Saint Martin
January 1999
by
Rick Mollica
 |
INTRODUCTION
1999 marked the
fifth year that I went to Saint Martin during January. Our original plans
were for me to spend the first week by myself, and then my wife and son,
Joey, were going to join me for the second week. Unfortunately, Joey was
diagnosed with strep throat on the day they were to join me, so I spent
two weeks on vacation by myself!
Ti Gourmet,
at the left, is my favorite travel guide on the island because it contains
so much information in a small format. You can pick up a copy at the airport
or in stores and restaurants.
|
You can find more travelogues
on my Travel Page
or in the Caribbean
Travel Roundup (which
has hundreds of travelogues about St Martin and other Caribbean islands).
This year's travelogue
covers the weather, rental cars, beaches, restaurants, and miscellaneous topics
- in that order. There are lots of great things about Saint Martin that I didn't
cover this year - but you can find information about those things in my travelogues
from 1995,
1996,
1997,
and 1998.
Please feel free to send
me your own tips about
Saint Martin, which I will include on my new Saint
Martin Tips page. If you
appreciate what you find here, please sign my guestbook. I'd love to hear from
you. Rick
WEATHER
Twelve
out of 14 days were gorgeous at least half of the day and usually
all day; the other two days were rainy and windy most of the day.
Want a three day weather forecast for Anguilla and
vicinity
from the Weather Channel? (But be sure to come right back here!)
I know
that a lot of people hang around Orient Beach and other beaches
on the northeast and east parts of the island, which are on the
Atlantic Ocean side - but I find that the wind is often so strong
on the Atlantic side that it spoils the beach experience. The
beaches on the west and southwest parts of the island face the
Caribbean Sea, and they are better protected from the strong
easterly winds that can spoil a day at Orient Beach.
I
recommend that people who limit themselves to Orient Beach try a
beach on the Caribbean side on those incredibly windy days - the
difference can be unbelievable.
RENTAL
CAR
I am
continually surprised that so many people do not rent a vehicle
in St Martin. They spend thousands of dollars to have a week or
two of what ought to be a great vacation, and then to save a
couple hundred dollars they don't get a rental car. Big mistake,
in my opinion. They miss out on 90% of what St Martin has to
offer by limiting themselves to an occasional taxi or just
hanging around one resort area or beach. It's amazing how many
people never venture outside of the Orient Beach area or the Maho
Beach resort area. I feel badly for those people.
I used
Empress Rent-A-Car again this year. I had not reserved a jeep, as
I usually do, so I had to rent a car for a day and switch to a
jeep when it became available the next day. The car was adequate
- like most cars on the island, it was well used - but the jeep
was good. Its antenna was gone so the radio didn't work, but a
jeep on that island is much better than a car in terms of fun and
practicality. The jeep rented for $270/week during high season
(Dec 22 - April 14); a car with automatic transmission was $216,
and one with a standard transmission was $162.
Empress
is located at the Pelican Resort, which might not be a practical
option for vacationers who don't stay at the Pelican or a nearby
resort. I would still recommend Empress to people renting a jeep
(011-45293 Ext. 5190), but I was unimpressed by the car. The
best-looking rental cars on the island were from Best Deal (I
don't have the phone number), Adventure Car Rental (011-43688),
and Safari Rentals (011-53186) - they all have offices at the
Airport right outside of the baggage claim area.
BEACHES
ORIENT
BEACH
Orient
Beach "...was the best of times. It was the worst of
times..."
The
worst first:
The
restaurants and concessions have almost totally taken over the
beach area. Restaurants extend from the treeline halfway down the
beach and then the lounge chairs and umbrellas continue the march
to the sea, side by side, armrest to armrest. But the beach in
front of Club Orient is still fine. In fact, at first I wondered
why there were so many non-naturalists at Club Orient's
naturalist beach, but I think it's because there are so few good
places left on the main beach that a body can just plunk down on
the sand without renting a lounge chair. Reminded me of little
vinyl apartment complexes.
The
other annoyance at Orient is that the winds can be a bit
overwhelming. As noted under the 'weather' section above, try
heading for a beach on the Caribbean side of the island if the
winds on the Atlantic side get too strong for your enjoyment.
And
now the best:
There's
simply no place like Orient Beach for people-watching and beach
excitement. It really is a fun place to spend a day or two. I
don't know if it's more fun watching the sunbathers, the
strollers, or the people bussed in from the cruise ships and navy
ships who are watching the sunbathers and strollers. Shopping,
eating, drinking, parasailing...people from all over the
planet...it's a fun beach.
Orient
is also a good place for folks who want to do a little
"anonymous skinnydipping." Who the heck do you know
there? Nobody! Then again, I did overhear one naked guy
unexpectedly greeting a naked woman, who apparently was a
neighbor or co-worker from the States: "Well, this is a
little awkward, but I guess we'll get used to it!" Check out
this web site about Orient Beach.
Oh
yeah, the water was fine!
BAIE
ROUGE
I've been telling you for the last
few years that Baie Rouge is my favorite beach. And it's still one
of my favorite beaches (though I have a new favorite to
suggest this year). Baie Rouge is a spacious beach and very
picturesque; it is a wonderful place to swim. You can rent a
chair and umbrella for $5 each, and you can get good food at
either of the two beach lo-lo's (Gus' Place and Raymond's). I
paid $8 for a plate of spare ribs with rice and salad; a burger
and fries were $4; a bottle of beer was $2.
The beach is a nice family beach
and your car will be safe - a security guard is in the place they
call a parking lot (you'll see what I mean when you get there).
Tops Optional.
PRUNE BAY
I always rave about this beach, but
this year I thought I had found beach perfection. I went to Prune
Bay twice and each time there were about a dozen people, mostly
French and American. There are no facilities and no concessions.
It is a gorgeous beach with great swimming conditions. An
excellent place for the family. Tops Optional. I have three tips
that might help you.
#1: Prune Bay is notoriously
difficult to get to because there are no signs after the one on
the main road and the access road is horrendous - so most people
don't bother. Here are driving directions that I think will get
you there on the best roads (still bad) in the shortest distance:
- You'll see the sign for Prune
Bay from the main road, so use your map to get at least
that far. When you see the sign, leave the main road.
- Dodge potholes for one mile,
at which point you'll see a cement wall on the right side
that is about eight feet tall. The wall is weird - just
two small sections that intersect with each other to form
a wedge. The wall is at an intersection. Turn right at
that intersection.
- Go for another mile to the
beach - lots of zigs and zags, but no turns. The beach is
at the end of this winding road.
#2: I noticed that there were
police officers in the parking area in the afternoon during both
of my visits, but not in the morning - so I would recommend going
to Prune Bay after noon.
#3: Stop at Subway or someplace to
get food and drink before you go to Prune Bay - there are no
facilities there.
You're going to love this beach. Go
there.
FRIARS BAY
I thought Prune Bay was perfection,
and the next day I went to Friars Bay and found more perfection.
I told you last year about Kali's Beach Bar at Friars Bay. This
year Kali's has competition from Friar's Bay Beach Cafe and
Cranberry Cafe. I would recommend - strongly - that you head for
the area in front of Friars Bay Beach Cafe (FBBC).
The
beach is excellent and there is good snorkeling at both ends of the beach. This
is one of the few beaches that I saw yachts come and drop anchor offshore. The
lounge chairs and umbrellas in front of the FBBC are free if you eat at the
FBBC...and I assure you that the food there is excellent. They have an extensive
menu with very reasonable prices. And the music...you have to hear this music
- talk about eclectic! Frank Sinatra...French crooners a la Tony Bennett...Jazz
with American Indian interludes...you name it...and it's all playing on Bose
speakers. Gawd...life is good! 
(Of
course, they could have done without that Bee Gees interlude.)
I visited Kali's and I still thinks
it's a good place, but I thought the FBBC was better. I didn't
try the Cranberry Cafe, but they too looked good...interesting,
they have a concession where you can get temporary tatoos.
I went to Friars twice this year.
French, Italians, Latin Americans, and folks from the USA made up
the bulk of the vacationers. Those Italians were having so much
fun telling stories and taking family pictures. It's a nice
family place. Also, my completely unscientific assessment is
that, percentage-wise, there's much more more tops optional at
Friars than at Orient.
HAPPY BAY
I think very few people ever find
Happy Bay. If you want to add a postcard-perfect beach to your St
Martin experience, find Happy Bay! I'm not going to post a
picture of the beach for you because I don't want to spoil your
experience of "discovering" this beach for yourself. It
is simply gorgeous. You'll think you're in a movie scene when you
emerge from an overgrown path and see this beach.
First, go to Friar's Bay...park
your vehicle...and then walk to the path that starts right behind
the Cranberry Cafe. You'll be safe, so just do it. When you get
to a point where the path splits, you can go left to follow the
longer, more interesting path (which also passes a very small
beach that is full of sea shells); or you can bear to the right.
On both paths you'll step over a small rock wall that is topped
with a trampled down string of barbed wire. On the right path
you'll see some houses that were ruined by Hurricane Luis...just
follow the path that passes the houses to the ocean. In either
case the walk takes about 15-20 minutes.
On the day that I went, there were
no facilities (so stop at Subway or somewhere before going), but
I saw a small building that made me think there is a concession
that sets up sometimes. All I know is that you'll find a 300-yard
long crescent beach with about four people on it. Wear your
bathing suit or take off your clothes. Who cares? There's only
four people there whom you'll never see again.
CUPECOY BEACH
This was my favorite beach this
year. Like Friars, it's a great beach with good facilities but
not too much commercialization. As you know, there are several
small beaches that make up Cupecoy. I'm talking about the beach
furthest from the Sapphire resort. It's mostly a naturalist
beach, but there are plenty of people who wear their bathing
suits. So why was this my favorite this year?
First of all, your car is safe
parked up on the road because the guys who work the beach
concession also keep an eye on things up on the road. More
importantly, the beach itself is wide and the water conditions
are perfect. The scenery (not counting the human scenery) is
lovely. The guys who work for Rolland's Beach Bar make sure you
have a lounge chair and umbrella if you want them ($5 each), and
they bring your drinks to you on the beach (a beer is $2; give
the guy a tip and you get impeccable service the whole day). The
guys remember you from day to day; they are polite and friendly.
I didn't try the food at Rolland's, so I can't comment on it -
but it's barbecue fare, so it ought to be fine.
You folks who like the naturalist
scene at Orient would find this beach a great alternative.
PINEL ISLAND
I
had been to St Martin four times, but never to Pinel Island, so this time I
went. You'll see signs everywhere on the island, like the one on the right,
that direct you to Pinel Island [you can see the island off to the left from
Orient Beach]. These signs point you to French Cul de Sac where you can take
a boat to the island.
Use your map to find the turn-off
to French Cul de Sac - at the intersection where Surf Club South
is located. When you get to the parking area at the end of the
road you'll find some shopping concessions and a dock with
several boats lined up.
A fellow with a loud whistle will
sound the call to board the boat, and he'll collect $10 to cover
the round-trip to Pinel Island. The boat comes and goes about
every 15-20 minutes, with the last trip from the island scheduled
for 4:30PM.
The island has a nice beach - kind
of reminded me of Gilligan's Island - but the local tourist
companies bus in so many vacationers from cruise ships and
who-knows-where that the beach is jammed. There was a big group
of Panamanians on the beach the day I went. They were having one
helluva time, but the place was crowded. I couldn't even get
service at the beach restaurant.
On a more positive note, there were
a couple of singers who did a karaoke style of "live
act" that was actually very good. They were nice guys who
played the crowd well and livened up the action. Also the
snorkeling at Pinel is supposed to be good (though I overheard a
father and daughter saying that the coral was so close to the
surface that it was hard for them to snorkel safely).
Overall assessment: You
might disagree, but I found Pinel Island to be very touristy and
not worth the $10 and extra time that could have been better
spent at Cupecoy, Friars, Prune Bay, or even Orient.
SMALL BEACH (at the Grand Case
Beach Club)
I always tell you that this is a
great little beach that has lots of amenities without being
overrun by people. I stand by that opinion, but this year there
were two differences: access to the beach is now limited to an
unimpressive path next to the Grand Case Beach Club, and the
beach seems really small this year.
I love the Grand Case Beach Club
and recommend it to anyone who will listen. But folks who don't
stay there who now have to access the beach via that bogus little
path might be turned off a little. You can still rent their
lounge chairs and umbrellas, and take advantage of their
beachside restaurant, but you just can't park your car at the
GCBC or access the beach from the GCBC itself.
LE GALION, also known as Coconut
Grove or Baie de l'Embouchere
This beach is next to Orient Beach,
just down the road from the Butterfly Farm (a great place!) and a
horse-riding stable...but I don't recommend it. The guidebooks
always say what a nice family beach it is. I think it could be
nice, but it's trashy and I wouldn't waste a precious vacation
day going there.
PELICAN RESORT BEACH
Real beach aficionados probably
wonder why I mention this beach every year, but I'm tellin' 'ya,
this is a good little beach - especially if you have little kids.
The Pelican provides free lounge chairs and umbrellas, a very
nice beach protected by rock jetties on both sides, and two beach
bars - the thatched one serves up the best barbecued burgers I've
had on the island. And of course you have all the other amenities
of the Pelican Resort right there.
If you go to the Pelican's beach,
take 20 minutes to stroll down the beaches to the east - towards
the Flamingo Resort...start at the Pelican Beach and just follow
the shoreline. And if you're with your spouse or sweetheart
(could be the same person?), without kids, you're in for one heck
of a romantic walk. It is absolutely lovely (and a great place to
collect seashells...and take sunset pictures).
RESTAURANTS, CAFES,
BARS
My descriptions of
restaurants, cafes, and bars are in no particular order this
year. You'll find my favorite restaurant on the island...a place
where topless women drink for free...an informal cafe that serves
gourmet food...(they're not all the same place)...read on.
Ren & Stimpy's
One of my favorite little
restaurants on the island...is gone. What a shame. Ren &
Stimpy's served outstanding Creole dishes in Simpson Bay.
The Globe
This is a new restaurant that
opened in mid-December 1998 next to The Boathouse restaurant in
Simpson Bay. The front of the restaurant is freshly painted in a
deep stucco color. At night the lighting is very dramatic and
gives the restaurant the church mission look of The Alamo in San
Antonio, Texas.
The restaurant has a nice bar area
and tables inside and outside. The Globe's interior decor is an
imaginative mixture of the southwestern USA, the Mediterranean,
and the Caribbean. Heavy cross beams in the ceiling are painted
green and concave-shaped pillars - thicker in the middle than at
the top and bottom - are painted a mauve color. The staff, at
least partially from Canada, is attentive and polite.
When I asked the waiter what the
theme of the menu was, he responded, "Global." And he
was right. The menu listed appetizers, salads, meats, fish,
pasta, Texmex, and desserts. I had tapas for an appetizer, an
Indian chicken dish for the main course, and chocolate mousse for
dessert. The food portions were large but the quality was pretty
mediocre - in fact, I wouldn't go back for the food. I'm no tapas
expert, but there sure seemed to be a lot of little dead fishes
in mine; the chicken was dry from being too heavily spiced; and
the mousse had an out-of-the package, too-long-in-the
refrigerator taste and look.
The prices were very reasonable, so
maybe you ought to try the Globe for yourself. It takes time for
a new restaurant to get things just right, and maybe some of
their other dishes are prepared very well. If nothing else, stop
in for drinks so you can enjoy the personable staff and great
decor.
Lynette's
This
place is so dependable. Located in Simpson Bay near the airport, Lynette's has
been a favorite of regular visitors for years. The ambiance of the restaurant
is very nice (though you wouldn't guess that from the outside), the quality
of the food is outstanding, and the service is very good. I had their Lobster
Creole dish which, I think, is their most expensive entree at $30. It was scrumptious.
Then again, everything I've eaten there is delicious.
Lynette's (like many restaurants in
St Martin) has a 15% surcharge, which you will see on the check
but not on the credit card slip. Add more tip if you want - just
remember when you're signing the credit card slip that it already
includes 15%.
Turtle Pier
You have to love Turtle
Pier - another dependable
restaurant in Simpson Bay. I've never eaten supper there, but I
frequently go there for breakfast or lunch. The kids will love
all the birds and animals that line the walkway into the
restaurant. Be sure to take a seat right at the water if you
bring kids - they'll love to toss bread to the fish.
Turtle Pier serves an outstanding
breakfast with plenty of coffee refills. Lunches are also
dependably delicious - everything is flavorful, fairly portioned,
and reasonably priced. For example, a lunch of hamburger and
onion rings costs $6.50. All that and you get a great view too.
Tutta Pasta
I said I wouldn't go back to the
Tutta Pasta because the service was too bad, but I did. The
service is still lousy, but the food is still great. The wait
staff is so inattentive and poorly trained that it detracts from
the enjoyment of the truly excellent food.
I suspect you can order anything on
Tutta Pasta's menu and it will be excellent. I overheard one
self-important guy say to Warren, the proprietor, "This is
some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten, and I ought to
know because I'm from New Jersey." Like New Jersey is in
Italy, right? Probably more authoritative is the author of the
book Mangia Pasta, who wrote a complimentary letter to Warren
after she ate there.
Prices at Tutta Pasta are good -
appetizers mostly in the $5-6 range, entrees between $10-22.
Bring cash because they don't accept credit cards. My
bill,including an appetizer, entree, and wine came to $22.
Sunset Bar
So I'm driving back to the Pelican
Resort after spending a day at Baie Rouge, and I decide to grab a
beer at the Sunset Bar, located on Maho Bay at the approach to
the runway at the airport. Standing at the bar facing the street
are two beautiful, buxom, blonde women with no tops on. After
nearly crashing the jeep, I parked it and headed for the Bar.
The writing on the chalkboard
behind the bartender says, "Topless women drink for
free," which explains the bosomy beauties (they were
American, by the way). I returned to the Sunset Bar five or six
times during my visit; though I didn't see any more topless women
there, I kept returning because it is a great place to relax with
a $2 beer, enjoy the view of Maho Bay, and watch the airplanes
coming and going. The bar serves barbecued foods too; I didn't
sample any but I heard one guy say that the food was great.
The bar has picnic tables on a
large deck overlooking Maho Bay and Juliana Airport. It is a lot
of fun to watch the huge jets and small commuter flights taking
off and landing. The WinAir commuter planes' landing are the
best...those pilots pay no attention to the proper approach and
glide path...they just come winging in from all angles, line up
on the runway at the last possible minute, and touch down as
close as possible to the start of the runway. They're a riot.
Top Carrot
This restaurant with a natural
foods theme is located at Simpson Bay in the Plaza del Lago by
the Marina. I went there for lunch one day and they turned a
simple turkey & cheese submarine into a veritable feast.
Fresh baked bread and ingredients made for a great lunch for
about $5.
Michael's Cafe
Imagine: you're sitting in an
informal, relaxed cafe; you're looking at the island of Anguilla
and the beautiful bay at Grand Case; you're chatting with Marilyn
and Michael, two warm and friendly American expatriates,
listening to their stories (adventures is more like it); and
you're eating gourmet quality food at an incredibly reasonable
price. There. You're in Michael's Cafe at Grand Case.
Michael's
Cafe is a delight. I told you about Michael's last year, remember? Michael and
Marilyn Petone are a couple of Americans from Harvard, Massachusetts; they opened
the place in the summer of 1997 (you can read more about them in my 1998
travelogue). Last year my son Joey gave
Michael's Cafe his 5-Star Joey Rating for the best breakfast on the island.
Anyway, one evening on this year's
vacation, I had just ordered dinner at Michael's and was chatting
with Marilyn. Something I said made her say, "Wait a minute.
You're not Joey's father, are you? The kid who gave us his 5-star
rating?" I burst out laughing and said that I was. Next
thing you know, Marilyn brings out Michael and a copy of my
travelogue from last year, saying that all year long people had
been coming into the restaurant waving that Internet article and
shouting, "Joey sent me!"
Michael and Marilyn now serve
dinner from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in addition to serving breakfast and
lunch during the day. And let me tell you, if Joey had been with
me, he would have awarded his now famous 5-star rating to their
dinner menu. I ordered Salmon with Lemon Capers for $13, and it
was simply outstanding (the same entree would have cost twice
that price at most of the restaurants in Grand Case). Bring
cash...no checks or credit cards.
In addition to the fantastic food
and magnificent view, engage Marilyn and Michael in conversation.
Their stories about life in St Martin will keep you laughing. Be
sure to have them show you the "cruise ship" that shows
up on Anguilla every night; ask them to tell you the story about
the son of a woman down the street who had 17 children (23
pregnancies) - I can't do justice to that story; also, have
Marilyn mix up one of those coffee cappuccino things she makes -
delicious.
And what was Marilyn's response
when I asked what it was like to live in St Martin now that they
had been there for almost two years? "Still lovin' it!"
Pelican Reef Steak and Seafood
House
Pelican Reef is located at the
Pelican Resort and is acclaimed by travel writers as the best
steak house on the island. I ordered an Argentinean cut of beef
that they call The Gaucho for $28.50 (many entrees were smaller
and much less expensive). The meat and side dishes were cooked
perfectly, but I didn't care for the texture of the meat - I
mentioned my comment in an e-mail to Jean and Marvin Rich, the
folks who run the Pelican Reef, and they explained:
You're quite right about that
steak's chewiness and that is characteristic of Argentine
beef. This, our signature El Gaucho steak and its little
sister the petit Chateaubriand ($ 14.50), is flown in from
Argentina and is the tenderloin cut...12 oz. of pure meat
with very little fat. While any animal can be tougher than
others, in general the Argentine beef is more flavorful and
more chewy compared to USA beef because it's grass fed and
very lean (as described on the menu). In fact, the Argentine
beef is all natural, no hormones and hasn't been fattened at
those famous mid-western feed-lots as in the USA. (Wine
Spectator a month or so ago just had a whole article about
the Argentine beef as health food for that reason.) USA beef
is more melt-in-your mouth style because of the fat and the
hormonal influences. The Gaucho's lean-ness is also why the
waiters are supposed to recommend to our guests to have the
Gaucho grilled a little more on the rare side than you
normally order your USA beef cuts done/ they're supposed to
suggest that people order a different steak if they like
steak more well done than medium because that makes this meat
actually tough. Most people tell us it's the best steak
they've ever had because of the flavor. But if that chewiness
doesn't appeal to you, I suggest the next time you have our
Nebraska corn-fed filet mignon --it cuts with a fork and
melts in your mouth. We also have 2 prime rib cuts and 2
sirloins from Nebraska feed lots. All are more tender than
the Argentine.
How's that for great customer
service? You can bet I'll try the Pelican Reef again. I should
also point out that all of the food was prepared very well and
the service was good. A cabaret singer named Rick Day was
performing on the night I was there, and he really does a nice
job making you feel right at home.
Crocodile Cafe
An informal cafe at the Pelican
Resort, the Croc's food is great, but the service is
inconsistent. They do a good breakfast and lunch, and one evening
I had a Mahi-mahi dinner there for $25 that was unbelievably good
- expensive for that setting, but good. I ordered their Grilled
Chicken Breast Caribe at lunch one day, which was delicious, but
again, a little overpriced at $12.25. You wouldn't go out of your
way to eat there, but it sure is convenient for folks who stay at
the Pelican Resort.
Le Bistro Gourmand
Le
Bistro Gourmand has a restaurant and a delicatessen at Cupecoy. I ate breakfast
at Le Bistro Gourmand's deli a couple of times before heading for the beaches.
They make a delicious omelet - packed full of flavor. I tried their grilled
ham and cheese sandwich too, which looks incredible in the deli case, but actually
tastes pretty average. I didn't try any other food there, but the submarines
I saw them prepare for someone else looked great.
You can also pick up newspapers,
beach gear, film, and other sundries at the deli. I never did
make it to their restaurant.
Kangaroo Court
As you face the courthouse in
Phillipsburg, to the right you'll see a sidestreet. Walk a few
yards down that sidestreet and you'll find the Kangaroo Court. It
is a spiffy little restaurant with good service and reasonable
prices. I ate breakfast there one morning, and except for the
excellent fresh-baked bread, there wasn't an ounce of flavor in
anything on my plate. Bacon, eggs, fries - how the heck do you
take the flavor out of bacon?
Cheri's Cafe
Cheri's Cafe is Cheri's Cafe...I
paid $3.50 for a Carib beer that I got for $2 everywhere else. If
you want to pay high prices to sit and watch the same people you
came over on the plane with, you'll like Cheri's.
Le Pressoir
This
is still, in my humble opinion, the one restaurant to eat in if you can eat
at only one. I can't say anymore than I said in 1997's
and 1998's
travelogues about this Grand Case restaurant except that it's harder and harder
to get in without a reservation, so do reserve ahead. You'll probably pay about
$50 per person, but you will have an exquisite meal and perfect service in the
oldest house on St Martin.
Miscellaneous Notes
There seems to be a
lot more tourism activity on the island these days, but
Phillipsburg and the Dutch side extending east and north from
Phillipsburg are an eyesore. Aside from a day for shopping in
Phillipsburg, I can't see much reason to go there.
I still find that when
the Timeshare Gnomes approach you, the quickest way to get rid of
them is to say, "I live here."
There are only three
or four stealth speed bumps left on the road between Maho Bay and
Cupecoy - there used to be more than a dozen.
The Caribbean
Cyber Cafe in Simpson Bay
charges $15/hour to surf the net - extra for e-mail. Using
America On Line is cheaper, but still pricey.
On an island where
topless and clothing optional beaches are common, why is there a
market for a Hooters Restaurant? [Simpson Bay]
I feel badly for the
guy whose ruined yacht is being stored at a salvage yard that is
visible from the airport road. Hurricane Luis destroyed the
yacht. Its name is 'No Problem.'
Need money while
you're on vacation? There is a Western Union office located in
Cole Bay, across the street from the Lightning Casino, and a
couple of them in Phillipsburg. My wife wired money at 10:30am
one day from Maryland and I had it in St Martin at 10:45am. Fast
and trouble-free.
Saw a couple of
interesting headlines in the Daily
Herald while I was in St
Martin:
- Son Returns As Daughter After
2 Years In Holland
- "I Know He Is Sorry Every
Time He Beats Me," Says Battered Woman
That's it for
this year, Folks! Have a great time in St Martin!
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