Last Day SXM

Uggh. Woke up to a pretty good hangover but nothing the magic of liquigels couldn't cure. I decided that maybe I'd like to stay on in St.Martin and take the Thursday flight home instead...but technical difficulties and some unhelpful staff at the airport made it my fate to go home that day as planned. But, as my flight wasn't until 4:30 pm I still managed to squeeze in a few last sunny hours by the pool before my return home.
So now...it's time to start planning my sixth visit.
Who's in?

I should mention that, although it can be an expensive place to visit, St.Martin can be an excellent place to visit on a budget especially now that there are some affordable airfare options available. Villa rentals can be a great way to stay in a beautiful home, experience the wide array of unbelievably good food on the island (known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean) and keep things on the cheap. I highly recommend browsing the villa options at HomeAway. My studio villa was $100 US per night and included a full kitchen, terrace, access to a common pool area and it was a mere 300 yards to the village and beach. I did not rent a car for this particular trip but would recommend it for anyone visiting for the first time. While the island is small, taxi's can be expensive (a cab from the airport to Orient Bay is $30 while a car rental is approximately $50/day) . The island is easy to navigate and some of the best things to see - the restaurants of Grand Case, secluded beaches, casinos - are easier to reach by car. There are a few larger size grocery stores on the island but you can access good quality food at most of the smaller markets and groceries- especially on the French side where you can find good wines, fresh produce and good quality baguette and pastries. Note that American dollars are accepted everywhere, as are Euros. In some places on the French side, US dollars are accepted at par - but usually at lunch or happy hour. Or so I hear.