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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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This season, the Sandpiper Reef Resort was relaunched and renovated under a new management company, Tropical Resorts & Vacations headed by Chris Collie, formally from Clubs International and Couples. The beachfront resort offers 22 spacious rooms and 2 suites. Each room has breathtaking ocean views, private balconies, air conditioning, mini bars, color television and direct dial telephones. A new beach bar and grill was also added to offer customers more choices. This intimate, private, relaxing resort is nestled in the upscale Crosbies Estate community, is only 10 minutes from the international airport and 10 minutes from the main shopping area, St. John's. As a service to it's guests, the resort provides complimentary transportation to the cedar Valley Golf Club only 10 minutes away. Mention the Caribbean Travel Roundup when booking and receive a 20% discount off the advertised room rate and complimentary breakfast.
News Tidbits from Anguilla UK Ministers Clash Over Passports for Anguilla. The Times of London reports that "two senior cabinet ministers are clashing over plans to grant full British passports and settlement rights to 150,000 residents of Britain's remaining dependent territories." The idea has been delayed and will only be mentioned as a "possibility" in next weeks meeting of the Dependent Territories Association on February 4th, according to this article in the Independent newspaper (link will fail after Feb 8th). The Rope at Little Bay is gone. So you can't climb down the cliff anymore. You can still get to Little Bay by swimming east along the shore from Crocus Bay, or hiring a boat to take you for $10. Computers Now Duty-Free for personal use, for small businesses and for educational purposes, according to Finance Minister Victor Banks. "There is a need for computer literacy with the way the world is heading." AHTA Now On-line. The AHTA is the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association. AHTA has offices in the same building as the Anguilla Tourism Board (ATB), across the street from St. Gerard's Catholic Church in The Valley. Mimi Gratton, the director, is proud to announce that they now have their own email, ahta@anguillanet.com instead of sharing with the ATB: atbtour@anguillanet.com -- Anguilla is online. National Bank of Anguilla has broken ground for the expansion to their building. Meads Bay P.A.D.I. Dive Resort has opened just behind La Sirena. This is a branch of Anguillian Divers in Island Harbour. The Youth Council has selected Bren Romney as their new president. You may remember Bren as the resource coordinator who put together the Road Primary School web site. Budget Travel: Try Sydans Anguilla is known for its luxury resorts and villas. I'm often asked if there are any more reasonably priced places to stay. Of course there are. There are numerous small inns and guest houses, mostly owned and operated by local Anguillian families, that offer a clean, comfortable lodgings. Sydans apartments on Sandy Ground is an example. The units are located on the salt pond, across from Johnnos restaurant and bar. Apartments feature full kitchen, private balcony, air conditioning, and they are located just across the street from the Sandy Ground beach. The picture here was taken from the porch of one of the 3 units that face the pond. If you stay in a local apartment or guest house, you get to meet lots of friendly local people, take part in local activities, and have an authentic, Caribbean the-way-it-used-to-be experience. For example, your hostess at Sydans, Ann Edwards, is also the vice- principal at the high school. Sandy Ground is the closest thing Anguilla has to a quaint tropical seaport. It has a long, protected sand beach without surf, with Mariners resort at one end and many restaurants to sample, plus the Dive Shop , and Johnnos and the Pumphouse for entertainment. Sandy Ground is where most holiday boat races start and end. Sydans rate is $75 per night, plus 8% tax and 10% service charge. Telephone: 264-497-3180. Other money-saving options in this issue of the Anguilla Local News: - Evanet Apartments. - Mala's Cottage for roti and local food. - Paradise Apt web page. - Newly reopened resort offers summer prices. In Memory of Princess Diana An African Tulip tree has been planted in The Valley as a memorial to Princess Diana. The tree was planted by the Anguilla Garden Centre and the Anguilla Beautification Club (the same people who planted the beautiful rows of ficus benjamina all along Queen Elizabeth Blvd). As you drive into The Valley, you will see the memorial tree on the right just before the post office. Large and Successful Agriculture Show Friday-Saturday, January 30-31st. If you went up Coronation Blvd toward the baseball field, you would have seen fields crowded with booths and exhibits, visitors and students, all for the Agriculture and Industrial Exhibit, 1998 . This joint effort of the Department of Agriculture and The National Farmers Association was a very appealing, well-organized, educational, entertaining and colourful fair. It seemed as if every possible domesticated animal in Anguilla was at the fair, as well as booths showing a huge variety of produce. The theme of this year's fair was "Farm Today or Starve Tomorrow." There were classes attending from many of the schools (I saw the entire 89- pupil roster of West End School), studying the exhibits, trying to figure out how to get a horse ride, identifying unusual fruits and vegetables, listening to the steel band, ... and generally having a good time. An Artistic Collaboration Showing at Savannah Gallery, in The Valley through February and March, is the large four by six foot painting, "Melee", by the artistic team of Lynne Bernbaum and Jo-Anne Hill Saunders . With the wealth of talented artists living and working in Anguilla these days, it's interesting to see something quite new - a collaborative effort! Lynne and Jo-Anne have even named their movement; "duoism". Inspiration for the style of painting "Melee" came from a book that both artists were enjoying titled "Australian Aboriginal Paintings" by Jennifer Isaacs. Photographs in that book depicted groups of artists laboring on a single painting. Inspired by these group efforts, Lynne and Jo-Anne finished "Melee" recently and anxiously await reactions, for duoism creates a style that looks like neither a typical Bernbaum or Saunders painting. The title, "Melee" refers to a Caribbean slang word for gossip, and more specifically to the confusion and chaos created by gossip. Other Art News: During February, Savannah Gallery will feature an exhibiton of recent paintings and pastels by Marjorie Morani , February 5 - 26. Phone 497-2263 Lynne Bernbaum's new paintings will be featured in an exhibition titled "Spectrum" along with recent sculpture by Courtney Devonish in his show called "Touch Forms" at the Devonish Art Gallery , February 7 - 28. Phone 497- 2949 Guest article by Frank Costin. Upcoming Events in Anguilla The Anguilla Local News has a Calendar for the year showing events, holidays, and activities. And February is a busy month in Anguilla. Bob Marley's Birthday is Friday, February 6th. Celebrate the life and work of Robert Nesta Marley O.M. with reggae music, food, drink, and dance. 10:00am until late at night. Across from the Ruthwill Auditorium in The Valley. Valentine's Day is an important social event in Anguilla. And the Rotary usually has a party and selects the winner of their Jeep raffle ($100 per ticket, but there aren't many tickets). Ask any business in The Valley. Sacred Dance Choir performs Sunday, February 15th at 5pm, St. Augustine's Anglican Church, East End village. Public invited. West Indian Garden Party at St. Gerard's Roman Catholic Church, Saturday February 21st. The best of West Indian dishes. Drinks on sale. The bar opens at 6:30pm, with dinner from 7:30pm until 9:00pm and dancing with music by Sprocka. Read all about the party last year . Tickets are US$20 ($25 at the door). Buy them at Vista Market, Anguilla Drug Store, or Alecia's Place. A Cultural Festival is also planned for February, but I have been unable to get a detailed schedule. Moonsplash is Bankie Banx annual 3-day beach party. Moonsplash 98 is scheduled for March 6-8, because Richie Havens will be performing at Koal Keel restaurant on March 5th. Listen to the Radio. Many local events are not announced until the last minute, and then only on Radio Anguilla, 1505 AM, 95.5 FM. Wallblake House Restoration Starts Work has started on the restoration of Anguilla's oldest and only surviving plantation house, which is in desperate need of repair. These are the first fruits of a determined fund-raising effort, including special events and selling t-shirts , by the Wallblake House Trust. Of course, they haven't raised enough money yet to do the entire job (est. $440,000), so they have started with the outbuildings. The complex was built in 1787 and is one of the few plantation houses where the entire complex , including the kitchen, stable, and worker's quarters still exist. The workers have removed the entire roof of one small structure, revealing the thick limestone walls and their angled tops with the slots into which the roof beams should slide. For more details on the project, consult the project's web page at wallblake.ai A Homebase for Exploring Anguilla Evanet Apartments, near Straw Hat Restaurant and with a spectacular view of St. Martin, is within a 1 minute ride (or a 3 minute walk) of the beach. The manager Evadney Richardson has available a 3- bedroom, 3-bath fully furnished house, and two 2-bedroom, 1-bath fully furnished apartments, for long-term and short-term rental. Amenities for the short-term visitors: Cable TV, maid service, villa phone, coffee maker, etc. She can also arrange car rental, baby sitting, private cook, island tours, tennis. Just send her your private requirements. Evadney Richardson, PO Box 739, The Forest, Anguilla, BWI, telephone: 264-497-2255. Mala's Cottage: Roti Hut Reborn What is that quaint old-fashioned building in George Hill that has been repainted yellow with pink and turquois shutters? It is Mala's Cottage , a new enterprise by Heather James to provide Indian-vegetarian local dishes in the Caribbean style. Heather used to run the Roti Hut across the street in a grounded food truck, but she now has a dining room, a kitchen with glass viewing window, and porch with a full bar. The menu is similar to the Roti Hut, but expanded. Each day the cook prepares main courses: Chicken, both boned and boneless, goat, Conch-seafood, and Biganee (vegetarian fish) and many vegetable dishes: Carnival rice, Curry potato, Curry Mango, and Steamed pumpkin. To place your order, you decide if you want a Roti-bake suitable for fast food/takeaway, or a more substantial meal plate. Roti bakes consist of one main course plus one vegetable in an Indian-style "tortilla". A meal plate consist of one entree plus two vegetables plus either rice or a side roti. Prices for Roti's are EC$10 to EC$14, full meals EC$15 or more, extra vegetables EC$1.50 each. If you stop by, be sure to try the Fresh Local Fruit juices, made from whatever is in season. Heather had made papaya juice the day we visited - it was fantastic! US$2 small and $3 large. Youth Arts Festival Competition Did you drop by the post office recently and see all the entries in Anguilla's Youth Art competition. The walls were covered with enjoyable artistic works, making our post office a bright and wonderful place to visit. The winners are: - Age 11 & under - 1st - Samalta Daniel (age 8) - 2nd - Ilka Harrigan (age 9) - 3rd - Carvel Fleming (age 6) - Runners Up - Macrena Hodge (age 10) and Darren Smith (age 11) - Age 12-17 - 1st - Jervayne Daniel (age 12) - 2nd - Teresa Harrigan (age 17) - 3rd - Bennecia Webster (age 15) - Runners Up - Corring Fleming (age 13) and Daryl Thompson (age 13) New Visitor Training Program Here is what you need to know for your first visit to Anguilla: Comfort : 80F day and night. Casual dress. No ties. No swimsuits in town. Airco not needed. Perils : Use sunscreen at the beach. Do not touch coral. Guard against mosquitos. Money : Bring US cash and travellers checks, plus your credit cards. No ATM machines. Phonet/Net: : Reliable but expensive. Consider Internet-by-the- minute. Driving : Stay to the left. Don't worry about horn beeps. Bring your license. Manners : Say "good morning" before stating your business. Wave to strangers. More Tips : Pets. Gratuities. Ferries. Marriage. Web Sites About Anguilla Rentalcars.ai is a new web site for High-Way Rent-a-Car in George Hill. Leslie Richardson, proprieter. You can select the type of vehicle you desire on-line, they place a reservation request from your web browser. And they have those cute "microbus" vans, but I don't think a 6'8" driver will fit. Paradise Apartments , the affordable friendly place on Rey Hill, now has a web site. Lot's of pictures, directions, and package deals and honeymoon specials. Chinchary.ai is the web site for Lucia Butler's new villa, which you can rent or buy: chinchary.ai Summer Starts Early at Mariners Mariners Resort is freshly refurbished and open for business again. Mariners is that collection of cute West Indian cottages at the west end of Sandy Ground beach. To celebrate the hotel's $2.2 million renovation and expansion. they are offering a "Summer Break" for guests: low summer rates in the winter high season. The 64-room waterfront property has rates as low as $99 a night. And their waterfront restaurant PawPaws is planning specials to jumpstart business again: Friday "Latin" night, Saturday "West Indian" night, Sunday Brunch, monthly fashion shows, and other events. "Ranger", otherwise known as Jerome Vanterpool, is the chef at PawPaws. His menu is reasonably priced, with entries from $16 to $24, including Jerk Chicken with spicy seasonings from Jamaica. Telephone: 264-497-2671. Email: mariners@anguilanet.com Report from a Radio Enthusiast Roger Fenn comes to Anguilla every year and part of his enjoyment is listening to the local radio stations! He has sent us an updated visitor's guide to radio on Anguilla. Radio Anguilla, at 1505 AM & 95.5 FM, is a "must" waking companion between 7 and 8 a.m., with complete local, regional, and world news, sports etc. Weather is usually about 7:40. PJD-2, St. Maarten at 1300 AM has a really good newscast from 6:45 AM to about 7:30, including a look at the local newspaper editorials. The weather on this one tends to err, since it is from the bureau in Curacao. Its sister station, PJD-3 at 102.7 FM has a similar newscast earlier and later to fit busy schedules. Fairly reliable sources for regional weather are GEM radio, St. Maarten at 107.9 FM at the top of most hours, weekdays. ZBVI, Tortola at 780 AM has WX on most half hours, WVWI, St Thomas at 1000 AM has CBS radio news followed by WX on most hours.We also found the following stations informative for regional news and weather : ZIZ Nevis at 550 AM, ABS Antigua at 620 AM, VON Nevis at 895 AM. Stations we heard from Montserrat last year are no longer there..... For entertainment, try any of the following FM stations. The other stations licensed to Anguilla: ZJF 105.5, which usually rebroadcasts JAMS-FM from St. Maarten, or "Heartbeat 107.5 FM", which plays hot Caribbean Music, but seems be on a "casual" schedule. My personal favorites for beach listening with a book were the following FM's: Marigot 88.9, Marigot 91.2, The Oasis (Philipsburg) 96.3, Radio St. Barth (Marigot) 100.7, JAMS-FM (Philipsburg) 101.5, PJD-3 (Philipsburg) 102.7, RFO (Marigot) 106.1 GEM Radio (Philipsburg) 107.9, which is part of the GEM radio network. For more about GEM, check their website: www.gemradio.com By the way, Caribbean Beacon is still on at 1610 AM but I never heard it at 690, where it had been in the past. I wonder why it dropped 690.
The following information is provided by Frank Barnako who owns
property which he'd like to rent. You can check it all out at:
For the most relaxing vacation of your life, stay at Over the
Rainbow Our management company has produced a new web site for
Beyond the Sea, a spectacularly sited 2-1/2 bedroom property.
Please take a look at:
http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/develop/carib/beyond/beyond.html.Golf
course proposed on St. John.
Feb 15, 1998 This edition of the Virgin Islands News was being written on island. It was our first visit in a year. The biggest difference between now and last year is the people. They're everywhere! Caneel Bay Resort is open and active. The St. John Westin has three restaurants, the biggest pool you'll ever see, para-sailing, jet ski rentals and very good Pina Coladas. And, the fleet is in. Really! A small Naval destroyer escort, or something like it, has been parked in the entrance of Cruz Bay for about three days. The streets are full of good looking guys, and a few gals too, and they are laughing and having a great time. Woody's Seafood Saloon, across the street from Chase Manhattan and Scotia Bank, is jammed, while on the second floor of the building, at the new Quiet Mon Pub, a live band is blaring. And just tonight, after dinner at the Fish Trap, we walked out on the Cruz Bay dock to look at the Naval ship - all decked out in lights - and ran into some friends from Washington, whom we haven't seen state side in 14 years! Parteee!! What's not changed is the warm weather, the long beaches, the crystal clear blue water and the laid back atmosphere. Y'all come down - and rent our houses :)! Now ... the news. ** Mini-golf course planned New York real estate appraiser Richard Singerle bought land on Dec. 4 and has announced plans to open a Caribbean-themed mini-golf course by the end of the year. Estimating it will cost a million dollars, he said the project will be built at the corner of Centerline Road and the road to Bethany Church, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported. Singerle said the 18-hole course will have structures explaining the islands' history. Including volcanoes and Water Island replicas, instead of the usual windmills found in such developments. ** America's Cup challenge is pursued The team which seeks to challenge for the America's Cup has posted a $250,000 performance bond. The designated skipper of Team Caribbean, Peter Holmberg, told the Daily News the bond is in escrow with the Cup Challenger Association. The Team is also preparing to compete in the Mini-America's Cup Regatta in Auckland in April. It is one of six challengers invited to race. Holmberg said he is on the lookout for corporate sponsors to held fund the tasks of designing the team boat and organize a sailing crew. ** St. John road repairs underway Although it is high season for tourists, the Water and Power Authority began this month repairing and replacing water lines on St. John. While the Daily News editorialized that the timing of this construction work was lousy, our first-person experience is that the work is being done at night and while roads are only temporarily patched afterwards, traffic is moving without much restriction during the daytime. Source: http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/
Trip 1/98 We just returned from our 9th trip to our favorite place. We purchased tickets from IHR and we were very happy with the price and the service. The weather was great never a drop of rain. We arrived on Jan 15th and left Jan 25th. We stayed at the Radisson and had a great junior suite. We spent most of our beach time at the Americana only because we have friends staying there and we're used to that area. The Americana will becoming an all incusive resort as of May 1st, new managment has taken over and is keeping the help on their toes. I personally don't like all inclusive because there is too many great places on the island to eat. We went to all our favorite restaurants tried Bistro 81 and Ventanas Del Mar and were very pleased with both. We were dissapointed at the Trattoria Faro Blanco this trip. The food was just OK and the service was not very good. We sat outside so maybe that was why. Also we waited almost 45 minutes for a cab out of there. I don't know if we will go back again. Chalet Suisse was excellent and I met Benny and he told me to send his love to all on the board especially the "pretty ladies". Elgaucho was great as usual and we even waited with 9:30 reservations, but it is really worth the wait. Everyone said Tango is as good as Elgaucho with the same owners but we didn't try it. We enjoyed our 10 days as usual just chilled out and went brain dead for the entire time. Our biggest decision was were to have dinner and what casino we would go to. We had a lot of fun in the casino coming out almost even.When we left we said we're not going to wait till next Jan to go back so hopefully we will get back real soon.
Trip 10/97 We traveled to the South Ocean Beach Resort in October last year during the Columbus Day Holiday. We arrived at the resort property which is divided into two distinct areas, a garden style/golf course section and a beachfront area. The main hotel is at the gardenview location. After check-in, we were ferried by golf cart from the main reception area to the beachfront rooms. It is a difficult ride with several suitcases. The rooms at the beach resort are Spanish-motif, verandah style rooms that all face the beach and the Caribbean Sea. All the rooms have air conditioning, a ceiling fan, four poster beds, tiled floors, exquisite bath with a whirlpool tub, wetbar and a balcony or patio. The rooms have French doors with screened shutters that open to reveal an oceanview balcony or a patio. Along with a private, security patrolled beach is a beachhouse converted to a bar and restaurant overlooking the beach and ocean, as well as the fresh water swimming pool. The hotel provides free use of snorkeling gear as well as kayaks, small sailboats and boogie boards. The South Ocean Dive Shop is adjacent to the property if you already know how to skindive or want to learn. They also have snorkeling trips but if you want to snorkle "au cheap", bring your own mask etc. The reefs near the beach, about 30 feet offshore, you can walk out from the shore's edge. We spent most of our time in the water at these reefs. We went through four of those disposable, waterproof cameras and got fantastic photos! Colorful fish, starfish, urchins, conch (animal still inside), stonefish, coral, seafans, hermit crabs etc. The reef fish love cookies brought out in a zip-lock bag. No sharks or barracuda but we did see a small school of cuttlefish. This resort is the pace to go to relax and unwind. Taxis to Nassau are expensive, $25 for two, one way! Private buses run to Nassau for about $10-12 per person. Scheduled buses cost about $7.50 with a pre-purchased ticket. Scooters/mopeds were not available. A rental car would be a good idea. The nearest town market is about 5 miles away and the bus doesn't stop there nor does it go to the Barcardi Rum Factory, a nice tour from what I've heard. Weather all week was in the low 90's, a little warm for October, only one short shower in the middle of the week.
Breezes Golf and Beach Resort at Runaway Bay Trip Report for 1/98 (a few personal pictures at http://www.mnsinc.com/flax/jamaica.html) Breezes once again changed their name. From "Jamaica Jamaica" to "Breezes Runaway Bay" to the newest incarnation, "Breezes Golf and Beach Resort at Runaway Bay", but it’s reputation as a quality and affordable All Inclusive stays as is. First off, the flight in to MoBay from BWI via Air Jamaica: We flew first class on AirJamaica from BWI. (For those of you flying out of Baltimore, Md, BWI has a first class check in line for AirJam, so it made checking in a snap) The $120 extra a ticket for first class was well worth it, and paid off in comfort numerous times. First off, AirJam stocks their fleet with several MD80 aircraft. These are small planes, and can be quite cramped in coach... it was even a bit cramped in first class. What lacked in space, was gained in treatment, though. AirJam’s attendants worked hard to keep us happy. Moments after we sat down, we were asked if we wanted any juice or a memosa (it was an 8am flight). I had two of those memosas before we even left the ground. <grin> Just after takeoff, we were asked what we wanted for breakfast (4 course). Can’t remember what it was I had, but I can tell you it was pretty yummy. <grin> The flight was smooth with very little turbulence, and the pilot would come on the PA from time to time to let us know what island we were flying over, etc... The only complaint I had was that there were some empty seats in First Class, and some people got bumped up. I would normally have no problem with this, except 4 of those people were small children, who didn’t like standing still for 5 minutes, not to mention the three and a half hour flight. They were noisy, kicked the seats in front of them (I was glad I wasn’t sitting there!) and when they discovered the trays in the arms of the seats, they got even nosier. Despite several complaints to the attendant for several people, nothing was done about it. Not even after one of the kids ripped the trim off her seat. We later learned that AirJam didn’t even normally allow children in first class at all. Ah, well... could have been worse. Arrival and the Ride to Breezes: We landed early in MoBay, which makes sense as we took off from BWI a little early! MoBay’s airport is a little old and dirty. You have to walk from the tarmac to the terminal, which was fine with me, since stepping off the plane in 88 degree weather, after getting on the plane in 40 degree weather was a good thing. <grin> The public restrooms in MoBay are to be avoided. If you fly first class, just before customs there is a AirJam first class lounge... make use of it. It’s very nice! More on that later... Customs was busy, but a joke. The officer never touched out passports, even though we put them under his nose. He took the "Importing goods" form we had to fill out and sign, and waived us on. Seems I bought a passport for nothing. We made our way to the SuperClubs desk where our luggage was piled into different piles depending on where you were heading... I was glad that the pile for Breezes Runaway was small. <grin> We were told it would be 20 minutes before the bus would leave, so we walked outside to check out the sites. We were greeted by an airport employee with "Welcome to Jamaica, mun! Come have a Jamaican beer!" as he whisked me over to a beer stand not far away. Halfway to the beer stand, he asks "Want some Jamaican smoke, mun?" I was a little shocked since this was an airport worker, but I guess anything for a buck. I passed, but thanked him anyway. They were out of Red Stripe at the beer stand, so I got a Ting instead. (Ting is a Jamaican made grapefruit drink sort of like Mountain Dew that’s gone a little flat. Quite good though...) My wife and I sat outside and drank for a few moments, and then got the call to go to the bus. Superclubs took the luggage to the bus for us, but then a skycap (who later asked for money from us all) placed the bags into the bus for us. The "Ride From Hell" wasn’t as bad as I heard it was. Our driver was very nice, and gentle on the gas pedal. We only had about 3 close calls with other cars on the road. <grin> He told us about the towns we drove through (which looked very poverty stricken, BTW), about the landmarks, and resorts and such as we passed them. It was a fairly comfortable Toyota commercial minivan, and there were another couple seated behind us and two single females in front of us... so not very packed in. About 20 minutes down the road, we ran into a police check stop. It was a little disheartening, I must say, to be pulled over by police with machine guns. The driver knew one of the officers, so they let us go without checking us out, but the driver said that it was common. The police stop cars and busses to check for drugs, and such. We stopped at the rest stop about a half hour from the resort (it’s just outside Discovery Bay) were I was once again offered some "Jamaican Smoke". The bus driver told me I kept getting those offers because I have a beard. Seems that the majority of Jamaicans who wear beards smoke dope, so they apply it to the tourists as well. BTW, the rest stop is a tourist trap. It has a gift shop and sodas and beer and such, but all overpriced. Check In and Rooms: Check in was also a breeze! We came in, announced who we were , were given a glass of champagne and a form to fill out. We turned in the form, and identified our luggage, and were immediately given a room. (I heard them telling the single people that their rooms weren’t ready and it would be a half hour wait, though) We had asked ahead of time to be on the "nude side", so we got room 3116... halfway down the row and on the ground floor. A bit of a drag, as it’s quite a long hallway to get to the room when you’ve been drinking. <grin> Nice room, though.... I could have done without the cheesy wooden palm trees above the bed, but, who cares... we were in Jamaica, after all! Bathroom was large with a big closet (with an ironing board inside, and the best iron we’ve ever seen!). I really only used the closet to hang up my wet suit and my other snorkeling equipment, but it could have easily fit the clothes from both our suitcases. (the safe was in there too, but once I locked my wallet in there, I rarely went in after it) The TV had a couple of US and Jamaican channels on it, and a TV Channel which gave times of activities at the resort. Don’t believe this channel, as just about everything it said was wrong! The times were off, peoples names were off (like the golf pro, some of the entertainment coordinators, etc) and they listed some activities which never seemed to happen. The Rest: The grounds were amazing, and there seemed to always be at least one or two workers trimming trees, raking the lawn, etc. There is a little jungle right smack in the middle of the courtyard which holds 4 hammocks and a large bird cage in the center (no bird in it, though) It gets very dark and romantic in there in the evening, in case you’ve ever had the fantasy to mess around with your significant other in a jungle setting. <grin> The pool looked very nice, and it’s large size could easily accommodate many people. We never used the pool, though, as the Caribbean was just to inviting. The buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, was the best I had ever seen. Many choices of all courses... I must have gained 10 pounds in my first two days! Great food, and plenty of it! They had the BEST bread pudding, BTW. We tried all sorts of "different" foods that they offered, such as goat, ox tail, conk, jerk pork and chicken, and octopus. The menu always changed, and they rarely had the same foods severed again on another day. Don’t bother looking at the menu they post, though, as half the time, that is wrong as well. We only ate once at the Italian restaurant they have. The food was good, and it was a nice change from the buffet, but I still missed the "all you could eat" and the pot parie of choices! There were several bars there, and all of them willing to make any drink you want (except champagne). The bartenders are friendly, and like to tease and joke with you. If you want a premium liquor, you have to ask for it though... otherwise they give you an off-brand, and it’s noticeable. The wildest bar seemed to be the one in the terrace area. The tenders there grabbed me on my first day and forced (yeah, right!) me and my wife to do a "welcome shot" with him. No clue what it was, but it tasted good, and felt good too. <grin> Most of the bartenders at that bar also offered to "give me a tour" of the north part of the island (for a price). They aren’t allowed to do this, but do it anyway... like I said, anything for a buck, I guess. We didn’t take any up on it, but we talked to a couple who did. They seemed to enjoy the experience, either way. The "all you can drink for free" thing got to me, that week. I am usually not a drinker, but I pretty much kept a constant buzz going the entire week with mixed drinks, wine at lunch and dinner, and beer. I was in Jamaica, after all, right? No worries! Speaking of vices, if you like cigars, the gift shop carries a small assortment of Cuban cigars. I had always heard how good they were, and wanted to try one (and being from the States, had never had the opportunity). I choose a "Romeo y Julieta" for about $16. This, I have to say, was the BEST cigar I have EVER had. I went back and got more. <grin> I was also soaking them in a shot of spiced rum, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Hell... even my wife was loving those rum soaked Cubans! I almost tried to smuggle some back with me, I liked them so much. Good thing I didn’t, as US customs went through my luggage when I got home. The Beaches: The "prude" beach was large and soft with densely packed sand, and was the most popular. I cant say much more about it, other than we cut across it several times to use the bathroom or to exchange towels at the towel changing station. It doesn’t have much swimming room, though, as the reef which is just about 100 feet off the beach is roped off from swimmers. The nude beach was small, but cozy. We spent 90% of our time there. It was popular, though, and most of the chairs would get taken up quickly. I meant to spend the majority of my time on the golf course, but loved the beach so much, I only got to play golf once! There is no warning signs on either side of the beach though, so you get quite a few people wandering into the area turning red when they realize what they have stumbled into. There is also the occasional gawker, but you’ll find that anywhere you go that’s not a totally nude resort. FDR, the resort next to Breezes, has children in it, and many times people would come walking by with their kids. I heard on more than one occasions one of the little ones exclaim as they walked by "Hey! Daddy! Those people don’t have any clothes on!!" in excitement.<grin> The nude side also doesn’t have a bathroom, which I hope they will eventually remedy. Also, the bar there is self serve. It has a soda machine (with one beer tap and the rest soda), ice, a couple of bottles of liquor and a couple of bottles of different juices. I would have preferred a bartender like they had at the "prude beach" bar. The nude hottub was nice, but very sandy... It held about 8 of us comfortably. 10 if we were good friends. <grin> Speaking of which, naturists are usually the friendliest people around, and this was still the case at Breezes. We made many friends out there on the nude beach and hot tub. (Hello to all our new friends from Canada, Wisconsin, Brazil, Germany, New York, England and Russia!) I read on another trip report in rec.nude that Breezes might not be the best place for a newcomer to the naturist lifestyle. I would not say the same thing. My experience there was very enjoyable, and I think it’d be fine and dandy for a newbie. I just wish I would have been able to walk back and forth to my room without anything on... would have made it all the better. It, at times, was also annoying to be bugged by the "shell boys" in the water. They are locals who wait in the water, and when you come out to swim (or sometimes they call to you on the beach) they pounce on you to buy shells (which they pretend they just found in the coral... even though they are polished shells, and it’s illegal to take anything from the reefs!), drugs, or "anything you want, mun!" Usually a "no" works fine, but every time you go out, they ask you again. <grin> Snorkeling: With a reef just 50 yards off the beach, it’s perfect for snorkeling. We went out twice a day, every day. Once in the morning, and then again after lunch. The best place to go in right off the nude beach, as that part of the reef isn’t roped off. We saw everything you can imagine out there! Eels, squid, octopi, rays and all sorts of colorful fish. Some of the fish are genuinely curious about the divers, and will follow you around. The sargent majors especially. I swam out to the reef one morning, and a school of about 50 of them swarmed around me checking me out. They would even come right up to my mask to look me in the eye! Talk about a weird feeling! (but way cool!) The amount and species of coral were varied as well... all sorts of neat looking stuff. Some very large brain coral as well. The water is clean, and once you are in the reef area, has wonderful visibility. We had rain and wind one day, which messed up the water for two days, but other than that, it was very clear and warm. I never had to wear my shorty, except for the morning after the storm (and then the water was really to cloudy to really see anyway) Activities: We didn’t do many of the activities, as we were usually busy worshiping the sun, or snorkeling. My wife did try the trapeze though, and had a blast. Some of the folks we met on the beach from Canada got quite good at it, and even performed in the "Guest Circus" they have every Thursday night after dinner. (BTW... the trapeze teacher, Dennis, and his girlfriend "JC" are very nice and very good instructors!) My wife went sailing with one of the instructors, and enjoyed that as well. (and got a couple of neat pictures from the boat) I didn’t go, as I was recovering from some motion sickness that hit me while snorkeling earlier that day. We also did their Bingo night (where my wife won a SuperClubs mug) and their Casino night (where I won big, but not big enough to win any prizes) Both were quite fun, and social. There was also a beach party, complete with team games (where the teams are ENCOURAGED to cheat by the staff!). My wife sprained her ankle in the conga line going down to the beach for the party, but played the games anyway! They also had a Reggae dance contest that night on the beach.. they picked a best male and best female dancer. They had to cut the evening short though, as a couple of the guys started to take it ALL off! And a safety tip... do NOT take the bicycle tour!! It’s VERY dangerous. We didn’t do it, because on our first day we met someone who had. It was described to us as this: "Some staff member riding a bike to fast, and very far ahead of you, on a small street with cars driving by you much to fast and only an inch away from you". That same bike tour, a car got a bit to close to one of the guests... she now has a broken leg. We were to tired to do the toga party and the pajama party (though I sleep nude, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to wear anyway!), though we heard no one showed up for either, and the staff was very disappointed. Some people we had met in the hot tub had been to Breezes many times before, though, and said that usually both of those parties were packed. Don’t know why it was so dead the week we were there. We also went to the lounge one evening and saw a local female singer do some reggae tunes. She was good, but still acted like a lounge singer. As someone who used to be a professional musician, I couldn’t take to much of it as I used to live it! There was also the Caribbean show on Wed evenings... this is a not to miss show if you have never seen the usual tourist shows before. Limbo dancers, fire eaters (this guy was WAY cool, and really got the energy going in the crowd!) traditional Jamaican dancers, a contortionist, and a parody "Jamaican Mamma". (one of the local dancers dressed up in traditional garb, but with large pillows in the chest and butt area!) She pulled people out of the audience to dance with her up on stage. Quite funny! Golf: One of the reasons I went to Breezes Runaway was to golf. As I mentioned above, I barely got 9 holes in (on my last full day there!) since I was so busy having a blast on the beach or snorkeling! The golf course is nice, and well kept, and the caddie was wonderful! The only bone I have to pick with them is they charge an arm and a leg. While the $58 green fees are free to Breezes’ guests, the mandatory clubs, cart and caddy were not. We had to buy balls as well. It cost us about $75 (plus the $10 tip to the caddy) just for 9 holes!! It’s a damn good thing my golfing plans had changed and I spent most of my time on the beach: Otherwise, I’d be broke right now! I didn’t check out their golf school or the driving range, but their putting green was very unkept. Trash and chunks of mud were all over it, making it impossible to use. The people I talked to who went to the golf classes said they were great, though! The Trip Back: The bus we took back was much larger. It held about 12 of us, plus our luggage. The ride back was MUCH worse then the ride there. This was the usual stuff you hear about: Drivers going 20 times as fast as they should, bumpy ride, and several close calls. At once point, we all thought we were gonna die, and a truck coming the other way came inches from sideswiping us. At least we were in air condition. <grin> At the airport, I again thanked the gods that I was flying first class! You see, AirJamaica schedules just about all their Saturday flights between the hours of 5pm and 6pm. This means you have a couple of thousand people getting in line to check in. The first class check in at MoBay at about 4 people in it, so we breezed right through! 10 minutes later, we were sitting in the first class lounge drinking more free beer, and eating free snacks. The lounge is wonderfully furnished, clean and well kept. A friendly bartender and one friendly waitress. I sat and watched a Jamaican soccer match against Brazil (Jamaica lost) while waiting for the plane. Finally we were called to board the plane, and right on time! I bed farewell to my Red Stripe, and headed off to the tarmac. In luck!! It’s an airbus! The seats are SO much more roomy, and I was comfy in a moment’s notice. They steward brought me a rum punch, and I waited for the plane to taxi. 20 minutes went by, and we still hadn’t budged. I looked out the window and saw the pilot leaving the plane... NOT a good sign when we are already 20 minutes late. Come to find out, some of the navigation gear had malfunctioned. We spent an hour or so in the plane (getting hotter of course, since the door was open) waiting for them to fix the problem. They couldn’t do it, so we had to go back to the terminal. (I figured, better delayed then dead because of a plane crash, right?) Again, I thanked the gods for the first class lounge, as we had to wait 3 hours for another plane. It turned out to be another little MD80, but beggars can’t be choosers. While the folks at Air Jamaica treated us very well for the fight back, and while we were waiting for the new plane to arrive, I do have some other bones to pick with them again. Before we left the plane, they had us all write down a name and phone number to contact someone in the states to let them know we were going to be late. They didn’t make my call until the new plane was actually taking off. (my ride at the airport had already been at the airport waiting for me at that point!) So if this happens to you... CALL HOME! Don’t trust AirJam with the task! Also, no one knew what was going on. When we left the plane to go back to the terminal, the AirJam people freaked out when they saw us all coming back in. They had no idea what had happened, even though we were told by the flight crew to go see them about what to do. Also, the flight delay was never relayed to anyone. Out flight showed that it was coming in on time on the BWI flight info screens, even after our landing time!! My ride called the Air Jamaica 1-800 number to check on the flight several times, and each time they told him we were on time... even though one time he called 10 minutes after the time we were supposed to land!! No communications in that airline at all, it seems. At least we made it home, though. <grin> Back at BWI, we were the first ones to grab our bags and head through customs. Even though we didn’t have anything to declare, our bags were searched, while they let everyone else go by. Maybe it was my beard. <grin> All in all, we had a wonderful time, and can’t wait to go back! The wife wants to head back to Breezes, while I would like to try Grand Ledo Braco or Negril... we’ll see who wins for our trip back next year. If she does, no sweat off my back! I could spend a week at Breezes Runaway again without any second thoughts!
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