Another trip under the belt; dozens of new friends and lots of new memories. Each trip back to Hedonism II keeps on adding to the storehouse of wealth in those friends and memories for me.
I was a little bit uncertain of what this trip would hold since most of the attendees were first time WWWers and many were Hedo II virgins. I had nothing to worry about. The group bonded faster than I've seen any other WWW group bond during a trip. Perhaps the lack of previously formed groups of longtime friends helped in that. In any case, I know a lot of friendships were formed that will last outside of the resort.
Along with lots of new faces, we had some new activities. Bingo in the hot tub during "happy hour" was a rousing success. Kudos to Scott, Chrissy and all the others who helped. The earned beads were proudly worn throughout the week.
Richard & Jackey brought several dozen ping pong balls all with various actions on them. Those balls were dispersed in the pool area. People picked them up and complied with the action written on them. My favorite was "give DennyP a hug". The next trip will most certainly bring out the R-rated version of the ping pong balls. Well, at least I have an idea for a few that I will customize myself.
Pirate night was a success. There were many interesting costumes. I think the Entertainment Coordinators were impress with the idea, too. Many of them were given some of the costumes and equipment afterwards. Did anyone ever find out where the Skull & Crossbones flag ended up?
Of course the catamaran trips were there usual good time. The weather was great on the day trip with a spit of rain hitting us just as we approached the dock. The evening cloud cover cleared up during the night trip affording all a great view of the night sky.
A full van of WWWers did a trip into town for visit to Margaritaville, Times Square, and Ricks. We were hit with a good storm while at Times Square. The rain was a welcome sight to this desert dweller. I parked myself on a park bench under cover and enjoyed the sounds and smell of rain. I was jolted out of my reverie when a lightning bolt struck a power pole on the street in front of us. The resulting display of sparks and fireballs was extra entertainment.
The erotic gift exchange was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Scott & Tammy for leading the event. I hope you all are enjoying your gifts at home.
The piano bar was a bit different without Dave there. That's been discussed to death on my message board. The new piano player is very talented, but lacks the showmanship we were all used to. Most people were quite happy to let him work through his growing pains. He's not Dave and never will be, but I think he will be fine given some time. The ECs in the bar helped to keep things moving. I did see some positive signs later in the week. Let's all remember that things change - and give them a chance to. Nothing is gained by grabbing the microphone and trying to imitate Dave's material like some audience members did. Remember that you are not Dave either and you don't do justice to his material and memory. It will be interesting to report back on this after my December visit.
Remodeled rooms: the showers look nice, but it didn't add to my experience at all. That's just my personal view. I do like the natural look of the doors after being stripped of layers upon layers of old paint. I did have the TV on a couple of times mostly to check sport scores and follow the All-Star baseball game. They Playboy Channel got very repetitive after a while and even laughable when I though of what all was going on right outside my door.
All the female Entertainment Coordinators were new since my trip last December. Simone is still there as the manager, though. They are a great crew. About half of the male ECs were new. They also were helping us all have a good time. I made it a point to talk to many of them offline late at night in the dining room or at breakfast. They have some interesting backgrounds and stories to tell.
Much of the evening entertainment was new or revamped. There were many new skits during the talent show. There were changes in the beach party activities. Even the music played in the disco seemed different and more liked by the dancers. The hot tub temperatures were fairly constant with just a few aberrations.
Many of the complaints that I heard on past trips were not to be heard on this trip. Sure there were problems, and not all of them were necessarily address in the most timely manner. But overall there was a general improvement seen throughout the resort.
Thanks to everyone in the WWW group for allowing me to share your vacation with you.
I am looking forward to seeing some of the summer people on the winter trip. The rest of you I expect to see back next July.
Respectfully submitted - DennyP