September 2009 SXM Trip Report
The good thing about going in September is that there is almost no traffic, walk-in restaurant availability, lower costs.
The bad thing in September is the vacation schedules of many restaurants, reduced activity schedules, seemingly hotter sun and more humidity. Temperature wise it's pretty much the same as the rest of the year.
No matter what, the best thing is that you're in SXM. This was our second September visit, the other being in 2007.
Flight down was on AA. STL to MIA to SXM. No problems. Used FF miles. $10. for two tickets, one way.
Return flight was USAir – SXM to CLT to STL. Also no problems. Two, one way tickets booked 04/10/09 - $623.90. Unfortunately USAir has changed this flight for our winter trip and we will be staying a night in CLT on the way back. BIG negative in my book. Unfortunately I already booked our Feb 2010 trip back in March 2009 for $565.per ticket.
Car from Tropical/Tropicana. (reservations@tropical-tropicana.com) Mickey waiting in parking lot for us with van to drive us and another couple to office to pick up car. Dropped car off at airport on way back. $130/week plus tax plus$25/day plus tax for a Champagne Getz. No problems, other than a bad wiper blade that was changed with a quick stop one day.
Phone from Sharon (queenofsxm2000@yahoo.com) - $45.00 for phone including $10. for extra time.
Lodging
First night was a stay with friends, Paul and Carol, at their home, affectionately known as the JAPEC Hotel.
Week one was at Oyster Bay Beach Resort where we own. [
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We were lucky enough to get a studio in the new time share building. Rooms, including the studios are larger.[
i216.photobucket.com] The Studio's kitchen is separated from the main living area. [
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There are a few engineering flaws in our room. The kitchen window will only open two or three inches before it hits the kitchen faucet and the main entrance door is set so close to wall that it's latch scrapes the wall as it is closed. Also saw no vent fan in the bathroom.
There were many special activities going on each week in September as it was Owner Appreciation Month. One of the events was a mini Carnival/Festival with costumes available along with a parade through the resort. [
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Week Two through an Interval International trade, we stayed at Royal Palm in Simpson Bay. It was our first stay there. [
i216.photobucket.com]. Enjoyed it. Great view. [
i216.photobucket.com] Had a two bedroom unit(8315). [
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Last three days ($115.00/night) of this trip we stayed at Turquoise Shell Inn (www.tshellinn.com). Always enjoy this quaint little place hidden so well from Airport Road.. [
i216.photobucket.com] Carter and Marcus do a great job keeping the place looking great and being wonderful hosts.
End of part 1
Where'd we eat ?
First night we tried the brand new(second night) La Villa. [
i216.photobucket.com] with our friends, Paul and Carol. La Villa is located in the old Alabama. Opened by Christophe and Florence and the Chef from L'Auberge Gourmande. Their meal is somewhat limited as it's off season and very new. Will increase with time. A wonderful meal.
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Four meals w/6 drinks, a beer, a glass of wine, 2 cokes, and 2 desserts cost 178E or $218. cash, plus tip. They were giving 1E = $1.20. A very fair rate considering that even the casinos were only doing 1E = $1.35.
Sugar Cane Cafe – (next to Atlantis Casino). 2 visits. No service charge added to bill here.
Burger w/ cheese, bacon, and sauteed onions, comes w/ fries, a Ting and Ice tea - $14.80. plus tip .
Original Chicken Breast sandwich, w/fries, Ting and Iced Tea, - $16.00 plus tip.
Pineapple Pete's – 4 visits. Probably the best run restaurant on the SXM. And they have an incredible Dark Rum Creme Brulee.
Dinner w/ Dave Mahoney [
i216.photobucket.com], French Onion Soup, Chicken Caesar Salad, and Crème Brulee, plus two teas.
Dave had a 10% discount card, so our meal cost $27.72 including Service Charge, tip was not included.
A visit with friends, Paul and Carol, for lunch, included a Neptune Burger, which is small pieces of grouper with seasonings and stuff(gourmet term) shaped into a patty and grilled like a burger. Comes w/fries and slaw. With 2 sodas and a tea, and a crème brulee,
$28.00 with service charge and tip. Paul had their Chicken Parmesan, [
i216.photobucket.com] he also had one of those 10% discount cards. Got to get one next trip.
Another visit we had a Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread, two cokes, and of course, a Crème Brulee - $28.12 w/ service charge.
Last visit was another Neptune Burger, this time with cheese melted on top, a soda, a tea, and,...a Crème Brulee. $25.60 w/s.c. and tip.
Buccaneer Beach Bar – 3 visits – No service Charge added here.
Our favorite place for BBC's, although they've stopped using real bananas. Still wonderful.
Enjoyed a slab of ribs. $24.00. no sc, tip not included.
Cheese Burger, 2 BBC's, 2 cokes, $26.50, without tip.
Tuesday is $1. Carib night, it's also the best night to go for pizza(according to Elaine). We met Robin and Ed, from TTOL, along with their friends. [
i216.photobucket.com], [
i216.photobucket.com] , Had a Cheese Pizza w/ground beef, one Carib, 2 sodas for $20. without tip.
Mama Pizza – No service charge here.
Another favorite stop in Oyster Pond area. Had a Bacon and Ham Pizza, 2 sodas, $19.50 before tip.
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Poco Lolo – Oyster Pond area. No service charge.
A fairly new place that I just found on our last February 09 visit. Located next to a shuttered convience store next to the old Tabba Khady. [
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It is owned and operated by Lolo and Mariam, [
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While we waiting for our meals [
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Both meals came w/fries, and salad. 2 cokes and complimentary rum shots – 24E or $30 cash. There is no service charge. Tip was not included.
Beau Beau's - overlooking Dawn Beach [
i216.photobucket.com], 2 visits. Sodas and Tea are no charge if you have a OBBR VIP card.(from activity desk). There is service charge added.
Their new 8 oz Burger, w/fries and slaw -$8.00. tip not included.
Chicken Wrap, again w/fries and slaw, Mango Dacquiri - $20.20., tip not included.
Infinity – Main restaurant at OBBR. Service charged added. VIP card not in effect at lunch. Lunch poolside with a Ham/Mozzarella/Tomato on baguette w/2 sodas. $15.45.
Le BHZ Creperie - [
i216.photobucket.com], Very new, located across from Eden(old Tabba Khady) and La Fregate in the Oyster Pond area. Elaine is co-owner with her husband. We had a Parisian Salad which came with ham, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, egg, and sauteed onions(never had onions this way in a salad).
For dessert(of course!) - Betty had a chocolate and banana crepe, Norm a hazelnut and coco one. Sorry no pics. There is also pizza and a lot of different crepes on the menu. There is no service charge. With two cokes – 23E or $32. cash. That was the only disappointment. A table of five off duty gendarmes were also there.
Peg Leg Pub -
Best deal in town during Happy Hour(4-6pm). ½ price appetisers which are almost a meal in themselves plus 2 for 1 drinks including frozen ones. Bartender Dar fixed us Guavacoladas and we enjoyed Cheese Sticks and Steak Kabobs. Sorry, forgot the price.
Cover to Cover, their great Wednesday night entertainment, was on vacation this month.
Orange Fever – [
i216.photobucket.com] Newly opened on Orient Beach, a couple places down from Baywatch. Somehow connected with the new La Villa in Grand Case. 1E =1$. No service charge.
We sampled their Pan Fried Grouper Sandwich w/fries and salad - $10.00 Also tried their molting chocolate cake with ice cream for $6.00. Enjoyed the meal.
Toppers By The Sea -
Had dinner with Dave Mahoney. This was Broadway Musical night. 4 young ladies and a gentleman,[
i216.photobucket.com] perform dance and lipsinc various songs. There were very good and totally entertaining. Betty and I both had the Beef brisket w/mashed potatoes and carrots. Large servings, but remember, it's briskit. With 2 ice teas - $38. plus tip.
Chesterfields – 2 visits. Easy parking in their lot. We love looking out over Great Bay in the evening [
i216.photobucket.com], (sorry picture had to be computer enhanced ).
We think their Grilled grouper is outstanding, even without the sauces they offer with it. The serving is also large. [
i216.photobucket.com]. Of course then there's their warm chocolate brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce(sorry no picture, but your brain gets the idea). The Grouper is 17.95, the Brownie is 6.95. There is service charge added here.
Had lunch here with Deepti. [
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Mark's Place - no service charge added here.
Had their Rib Plate, w/ 2 sodas and 1 ice tea - $16.00. Great, fall-off the bone ribs.
Bagel House - no service charge added here.
Met Bill and Elaine, Paul and Carol for breakfast just before a tremendous downpour [
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Love their French Toast which are slices of baguette, dipped and fried, then cover with dolups of whipped cream. ($5.95) Betty had 2 eggs w/potatoes and toast($5.50).
La Sucriere – Various goodies(no fat). [
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Cappuccino – service charge added here. Free internet service and use of their computers.
I know we've all driven by this place. Finally decided to stop in one night for a light dinner.
Betty had a House Salad [
i216.photobucket.com], Norm had the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich [
i216.photobucket.com]. With 2 sodas and s.c. - $32.00 I thought it was a little expensive, but the food was good.
Rosie's – No service charge here.
Believe it or not, after ten years, I have finally had ribs at Rosie's. [
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Betty and I split a bowl of ribs, along with a coke and Ting. Nice setting, especially after cleaning the beach the week before. Ribs were good.
Kangaroo Court – Service charge added.
A favorite spot on a hot, SXM shopping trip, is a stop here. We had a Proscuitto ham and Mozzarella sandwich and a Casear Salad, 2 teas, - $26.20 with sc.
Happy Island – no service charge.
We were going to spend an afternoon at Paul and Carol's pool. We decided a little take-out Chinese would be the perfect lunch choice. On their recommendation and directions, we found this place located a store away from the Burger King in Cole Bay area. [
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One of the two young ladies that run the place is Sali [
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Betty and I each had a Sweet/Sour Sesame Chicken with white rice. We should have known better than to get two meals. Each came with enough rice to feed the whole island, one meal would have been plenty. In any case meals are $10./each – cash. No credit cards. Sali was surprised that I wanted to take her picture. If you stop, see if she remembers Norm.
Dinghy Dock – No service charge here.
Besides a great, “pour your own†Happy Hour(5-7pm), which we attended twice. They also have wonderful ribs. Ribs and a small fries basket(which feeds at least 4) is $17.00.
Gabe's – No service charge here.
With Bill and Elaine acting as guide and driver, we tried Gabe's for the first time. We went on Saturday, because, as Elaine will tell you, that's the day Gabe goes to the fish market. His place [
i216.photobucket.com] is located in the Middle Region Road not far from the school. We all had the fish plate. [
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Had a great time. Good food. [
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Mooi – Service charge added here.
Brand new, opened only a couple days, in the corner of the Puerta Del Sol Plaza, [
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We stopped for breakfast. Our waiter was Stephen and was excellent with good info about the place, owners, and knew how to serve a meal. The young lady who served on our second visit was not totally with the idea of the place yet. Mooi [
i216.photobucket.com] is a very sophisticated place. Modern, sleek. It has outside dining in front, a small first floor inside seating area, a bar and lounge area upstairs [
i216.photobucket.com], along with a large outdoor terrace area [
i216.photobucket.com]. The main owner is the ex of the lady who owned Los Gauchos. Later they intend to open a very high- end Steak House in the other corner of the building. Argentine beef, for sure.
We each had their 3 eggs with bacon, toast, with a kiwi spread. For $6.99 Coffee and juices are additional.
On the second visit, I had the same 3 egg breakfast, Betty had a chocolate croissant and tea.
Dr Fish – No service charge added.
Another new place for us. Located in the Simpson Bay Fish Market [
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We took back to the room, a Chicken Breast Dinner [
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La Bamba Beach Bar – No service charge.
This place used to be Enzio's Beach Bar, but was changed to La Bamba's because one of the owners is Eddie from the band Latin Sugar. This was our best find of the trip and our favorite place to go. They have live R&R plus some blues, latin, country, and just about anything on Sunday evening
starting around 8:30pm. Beer/soda are $2.00, some mixed drinks are $3.00. some special cocktails are $5.
Food is burgers, ribs, fish. We had burgers and cheese burgers. A coke, beer, and cheeseburger are $15.00.
Plans are to expand the music to four nights. Sunday will continue with the mix. Monday will be guitars, Tuesday will be Latin Sugar, fourth night not yet determined.
The place is located between Royal Palm and Atrium. Behind the Dockers store. Big free lot for par
king.
Part Three – People, Activites, Thoughts, and Rumors
People we met included Dave Maloney as we boarded our plane in Miami. Had dinner with him at Pineapple Pete's and Toppers By the Sea. He had an interesting seat mate on his way down. The guy who is in charge of the St Maarten Harbor. Dave was told that in the next couple years a road will be built to connect the Airport with Union Road close to Port D'Plaisance, across Simpson Bay Lagoon.
Met Bobby and his wife Glenda, [
i216.photobucket.com] at Dinghy Dock for Happy Hour. Bobby is one of the administrators on the ELT Board, www.enjoylifetraveling.proboard.com/ I found this SXM related board about a week before this trip started.
Met Gayle(Rustysage) and her husband John,
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also at Dinghy Dock for Happy Hour and ribs. They are also owners at OBBR, so we had a nice discussion about the new sales tactics.
From the pictures, you can see that we met up with Elaine and Bill on numerous occasions. They are fun people and make it a point to get to know the people of SXM, especially those in the entertainment and drink and food industries. It was great fun to partake in their weekly entertainment schedule. Thanks Elaine and Bill.
The Blue Top round building close to the old PLP location on Wefare Road is about to open. I was told that it will be a real carousel and high ice cream factory and store. Built by the owner of Port D' Plaisance for his daughter to run.
Also at Port D'Plaisance a new, high end Japanese restaurant has opened. It includes the grills where people sit around as the chef cooks.
The new plaza at the corner of Billy Folly Rd(to Atrium and Pelican)
and Welfare Rd is about to open. A Lido market and Burger King, I was told, will be two tenets.
Traffic this year was very light. It is yet to really test the new Cole By Hill Round About.
Gas was 89c/liter at the Caisco Station in Orient. They are still doing 1E=1$.
SXM now has Bumper Cars [
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We took part in the Inter Coastal Cleanup program this year. [
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There were hundreds of people and school kids working on the project. Was glad to give a little help.
Had a very brief conversation with JoanVeerwood at the Clean-up. She says she has good news for me. There's only one good thing that she could tell me,.......that's that Ms B's will be cooking ribs again. Will keep my fingers crossed till I get the official word.
I also wanted to take part in the StMartin Blood drive sponsored by the Rotary Club on the French side, but found out that my blood is too old. They collected over 200 pints for a two day session. The French side Hospitals are rated pretty good. You might want to consider donating. Next blood drive is in February, 2010. I'll have the exact date and info if you you drop me a note.
Finally, I want to thank all who contribute to this Board and the other Boards I read to help keep SXM
information current and make our trip more enjoyable. I hope there's something in this report that helps someone else, (God knows it's long enough, there's got to be something!).
