Hedo trip Report 3/28 - 4/4/98

The First Time

As with every trip, a certain bit of the unknown before you travel to someplace that you have not gone before.

For Donna and I, our trip to Hedo, JA was not only that, but our first major vacation as a couple as well as our first time to a foreign country.

Lesson 1:

Our flight started out rough from Toronto airport on Sky Services. The first thing we learned -Toronto airport sucks! It is very crowded, hot, unfriendly and confusing. Also, a big thunderstorm shut down the place for an hour. But we got off and arrived in Mo Bay about 10:30 PM. Went through immigration with our birth certificates and driver’s licenses with no problems. We got our luggage and were offered our first Jamaican greeting -"Need something for the head, Mon?" from the skycap. This opened Donna’s eyes right away. We made our way to the Sunquest desk and filled out all the paperwork though we’re not sure yet what it all was for. Out to the bus. Me, being the adventurer at heart, asked the driver if I could sit up front with him. For all that I had read, I wanted to have the JA experience first-hand. We all made acquaintances with our driver and bus-mates; 4 young guys. We took off like a rocket with the reggae music at full volume. The boys right away started clamoring for a Red Stripe beer stop. I am up front jammin’ to the tunes and having a ball as we dodged vehicles, animals and pedestrians alike at the speed of a locomotive. If it’s your first trip, you’ve got to take the bus ride to savor Jamaica and it’s people. We stopped at a small town bar so the boys could get their refreshments and we engaged in a delightful conversation with a local about the national product- Ganja (Pot) Got to Hedo about 12:30 AM.

Lesson learned - Almost everyone sells dope but it’s OK to refuse it politely.

Lesson 2:

Arriving so late, we got bumped. The resort had overbooked and there was no room at the inn for us or the boys who rode in with us. Our bags were put back on the bus to the Grand Lido. It was late and we were tired so we did not make a fuss. I figured the Lido was down the road. To my surprise, it was across the driveway! Our room at the Lido was very nice, French doors that opened to the sea. We immediately walked out to wade in the clear warm water. In just a few minutes, I found a starfish only a few feet from shore. We took his picture and gently returned him to his home. We went to sleep to the sound of the waves on the beach. The next morning, we awakened to the boys (our bus mates from the ride in) talking loudly outside our room. They had been up all night partying and were just getting home. We ate breakfast at the Lido and walked over to Hedo for our 10:30 AM orientation with our travel representative, Oneil.

The lesson here- book an early time of day to check in at Hedo.

Lesson 3:

Back and forth from the Lido to Hedo with our bags was a little unnerving. We wondered if all our stuff was ever to be seen again after leaving it out on the sidewalk. I insisted to Oneil that we get our room upgraded to ocean view to compensate for the inconvenience of being bumped and to be settled in ASAP. We wanted to get situated and our bags unpacked. By noon our room was ready and, lo and behold, our bags showed up by 2 PM. Hedo does try to make up for the inconveniences. How our bags made it safely back and forth is still a mystery, but "No problem, Mon".

Lesson 4:

After our lounging on the beach Sunday afternoon, we showered and went to dinner. Donna has food allergies and wanted to assure that she knew how the food is prepared by talking to the chef. At once, she felt a bit apprehensive about what the Jamaican people say about anything. Nothing was really clear as to what or how thing are prepared and the universal answer is "No problem, Mon". We did talk with Ray, the dining room supervisor, about these issues and as the week went on, we educated ourselves to better communicate her needs and have food either prepared specially or find someone who understands the concept of a restricted diet,. Over all, though, the food was good; plenty to eat, large variety. Lobster night was great for me. Sorry, Donna.

Lesson learned - Keep after the staff with your needs. Eventually, it sinks in.

Lesson 5:

As the week started, dining room entertainment was a lot of fun for us, both at lunch time and after dinner. We both like to dance and enjoyed playing the Hedo games. The staff at Hedo does a great job of getting the party going and the entertainment was excellent. By week’s end, we were 200,000 Hedo dollars richer. This is awarded for bravery in battle and can be redeemed for prizes. We did not feel embarrassed at getting right into the heart of the games, some having sexual overtones. Donna did a rendition of a fake orgasm that received rave reviews by the audience. PJ night and all the hoopla of this event washed out for us and the couple we had started to chum with. We all being in our 40’s dressed for the occasion with lack of inhibition. We felt that PJ night in the disco didn’t cater to our age group and interests. The disco is small, hot, smoky, and loud. We requested some oldies to no avail. For all the openness of Hedo, we thought PJ night was not any more revealing than some lunch times in the dining pavilion and it could have been done where it was more comfortable. We ended the evening by enjoying each others’ company for a romantic, moonlit beach walk instead.

Lesson learned - Could have skipped PJ night; Toga night was much better and just as revealing.

Lesson 6:

By mid week, we had thoroughly toasted ourselves on the beach so we enjoyed a Wednesday afternoon in the dining room. This was the only day it rained. We ended up talking to numerous people that came in for coffee and to relax. By any account, we met a lot of nice folks. We all traded stories of what was seen by each of us or commented on the different lifestyles of the groups that were there. We all started to use code names for these individuals such as: Ass-man, California, the Hooker Wives, the Biker Dudes and the Newlyweds.

Lesson learned - get involved early with the activities. By week’s end, you’re getting tired and "been there, done that"- time for the new people to play.

Lesson 7:

We took 2 trips off site; one shopping to Negril, and Rick’s Cafe and the other horseback riding at a local plantation. Shopping was fine. We were taken to a secured shopping center where you don’t get hassled by the locals. We were able to buy the typical souvenirs at cheaper prices than at the resort. Rick’s was OK; As first-timers, it’s a must see. Cliff diving was a scream but if you attempt to jump off the rocks, be careful. We saw a couple of nasty injuries,

Lesson learned - do go off site at least once to truly begin to understand Jamaica. Take a good amount of $1s with you. They vie for the American dollar. We found the Jamaicans there were pleasant panhandlers with something to offer you in exchange for your dollars (and cigarettes), i.e. crafts, photos or just a pleasant conversation .

Lesson 8:

We enjoyed Hedo very much, saw and did a lot . The week does go by fast and you start saying "We will do that when we come back". The weather could not be beat. We are both sporting great tans, the envy of our friends. Lesson here - the sun is dangerous. Use sunscreen or pre-tan before you go. You my still burn but not as much.

We will return someday and we hope Hedo maintains it’s romantic, carefree atmosphere, for we also found some thing special for each other. I asked Donna to marry me, as we stood naked, in the warm water, our hearts warmed by the sun and each other.

We will never forget Hedo. We will cherish our new friends and all the fun we had.

Final lesson - be open-minded to what you see, stay laid-back, enjoy what you want.

Irie,