Hedo Jan '99 The Second Time Around by Richard and Jeannine
Hedo is like sex. The more often you do it the better it gets.
In mid January, we visited Hedo for the second time. A year ago, we had the feeling that we had stumbled into the middle of a porno movie, and wrote a trip report that blasted the Management for sponsoring and tolerating these activities. We are grateful that Denny had enough guts to post it on these pages. Well, this year things have changed a lot. Fetish night was gone, as were the indecent stage performances, and in the dining room genitals were covered during meals (most of the time). There was still lots of open sex around the nude hot tub, but anyone who didn't like it could look the other way or go to the prude hot tub (which was nude most of the time anyway). Sex police? Are you referring to the guy who comes around to pick up the empty plastic cups?
Physically, Hedo hasn't changed much in the past year. They are still having hot water pressure problems, and problems with leaky roofs. We had a small leak over our bed, and when we asked the housekeeper for an extra towel she immediately called in the housekeeping supervisor. We were offered another room, but declined because it was such a tiny drip. For the next two days a roofing contractor was banging and crashing around up there, and we figured that the problem was solved - that is until it rained. Our little drip was now a big gusher, so we had to move. Hey--this is Jamaica mon! Anyway we appreciated the concern of the Hedo staff.
The Escape sailboats that We enjoyed so much last year were also gone. They sure sailed nice but weren't durable enough for resort use. Instead they had Sunfish and Hobbi Cats. The sun and warm weather haven't changed. We both got sunburned on places that usually doesn't see the sun.
Most of the music was for a younger crowd (we are both 39 and holding). But that's why there are CD players in the rooms isn't it? One evening, while strolling by the disco, we were surprised to hear Frank Sinatra. We rushed right in and met Brigitte and Frank who were playing there own CD. (You didn't think the Hedo Disco library would have any 40's and 50's music did you ?). What a neat couple. They are going to try to get a Frank-Dino-Sammy etc. night organised for next year.
In case you haven't visited these pages very often, we should tell you that mid January is Swing week at Hedo (and we are not referring to the music), but that certainly did not present any problems for non-swingers like us. In fact we probably enjoyed ourselves more because nearly everyone was there in couples. Only on the last day did we start to see any significant numbers of single guys, and a prostitute or two. Management should keep these working ladies out -- hey, it's giving the place a bad reputation! The couples in the Lifestyle group are really nice folks, and they never ever hit on anyone who doesn't first express an interest. We met a lot of really great people, some swingers and some not, but we are not going to mention any names because we wouldn't want to forget anyone. There seemed to be a lot fewer Europeans there this year, but at least everyone could speak English.
You probably have heard much about the sunsets from Rick's Cafe, but nothing can top one of the sunsets that we observed from the nude beach. The crimson and mauve colours were spectacular, better even than the sunsets in the movie South Pacific. Unfortunately, we didn't have our camera with us (this was the nude beach after all).
Before we end this little essay, we must mention the bus ride from hell. Well, it's even more hellish than before. The road from MoBay to Negril is under construction and very rough. Completion is scheduled for 2002, but that is Jamaica time, so it probably will be 2005. Going to and from the airport we were in a 25 passenger bus that had a half decent suspension system. It was on a day excursion to Dunn's River Falls that we had problems. The tour bus was one of those little Toyota shoe boxes. We were the last to be picked up and as a result the only place for us to sit was on the shelf (we won't call it a seat) at the back where luggage is usually carried. The ride wasn't just uncomfortable, it was brutal. After an hour and a half of this we informed the tour guide that we couldn't take it any longer and were going to bail out in MoBay if they didn't get a better bus. Meanwhile, the girl in the Hedo tour office had realised that the little bus was overloaded and had phoned the bus company to complain too. The bus company's depot was near the MoBay airport, so a switch was made to a bigger and more comfortable one. To add insult to injury (literally), as we pulled back unto Hedo, the tour guide informed us that we were expected to tip the driver and herself. When we refused, the driver wouldn't open the door. One of Hedo's bellboys then pushed on the bus door from the outside and it opened and we were out of there like a shot. The tour guide was pretty mad when she saw the door open, but there was nothing she could do about it. I regret not having the opportunity to thank the bellboy for getting us out of a potentially nasty situation. Our guts hurt for two days afterwards.
Other than the day trip, this was one of the best vacations that we have ever had.
PS: Charlotte, If you email me your address, I will send you your box of Red River Cereal