Sint Maarten, Caribbean

3 hours flight from Panama City to Sint Maarten on Copa Airlines. I don't expect much on being served nice food when on a non-Asian airlines....They would usually serve just chips and cookies. But well, i'm fine with that. Plantain chips are my favorites.

[Below] The flight route....flying above the Caribbean Sea.

Reached Sint Maarten around noon. As it was still too early to check-in, I hang around the airport and took my lunch before taking taxi to the 'lodging place'....

I don't know if the place I stayed could fit the definition of a 'hotel' coz it looks like some sort of motel nearby the airport. My boss randomly booked this place coz it is nearest to the airport as I have a morning flight to catch the next day.

My lodging place - BethsAida Conference Center & Boutique Hotel.....

such a long name!

But the place is nothing fancy like a boutique hotel, just a normal lodging place with ordinary room.

It looks just like your bedroom😂

with clean bathroom and basic amenities. USD250 per nite....not cheap!

The balcony facing the airport tarmac.

It was noisy during the daytime...due to the plane landing and departing. The airport close at 7pm and it was all quiet then.

[Below] The lodging place's communal area with tables/chairs. There is no desk in the room, hence this is the only available working space.

Not far from the airport, there is a roundabout with Sint Maarten flag.

[Below] Are you able to guess the meaning of this signboard?

Yes, it is a bus stop.

I hopped onto a bus to Maho Beach for an adventure😎

a dangerous adventure!

Maho Beach on a Thursday evening. Ah, these people no need work!

some sipping cocktails while enjoying the reggae beat by the Caribbean Sea😂

Life is such a bliss for these wealthy holiday-goers!

Nearby Maho Beach there are a few established hotels and restaurants. Nope, I did not dine there although my boss recommended me to visit. I need to go back before the skies turn dark...Looks like it is going to rain soon!

I love St Maarten!💕

and the clear blue sea.....

Walking back to the bus stop....I saw this signboard. I don't quite understand what has changed?

Could be some new road under construction....

But as a first timer seeing this signboard warning, it really got me alerted and be extra careful coz I don't know to what extent the traffic situation has changed😅

Chicken Sabroso @ Costa del Este

Sabroso means tasty in Spanish. So, when you see this name, you'll get the impression that the chicken here is tasty😂

That 'lured' me into trying this place. But why is the place so empty?

Am I too early or the food is not nice?

Anyway, it is a fast-food restaurant where you order and pay at the counter. They have roasted chicken, poke bowls, finger food and burritos too.

I ordered a Combo Completo which came with drinks.

It has white rice (arroz blanco), fried plaintain (tajadas), coleslaw and black beans (frijoles). It supposed to have 2-piece chicken, but I got an extra piece, making it 3! Yay, I'm a happy kid!

Chicken tastes so-so, but I like black beans with rice....hence I only come to this place to get my full meal with rice & beans.

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The office lobby. The hanging lamps are switched on when the skies turn dark.

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The apartment pool. I enjoyed hanging out here in the evening and had the view of ladies in bikini😉

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A place to hang out nearby the apartment - mostly restaurants/pubs, but there's also a kid's playground

TAF stands for 'TheVelopers Alternative Future'

But I usually go to the nearby mall (Town Center mall) for a cooler place to hang out.

Heart shape decorations for V-day.

yellow taxi....I have not ride on Panama taxi before...I usually took Uber.

Next to the Town Center mall, there is a 'Do it center' which is something similar to HomePro + Mr.DIY + ACE Hardware store combination but in a 3-storey building. It closes at 8pm, same as the mall next door.

Treasure Isle Hotel, British Virgin Islands

I arrived in BVI on Friday, 13 February, after a flight of less than an hour from Sint Maarten. A colleague from the BVI office picked me up from the airport. He is also a friend of Mr. Nice Guy (if you remember him from my previous posts). 

The airport is quite small and there isn't a proper arrival hall with benches for people to sit while waiting for arrivals.

Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport is located in Beef Island, about 40 minutes' drive from Road Town in Tortola island.

After some long and winding road across the hilly islands, I reached the capital of BVI around noon. It is a small town with population of a few thousands, mostly resides on the hills. It has shops, restaurants, banks, offices just like a typical neighbourhood town in KL.

Went straight to the office and then by 3pm, left to the hotel for check-in.

My colleague who picked me from the airport was kind enough to send me to the hotel.

The room is huge...with a king size bed that can fit 3 people.

Not any fancy modern hotel, just a typical one with basic amenities.

Shampoos, lotions and soaps replenished on daily basis.

Ah, it has hair dryer. Good! I can use this to dry my clothes.

This hotel has no laundry service, hence I gotta do my own laundry, washing and drying in the room. Well, the weather is hot over there, hence the clothes can dry quite fast, if not I'll use the hair dryer to blow dry them.

Coffee machine with coffee and teas provided on daily basis.

The swimming pool which I hardly see anyone swim. Next to it is the hotel cafeteria/restaurant.

Across the road, you can see the yachts and a Caribbean cruise ship docking. The cruise ship left after a few days and another one arrived.

There's a bus stop right outside the hotel. Yes, there’s a free shuttle available, but I haven’t taken it before. Just not interested to wait for one under the hot sun.

Mr. Chen

Who is Mr.Chen?

Apparently this Mr.Chen is a popular Chinese fast-food outlet in Panama.

The menu ranges from chow mein, chow fun, chop suey and fried rice as well as some beef and chicken dishes.

Click on the picture to view the menu.

The combos.

I wasn't keen on having combos, hence I ordered only the chow mein. Was given a sachet of tomato sauce and soy sauce to eat with the chow mein. Soy sauce is alright, but tomato sauce? Who eats chow mein with tomato sauce?

Quite a huge portion, but taste is just so-so. Can't expect much from a fast-food chain. Definitely no wok-hei, it is just some simple fried noodles with cabbages and char siew.

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Next to the stall is Chicken Factory, which is also quite a popular chain brand, specializes in grilled chicken steak with local sides like patacones, yuca (cassava), sancocho (soup)....

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Local cooling desserts....shaved ice with syrups, also known as raspado, similar to our ais kacang but without the nuts.

Another stall, but I'm not sure if he is selling malteadas or raspado coz malteadas is milkshake which is cream based, but this one has shaved ice.

Not far from these stalls, there is a dog park/playground. There is a small entry fee to get in.

The dog park.

[Below] A food cabin....for those who prefer to dine alfresco style. It is usually windy at night with sea breeze.

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During the day, weather was hot, it hardly rains and the trees barely survive....look at the drying leaves and the yellow grass.

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I prefer to stay at home in my comfy aircond room than roaming outside.