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| A few of the original "5 Stars of Orient" beach bars |
It was an ordinary day. Just got back from taking photos of the new Kontiki Beach Bar which is located close to the south end of World Famous Orient Beach in St. Martin, F.W.I. At one time Kontiki was one of the five beach bars on Orient Beach which were named the "5 Stars of Orient". They included Kontiki, Bikini, Kakao, LaPlaya and Coco Beach.
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| The beach as it appeared in 1980 before there were any beach bars. |
The beach bars gave a vibrant feeling to the most famous beach on the island with chair rentals, water sports and food choices the length of the beach. But that all ended September 6, 2017 when Hurricane Irma, with winds of 185 mph, stuck the island and totally destroyed all the beach bars as well as many of the hotels and villas along the beach and the nearby village.
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| After Hurricane Irma in 2017 |
As of today, only Bikini, Kakao and now Kontiki have been replaced. As I Googled the beach and the beach bars, I came upon an article in the Daily Herald's island edition telling about the five beach bars being rebuilt. The story had been posted on January 12, 2018, about a year and a half ago. The article estimated the cost of rebuilding the five beach bars at about three million euros.
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| Comparison before and after photograph. |
Each beach bar would have a central kitchen and bathroom facilities that would be concrete that could withstand another hurricane. I must admit, the three new beach bars that have been completed to date are very nice, but they will never replace, for my wife and myself, the old beach bars that had so much character and charisma. The t-shirts and hats that I have accumulated over the years from the "5 Stars of Orient" can never be replaced.
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| My old Bikini Beach shirt which is no longer available. |
Last year during our Spring visit to the island I stopped at the new Bikini Beach bar while wearing my old Bikini Beach t-shirt. One of the workers wanted to buy it from me when he saw it. I inquired about a new one from them and he told me they don't have them for sale. I'm sure that will happen soon, since there are many tourists such as myself who would buy them. Today I will give you an upclose look at the three beach bars that have been reopened. My early morning photo trips were made so I wouldn't offend anyone while taking the photographs. Perhaps if I'm able to return in the future, all of the "5 Stars of Orient" will be rebuilt and a new generation of beach-goers will have the same opportunity to partake of the many experiences offered by the beach bars. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
The New Kakao Beach Bar
The New Bikini Beach Bar
The New Kon Tiki Beach Bar
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