gorgeous--a young Robert Redford and very nice... Got prescriptions for her which made her a little woozy later on after a couple of cocktails, but the rash subsided by the next day as well as the awful itching! Pub Crawl @ Turtle Pier that evening--great fun!!! Michelle had introduced us to Neil the night before--we ended up at Turtle Pier and hanging out and drinking with Neil after the cruise--the bar/restaurant was shut down and we stayed til our drinks were gone and we couldn't laugh any more from Neil's stories!! Great guy and great fun...on to Sunset Beach Bar for drinks and some dancing and back to hotel..
Friday: Sunset Beach Bar free breakfast!! We had heard about it on the radio the day before...service was horrible, but one girl told us it was their first day trying breakfast, so deal with it--it's free!! No problem mon! Breakfast was great though--all the juice you could drink, coffee, tea and eggs and omelets made to order--very good!! On to Pinel today...arrived there at 9:30--not a chair to be had and they kept bringing more and more boatloads over...my guess is being Good Friday, lots of locals had the day off, as well as all the cruise shippers they brought in--don't know what I was thinking going there on a holiday, but at least Allison got to see it...we had a drink, sunned, swam and shopped a bit, then grabbed a boat back; on to Dawn Beach-- Had so wanted lunch and ribs @ Ms. B's, but she was closed--bummer! Lunch @ Mr. Busby's--where they had no lobster that i wanted to try, but had grilled ham and cheese, onion rings and a club sandwich--all very good...Dinner @ Tastevin in Grand Case--we had reserved a waterside table two days earlier and got there and were told no waterside...Allison insisted--they sat us elsewhere until they could get us a waterside table--about 10-15 minutes...Grilled lobster for me and rack of lamb for Allison--pistachio, chocolate creme brulees for dessert--wonderful delightful meal...
Saturday: Shopping in Phillipsburg; Went to DK Gems and asked for Deepti--she came out and we introduced ourselves and mentioned TTOL...I wanted to treat myself to some jewelry and tried on a pair of diamond earrings...as I'm sitting, one of her brothers comes up behind me with a diamond necklace, another with a diamond tennis bracelet and put them all on me--I was dripping in them!! No can do though...did buy the earrings--not a fortune spent, but they made you feel as if you did...lovely people, will return for that necklace!! Allison bought beautiful pink sapphire earring for her daughter's upcoming 13th birthday at another store... Lunch @ Bananas--steak sandwich for me, Allison (?)--good lunch....back to hotel, pick up luggage, check out then drinks @ Sunset Beach Bar before heading to return phone and car....Airport was an atrocious mess!! Elbow to elbow with sweaty, cranky people--we were told to arrive 3 hours prior to our flight....I swear I will never fly out of SXM on a weekend again--you couldn't even move inside--1/2 hour wait for bathrooms...we accidently passed a door that said Swaliga (?) club-open to public for $20 entry fee---we looked at each other and said who do we pay?? climbed the stairs, paid $20 each and sat in a lovely air conditioned bar until our flight--what a relief!!
Sorry if I was too lengthy here...so many firsts for me this trip and I enjoyed it all immensely!! Allison is already talking about making this a yearly trip for us--I'm hoping it becomes true!! Thanks to all here for the wonderful pointers and posts--i haven't posted much lately but did a lot of lurking and reading...Was a wonderful vacation and can't wait to return!
