If you’re in the north…I’m
sorry. So am I, so I know how DAMN COLD it is!! That wind is worse than sticking
your head in the freezer. This morning I went outside on my deck and the wood
was pretty much begging for a blanket while the grass literally snapped in half
when I stepped on it. Soon enough we’ll be dragging out the snow blower and I’ll
be laughing as my brother gets covered head-to-toe in snow at 6 in the morning
while I watch from the living room window in my nice warm robe and perhaps a
hot cup of cocoa and Kahlua. (In this house, it’s never too early)
While I do enjoy a few days
of snow, Christmas songs, pretty lights and cookies…I’d rather be spending my
winter in the south. How far south? Try pretty-near-the-equator south. I don’t
mean the Bahamas or Cancun or anything like that…I’m talking about the hidden
treasure of South America. The golden nugget of the sea. The place I’d like to
sail to any time of the year and build myself a little water-side house and
just loaf for the rest of my life. This place is none other than Margarita
Island, and if you’ve never heard of it…I’m glad I can introduce you.
Just off the coast of
Venezuela (about a half an hour flight) lies the quaint little island of
Margarita. Its 394 square miles house beautiful, lush vegetation, historical
colonial homes, castles, and cathedrals, huge shopping centers, and the
descendants of original Spanish settlers and natives to the island. Here,
things are a bit different. Some places just seem frozen in time, and others
seem so advanced you’ll wonder if you didn’t step into a time portal of sorts
as you navigate the island.
As I said before, I’m what
equals out to be a beach loaf, so naturally my favorite place to be is
beach-side. I love the warm, white sand, the cool, salty sea, the sound of the
waves, and of course the piña coladas.
Also, chipchipis which you
can pull right out of the sand, crack open and eat. Not bad….
You can also make soup. Mmmm…me
wanty.
Did I mention the sunsets?
The most famous sunset is a must see from the city of Juan Griego, Margarita, though any view
is just as stunning.
There are many places you
can stay when you go to Margarita. Travel by taxi from the airport is
affordably priced, and depending on where you stay you can get shuttled to the
local sights to see or take a cab on your own. We stay at the Dunes Hotel and
Resort, a modest resort located on the northern part of the island, situated on
the Puerto Cruz beach strip. It is a secluded hotel containing time share
condos, huge Olympic pool, kiddie pool, lounge pool, outdoor grill, game room,
night club, theater, gift shops, buffet, childs park, and access to the main
beach with volleyball, sea-side dining, and a tiki-style bar.
We snuck in before everyone else!
There are also women there
who will braid your hair. AWESOME!
If you are on the beach and
walk a ways down in the opposite direction of the lighthouse, you’ll come
across a delightful gift shop and a few ways down more you’ll find another gift
shop and a restaurant…complete with fresh from the sea fish grilled by the ones
who live there (and two giant macaws).
In these gift shops you’ll
find hand-made trinkets and jewelry. What’s so great about these? Look closer.
Giant strands of pearls necklaces, pearl earring, pearl pendants, pearl
bracelets…pearls! I LOVE pearls. Lucky for me, Margarita Island is famous for
its pearls (and is consequently a main reason they were conquered by the
Spanish). Heck, Margarita MEANS pearl. But are they real? Yeah, I was surprised that they were. For less
than 5 US dollars (seriously) you can get hand-made REAL pearl jewelry. How do
you know they are real, though?
TIP! If you take a pearl in
question (clean, of course) and gently scrape it on your tooth, it should feel
gritty. That is how you can tell a real pearl from a fake one. Fake will just
glide on your tooth where as the real ones will be gritty, like sand or
toothpaste. They passed the test; they are real, and beautiful.
At night at the resort they have amazing shows on their stage by the pool. It starts off with your little ones going on stage and dancing with others and then they really get to town with their extremely talented dancers putting on whatever show they have planned. They also have audience interactive comedy shows. Whatever they have going on, don't miss out because it is a hell of a good time.
So when you’re planning your
next vacation…seriously consider Margarita Island. Be warned, though. This
place is NOT a fancy 5 star luxury island where minimum wage natives greet you
off the boat and cater to your every need. This is traditional Caribbean at its
finest, and I cannot wait to return. I hope you’ll feel the same way.
Stay strong and love on!
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