Our August Pearl and RM Trip 2014

[ubbergoddess]

I am not really good with the traditional trip report so this more of a journal. I will post in parts. We were there over the first couple of weeks of August. For those interested in a summary the short version is immediately below:

Short Version
We split our trip between both resorts. We decided to split our trip after visiting Pearl for a day from RM last year. We had a great time at both, and for us, splitting the trip enriched our holiday. I cannot for see us doing this any other way, for as long as we remain interested in the concept.

Journaled Version

Pearl

The Morning After The Day Before...

It is about 06:22 and I have been up since 04:20. I guess I am still under Toronto Time. I love to watch the sun rise, and the cruise ships sail towards their next destination. I am always mesmerised by the sound of crashing waves; as loud as they are, there is something uncannily soothing about them. A little different from the day before; we got up at 4am and made our way to Pearson airport.

Check in was smooth, after which we proceeded to find a spot for breakfast, I love the new I-pad stations! This was our first time flying with WestJet, and I have to say, it is not a bad airline at all. Working in the airline industry is tough, but these folk, do it with a smile! I am very easy to please (I think), but I have this thing about washroom cleanliness. I get really nervous when it is mid-flight and I have had the pleasure of observing the traffic to and from the toilets. My anxiety rises as I walk towards the bathroom. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! No complaints there - another area in which WestJet Rocks! There was strong turbulence as we descended through the clouds towards Cancun airport, something I had never experienced before. I love turbulence tens of thousands of feet above, and I crave it, as it rocks me to sleep. During this descent though, not so much. I realise that I really do need to stop watching 'May Day'. The landing was a lot smoother than I would have expected. As a daughter of someone who worked in the airline industry, it never ceases to amaze me when passengers clap upon landing at their destination, even though the plane is not taxiing, stopped, engines turned off etc. There are a myriad of things that can still go wrong during this crucial point. As Hubby pointed out...I bet the passengers on Air France 358 thought they had landed safely...again...I really do need to stop watching 'May Day'.

It was a breeze through immigration and customs, I knew I would hit the red button, but the officer was warm and cordial. We walked through the doors to find the USA Transfers staff - We were met by Alturo (sp). He was really warm and welcoming (this was booked through this site). The van was a little late in arriving due to traffic, but I really did not mind and we were kept up to date on his estimated time of arrival.

Check in at Pearl was a breeze too. We checked into the Junior Suite with the plunge pool. Marysol was very warm, welcoming and professional. There was a respectful push to attend the presentation, we declined and explained that at this stage of our lives, we do want to be tied to a resort and feel obligated to return because we want to maximise our expenditure. We also do like to travel far and wide. She advised that this could be used internationally, as we advised her that we have time share, and do not capitalise on it that much. She simply asked that we contact her, if we changed our minds. That part of the conversation was barely 3 mins long. Hubby was surprised at how I handled that, as I am not the most patient of people, especially when I am tired. We had discussed this on the ride to the hotel, and I was very clear that I would walk off, if I felt any pressure and would be very upset at starting off my holidays in this manner.

Off to the room we went. Everything appeared okay, dropped off our stuff, and we went to Aphrodite for lunch. When we visited Pearl last year, it was still under construction. We returned back to the room to unpack. I do love the seclusion of the plunge pool area. After an hour and half of christening the lounger, we moved in to the plunge pool. Just be aware that you will not be the only ones doing the sucking in that area. There are bees, we did not bother them and they did not bother me. That said, I am allergic to insect bites, so I kept my eye on them (well..for all of five minutes).

We had dinner at Pearl; it was French Cuisine. They had Oysters on the menu, though I love them, I was not brave enough to try them. The food was good; we ended up having appetizers and dessert. So far so good. I was in shorts and a prissy blouse with librarian glasses for the theme night. I was the Naughty Professor, and Hubby was the Nerdy Professor, whose role it was to try and seduce me through dinner. Well that took a weird turn as I delighted in trying to block his seductive chatter with weird things that I was into lol. Btw; If you were seated next to us and overheard our conversation, please be advised that we were role playing and nothing was harmed or hurt in the production.

After dinner, there was a band playing so we went to the bar to listen to them play. Just as we settled in at the bar, my chest began to constrict, someone was smoking at the bar. That ended our night. Sadly, we returned to our room. This is the part of my holiday, that I always forget about during the planning. That my enjoyment and health, will depend solely on the pleasure of others; in this case, another guest's right to smoke. The cold realisation that seeps in during our trips, that I will never fully be able to enjoy the trip, as I have to leave an communal areas when people light up, and that I will never fully be able to enjoy the trip like smokers do, and this never stops upsetting me.

Well there is one advantage of having the plunge pool area, we have some control over the air we breathe. Well that was yesterday and on that note, it is time for me to take the gym for a spin. ...to be continued

[ubbergoddess]

AUG 5th

The gym is fairly adequate, and it was nice to have it to myself for a while... Back to the room, showered and off to breakfast. Jared got us the perfect beds in the shade and I plunked myself down on one of them, while Hubby went back to the room to make a few calls. After lunch we walked down the pier, and hung out there for a while; it is nice and breezy down there. Ana came down to prepare for her Tantric class. I have done these classes before, so we got up to leave to give couples their privacy, but Anna insisted that we stay. I am glad we did. We watched and listened from the sidelines. It was definitely worth it. We learnt 3 new positions that we are going to perfect.

We returned to our beach beds, for a short while and then decided to go to our own private oasis. I marvelled at the fact that Hubby has a continuous grin on his face, so much so that his invisible right dimple has resurfaced to join the left. We talked, we laughed, and we...and before we knew it.. it was time to get ready for dinner. The theme tonight was XS night. We had dinner at Pearl again, watched the show in the disco, and I gave the DJ 3 tracks to improve the music, it did not happen, so off to the hot tub we went. It was quiet, which I do prefer. I was quite happy to get a full 30 mins before we had to leave due to my reaction to smoke. A very curious thought passed through my mind as I sat reading the rules in front of me: No food around the pool, couples only, no photography, and no smoking. I wondered what the reaction would be, if I decided to bring a pizza up, leave hubby in the room and start taking selfies....hmmm...after all , are they really rules?

We go back to our private oasis for an explosive night. I love this plunge pool!

AUG 6th

I love to watch the sun rise, This morning I had Hubby join me. We stood at the beginning of the pier and marvelled at a process that happens daily, but goes unnoticed most of the time by us. He looked soo cute in his robe. As we stand on the pier I am not sure what to concentrate on; the sun rising or his dick doing the sun salute under his robe! I simply saluted the dick with a quick Hail Caesar rub! It was a beautiful sunrise. We then proceeded down the beach and plunked ourselves on some loungers. We later met Victor who provided us with towels. We lay there for about an hour. I wanted to attend the yoga class, so I did the daily ritual of shower and breakfast early. As someone commented; where else can you do yoga out in the sea? Ana was there to welcome us. This lady is lovely! She has a very engaging personality that is so calming. I was immediately inexplicably drawn to her aura. After hearing a bit about her background, I later understood why. I was looking forward to seeing her in her bunny costume that evening, as she stated that she had never been in one before. Jess was our yoga class instructor today.

The rest of the day, was becoming a bit of a blur too, but we did make it down to the hot tub this afternoon. We returned to the room, the intent being to shower and go down for dinner. We lay on the bed talking for a while, looked at the clock, then each other, and knew at that point that we did not feel like going down to dinner, so room service it was! Our evening entertainment was snuggling up and watching youtube clips of the auditions and progressions of Paul Potts, Sam Bailey & Susan Boyle! At one point, we looked at each other and giggled...really...we are at Desire watching this? It was a cute! It was also about having time to do the mundane!

[Sonya1433]

I welcome your ideas on NO SMOKING. We returned home Aug. 6 and enjoyed the late night hot tub. On the evening of Aug 4 one of the beds being used by a man and wife. He was fully clothed (sport shirt and trousers) smoking a cigar while his wife also fully dressed brought pizzas back for them to eat.
Smoking does take the edge of the Pearl enjoyment.

[ubbergoddess]

I welcome your ideas on NO SMOKING. We returned home Aug. 6 and enjoyed the late night hot tub. On the evening of Aug 4 one of the beds being used by a man and wife. He was fully clothed (sport shirt and trousers) smoking a cigar while his wife also fully dressed brought pizzas back for them to eat.
Smoking does take the edge of the Pearl enjoyment.

I am beginning to realise that as a guest I am powerless in this matter. My only hope is that guests are respectful of the rule, or that management enforces the rule.

[ubbergoddess]

Not sure what today's date is...but I am on the balcony watching the sun rise again...no sooner had I sat down, did the 'buggers' descend! By the time I dashed back into the room to get the bug spray, the feast was done! I stopped counting after about a dozen bites, and proceeded to massage my skin whilst taking deep breaths, to sooth the allergic reaction that I was having. I soo craved to jump into the sea, for the salt water to soothe my skin, but the stingray incident a couple of days before has me wary.

Well...gym time. Just a short work out! I do wish they opened at 6 am instead of 7. Breakfast, beach, lunch. I completed a book 'Desperate in Dubai' which turned out to be more thrilling than I expected. Wow..I even find hurling myself off to the bathroom an chore, and sometimes an inconvenience. Today I decided to resurrect my 'Selina' the Personal Assistant role. Hubby decided to conduct the interview in our plunge pool. I always marvel at how the 'other duties as assigned' list grows longer. We had another great dinner at Pearl, watched the erotic fashion show in the lobby area, where I was introduced to the furnace that it is! This was followed by a show in the disco. After which, I gave the DJ my usual 3 tracks and we left for our room. Well I had been dying all night to get hubby out of that shirt, he looked just ...uummm


I do believe today is day 5..Friday. Today I watched the sun rise from the end of the pier. I fix my gaze on the waves and their various patterns mesmerised by the beauty of the sea. I look down into the depth of the sea, and admire the clarity of the water. I turn and look towards the beach and all the seaweed that has washed up on the beach. I recall a conversation Hubby and I had, after I witnessed staff attempt to clear the seaweed with rakes and a couple of wheel barrows, back breaking work, which did not seem to be effective, as the seaweed washed up on the parts they had just attempted to clear. I would have been frustrated at that. The staff..they soldiered on. I asked hubby...surely there has to be a more effective and efficient way to do this, that also provides employment. It made for an interesting discussion. I would have loved to have an Engineer's point of view, but that would have to wait until we return home.

Talking about Staff; from Jared and Victor who ensured that my beach gravity needs were met, Rudy and Victor, Jose who ensure that breakfast and lunch is to our satisfaction, Edgar, Hector and Roky who make sure that our dinner is a Pearl memory to treasure, and the entertainment crew. As I reflect on how the staff have made our trip so memorable, it dawns on me that I do consider myself a professional and I am very proud of what I do. I do find myself being quite humbled by the staff here. They really do take pride in what they do, and they go the extra mile, where I may just go the extra kilometre. Pearl's service tops it in the warm south for me. I asked hubby jokingly what would happen if I decided I was bored with this type of vacation...blood begins to drain from his face (I have an excellent poker face). You see, I brought him over to this liberal side. I watch as a little panic begins to build, I am about to crack up, but say, "you look like you need a Lawyer"...let me guess...you will have him put Desire into a post nuptial contract, and it would be a non-negotiable. "Damn Right!" he says...looking very relieved that I was not serious, and kicking himself for falling for my poker face...again.
The Staff have began the gruelling task of removing the sea weed. I recall comments I overhead yesterday, guests commenting that the hotel does not clear the beach. Do I say something??

Well time for the daily ritual of shower, breakfast, beach....
I watch the staff as they attempt to defeat the sea weed today. It seemed a lot less was deposited on the beach. They were actually able to clear the patch in front of me down to the sand. I felt a sense of achievement for them. It occurred to me how hard I have watched them do this back breaking work daily, and I had no interaction with them. I turn to Hubby and I voice the fact that they work so hard to ensure that we have beautiful view from our beach beds, we acknowledge our servers, concierges, bar staff etc No one appears to acknowledge them. Well I said, that ends today!

The days seem to go faster. It started out hot but cooled down a little later. The hotel capacity appears to be spiking, all beds were occupied. We finally were able to drag are behinds to the pool, as hubby played volley ball. I was chatting with a lovely couple at the quiet pool, when I looked up towards one of the penthouses, only to see a couple with their cellphones held up, seemingly recording. Unbelievable! "Are those people recording with their cell phones I ask in shock to the couple"? They too look up and are also surprised by what they see. Later on I call Vicenze over, and told him that I would like the couple in that penthouse to be told that I did not appreciate their blatant disregard of the rules. Afterwards, I thought about it, and I guess I went back to the no smoking signs that guests ignore; perhaps this was indeed one of those wishy washy rules. Hubby asked if I thought that any further action would be taken, I was unsure, but stated that I was content that I have expressed my irritation at the issue. I did find myself nostalgic for my old Hedo 3 friends and chuckled to myself. Those men would have marched up to that room, and if photos were found on the devices, the phones would have been thrown into the sea!

We were able to spend more time at the hot tub this evening. We talked about the differences between the sister resorts, and concluded that they both had their charm, but we resolved to split future trips. Pearl first, for serenity and Maya for party. We ate at Aphrodite tonight and we both felt that the food was exquisite. Coming from Toronto where we are totally spoilt when it comes to food, we can honestly say that we have had a great food experience to date.

We proceeded to watch the live band, but that reception area was unbearable! Ladies do not like to be dripping with sweat after getting all dolled up. There was a circus show on at the disco tonight. We thoroughly enjoyed it, though Hubby winced all through the Contortionist's performance. The DJ did play some latin music which was nice and it certainly got hips swaying on the dance floor. We returned to the hot tub that night to relax for a while, and crashed soon after.

[ubbergoddess]

9th
I cannot work out whether today is Friday or Saturday. Our last full day at Pearl. The sun is rising and the cruise ships are sailing towards the port, as Jared sets up our beach beds. I got to chat with Jared as he was making up our beds about the sea weed, and I got some insight. I was surprised to discover that depending on the time of the year, it could be worse. Hubby is still crashed, apparently, if I want to consume his energy at night, I should not expect him to wake up early in the morning. I guess I am wearing dimples out. The sun has risen, I do not feel like going to the gym today. I will do some reading instead and consume my 2nd litre of water to hydrate.

Well it is Friday. We made it a leisurely day (if that is even anymore possible). It was a glorious day. Beach gravity has definitely taken a hold of me. We contemplate what is ahead at RM, deep in our commitment that half and half is the way to go, Pearl first RM later. The foam party rocked. My eyes did not burn today, and I only felt a tad claustrophobic. It Is all blur from there, but dinner at Aphrodite was the cherry on a perfect week!

10th. Last morning at Pearl
Finally made it to the gym. Great work out. Had breakfast, and spent the rest of the morning on the pier. It was cool out there and the sound of the waves just lull you to sleep. At 1230 we said our good byes and headed to RM. Wondering what excitement lies ahead for us
there.

[winederful2]

Ubergoddess- Would love for your trip report to continue as we have only been to Pearl. We are making 2nd trip to Pearl in Sept. and are actually excited that we will have RM people at Pearl for the day as our first trip to Pearl last year did seem slightly "slow" compared to our expectations for a Desire resort.
Enjoy!

[ubbergoddess]

Winederful2,

I have posted the second part in the RM trip reports section.