Cologne 2006

After our first Spring Break visit to St. Martin last year Ashton asked if we could return this year, naturally we jumped at the chance to go back to our favorite island. Now because United Airlines have scheduled flights it makes it more enjoyable to get there, not only because Tony can accumulate miles but now we can get free tickets and/or upgrade to first class, plus get there in one day, OK 12 hours by flying on a red eye out of Portland thru Washington DC. The only problem was the return flight as we had to spend a night in DC but we thought it would only inconvenience us slightly as we would be staying at the airport Marriott. We were wrong !

We were off the plane, through passport control and at Michael's Unity Car Rental in minutes. Instead of our usual Jeep we always request, Michael "upgraded" us to his bright yellow Ford Mustang convertible, the only one on the island, so now with a more comfortable ride we checked in to our room and were on Orient Beach in less than one hour. This week our timeshare trade in could only get us at The Royal Islander in Maho Bay, something we were not too keen on as we like to be closer to the French side by staying at Oyster Bay Beach Club. But the room was fine, we were right by their nice pool and the only problem was having to park the car in the underground parking garage across the street every time we came back to the resort. We could hear the boom boom from the SSBB some nights though.

It was so great to be back with our good friend Karl at Kon Tiki and with a new bar built right on the beach, Nicolas and John helped make our numerous beach days really nice.

Our first dinner was of course at Le Planteur and Gerrard was happy to see us again and he made his special salad for Cheri and of course Tony had to have the red snapper with spicy sauce. Typical teenager, Ashton, had the most expensive item on the menu but he never looks at the price. We can't wait till he is able to take his mum and dad out for dinner.

That evening it was a quick dip in the pool as a big cruise ship sailed for home. Then we were off to see our friends at Le Village in Marigot. The fresh lobster was not for us that night as we had a surprise for Ashton later in the week. It was their pizza we wanted and a nice bottle of French wine as we relaxed by the big yachts moored in the Marina. We were told that Sam was returning from France in July to run the restaurant for 6 months, which will be right when we return for our second trip later this year.

We met up with "our other" Sam who agreed to take us on his boat and do a little snorkeling and hopefully track down a few whales, something that Cheri really wanted to see.

After a few days in the sun with our skin a little tender (OK red) we decided Monday should be a shopping day and see the guys, Sam and Mac at AMA jewelers. Each time we visit, Front Street gets better and better but they still allow all the taxis to cruise for passengers. It would be great if they could close a good portion of the street down for all vehicles during the day. Certainly would make shopping a nicer experience and a safer one.

Naturally a shopping day leads to a late lunch at The Sunset Beach Bar and a chance to download our email while Cheri drinks for free. While sitting at the bar we put up a post on TTOL saying we were there and everybody could see us on the SSB live webcam. Great fun seeing all the replies and we even got a phone call from a nice guy in Ohio wishing he was sitting with us.

Cheri gets excited as she hears that our crab takes the lead but it soon falls behind as it goes sideways and the first prize of a bottle of champagne goes to somebody else. Never mind she can still drink for free.

The next morning we met Sam early in Grand Case and we were soon under sail with Anne watching for whales but we had to settle for a stop to snorkel and look at the wonderful under sea life off the coast of St. Martin. Pity we forgot our underwater camera.

Tuesday evening is "Art & Music" night in Grand Case and they close the street down for local artists and merchants to display and sell their works. Tourists and locals come out and stroll the street, stopping to eat, drink and dance. When in Grand Case and just coming off a boat the only place we could really eat and feel comfortable was The Talk of the Town. We were lucky to find a table as we walked up even though they had added more tables to handle the crowd for this special night. Despite all the people, the service was quick and of course the BBQ ribs, chicken and shrimp were just as good and it's still very inexpensive.

The next day was back to the beach and we are hooked on Orient Beach. Why should we go anywhere else we ask ourselves. We get the best service, our chairs and umbrellas are reserved for us, it has all the watersports, it's great for people watching and we can take a walk and know that our belongings are being watched by all the staff at Kon Tiki.

So we just relax or go for a walk along one of the best sandy beaches in the world. We find it nice to be recognized on some our walks as we get to know that people really enjoy our website. They tell us some of our activities and restaurant ideas have helped them enjoy their vacations a little more. Time to write a book maybe??

The only problem with Orient Beach is that it is getting a little expensive, especially to eat lunch. Our advice is to pack your own food basket in the morning or just walk down to the local shop and pick up your baguettes, cheese and a little meat. It beats $20 for a burger and fries and it's healthier.

It was raining as we hit the beach on our last day, actually it was pouring but Karl was there to cheer us up and as usual the rain did not last long and the clouds soon disappeared.

Well we saved our last night for a really special dinner and headed for The Bamboo Cafe in Marigot, where we think they serve the biggest lobsters for the best price. The service is great and you can also sit and watch their sharks, eels, turtles, fish and small lobsters swimming around in their own world while you wait. Our friendly waitress brought "George" over to Ashton. They get a name before they are put in the pot.

Our last morning was a big rush as we overslept and the maids were knocking on the door for us to get out by 10:00 am a big problem when our plane was leaving at 4:00 pm later that day. Thankfully we had packed most things the night before so we were ready to go only 30 minutes later. We took a frustrating long trip to Marigot (traffic was awful) to say goodbye to everybody at Le Village. With a couple more hours to spare, where else can you go? Of course it's The Sunset Beach Bar to prepare for the nightmare that awaits everybody at the airport. A nightmare it was and hopefully when the new terminal is finished in August (we doubt it will) it should put an end to the chaos.

We got on-line again and Cheri was asked to pose with a particular license plate behind the bar and email it, we had to wave to certain people and somebody asked her to take her hat off just to prove it was live.

1,000's of people trying to get through passport control and security, the plane being delayed, a few hours sleep in the DC airport Marriott and a 6:00 am flight the next morning with a connection in Denver kept us "on the road" for over 30 hours. The things we do to vacation on St. Martin. Our next flight in July should hopefully be smoother as we are taking a more direct flight on AA.