Something to Declare

From the Sublime to the……Self-Indulgent?

When we last left Stan and Stef, they were taking their leave of the Loire Valley, the epitome of sublime.

Currently at Club Med Les Michès, Playa Esmeralda, in the Dominican Republic. This is a Thanksgiving family trip organized by Stef’s daughter and son-in-law (Rachel and Neil). Other attendees are Rachel’s kids (Olivia, Clark, Reese), and cousins Daniel and Cristi and their kids (Reid and Laurilee).

We got here just in time to avoid a cold snap in NYC. Here it’s typical tropics, temperatures hover in the 80s (humidity can make it feel like the 90s), sun followed by clouds, followed by downpour, then clearing, then more sun, more clouds, more rain. Right now the sun’s out.

This is my second Club Med experience (Stef’s eighth). All-inclusive: Lovely room, food & drink, sun, beach, sea, activities. Like all Club Meds (Clubs Med?), the official language is French, but many of the employees are Spanish speakers. I always tend to get it wrong: When I address someone in French, they respond in Spanish, and vice-versa.

You can spend your time doing anything (or nothing), and then stroll to the bar and get a glass of wine. Meals are buffet-style, lots of yummy choices, and it’s important to follow the advice of Clint Eastwood and know your limitations.

This is a change from the first Club Med, established in 1950 on the island of Majorca. It was intended to be low-priced summer colony of tents with shared “facilities” and no electricity. Followed by a second one on the island of Djerba in Tunisia. Now there are up to 80 resorts. They’ve moved away from the tent-colony concept, and now they have electricity (and indoor plumbing).

There are some organized group activities at pool-side, including water aerobics/dance/”hands-up,” etc.

There is a gym, with weights, weight machines, treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines. Also, spin classes, aerial yoga (where you hang from a sling from the ceiling–something like that). Good if you over-indulged at dinner the night before. Right now I’m inclined to take my book down to the beach and look for a spot of shade.

While so engaged, caught a rainbow:

One fly in the ointment (PUN INTENDED) was that they come through in late afternoon, at the beach, among the residences, etc., and spray a noxious fog. Ostensibly to kill mosquitoes, I imagine, but I wonder how many employees and guests may have succumbed to what clearly looks and smells toxic. No prior notice, by the way. I was sitting on our little back yard deck, minding my own business, and suddenly noticed that there was this cloud of carcinogenic miasma heading my way. Aaggggghhhhhh!!! Stef had already wisely closed the back door, and I had to knock and ask her to let me come in from the Death Dust. There wasn’t much hesitation on her part.

(I compare this with a previous vacation in Costa Rica, where the rancho residences had wide-open windows and no screens. But no mosquitoes either. Apparently the bats ate all of them (really and truly!). Why can’t the Dominicans just bring in some bats?)

(PostScript: It turns out they do have bats. There’s an area inside the main building that appears to be a lush indoor garden:

At night, in the dimness, you can see bats swooping and flying all over this area. Too bad they don’t choose to zoom over the entire resort.)

This morning, espresso on the veranda:

Followed by the gym. Wanted to take a walk on the hiking path, but forgot two things: (1) the path is also used by horses; (2) It rains a lot in the tropics.

So much for the walk. (I’ll refrain from putting in a visual of the equestrian effects.)

Tonight I will provide my subscribers, in closing, the much-awaited food porn. Last night’s dinner included an array of tuna tataki, breads and cheeses, and several kinds of fish available for grilling

The dessert display was, in a word, decadent.

We leave tomorrow. Back to Kennel Rations. : – (