ENTIRE CONTENTS COPYRIGHT (c), JEFFREY M. BERGER, 1996
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Sint Maarten's Hurricane Recovery 
"Astounding," Writer Says

	On September 4 and 5 of last year, Hurricane Luis battered the normally tranquil, picture-postcard-perfect Caribbean resort island of Sint Maarten with sustained winds of 140 mph, gusts estimated at over 200 mph, surging storm tides, and torrential rains, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, incalculable losses in tourist income, and temporarily stripping the island of virtually all its lush vegetation. A week later, Hurricane Marilyn, on her way to a vicious date with St. Thomas, deluged St. Maarten's many newly roofless buildings with about a foot of totally unwelcome rains, ruining much of what was still left standing. Total losses were estimated by government officials at over $1-billion.
	This writer spent much of January and February on St. Maarten, returning again in mid-April for a last pre-summer look. His original intent: to write a simple Hurricane Luis post-mortem, a progress report on the recovery. What he found, instead, was that the remarkably resilient residents of this half-Dutch, half-French island had worked side by side with French and Dutch soldiers for months, and that the rebuilding process was -- astoundingly -- all but complete.
	So, the story which follows focuses on what a vacationer to Sint Maarten/St. Martin will find there right now -- many months after the departure of an unwelcome guest called Luis.

	If you had been sleeping for months aboard a cruise ship, then got off and walked down Front Street today in Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten's bustling tourist-oriented commercial center, you'd never know that the island had been slammed by a Category 5 hurricane not many months earlier. All the shops in Phillipsburg and in Marigot, the tres chic main shopping center on the cosmopolitan French side of the island, are crammed full with fresh merchandise, and you'd have a hard time finding anyplace at all here that's boarded up or NOT bustling with tourists. 	Although vegetation on this island is back in full bloom and as lush as ever, there are a few traces of Luis' visit. Several beach-facing resorts -- Mullet Bay, Dawn Beach, and Port de Pleasance among them, remain closed at this writing. Dawn Beach, on the island's east coast, bore the full brunt of the storm and was virtually demolished. Some hotels chose to quietly wait out what was a slow winter season, while taking advantage of generous benefits from their business interruption insurance. La Samanna, the ultra-luxury resort on Long Beach, was hit hard by the storm but is 100% repaired and recently reopened, its opulence as evident as ever. Long Beach, which had been badly eroded by the storm, has come back and is wider and softer at this writing than it has been in years. More on beaches later. Mullet Bay is not expected to reopen until the end of 1997. Port de Pleasance is reportedly the target of a major Hollywood studio seeking a point of expansion in the Caribbean. But there is plenty of hotel space available on the island now and there is absolutely every reason to come here. 
	And come here, tourists are. Having relegated the graphic TV coverage of Luis' damage to "yesterday's news," tourists are flocking back. Airline flights to this popular island have increased to pre-Luis levels . . . about a dozen cruise ships stop here every week . . . and the shops and restaurants are doing business which is approaching pre-hurricane levels. 

How Are Phillipsburg and Marigot?
	As noted earlier, both towns are clean, well-stocked, freshly-painted, and have their absolute best, pristine foot forward for tourists. Downtown Phillipsburg's Windmill shop, our annual souvenir shop stop, is as overstuffed as always with literally thousands of shirts, from the eye-catching hand-painted to the I-can't-describe-that-here tackiest. Like many other souvenir and jewelry shops here, Windmill is operated by émigrés from India, many of whose families have been here for many generations. Caribbean Gems and Zhaveri Jewelers, also annual stops for us, are crammed with ship passengers and repeat customers, and the haggling is as spirited and successful as ever. Phillipsburg has excellent buys in jewelry and electronics, often as prices less than you might pay in the U. S. 
	If couture is your interest, check out Marigot. The latest Paris fashions are here, as is the most pricey jewelry. And the bakeries will make you want to eat dessert first....

What about the beaches?
	St. Maarten's beaches, or at least many of them, change shape and size according to the whims of Mother Nature. Some beaches grew during Luis while others shrank, but virtually all the island's beaches are now in pre-hurricane shape. Here's a quick rundown of many of the island's most popular beaches:
	Mullet Beach, the very popular strand at the Mullet Bay resort, is as beautiful and as heavily used as always. Its big waves make it a favorite with local surfers.
	Pelican Beach, at the sprawling Pelican Resort complex, is slightly wider than before Luis, and remains very popular. The most successful timeshare resort in the world, Pelican lost several roofs to Luis. Its recovery, chronicled by photography sometimes displayed in the lobby, was astonishing; it began accepting guests barely two months after the storm hit. (Beach chairs here are only for Pelican timeshare owners.) The view of ocean sunsets here can be spectacular.
	Maho Beach, at the end of the runway of Princess Juliana airport, is an almost equally attractive strand, as long as you don't mind the a 747 approaching the airport only about 50 feet over your head.
	Great Bay Beach, which encompasses the Phillipsburg waterfront, is as crystal-clear and inviting as ever. 
	Dawn Beach, site of the destroyed Dawn Beach Hotel, is gorgeous. It grew bigger during Luis, but "no trespassing" signs at the resort make access ill-advised.
	Orient Beach, the largest and most popular on the island, saw all its watersports facilities, restaurants, and beach bars washed away by Luis -- but they're all back, better than ever. Club Orient, the world-renowned naturist resort, was blown apart by Luis, as if its log chalets were houses of cards hit by cinder blocks. The chalets are being quickly rebuilt, and the popular Papagayo restaurant has been open, and busy, for months. Most of the little shops that were here pre-Luis are back, and new ones are being created as you read this. The beach is bustling even as the hammers bang away. (All of Orient is clothing optional, except for the restaurants and bars outside Club Orient.)
	Anse Marcel, at Le Meridien Hotel, is open, as is the hotel itself, which is busy with French tourists. 
	Rouge Beach, one of the island's longest and most beautiful, is in great shape, made larger by Luis. Like all beaches on the French side, tops are optional here. The more southerly end of the beach is clothing optional.
	Long Beach, with the "rich and famous" hotel La Samanna at its southern end, rebuilt itself nicely after Luis and gives you a great spot for relaxing.
	Cupecoy is actually a string of beaches at the island's southwest corner. Sandstone cliffs and caves are the backdrop for this unusual beach, one of the world's most gorgeous. Its steep drop-off, which changes shape frequently (as does the string of beaches itself), makes Cupecoy waters hazardous for young children. Cupecoy is largely clothing optional.
	Prune Beach, also known as Plum Bay, is a gorgeous, intimate, crescent-shaped strand frequented by an eclectic crowd including occasional surfers, despite rocks among the breakers. 
	Le Galion Beach, also known as Embouchure or Coconut Grove, on the site of the long-since defunct Le Galion Hotel, is the island's best windsurfing beach and is ideal for children because of its shallow, calm waters near shore. (Topless with some clothing-optional use. Orient Beach is a seven-minute walk away.)
 
Sint Maarten Restaurants
	This island has literally hundreds of fine restaurants -- "fine" in terms of quality, ambiance, and service. If you've long had a favorite restaurant here, you can pretty well assume it's open and serving a memorable variety of favorite dishes.
	Turtle Pier, an over-water restaurant bordering Simpson Bay diagonally opposite the entrance to Princess Juliana Airport, had a small ship slam into it after Luis ripped the ship (and many others) loose from its moorings in Simpson Bay. Turtle Pier reopened in October, just weeks after the hurricane. Park in front near their big yellow sign, and you're likely to be greeted with screeches or wolf whistles by an assortment of parrots beside the restaurant walkway. (There are also large turtles, small monkeys, and rabbits.) This well-hidden gem of a bar/restaurant is a two-minute walk away, and rabbit is not on the menu. The lively bar is frequented by local business people and tourists. Pick your Caribbean lobster from their in-the-bay selection (from nearby Saba, they range from a hard-to-find pound and a half to eight pounds or more). Sea turtles cohabitate with lobsters here. I asked whether the lobsters dine on the turtles. "No," I was told, "but sometimes if a turtle gets hungry enough, it eats a lobster." Which explains why both sea creatures are fed frequently here. 
	Turtles are raised here for pure enjoyment, and are ultimately released to the ocean. Turtle Pier offers a large selection of fresh seafood, steaks, duck, or chicken. On a couple of occasions we were stuffed just by the appetizers: coconut shrimp is several large, beer-battered shrimp, rolled in shredded coconut, fried and served with glazed pineapple rings...(also available in a dinner portion). Or try the conch (pronounced "conk") fritters, served hot with a cold saffron dip. Our favorite dinner: Caribbean Blaff, snapper poached in a broth seasoned with bois d'Inde, Caribbean herbs and spices, and served over sliced Christophene (a squash), dasheen and plantains, and any of their Caribbean lobster dishes -- Champagne, Creole, Thermidor, or any of several others. Turtle Pier is also open for lunch and breakfast. Owner, Sint Maarten native Albert Wathey II.
	One of the liveliest spots on the island is busy Cheri's Cafe in the Maho district, which reopened just after the Super Bowl. Serving fresh, delicious overstuffed sandwiches at lunch and dinner and a large menu of traditional dinner selections, Cheri's has nightly entertainment into the wee hours. If you just want to sit, slowly sip on a Pina Colada, and take in the many sights and sounds, nobody will hassle you here.
	Tucked deep in the alley between Casino Royale and Cheri's is one of the island's many Italian restaurants, Pizza & Pasta Trattoria, which is a kick. This smallish, unpretentious restaurant, which fills up early, is operated by Ilda Figarolo, who immediately challenged us as we sat down: "Do you know what a Trattoria is?" Before we could inhale to answer, she charged on, "A Trattoria is like eating in someone's home!  It is small, it is noisy, and you get a lot of food!" It wasn't actually all that noisy, except when Ilda got into an animated discussion with an employee in the kitchen, but the portions are huge, and be prepared for a disdainful look from Ilda if you don't finish. (We took home two doggie bags and yes, we got "the look.") We chose both Melanzane Parmigiani, Eggplant Parm (we opted for the vegetarian sauce), and Spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti with meatballs, which was so delightful it reminded me of "Carrie" Fargnoli, a friend of my parents who, when I was a kid, made her own pasta (long before it was chic) and the most delicious meatballs.... The salads, soups, and of course the thin-crust pizza are all top-notch.
	Not far away is Laguna, another Italian restaurant with a casual elegance and food quality few others match. All we'll say here is that you've got o try it on your next-to-last night on the island. Everything (and we have tried practically everything) is done perfectly.
	Another outstanding Italian restaurant is Tutta Pasta, operated by Angela Fair, her husband/opera soloist Aldo (whose classical Neapolitan songs and arias you'll hear playing softly in the background), and Walter Warren of Sint Maarten. Tutta Pasta offers an incomparably rich collection of old (and occasionally new) family recipes, many of them generations old. One of the oldest is Spaghetti alla Mamma, with delicately thin slices of zucchini fried in olive oil served over spaghetti, locatelli cheese, and garnished with mint leaves. We tried the baked farfalle with salmon, bowtie pasta with pink salmon in a "gentle" cream sauce seasoned with dill. We also tried the Spaghetti alla Sandra, which had fresh, tender mushrooms sautéed in imported olive oil with garlic and parsley in tomato sauce. All of the pasta -- nearly three dozen menu offerings -- is imported from Italy. This smallish, romantic restaurant offers great ambiance, a fine view of Simpson Bay, and fine, authentic Italian food with generous portions. 
	Probably the island's biggest, noisiest Italian restaurant is Sambuca, started about 18 months ago by American Steve Cross. Reopened immediately after Luis departed, Sambuca served upwards of 600 dinners a day to Dutch marines and to islanders who said the place was "jumpin'" right after the storm. Sambuca, with its traditional red and white checked tablecloths, has quickly become a favorite here, serving many local people from all over the island as well as many tourists. Sambuca offers a great variety of traditional Italian fare at back-home prices.
	If you can stand the bumpy, out-of-the-way ride to get there, Captain Oliver's restaurant at Oyster Pond is not to be missed. Dine at water's edge just feet away from luxurious sailboats and yachts, and enjoy the romantic ambiance day or night. You'll find a wide selection of fine French cuisine here. (Reservations are a must, especially for choice seating near the water.)
	Another of our favorite places is Chesterfield's, at Bobby's Marina in the northern part of Phillipsburg. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Chesterfield's offers reasonable prices along with a panoramic view of the entire Phillipsburg waterfront. You can make reservations next door for a day-sail to nearby St. Barth's. Come at night to enjoy the lively bar and great food, with an abundance of locally caught seafood. The grilled tuna is superb.
	For a change of pace, check out Ric's Place on the waterfront in downtown Phillipsburg. An American sports by run by Texans Kathy and Ric, Ric's serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all inexpensive, delicious, and filling. Check out the walls and ceiling, where you'll find banners and other mementos from scores of college and professional sports teams, while you sit and watch sports on their big satellite TVs. Or sit by the water at check out the arriving cruise ships. (Come Super Bowl Sunday, this is the busiest place on the island.)
	For a wilder change of pace, check out Surf Club South just east of the Grand Case airport on the French side of the island. Formerly located under a mammoth tree on the beach in Grand Case, Surf Club South was forced to move when Luis literally blew the bar away. This is probably the only place on the island where you can buy real American coffee (usually Maxwell House), think waffles with a choice of several thick syrups, stupendous onion rings, old-fashioned juicy hamburgers, and anything you want to drink from their bar, which at its former location was named one of the ten best in the world by Newsweek International. Hot? Jump in their pool, right next to the bar. And don't worry about the two big, bright-yellow outhouses right in the dining room -- they're just for decoration. 
	This place is heralded by big flags for Heineken and Finlandia, and by oddly familiar metal signs for both the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway (complete with mile marker). Andy, the affable gray-ponytailed owner/creator of this icon, takes the fate of his original establishment -- and most everything else -- in good humor, but he's dead serious about that back-home-in-the-summertime food. It is delicious.
	The gastronomic heart of St. Maarten./St. Martin for years has been Grand Case, on the French side at the northeast coast. Grand Case is home to many world-renowned restaurants where the view of Grand Case Beach is picture-perfect, and is easily matched by the best dining on the island. 
	For lobster try Le Fish Pot, an island favorite for many years. Le Tastevin continues to be as popular and busy as ever.
	Everyone is entitled to a favorite restaurant on their favorite island, and ours is L'Alabama. Co-owners Karin and Pascal have created a menu of true delights that alone are worth a return visit. The specials will draw you here again and again. 
	Start with a Caesar Salad for one, the best in the world in this writer's opinion (and easily big enough for two, though you'll want it all for yourself). Whether you prefer seafood or beef, or if you prefer a vegetarian selection, Karin and Pascal will know how to please you: this is one restaurant where you just can't miss. Reservations are essential, particularly on weekends.

	If you discounted St. Maarten/St. Martin last winter because of Hurricane Luis, discount it no more. The beaches are gorgeous, the shops are open and ready to welcome you (with very reasonable prices), the weather is as warm and sunny as you want, and the food is out of this world.
	Dessert? Did you say you're ready? There are dozens of fine bakeries here, but the one that catches us every time is the Casino Royale Bakery next to Cheri's Cafe. Your cardiologist may not like it, but the Coconut Cake is absolutely beyond description. Our advice: skip dinner altogether one night and head here. There's Key Lime Pie, Apple Tart, Chocolate-Chocolate cake, and lots more to savor before you walk a few feet away to watch that warm tropical moon shimmer over the warm Caribbean sea....

Jeff Berger  is a freelance writer who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts
JMB COMMUNICATIONS, P. O. Box 1812, Plymouth, MA 02362-1812[JMB1]
(just under 3000 words)			  
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