Trip Report: Anguilla, Cap Juluca, and Cove Castles (May 2010)

Before I launch into the report, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on the travel forums (tripadvisor.com and anguillaforum.com). Our vacation was amazing, and it was in large part due to your advice and recommendations. We often found ourselves off the beaten path in places that I know we never would have been without your suggestions. I wish there was something more than “thanks” to communicate my appreciation in the virtual world, but that is all I know to do, so thank you very much!

And one last disclaimer before getting to the good stuff: With a background in the hospitality industry and as a self-admitted perfectionist, I tend to notice things that a normal guest would probably never be bothered by during their stay. I say this because I hate to communicate anything negative on such a positive forum, but at the same time I feel the need to be truthful about our experiences. At the end of the day, we absolutely loved Anguilla and hope to be become regulars, so please keep that in mind when reading any less than stellar experiences/comments. The trip was a little bumpy the first two days, but we fell in love by the end, just as you said we would.

Restaurant commentary won’t include much about service (unless it was especially noteworthy). This is because the service was too variable to fairly put down in print. We went several places more than once, and when that happened our service was generally night and day between the various visits. It’s all in who you get, I guess. So go for the food, and let the service be an after thought.

Arrival/Saturday

We had a late night Friday/early morning Saturday with last minute packing and plans. We went to sleep after 1:00am and were quickly greeted by the alarm at 3:30am to leave for the airport at 4:20am. Only excitement and adrenaline can get me up that early! An uneventful flight to Atlanta and then a three-hour layover before we boarded my best flight in over 15 years. We used Skymiles for free tickets in first class, which might have had something to do with it; we certainly felt spoiled with such a hospitable stewardess and champagne prior to take off. The lunch meal was a tasteless pasta alfredo (the flyertalk.com forum members describe the pasta as cardboard, which isn’t far off the mark), which made me glad we brought a few snacks from home on board. Thankfully we were able to catch a few zzz’s in the large chairs before landing in SXM.


We were pleasantly surprised at the SXM airport; the last time we flew to the Caribbean it was through SJU (which was a chaos that we hope to avoid in the future if at all possible) and this was a completely different experience. The large windows with sunlight pouring through and water views in the distance were such a welcoming sight. I wanted to get to Anguilla as soon as possible for our first time, so we booked tickets for the transfer with Anguilla Air Services run by Carl Thomas, which was $80 one-way per person plus airport fees. Our Atlanta flight arrived on time at 2:15pm. We picked up our bags and then Carl’s representative ushered us to the front of lines, checked our bags, and we were off to Anguilla on their 3:00pm flight with time to spare. My only concern in booking the tickets was that they are non-refundable, so I asked about their policy for delayed flights into SXM. Initially the office person reiterated that they were non-refundable, but they could try to get us on a later flight. Carl personally responded to the same email within minutes to say that the later flight was full but “we’ll get you to Anguilla” if delayed. So nice to know they would help us with a plan B if things were delayed stateside. The luggage policy was one bag per person up to 50 pounds, $20 each additional bag, but Carl offered to waive the extra bag fee since it was our first time. Again, such a kind thing to do.


The actual flight is eight minutes from take off to touch down. My husband said that it felt like a plane from Indiana Jones because of its size and age. I gripped his knee on take off and relaxed quickly once we were up the over the “mountain” in front of us on take off. It was a remarkably calm flight and the landing was smooth. We marveled at the beautiful skies and it was an excellent way to get our bearings as newcomers to Anguilla. We could see the entire island during flight and recognized properties from maps and online research. We’d definitely arrive this way again.




Once on the ground, there were only five of us going through customs, which was very quick. A Cap Juluca representative met us to get the next taxi. My thanks to an old forum post that recommended taking a taxi to your accommodations for your first visit and getting the rental car later. It was worth it to gawk out the window at the new surroundings and not worry about the drive-left learning curve and sight unseen streets. Our initial impression was surprise at the number of abandoned or unfinished properties and what appeared (from our culturally biased view) to be poverty-type conditions. Learning more later about the simplicity here and the fact that many residents do not take out mortgages and instead build in stages as they can, these images began to make more sense.

Cap Juluca First Impression

Our initial impressions of Cap Juluca were stunning. The friendly greeting, rum punch, tour of room (Carl and the young man he was training were fabulous), landscaping, and main building all made a positive impact.




Thanks to the forums and reviews, we knew not to expect the room to be in stellar shape after reading the word “tired” in several reports. This was true for us. I took a few pictures to show as examples, but we discovered our brand new memory card was defective after it was too late to go back and get new pictures. (Thank goodness we had two cameras, so at least one of us got a few shots of those first few days that I can show!) There were a few holes in the sheets (totally unacceptable for an establishment advertising itself as a 4-diamond AAA property), plumbing fixtures in need of attention, the bathroom wasn’t exceptionally clean (few hairs on floor especially near the toilet), a large rip/tear in the lounger, and a lot of ants. The ants were mostly around the sinks, 10+ each time we went into the bathroom; this got better during our last few days. We were upstairs in villa 8, luxury room #4.




Now for the positives: I absolutely loved all the natural sunlight in the bathroom and landscaping in the “solarium” on the other side of the glass. It was such a treat to see blue skies while getting ready each day, even while battling the pesky ants (few to be expected, but this many made it a consistent problem). Bed comfortable. View spectacular. Loved the louvered doors and ability to hear the ocean and let the breezes in.

At check-in we were told to use the lounge chairs in front of our villa. Once we got settled, we changed into our suits and headed down to the beach. No one was at the tent in front of our villa, even after we waited for awhile, so we went down to the next tent to get towels. At that point we didn’t know any of the policies, so we didn’t want to plop down on chairs that might belong to someone else. At the tent down the beach, the attendant would not help us and told us that we needed to go back in front of our villa and continue waiting until the other staff member returned. Thankfully a young man who also worked there overheard the exchange and offered hospitality to get us some towels. While he was gone, the missing attendant resurfaced. She handed us two towels, but was not friendly. All of the other occupied chairs had been fitted with a large towel liner underneath and they had each been given a cooler of water. The in-room notebook lists beach service as 9am - 6pm. Considering this was at 4:30pm, it just seemed a little odd to be given two towels and be on our own otherwise until the next day.

We did learn the next day that the in-room materials are out of date. The notebook mentioned attendants bringing things by the loungers at intervals throughout the day (such as fruit), but we were told this has been discontinued and they are now just serving the sorbet at 3:00pm. You can always put your flag down or walk up to the bar if you need anything during the day, but there are no longer set intervals of specific offerings. I have never been at a beach where people come by with anything other than drinks, so this wasn’t a problem for me. My concern was with the disconnect of their publications/collaterals setting expectations and then delivering something different. Do what you say, say what you do.

Saturday Evening

Off the soapbox and back to Saturday...we headed over to the main house before dinner to look at the library. (Varied collection, no need to bring books unless you have favorites.)


Before we left, we stopped to chat with the staff member who greeted us upon arrival. In the conversation she said she thought the island was boring. I explained that we welcome the slower pace and that it seems wonderful. “Not if you live here,” she said. I asked if she goes to St. Martin for trips if she is unhappy on the island. She said she goes for day trips but is afraid to go over for the whole weekend because the “thieves” on the island might break into her house. (What?!) I didn’t know quite how to respond to this statement. While I appreciate her candor, it did seem a bit out of place to say to a guest who has only been to the island for a few hours. As we walked toward dinner, I kept thinking in my mind, “Surely this isn’t the Anguilla I’ve been reading about!”

We took the path behind Pimm’s to Cove Bay and Smokey’s (thanks to the forum member who posted this tip). It was about a thirty-minute leisurely stroll that was a fitting reintroduction to paradise. Wear shoes, as some sections have rocks. It was a relaxing walk on a mostly deserted beach.

Smokey’s: I thought the jerk chicken was very tasty. My husband liked the ribs. We enjoyed our first two Tings, quite refreshing.

Ronnie Bryan met us at Smokey’s with our “car” that magically turned into a soft top jeep at no extra charge since he was out of cars. Ronnie is terrific! We got to chat for a bit and loved his pride of the country and his personable nature.


We headed back after dinner for an early bedtime - we were running on fumes without sleep. The turndown and complimentary champagne in the room were a lovely touch.

We both woke suddenly at 3:30am to a loud chirping bird. It was so loud that we were instantly grateful for the in-room ipod dock, since we were able to play white noise at a high enough decibel to drown it out and get back to sleep. My husband secretly feared the bird might be nocturnal and a permanent fixture at night. (This was not the case.) I’d take a chirping bird and interrupted sleep any night of the week if it means I am in such a blissful locale!

Sunday

During our stay, a tablecloth, pastries, box of fruit, and beverages were delivered each morning on the patio. What a wonderful way to start the day with breakfast and that amazing view in front of the room.

On our way down to the beach, the downstairs villa kitchen was open where they were preparing breakfast for other rooms. Surprised to see the advertised “fresh-squeezed” juices coming from a jug; however we were not close enough to read the label so it is quite possible they are buying the “fresh-squeezed juice” that is now being sold in stores and technically the description in their collaterals is correct. I’m probably just old school in assuming “fresh-squeezed” juices are squeezed fresh, but honestly the difference doesn’t matter to my taste buds, it just seemed noteworthy after the other discrepancies in the written materials. I still had to get through Sunday before my brain shut down and the tide shifted...

We spent most of the day at the beach, besides a trip to Gwen’s for lunch. At CJ, we had terribly slow service again in getting towels/set up and our attendant was not friendly, despite our southern attempts at conversation. Differences in service at our tent versus others continued; for example there were no refreshing towels for our section like we saw other attendants handing out halfway through day. And there was the complete absence of our attendant after 4:00pm. We broke the rules and moved down the beach chasing sun around 5:00pm and overheard a delightful exchange between guests and a friendly attendant down that way. Given the experiences we witnessed with other staff members, we began to realize that our experience was the exception and not the norm. (My husband made a joke at this point that we might not be staying in the right priced room.) With my background in hospitality, I was having a hard time with the uneven service.

We left during the day to head to Gwen’s for the scratch bands and stopped for gas on the way. My husband and a gentleman from the next pump are up at the window paying while the man’s son - who appeared 8 or 9 years old and all dressed up (presumably for church) - hid behind the pump, sporadically peaking my way in an informal peek-a-boo game. I catch his eye one time and say, “Hello!” and he smiles large before repeating the greeting and bashfully retreating to pump his dad’s gas. Such a precious, sweet young man!

Gwen's was a packed and happening place when we arrived!




We walked up but were not sure if we seat ourselves or wait (so new at this Anguilla vacation stuff). Ask. Told to sit anywhere. We have a seat and wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. Grateful for the fantastic reggae music, children playing in the water, and a fellow tourist we struck up conversation with to pass the time. At least 30 minutes goes by before someone takes our order for rum punch. The drinks arrive (tasty) and I ordered the BBQ chicken I’d read about online and asked if it came with the legendary pasta salad (yes). Over an hour after we initially sat down, someone came by to tell us they were out of BBQ chicken and ribs. We substituted with a chicken sandwich and shrimp. Meals came, but with no pasta salad. “We’re out.” Maybe they were just unexpectedly busy? We’ll be back, but we might not come back quite as hungry on arrival since the pace and availability were disappointing.

Back to CJ/Maundays Bay for a few hours. By the time we went upstairs to get ready for dinner, I was starting to have some doubts and was a bit discouraged. The majority of the people we were interacting with were not at all like I read online. I am so grateful for people like Ronnie Bryan who showed us Anguilla spirit and hospitality early on so we didn’t lose hope. We were missing the magical stay we had at Jumby Bay in 2004 and wondered if we had made a mistake.

We decide to have a casual dinner at Picante, which helped to save the day. On the drive, my husband pulled into Viceroy to take a look and oops - pulled into the wrong side of drive! So glad to make the drive-left mistake in their driveway and not on main road.


At Picante all the staff were friendly, hospitable and helpful. I ordered a mojito, and my husband was happy because they carry Maker’s Mark, a taste of home. The chorizo con queso was a flavorful start, seafood enchiladas - yummy, and churros - oh my! Even though we were not on the beach, the meal was a satisfying way to end the day.


By this time it was apparent that my husband needed aloe for sunburn, so we stopped by the CJ gift shop. Delightful woman inside. Maybe things are looking up. Closing entry for the day in my journal ends, “Still ants, but maybe no bird tonight?”

(Yes, he slept too.)

Monday

Ahh...paradise. That was my first thought on opening the door to our patio in the morning. We spent the day at CJ, such a beautiful beach. Stunning really. We could see storm clouds and rain in the distance near SXM, but somehow we escaped with only a few refreshing sprinkles. It was breezy and cloudy, but still a fantastic day. The service was not much different, but I no longer had the expectation that it would be, so it was not as disappointing. In the room, I set out the card to get the sheets replaced and they were, but the new sheets had holes too! And I give up.

Our travel agent gave us a gift certificate to enjoy two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts at Blue, CJ’s restaurant at lunch. Wow - the prices seemed high for lunch. Crab cake (good), raw vegetable basket (ok), lobster quesadillas (ok), crayfish (ok), ginger vanilla crème brûlée (decadent), and Grand Marnier ice cream (ok). The food was a mediocre lunch, but we did interact with some of the most hospitable employees we encountered while at CJ. 



Back to the beach. The water doesn’t cease to be breathtaking. Good book today (Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society), but yesterday’s book (Love the One Your With) was horribly written so skip that one in the library if you are there. Relaxing afternoon.

For dinner we went to Mango’s. Penny and others on the forum were right about the fresh seafood. The spiced Anguillan snapper was a highlight, fresh and delicious. Prompt service with an enchanting sunset view.


On our way back from dinner, as we pass by Sheriva, my husband makes a comment about how great it looks. “That is Pepper’s place,” I reply without thinking or missing a beat. (You may be strangers in real life, but your screen names come up in our conversations!) “Ask her if the salt pond always smells,” he says as we travel the access road to CJ from the main road. I cannot imagine it does since it was particularly strong while we were there.

We walked the beach after returning to CJ. Crystal stars in the sky. Beautiful. (My journal notes at this point read, “I need more adjectives.”) How many words can adequately describe such beauty? Music at Blue adds excitement to the air. For any early sleepers: it is loud, so you’ll be able to listen to the band instead of turning in, but it shuts down at 10:00pm.

At this point, I finally feel like vacation mode has set in. It was just a fantastic day. One of the best vacation days I can remember during our travels.

Tuesday

The tide is shifting and the charm of Anguilla is starting to show. We had Daffy’s lime green parrot befriend us at breakfast. He was not shy at all in seeking some treats to start his day!



After breakfast and a walk on the beach, we spent the morning at Maundays Bay with the simply gorgeous and gentle blue green water.


My husband likes diving down in the water looking for treasures in the sand bed of tiny shells and broken bits of coral. One question for our next trip: Can people take beach shells home as souvenirs or is this illegal in Anguilla?

Uneven hospitality and service persists, but we are resolved at this point. Ants are improved, but still present with us. I expect some live guests sharing our quarters while in a tropical locale, but it is refreshing to now walk in the bathroom and not see them swarming the counter or sinks, just in sporadic places during the day.

For lunch we headed over to Trattoria Tramonto. This was one of our favorite meals. We loved the scenic beach view and Magda shared her smile, friendliness and warmth that we’d heard to expect on the island. Thoroughly enjoyed the lime prosecco, Parmesan salad with a variety of mixed greens and vegetables, cream based chicken and prosciutto chowder, and then we split the lobster ravioli with white truffle cream sauce that the chef was generous to make it even though it is on the dinner menu. What a delicious meal!





On to Malli to take a look around. We didn’t go into the rooms, but some of the landscaping and outdoor furniture and surroundings seemed a tad tired, but there was a very picturesque view.

Back to CJ. Afternoon similar to the morning except that my husband went water skiing. More clouds but still an exquisite day.


We get ready for dinner and decide to head to the Viceroy for drinks first. All I keep wondering as we pass through the entrance and walk around the common areas, poolside, and bar is, “What was their bill for all the stone?” Extravagant.





Truly magnificent views with the rocks and water. I was able to snap some of my favorite shots of my husband on the spiral stairs at the top of the cliff while the sun was setting. If you are a looking for a photo location, it is a good one.

The infinity pool is astounding. I’m not one to spend a lot of time in pools while in the Caribbean (no time, actually) but maybe that is because the two I’ve had access to during our stays (one at CJ and one at Jumby pre-renovation) looked similar to the pool at the YMCA back home. The pool at Viceroy looks like art. Speaking of, my husband was admiring the art at the resort, the wooden sculptures especially.

We sat at the large bar. Guests at the bar are given an assortment of bar snacks (olives, tortilla chips, and mixed nuts) in a metal tiered dish. The drink menu contains a whole paragraph about the bartenders appreciating the craft of building cocktails from scratch and to give them time to do so. This sounded right up my alley, so I ordered the Florodora, described as “hand pressed” berries, gin, housemade honey or ginger syrup (can’t remember which), and citrus juices, all “shaken” and topped with ginger ale. You can imagine my surprise when the bartender (who is not new based on our chit chat) forgets (or never learned) how to make the drink with the advertised ingredients/method. She asked a woman next to her who rattled something off about the berries and gin before walking away. Now instead of looking at one of two menus in front of her, she throws berries, gin, and something from a store bought bottle (that I can’t read the label on) into a Vita-Mix blender, pulses a few times and dumps half of the mixture in a glass and tops it with champagne. (?) At this point, I ask about the ginger ale and she graciously admits she started making the Florodora, but then forgot and ended by making a different drink on the menu. I start to go with it, have a taste, but gin and champagne do not make a good bar combination, friends. She says, “If you don’t like it, tell me, I’ll make you another.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, “but the gin and champagne do not taste well together.” She turns around, dumps what is left in the VitaMix into a glass and tops it with ginger ale. And this may be one example of the less than par service I’ve read about at the Viceroy. I was only expecting to get what I ordered, and the drink is described on the menus scattered throughout the bar, so it all seemed a bit strange. That said, I had fun watching the sunset with my unique drink concoction, and then we headed for Veya.

At Veya we savored shrimp cigars (oh my!), complimentary roasted red pepper soup, a snapper special and chicken entree - all with accompaniments, sauces, and flavors too complex to recall but each bite was a delight for the senses, especially if you love food. Sadly we were too stuffed for dessert. In my journal I write, “I feel like someone needs to cart me away to exercise camp after our meals today. I was hoping our morning strolls might offset the vacation caloric damage, but I don’t think that will be the case. As long as we can keep fitting into our clothes, I’m going with it, but will become chained to the cardio machine once back home.”

After dinner we suspend our decision to unplug from technology for the week, since our curiosity regarding one of the last few episodes of Lost gets the better of us. The evening ends with light packing since are switching locations in the morning. While I am glad we are going to check out another set of accommodations on our first visit, I probably won’t repeat the switch on future trips. There was something about packing that made the reality of our days passing a little closer to home; I would prefer to be in denial as long as possible the next time.

Wednesday

While it may be a relief for those still reading, sadly I stopped journaling much about our trip except for keywords and prices at this point. The days were growing shorter in my mind and I wasn’t interested in chronicling our experiences at the end of the day when I could be sitting in a comfy hammock listening to the waves on the back patio at Cove Castles. But I am jumping ahead of myself slightly...

Wednesday we spent the morning at Cap Juluca, taking in Maundays Bay for the last time this year.


After checking out (sadly), we had lunch at Trattoria Tramonto before checking in at Cove Castles. Linda and Harriet welcomed us and said they had talked to Penny earlier in the week about our stay. I explain how wonderful Penny has been in helping us with two memorable trips and they all seem to light up when referencing her. We stayed in the first beach house you get to when driving from the entrance. It truly is like having an entire villa to yourself. I was amazed and impressed with the housekeeping. As I mentioned previously, I can be a perfectionist, especially about cleanliness. The housekeeping at Cove Castles was extraordinary. The beach house is spacious, with a large back patio complete with hammock. There were complimentary provisions and champagne in the refrigerator upon arrival.






Sadly the ants were on the scene here too, but smaller than the ones at Cap Juluca. I am told this is extremely rare and not normal. Our first day, there were more of them than we could count in the closets and on the rattan bureau, and a few in the bathroom. We let the staff know and by the end of our stay we only saw them sporadically.

The trade winds coming in and the view out of the upstairs bedroom were magnificent. The sheets on the bed were soft and beautiful with detailed stitching. The only thing that I would say that isn’t glowing would that we found the bed to be very firm and uncomfortable since we could feel the springs in several places. Mattresses are such an individual thing, and each unit may have different mattresses.



Since Cove Castles was built over 25 years ago, there are some things that are showing minor wear (cushions on the downstairs furniture in our unit had a lot of pills, screen door was a bit warped and kept coming off, stains on upstairs curtains), but considering the overall experience, view, and privacy, I wouldn’t let any of those details deter you from booking. It was truly breathtaking. I have never stayed anywhere that was this close to the water. Complete bliss.

We spent so much time reading in the hammock and listening to the waves, that we decided to have a quicker, more casual dinner. We ended up back at Picante. There was a third grade class having their end of the year party there, it was a true delight to watch the children’s jubilation during their meal.

Thursday

On Thursday morning we stopped by Geraud’s and bought two pastries. We took them back home and with the fresh fruit that Cove Castles provided, we had a superb breakfast of kiwi, strawberries, banana, and croissants. We explored the island during the day, stopping for lunch at E’s Oven and coveted art at Savannah Gallery (we enjoyed learning about the island from the owner). The beach was deserted back at Cove Castles that afternoon. Later in the day we met what seemed to be the only other couple there. They were owners of a beach house and simply charming - they even invited us over for drinks later in the week, but Saturday sadly came too soon. For dinner we went back to Veya. We couldn’t miss having those shrimp cigars again, and then we split an entree for a lighter dinner. My husband was craving one more order of churros on the way home, so we made a quick stop at Picante to grab a bag before heading back to CC.

Friday

Le Bon Pain!! Le Bon Pain!! Why oh why did we wait until our last day to go to this bakery?! AMAZING pastries. Best chocolate croissant I have ever had. After Fabrice’s closed near Seaside, Florida, I was afraid I would never find such a marvelous pairing of rich chocolate, flaky exterior, and warm bread goodness. But my breakfast on Friday trumped it and put my fears to rest. Two chocolate croissants in one day. That’s how delectable they were.


We went looking for Junior briefly on a Shoal Bay East stroll, but decided to bookmark snorkeling for our next trip since he was out, and headed to DaVida instead.



We spent a sublime day lounging at Crocus Bay. We had a snapper and burger for lunch, drinks on the beach, and a snack of flavorful jerk fries toward the end of the afternoon. One of my favorite parts of the day was witnessing a local gentleman leave his humble abode, row out to a fishing boat, take the boat out briefly, row back in with his catch, wash it on shore, filet it next to his boat, and go on to prepare his meal. Such beauty in witnessing the routine of a fisherman.

We ended the day back at Cove Castles walking the beach and lounging in the hammock at sunset before heading to Luna Rosa.

Saturday

Never have I been so sad to see a weekend arrive, since Saturday morning meant we had to pack up and end our magical vacation. Before we checked out, I took a morning stroll on the beach and forgot the courtesy of letting my spouse know before I stepped out on my way. (I was supposed to be reading in the hammock, but I can only listen to the waves beckoning for so long before getting up!) It was the perfect storm of little details - the clothes I had been using most of the week were packed, so I reached for a hat and cover up that I hadn’t used all week. I did make sure I stayed in view of the beach house, but unfortunately my fashion choices meant that when my husband came downstairs to an empty patio and looked down the beach, all he saw was a woman he didn’t recognize in the distance. He tells the story with scripts from Dateline playing in his head and being on the precipice of panic. A learn-from-my-faux-pas note to spouses: don’t walk off in a foreign country without saying something to your spouse. It’ll make your last morning a little smoother!

Departure

We reluctantly checked out and headed for Blowing Point to get a ferry to SXM. We had plenty of time to spare at this point and made reservations with GB Express. The only hiccup was that they ended up running late, so I become a little nervous as the clock ticked and we could have caught two public ferries in the meantime. They were cordial and the boat ride was uneventful once we departed. SXM was an absolute nightmare getting through the passport/security line upstairs. We got in the line before 2:00pm as instructed at the airline counter for a 3:25pm flight and waited for over an hour to get to the front. The line zigzagged in the large area and flowed all the way down the stairs. They only had two personnel checking passports. Once through that check point, things proceeded much faster. At one point a couple was worried they were going to miss their flight (it was boarding over the speakers). The wife went to the front of the line to inquire about getting through for this reason and was denied. The clock kept ticking and we all encouraged both of them to go to the front and try again. They didn’t return so they must have been successful!

Once in the terminal, we decided to stop by the duty free shop and purchased four bottles of liquor - three bottles with clear liquids and one bourbon. (You know where this is going, right?) They sealed them up in bubble wrap and a hand held box and told us we could carry them on the flight. No worries.

Before boarding, we bought two Tings to enjoy in a mixed beverage during the flight. And this is where things went awry. My sweet husband momentarily forgot it was soda, and to get the grapefruit to mix through the drink, he shook it a little with his thumb over top. It sprayed EVERYWHERE!!! The ceiling, our heads, and (slightly) the chairs of passengers in front and behind us. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear! It was so embarrassing. I am afraid of heights, but if there was a trap door under my seat and a parachute, I might have taken that option. We got it all cleaned up (thankfully it sprayed more on us than anyone else). Then, a few hours later, he got up to go to the bathroom and knocked an open bottle of water over - it dumped in my seat faster than I could react and I was in a puddle of water instantaneously. (Maybe his nerves were still rattled from the morning?!) Thankfully I had packed an extra cotton skirt in my carry on bag - so I was able to change in the bathroom.

When we landed in Atlanta, we had to go through customs and then they made us go through security again so we learned we couldn't carry the duty free alcohol on the final leg of our flights. It all happened so fast and we had a tight layover, so we were not thinking clearly. We went with the first thing that came in our mind, which was to make room for it in our luggage, instead of checking it “as is” in the box. And we made room so quickly we didn’t pay attention to what was in the suitcase we picked. Well, as you may have guessed, when we unloaded the bags we smelled bourbon immediately. All three clear liquid bottles were just perfect, but the bourbon had managed to land with our nicer clothes and not with our swimsuits and other casual clothes. I’ve tried several stain fighters to no avail, so if you have any bourbon stain advice, I’m all ears. What a day with beverages!! We can’t help but chuckle when we look back on it all now.

And today we are back home with some amazing memories and the yearning to go back as soon as possible. We loved it!