iPostcards from La Samanna, Saint Martin, French West Indies

After our hectic activity-filled 16-day trip to Central/Eastern Europe last October, I promised Bill that our next trip would be a chill/relax/beach-type vacation. Since I had never been to the Caribbean, it was not as easy for me to sell this destination to my high-end clients due to my lack of familiarity. With all the different islands to choose from, my pick was actually made pretty easy. A friend of mine who works as a top executive of one of the top luxury resorts in the region, gave me an offer I couldn't refuse: Stay in one of our premium beachfront suites, which normally go for $1300.00-$2300.00 a night, practically for free. So off with nothing but our swimsuits we went to La Samanna in Saint Martin!

"The island! The island!"

a rainbow welcomes us as we land

view from the breakfast nook

view from the main building

La Samanna's private beach

view from our digs

awww shuckks...sweet scribble from Bill
in front of our crib

heart on the sand

with my surrogate dog

" Sean of a beach" with his surrogate bitch

My iPostcard from La Samanna,
Saint Martin, French West Indies

in the infinity pool

ahhh...cocktail hour

Where is that nude beach?...

...ahh, it's just south of our resort!

Bill on the beach walking off to the sunset

iPostcards from Isle Pinel, French West Indies

Some of our fellow guests at La Samanna highly recommended that we drive up to the northwest side of the island, take a small motor boat, and have lunch at Pinel Island. It is also known as Isle Pinel, a tropical paradise off French Saint Martin.

But as soon as we finished exploring this small island, which only took less than half an hour, we couldn't wait for the next boat ride to take us back to the main island. The food and amenities were a bit overpriced, the beach was overcrowded with a Euro-trash crowd and was nothing great compared to our private beach back at La Samanna. So we were just there long enough for the next boat. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. At least I now know better than to highly recommend this stop.

My iPostcard from Isle Pinel, French West Indies

iPostcards from Marigot, Saint Martin, French West Indies

Marigot is the main town and capital

on the French side of the Caribbean island of

Saint Martin, French West Indies

My iPostcard at the end of our shopping/French dining treat

Paparazzo of the Caribbean

In L.A, celebrities & the paparazzi that indefatigably hound them are a pretty common sight. I feel bad for "some" celebrities whose privacy is constantly invaded by these detestable paparazzi. Well, during our vacation in Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, I constantly kept bumping into American actor, Jason Biggs of "American Pie" fame, who also happened to be a guest at our hotel, La Samanna. Somehow, I found myself falling into the trap of the sordid world of paparazzi, and participated in the shameful act of playing paparazzo.

lounging at the La Samanna swimming pool.

Well, he obviously no longer needs an "American Pie". LOL

zooming in on the lovebirds all goo-goo eyes on each other

walking on Front Street in Philipsburg,

Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles

I was in the middle of filming my iPostcard for my travelblog,

when Jason and his unidentified girlfriend

walked to my left

and inadvertently distracted me. LOL