# Caribbean Vacations Forums > St. Maarten/St. Martin Travel Forum >  >  Not All Bad

## Rosemary

Excluding, murder, violence, poverty, filth, corruption...St. Maarten's not so bad.  We stayed two days at the Royal Palm, just beside the bridge in Simpson Bay.  Nobody, but nobody, had anything to say about the murders, other than a cryptic "We have some problems."  
     We haven't been to visit in a while.  In the past, our youngest daughter worked quite a bit with a Rastafarian varnisher.  They cried long tears together the last time we left.  Now we were back walking the docks, looking at boats.  In the distance, we heard feet pounding on concrete, shouts of "My sister!  My sister!"  We turned, and there he was.  Bongo the varnisher, running for all he's worth, braids flying in the breeze, badger brush in hand.  Our daughter ran to him and they hugged and laughed and cried.   
     We sat in the shade and drank Ting and talked until Bongo frowned.  He noticed one of us had been ill.  "I can't stand it," he said, and became quiet.  Then he brightened.  "Tea," he said. " You need tea.  Wait here."  We waited and drank our Ting.  He came back with a bag. "Boil her up and drink her. You'll feel better!  Drink this."  "What is it?" we asked.  Bongo beamed.  "Bush! Tender, tiny baby marijuana leaves."  The bag was overflowing.  His feelings weren't hurt at all when we gave him back his gift.  Then Randy West came by.  That's another story.

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## amyb

Rosemary you have painted a wonderful vignette! I see this all unfolding clear as day and I am so enjoying your tale.

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## JEK

You are full of sweet stories and beautiful reporting today.

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## Rosemary

Thank you both.  We had such a nice trip.

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## MIke R

keep em coming

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## Peter NJ

Im going to need a roadmap to follow..Where will your next report be posted?? Anguilla???

I would have accepted the tiny bag of herb tea. :)

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## Rosemary

I am happy to say we moved around-Anguilla and precious Sandy Island are coming. We are not done yet!   The herb tea would have lasted until Christmas.

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## Peter NJ



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## Peter NJ

I would be fibbing if I told you I havent spent many days on SI with my own personal bag of herb tea   :Wink:  

In my younger days..

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## Rosemary

Peter-SUCH a beautiful place.

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## CREGGERS

so how'd you recognize him ?  :laugh: 





> Excluding, murder, violence, poverty, filth, corruption...St. Maarten's not so bad.  We stayed two days at the Royal Palm, just beside the bridge in Simpson Bay.  Nobody, but nobody, had anything to say about the murders, other than a cryptic "We have some problems."  
>      We haven't been to visit in a while.  In the past, our youngest daughter worked quite a bit with a Rastafarian varnisher.  They cried long tears together the last time we left.  Now we were back walking the docks, looking at boats.  In the distance, we heard feet pounding on concrete, shouts of "My sister!  My sister!"  We turned, and there he was.  Bongo the varnisher, running for all he's worth, braids flying in the breeze, badger brush in hand.  Our daughter ran to him and they hugged and laughed and cried.   
>      We sat in the shade and drank Ting and talked until Bongo frowned.  He noticed one of us had been ill.  "I can't stand it," he said, and became quiet.  Then he brightened.  "Tea," he said. " You need tea.  Wait here."  We waited and drank our Ting.  He came back with a bag. "Boil her up and drink her. You'll feel better!  Drink this."  "What is it?" we asked.  Bongo beamed.  "Bush! Tender, tiny baby marijuana leaves."  The bag was overflowing.  His feelings weren't hurt at all when we gave him back his gift.  Then Randy West came by.  That's another story.

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## Rosemary

You can't miss him.  Breaking news-two more murders at Sandy Ground in Marigot.  One being an apparently accidental shooting of one guy by his buddy as their gang was murdering the other poor guy.  Awful.

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## andynap

I was always wary going thru Sandy Ground especially around the supermarket

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## amyb

Wait-isn't Sandy Ground where the bridge, the old one way bridge, is located?

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## andynap

Yes but it's been enlarged for a long while

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## amyb

My first thought was crime in Sandy Ground ANGUILLA. Then it clicked-the new two way bridge then. The bridge by  Mario's Bistro.

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## andynap

Marios on the water- feed the fish

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## amyb

Mario was a great Chef while he was at at RAINBOW in Grand case. When he opened the Bistro he became the island's award winning chef. He is very good.

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## andynap

I don't think he is there anymore- his wife ran the front. I stand corrected = it's the other way around- she's gone he is still there

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## amyb

She was/is a tough lady to deal with. They have separated before so this news does not surprise me. It is hard to run a restaurant and have a family life-tough career path.

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## andynap

They did play great jazz on the CDs-

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## amyb

Duck was the signature dish. Did Phyllis enjoy the roasted garlic ?

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## andynap

The last time we were there I had duck pad thai- the best meal- it moved me to make pad thai at home- shrimp tho not duck-

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## Rosemary

Is this the restaurant over the water just outside the bridge?

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## andynap

Yes-

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## Theresa

Mario's is simply wonderful.

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## amyb

Agree with that, Theresa. I was never disappointed with anything I have eaten at Mario's Bistro on St martin. Sometimes, the heat in the dining room was close to unbearable-my one complaint.

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