Took off from an ice covered runway and landed into 90 degree weather. A crazy busy airport and a few wrong turns, then finally, there was the bus place for the hotels. The bus that went to the hotel was a double decker van-line, so of course I wanted to sit in the top. The broken glass in the front window made me wonder if the guy who used to drive it, ever drove in Niagara Falls? We passed a truckload of pigs. They were stacked in cages on the back and were so sad to see. I started singing, “I feel like chicken tonight. Like chicken tonight.” And the people in the front seats, two rows ahead started laughing.

The lobby was huge and open. There were little to no outside walls. Thatched roofs reaching at least three floors high covered the main perimeter of the lobby, but in the centre was an open stone courtyard with a large fountain. The tile floors looked cool and clean with a shine that rivalled glass.

The room was nice and tiled throughout. Even the balcony was the same tile.  The fridge was stocked with chips and nuts, beer, pop, and water. There was a safe you programmed each time you locked it and it was big enough for the laptop. The balcony was my favourite and if I was at the room and not in my bed, I was on the balcony.

It over-looked a courtyard with natural growth in it. To the left, I could see the ocean through some thatch-roofed buildings and over the pool. Straight across was another building that mirrored this one. To the right was simply sky over the courtyard, and the rusty-orange coloured building with its ornate water spouts, curved rooftop facades, and thatched walkways.  The view of the sky was simply amazing. I watched the sunrise every day.

The hotel was absolutely the best I have ever stayed in. The all-inclusive thing is wickedly cool. By 2pm that first day, I was on the beach jumping in and over the waves. I am a water baby so I didn't get out for hours. Then I was handed my first Piña Colada. YUM!

Then off for a shower and dinner, I ate way more than I'd have thought possible. I wasted an embarrassing amount of food by trying a serving of everything. The buffet was huge. The plate was full and you'd see something else you wanted to try. I walked around for the next hour groaning, "My Belly" and rubbing it like I was Buddha.

After the day of getting out of bed at 4 am and not sleeping well the night before, I was tired early.