So today is exactly 45 years since we were married
and the general idea was a bit of a celebration somewhere exciting. And to make
it more interesting, the first person to actually guess where we are will win a
lottery ticket!
I should have known that trying to replicate a honeymoon that was a disaster in the first place was not going to be a good idea. (Not that we have gone back to the same place - it looked very unenticing). From what I remember 45 years ago, there were three things that stood out.
Firstly I started off with a sprained ankle, sustained by slipping off the dance floor at our wedding reception, then there was the food poisoning outbreak that swept through the hotel and finally the wasp sting to which I proved allergic. A wonderful week.
So we duly arrived but not before Geoffrey had been harangued not once but twice by ill-humoured fellow travellers who objected to his non-stop "surround-sound" conversational style (to say nothing of the conversational topics he likes to pursue).
There is, sadly, something rather humiliating about being berated in public by fat-arsed up themselves females.
But we survived, found our motel and slept well.
Next morning, endeavouring to vacate our room at the requested checkout time of 10 we fronted up to reception at five to, only to find reception locked with a "back in 15" sign. Glad we weren't in a rush to catch a flight.
Eventually someone turned up to cope with what by then was a huge checkout queue behind us and a cab was ordered for us to go to the car hire depot. Simple? Not when the address on the documents we had was quite blatantly wrong and while we eventually found the right place the cab ride cost about three times what it should have.
So then - take off in the car by 9 as planned? Not likely. Queue for longer time then go through highly convoluted check-in process. There's a lesson here: Avis might be more expensive but it's worth the extra.
But by 11.30 we were on the road and had decided breakfast was a past idea and we'd opt for an early lunch instead.
This nearly proved a fatal mistake as one person who had downed quite an amount of whisky the previous evening realised to his horror when pulled over by a (surprisingly friendly) cop around midday. However, he wasn't subjected to an RBT, merely chastised and fined a fortune for driving on the wrong side of the road. His excuse was that he was ironing out the curves. It didn't go down well.
So not what you'd call a good start to the trip, overall.
Happily it was all uphill from there (both literally and metaphorically).
We arrived at our destination around 3.30, found we had a lovely room with fantastic views and a nice restaurant/bar within walking distance where we could sit on the deck, watch the yachts and enjoy reasonable, but not necessarily great, seafood.
I should have known that trying to replicate a honeymoon that was a disaster in the first place was not going to be a good idea. (Not that we have gone back to the same place - it looked very unenticing). From what I remember 45 years ago, there were three things that stood out.
Firstly I started off with a sprained ankle, sustained by slipping off the dance floor at our wedding reception, then there was the food poisoning outbreak that swept through the hotel and finally the wasp sting to which I proved allergic. A wonderful week.
So we duly arrived but not before Geoffrey had been harangued not once but twice by ill-humoured fellow travellers who objected to his non-stop "surround-sound" conversational style (to say nothing of the conversational topics he likes to pursue).
There is, sadly, something rather humiliating about being berated in public by fat-arsed up themselves females.
But we survived, found our motel and slept well.
Next morning, endeavouring to vacate our room at the requested checkout time of 10 we fronted up to reception at five to, only to find reception locked with a "back in 15" sign. Glad we weren't in a rush to catch a flight.
Eventually someone turned up to cope with what by then was a huge checkout queue behind us and a cab was ordered for us to go to the car hire depot. Simple? Not when the address on the documents we had was quite blatantly wrong and while we eventually found the right place the cab ride cost about three times what it should have.
So then - take off in the car by 9 as planned? Not likely. Queue for longer time then go through highly convoluted check-in process. There's a lesson here: Avis might be more expensive but it's worth the extra.
But by 11.30 we were on the road and had decided breakfast was a past idea and we'd opt for an early lunch instead.
This nearly proved a fatal mistake as one person who had downed quite an amount of whisky the previous evening realised to his horror when pulled over by a (surprisingly friendly) cop around midday. However, he wasn't subjected to an RBT, merely chastised and fined a fortune for driving on the wrong side of the road. His excuse was that he was ironing out the curves. It didn't go down well.
So not what you'd call a good start to the trip, overall.
Happily it was all uphill from there (both literally and metaphorically).
We arrived at our destination around 3.30, found we had a lovely room with fantastic views and a nice restaurant/bar within walking distance where we could sit on the deck, watch the yachts and enjoy reasonable, but not necessarily great, seafood.
Somehow I am having problems with
this blog and am unable to upload the beautifully cropped and enhanced photos I
took to go on this page.
Still, those clever enough will recognise it instantly.
Still, those clever enough will recognise it instantly.
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