Trip #8: The Sneak Attack

**Kyttles** · 07-20-2009, 06:05 PM

July 12-18, 2009

{Names and certain activities not listed to cover the butts of the not so innocent

}

After my last trip in February 2009, emails from my loverly friends started arriving asking if I was going in July. I debated for a few weeks (mainly due to my low tolerance for heat) before booking the trip with the fluffernutters and deciding that, for the first time, I wasn’t going to tell anyone (about 20 people who I knew from past trips) that I was going. It was a real struggle since I was asked multiple times by several people throughout the months before I went.

I usually fly non-stop from Baltimore on Air Jamaica and the only difference this time was the departure/arrival times were about 1 ½ hours earlier. I arrived at Montego Bay around 9:15am and after a short wait in the Super Clubs lounge was on a shuttle with one other couple who were going to a different resort (no one else from HII or Grand Lido like other trips). The driver didn’t stop at the mid-way stop (Yeah!), so it was non-stop service ‘home’ as well.

Check-in was a breeze, a record breaking 5 minutes from resort arrival to my room in the ‘naughty corner’ (closest to Sandals). I still swear that they grouped us all together for a reason my Feb. Peeps! Once there, I dropped all of my stuff off and quickly went to the wild side to see who I could surprise first and was stopped along the way by both staff and friends. The rest of the day was over before I knew it even though I was literally awake for 24 hours before I went to bed.

The biggest issue for me during this trip was the heat (when not in the pool). There was very little rain (only did so briefly one day that I remember) and SPF 30 sunscreen was applied by friends several times a day. The piano bar and disco had some A/C flowing, but not enough to make much of a difference when filled with people. Luckily I ate dinner 3 of the 6 nights in Pastafari (Thanks to those peeps for including me in their reservations!), which had some A/C, because the main dining area and Munasan was very warm, even for local friends. Ziploc ice-bags and wearing head bands became the norm for nighttime.

Another norm was the gathering of the wild side pool crew starting about midnight and ending a few nights when the bar closed (5am) and the sky was getting ready for the dawn of a new day. One awesome peep brought an I-pod docking station down to the pool each night so we could dance, laugh and otherwise enjoy ourselves in the pool. One of many highlights was when a handsome chap carried & bounced me around the pool saying “you aren’t ‘Kyttles’, you are Kibbles n’ Bits, n’ Bits, n’ Bits.” And, yep, I have bits, n’ bits, n’ bits. Hehe! A quick shout-out goes to Carl, Ricardo and Nicardo who bartended for us those nights.

Being part of the fluffernutters group added many activities such as the PJ night prude pool deck party, a daytime beach party, body shot marathon, etc. Due to the heat and the large gathering of peeps in the wild side pool area, a couple of the lunch time spins were done there. One of many firsts was that Mega actually got into the pool (with his normal clothes on) and was going around serving rum punch shots. Given that everyone was usually in the pool daytime to avoid the heat and ‘making hours happy’, I think this was a great idea and I can see the Entertainment Coordinators (ECs) being part of the group in the pool on a regular basis when the crowd is there and it is so hot. I also think that the PJ night pool party was a great idea and should be part of any high occupancy week when the disco gets both crowded and very warm.

Other firsts included having Sophia from the front office stop down at the pool to talk to anyone who wanted to relay suggestions or concerns and eating at Munasan with Okuson who was really fun dinner company and very interested in knowing our thoughts about resort improvements.

The ECs this week included Winston, Brady, Rafael (started in April), Vixen, Mega, GiGi, Dean, and Sunshine. Due to 2-3 ECs (Michael, Omeca and ?) leaving fairly recently and the large group in house some ECs did not get their day off (1 a week) and Tavis Smith (Entertainment Manager) helped on Toga night.

It was also great to hear the musical styling of many truly talented guests, in addition to the Winston and Dion in the piano bar.

One of the things I have noticed and have come to appreciate about the peeps who frequent hedo is that most of them are not there to get drunk or drugged to an extreme – they are there to be socially happy. This time a few who were there may have been great if only they had moderated a bit better – thanks go out to those who helped protect me from the seemingly uncontrollable.

The good side is that for each idiot there are at least 40 who are amazing, each in their own way. This trip was no exception, I had awesome friends (new and ones from previous trips – both locals and guests), hubbies, fantasy peeps (handsome as ever) and this time even a hot ‘dad’ who wanted to make sure I could handle myself given the crowd and my own boundaries. Lucky for us that I am not interested in being with a couple as there would be a case of incest happening (6-inch rule aside)! Hehe!

For those who haven’t been, hedo is truly what you make it – it can be a place of making fantasies a reality (chocolate sauce anyone?) or a place of calm relaxation. Little things like dressing for the theme nights, bringing party props (anyone ‘up’ for another game of ring toss with glow in the dark bracelets?), and generally being happy add up to a positive experience that is truly good for the soul.

And, at the end of the trip, nothing is better than a hedo peep reunion at the airport’s Margaritaville!

I have already booked my flights for February – see my regular and irregular February peeps then!

Lisa
Aka: Kyttles and Kibbles ‘n Bits, n’ Bits, n’ Bits

p.s. A small thing I do now and appreciate is the exchanging of business sized cards with names, email and pictures on them – makes it easy for this blonde one to remember faces and names each time.

General Resort Comments/Concerns
A/C in disco, piano bar and even Pastafari could not keep up with the heat and number of people. The piano bar needs units installed in the TV section and the piano section to be really effective. The disco is always warm – the A/C units need more powerful fans in there.
Adding blower style fans on the edges of the dining area and/or lobby entrance area would help bring in air for the ceiling fans to distribute more evenly.
PJ party on the pool deck for high occupancy weeks, this would really allow people who don’t like the disco to enjoy the pool or just stay further in the main dining area and those who do enjoy the music to stay cooler.
Doing more of the wild side games (like find your mate, etc.) that used to happen years ago instead of just bocce ball, etc.
Designate and offer smoking/non-smoking rooms. I am not one who is easily impacted by smoke, but my room this year had a very strong smoke smell that didn’t disappear after many air freshener sprays.
Keep the fruit/bread section from breakfast open until closer to lunchtime. Many people have commented that it would be nice to have a light breakfast open when they don’t wake up or leave their rooms before 10:30am.