HURRICANE REPORT – HEDONISM III – 8 TO 19 SEPTEMBER 2004
5TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE JAMAICAN WATERSLIDE TEAM (JWST)
Submitted by Phil and Bill, Co-coordinators of the JWST.
The 5th annual meeting of the Jamaican Waterslide Team was a qualified great time for all who made the trip, despite the intervention of Hurricane Ivan. This report will attempt to tell the story of the event, but not of the specific activities of the JWST and it’s members. That chronicle will be written by our historian Kathy in her annual Journal.
We traveled to Jamaica on Wednesday, one day earlier than planned, in anticipation of the strike of Hurricane Ivan. Bill and Nancy had just come through Hurricane Frances at home and wanted to get into Jamaica before the flights began to be curtailed. Some of their friends thought they were crazy to do so, but it seemed like a great idea at the time. Phil and Bill discussed it on the phone and Phil said he was going to try and get there early too. Later, he thought he could not make it happen. All the time he was keeping a secret and actually beat everyone to Jamaica and greeted folks as they got off the bus. We all should have known. Of course Phil came from California and did not have a clue what a Hurricane was like, and wanted experience it first hand. Go figure!
Upon arrival at Montego Bay, we all cleared Customs and Immigration with no hassles. We had some concerns as most of us were carrying lots of gifts for staff people and lots of paraphenalia for the JWST party. We did notice quite a large number of people rushing to leave the country before the storm struck. We proceeded to the new SuperClubs lounge where we were greeted by friendly faces, cold drinks and a comfortable spot to sit while we waited for the bus. This is a huge improvement over the old lounge where you waited leaning up against a wall.
The bus trip was uneventful except that more of the road is finished, however there are still many spots where you just creep along. The roads were not very crowded because of the reported coming of Ivan.
Hedo III welcomed us with open arms with lots of hugs and kisses from the staff and then a welcoming committee of JWST folks who had already arrived. That was a real surprise, but nice to discover that we weren’t the only crazy people there. The staff also offered cold towels and chilled champagne while we waited to check in. The highlight of the arrival was to be greeted by none other than Jamaica Jim and his lovely bride Nina who were enjoying a few days at Hedo III. Jamaica Jim is one of the original, founding members of the Jamaican Waterslide Team and a great friend, so it was a thrill to see him there. Jim and Nina were headed out the next morning though, to escape the wrath of Ivan.
The first couple of days were spent renewing old friendships and starting to get ourselves into the Hedo mode. We were well aware that Hurricane Ivan was bearing down on us, and each passing hour made it look more sinister. Throughout Wednesday and Thursday the weather was perfect and we enjoyed the drinks and the nude pool, but on Friday about mid-day, things began to close in as the wind picked up and storm clouds began to drop rain. We spent most of the afternoon and evening in the Veranda lounge.
As the hurricane closed in, the resort began their preparations including clearing everything away that could possibly be blown around. All of the pool furniture was thrown into the pools and everything was removed. Kevin Levee, the General Manager took personal control and was everywhere throughout the storm. He held a meeting of all the guests in the piano bar and told us what his plans were, and how he planned to take care of us during the storm. From that point on, he gave us personal updates from the main stage of the Veranda Restaurant every couple of hours. As the winds increased, they moved everyone from the ocean front buildings into the Quad to give us a better chance of escaping any storm surge that might happen. He then boarded up the Pastafari Restaurant, removed many of the tables and placed mattresses on the floor. This was to be his “secure room” where he knew everyone would be safe. He asked all of us to be in the restaurant by 8:00 PM on Friday night. The storm then changed track and he allowed those who wished to return to their rooms, but still kept Pastafari open all night for those who wished to stay. Many of the staff and management actually moved into rooms on the resort so they would be there to help throughout the storm.
Power was lost almost immediately with the first heavy winds. Phone service and Internet access were also lost and did not return until Wednesday or Thursday. The resort had a back-up generator that provided for all of the electrical needs. Kevin indicated he had plenty of fuel and then got a re-supply almost immediately after the storm. He also had a good supply of potable water for everyone, and lots of food. As the storm passed he was forced to shut down the air conditioning in the rooms during the day to conserve the power for other needs. No one really cared as we spent our days outside in the pool anyway.
As the storm built up and wore on, Chef Mark and his crew fed us every meal, and all were up to Hedo III standards, despite the storm and shortage of kitchen staff. These folks did an outstanding job. Dining Room Manager David was there throughout the storm and long afterward, setting tables, clearing dishes and really looking after us. On Saturday morning the E/C’s actually took over waiter duties and served the breakfast meal. (Picture Spike walking around saying, “Coffee, Tea or Me???????”.) I walked into the Reception Hall around 6:00 AM on Saturday morning and found Kevin’s wife, his assistant Sophia, Michelle (PR Manager), and several others pushing squeegees and mops to get the excess water off the floor. Throughout the storm, the maintenance crew kept the excess water from flooding the public areas around Pastafari and the Main Bar, working non stop in the rain.
One of the highlights of Saturday’s activities was an impromptu Jam Session held by our fellow guests from the Blues Jam Week. Some of the musicians gathered in the piano bar to play because there was nothing else to do as the storm wound down and the debris was starting to get cleared. Many of us just sort of followed the music to listen in (and some actually joined in). The session was the absolute best we’ve ever heard of live Blues and featured about 6 or 7 musicians playing at any given time. It went so well that Bar Manager Renford sent a bartender up and opened the bar for us. The session lasted well over four hours and a good time was had by all.
We spent Sunday watching a great crew finish cleaning up the resort. Many of us offered to help, but they had a great handle on things. The debris which totally littered the grounds was quickly cleared and by Sunday Noon, the nude pool and bar were open for business. By Sunday evening the Disco was even open and those of us in the JWST held our annual “Wear Mesh and Glow” party.
The performance of this team went far beyond anything any of us would have expected. Managers and staff worked tirelessly hour after hour, keeping things running and keeping all of us informed about what was going on. To my knowledge, Kevin and most of his management team never slept for well over 24 hours and were everywhere throughout the storm, doing whatever needed to be done, regardless of their primary responsibilities.
We were unable to get any messages out, but one of the guests had a Satellite phone which he offered for use to anyone who wanted to use it. We quickly called one of our members and gave her a realistic and clear report on conditions, which she then relayed by Email to all of our members. This resulted in almost 40 people deciding to take the chance and join us as soon as flights were allowed in. Most arrived on Monday, and we held our Welcome Party in the Disco as we do each year. Food and Beverage Manager Gordon, made sure that the food and the presentation were as good as any we have ever had. This included a specially prepared ice sculpture of our mascot Seymore (and this only two days after a major hurricane). We also had several drawings for prizes we had planned to give away to our members and a few words from Kevin which brought a standing ovation for he and his people. Following the party we held our annual Team dinner the theme of which was “Sexy Little Red Dress” and all of the ladies came prepared and looked absolutely beautiful. We got a great photo of the team and one of the ladies as well.
By Tuesday everything was back to normal for us, and the party continued. The resort held a wonderful dinner on the Main Pool Deck to celebrate their 5th Anniversary, and although it wasn’t quite what they originally planned, it was a fabulous party for all of us. Because of the damage to Hedo II, a number of guests were shifted to Hedo III and new guests arriving for Hedo II were diverted to Hedo III as well. Front Desk Manager Paulette and her staff handled the unexpected influx well, and took care of everyone, despite the fact that her computer system had been down for days and everything was being managed manually. By the end of the week, the resort was at full capacity and running well.
All in all, the trip was a huge success for us. The Jamaican Waterslide Team will be eternally thankful to Kevin Levee and his outstanding staff for their kindness, their hospitality and for the care they took to make our vacation a huge success. As many of us have said many times it’s not the resort that makes Hedo III so special, it’s the people. From our experience, it’s our wonderful friends in the JWST (49 people made it in to join us) and the management and staff of Hedo III that make it happen. No one else could have done it better.
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