Another wonderful trip to our favorite place on earth! Trip number 11 I think.
Flights USAir BDL CLT SXM and return were uneventful and on time. We did carry on’s only with our two quart baggies filled with 3 oz containers of shampoo etc. Bought sunblock and moisturizer when we arrived and all was well. I was a little disappointed to use the jetway on arrival. I really missed the feeling of walking down the steps into the warm St Maarten air. But the new terminal is very, very nice. The trip thru customs was quick and we were out the door to meet the representative from AAA quickly. From wheels down to rental car pickup to first cold one at Buccaneer Beach Bar was 40 minutes!
On our return, had no lines at ticketing and security. It all went smooth and there were a few more smiling faces working the other side of the counter for a change. Picked up an ok sandwich once past security so we wouldn’t starve on the ride home, and proceeded to try to drink the Rum Jumbie Bar dry before I got on the plane!
We again rented an Ignis from AAA and had no issues. We drove around a lot and it cost us $28 to fill up at the end of our stay at the Gess station in Orleans ($0.85 per liter).
This was our second time staying at Les Balcons in Oyster Pond. I really can’t say enough about the accommodation and the hosts here. We really love the little bungalows that provide all we need in a clean and safe atmosphere. The covered balconies provide a wonderful place to sit with our morning coffee/tea and enjoy watching the profusion of birds and butterflies. A couple of mornings I caught the sunrise over Dawn Beach while sitting there. Wonderful! If you’re on a budget (or not), Les Balcons can’t be beat. Carine and David will take very good care of you.
All but one day was spent on the beach at Club O. The weather was great, with not a cloud in the sky most days. It rained once during the week, for about 2 minutes and we never left our chairs. The water was a little warmer than during our previous two February visits, and I was able to actually get in a few swims. Happy hour at the Perch with Willy and a couple of sandwiches from our cooler, and all was good with the world. On our first day we found Clem and Paulette’s TTOL flag and made ourselves at home with the group there. What very nice folks TTOLers are, huh?
HIGHLIGHTS:
Our dear old friends Tom and Pat from Maine joined us for part of our trip. This was our first time sharing our island with anyone, and it all worked out great! We took a day off from the beach and drove them all over the island, stopping here and there. (They had visited once before, about 20 years ago. A lot has changed!) Once they got their feet wet with navigation, we had dinner and drinks every night and had a blast together. We sure did laugh (and drink!)
One stop I was determined to make this trip was Gutside. This we did on our tour day. (Bill, I don’t care how you drive around the island, but when you want to stop for lunch, we had better be at Gutside!) And we were.
After an incredibly wonderful meal, we spent at least an hour with Richard. What a hoot! His story is incredible, and his view of life is to be admired. We left with our bellies full, our cheeks sore from laughter, and another wonderful place to add to our “must do every trip” list! Thanks everyone here for the help and recommendation.
Wine and Cheese Party at Les Balcons – hosted by ChiTownHarry and his wonderful wife, Kathy. A lovely sunset evening and a chance to talk to a lot of folks. I even got to finally meet Sca2la (Vicki and Rick)! The pool deck was the perfect spot to enjoy the evening. Thanks Harry and Kathy (and David and Carine)!
Our last evening we enjoyed a sunset cruise aboard the Celine. While we frequently do the Pub Crawl, we hadn’t been on the sunset cruise in awhile. It’s still an wonderful trip, and it was great to catch up with Capt Neil again. There was a hint that Neil will perhaps start a regularly scheduled “day trip” that could be CO or not, every Friday. His son Johann’s new restaurant , Stone, has been getting very good reviews and things seem to be going very well for him.
As always, it’s the people we meet that make the trip for us. We met many new TTOL’ers and made a few more “island” friends.
FOOD:
We did the normal for us, and never had a bad meal – not once.
Gutside – A real treat, probably the besh fish I have had on the island
Buccaneer Beach Bar – Miss you Curtis!
Peg Leg Pub – appetizers for dinner, Shawn’s smile….
Baywatch – what more can I say?
Skipjacks – drinks several nights and dessert one night
Talk of the Town – great dinner and home made coconut ice cream
Sky’s the Limit – first time, staff nicer here, but better food at ToTT
Dingy Dock – several happy hours and a couple of dinners. All good!
Shrimpy’s – love the food here – curried beef and potato sandwich for me!
Gelateria – dissert one night – yummy
Hilma’s Windsor Castle – saltfish and johnnycakes!
Breakfast and lunch take out from the bakery in Orleans
LOWLIGHTS:
We had to come home after only a week.
We’re not very good about taking photos but:
Pictures of the party at Les Balcons are here:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/danandnate01/album/576460762388285318Some random vacation shots are here:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/danandnate01/album/576460762388298387
.
