Mid point summary odds and ends and blather

[justme]

We are nearly 2 weeks into our 4 week stay. How fortunate we are!

we arrived feb 7, it took us 12 hours door to door to get here from Boston. Delayed getting out due to snow. Delayed leaving San Juan due to rain. We landed at SBH 1 minute before the airport closes at 630pm, per the pilot. There was a wee bit on anxiety on board, as you can imagine. Since it was late, everyone wanted to close up shop, so check in, rental car, etc was done in like 5 minutes and we were on our way to get some provisions at places still open.

what followed was 4 days of rain, wind, and clouds. Not the ideal, for sure. So we went shopping, read books, idled about. It wasn’t horrible but when you want sun and dont get it day after day, it does affect your spirit. Because we are not trust fund babies and come from very modest backgrounds, we have to work, and work remotely every Wednesday to make this extended stay work. How lucky to be able to do that. Working here is not “fun”, lol, but way better than working from home or an office in snowy Boston.

since then, it’s seen sunny and wonderful. Beach days at Saline - strangely quiet most times - and St Jean - which was lovely last week and sort of awful this week. We stay at an old school villa with no marble or curated artwork on Marigot and flop around in the water there every day too.

mornings are pastry from pt Colombe, a walk or run, some yoga, so reading. And then a sandwich on the beach. Return chez nous for a drink and more sloth, and then off to dinner. (See other posts about dining if interested).

last week the island was fairly quiet as I remembered it being - this is our 23yrd year coming. Gasp. Restaurants weren’t full, reservations easy, traffic not Bad except for the 5pm rush hour. Sargassum was plentiful on Saline, Grand Fond, Marigot. Less so on St Jean. No worker bees removing it this year that we have seen.

i knew this week would be different due to carnival and school vacation week in lots of the US. And it has been. Traffic became suddenly insane. Back ups from the monoprix all the way to the airport and beyond. Cars aplenty. Scooters driving like mad. Which is sad because on 2/8 a 26 year old man died in a scooter accident early in the morning. There was a memorial service for him last Saturday at Grand Fond and I witnessed some of it from afar during my walk. So sad to see loss so young, and the throngs of attendees were shaken up. Still, this has not tamed scooter drivers, they are as reckless as ever.

tonight on our way home from bananiers, at the turns above st Jean toward lorient, a pick up truck was right on our tail and even flashed his lights at us cuz we were going too slow I guess? Then, a first for us, he passed us. On. The. Curve. With oncoming traffic honking at him.

i suppose the solution for this recklessness is more speed bumps. This is the island of speed bumps. We count them from Margot to the airport. 16.

the island is very busy this week, so many people, more than I remember. If this is what the holidays are like, then no thank you! St Jean beach yesterday was as busy as I’ve ever seen it, and I was stunned by the number of pre teen and teenage kids around. Old me tries to imagine being brought here at that age, lol. It’s beyond any imagination as my family was not monied in any way. Then there’s the problem of Nao Beach, my Most hated place besides Petite Plage. At 3 pm, when the crowd has thinned at the place, the music gets pumped up so loud you can hear it all up and down the beach making it impossible to have a relaxing beach moment. And worse, their music is absolutely awful. I just can’t with that place. You walk by on the way to your car and there are 2 people sort of dancing, and many others on the beach beds staring at their phones. This is a world that makes no sense to me at all. But I’m old now, i guess.

it’s been a wonderful 2 weeks so far, all in all. We feel rested, refreshed and are very much enjoying our time here. I know it’s changed, and I’m sad about that too. But nothing stays the same so your perspective has to change with it. We have a small condo in Provincetown MA. Outside corporations are moving up and buying up business and homes. Prices are going thru the roof. Workers can’t find housing. Income inequality is huge btw visitors and locals. Yachts in the harbor (unheard of 6 years ago). Still we go and we love it. Beyond the flash is the soul. And it’s the soul that draws us back. The flash will move on eventually. We hope.

in that regard, some words from locals we know that stick with me. “There is almost nowhere in Gustavia for me and my family to go out to eat anymore. It’s all too expensive for us, running a shop.” “The St Tropez style is not something we want here, it’s for some tourists and no one who actually lives here.” The island has been chasing the uber Wealthy client for a long time. At some point, it’s an island full of that, and then where is the soul? I feel this at home and in Provincetown where housing prices have skyrocketed to an extent we are stuck or we leave. (For reference, a 325 sq ft studio condo next door to us, with no parking and no outdoor space, is on the market for $750,000.). The vibe that attracts people slowly gets erased buy a never ending chase for money and the similarity with SBH is evident to us.

but for now, we are here and have no plans on going anywhere else. Maybe that’s the answer. Resist. And frequent local owned businesses, they need your money and support to stay afloat.

 

[cec1]

We are nearly 2 weeks into our 4 week stay. How fortunate we are!

we arrived feb 7, it took us 12 hours door to door to get here from Boston. Delayed getting out due to snow. Delayed leaving San Juan due to rain. We landed at SBH 1 minute before the airport closes at 630pm, per the pilot. There was a wee bit on anxiety on board, as you can imagine. Since it was late, everyone wanted to close up shop, so check in, rental car, etc was done in like 5 minutes and we were on our way to get some provisions at places still open.

what followed was 4 days of rain, wind, and clouds. Not the ideal, for sure. So we went shopping, read books, idled about. It wasn’t horrible but when you want sun and dont get it day after day, it does affect your spirit. Because we are not trust fund babies and come from very modest backgrounds, we have to work, and work remotely every Wednesday to make this extended stay work. How lucky to be able to do that. Working here is not “fun”, lol, but way better than working from home or an office in snowy Boston.

since then, it’s seen sunny and wonderful. Beach days at Saline - strangely quiet most times - and St Jean - which was lovely last week and sort of awful this week. We stay at an old school villa with no marble or curated artwork on Marigot and flop around in the water there every day too.

mornings are pastry from pt Colombe, a walk or run, some yoga, so reading. And then a sandwich on the beach. Return chez nous for a drink and more sloth, and then off to dinner. (See other posts about dining if interested).

last week the island was fairly quiet as I remembered it being - this is our 23yrd year coming. Gasp. Restaurants weren’t full, reservations easy, traffic not Bad except for the 5pm rush hour. Sargassum was plentiful on Saline, Grand Fond, Marigot. Less so on St Jean. No worker bees removing it this year that we have seen.

i knew this week would be different due to carnival and school vacation week in lots of the US. And it has been. Traffic became suddenly insane. Back ups from the monoprix all the way to the airport and beyond. Cars aplenty. Scooters driving like mad. Which is sad because on 2/8 a 26 year old man died in a scooter accident early in the morning. There was a memorial service for him last Saturday at Grand Fond and I witnessed some of it from afar during my walk. So sad to see loss so young, and the throngs of attendees were shaken up. Still, this has not tamed scooter drivers, they are as reckless as ever.

tonight on our way home from bananiers, at the turns above st Jean toward lorient, a pick up truck was right on our tail and even flashed his lights at us cuz we were going too slow I guess? Then, a first for us, he passed us. On. The. Curve. With oncoming traffic honking at him.

i suppose the solution for this recklessness is more speed bumps. This is the island of speed bumps. We count them from Margot to the airport. 16.

the island is very busy this week, so many people, more than I remember. If this is what the holidays are like, then no thank you! St Jean beach yesterday was as busy as I’ve ever seen it, and I was stunned by the number of pre teen and teenage kids around. Old me tries to imagine being brought here at that age, lol. It’s beyond any imagination as my family was not monied in any way. Then there’s the problem of Nao Beach, my Most hated place besides Petite Plage. At 3 pm, when the crowd has thinned at the place, the music gets pumped up so loud you can hear it all up and down the beach making it impossible to have a relaxing beach moment. And worse, their music is absolutely awful. I just can’t with that place. You walk by on the way to your car and there are 2 people sort of dancing, and many others on the beach beds staring at their phones. This is a world that makes no sense to me at all. But I’m old now, i guess.

it’s been a wonderful 2 weeks so far, all in all. We feel rested, refreshed and are very much enjoying our time here. I know it’s changed, and I’m sad about that too. But nothing stays the same so your perspective has to change with it. We have a small condo in Provincetown MA. Outside corporations are moving up and buying up business and homes. Prices are going thru the roof. Workers can’t find housing. Income inequality is huge btw visitors and locals. Yachts in the harbor (unheard of 6 years ago). Still we go and we love it. Beyond the flash is the soul. And it’s the soul that draws us back. The flash will move on eventually. We hope.

in that regard, some words from locals we know that stick with me. “There is almost nowhere in Gustavia for me and my family to go out to eat anymore. It’s all too expensive for us, running a shop.” “The St Tropez style is not something we want here, it’s for some tourists and no one who actually lives here.” The island has been chasing the uber Wealthy client for a long time. At some point, it’s an island full of that, and then where is the soul? I feel this at home and in Provincetown where housing prices have skyrocketed to an extent we are stuck or we leave. (For reference, a 325 sq ft studio condo next door to us, with no parking and no outdoor space, is on the market for $750,000.). The vibe that attracts people slowly gets erased buy a never ending chase for money and the similarity with SBH is evident to us.

but for now, we are here and have no plans on going anywhere else. Maybe that’s the answer. Resist. And frequent local owned businesses, they need your money and support to stay afloat.

Thoughtful comments.

 

[bkeats]

work remotely every Wednesday to make this extended stay work

I envy the opportunity to do what you are doing. I work in a field that has a slightly less flexible schedule. In the office Monday to Friday. Weekends are open for remote work.

Enjoy the rest of your time there and please keep reporting.

 

[le_reve]

Thanks for your report! We had friends here during that 4 day rain spurt, and it was a bummer. One day, we sat at Select for hours while it poured and played dominos. Not all was lost!

I feel your angst for almost missing the airport closure time. We on one of two of the last flights out of SJU last year and we had already checked in and were waiting in the TW lounge. They called the first flight to go, then a few minutes later they called us. We made it through the little security room and were in the elevator going down to the tarmac, and then the TW rep got a call on her phone. The pilots for our flight had a slight delay getting through customs in PR to come to our flight from just landing from SBH and now we missed the window! No flight for us - - and a night at the airport hotel with two dogs... They don't mess around with that deadline. The rep told us that we would have only missed it by a few minutes, but SBH has a hard shut down. The other flight made it fine. C'est la vie!

 

[cec1]

Thanks for your report! We had friends here during that 4 day rain spurt, and it was a bummer. One day, we sat at Select for hours while it poured and played dominos. Not all was lost!

I feel your angst for almost missing the airport closure time. We on one of two of the last flights out of SJU last year and we had already checked in and were waiting in the TW lounge. They called the first flight to go, then a few minutes later they called us. We made it through the little security room and were in the elevator going down to the tarmac, and then the TW rep got a call on her phone. The pilots for our flight had a slight delay getting through customs in PR to come to our flight from just landing from SBH and now we missed the window! No flight for us - - and a night at the airport hotel with two dogs... They don't mess around with that deadline. The rep told us that we would have only missed it by a few minutes, but SBH has a hard shut down. The other flight made it fine. C'est la vie!

I recently had a similar experience. Last two Tradewind flights out of SJU to SBH, both scheduled to depart at the same time. Rain & getting dark. Finally, passengers on the other flight were called . . . boarded the plane . . . and departed for SBH. Then came advice that our flight was canceled — weather & questionable as to whether we could get to SBH under the curfew time. I was considerably annoyed (LOL . . . had to cancel dinner at L’Esprit!).

Tradewind, however, was “Johnny on the spot!” . . . arranging a very comfortable shuttle for our 8 passengers to the nearby Hotel El San Juan, with easy check-in when we arrived there (the Hotel already had our names & reservations!). After a comfortable night (lovely dinner for me at one of the Hotel dining rooms), we were shuttled the next morning to the airport for a special Tradewind flight to SBH. Now here’s the “kicker” . . . on the shuttle with us were the eight passengers who had departed ahead of us the prior late afternoon. Their flight was so turbulent that one of the passengers reportedly was hysterically screaming & could not be consoled by her husband (needless to say, causing some consternation among other passengers!). The pilots were said to have made two landing attempts at SBH before the Captain diverted to SXM to re-fuel for a return to SJU.

The morning shuttle to SJU was somber, as the distraught passenger from the prior evening’s other flight remained inconsolable. Mon dieu! At least those of us who had an unexpected, but pleasant, overnight in Isla Verde were spared a flight with this — unquestionably — distraught passenger.

I‘ve learned, thus, that when flight plans are unavoidably changed, “make lemonade” out of it . . . without regret! (Thank you Edith Piaf — Non Je Ne Regrette Rien).

So, as I sit at conclusion of a lovely Pearl Beach Sunday afternoon lunch, I am watching flights departing (including three from Tradewind in the last few minutes) & savoring the privilege & luxury of being here. An occasional forced-overnight in San Juan isn’t the end of the world . . . in fact, can be a memorable adventure. (And, BTW, when circumstances require it, one is lucky to have Tradewind as a “guardian angel“ to manage the situation!.)

 

[dadto6]

When they first opened, I enjoyed NAO; however, about a year ago Anita and I arrived on Island, and we went for a late lunch just after arrival which meant 3:00pm. DJ was so loud that we could not even talk with each other at a lovely table for 2 closest to the water. It was so loud that even yelling at each other did not work. Our last time at NAO, from what I am reading it has not changed so not likely to ever return.

 

[jamiem4]

When they first opened, I enjoyed NAO; however, about a year ago Anita and I arrived on Island, and we went for a late lunch just after arrival which meant 3:00pm. DJ was so loud that we could not even talk with each other at a lovely table for 2 closest to the water. It was so loud that even yelling at each other did not work. Our last time at NAO, from what I am reading it has not changed so not likely to ever return.

It is fun that you say that! I previously posted about our visit to NOA when our son was here with his girlfriend. We all sat at the table and texted each other, as there was no point in speaking. Sadly, since we know the managers, etc., from living on the island and from their prior jobs… they are always so friendly to us, but we can’t hear anything that they say!

I do appreciate cell phone phones because otherwise I would have to bring a marker and paper and hold it up! I also know American Sign Language, and our kids know it, but that leaves my husband and our son’s girlfriend out of the conversation.

 

[le_reve]

I recently had a similar experience. Last two Tradewind flights out of SJU to SBH, both scheduled to depart at the same time. Rain & getting dark. Finally, passengers on the other flight were called . . . boarded the plane . . . and departed for SBH. Then came advice that our flight was canceled — weather & questionable as to whether we could get to SBH under the curfew time. I was considerably annoyed (LOL . . . had to cancel dinner at L’Esprit!).

Tradewind, however, was “Johnny on the spot!” . . . arranging a very comfortable shuttle for our 8 passengers to the nearby Hotel El San Juan, with easy check-in when we arrived there (the Hotel already had our names & reservations!). After a comfortable night (lovely dinner for me at one of the Hotel dining rooms), we were shuttled the next morning to the airport for a special Tradewind flight to SBH. Now here’s the “kicker” . . . on the shuttle with us were the eight passengers who had departed ahead of us the prior late afternoon. Their flight was so turbulent that one of the passengers reportedly was hysterically screaming & could not be consoled by her husband (needless to say, causing some consternation among other passengers!). The pilots were said to have made two landing attempts at SBH before the Captain diverted to SXM to re-fuel for a return to SJU.

The morning shuttle to SJU was somber, as the distraught passenger from the prior evening’s other flight remained inconsolable. Mon dieu! At least those of us who had an unexpected, but pleasant, overnight in Isla Verde were spared a flight with this — unquestionably — distraught passenger.

I‘ve learned, thus, that when flight plans are unavoidably changed, “make lemonade” out of it . . . without regret! (Thank you Edith Piaf — Non Je Ne Regrette Rien).

So, as I sit at conclusion of a lovely Pearl Beach Sunday afternoon lunch, I am watching flights departing (including three from Tradewind in the last few minutes) & savoring the privilege & luxury of being here. An occasional forced-overnight in San Juan isn’t the end of the world . . . in fact, can be a memorable adventure. (And, BTW, when circumstances require it, one is lucky to have Tradewind as a “guardian angel“ to manage the situation!.)

I should mention that TW was also going to put us up for the night at El San Juan, but we opted to stay at the airport hotel because it was going to be awhile for the shuttle, and we were absolutely exhausted as we had been up since 2:30AM, and we had our dogs. The new flight in the morning was very early, so we thought it would just be easier all-around to stay where we were. We did get a discount from TW for our room as well. So, yes, TW did go above and beyond what any other airline would do in these circumstances. Another reason IMO that TW is worth every penny.

 

[cassidain]

I think there is a standing discount for TW passengers offered by SJU airport hotel, FWIW

 

[dadto6]

Good to know Cass

 

[jamiem4]

There is…

I think there is a standing discount for TW passengers offered by SJU airport hotel, FWIW

There is a discount for Tradewind passengers. Just FYI, if anyone is active duty or retired military, or has a military ID card, there is a discount at the airport hotel. In addition to that military discount, the TW discount applies on top of that. It is not one or the other like when you use AAA discount at the hotel for the room, then you cannot use your Tradewind discount on top of that.. Believe me, we know this all too well from either flight disruptions or not taking the redeye from San Diego to San Juan, which then requires an overnight somewhere… I will say that our dogs do like the San Juan hotel, I think it provides them a million opportunities to sniff and go crazy! They are in doggy heaven there…

 

[shihadehs]

We are staying at San Juan airport hotel in a few weeks. Discount applied.
Countdown starting!!!!