Caribbean

 

Colour Me Turkoise
Tranquility and thrills in the Turks and Caicos
By Lauren Kaufman

I nervously watched others go before me. Some made it look easy, others impossible. Should I go for it or not? Thoughts zoomed through my head. I had already showered off all my slippery suntan lotion. Brian hooked the safety harness around my waist and I felt a wave of nausea. Where else but Club Med could I fly on a trapeze? After a long, deep breath, I began my ascent up the rungs, trying not to look down at my friends cheering me on. Sara greeted me at the platform and helped me into position. I grasped the bar with one hand and Sara with the other. "Hup" was yelled, cuing me to let go of my support and swing into the air. I pumped my legs back and forth to gain momentum. As my heart thumped, Josh, hanging like a bat on another bar, shouted another "Hup" and I let go for him to catch my airborne arms. Whoosh…next thing I knew I'd plummeted to the net below. Rosy cheeked, winded and thrilled that it was over, my trapeze attempt ended with a round of applause from my friends.

Well, I didn't lose my lunch or decide to join the circus, but that trapeze "flight" allowed me to find something I had lost: my courageous spirit. My seven-night vacation at Club Med Turkoise on the Caribbean island of Providenciales in Turks and Caïcos became an adventurous reawakening of mind, body and soul.

It started with "Wanna Play?." Club Med's advertisements plastered across the walls of entire subway cars beckoned as I monotonously rode to and from work, tempting me with azure water, sunny skies and young people laughing. Ah, deadlines, world events and my computer would be left behind. Skyscrapers, ringing phones and the rush of the city would give way to primary colored buildings, tropical coconut palms swaying and turquoise waves lapping against the powdery shoreline. Turkoise would give my soul peace.

It was easy convincing Donna, Michelle and Elizabeth to be my accomplices on this escape. For one thing, Club Med Turkoise has a reputation that precedes it, where inhibition reigns, singles abound and Coronas continuously flow (if you buy a new $250 all-you-can-drink bar bracelet).

After one day on the beach, I noticed something physically different about my face. It wasn't just the zillion freckles that popped out in the intense sun, but the bags under my eyes had miraculously disappeared. I was shocked since no cream on the market could work those wonders (I'd tried). It was as if all my stress was lifted from my body. My mind was ready to vacation and I threw myself into it all.

My body desperately needed activity. I craved more than a Stairmaster workout and wanted to rid myself of that sedentary laze of an office rolling chair. I hate setting alarms though needed one to awaken on time for daily intermediate tennis lessons at 9:30 a.m. I was excited to improve my game and sharpen my skills. Yishi, a gorgeous Serena Williams-type, ran our group of 12 through drills upon drills every morning for an hour. The hot beating sun on the sand courts had every 20- to 60-year-old complaining, but by week's end, our games improved. Though I won't be starring at this year's U.S. Open, I was proud of myself for motivating and taking advantage of the included lessons. I not only walked away having burned some calories, I made some new friends.

Overall, G.M.s (Gracious Members/guests) were very friendly. Conversations usually began, "So, have you been to Club Med before?" and a resounding yes was repeatedly heard. Hendel Duplessy, the chief of the village, said that every three to four months, he sees at least 20 people return to Turkoise and approximately 80% of all guests (in all villages) worldwide are repeaters, an incredibly high statistic. Hendel claimed, "They come for the sports and nightlife," but I think Club Med's famous white chocolate bread also factors in, though the buffet food itself is not a draw.

With an all-inclusive sports program (excluding the extensive SCUBA School) including Circus School (trapeze, trampoline, juggling), activities certainly entice those who wish to participate. My adventurous spirit also yearned to learn water-skiing, and I was disappointed to find out that JoJo - the local dolphin - was in danger of getting run over by the ski boat and the Club put an end to the program. Hitting the water in another fashion, the four of us signed up for sailing lessons. Flavio, a well-built Brazilian we likened to Fabio, instructed us how not to "sail into the wind to Cuba" and instead to let the air glide the boat across the water perpendicularly. Captaining one of the Club's 15 new rainbow catamarans, I found my sea legs and a new hobby.

A favorite activity was 11:30 a.m. water aerobics lead by a little spunky Moroccan G.O. (Gracious Organizer/"camp counselor") we called "Gonzo." Michelle and I would hop into the chilly pool with about 20 other women (men were always apprehensive about joining in) for an intense splash workout. The reward was always the massage circle at the end.

Following, at noon each day, it was time for the Sundance. G.M.s would edge the pool for high-energy, cheesy little line dances. By week's end, everyone knew the movements to the handful of catchy songs, which would be repeated nightly after the show during "Crazy Signs," a massive aerobic workout to get everyone pumped.

This brings us to draw of the nightlife, coupled with the presence of G.O.s. G.O.s are popular among the 20- and 30-something crowds as they are the basis of Club Med's fun, laidback persona. The 115 talented G.O.s at Turkoise were from 26 countries. Most of them outgoing, good-looking and party-hearty natured, the men were inclined to befriend many a female G.M. For most, nights were all-out drinkfests with open bar bracelets and "Let's Get Loud" hip dance music cranking at the outdoor poolside club until 1 a.m. For those like us who were still awake when the main bar closed, the dwindling party moved to after-hours at Sharkies, the beach bar (also the site for sing along happy hours.)

Old and new friends (250 of 500 guests were from New York; 100 were Canadians) kept the days interesting; snorkeling, basketball, and a "foam party" kept me active; innocent flirtations inflated my previously somewhat depressed ego; and the bright sultry sun melted away my frozen mind and soul that usually was concentrated on deadlines and client requests. This vacation was all about fun and removing myself from everything mundane. However, the Club, once renowned for its "antidote to civilization" motto has now, as Hendel said, "had no choice but to change with the times and adapt to the new world." In March 2001 they installed three Internet stations for guests to use ($.33/minute). Did I check my email? No. Could I have watched the news? Sure, we had a TV in the room. For me, this was my desperately needed break from society and I was happy to be cut off from the world for a week. I had I found a utopia, where everyone was always smiling, the sun always shone and I had no bags under my eyes.

 

TOP

 

Register Free at travelteriffic.com      Back to HOME PAGE

Copyright © 2000 travelterrific inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement

 

Home Links Contact About
chloe outlet Outlet online wholesale prada wallet purse cheap-yves-saint-laurent-men Cheap women sneakers outlet replica christian louboutin chloe-bags-cheaper-in-paris Prada cheap outlet store bags belt Red bottoms sneakers women outlet store shop Outlet store boots shoes real christian louboutin Celine-outlet-online-shop-bags-sunglasses chloe cheap The best evelyne belt hermes replica outlet louis vuitton borse outlet chloe-wallets-cheap hermes-bag-paper-pattern cheap-celine-boston
hermes-birkin-30-cm Red bottoms official sneakers shoes replica outlet prada cheap Replica outlet cheap christian louboutin men women Birkin evelyne authentic hermes outlet store Shoes-pumps-christian-louboutin-best-outlet-replica yves-saint-laurent-women chloe replica hermes-belt-how-much Outlet-sale-yves-saint-laurent-cheap-women-shoulder-bags Louboutin homme Pas Cher hermes-kelly-danse hermes for sale Replica outlet boots sandals red bottoms sale Chloe outlet replica shop purse belt celine-cheap-purse Celine-the-best-handbags-sunglasses-replica-online Bags-phantom-outlet-store-authentic-celine cheap-yves-saint-laurent-handbags Best-handbags-purses-outlet-replica-celine