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We got a reasonable flight time, 9:55 am, unlike innumerable trips to Mexico that required getting up at 4 am for a 6:30 am flight. The Harmons came up on Friday afternoon so we all had a great dinner and a good night’s sleep and no problem getting up for our trip on Saturday morning. After a typical long wait in a long line (even though we were “priority” travelers) at the Sun Country counter, we got to our gate with a minimum of fuss and bother.
Being a priority traveler also meant that we were seated in the first ten rows of the airplane. We found out when the drink cart came around that that also entitled us to a free beer or cocktail. I feel so special. The real benefit was being one of the first off the plane when we landed.
Customs was quick and easy and we were out of the airport just as the sun was setting. You forget when you live in the higher latitudes just how early the sun sets (year-round) in the tropics. It gets dark- really dark- at about 6:30. Picked up our car and then slogged through rush hour traffic through Phillipsburg. St. Martin is densely built up with houses, businesses and hotels coming right up to the road. Even though it is a small island and Princess Heights is a mere five miles from the airport, it took us a good hour to get there.
St. Martin is a very hilly island. It was formed like most of the islands in the Caribbean, by volcanic activity. The hills go straight up from the water which is really scenic and interesting. The roads are steep and windy. When we turned off of the main road to our condo, the driveway went straight up and then straight down. We navigated to the office riding the brakes or accelerating the whole way. Checked in at the office, grabbed our keys and moved in.
Susan’s Comment: The person who checked us in was incredibly warm, spoke perfect English, and explicitly explained, with a map, how to get to our condo. She offered to drive with us in our car to show us how to get to the place but there was literally no room in the car. The Harmons were already surrounded by luggage in the backseat. So she insisted on leading us to the condo in her vehicle ahead of us. I was very glad that she did because the mapping program on my phone did not have the coordinates for this location and would always just take us back to the front desk.
We are on the fifth floor of a seven-floor building perched high above the bay with views of Dawn Beach and distant views of St. Barthlemay. Our condo is situated up high and away from the main road. But the dividing line between the Dutch and French sides of the island is literally 40 feet from our turnoff. You wouldn’t know it unless you saw the sign welcoming you to the French side.
By the time we had moved in, it was about 7 pm and, and after a long day, we were all starving. We had gotten good reviews of the Oasis, a nearby French restaurant, so headed out to dinner. The Oasis was a quick five-minute drive on the French side. After a short wait, we were seated. It is a fun place with a busy kitchen and servers that dash around helter-skelter. They have a diverse menu that highlights seafood.
Susan’s Comment: The wait staff spoke some English but their primary language was French so their accent made it somewhat challenging to understand everything they said. Our waiter explained in great detail how each dish was prepared but it was lost on me as I struggled to understand him.
Everybody got a version of seafood and/or steak. I had the Seafood Pot, a lovely combination of lobster, clams, salmon and scallops with cooked carrots. Sipped on a nice margarita. I had my taste buds set for what looked like a sumptuous dessert menu but was so full that I decided to pass… for now. Headed back to the room, spent a few minutes on the porch enjoying the lovely moonlit evening and then, exhausted and full, we all turned in