Post your memorable St. MAARTEN PICS HERE!

[Aplmac]

I agree, keep them coming!

Hope you guys realize Mr. Taylor's not gonna be pleased

with all your enthusiasm for big pics...:cool:

 

OK, here's where you enter the St.Maarten Water Taxi facility near the base of the pier

 

 

to take you across the big bay to Philipsburg for shopping.

 

 

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[Aplmac]

We went over to Marigot on the French side ...where Sint Maarten changes to St. Martin

to have lunch in a nice little restaurant overlooking a bit of the square near the waterfront

 

 

 

 

Called..L'Oizeau Rare I believe...which translates to 'The Strange Bird'

(not altogether sure of that spelling, so don't quote me OK?)

 

 

 

 

 

While waiting for lunch, which was very good incidentally ;)

my wife and I ordered a lemonade each, quite unaware as it turns out

that the French idea of a Lemonade is ...aahh...somewhat 'more severe on the taste-buds'

than what we're accustomed to in Barbados.

Let's just say zero sugar content?

 

It came to table as a short drink in a long glass, with a jug of cold water on the side

-that's when I knew it would be different!

 

OK that's cool...so you add your own dilution as you see fit!

 

 

We quickly asked for sugar -and added it- which helped a bit :cool:

but we won't do that one again! :D

 

Otherwise it was a great little place -and you certainly shouldn't avoid it!

 

 

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Edited May 3, 2009 by aplmac

[Aplmac]

.

 

 

 

 

- or did he go for the Rolex?

Front Street, Philipsburg!

 

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[DrmnOfMaui]

OK... what's a "guavaberry"? Something I need to try?? :)

Edited May 3, 2009 by DrmnOfMaui

[Aplmac]

OK... what's a "guavaberry"? Something I need to try?? :)

The Guavaberry product is some kinda alcoholic liqueur? that St.Maarten is famous for.

 

I'm seen previous reference to it on St.Maarten threads

if you care to do a Search for that word,

you'll find out much more about it that I know(not much!)

 

Judging from what I've heard ppl say about it

it's pretty darned good stuff. ;)

 

 

Here in Barbados we make Guava jam, G.jelly, Guava "cheese"

(not a cheese at all,more like a candied thing)

- all are delicious..

so if the SXM alcohol product is made from that same basic guava ingredient

it's going to be gooood.

 

 

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[DrmnOfMaui]

Oh!!! I found the site for the Guavaberry Emporium that you posted the pic of! I think this is a must visit on our shopping day. I've already picked out a Guavaberry Chipotle Hot Sauce, and I'm thinking I must try the liquor.:D What I couldn't find is if you can actually eat a guavaberry? Sounded like no, that it is only an ingredient used in other products, not like somthing in a fruit salad. I love to cook, and we frequently eat spicy foods, so the products looked fantastic! Looks like some of them are only available on the island.... sooooo, I'm thinking an extra bag might be in order!

 

My husband says again for me to stop reading this thread!!!:D

[rob51]

aplmac, Hey, people are free to express themselves. While they may not care for you're have posted your photo's along with your text message, thats ok, BUT ONLY FOR THEM! You see, there are other's out here who are more than willing for you to apparently take up a bit more bandwidth with your attached photo's. I for one am one of those who would like to see more of your photo's.....how's this for those who may not appreciate your photo attachments; who let the dogs out? whuf, whuf?!?!

 

Rob

[rob51]

aplmac, Hi again. Curious as to what Nikon DSLR you use to take such great, color accurate photo's?

 

Rob

[miss meow]

Aplmac...

 

We were on St. Maarten in March of 06.........and I don't recall seeing the water taxi - is it there at the pier where the ships dock? Something new since 2006?

 

Whatever the case, LOVE the pictures and we're going to be visiting there again next April via RCI Adventure of the Seas.........can't WAIT!!!! I love that island!:D

[Aplmac]

I don't recall seeing the water taxi

- is it there at the pier where the ships dock? ===> Close by: keep left, as U go..

Something new since 2006? ===> Could be? Can't say,honestly

 

Whatever the case, LOVE the pictures ===> Thank you..

and we're going to be visiting there again next April via RCI Adventure of the Seas.........can't WAIT!!!!

I love that island!:D ===> Certainly is a favourite for me and my wife,too

First time ever I visited SXM was May of 2007

so I'm in no position to say whether the water taxi facility has been there since 2006,sorry..

but I do know that family members in our May 07 group

did opt to take the water taxi from the pier over to Philipsburg.

We dumbed out and did the land-taxi instead -not as scenic, fer sure!

 

 

As you exit the Secure Area

(where you have to show your ship-card going back to the boat?)

and walk onto the wide-open area with the big red squares (visible on Google Earth!)

 

you need to keep left and you'll come across the entranceway to the water taxi facility

lookin like so..

 

Once you get thru this portal, you simply follow your nose!

 

$6 per person lets you go back and forth as much as you like, whole day if you want to!

That's hard to beat for ppl who might want to do multiple trips into the town

 

 

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[Aplmac]

Curious as to what Nikon DSLR you use to take such great, color accurate photo's?

Rob, it's not the camera, it's the "glass"..

 

 

Old photographic adage...

The lens is what 'sees' the picture.

The camera(body) is just the 'remembering' device.

 

And so, what you're wowing about is what my fancy lenses are 'seeing'.

The particularly vivid blues and turquoises are rendered by the Sigma 10-20 mmm. wide-angle zoom lens.

In fact I often use Photoshop to reduce the color saturation by 5-10% to make it more real.

 

 

The Nikon D60 can change lenses, a feature which makes you think of the camera-body and whatever lens

as two separate entities that just happen to work together

in whatever configuration you choose!

 

Most ppl with 'regular' cameras think of a camera as one solid object

(which point-and-shoot's are, huh?)

 

........................

 

 

I'll split up the package for you, below...

At left is the camera body-only with no lens

and at right...a lens unattached to any camera body.

 

Put the two together and you have yourself a fairly specialised optical device!:D

Hope this helps..?

 

.

Edited May 4, 2009 by aplmac

[Aplmac]

I found the site for the Guavaberry Emporium that you posted the pic of!

I think this is a must visit on our shopping day. ===> It's right there, on Front Street somewhere!

I've already picked out a Guavaberry Chipotle Hot Sauce, and I'm thinking I must try the liquor.:D

What I couldn't find is if you can actually eat a guavaberry? ===> I think you can,yes!

 

Looks like some of them are only available on the island....

sooooo, I'm thinking an extra bag might be in order! ===> Or multi trips on the water taxi?

 

My husband says again for me to stop reading this thread!!!:D

 

And I found the website of that L'Oizeau Rare restaurant over in Marigot on the French side.

http://www.marigotwaterfront.com/oizeaurare/

so go take a look.

 

 

 

..................................................................

 

 

But getting back to your guava thing...

as us island residents know it, the guava fruit

(grows on a tree with an exceptionally sturdy wood to it)

is vaguely like a large "berry" of sorts

-not how I'd describe it, but it sure sounds cute for their product-

it's about 2 ins. in diameter...see why it's no "berry"?

 

I'm willing to bet their 'Guava-berry' products use this sweet fruit as a base to start from

but can't be 100% sure

 

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Edited May 4, 2009 by aplmac

[Aplmac]

OK so you made it to the water taxi, across the Bay to Philipsburg

and now you've found your way to Front Street..

 

..where you discover it's a remarkably traffic-free day(above!)

 

 

As you walk up and down this l-o-n-g street of great deals

you discover little side-streets and courtyards!

 

 

This is the (somewhat pricey!) Belgian Chocolate Box.

 

They have very nice custom-made chocolates there

but at $5 for three of them, I balked.

 

When she saw I was losing interest fast

suddenly she found me their ordinary bar of Dark for $5.

 

Ah!

That's the kinda deal I was lookin for lady! Thanks.

Some of that bar even made it back home -how, I don't know! :D

 

 

 

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[DrmnOfMaui]

Aplmac... I just looked at this lens on Amazon... what do you think? (I have a Canon XSI)

 

Got pretty good reviews, but I've never used Sigma, don't know much about it. I love tack sharp photos and currently only have the kit lens(18-55 IS) and a 55-250 IS Zoom. I've never used or researched a wide angle either...

Happy Birthday to me???:D

Sigma Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

[Aplmac]

Aplmac... I just looked at this lens on Amazon... what do you think? (I have a Canon XSI)

 

Got pretty good reviews, but I've never used Sigma, don't know much about it.

I love tack sharp photos and currently only have the kit lens(18-55 IS) and a 55-250 IS Zoom.

I've never used or researched a wide angle either...

Happy Birthday to me???:D

Sigma Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Autofocus Lens for Canon

The Sigma brand of lens products is pretty darned good these days

and at about 60-70% of what the Real Brands cost

they're a decent deal.

 

I'm very pleased with my Sigma 10-20

despite minor problems with straight-line marine horizons,when set at the 10mm. extreme

but then there's some serious light-bending going on in there under those extreme optical circumstances

so I should expect that.

 

I've learned to live with that little niggle

and now it doesn't bother me so much as when I first bought it

thinking it would utterly equal a made-by-Nikon lens

(so it turned out to be 98% as good) :cool:

 

 

Sigma's OK. Buy their lenses without reservations.

They've been at it now for a good long time.

I wouldn't have bought a Sigma back in the 1980's ..Eeeuuwww...but this is 2009 now

and everyone's technology is waaay ahead!

 

..........................

 

 

Now to your proposed lens of focal length range 17-70mm.

Frankly, I don't see the point

given that you already have an 18-55 kit lens(probably very sharp as kit lenses can be?)

and a stronger tele.

 

No, I wouldn't buy it...because it would be duplication of what U already own!

The difference between 17mm. and 18mm. at the bottom end is nearly nada. Zilch.

 

If you can't afford the 10-20 like I have (around $500+ ?) :eek:

I'd simply stay with what you have...unless the Macro aspect of the 17-70 is a strong attraction

- if you're very much into close-ups of insects and flowers??

 

 

In other words, if you want to go wide...go wiiiide! -no fooling around.

Helpful?

 

.

[DrmnOfMaui]

Thanks! Actually, the macro is really appealing. My husband doesn't see why I need to take pictures of bees on flowers, but I just can't resist! I didn't actually realize that you are right, it does basically replace what I have. Will have to ponder this.... The reviews got me excited when they talked about the sharpness, my 18-55, while I'm very pleased with it, is not always the sharpest. I'm not sure if that is me or the lens though!:o I was doing so well with my pics, then I tried to learn more and went much more manual and for a few months I couldn't get a good shot! (Kind of like after I had a golf lesson...). I'm back on the upswing though, and I'm really happy with my pictures. I just can't seem to help wanting more.

 

OK... would you really not get it or did my husband call you and say to say that???;):D

[rob51]

aplmac.......thanks for your reply about your camera gear and especially about the 'lens' being the most important piece of equipment. I have a Panasonic FZ-18 super-zoom-

18x point and shoot with manual adjustments and a Canon XTi that came with a 18-55mm and a Sigma 18-200IS zoom. Have had the Canon about 2 1/2 years but never took it on any of my cruises. I think its way past time that I take it with me on my Glory cruise on May 23, 2009. Am sure I can get much better photo's with the Canon than the Panasonic, and the Panasonic has given me pretty good photo's.

 

Rob

[Aplmac]

Actually, the macro is really appealing. ===> In which case..

OK... would you really not get it

- or did my husband call you and say to say that???;):D

Yeah..he called but I told him to give you a break :D

 

 

OK...since you're crazy about Macro stuff, it sounds to me

like you should try to find a market for your kit lens

-sell it for whatever it'll get you-

and replace the kit lens with the (Macro-included)Sigma you want.

That's what I'd do, now you've revealed your rabid interest in bees on flowers!

 

Ask around a bit -you just might find someone who'll give you $100 (?) for the kit lens

especially if it's in nice condition, with a protective filter on the front already, with back and front lens caps...

 

Give it a shot.

Put it on eBay? -- Whatever you get for it

effectively reduces the cost of your new Sigma!

 

.

Edited May 4, 2009 by aplmac

[Aplmac]

Thanks for your reply about your camera gear

-and especially about the 'lens' being the most important piece of equipment.

'Nuther old pro photographer adage..

Spend your money on glass! ;)

 

 

 

- not on the latest bells & whistles camera body

unless you really neeed it's New,Improved Features :cool:

 

 

.

[rob51]

aplmac....Were you a pro photographer or just an awfully good amateur? Also, do you ever shoot in raw and if so, use Photoshop to work with it?

 

Rob

[Aplmac]

aplmac....Were you a pro photographer or just an awfully good amateur?

Also, do you ever shoot in raw and if so, use Photoshop to work with it?

Yes, I used to be a pro, some decades back.

Was enthusiastic understudy to a very good,technical guy here on the island

who studied the artform at college in London

a real perfectionist guy who exhaustively answered my every pestering question

back when I was 19 - 21 yrs. of age.

 

Spent hours in his darkroom doing Black & White

not to mention tanks and tanks of E4 Ektachrome processing (color slides)

-this.. back in the late 60s and early 70s!

 

I've either owned or fiddled with all sorts of unbelievable lenses

not normally available to average people

and have just bought the second full-frame fisheye in my life

- the first one was back in the early 80's, used on the old "film" Nikon F's I owned back then

(along with a Hasselblad SWC if you know what that is...)

 

The idea was to put a Nikon F with the 16 mm./f 2.8 fisheye in a housing

to do underwater work

but it turned out that the Nikonos with 15 mm./f 2.8 superwide was far handier

and so the 16mm fisheye did a lot of 'dry' stuff above sea level

..travel shots up and down the islands, instead

It never went Under.

 

 

...............................

 

 

RAW? God forbid! No. :eek:

Un-necessary.

 

 

 

Yes, I use Photoshop to tweak my .jpeg's in minor ways

that improve color contrast, sharpness, cropping(more important than ppl realize)

 

.

Edited May 5, 2009 by aplmac

[rob51]

aplmac, First, thanks for your input regarding shooting in RAW format. I have never done that and was just wondering. I know it is very time consuming working on RAW photo's in photoshop. Also, I have the newest version of Elements...Elements 7 and Premiere Elements 7 for shooting video. As I may have mentioned in an earlier entry, I may only bring my Canon XTI and a different point and shoot-Canon A720IS with me on my Glory cruise May 23, 2009. I will bring my camcorder as I like to have some moving pictures of my vacations. After I return will attempt to upload some of my better shots.

 

Rob:D

[MDSue]

Alpmac- I love your shots and always look forward to viewing them- keep them coming. I remember you mentioned that you had just purchased your lens while on your trip. I'm assuming it was in one of the St. Maarten port camera shops. I bought a nice inexpensive digital at the shop on the pier and got a great price. I was wondering if you know if the Nikon D90 was sold there. I'm going there next year and thinking about picking one up while there, but I'm a bit nervous about shelling out a large amount at a foriegn port.

p.s I have no idea how the thumbs down post ended up on my post- your pics get a thumbs up!

Edited May 6, 2009 by MDSue

[DrmnOfMaui]

Alpmac- I love your shots and always look forward to viewing them- keep them coming. I remember you mentioned that you had just purchased your lens while on your trip. I'm assuming it was in one of the St. Maarten port camera shops. I bought a nice inexpensive digital at the shop on the pier and got a great price. I was wondering if you know if the Nikon D90 was sold there. I'm going there next year and thinking about picking one up while there, but I'm a bit nervous about shelling out a large amount at a foriegn port.

p.s I have no idea how the thumbs down post ended up on my post- your pics get a thumbs up!

 

OOHHH!!! Purchased lens while on the trip?? Is there another store I must visit!!???!!!:D

[Aplmac]

OOHHH!!!

Purchased lens while on the trip?? ===> Ooooh yes! :)

Is there another store I must visit!!???!!!:D

The name is BOOLCHAND's

and they have a smaller store right at the base of the St.Maarten pier

as well as a larger camera store on Front Street in Philipsburg itself

(that's where I usually go, since it stands to have the larger stock)

..that's this street with all the pretty palms

 

..................................

 

 

There's also a Boolchand's at St.Thomas at the Havensight Mall

very close to where we docked during our Carnival Victory trip last Nov.

Somewhere here...

 

I got a 52 mm. polarising filter there. You might check them out too

 

 

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