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St Maarten/St Martin
24 August 2005 Newsletter

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ISLAND NEWS

Beaches and weather: Tony and Nadine from Arbor Estates report that it was very hot at the tail end of Hurricane Emily, reaching 92 every day. (What they don't know is that it was that hot throughout much of the US at that time!). They report that the roundabout at the NW end of Cupecoy at the base of the steep hill is in, but John and the boys are still in operation on the beach. Orient Express has started dredging to make their new marina available to something larger than kayaks. The Daily Herald reported that Architect David Morrison said: The plans are to replace every mangrove tree that is removed with at least two on the property. 
 
In mid-August, Sylvain at Vinissimo said the weather has been half rain, every night, half sun, very hot, and humid, no wind. The water is up to 28°C. That's about 82F. 
 
Panoramic Car Rental in mid August reported that at the moment the weather is not too good as this is the hurricane season and at this time of the year we normally get some isolated showers as it rains on a regular basis. We are still getting cruise ships three times per week. Also in mid-August, Carter at Turquoise Shell Inn reports that the island is still getting a lot of showers scattered around and the hills are lush and green. The CNN weather site has a five-day forecast for Philipsburg. Sunset is about 6:47 and the moon is in its last quarter.

Airport Project: Now that the main road has been diverted to the front entrance of the new airport terminal, Tony and Nadine from Arbor Estates report that they are starting to fill in the lagoon a bit to get a road around the back side of the hill, coming out someplace in Mullet Bay. Also, the lagoon has been filled in at the eastern end of the runway and the runway is being extended. Panoramic Car Rental reports it is about 60% finished. The contractor is at the moment finishing off the roof of the airport. The project is on target for completion by May, 2006 latest.
 
Dare to be Rare: Dino says that the meat is in the aging room and he is still waiting for fire inspection to complete my licensing process. The meat is schedule to be shipped from Miami on 30 August, so look for an opening in early September.
 
Nature tour: Sylvain at Vinissimo says a new "nature tour" is open on the French side of the island. It's at La Plantation in Orient Bay. The name is "Plantation Mont Vernon", and features the history, culture, and traditions of the island displayed in several languages, with rum and coffee tasting. tel : 0590 29 50 62.
 
Construction: Carter at Turquoise Shell Inn says that the area in the Lowlands near Cupecoy that was scraped off during the spring now has weeds head high.  No one is manning the "office"  for the Cupecoy Village development. They are progressing at diverting the road that will swing wide around the Cupecoy Yacht Club and the other project as the road curves around up the hill to the border. The Cliffs and Rainbow Club are going up faster than ever. The Daily Herald reports that Shore Pointe, the luxury villas at Cupecoy Beach will start shortly. Developer Bay Red Enterprises spokesman John Lemacks said all necessary permits have been secured for the project and construction of 16 luxury villas on the site will begin very soon. The construction feature has maps and more info on a lot of the construction on the island. It's also caused a major flap because it appears that they have secured permission to take over 30 feet of the NW end of Cupecoy. You can register your disgust with the Lt Governor on his website or via email, send an email to St. Maarten tourism director  Regina Labega, or send a letter to the editor of the Daily Herald.

Sputters: More from carter: A new miniature golf course called "Sputters" has opened in Simpson Bay across from Pineapple Pete's. Developed by the previous owners of "Ric's Place", it looks great and has a large deck overlooking the "course" for a casual beer or two. It is a custom course with holes featuring a replica of the courthouse, the border monument, a Winair plane, and other items that will make it uniquely St Maarten. Adding another leisure activity for the island is always a good thing. (ed note: It is cheaper to play and in better shape than the other golf course on the island!)
 
Sapphire Beach Club: For those of you who wish to sell or rent their week or unit, we have opened up the Sapphire Beach Club website for that purpose. The first ten weekly listings are free. After that, we will charge $25 per year and have only received two requests. So this offer is still out there.

Art at California Restaurant: Zouzou says that for the summer, and possibly longer, she has a seashell art exhibition in the restaurant containing mirrors, mobiles, jewelry boxes, seashell boards, cards, and more. There are a couple examples on the boutique page of the California website.
 
Visitor Reports: Allen Morrow who on most of the prizes in the recent Grand Case contest was on the island when he won. He writes: We really enjoyed Pineapple Pete's and Peg Leg Pub along with the Sunterra Flamingo Resort. At Hot Tomatoes we had good and unique pizza and Los Gauchos had really attentive service. We ended up returning to Peg Leg Pub three times... good food, reasonable prices, fun friendly service along with enjoyable entertainment. What more could you ask for? Cell phone from East Caribbean Cellular was a good deal and a real help with staying in touch with those left back home. Rental car from Hertz was a good deal money wise but a poorly maintained car. I will likely look elsewhere on a return trip. The Sunterra Flamingo is showing it's age in some places but we were very satisfied with our accommodations and overall experience there. It is my understanding that they will begin renovating at least some of the facilities in August. Melissa and Carlos at the Sunterra could not have been more helpful in making our stay pleasant.
 
Overall both my wife and I had the same kind of odd reaction to SXM. No one thing about the week was particularly outstanding but we came home refreshed and feeling that we had a nice enjoyable low key week just relaxing, shopping, eating and just beginning to explore the island. We both would definitely like to go back and we have visited a number Caribbean islands.
 
The visit to St. Maarten was the result of our having purchased our week at the Sunterra Flamingo Beach via the auction operated by the people at The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association in Philipsburg (SMHTA). I purchased it in August of 2004 but for various reasons we were unable to visit until this summer. With such a long delay, people leave and others forget what all the details of an offer were. Chris Williams at the SMHTA was a big help to me in answering questions and seeing that our trip went smoothly. I have nothing but good things to say about the SMHTA and how they represent their members. They are good ambassadors for the island.
 
Photo features: This week's photo feature displays Marigot in all its glory with an accent on the five sponsors of the current contest. This week's photo feature is in a secret location not posted here. Subscribe to the newsletter to get the location. It also had some shots of Marigot.

CONTEST

The winners of the Cupecoy contest were:

Cupecoy Villas - stay seven nights, pay for five, only $1750 for a two bedroom, three bath villa on the beach - Maureen Morris

Villas in Paradise - $100 gift certificate to Temptation for two -  Doug Hoefer

Caribbean View Condo - Half price week, only $500 - Maureen Morris

Dare to be Rare - $100 gift certificate for two -  Doug Hoefer

Cliffhanger Beach Bar - $40 gift certificate for two -  Doug Hoefer

Several businesses in Marigot are sponsoring the contest that runs from 25 August, until 30 September offering prizes totaling $400. Just click their name to go to their website, find the contest code(s) and the link to our new signup form, fill it out, click send, and you are entered. Put all the contest codes for the contests you want to enter on ONE entry. Do not send multiple entries.

Obviously everybody that is getting this email is already signed up for the newsletter, but you are not automatically signed up for the contest. You really do have to go to their website and click the email link to show you visited their site. Just tell me you are already on our mailing list, and I'll leave you signed up for the newsletter and just add your name to the contest list. We have so many prizes that we will be doubling and tripling up for several contests and producing feature photo spreads in conjunction with the contests. Here is the list of future contests and feature photo spreads:

Marigot Feature - 25 August to 30 September 2005:
L'Esperance Car Rental - $100 off a one week car rental
La Vie en Rose - $100 gift certificate for two
Thai Garden - $100 gift certificate for two
Saint Germain - $50 gift certificate for two
Le Marrakech - $50 gift certificate for two

Orient Beach Feature - 1 October to 15 November 2005:
Chez Pat - $100 toward a day on Galion Beach
Kakao Beach Bar - $100 toward a day on Orient Beach
Sol e Luna Apartments - $100 off on a one week stay
Nono Car Rental - $50 off on a one week rental

Philipsburg Feature - 16 November to 15 December:
Vacation Suites - a free low season week!
Lucky/Hibiscus Cars - $100 off a one week car rental
Antoine Restaurant - $100 off a meal for two
DK Gems - $100 gift certificate

Karen and Pascal's Restaurants - 16 December 2005 to 6 January 2006
Auberge Gourmande - $100 off a meal for two
Montmartre Restaurant - $100 off a meal for two
Sunset Café - $100 off a meal for two
Panoramic Car Rental - $100 off a week's car rental

RESTAURANTS

On17 July the euro was at 1.204 and today it is at 1.231. That's fairly steady and fairly good, about what the euro was when it all started about five years ago.. French side restaurants with many costs in dollars and many American (or Canadian) clients have been offering more favorable exchange rates. Some restaurants offer a 1 to 1 exchange. Note that some only offer this rate for cash. As always, know what the euro is worth, what the restaurateur is offering for an exchange, and what the costs are on the menu. Finally, you are here to have fun and fine food, not to do complex financial calculations, so don't worry about it too much.
 
Gerald at L'Escapade Restaurant in Grand Case says that his new chef, Stephane Amate, started on 1 August and he is very happy.The chef worked at Bernard Loiseau, Willer at the Martinez in Cannes, and La Bastide de St Tropez. We are preparing a new menu for end of October. Gerald further notes that  they will be open every night for all the low season and he has a security guard only for his restaurant.

Paris Bistro and The Wharf Restaurant: New for the slow season: Buy one main course at the regular price and get the second one of equal or lesser value at 50% off. Go to the websites and print out the coupon.

Hot Tomatoes: We are waiting for more Hot Tomatoes comments. It's on the website and before we return in December, somebody will win a pair of pizzas and a bottle of red. Just send us some comments and we'll pick a winner.
 
AQUA: Carter at Turquoise Shell Inn has been to AQUA (next to Lal's Indian restaurant) and declares the sushi OUTSTANDING. It is right out over the water so nice atmosphere. (ed note: Sushi seems to be the new "hot" food item. No irony intended. Nearby Bamboo Bernies and Hanabi Japanese Restaurant have been serving it for quite some time, as has THAI GARDEN in Sandy Ground, and Thierry at Hibiscus Restaurant is also featuring it on weekends.)
 
 
New chef-owner group forming: Christian from Sol é Luna Restaurant writes that all the chef-owners on the French side met in mid-August around a very nice meal at "gite du coq chantant". Thierry Delaunay from Hibiscus Restaurant has suggested that they create an association to promote their work. Represented were Chanteclair, Pressoir, Bistrot Nu, Mario's Bistro, Cafe Plantation, MaTi Beach, Le Mambo Restaurant, Astrolabe, Boucaniers, Hibiscus Restaurant, and Sol é Luna Restaurant. I applaud their efforts and have often extolled the virtues of many of these restaurants.
 
Trip report: A recent visitor writes: We just returned from a week at the Sunterra Flamingo Beach in early July. We had a wonderful time. The visit to St Maarten was the result of our having purchased our week at the Sunterra Flamingo Beach via the auction operated by the people at The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association in Philipsburg (SMHTA). I purchased it in August of 2004 but for various reasons we were unable to visit until this summer. With such a long delay, people leave and others forget what all the details of an offer were. Chris Williams at the SMHTA was a big help to me in answering questions and seeing that our trip went smoothly. I have nothing but good things to say about the SMHTA and how they represent their members. They are good ambassadors for the island.
 
We really enjoyed Pineapple Pete's and Peg Leg Pub along with the Sunterra. At Hot Tomatoes we had good and unique pizza. We ended up returning to The Peg Leg three times... good food, reasonable prices, fun friendly service along with enjoyable entertainment. What more could you ask for? Cell phone from East Caribbean Cellular was a good deal and a real help with staying in touch with those left back home. Rental car from Hertz was a good deal money wise but a poorly maintained car. I will likely look elsewhere on a return trip. The Sunterra is showing it's age in some places but we were very satisfied with our accommodations and overall experience there. It is my understanding that they will begin renovating at least some of the facilities in August. Melissa and Carlos at the Sunterra could not have been more helpful in making our stay pleasant.
 
Overall both my wife and I had the same kind of odd reaction to SXM. No one thing about the week was particularly outstanding but we came home refreshed and feeling that we had a nice enjoyable low key week just relaxing, shopping, eating and just beginning to explore the island. We both would definitely like to go back and we have visited a number Caribbean islands.
 
Slow food: We are not on the island, but continue to dine and drink as if we were and will offer tips to you as to how you can also. The "slow food" movement has much going for it and much of their thinking is currently practiced in French agriculture and is one of the reasons that the food on our island is so good. Slow food does not refer to the wait staff, but to the production of the food and its preparation. One does not interbreed vegetables and animals to get the fastest growing variety. The ability to withstand long shipping routes is nice, but if it is because the tomatoes are bred for tough skins, square shapes, picked green, and gassed with ethylene to ripen them, then I'll pass. Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in California championed the use of local foods in season. That's easy to do when you live next to California's Central Valley. Those of us above the Mason-Dixon line would be consigned to eating potatoes and winter squash for about nine months of the year. The island obviously produces little meat or veg, but the quantity and quality of that which is airlifted in to Juliana is just one of the reasons we eat so well on the island. Moreover, this is the time when we can get local produce here in the northeast and we should revel in its freshness.
 
A salade nicoise is a wonderful melange of fresh veg and if you have fresh, lightly seared tuna, it's heaven. Even canned tuna isn't too bad. One of our favorites on the island is at Kakao Beach. Now I would be the first to admit that dining on the sand at Orient while looking out at Green Cay, Pinel, and Tintamare may have some effect on my taste sensations and adding a bottle of rose makes every afternoon seem better. Nonetheless, this is a fine spot for this fine dish. Sylvain at Vinissimo recommends the salade nicoise at Saint Séverin Restaurant in Bellevue (Marigot). He further suggests that with this salade, it is perfect to drink a cote de provence rosé or red from "domaine de la courtade  ALYCASTRE". Great minds think alike! We have a photo of our homemade salade nicoise on this page. We used greens, beans, and tomatoes from our garden, new potatoes from Sheldon farms about four miles away. There is also a shot of a porker from Flying Pigs Farm. Jennifer Small and Mike Yezzi raise heritage breed pigs on pasture, producing some fantastic pork that can be ordered online.
 
From slow to fast:  Maria Rodrigues of Front Line Focus is looking for people who want to visit fast food establishments to provide feedback on the experience. She's hiring individuals to fill mystery shopper positions in St. Maarten/St. Martin.  The hours are flexible – Days/Evenings/Weekends - at your convenience. You get $10 per visit and your meals are reimbursed. You'll have to have email so that you can send your comments back and meet a deadline. If you are interested send her an email.
 
Books: The Mushroom Lover's Mushroom Cookbook and Primer (Paperback) by Amy Farges ($11.50, $2 used) is a great resource for preparing one of my favorite foods. The recipes are arranged well, allowing one to find ideas for soups, starters, meat, fowl, etc. Last season when Montserrat was acting up, making our sky hazy and sunsets colorful, I read Pompeii : A Novel (Paperback) by Robert Harris. It's semi-historical and an interesting read on a warm beach.
.

RESTAURANT CLOSINGS
 

Restaurant Dates
Antoine no closing in 2005
Baccara no closing in 2005
Bamboo Bernies bar open all season,
but closed on Tuesdays
kitchen closes for September 2005
Bistrot Caraïbes 28 May - 4 June 2005
Sep 2005
Chez Pat no vacation, but
closed on Monday 2005
Le Cottage Restaurant mid August - 6 October 2005
Escapade no vacation closing
Le Mambo 8 August to 5 September 2005
La Marine 24 April - 1 November 2005
Oizeau Rare early May until mid-June 2005
Rainbow Café 20 August to 20 October 2005
Sol é Luna 20 June to July 11 2005
Temptation no closing in 2005

OTHER CLOSINGS

Endless Summer Swimwear Aug 29 - Sep 11

BARGAINS

Look on the SXM-Restaurants website for a list of all restaurants that have coupons for some freebie or discount. There are several coupons there to make your vacation a bit cheaper.
 
Caribbean View Condo: It's that time of year. We have returned to the US. Our loss is your gain. Our 1 BR, 1 bath condo with a private foldout couch in the LR at Sapphire Beach Club on Cupecoy will be available for $1000 per week. Coupons are included with each week's rental that bring the cost down by about $200. The coupons include a $50 voucher on a dinner for two at Hot Tomatoes and a $50 coupon to Ama Bella Jewelers with any reservation, and a special invitation to Vinissimo where you will get at least 10% off and a few samples. There's more: Pascal, owner of Auberge Gourmande, Sunset Cafe, and Montmartre Restaurant, is offering a welcome champagne cocktail and an afterdinner drink at one of his restaurants to any of our renters. Finally, Unity Car Rental is offering 10% discount off already low website prices on any week's rental. That's a net of about $800 for a sixth floor one bedroom unit offering views of the Caribbean AND the lagoon with a jacuzzi on the balcony.We just put a new teak dining table and four chairs for the balcony overlooking the Caribbean.

Panoramic Car Rental: PCR is running a special on the Hyundai Getz for only $135.00 per week from now until 31 October 2005. I know some people complain about the Getz, but I have had one for a month over each of the last two years and found them to be just fine.

Unity Car Rental: A recent visitor wrote that Michael at Unity Car Rental did provide a great deal and wonderful service, even throwing in five extra overtime hours on our weekly rental since we arrived in the morning and left in the late afternoon. That he takes a reservation without a deposit made me a bit nervous, but his staff was there to greet us at the airport and help with the luggage.


GCL Car Rental: Summer special: US $126 per week for a new Getz. All weekly (or more) reservations during each month from now until November will be entered in a contest for one week's rental refund. Rent a car for a week from Don and you may return home to find the refund on your credit card bill! The April winner was Mr.Charles Rappaport from Gilbert, AZ and the May winner was Mr.Roger Horn from Crystal River, FL.

L'Esperance Hotel in Philipsburg is bargain at $75 per night for a 1BR suite with a kitchen. It's not on the water, but they have a pool.

The Banana Cabana, a one bedroom studio on the lagoon in Cupecoy, is only $695 for the week all taxes and service included.

California has two apartments for rent that are right on the water in Grand Case. The one bedroom, sleeps four, is $750 and the two bedroom, sleeps six, maybe more, is $900 for the week. Zuzu said she would take 10% off September to November for the apartments at California. Zuzu and Alain now have the Acropole Orient Villa for rent at very attractive prices, especially for three couples.

The Turquoise Shell Inn is running a summer promotion in conjunction with SHTA, four nights for the price of three or seven nights for six and more. Their own deal may be better: the weekly special July 15th thru Nov 15th is $625.00 including all taxes and service charges. Summer in St Maarten is as good as the rest of the year, great prices, and no crowds. Their weekly special thru July 15th remains at $700.00.

Sandy Molloy at Molloy Travel says that she has negotiated a great deal at Alamanda and has can't beat rates at Le Petit, L'Esplanade, Maho, and La Plantation. If you like great food, Le Petit and L'Esplanade are the two bookends on Grand Case's restaurant row. Maho is in the thick of the action in Simpson Bay and if you're part of the birthday suit crowd, La Plantation is a lovely place within walking distance of Orient beach. I can now say I have been in Alamanda's lobby. It's quite nice and a very short stroll to Kakao on Orient Beach.
 
Regards,
Erich S. Kranz
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SXM-Info newsletter 24 August 2005