For every additional 100 FANS on Facebook we will give away our famous Citrus-C Pedicure.(1.15 hours of total indulgence to those tired tootsies) Share with all your family and friends. One of you could be the lucky winner! You andeveryone you know deserves a little “Indulgence!”

We started with 2072 fans when we launched thepromo. We will go to www.random.org and do a random drawing from 1-2172 for the FREE Citrus-CPedi. Any fan and/or person that likes our page willhave an opportunity to win for each additional 100fans thereafter until we reach 4000 fans!

Let the relaxation begin.Visit Indulgence by the Sea in Aruba and St. Maarten.

Mon. - Sun. 9am - 6pmThe Spa Located in Aruba and St. Maarten

Divi Aruba All Inclusive • 297-583-0083Tamarjin Aruba All Inclusive • 297-525-5291Divi Little Bay Beach Resort • 599-542-9024

Oyster Bay Beach Resort • 599-543-6163

As timeshare owners, my husband Phil andI have been coming to St. Maarten, and OysterBay, since 2000—the year we got married. Welove everything about the island: the people,the food, and the beautiful beaches.

We own a biweekly publication called TheJambalaya News in Lake Charles, Louisiana.We also publish a separate issue for our MardiGras season, which, as you know, is huge inLouisiana!

When we visited Oyster Bay this past May,we showed our publications to Ingrid Bosnie,the director of entertainment for the resort.She was thrilled with the Mardi Gras issue,and told us how the resort has a Mardi Grasparade.

Then, she asked us if we knew anythingabout pirates. Do we know anything about

pirates? We just happen to belong to a piratere-enactment group called The Buccaneers ofLake Charles! We all wear authentic costumes,carry guns and swords, and ride in parades onboat-shaped floats with names like the JeanLafitte and the La Boucan.

This gave Ingrid an idea. What if the Bucca-neers of Lake Charles could come to St.Maarten for a week in September duringOwner Appreciation Month?

So, it all fell into place. This will be Ingrid’sfifth annual Mardi Gras parade—her brain-child—with the blessing of Paolo LoCastro,the director of marketing and sales. This year,the theme is “Pirates of the World.” And, ifyou’re here from Sept. 18-25, you’ll get tomeet the scurvy band of pirates known asthe Buccaneers!

By Lauren de Albuquerque

It’s 6 a.m. and I’m sitting on our bal-cony with my coffee looking out overthe water. The sun is just about peekingover the hill to shed its morning light onthe pool. Workers are slowly starting toappear, making preparations to get theresort ready for another beautiful day. Apelican flies overhead and looks at meas if to say, “Welcome to St. Maarten!”

I take another sip of my coffee, leanback on my chair, and recall how wefound this wonderful place we now call“our second home.”

It was the spring of 1999. I was a tourguide currently guiding a groupthrough Switzerland. The snow wasdeep at the top of the Alps, but the sunwas so hot you could take your coat off.

I had a picture taken with the localSt. Bernard as he sat next to me andgave me kisses. The Matterhorn was inthe background, and the whole scenewas a winter wonderland. This is para-dise, I thought. I only wish I had some-one I loved to share it with.

At the end of the day, my 44 passen-gers and I took the train back down toour quaint little hotel. As I entered myroom, I saw a light flashing on my

phone. It was my boss back home inProvidence, Rhode Island. I was told Iwould be doing a tour starting in SanAntonio for a week, and then I wouldimmediately go on to Atlanta for an-other week. He could not give me timeoff to go to my sister’s graduation as Ihad asked for. What a way to get badnews—in the middle of a tour inSwitzerland. It was the end of my para-dise.

So I did the tour in San Antonio andwent on to Atlanta to meet my new tourgroup. As I was checking in the passen-gers for the week, I met a girl who wastraveling with her mother. Within a fewdays, I felt as if I’d known her all my life.

At the end of the week, she told hershocked mother, “I’m going to marry thetour guide.” One year and six days later,we were married in the White Moun-tains of New Hampshire.

Looking for adventure, we got readyto see where life would lead us!

One day, a friend told us about abeautiful island in the Caribbean calledSt. Maarten. He proceeded to tell usabout his timeshare and how he and hiswife went every year.

Off we went to check it out. On ourfirst trip, we bought a timeshare at Oys-ter Bay Beach Resort. We’ve been com-ing here for 10 years now, and everyvacation is wonderful. We’ve broughtfriends and family, and the memorieswe’ve made in St.Maarten will last for-ever. The hardest thing to get used to is“island time” but when you do—-you’vegot it! Total relaxation. Nothing mattersbut being here.

I take another sip of coffee and lookout over the water toward St. Bart’s. Wehave lots of memories there, too. I go in-side and peek in the bedroom, and seethat my wife is still asleep.

“You keep sleeping, sweetheart, untilyou’re ready to get up,” I whisper. “We’reon vacation!”

I look back out the windowat the waving palms, turquoiseocean and golden sunshine. Ismile and think, “Now, thisis paradise!”

By Phil de Albuquerque

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Monday: 5-30-7 p.m. — Welcome Party!It’s the night to meet and greet management

and other guests. There will be poolside entertain-ment by Mystic Roots Band, and complimentary hot snacks and aninternational bar. Infinity Restaurant will serve a barbecue dinner

with live entertainment for $21.95 per person

Tuesday: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. — Comedy and Talent NightTake part in an evening of fun and laughter in the courtyard!

Infinity will be serving pizza and pasta. Enjoy live music with Ady.

Wednesday: 7-10 p.m. — Pirate Night at Beau Beau’s Tonight is the crowning of the Madame and Captain of Oys-

ter Bay. Come dine with us and cheer for your contestants ofthe week. Enjoy “A Taste of the Caribbean” buffet for $20 perperson.

Thursday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Find the Treasure with Captain Blue Bubbles

All aboard for a trip to Tintamare Island on the catama-ran Blue Bubbles! The boat leaves from Oyster Bay Beach at

10 a.m.! Our trip is not your everyday tour; it’s a special excur-sion designed just for you. Use a treasure map and hunt for

valuable treasure hidden around the island – certificates for freedinners, trips, jewelry, and more! Fee is $60 per person and includespanini sandwiches, rum punch, beer, sodas, T-shirt, patch and bandana.

5:30 – 9 p.m. — The Magic of Mardi GrasTime for the Oyster Bay Parade! Come out to see guests and staff

dressed up in their Mardi Gras best! The line-up begins in front ofthe Shipwreck Shop. Complimentary tropical drinks.

Friday: 6 – 9 p.m. — Let the Good Times RollIt’s an evening of jazz, a taste of international dishes prepared by

the three chefs of Infinity, and entertainment by Franky and the Crew.The dinner is complimentary for members. Come dressed in white!

The week of September 18, the Buccaneers (20 pirates) ofLake Charles, Louisiana will join us with a special performanceat Beau Beau’s on Wednesday and the parade on Thursdayevening.

This year’s theme is the Magic of Oyster Bay,featuring Pirates of the World

Five weeks of fun at Oyster Bay Beach ResortAug. 27-Oct. 1, 2010

Piracy resulted from the groupsof Europeans, mostly English, Dutchand French, who were marooned orshipwrecked off the coast of His-paniola. They were called bucca-neers from the French “boucanier”(to smoke meat) on a “boucan“(wooden frame set over a fire). Bysetting up smoky fires and boucanswith the prepared meat of ma-rooned cattle, these castawayscould get a ship to draw near fortrading, at which time the bucca-neers could seize the ship. The buc-caneers were later chased off theisland by colonial powers and hadto seek a life at sea.

There, they created lucrative butillegitimate opportunities for com-

mon seamen to attack Europeanmerchant ships (especially Spanishfleets sailing from the Caribbean toEurope) and seize their valuablecargo, a practice that began in the16th century. Piracy was sometimesgiven “legal” status by colonial pow-ers, especially France under KingFrancis I in the hope of weakeningthe sea trade of their rivals. This“legal” form of piracy is known asprivateering. From 1520 to 1560,French privateers were alone intheir fight against the Crown ofSpain and the vast commerce of theSpanish Empire in the New World.They were later joined by Englishand Dutch privateers.

THE BUCCANEERS IN LAKECHARLES, LOUISIANA

Almost three centuries ago, a no-torious and ruthless pirate namedJean Lafitte and his band of bucca-neers were fleeing enemy ships andheading west to Galveston, Texas.Along the way, they stopped inLake Charles, Louisiana. Legend hasit that Lafitte and his men wouldhide out along the waterways, andthat Lafitte’s favorite hideout waswhat is now known as ContrabandBayou. They say that this is wherehe buried his treasure of silver andgold—and this is how ContrabandBayou got its name. The treasurehas never been found.

By Lauren de Albuquerque

Front: Brian Peloquin and Jimmy BastowBack (L-R) Dean Day, Jill Peloquin, Jackie Bastow, Ruth Peloquin, Bob Peloquin, Madame Lafitte Sherry Istre and Jean Lafitte Donnie Istre.

In 1957, a group of local businessmenformed Contraband Days, Inc. to develop apirate-themed event to utilize the LakeCharles area’s recreational and cultural ac-tivities and to attract tourists. A few yearslater, the group formed another organiza-tion called The Buccaneers of Lake Charles,and added entertainment by dressing in pi-rate attire. A “Jean Lafitte” would be se-lected every year to lead the Buccaneers tothe shores of the lake to “capture the mayorand take over the city.” Part of the groupwould also dress in “City Militia” attire, andwere armed with real cannons to try to pre-vent Lafitte and his pirates from landing.

The Buccaneers of Lake Charles havebeen going strong ever since. They’re theprimary part of the festival’s entertainment;they begin and end the festivities, and pro-mote Contraband Days year round. Morethan that, the Buccaneers are goodwill am-bassadors, representing Lake Charles at var-ious events across the state—and beyond.

Twenty Buccaneers will be storming Oys-ter Bay Sept. 18-25. We’re looking forwardto meeting all of you, and we’re going toshow you how to party, Louisiana-style! Soavast, me hearties, ‘tis time to party withthe pirates!

Pictured below: Madame Lafitte Sherry Istre and Jean Lafitte 2010 Donnie Istre.