From that chair the below picture shows the view that I had the whole time
Not a bad way to spend the afternoon was it....anyway I got to the hotel on Saturday sometime around 4pm. I would like to note that I took a taxi from the airport and everytime I get in a taxi in St Maarten with a woman taxi driver they are blarring the religious channel, so I have to listen to stories of God striking me dead all the way to my destination.....everytime.
Now this trip was the first time that I rented a car in St Maarten. This hotel is far enough away from everything that you really have to. I was nervous about driving, but I am happy to report that I had not problems other than getting car sick going over the 8,000 speed bumps.
Once I got the keys to my new little, and I mean LITTLE rental car I made my way over to visit my friends Anne and Hans. I met them 5 years ago, they own a jewelry store that I passed when walking from the old hotel to the grocery store. I stopped in on that trip, started chatting with them and much to their dismay keep returning year after year, for both their company and there beautiful jewelry creations. Also, Anne makes me dinner everytime I come for my Birthday and feed me once and you really will never get rid of me. Ask my parents.
Since I did not get to go to St Maarten in 2006, went to Disney instead. It is always a mistake to think you can have a better time someplace without a beach and the sound of the ocean. I was very excited to see Anne and Hans again, of course I had been traveling all day long since 4 am in the morning and since the hotel manager had chit chatted with me for over a half and hour and the car rental took forever I did not even make it to visit them till at least 5:45pm. So I was a bit droppy and pressed for time since I wanted to make it to the grocery store by 7:30pm so that I did not have to leave the hotel till Monday. Some stores are not open on Sunday or have odd hours. That is one thing that I did miss about the other hotel, they would supply you with grocery's if you asked so you did not have to run to the store right away.
Anyway back to Anne and Hans....when I arrived Hans was out on a mission to find a new cabinet for the kitchen, they had suffered some water damage. On the island you are hard pressed to find anything even close to what you really want and the cost is always 2-3 times what you would pay in the states. That is pretty much the reason I could not live their year round, well that and there is no Barnes and Noble. If I win the lotto then I am there!!
Anne and I had a nice chat and I was thrilled to nose around the shop drolling over all the beautiful jewelry...what can I say I am my father's daughter. This year I planned to make my dad surprise my mom with a nice pendant that Anne designed. That was all fine and good except for the fact that any of you who know my father know that he could not keep a secret to save his life. Thank God he never tried to become a spy. So of course he blabbed all to my mom a few weeks before I left. I still had something made for her and I will post a picture of it soon.
I made it to the grocery store before it closed, they have alot of american brands but you have to be real careful about expiration dates and since they don't color the meat it all looks sort of gray and the veggies are a bit droppy. It is a long way from the states by cargo ship after all.
Made it back to the hotel that first night and fell into bed, a really comfy bed and listened to the ocean as I drifted off to sleep. So how much do you hate me now? Stop back tomorrow for the continuing saga of Amy on Vacation.......
Saturday morning I was up bright and early to leave the hotel. I was thrilled to make it to the airport and find there was no delay. I will regret gloating about that later in my trip but at the time I was a happy camper. I had a layover in Charlotte NC....funny thing about that airport, they have a ton of rocking chairs in the terminals. I guess they trying to make you think you are at home.