Article On St. Maarten After Irma From New York Times About

I thought this might be of interest to some of you.

Some of you may not be able to view the article.

Keith

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/travel/st-martin-after-hurricane-irma-.html?hpw&rref=travel&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Great article! Thank you!

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You are very welcome.

Keith

Thank you for sharing this Keith. I think that it sums up what I have seen in pictures and in person and have read since Irma. I would love to have had more information on the beaches and what facilities the most popular pre Irma beaches have to offer now.

Karysa, you are very welcome. Glad it is consistent to what you have seen.

Keith

We visited St Maarten last week on Celebrity Silhouette. We were limited to Philipsburg due to recent knee surgery. Still many businesses on Front and Back streets closed. Old Street, a favorite with us, virtually destroyed. BUT the people were all upbeat and the sounds. of hammers and saws provided constant background. I can't address the rest of the island but at least in our limited time the recovery effort was obvious. The Boardwalk looked to be about 90% open with the beach almost fully operational. Had lunch at Lizzy's on what they said was their first day back. Limited menu but excellent ribs. Credit to the water taxi guys who start your visit on a positive note - bring your best Neil Diamond voice.

This was all in contrast to a disappointing St Thomas visit where little work was in view and a couple of vendors admitted to a card reader scam to compel visitors to pay in cash. The object being not to report the revenue in order to get more FEMA support - their words.

We're already booked in Europe for 2019 but scoping out a 2020 island hopper with (maybe) our granddaughters. At this stage we'll include St Maarten but likely skip St Thomas.

My wife and I will be here on April 11th (cruise stop) and plan to taxi to Orient Beach for the day. This is our favorite place on earth and, despite the hurricane damage, can still picture the clear, blue water and white sandy beach. I understand that there's only one place on the beach that offers chairs & umbrellas. I believe it's called "Perch Lite"?

My only concern is the availability of getting a taxi to/from the beach? Will we have any issues with this? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Does anyone know the little liquor store about a block or so back from Grand Case main boardwalk that sells little decorative bottles of coconut rum in these cute painted plastic and glass containers? They're all different colors and have cute images of fish and other sea life on them.

Was hoping to buy a few more from them on our upcoming trip - but totally forgot the name & location of the store and I don't know my way around well enough to remember where it was.

I read about it on a CC Celebrity Silo review 2 years ago - someone had tasted the rum in a cocktail on the boardwalk and the bar owner told her about the liquor store.

Any chance someone knows this store - and if it's open? :):):)

Old Street

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