July 15-23, 2016
Trip # 21
Single Non-Lifestyle Gal
This trip started a bit different than the others in that I got delivered to (& from) the airport by friends also going. The security staff sent me and my gal fren through the metal detector, while her hubby went through the body scanner. Lo and behold, the result screen showed a box over his ‘junk’. He didn’t have any piercings or other metal, so can only imagine why that was triggered! Then as an added surprise another couple joined us for our flights and more mischief.
We all arrived at MBJ and were sent through the new Kiosk line, which went really fast (~10 minutes). You get your picture taken by those machines, so we had a bunch of dopey looking expressions. The slip they give you is a substitute for getting a stamp on your passport. After clearing the Kiosk, luggage was arriving and quite a few other people were all clustered waiting for the shuttle to the zoo. Ended up that 2 of my frens and myself were put into a car (since the shuttle was full) and our driver was ‘Dr. Delicious’ (aka Alfonso). He was full of jokes and of course a car can maneuver faster and easily play road chicken as they do there. We passed the shuttle and arrived at the resort well ahead of the others.
When we arrived at the resort, it was fairly booked, so trying to get a room that had functioning A/C was a challenge. I have a known heat sensitivity and they only offered to have me sleep in the gym/common sleeping area. Not a good suggestion for a single gal there. Spent quite a bit of time in the lobby that day until they said to stay in the room overnight and then request a room change the next day when many peeps were leaving. Luckily later that night I was given a good (round) fan to put on the night stand by frens who had just gotten a new A/C installed and then a few couples I knew told me which rooms they were in, so I could request something that had at least medium A/C the next day. Thank you awesome peeps! By Saturday night, the A/C was working fairly well or at least enough to cut the humidity and it got better as the days went by. The resort had installed new units in most of the rooms through the H block section by the time I left and the chiller was maintaining the other side.
Another note related to the A/C, for the first time I actually brought Lysol and sprayed the vents and grille of the unit and (knock on someone’s wood) so far I haven’t gotten the deadly cough/respiratory crud I have gotten every trip. Guess I will be packing that again.
While I was trying to negotiate a different room or even a different resort, a lady mentioned that she couldn’t sleep because of the ‘birds’ outside her room at night. I found out later that she didn’t know about the tree frogs and thought they were birds. Thinking back, I thought they were a resort alarm on my 1st trip and wondered why they weren’t turning it off.
Have to give another shout out to other couples who gave me antacids on Sunday as there was a virus that hit several of us and mainly had the symptom of pretty severe acid reflux and nausea. I don’t ever get that here or there, so hadn’t thought to bring any meds. Meds helped and after about 24 hours I was back eating and having fun.
Overall, the resort has improved so that only issues were overly loud pool music/announcer volume and my continual request to put a light back over the room mirror. They have wipes and nicer towel dispensers in the bathroom, new upholstery & speakers in the piano bar and a black light over the bar in the disco (though now you can’t really see the bartender as well as you could before). Food was always good and drinks and towels plentiful. Room towels were always delivered later if they didn’t have enough when they cleaned the room.
This week has several groups in house, each adds a different vibe and various games and parties. I hung out with a mixture of all and my frens on staff (many were rotated to other areas and still made a point to say hi throughout the week).
Memorable Moments
• Being adopted by 2 new gal frens (who were sisters) as part of a new ‘Oreo’ bathroom trip cluster. Each time they went, they asked me and I became the white stuffing/middle person moving through the pool to and from. Though the last day it was a topless ‘Oreo’ as one gal had left – it was not the same.
• Being asked by one of my new gal frens hubby if he could touch my a-- and nicely saying ‘no’, right before a previous trip friend came up behind me who did so without asking. Then teasing that hubby all week – I am known to be a tease after all.
• Hearing about how Hedo Rick performed on the side of the pool for the Love Ebony Fest gals while they cheered him on before suddenly going silent when he yelled out ‘Rippin and a Tearin’. None of them knew his claim to fame from years back and it was fun educating my new lady friends about his ‘remix’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlU6M-BPISc
• Being brought over to the island by a friendly local who insisted that we ‘Sit and Spin’ and ‘Take it slowly from the back’ on each trip. Hmm…..seems like good advice to me. Hehe!
• After 21 trips, being offered side bed-efits from various staff (that I didn’t accept). One even asked if I wanted something ‘stiffer’ in addition to the red stripe. I had a hand fan, but somehow I don’t think that is what he meant.
• Being pulled into the main pool and then lifted up onto a petite lady friend’s back while she chanted ‘Lisa is my B----‘, after a long meeting with management (singles-friendly group soon come). Stress relief comes in many very fun packages.
• Having a bartender ask if I drank alcohol after she has only served me diet pepsi or juices for years. Gotta rehydrate sometime, so I tend not to drink daytime. On the last day I ordered a dirty banana just cuz she was serving it.
• Watching 2 gals ask the bartender (at night) if there were any gators in the water before preparing to go into the ocean – obviously not aware of the other critters. Then saying how I saved their lives after I stopped them from getting in and potentially having sea urchin spines in their feet. Stick to the pools at night peeps, I have seen a lot of jelly fish and other critters out at night off the docks.
• Witnessing an older gentleman sit fully clothed in a button down shirt, tie and pants throughout the week just close enough to enjoy whatever was going on. When I asked him what finally brought him ‘home’, he responded ‘to enjoy being around people like you’ – forever courteous and kind. Hats off Byron – hope you return next year.
• Trying to understand my new English friends on my last night there after they got themselves pretty tipsy (averaged about every 3rd word other than ‘my husband loves you’). As long as they weren’t ‘tripsy’ it was ‘Irie’.
• Having a guy stop me to thank me for telling him to relax last year and just have fun. Sometimes peeps need a bit of encouragement - glad to be of service (peanut gallery, support desk...).
• Meeting a guy who was there for a night and who had to have quite a bit of liquid encouragement (just to be on the main deck) as he witnessed Wednesday night’s theme outfits. As a newbie, he thought everyone was into leather and leashes.
• Getting to know new forever friends from near and far (Australia). Miss you all!
General Trip Pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/1095311...NTIptKUoaDv2wE
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