Mike & Trace - September, 2002
After months of anticipation, Trace and I finally
left Pittsburgh in the early morning of September 7 bound for Hedo II. Trace
isn't a great advocate of riding in a fifteen ton piece of metal 13000 feet in
the air (something about Newton's Law prohibiting the ideology!), but other
than a few air pockets, the trip was uneventful. Even the flight from Mobay to
Negril in the Timair Cessna was tolerable although she seemed a bit perplexed
by the pilot answering his cell phone and turning around to talk to us while
flying the tiny aircraft!
After landing in Negril, we were immediately
greeted by a throng of Taxi drivers and bag men who instantly "remembered"
us... (doubtful... never seen a one of them in Pittsburgh!). Unfortunately,
Jamaica is an obviously poor country and as our bags were passed from porter
to porter to porter to taxi driver to porter to ect, ect, we really didn't
mind handing over the couple dollars to each.
Upon arriving at Hedo, things could not have been
smoother. Obviously, the place wasn't full or even near full and we were
checked in in moments. We quickly learned the meaning of "soon come". Our bags
arrived at our room a couple of hours after we did! But not wanting to waste
those couple of hours...( all we needed was the sunscreen!), we found our way
to the nude pool complex by 2:00PM. I didn't anticipate having any inhibitions
about being nude myself, but I have to say I was extremely proud of Trace. At
least on the outside, she was as naked as myself and the other 50 or so people
we found there and she adapted without so much as a few minutes hesitation. As
soon as we found a couple of empty chairs and set ourselves down, it was
obvious that we would have felt much much more out of place with clothes on.
Myself, I only felt about an hours worth of awkwardness....it's difficult to
imagine being surrounded by so many naked bodies when only hours prior, we
would have been spending time in jail for the same public display!
I know it is a redundant statement, but the people
make Hedo II. We spent less than an hour of awkward silence on those chairs
before people began talking to us. When you are not accustomed to having a
conversation with a naked person that you never met before, there is a period
of adjustment!.... but amazingly, that period is brief! Within two hours, we
were having conversations like we were sitting on our front porch with our
neighbors at home.Of course that transition was made much easier by the
consumption of a quick few Dirty Bananas and Mudslides. (Advice: bring large
mugs!... hopefully, someone appreciated the ones we left) That first day went
quickly and is still a bit fuzzy, but I do know that within a few hours, we
ended up in the cool tub with some of the greatest couples that I have ever
had the pleasure of spending my time with! The atmosphere at Hedo is something
that needs to be experienced to be appreciated... ( try explaining it to the
people at home and you are wasting your breath!). It is the most liberating
and uninhibiting place that I can imagine.Trace is what I would consider
reserved at home, as I am to a certain degree (only because of "social
boundries"), but at Hedo II, all the norms are washed away. Maybe it's
something they put in the hottub (I thought they only put chemicals in the
water to kill the previous nights residual... but maybe there was more?), but
within the first four hours, we lost our "virginity" in that cooltub and were
made to feel like regulars for the remainder of the week. Unfortunately, maybe
due to the jetlag or quite possibly the alcohol, we got left behind that first
night ( we went to take a quick nap at 9ish or so and never woke till the next
morning!)
I don't wish to attempt to rehash the days moment
by moment... but there seemed something a bit ritualistic about the entire
week.I would wake at 6:30 or 7 AM everyday, take the caraffe from the room and
go up top and fill it with coffee. I would bring it back to the room and fill
one of our large mugs, grab a Cuban cigar (or in lieu of, one of the ones Gaby
and Josh so generously gave) and go sit on the beach for an hour or so. By the
time I got back to the room, Trace was usually awake and we would make our way
back up to the buffett for breakfast. After eating way too much, we usually
dropped our clothes off in the room and headed for the pool for three or four
hours... in the pool... on the chair... Delroy's.... in the pool... on the
chair... Delroy's. I can't name twenty of the people that we met, but I can't
remember more than a few that would pass you without saying hello. Sometime
after noon, we would usually follow one crowd or another somewhere... cliff
diving and snorkeling off the Pickeled Parrot... John, for a big man, you are
a great diver and if anyone has that pic of Ray, John and I diving together, I
would love to have a copy!....Waterskiing... I am just not as young as twenty
years ago.. barely made it on two skis........raiding the waterslide or just
doin the group float in the bay. Somewhere along the line, we usually made our
way back up to the pool and the cool tub....I know the rule is that what
happens at Hedo, stays at Hedo, so I will just say that at least for Trace and
myself, the cooltub changed our life for the better!.... the intiation was
pleasurable, but not quite painless... we had bruises for days (but they all
seemed to resemble little smiley faces!). Six PM !.... jerked chicken!....
it's not just chicken, it's the aphrodisiac of the gods!... the first day. I
got a small taste and somehow the next two days, we completely missed it (They
sneak it in and only the oldest, wisest Hedo veterans know exactly how), but
after those two misses, we got smart and just stalked the grill till you heard
the chopping knife... we never missed another day! Anyway... around 7 or so we
usually went back to the room and cleaned up and then headed for dinner. After
dinner, it was usually over to Dave's Piano Bar or hang out at the pavillion
to see what the nights entertainment was,,, the only thing memorable was the
Jamaican Rock and Roll singer who did a great Louis Armstrong! The piano bar
was excellent... Dave is a madman of the highest quality! Around 12 or 1 in
the morning, we could usually be found in the hottub with quite a few
others... that usually escalated into some of our greatest memories!...
That's the synopsis....
Our favorite memories: Nick and
Robin... thanks for being there to initiate us and staying our friends
thoughout. You made things seem to fit.
Gaby, Josh, Pamela and Ray... you four are some the greatest friends anyone
could ever have. I can't think of a day we spent there without seeing your
faces. Josh... thanks from Trace and Gaby, thank you and that's from me.
Beth and Ken....we still adore you and thanks for keeping us entertained
before we even got there. You're right everyday is different for everyone. We
will see you there again.
RayRay....... we miss you.Hedo would not be the same without you!Thanks for
the friendship.
Diane and Patrick... you two will also remain special to us... sometimes the
last night is the greatest!
John and
Karen... you made us laugh and John, I will say it again; for a big man, or a
little man for that matter, you are one graceful image off the cliffs!
Delroy... you are a magician behind the bar... I hope we are both still there
in twenty years!
Jolene and Collin.... thanks for the memories... short but sweet!
Darrell and Allison... funny start to finish!
Pam and Mitch.... you are a part of our lives now too.
I won't waste our time trying to figure out what
we didn't like because it means nothing... we love Hedo! We are definitely
going back next September and if there is a way, long before then and many
times afterward! To everyone that I mentioned and to those that I forgot, we
love you all and miss you...We will see you again!
