|
|
Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
| CTR Homepage | Island Index | Search |
Trip: November 28 thru December 3 , 2000 Just last February, Lenny blew us from our long anticipated visit to Anguilla and Cap Juluca so it was with great anticipation that we had the opportunity to change some plans from a routine stay on St. Thomas to a 5-night stay at CuisinArt. although the most complicated part of the trip was changing those airline tickets, AA was more than cooperative and the task was accomplished including AA booking us from Anguilla to our original destination, St. Thomas via Liat at the conclusion of our stay! We arrived safe and sound flying from EWR through SJU and onto Anguilla. I did notice that there were a few unhappy passengers who seem to have been separated from their luggage on arrival in AXA but ours made it safe and sound. We were warmly greeted at the airport and wisked to the awaiting taxi. It was a treat seeing all those places that I had been hearing about on the puter and it was very comfy being able to ask questions and have some knowledge despite this being our first trip to Anguilla. The driver continually apologized for the "dusty" arrival as we were diverted from the main road due to road construction. Arriving at the hotel with the driver amazed we wanted the windows down and the a/c off the warm, friendly greeting, the customary welcome drink during check in and a short tour of the resort before going to our junior suite were all as warm and friendly as expected. I usually forgo all the "pleasantries": of arrivals choosing to head directly to the beach, but I just drank in the wonderful surrounds! CuisinArt is lovely ... no question about it! Rising from the land just like the villas on the Greek isles, it is a wonderful site. As you drive down the approach road, it sits there before you with the backdrop of St. Martin and as you pull into the resort not only the very unusual sight of a greenhouse but a wonderfully manicured property with hundreds and hundreds of flowers in beautiful gardens welcoming you! Each villa, designed and named after a Greek village, contains 6 junior suites, 1 luxury junior suite and 1 one-bedroom suite with a private sunning area. Three stories high, beach front with balconies all taking in a wonderful sea view, stunningly white with the sea in the background as contrast, and a warm reception was exactly what I expected and received. Escorted to the room, after a quick "tour" of the facility, (after all, I wanted to get to the beach), it was with a sinking heart that I read that the property was managed by RockResorts. After our disastrous experience with the "new" RockResorts at Jumby Bay, I was concerned! Fortunately, overall, I was pleasantly surprised that CuisinArt had a wee bit more of its act together than did Jumby when we were there. Definitely the strong point at CuisinArt is the STAFF. Genuinely warm, friendly and certainly eager to please describes the wonderful crew working there! But then, that described most of the people - and all of the Islanders - that we met on Anguilla. It was lovely! Escorted to our room, our first chore was to open those wonderful doors and let the breezes in and TURN OFF THE A/C!! (Something that we had to do each and every time staff visited the room when we weren't there!!) Again I just stood on the balcony and marveled at the beach, the surrounds, the view of St. Martin ... I was really finally on Anguilla! A wonderfully large room, very pretty and decorated with the blue and yellow theme that transcends anything and everything at CuisinArt. But, why would one have a window in the side of the room and not have it open and then cover it with heavy drapery. I am resolved that I am not of the "new" school of architecture that enjoys beauty but not necessarily function! The bath was marble everywhere, the Roman tub abutted a glass-block wall and there were no windows nor ventilation there so if the a/c was off, it did get a bit stuffy! I also felt that the rooms were very Spartan with not a lounge chair and only a very uncomfortable futon to sit on. And, surprisingly there is no light appropriate for reading. That was resolved by the staff happily procuring a clip-on-light and having it put on the tall floor lamp! I cannot believe that in the one year that CuisinArt has been open, no one else reads a book at night. But then, they do put the channel surfer on the bed at turn down time! Not what I do! The bottles of water were replaced when needed (both still and sparkling provided) and the bar was "stocked" after completing a choice list! They really should update the pricelist in the rooms as it did lead to some confusion at checkout! The air conditioning - I don't go to the Caribb to be cold ... and guessing the islanders never quite figured that out! The resort certainly was not built to take advantage of the breezes - or at least the breezes when we were there. We were glad to not have gotten one of the center or middle rooms, as someone had recommended, as we at least had a glorious two-sided view from the balcony. The solid wall that was the remaining side was not something that I would want on both sides to block any air!! But, I digress! Concerned about the lack of coffee pot, after all this is CuisinArt - the makers of every kitchen gizmo known to mankind!, we were reassured that staff is available from 6:30 am for coffee service and that the complimentary breakfast tag need only be hung on the door. Each morning, my dh would go down to the small kitchen and ask that a pot of coffee be brought up from the small tended kitchette in each villa at 6:30 - gotta have that early morn caffeine. Not sure why he did not request that it be done so he didn't have that early morn trek but it did give me a few minutes to savor the early sun as it rose above the horizon. But no sunrises right out of the water nor sunsets here due to land blocking the "view," but a beautiful Rendezvous Bay - abeit it was a bit windy some days but never so uncomfortable that one had to leave! I did not do the early morn prebreakfast swim that I pride myself in due to the "chilly" weather! But it was great luxuriating and having breakfast brought promptly and served with such warmth and friendliness. The Beach Staff were wonderful! Bottled water, sorbet in the afternoon and those cooling towels. I requested my heated since it was chilly and passed on the towels! I was disappointed with the roughness of the water at CuisinArt but later learned, when arriving on STT, that most of the Caribb was having the same wind and "choppy conditions" (and stronger than the "normal" Christmas winds there) so it was not necessarily a characteristic of the CuisinArt Beach at all times. The last few days the water was calm and the wind had settled a bit but it never blew hard enough to not put up the umbrellas for those seeking shade. The water remained cool the entire time not only at CuisinArt but island wide and with those great beaches, it was amazing not too see more people in the water and swimming anywhere on the island! Our arrival night we planned to dine at CuisinArt. After all, after a day of travel, it was easier and would give us a chance to get our bearings. Alas! It was buffet night so I dragged out all the information and had to choose restaurants before we were barely settled in! We spoke with the desk and found that Oliver's was nearby and they arranged a taxi for us. Thankfully! If I were driving down that unimproved road to Oliver's, surely I would have turned round figuring I was lost forever! Little did I realize this was only an introduction to driving on Anguilla. Oliver's, since it was dark, had a limited view but again we found that warmest reception. Having always scorned "crawfish" in the past, I decided to take the plunge here since it came so highly recommended. It was okay ... grilled it was a little on the dry side. Didn't see what everyone raves about ... but then it was the thing to do! DH had a steak and the sauce was fabulous - I don't eat red meat but was tempted by the smell and texture of the sauce. Steak had to go back once - still a bit too raw (not rare!) And returned perfectly done. But the coconut pie is to die for! Gosh! That was good! And no sharing of how to do it either, I asked! Our first day was spent deciding whether to take the ferry to St. Barth's on Thursday (one "yea" and one "nay") but finding that we would leave at 8:30 and return at 4:30, we decided lunch at Carl Gustof would wait until another time. Beaching it was just the relaxation that we needed. Again beach staff accommodating with water, sorbet in the afternoon and I passed on the "cooling towels" as I wanted one that was warmed. Yes, the Christmas winds were there early! We lunched at the Hydroponic Café and the view was awesome. A lovely small casual spot at the top of the Spa was perfect - although the wind really kicked up there! We opted to order off the menu rather than the "buffet" and had lovely sandwiches and a waiter who even took back my flowered tea and replaced it with <gasp> Lipton. Why can't hotels/resorts/restaurants have wonderful tea and they insist that everyone loves these herbal things that are reminiscent of Kool-Aid (and I hated that!). I would love to have a good tea steeped and served as it deserved to be! That's why I carry my own and my own tea ball but it should be available! CuisinArt staff was very accommodating when requesting to replace the "flower tea" but they only had Lipton as an option!! Now, it gets a bit hazy here which day we did what but the majority of our time was spent luxuriating on that wonderful beach, renting a car to "tour" and explore and anticipating or discussing the dinner choices! Dinner choices were difficult since I had read so much and had so many recommendations. After all, we only had 4 more places to choose and there were so many. Our second night was dinner at CuisinArt. Rather disappointing but again the lovely staff more than compensated for the lack of "oh wows!" The rather disappointing bouillabaisse was certainly lackluster and missed the bouquet of smells and tastes characteristic of that wonderful dish. In fact, I was wondering if it was the same recipe that they used at Jumby Bay - and I found it just as unappetizing there. My dh went for the vegetarian platter which for an inflated $45, brought you a lovely presentation of an assortment of treats that might have been better suited as an appetizer samplings. The "souffle," my absolute favorite dessert, was to be prepared in only 20 minutes so I did not expect the quality of a "real" souffle and indeed it was a nice warm chocolate pudding consistency and not the wonderful souffle that I thought that they would have mastered! But knowing that it could be done in 20-minutes since I asked, I really didn't expect much! And I wasn't too disappointed. I prefer dining beachfront or on the water but since the wind can be a factor at Rendezvous, CuisinArt has their restaurants in the more protected central courtyard of the hotel. It certainly made an interesting view as the darkness fell and the silhouettes behind those glass blocks that face the dining room could have make for an alternate entertainment!! I sure left the bathroom lights off after that!! Another highly recommended restaurant was Mango's. Not knowing that the owner, David, is known for his unhappy moments and is not always a plus to the restaurant, we arrived anticipating a lovely evening. When escorted to a table next to the kitchen door, we requested another and were told that it was the "best" in the place. Opting for second best or worse, we were unhappily escorted to an alternate one. Although the food was good, it was not outstanding! I did try Trigger Fish (an island speciality I was told by the server who said it could be grilled or sauteed) but then I was disdainfully informed, when ordering with David, that Trigger Fish is "never" grilled. It was different and interesting but nothing spectacular!! And the wait staff could not have been more pleasant. I would not recommend nor return only because of the continued lack of attention to detail that would have enhanced our dining and the unexplained unnecessary very long wait for a bill without as much as an offer for coffee refills! To say nothing about the "attitude" that we got when presented with a bill on which everyone but him thought the 0's looked like 8's. Here the owner and his "attitude" do nothing to contribute and only detract from the setting. Maybe he was happier back in NJ making bagels and some say his wife "tempers" his attitude. Or maybe he is just angry that he didn't include a clause that the Blanchard's could not open up nearby when they parted company! I don't know - but he needs some serious limin' time!! But we won't be back to find out and I am sure the way people were flocking in, we won't be missed. I wonder if they enjoy the insolence. I can stay home in the Garden State and have that every day!! The highlight of my dining was Straw Hat. Wonderful! Pleasant setting on the water with fish sometimes gathering beneath and the lights twinkling in the background of St. Martin. From the wonderful warm greeting, a wonderful salad, great entrees (shrimps and a chicken dishes), to the grand finale of ginger creme bruille, everything was superior. A definite MUST on the list and one that often appears as an "also" ran!! I was thrilled that we found it! Saving the "best" for last, or so I thought, we decided Blanchard's would be our final night. A warm welcome, a lovely table on the porch in the garden and we started strong. Then a glance at the menu. I didn't realize that the attraction is the "trendy" fusion Pacific Rim influence! And that is far from my favorite trends in dining. So, I opted for the mahi mahi and it was done perfectly but "very mild" meant no enhancements so it was not very exciting! My dh opted for the ya ya gumbo on the menu "by popular request" and he stated it was "good." However the portion is better suited for appetizer portion. We opted to pass on the book and the social scene - thinking maybe the island should be renamed St. Blanchard's - and did try the coconut ice cream in the chocolate coconut shell - not a wonderful presentation. The most offsetting here was the burning or heavy smell of incense or some aroma. I love to smell food and the cloying smell of whatever they were using - maybe to chase the bugs away? - overpowered smell, taste and all the senses. It chased me away because it cause incessant sneezing!! Over all, I wished we had opted for dinner at Pimm's and Malliouhana as the lunches there were to die for. Absolute perfect service, wonderful accompaniments, wonderful staff, magnificent views and outstanding selections for lunch. So those will be MUSTS on the list next time and we will skip some of those who are living by "reputation" only. We rented the car and experienced the trials and tribulations of driving on Anguilla. Thankfully the islanders were all friendly and wonderful about helping when one gets "lost." And it seemed awfully easy to do given that the main road was frequently closed due to some road work and "diversions." And no signs!! It was good to see the familiar and find some not-so-familiar spots and beaches. And thankfully, I had a small command of Spanish as one man we asked for directions only spoke Spanish!! But he got us going in the right direction!! We spent a morning on Shoal Bay and did the "right thing" by renting chairs and umbrellas from Pressure King but moved way down the beach to be away from the music and frivolity at Uncle Ernie's. Unfortunately a very large loud group, who I believe were staying in the condos there, decided to party hardy Epilogue In the above article, I mention a stay at Jumby Bay. It was just brought to my attention that it could be misread that RockResorts continue to manage Jumby when, in fact, it was February 1999 that we were at Jumby. It is my understanding that Elegant Resorts now manages it and I have read several delightful reviews and heard from people who have stayed there that it is delightful now under their management! I wish that you would amend or add this to the report so to avoid any misunderstanding.
"Before you leave, you must see our amber coast!" Mercedes, our hotel information officer remarked after I told her that I had only a few days of my vacation left. Taking her advice, I asked around and found that the easiest way to explore the Dominican Republic's tourist coast was to take an all day tour to the east of Puerto Plata. By 9 A.M. the next morning, after the tour bus had gathered 32 members of our group, we began our journey. The lush countryside, dotted with sugarcane fields, was a picture postcard of beauty. I was enjoying the greenery when our guide, Matthew, exclaimed, "Look! Before you is the Sand Castle Beach Resort Hotel - one of the most beautiful hotels in the Dominican Republic." I glanced up as we passed through Puerto Chiquito on the outskirts of Sosúa. Before us was an enchanting sight - a massive complex of domes and other oriental features. Its noticeable magnificence captivated a good number of our group. Even though I had seen it a few days before, its Thousand and One Nights architecture still thrilled me. After collecting another ten passengers - all French Canadians - we stopped to view Sosúa's main beach with it clear blue waters lapping soft white sands, then continued on our journey eastward. Sugarcane fields, the main agricultural product of the country, were everywhere. Matthew said that about 90% of the sugarcane cutters were Haitians who earn one or two dollars for 12 hours of back- breaking work. Dominicans, whose per capita income is less than $1000. a year, disdain this toil. The landlords who, like the city affluent pay no taxes, import Haitian labourers and pay them measly wages in order to add to their ever-increasing wealth. In Cabarete, which Matthew called the windsurfing capital of the world, we left the bus to take a walk in this clean North American looking town. Unlike the mostly litter-strewn Dominican urban centres, it was a pleasure to stroll its garbage-free streets. Strange as it may seem, to many Dominicans, the refuse which annoys the tourists to no end does not appear to be a burning issue. "Our wide-spread poverty, near 30% unemployed, and from 20% to 30% illiteracy are more important problems to solve, than collecting garbage." A university student whom I met in Puerto Plata, responded when I asked him, "Why doesn't the city clean the refuse piled high on the streets?" On the other hand, the situation is improving. Tourism brings in most of the foreign exchange and the resort areas in the country are now much cleaner than a decade ago. There was not much communication between our group as we strolled the streets. We were all Canadians, but only five of us were English- speaking. The majority of the French-Canadians talked and joked among themselves. It seemed strange. We were from the same country yet as if we were from different lands. Eastward from Cabarete, we traversed a thick jungle-like landscape sprinkled with fruit plantations. "The countryside is similar to that in Vietnam. This is why the movie `Rambo' was filmed here." Matthew proudly announced as we left Gaspar-Hermandez, a typical Dominican town, behind. A few miles further on, I was enjoying the scenic tree-covered hills when a ashen-faced woman rushed to the front, announcing that she was terribly sick. She wanted a taxi to take her back to her hotel in Playa Dorado. Without hesitation, our driver, Nelson, turned and drove back to a taxi stand on the edge of Gaspar. Matthew bargained with a smiling driver who, for a fee, agreed to drive the young lady quickly back to her hotel. However, as we turned, Nelson noted that the driver was taking on other passengers. Angrily, he stopped the bus. "Have you forgotten our agreement?" The taxi driver shyly excused himself and told his new passengers to leave the cab. Like many Dominicans who, on the whole, are friendly to tourists, Nelson, did not want his people to take advantage of visitors. Past Río San Juan, we stopped at Playa Grande - the destination of many tourist tours. Here, we spent two hours romping in the huge ocean waves and fending off numerous beach vendors accosting tourists on the powdery white sands. There were no tourist amenities - for washrooms, we had access to the edging thick shrubs. Hungry after our water frolicking, we feasted on a Dominican meal at the nearby Grillo Playa Grande Restaurant, before returning to Río San Juan. In this seaside town, we took a 30 minute boat ride through the mangrove edged Gri-Gri Lagoon, then sailed the open ocean to a cave where swallows come to breed. After a dip in a pool, formed by the surrounding cliffs, we travelled back for half an hour, then stopped at a fruit plantation. Juan, the proprietor took us under his wing. He had made most of his money by taking a never-ending stream of tourists around his farm filled with banana, cacao, coconut, lime, orange, passion fruit and pineapple trees. It appeared that the smiling Juan was enjoying his work as he clowned and entertained us. At the end of the tour he offered us samples of his fruits, putting us in the mood to buy some handicraft products and packaged honey, produced in his hives amid the fruit trees. Back on the road, a few miles before Sosúa, a loud bang startled us. The bus had blown one of its huge double tires. Nelson was not fizzled. A little over five feet in height, he tackled the changing of tires like a lion. I could not believe my eyes. In half an hour, always smiling, he changed the enormous tire. I was sure that a North American bus driver would have been flabbergasted, or at least unnerved in a similar situation. Not Nelson! He was humming to himself all the way back to Puerto Plata - a fine example of the Dominican character.
| CTR Home | << Back | ToC | Part 1 | Part 2 | Next >> | Search |