The Club Med complex that had been unwelcoming to cruisers in the past has now closed and is currently abandoned. Through a wide break in the rocks peaks a view of the tiny bay just two hundred metres away. Their beach is a pristine crescent and we can't resist a visit.
Cruisers are a curious lot so it doesn't surprise us to see that ours isn't the only dinghy on the club med beach when we land.
The complex is huge with patios, pools, gardens and dance halls surrounded by a half moon of hillsides and a labyrinth of stone walkways. Ever ascending stairways lead to hundreds of rooms tucked in the hillsides.
We speak to each other in whispers, partly because of the feeling of interloping where we shouldn't be and partly because our voices echo eerily in the silence. Poking around the pool and bar areas we open doors and check out the abandoned nooks and crannies.
Giant 12 foot doors lead to a completely empty dancehall except for a disco ball still suspended from the ceiling. Stone and tile benches are tucked here and there throughout the gardens, and around the pools and bar areas.
As we begin our ascent up the labyrinthine stone and tile stairways we wonder how the club medders ever found their way back to their own room after a night of partying. The view is spectacular from the top, too bad we don't have a camera with us.Near the top we find a tangerine tree, the near ripe fruit tart but edible .
We retrace our steps, our pockets bulging with almost ripe tangerines as we negotiate our way downward. Back at the coral littered beach we jump in the dinghy and paddle out to the deeper water then putt back to PJ.
As we're sipping cocktails in the cockpit while supper sizzles on the Barbie we note a dinghy preparing to make a landing in the moderate surf ( we tend to carefully watch dinghy landings these days for techniques we might want to adopt).
The dinghy driver points his dinghy at the spot on the beach where he intends to land and drops the wheels at the stern. After a couple of revs the driver gives 'er on the throttle, the engine snorts to life and the dinghy jumps forward. Rapidly picking up speed the driver keeps it wide open as he approaches the beach, not slowing one iota he splashes though the frothy break onto the beach.
We thought he'd let off once he'd made the beach but no, over the wet sand and all the way to the dry powdery stuff he goes, finally coming to rest beside a palm tree 40 feet up the beach. Calmly the boater steps out of the dinghy ties it to the palm tree and heads to the restaurant with not a drop of briny sea water on him.
I don't know but it could be a little hard on the rubber dinghy bottom. Maybe we won't try that one. It looks exhilarating though.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Tenecatita.
* Please note: Our 2006 - 2007 travels will be recorded on a new blog site. This blog site will continue as a blook. New blog address ~ http://pacificjade.blogspot.com
Cruisers are a curious lot so it doesn't surprise us to see that ours isn't the only dinghy on the club med beach when we land.
The complex is huge with patios, pools, gardens and dance halls surrounded by a half moon of hillsides and a labyrinth of stone walkways. Ever ascending stairways lead to hundreds of rooms tucked in the hillsides.
We speak to each other in whispers, partly because of the feeling of interloping where we shouldn't be and partly because our voices echo eerily in the silence. Poking around the pool and bar areas we open doors and check out the abandoned nooks and crannies.
Giant 12 foot doors lead to a completely empty dancehall except for a disco ball still suspended from the ceiling. Stone and tile benches are tucked here and there throughout the gardens, and around the pools and bar areas.
As we begin our ascent up the labyrinthine stone and tile stairways we wonder how the club medders ever found their way back to their own room after a night of partying. The view is spectacular from the top, too bad we don't have a camera with us.Near the top we find a tangerine tree, the near ripe fruit tart but edible .
We retrace our steps, our pockets bulging with almost ripe tangerines as we negotiate our way downward. Back at the coral littered beach we jump in the dinghy and paddle out to the deeper water then putt back to PJ.
As we're sipping cocktails in the cockpit while supper sizzles on the Barbie we note a dinghy preparing to make a landing in the moderate surf ( we tend to carefully watch dinghy landings these days for techniques we might want to adopt).
The dinghy driver points his dinghy at the spot on the beach where he intends to land and drops the wheels at the stern. After a couple of revs the driver gives 'er on the throttle, the engine snorts to life and the dinghy jumps forward. Rapidly picking up speed the driver keeps it wide open as he approaches the beach, not slowing one iota he splashes though the frothy break onto the beach.
We thought he'd let off once he'd made the beach but no, over the wet sand and all the way to the dry powdery stuff he goes, finally coming to rest beside a palm tree 40 feet up the beach. Calmly the boater steps out of the dinghy ties it to the palm tree and heads to the restaurant with not a drop of briny sea water on him.
I don't know but it could be a little hard on the rubber dinghy bottom. Maybe we won't try that one. It looks exhilarating though.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Tenecatita.
* Please note: Our 2006 - 2007 travels will be recorded on a new blog site. This blog site will continue as a blook. New blog address ~ http://pacificjade.blogspot.com
posted by Debra Anderson at 10:27 AM
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