At last the much-awaited day arrived for our second trip to SXM. We found ourselves waiting in a long line for boarding passes at AA ticket counter at 4:30 am (6:00am flight connecting thru Miami) Saturday morning. AA processed every one really fast. We boarded plane that was packed full and over booked. At 5:55 AA offered $600 each in travel vouchers to delay to the noon flight with no takers. At 6:05 they still needed 4 seats and $1000 in vouchers for an 8:00am flight and I had to hold Marcia down because all of the connecting flight to SXM were over booked. Well so much for that.<br>We arrived at SXM at 2:20 pm local, caught the shuttle to Adventure Car Rentals and picked up our car and went to Divi Little Bay to check in. At 1st they put us in a Garden view and we made them change us to an Ocean view (what we paid for). By the time we went and bought some groceries (beer, cokes, and coffee) and got settled back in our room we were exhausted (we had been up since 1 am SXM time). We just went to Divi’s restaurant for dinner and drinks. Marcia had chicken Parmesan and I had pizza and both were delicious. Manuel sure made Malibu Pinacoladas to die for. <br>Sunday morning after coffee we were off to OB. We paid for a week of chairs and umbrella then set out our TTOL flag. I’m not sure how many people stopped off to chat, but it was a lot of them, everyone was talking about the TTOL AOL party at SSBC that afternoon. Ron & Judy stopped by as well as Robin & Bobbe. About 3pm we headed back to the room thru Marigot (for some Marlboro lights). Took a quick nap, still trying to catch up on some lost sleep, before heading over to SSBC for the get together. SSBC was packed with TTOL & AOLers. We met Augie & Sue and Hot2rodbob & Dottie as well as many, many others. The place was totally rocking. We left there and went to Cheri’s for dinner and the show. Cheri’s food was mouth watering.<br>Monday it was back to OB for more sun and water. Later we did a little shopping in Marigot. We went to the Green House for dinner. I was really disappointed in the lobster (very tough and rubbery) and the service. <br>Tuesday we took the Tiko-Tiko cruise and had a terrific time. Met Mike & Sue, Jim & Janice, Mark & Lisa, all from Ontario, and Tom & Sue from Minnesota. We all hit it off great. Had a blast watching all the other cats come in and seeing 10 nude people on the beach. The food on the Tiko-Tiko was wonderful and Phillip and Emanuel did a great job serving, afterwards we all swam back to the beach for more sun, water, and private excursions. About 3:00 Phillip sent a bucket out to mix mud for the mud bath. Marcia and the girls really got into mixing the mud. They couldn’t get anyone else to volunteer so I let them smear mud on me first (except Marcia reserved one spot for her to apply the mud on). That was all it took and everyone was in on the act. I’m sure how we all looked odd covered in mud. Some nice man walking down the beach toward the snorkeling area agreed to take our picture, he didn’t know what he was in for ‘cause we all had to have one with our own camera. After washing up it was time to swim back to the boat and head back to Club O. We all rode up front on the bow net drinking who knows what. After we got back to CO, we all went up to Papagayo’s and spent the rest of the night drinking David’s special concoctions and throwing down boiled shrimp, conk balls, mussels, and escargot, and best of all dancing to the live music. We all finally departed for the night, but not without getting the manager to come out on the terrace and take one last picture, one with everyone of our cameras that is. We spent the rest of our week soaking up the sun and fine salt water with all of our new found friends swilling, beer exchanging stories, and just watching the beautiful people come and go (and all of them were beautiful both young and old). <br>Friday we shopped for jewelry at Jewel Master, the jewelry shop at DIVI Little Bay. Ron and Sue had told me about Danny Chainani. He used to be in Phillipsburg but move out to DIVI. He was very reasonable and he wasn’t pushy, in fact he gave us some good advise on the things we were buying. Everything we bought was at such a good price we went back the next day and bought more. Even his tobacco and liquor were cheaper than anywhere on the Island. Even if you aren’t staying at DIVI it would be worth your while to go out there and check it out.<br>Friday night we made reservations at Cheri’s for a table for 10 right up front so that we could enjoy the show. At the start of the show someone let it on to the band that it was Mike and Sue’s anniversary and they did a special number for them to dance. The manager even brought 2 magnums of Champagne for the whole table (complimentary of course). Cheri’s had a very good show. Their main singer was really talented.<br>Saturday we lost 4 of our 10 to the airport. The rest were feeling bad about having to leave paradise, but we carried on in fine SXM tradition and tried to soak up all of that beach before having to sir come to that dreadful flight back to reality.<br>Saturday night we ate DIVI’s bar. <br>Sunday morning it was a marathon trying to pack what we brought and what we bought. We had packed a suitcase in a larger one so we would have enough room, but we still couldn’t get it all in. We went down to the on-site shops trying to find a bag or even a small suit case but couldn’t find either. <br>We ran into the jeweler and he gave us one of those boxes for liquor and that was all that we needed. So off to the airport we went. Checked into the airport. Of course we volunteered to be bumped in case the needed. The ticket agent said it was over booked so we thought we might get to stay another night. When we got to the gate we were told that there was plenty of seats. So we had to force ourselves to get on that plane. <br><br>Now we are planning another trip. We are hoping for mid September. Just 165 days to go…….<br><br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Administrator on 3/22/01 03:44 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
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