Caribbean Vacation Day 2

The trip getting here was a royal pain in the rump, but once we landed and the doors of the plane opened things radically improved. I'll explain the details later, but the short version is that because of who is hosting us we received the VIP treatment - literally.

The airport is a little old-fashioned. Instead of a jetway they roll a set of stairs up to the plane, just like in the old days. Interestingly, the door was opened and we began to disembark much quicker than with a jetway. Progress...

Anyway, at the very foot of the stairs -- on the tarmac, no less -- was a young lady dressed in some sort of uniform holding a sign with our name on it. She led us past the lines (long, long lines) waiting to clear customs and immigration. We went down a side passage, handed over our passports and entry forms, got them back in about 30 seconds, and were whisked away to our luggage. From there we hopped into our waiting shuttle and sped off (and I do mean sped) to our destination. No muss, no fuss - delightfully informal. I could really get used to being treated like a VIP.

After unpacking and freshening up we took a quick walk on the beach, then went back and freshened up again. Hey, it's the tropics - warm, humid, and sea breezes equals hot, sweaty, and sandy.

We had dinner at a very nice restaurant - fresh lobster and shrimp, grilled and served with coconut rice and fresh fruit (papayas and mangoes, locally grown) ... yum.

But the highlight of the meal was the after-dinner drink. I had the local specialty: cafe carajillo. It's thick, strong coffee (like Cuban coffee) served with what has to be the closest thing to nectar of the gods here on earth - Brogal 1888 rum.

The rum came in a small glass, like a miniature champagne flute (I think the cultured folks call it an aperitif glass). I didn't know whether to drink it from the glass or add it to the coffee so I took a small sip. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

It was warm, smooth, and fiery. It seemed to linger on the lips and tongue forever, while at the same time ending all too soon - like a lover's kiss.

I'm not a big rum drinker, and I'd never heard of this particular brand, but it was far superior to any cognac or brandy I've ever had. This is not a rum for drinking. It's a rum for sipping, savoring, enjoying ... experiencing.

I'm going to take back as many bottles as I can, and then hope I can find it in the states. It is, as the saying goes, so good it'll make you slap yo' mama.

The local beers are okay, but IMO don't quite match up to Shiner. The two main brands, Presidente and Bohemia, remind me of American domestic beer - somewhere between Bud and Miller. Drinkable, but nothing to get really excited about. Still, on a hot day lounging on the beach, they go down good. Since I owe some of my readers a few beers I'll take care of them today.

In fact, I'm off to do that right now.

More later...