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Friday, February 4, 2011

The "It used to be call the Pelican" Story

It was an ordinary day. Having trouble hearing the person sitting next to me by the pool. Seems that the airplanes taking off and landing are deafening. It's really noisy! Story starts a month or two ago when Carol found this condo timeshare rental in the Lancaster newspaper. We called and rented the unit which is located in Sint Maarten (SXM). Unit was in the Pelican Marina Resort which is located on the Dutch side of SXM, near the airport. We started to read about the condos and found out that they recently declared bankruptcy. One reason was so they could get rid of their staff and hire a new staff at a lower price. Not sure if bankruptcy is to be used for that reason. Anyway, when we arrived we noticed that they changed the name of the place to Simpson Bay Resort and Marina. It's a huge place and everywhere you look is a security officer.They bring them in by bus for their shifts. Reason for so many was because the disgruntled workers where showing up and keeping the renters from getting in the door. We talked to someone today that told us that all the timeshare owners were going to lose their ownership, but would be allowed to keep their weeks. Just couldn't sell the weeks to anyone, since they no longer would own them. I have no idea what that means, since I have no idea how a timeshare works. And, don't want to know. The place is VERY LARGE. Must have a couple hundred units. We like a vacation that isn't quite so busy and noisy. Don't get me wrong, the place is beautiful with a couple of pools, gym, restaurants, stores and a ton of activities for the people who rent and own. Great view of Simpson Bay with all the boats and the airport with all the landings and take-offs. That seems to be one of the biggest problems. If you sit by one of the pools or sit on your patio or porch, it gets tough to hear the person that is talking to you. Carol and I both agreed that it will be the last time at this location. We enjoy the French side of the island and the more subdued and quiet atmosphere. Vacation for us is all about relaxing. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

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