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Travelogue Intermission: Tower Island

Posted on August 4, 2007 by under Travel.    

This intermission from the daily recaps was prompted by Tin’s inquiry about Tower Island. What is Tower Island exactly? Tower Island is a private au naturel beach at Couples Ocho Rios. Vacationers who want the au naturel experience are ferried by boat from the resort pier to the private island. Here is a picture of Tower Island taken from just outside the lobby..

Tower Island

The nice thing about the private island is that it is completely separate from the main beach so people who are bothered by that sort of thing don’t really have to deal with it. Unlike other resorts areas where there are several resorts on the same beach next to one another. You don’t run into the situation of an au naturel or clothing optional beach next to regular ones or worse, family resorts. In some cases I’ve read the only thing that separates the au naturel or clothing optional section from the regular beach is a sign. That can be really awkward. At Tower Island you only run into similar individuals so there is no awkwardness of running into children or non-nudists.

Au naturel or clothing optional: what’s the difference and which is better? Tower Island is au naturel. What this means is that everything comes off. You can’t keep your bottoms on. You can only do that at the pier which the resort has designated as the topless area. Generally, after hanging out for a few minutes if you’ve found a spot and still haven’t disrobed the bar tender will politely ask you to disrobe or leave. Brian said he saw this happen while we were there. I was too busy sleeping to pay attention. He said it took about 20 minutes before someone said something.

Clothing optional is exactly that. You can keep all or some of your clothes on or you can fully disrobe. Not having been to a clothing optional resort, I can base my opinion the experiences of others. General consensus is that au naturel is better because everyone is on equal footing. There isn’t the awkwardness of I’m clothed and you’re not, and vice versa. Bob and Mary, a couple we met at TI on our first day there, shared an experience they had at a clothing optional beach in St. Martin where clothed people and nudists intermingle. Basically, you can’t really be completely comfortable in a nude state because there are clothed people around you. Besides that, the people who were completely nude were made spectacles of and gawked at by the clothed people. The resort can’t really do much about its patrons’ behavior. People will be immature and childish. That’s just the way some people are. However, they can adopt an au naturel policy to keep the clothed gawkers away.

Why bother with the au naturel thing? Well, if you’ve ever been in any kind of tropical climate, you know that it is hot and humid. You just sweat, sweat, sweat. Clothes are restrictive. It is very liberating to sunbathe al fresco. The breeze from the ocean and the mist of the waves are very refreshing on your skin when you are au naturel.. And no tan lines! People probably won’t understand until they’ve actually experienced it for themselves. It is a wonderful feeling.

Besides, this we’ve read in several places that the Tower Island folks are lot friendlier than the folks on the main beach. Brian and I can vouch for this. We really didn’t think there would be much difference in people’s attitudes, but from our experience it is true. The Tower Island folks were more friendly and more mature than the other folks we met. Well, everyone was pretty friendly and cordial but the Tower Islanders were more so and seemed to be a closed knit group. We had dinners together and did activities together and acted more like friends rather than just strangers bumping into one another at different parts of the resort.

Eric and Amy, another couple we met, commented that maybe the difference in attitudes is because the islanders have no hang ups (or maybe fewer hang ups) than the folks on the main beach. That could be so. You have to have the maturity level to deal with being around other nudists. Immature people can’t deal with that.

Brian and I got our share of ribbing from people because of this misconception about about au naturel and swingers. There are swingers that go au naturel but not all au naturel folks are swingers. There are specific resorts for that, like Hedonism (just by the name, it pretty much indicates to you what their demographic target is) et al. Couples and Tower Island isn’t anything like that. Eric calls the people who frequent these other resorts for other purposes “lifestylers” and the atmosphere at Tower Island isn’t like that at all. While there might have been some (I didn’t exactly do a survey on how many people were swingers and how many weren’t), you couldn’t really tell because if they were they just kept it to themselves. It’s not overt like the Hedonism-type resorts.

If you wanted privacy, people just left you alone. No one forced anyone to talk to them. If you wanted to be social you could hop into the pool and chat and drink with other folks. If you wanted to be by yourself, there’s a more private section. You didn’t really have to be around other people unless you chose to be. While I appreciated all the wonderful people we met and we did our share of conversing, for the most part I just read my book or slept in my chair.

There was actually one afternoon that Brian and I fell asleep in the swing at the private side of the island. Everyone else was at the pool. We didn’t really realize we were all alone until Bob and Mary came back to get some stuff or maybe reapply some sunblock. We had a couple of towels hanging on the side of the swing to keep it from getting blown into the ocean but I guess it concealed us from view because when we awoke to Bob and Mary conversing next to the swing, we actually startled them. I guess everyone just forgot all about us and didn’t even realize we were there.

If you ask Brian, he will probably say that Tower Island was the highlight of our trip. On my list it would be the canopy tour first and then Tower Island a close second. I want to visit the other resorts in the Couples family but it will be really hard to pry Brian away from COR because really enjoyed his island time. He actually begged me for a full day on the island after the first afternoon we spent there.

Here are some of our favorite Tower Island slogans (not in any particular order):
* Tower Island – Where there are no real blondes!
* Tower Island – No Cares, No Worries, No Clothes
* Happiness is no tan lines!
* Butt in the sand, drink in the hand!
* It’s hard to be rude when you’re nude!
* Tower Island – Where the cool people hang out!
* No Shirt, No Shoes, No Pants, No Problems
* Tower Island – When you’re there, you’re bare!
* What goes on in Vegas, comes off on Tower Island!
* Nudists – The Other Red Meat
* Free Willy!

Most of these came from the Tower Island Slogans message board thread on the Couples web site. Brian and I found these amusing and funny so I thought I would share.

P.S. This is unrelated but I thought I would share that the zip-line canopy tour videos are available online. These aren’t actually my footage but these are the videos that the tour people included with our photo CD. Here’s a sample:

Another postscript… I know some of you have already browsed through our vacation photos on Flickr but I have been so impressed with the vacation photos of other guests that I have come across on the Couples message board so I thought I would share them. Enjoy!

Marc and Seija – We met them at Couples Ocho Rios (COR). They did a Couples Swept Away and Couples Ocho Rios (CSA/COR) split so they have many wonderful photos from both resorts.

Kent and Dawn – We met them during our stay at COR also. We left before they did, though. It looks like they got some private time on the island because they were able to take some really fun photos. Generally, taking photos/videos is not permitted for the comfort and privacy of the other guests but when you are there by yourselves and/or the other guests don’t mind then the staff really doesn’t care either. I wish Brian and I could have taken more photos on the island. Maybe next time!

Shari and James – They’ve got a very comprehensive collection of photos from visits to Couples Negril (CN), CSA, and COR.

Michael and Vicky – We met Michael and Vicky during our stay. We actually left the resort on the same day. Theirs was an earlier Delta flight but it was delayed so we ran into them at Sangster International Airport (MBJ) also. They are repeaters and this was their second visit to COR.

Randy – Randy has two sets Couples resort photos on Flickr: this one and this one.

Jim – Jim made a beautiful slideshow of their 2006 trip to CSA in his Kodak Gallery.

Cathy and Larry – They have some great photos from their Jamaica trip also.

Jon and Tara – They got married at CSA. You can check out their photos on their Multiply page.

Lando – An amateur photographer who took some great pictures in Jamaica. You can find him on MySpace also.

Terri and Ty – They got married in Jamaica. Beautiful wedding pictures!

Beth – COR wedding photos. She’s a Photoshop whiz so you’ll see some amazing effects and treatments on the pictures.

Jackie – More wedding photos.

Jackie – This is a different Jackie. A consumate resort traveler, there are photos here from all four Couples resorts, Breezes Bahamas, several resorts in Cancun, Secrets Excellences, Grand Lido Braco, Grand Lido Negril, Grand Lido Sans Souci, Sandals Grande St. Lucia, etc.

Jodi – Vow renewal pictures. I hope one day Brian and I can do this. Jodi said the cost is pretty reasonable and the resort takes care of pretty much everything.

Stacia and Jeremy – They were married in CSA. These photos are so beautiful it makes me want to go there.

Mzambo – I’m not sure what their real name is; they go by Tedzam on Webshots. Great collection of photos from two years of vacationing in Jamaica.

RowdyHarv – Great wedding photos from CSA. Additional photos here and here. Their sunset and beach photos are particularly stunning.

Roselynn – Roselynn has a whole web site devoted to Couples resorts and Jamaica in general. It is a wealth of information and an invaluable resource if you plan on taking a trip. Still want more photos? Roselynn also has an extensive list of links to other people’s vacation photos here. Be sure to check them out!

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Trip Recap Continued: Day 5

Posted on August 2, 2007 by under Travel.    

This was supposed to be the day we did the resort excursions: snorkelling, glass-bottom boat tour, catamaran cruise. Two out of three isn’t bad. Who knew that the waves would make him sea sick? He never had any problems before. =P

Anyway, we started our day with breakfast at the patio. I think this was the day they brought the mangos. I know there was one day I just had mangos and bacon for breakfast. It’s a weird combination, I know. I’ve never had mangos as fresh or delicious as these, though. It was all you can eat mangos to boot. I was in heaven!

Our first activity was the glass-bottom boat tour. Brian didn’t really get to enjoy much of the scenery because he started getting sea sick less than five minutes into the tour. No worries though because I took pictures of almost everything so he can always just go back and look at the photos. LOL.

Brian pretty much just ignored me and focused on the horizon. He says this keeps him from being so sick that he has to vomit. I guess it was working because he didn’t have to vomit at all. I struck up a conversation with the couple sitting next to us. They’re honeymooners from Los Angeles. I asked her why she chose COR and she explained that out of all of the different all-inclusive resorts they looked at COR had the most excursions included in the package. I told her she made a good choice. I found out that this was their first trip to Jamaica also so I told her about the $200 passport credit. I figured someone was nice enough to tell us this so we could share the goodwill. They’re actually the second couple we told. We told another young honeymooning couple we went on the Dunns excursion with about it. They used the credit for salon services. She ended up getting her hair braided and he got a haircut, among other things.

Then we were going to do the snorkelling thing at 11:00 AM. They use the same boat, they just put wood planks so that you don’t step on the glass bottom. However, Brian wasn’t feeling well from the glass-bottom boat tour and wanted time to recover. We went back to our room where he rested of a bit before the 12:30 PM lunch buffet. I didn’t have anything to do so I decided to do some exploring. I checked out the hidden jacuzzi tubs, the aviary, the grounds. It’s not as fun exploring on your own because everyone you run into is with their partner. I was lonely for mine. Anyway just to tell you how nice all the resort employees are, one of the workers saw me taking pictures of my favorite garden swing and asked me if I wanted my picture taken in it. I was too embarrassed to say yes so I just smiled and said no. I figured I probably looked pathetic being by myself and all. I had flashbacks of Brian being dehydrated during the night of the fancy, dress up buffet night on our cruise five years ago when I ended up sleeping in my dress. I figured I had enough exploring and went to the computer station to upload some pics to Flickr (that’s why you saw our Dunns pictures halfway through our trip). It was a good way to kill time, being partner-less and all. Then I went back to the room to fetch Brian for the lunch buffet.

After lunch we just hung out at the beach while waiting for the catamaran cruise. I was surprised Brian still wanted to go considering his sea sickness earlier that day. I guess he didn’t end up vomitting so no harm, no foul. Several of the TI folks were in this excursion with us: Vicky and Michael (who we sat next to), Marc and Seija, Darcy and Colin, Kent and Dawn, Bob and Mary.. We joked that no one was going to moon us because we were all on the cat cruise. the islanders did not disappoint, though. Kent even got video footage of it. The cat cruise was fun but quite not as much fun as the cat cruise we did in Cozumel on our honeymoon. That was a half-day excursion, though. It involved some snorkelling, beach party where Brian and I got to kayak and I got to play beach volleyball while he lay in a hammock, and limbo and drunken line dancing on the catamaran. (Sorry I couldn’t help compare.) It was still a lot of fun though.

That night we had dinner with John and Wilma and Vicky and Michael at Verandah. I liked dining in the restaurants rather than doing the dinner buffet. I guess because breakfast and lunch are both buffet style so it’s refreshing to end the day with a nice, sit-down dinner. They are so formal there, too. I noticed they kept calling me “my lady” during our first two days. Then they switched to “madame” for the rest of the trip. Anyway, they would take the food orders of all the women first before taking the men’s orders. I noticed this particularly because we were sitting boy-girl-boy-girl in our table of six. They also set the women’s food down before any of the men’s food at the table. And then they would take unused utensils after each course, until gradually only your dessert fork or spoon (depending on what you ordered for dessert) was left. We were actually the last ones to leave Verandah that night. We finally had to leave because we were keeping them from setting up for casino night.

We sat through Showtime for a bit and then went back into Verandah for casino night. They gave you fake money and you got to choose from three different types of games: horse racing, black jack, and some dice game. Brian and I chose black jack. We didn’t lose all of our money but we didn’t win much either. Louise was the big winner, hitting like four or five black jacks in a row. It was her day. She and Mike were married on the beach that same afternoon. Their wedding took place as we were getting our cat cruise orientation.

So anyway, at the end of the casino thing couples got to pool their money together to bid on blind auction items. Lou and Mike won the first one because she had won so much at black jack. I think the other people cheated and started pooling their fake winnings because some of the bids were just outrageous. There was no way any two people could’ve won that much in the short period that we were playing. Then again, maybe Brian and I were just sore that we didn’t win any of the auctions. LOL. We had fun, though, and we met some more people.

Here are some of the pictures we took during the glass-bottom boat tour and cat cruise..

Someone's Private Beach House

Glass-Bottom Boat Tour

Cool Jazz Catamaran

Brian on the Cat Cruise

Mark and Seija

Mary and Bob

Crew Member Dancing to the Big Bamboo Song

Brian

Tower Island Mooners

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Trip Recap Continued: Day 4

Posted on July 31, 2007 by under Travel.    

Day four started out pretty roughly. Brian and I had arranged to do the Chukka canopy zip-line tour on Tuesday morning through the resort tour desk. The tour rep told us that our pick up time would be 7:55 AM. The night before Brian and I requested breakfast in our room between 7:00 AM and 7:30 AM. I put a note on the tag to bring it closer to 7:00 AM since we have an early pick up at the lobby.

By 7:30 AM our breakfast still hadn’t arrived so I called the front desk to let them know that it was late. She said that breakfasts are on their way. I told her to cancel ours as we have to be at the lobby in a few minutes. Brian and I waited another 10 minutes before heading out. When we got to the lobby, I told them that our breakfast never did get delivered. Brian went to the patio to pick up some toast. I elected to remain at the lobby to wait for our ride.

A bus came but it was the golfing bus. By 8:00 AM I asked one of the bell hops what was up. We were told that we were on Jamaican time and not to worry that our pick up would arrive soon. I was getting pretty cranky so we asked the front desk to track down our breakfast and deliver it to the lobby so that I could have something to eat while I waited.

By 8:15 AM the horseback riding bus arrived and left. We were still waiting. At this point the bell hop asked me for our tour voucher. He said they should have been here by now. He asked one of the guest services representatives to give them a call. We were told that our pick up was on its way.

My breakfast arrived (delivered by the night manager who offered to check on our tour pick up for us) and not one to miss the most important meal of the day, I set my breakfast tray on the table next to guest services and started munchin. I offered Brian some but he was too upset to eat. Being Mr. Punctual, the late pick up was really ticked him off. Around the time our pick up arrived, the night manager came back and advised there was no answer. I didn’t get to finish my breakfast but we were anxious to get going so I just left the rest of my food there.

It was about almost 9:00 AM by the time our pick up arrived. The passengers in the jeep were on their way to Dunns. The driver explained that he was told to pick us up because our bus broke down. He said that he’d be dropping Brian and I off in town to transfer to a cab. Brian was pretty nervous about the whole deal because we were the only couple picked up at our resort. There is comfort in numbers and right then the odds were against us. We really didn’t want to be stranded anywhere. Next time we do an optional excursion, we’re going to try to talk at least two other couples into going with us.

Anyway, we ride for a little bit and then we stop on the side of the road. A couple gets out of the taxi cab and gets on the jeep we were just in. The cab driver and the jeep driver talk among themselves. I supposed the jeep driver explained to the cab driver what tour we were doing. We take the other couple’s place in the cab. The driver identified himself and told us that we needed to stop at Shaw Park (another resort nearby) to pick up another couple. After picking up the other couple we were on our way.

Our cab driver delivered us to main Chukka Adventures place. It’s like the hub of all of the different tours they offer. Brian gave the cab driver some money. I asked him why he gave him money now when we usually don’t tip our drivers until we are back at the resort. “Are you trying to make sure he comes back for us?” I said half joking and half serious. The cab driver told us that he will be there when our excursion is over. He will take us back to our resort.

There were several busses there going to different tours. Ours tour consisted of two bus loads of people from various resorts. The bus took us up a narrow path on the side of the mountain. The road was wide enough for only one vehicle. We stopped at a point where there was a gap in the trees so you could see straight down. The tour guide invited everyone to take a look and take pictures but joked that not everyone should move to the right side of the bus at the same time otherwise we will topple over the side of the mountain. Ha-ha, very funny.

Anyway, we got to the starting point. There are several guides for this tour and this is where they introduced themselves. Everyone got their helmets and harnesses. Then they do a brief demo before they send you on your way to the first platform. There are several platforms and a couple of “surprises” as they called them. Zipping through the canopy was a lot of fun and definitely the highlight of this trip. Even though it did start out a little roughly with the late pick up and all. Brian and I had a blast.

Once you reach the final platform, there is a longish trek to the bottom. It doesn’t seem as long because of the lush jungle foilage. It is beautiful. Brian and I got a workout without even realizing it. Our legs both ached the next day. It was well worth it, though. We didn’t realize that they were going to give us free water at the bottom, we ended up buying sodas from a tour rep during the midpoint of our hike back down. When you get to the bottom they have a tip box for those who’d like to show their appreciation. This makes the whole tipping thing much simpler since there are several guides on this tour.

The bus took us back to the tour starting point where our cab driver was waiting. After buying a picture CD, we were on our way. We dropped the other couple at Shaw Park first. We got back to the resort before the lunch buffet closed. Grabbed a bite and then spent the rest of the afternoon on Tower Island. Dinner was at Le Gourmet, possibly the best restaurant at COR. Despite the day starting out roughly, we had a wonderful time.

Brian Getting Ready

Demonstration

20070717_291

Zipping Through the Jungle Canopy

You can find more pictures of this adventure here..

The following are our pictures from Le Gourmet that evening:

Brian at Le Gourmet

Ching at Le Gourmet

Stuffed Crab Appetizer Thing at Le Gourmet

Ceasar Salad

Ching and Brian at Le Gourmet

Filet Mignon at Le Gourmet

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Trip Recap Continued: Day 3

Posted on July 29, 2007 by under Travel.    

Horseback riding was our main activity on day three. Instead of eating breakfast at the patio, Brian and I decided to have breakfast delivered to our room. Unlike continental breakfast here, at Couples you can ask for just about anything (except for the hot breakfast items of course). You can have several servings of danish, chocolate croissants, fruits, juices, cereals.. You name it!

The resort offers the horseback riding excursion twice a day: once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I highly recommend horseback riding in the morning as it can get really hot on the trail. This excursion is one that you do have to make reservations for so be sure to notify guest services of the day and time you wish you go. It’s included on the paper you fill out for dining reservations, but in case you want to go more than once making reservations for your second horseback riding trip is as simple as swinging by guest services.

The ride itself is slow-paced. If you are looking for a more exciting, fast-paced ride you might consider taking one of the optional horseback riding excursions by Chukka or Hooves. They both offer a horseback ride and swim excursion which I thought would be kind of fun to do but didn’t have time for. I probably wouldn’t recommend this excursion for more experienced riders (they might find it on the boring side) but if you’ve never done this sort of thing before it is a must. We’d been horseback riding before in Cozumel (one of the excursions we did on our honeymoon cruise) but Brian and I figured we’d go horseback riding again this time because it’s free. Again, you have to bring several singles for tipping your bus driver and tour guides. On this excursion, we had three tour guides. We also stopped by a shaded area where we met a guy who did a whole coconut demonstration and gave us a taste of coconut and coconut juice. You should tip him also.

Here are some of the photos we took during the excursion:

Prospect Plantation

Brian

Ching and Brian

Horseback Riding at Prospect Plantation

Horseback Riding at Prospect Plantation

Ching and Brian

Beautiful Views

Brian and Ching

Ching and Brian

Climbing a Coconut Tree

Coconut Husking Demo

Ostrich and Brian

After our excursion we returned to the resort for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon on Tower Island. That night was the evening of the manager’s cocktail party and beach party buffet. My recommendation would be to wear a nice, light sundress and flip flops. You’ll be spending most of the evening on the sand so heels should definitely be avoided.

Bring some cash to dinner as they’ll have some crab races that you can bet on. It’s actually a lot of fun cheering and watching the crabs as they make a go for it. Then they have local dancers perform. We also had Prince Bob, a local performer who does fire dancing and balancing.

This is pretty much how we spent day three.

P.S. Monday night is also the night of the weekly repeaters’ dinner. This is the fancy dinner that the resort hosts for guests who have visited the resort before. Brian and I are thinking of checking this out next year.

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Trip Recap Continued: Day 2

Posted on July 28, 2007 by under Travel.    

Unlike Brian who’s dwelling on the negative experience we had on our return flight, I’m actually recalling the best experiences we had on our trip. So here’s a continuation of the trip recap post that I started a few days ago..

Brian and I got up early on our first full day at COR because we wanted to make the early Dunns River Falls tour. The best thing about COR, and perhaps all Couples resorts in general, is that several excursions were included for free. I don’t think any of the other all-inclusive resorts can match the included excursions that COR offers. We actually encountered a couple on our return flight who stayed at a competing resort in the Ocho Rios area and they paid $70pp (per person) for the Dunns River Falls tour.

Brian and I had already climbed Dunns five years ago on our honeymoon so we probably would have skipped this tour if we had to pay for it. Since it was included, we figured that it would probably be a lot of fun to do it again.

Before we went on our tour, though, we hit the patio for breakfast. The breakfast buffet opens at 7:30 AM and runs to about 11:00 AM. It a great spread that offers something for everyone: breakfast pastries (danish, croissants, that sort of thing; their chocolate croissants are amazing), fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausage (their sausage there is actually very different than the sausage you get here; it was a little strange for me so I quit eating sausage after the first day), french toast, pancakes, cereal, muffins, bagels, toast.. Gosh, they had everything! They had an omelet section where you can ask for any kind of omelet imaginable. They even had a smoothie station. Basically they had a fruit stand (unlike the cut up fruit they had for you for breakfast, these fruits are just like freshly picked fruit that might might find at a local market) and then you select the fruits that you want in your smoothie and they make the smoothie for you right then and there. I guess this is for the health freaks that are averse to bacon. =P There was actually one day that I just ate bacon and mangos for breakfast. I had several servings of it. You’d think I was pregnant or something. For juices, they had a huge variety. There was nothing you could ask for that they didn’t have. I really enjoyed being able to have endless refills of pineapple juice. You could also drink your fill of mimosas. It was awesome!

Amy and Eric

It was at breakfast on Sunday that we met our first message board couple: Eric and Amy. It was funny because they recognized us immediately. I wasn’t really thinking about running into people that early in the morning. I was mostly concerned with getting food in my belly before our excursion. I think I asked them when the food would be ready (we got into the resort orientation late and missed the part about when and where breakfast would be served). After responding, they said “You’re Brian and Ching right? We’re Eric and Amy!” Brian was really surprised. I think the fact that they knew who we were freaked him out at first. He didn’t realize that I posted our picture on the message board photo roll call. I had to explain that to him afterwards. I’m glad I did because that was only the first of many encounters we’d have with message board folks.

Eric actually gave us some good advice about taking turns to get food from the buffet. Apparently the crows are very friendly and are not afraid of people. Even though there are other people around nearby, if you leave your table vacant they’ll actually fly in and eat your food. So it’s best to leave someone at the table to shoo the crows away. We found this advice really helpful so remember it if you decide to go. Eric and Amy are uber repeaters. I believe they said this is their fourth trip to COR so they had a lot of knowledge to impart.

Anyway, Dunns River Falls is one of those excursions that you don’t have to make reserverations for you so can decide to do it on the spur of the moment. You can also do it several times if you wish. People just get their stuff and congregate in the hotel lobby to wait for the bus. Everything is free except for water shoe rental (for those folks who are unprepared and didn’t bother to pack them; you can’t wear flip flops because the water is too strong) and tips. Tips are for the bus driver, tour guides (we had two), and the video guy (on our trip the video guy was Big Papa). On any of the off-site excursions and activities it is important to bring lots of singles. While there is no tipping within the confines of the resort, tipping is pretty much expected everywhere you go. I suggest bringing some extra cash for to buy picture and video CDs. On this trip, the video company that Big Papa works for has an office in the resort so you can buy the CD there.

We arrived back at the resort in time for lunch at the patio and then Brian and I spent the rest of the afternoon at Tower Island where we met other message board folks. Tower Island shuts down around 5:00 PM and everyone gets ferried back to the resort. You can still swim at the pool or at the beach, though. Brian and I just took the time to make reservations for the nicer restaurants, plant activities for the rest of the week, rest for a bit, and get ready for dinner. We checked out the food selection at patio dinner buffet but eventually decided to dine at Verandah which is a nice, romantic, cozy, slow-paced, sit-down restaurant. The pace was much slower than Brian and I are accustomed to but it was a nice opportunity to talk about our experience thus far.

The resort offers nightly entertainment dubbed “Showtime” (reminds me of Jenni because she used to go by this nickname). After Showtime they had a movie on the beach. That night it was John Tucker Must Die.

Our first night was pretty eventful and overall we were satisfied with our resort choice. Everyone we met was really friendly and eager to share tips and advice. That night as we retired Brian and I looked forward to what was in store for the rest of our stay.

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