#DryLandTouristChronicles: I Love SXM Diary….Day 4 & 5

The penultimate day of conference we had our President & Executives Training Seminar (PETS). Experienced Rotarians lead training sessions for the various executive positions on the Rotaract Executive Boards. This was in fact the main purpose of the conference.

One of our numerous selfies…Buddha & the Yardies

Before the training seminar, Paulette, Nicole & I walked to a pharmacy on the Maho strip to purchase some sweets. On our way back, we saw a really cool Buddha statue & went selfie crazy lol.

After PETS, we had a general session in which DRR Elisia did a review of her year as well as presented all her board members with appreciation awards.

Maho Beach & Sunset Beach Bar

“Close to the International Airport, the Maho area’s most famous attraction is famous Sunset Bar and Grill. Nowhere else in the world are you able to witness take-off and landing of Jumbo-jets as closely as here, all while sipping on a tropical cocktail….. No wonder that aviation fans from around the world rate St. Maarten’s airport, Sunset Bar and Grill and the small strip of Maho Beach as their number one “plane spotting” destination!”

Source: http://www.st-maarten.com/index.php/island/dutch-sint-maarten/maho-village

After the sessions, we headed out on the Maho strip again this time our destination was the famous Sunset Beach Bar to enjoy some plane spotting.

Before we headed to the bar, we stopped at the colourful Welcome to St. Maarten sign to snap a few pictures.

Do you see that AA beauty behind me?!!

Maho Beach is nothing short of splendid. Even though the day was a bit cloudy you could still appreciate the beauty of Maho…the sand & sea were pristine.

Sonesta Ocean Point in the background

Look at how beautiful that sand is!

I heard nothing but great things about Sunset Beach Bar & I was not disappointed. The atmosphere was very welcoming & relaxing. Once you sat down, you couldn’t help but feel like a good time was ahead. Despite this fact, the reality that conference was almost over & some other personal issues I was a bit down so I didn’t appreciate the moment as much as I should have.

Sunset Beach Bar

Nonetheless, I grabbed my drink & tried to make the best of my last few days in paradise….

My drink …The Pain Killer

My drink of choice was “The Painkiller” which was a mix of Mount Gay Silver, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Coconut Cream & Mount Gay Gold Floater. I always heard about Mount Gay Rum from Barbados & thanks to Sunset I finally had a taste of it & I have to say it wasn’t bad at all. Definitely looking forward to adding a bottle to my home bar.

Enjoying my Painkiller

This gentleman was too funny!

Before leaving Sunset, we checked the Arrivals board & headed to the Princess Juliana Airport fence to try & capture a selfie with a plane. I also “braved up” & decided to try “fence surfing”. I was nervous as hell but my friend Otis was there to reassure me… so I held on tight, buried my face in my shirt & took the blast. It was over in no time & felt cool & not scorching hot like I thought it would. It is definitely something I would do again if I ever get the chance.

Arrival Schedule at Sunset Beach Bar

Selfie with Terence at the Airport

Click here to see a video of some of my Rotaract friends “fence surfing.”

Closing Ceremony

It is tradition to end our conference with fanfare & splendour, this year was no different. Our closing ceremony theme was an All Black Formal Affair. I went with a dress I had only worn once or twice, gold accessories & nude pumps. Unfortunately, my shoes failed me at the door! I had to go all the way back to my room & put on my slippers….. I was so annoyed. Everyone else would be dressed to the nines & I would be in flats. Thank God it was my D’NexStep sandals & not flip flops. I drowned my sorrows in champagne & white wine.

My hair had a mind of its own

The very chic agenda

Dinner

The program was entertaining & most importantly on time. The club reports made me feel proud to be apart of this awesome district because the clubs were all doing some amazing projects within their communities & abroad.

I got the shock of my life in the award ceremony when I was awarded ADRR of the Year. I am apart of a service club because I truly desire to have a positive impact on my community but I have to admit it does feel good to have been awarded for doing something I love so much.

Collecting my award

Photo Credit: NicBen

The Jamaican & Caymanian family

After the Gala we headed to the 747 Night Club in Simpson Bay for our Pyjama Glow Party.

We all received our glow sticks on entry to the club as well as free drinks & shots all night.

That party was so turnt I did not even take one picture.

The club was really nice. I really liked the set up even though I was a bit unsure if it doubled as a strip club simply because of the stripper pole & king size bed in the club lol. I think the decor took the Mile High Club concept in a new direction.

Check out their Facebook Page here.

Day 5 – The End of Conference

It was the saddest day I have had so far in 2015…

After 5 glorious days of new experiences with new & old friends we all had to say goodbye. The first person to leave was Nicole at 7 AM.

After she left, I went back to my room for a quick nap. Luckily, I had started packing the night before so I had nothing to pack.

After my nap, I went to get lunch & take my suitcases to the lobby. Then came the goodbyes…. or better yet see you soon.

Couldn’t resist the urge to try DRR Elisia’s fab headpiece

Simpson Bay

I don’t have a US visa so I had to wait until Wednesday to leave St. Maarten (Caribbean Airline only flies there on Wednesdays & Saturdays). For the next few days my new home would be The Atrium Hotel (here) in Simpson Bay thanks to Aunty Dawn.

Unlike Sonesta, The Atrium was not all-inclusive but that was no problem at all because the hotel is very central.

The Simpson Bay strip itself was filled with numerous restaurants & lyming spots.

My friends stayed at the Simpson Bay Resort (here). While waiting on my pictures to upload on Dane’s computer, I snapped these pictures of Simpson Bay from their balcony.

Fort Louis

Around 4PM our friend Maggie drove Dane & I to Marigot to visit Fort Louis.

“Fort Louis was built in 1789 on a hill overlooking Marigot Bay and the island of Anguilla by the locals in the town, on the orders of Jean Sebastian de Durat, who was governor of St. Martin and St. Barth, for the king of France at the time.

Its primary function was to defend the harbour warehouses where goods were stored (salt, coffee, sugar cane, and rum).

Later the fort was abandoned and fell into ruin.

In the 19th century it was restored once more, only to be abandoned again. During this period it was also the site of battle between the French and the English, as the latter regularly came across from Anguilla to raid the warehouses.

Thanks to the Hope Estate archeological association, restoration and renovation of the building has once again been undertaken, in close collaboration with a unit of the military service (SMA) in Guadeloupe.

Bi-lingual explanatory panels provide historical information about the fort and its environs.

From its highest point the site offers an unrestricted view of Marigot, Simpson Bay lagoon, Simpson Bay, Anguilla, the Lowlands, and Nettle Bay.”
Source: http://www.stmartinisland.org/even-more-st-martin-island/st-martin-focus-of-the-month/93-specials/370-fort-louis.html