Paradise…Fading Fast

Lester sent his son, Javon, to pick us up, as promised, in his Jeep with its cream leather interior and doors that opened and closed themselves on the press of a button. We were to stop off at the supermarket to pick up supplies for the oil-down he had promised to cook for us.

Javon recommended a cream for me to use to repel the mosquitoes so I bought this in the chemist next to where we picked up supplies and then we were off up the winding road, then around the golf course to Lester’s house. Javon had to go back out as he couldn’t get bread fruit in two of the shops he tried.

The first thing we notice is Lester’s swimming pool, a lovely deep pool, which looks very inviting, set in a wooden decking which juts out from the side of the property overlooking the golf course. Just the right spot. It was great to see him…..he hasn’t changed in the last seven years since our last visit. Perhaps a little more grey in his beard.

His dogs have changed though, he now has two labradors, one black and one chocolate. They are very big and friendly and come to greet us as soon as we leave the car.

Lester takes us around his property showing us the alterations he’s done since our last visit. The furniture, which was on the terrace in 2014 is now gone, Lester told us the termites got them!

We reminisced about our last visit.

But, the biggest change to the property was the installation of the infinity pool, it is hot and I want to take a swim but don’t have my swimming costume with me so I borrowed a pair of swim shorts from one of the lads, kept my bra on and went for a dip.

Couldn’t resist ! The water was very cold and just what I need to cool down.

Javon came back with bread fruit and Lester and his sons set about preparing everything needed for the oil-down starting with the meat; chicken, beef and pork. All this went into the pressure cooker whilst the veggies were prepared. I helped by peeling the sweet potatoes. Meat cooked, it was then transferred into a very large pan on top of the stove and everything else went into the pan including several tins of coconut milk and dumplings which Lester knocked up very quickly. Lid on, low light and wait….

Lester had invited some of his staff up to the house to share in the meal so we sat chatting whilst the smell from the pan started to permeate the whole kitchen.

Meal cooked….. tuck in…..

Oil-down when cooked doesn’t look great, it’s a grey looking stodge to be honest but the taste is sooooooo GOOD!

It’s getting late in the afternoon as we head back to True Blue with Lester at the wheel, he promises he’ll bring Rotis tomorrow for lunch for us.

The week flies by, I hang out at the pool with Kate, Mary and Mary Ann then eat lunch in our pod or at the Dodgy Dock. Usually if we eat one meal in our pod we have the other at the Dodgy Dock. The afternoons are spent mostly in the pool and Mike joins us eventually.

It’s the best place, the water is lovely and warm and you can sit in the shadows out of the sun and chat to your hearts content until your fingers go wrinkly and your fingernails turn white and super clean!

I’ve got myself a new cocktail to drink as the coconut cream for the Pina Colada’s didn’t materialise….. Mudslide is just as yummy with rum and chocolate…. You can pick one up at the Decompression Chamber….. What’s not to like…

This morning had to complete the passenger locator form for our return home which took me ages, very frustrating as I couldn’t download the proof of our COVID vaccination into the form. We will have to show this at the airport. But as I said at the beginning of this blog today, home tomorrow.

I’ve loved being here at True Blue resort. The whole resort appears to have been carefully planned… right down to the art work you find all over the site.

In the first week Mike was offered and accepted coconut straight from the tree as the staff here were trimming the trees, removing branches and cutting down coconuts before they fell on someone’s head!

The site has banana, plantain trees or both (I can’t tell the difference) and some lovely flowering shrubs. We came across a medium size iguana today by the Decompression Chamber. It was about 2 feet long but up until today had only seen the very small ones.

Early, most mornings you can spot a hummingbird in the shrubs facing our pod and throughout the day small birds flit across the pool area, none of which I’ve been able to identify. The site has got some steep paths so if you have mobility problems you may need help getting around but this is also at hand and we have seen our USA friends being driven on a small buggy.

Oh well, it’s time to pack!

It’s Saturday and we are sitting at the Dodgy Dock, having said farewell to our American friends, who we swopped email addresses with.

I’ve just ordered my last Mudslide. It’s probably an hour before lunch but a Mudslide will tide me over, it is very filling. The sea is aqua marine, buoys can be seen marking the route all boats need to take out of the bay to make a safe journey away from the rocks. The three catamaran are still here in the bay along with two small boats, fluffy clouds are blown across our vision and the breeze comes up from the ocean.

Jennifer Lopez is now playing and a couple of young ladies come in with an absolutely beautiful golden retriever, we learned his name is McGee. Mike asks permission to take a picture. I asked how the dog came to be here. His owner is at university here training as a veterinarian and her dog was brought over on a special flight, it is to be registered as a therapy dog.

A Frigate bird chases a gull across the bay, probably for whatever the gull was carrying in its beak. The gull gets away. I had breakfast early in our pod so I now order Caesar salad with shrimp, Mike had breakfast here not too long ago so isn’t ordering.

Staff members line up to say goodbye

Taxi came, we say goodbye to the staff who have come out to wave us off.  We are dropped off at the airport and as airports go it’s very small.  The last time we travelled from this airport we travelled with Virgin and that time we went straight through to the Virgin passenger lounge where our bags were checked in and taken away and we enjoyed free drinks and food before boarding.  This time is a little different.  I had a bit of a panic….where did I store my Passenger Locator form and proof of  Vaccination!

Panic over, found on my iPad….

Bags checked in we move through to Customs where we remove our shoes (only shoes with heels had to be removed at UK airport) Mike practically stripping as he also removes his belt and light jacket.   No problem!  They did let Mike sit and drink his can of coke before hand.  

Once through we can at last sit down and chill…….but no….. we have EC money to get rid off so we call in at one of the shops selling souvenirs.  Money spent we can sit down …..but  no….by now I am desperate to use the restroom……. It’s a bit like a school toilet with three stalls, doors a foot off the floor and a little taller than me.  The toilet flushes itself though which I think is very neat.  ( haven’t got out much recently so easily impressed).

We wait…..and wait…..and wait…..to board the plane. Then, having been told they were running a little late, we wait some more.  Half an hour after our plane was due to fly out we are invited to board,  chocks away!…….

Ah gone!

Katie Crunch