There are lots of kewl things to do here, and Faith hit alot of them. Personally, I don't share her love of Kontiki. I haven't eaten there, but one look at the menu was enough for me. I wasn't about to pay 16 Euros ($19) for a cheeseburger and fries. We went down the road to another one (Bikini Beach Bar, maybe?) and still ended up paying 12 Euros for a half-raw hamburger that I didn't eat. Of the four of us there, no one was impressed with the food, prolly half was deemed inedible, and the bill was still around $90. Oh well, diff'rent strokes.

Sunset is great. As for the snorkeling trip, I think Faith is prolly talking about Aqua Mania Adventures, in Pelican Key. They have several catamarans which go to other islands. I personally went on the Lambada, which goes over to Anguilla and makes 2 snorkeling stops, then feeds you lunch at a nice little restaurant on the beach. It was $56 for students, and I think $70 for non-students. They have other trips, too, to Prickly Pear and St. Barth's, etc. It all depends on what day you want to go, but it's all you can drink on the boat - sodas, beer and rum punch, and they serve good Frech bread with gouda cheese all day long and also some fruit, too. It's a great day.

For food, dining out is great, even on the Dutch side. I don't go to the French side very much, probably due to their legendary hospitality, but on the Dutch side I would recommend Bananas in Simpson Bay next to the movie theater for sandwiches someday for lunch. Their steakwich is great, sliced strips of steak, gouda cheese and grilled mushrooms and onions served on a French baguette (sp?). The Cajun chicken sandwich is also great, and their burgers are big and very good as well. Peg Leg Pub is very good if you have plenty of time to wait (read between the lines), and of course, Ric's place has a great atmosphere, with Tex-Mex food (decent quality, but not like we're used to in the South), right on the lagoon with a nice breeze, big screen TVs to catch sporting events, and a perfect view of all the great yachts. Sand Bar is also great, in Simpson Bay Yacht Club. The Boathouse, across from Bananas and the movie theater is good, too, for seafood, but service times are usually only slightly better than Peg Leg Pub (Peg Leg has darts, too, if you're looking for some recreation). I hear Summit Hotel makes great ribs, but haven't ever been there (for ribs, we make our own, as delicious as any I have ever tried). Sugar Cane Cafe near the school is good for sandwiches as well, their burgers are good, too. Bamboo Bernies in the Caravansarai has great atmosphere and often music and such, too. If you make it over to Philipsburg, Front Street is a nice shopping place, and they recently completed a nice new boardwalk that is very relaxing. Dinner at the end of the boardwalk at The Greenhouse is recommended. Shopping for jewelry is all over on Front Street, but we have found the best prices and service to be at J&N Jewelers in Maho, where we (and our friends) have bought many items and had no problems. I don't personally recommend Riviera Jewelers in Maho, due to some bad reports. Cheri's Cafe in Maho is a neat experience, they have a nightly drag show (it's hysterical). The show is better than the food. Also at Maho, around 9-9:30PM, the dance troupe comes out of the casino and spends 15 minutes or more dancing in the streets and such, with elaborate, Carnival-style costumes, but in August, they may not still be doing it. It seems to be mainly during high season. For Italian food, I recommend (from vast experience) either Trattoria (better known as Pizza Pasta) in Maho, La Gondola in Atlantis Casino (near the school) or Laguna near the airport.

So there's my dissertation... can you tell I like food?

Casinos are around aplenty, and for $20 you can spend a long time playing conservatively at the slots. I like to go once in a blue moon and drop $10 or so on nickel slots. I know, I know, I'm a big spender. $5 hands of blackjack can keep you occupied a long time, too, if you're not greedy.

If you're into scuba (or want to be!) I would recommend the Discover Scuba course at Dive Safaris in Simpson Bay. They do a very good job, and I think it's about $60 per person. If you're already certified, you can also pick up on a dive with them or Dive Adventures out of Pelican Key and see what the water's like in Sint Maarten. The beaches and snorkeling are really awesome in Anguilla. Movies are all first-run at the theater.

So anyways, my fingers are cramping, and I'm sure you're medial and lateral rectus muscles are, as well, so I'll sign off now..... have fun!