From: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: CARIBBEAN TRAVEL ROUNDUP8
Date: 31 Dec 92 01:03:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online / St. Louis Online - St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 

(continued)
the return trip. 

Would  I  stay  at  Club Cozumel Caribe? Yeah, if they gave me a VERY  
good  deal.  Probably  a  choice  on the south end of town would work  
better  for divers. For sure, the food would be better and probably a  
darn  sight  cheaper,  and the time to the dive sites would be cut in  
half.  

Guadeloupe, Club Med Caravelle by Gary Moore 
-------------------------------------------- 

The  choice  of  Caravelle  for  my first Club Med experience was the  
result  of  a  more  favorable  discount  on  the  American  Airlines  
frequent  flyer package. Because of the nature of my airline ticket I  
decided  to  overnight in Gosier, a small town about half way between  
the  airport and CM. A phone call to the French Tourist Board brought  
a  directory  of lodging at all the French islands. I opted for Hotel  
Callinago,  where  a  single  was  $48US.  Nice  room,  not fancy but  
adequate,  air-conditioned, clean, very comfortable. I got settled in  
about  5:30...took  a  stroll along the hotel beach (where the Arawak  
and  Salako...also  PLM  Azur  Hotels,  I think, are also located). I  
asked  about  dinner  and was told the poolside restaurant would open  
about  7  p.m.  So  I  showed up, was seated and enjoyed an entree of  
local  smoked  fish  (cold  plate)  with a salad and a glass of wine.  
Meals  are  extended  and typically last a couple of hours. But I had  
not  gotten  much  sleep  the  night  before and was just as happy to  
retire  early.  The  meal  was  125FF or about $25. (Food tends to be  
expensive  in  the restaurants. That's why the magnificent spreads at  
CM  are  so much to be appreciated. To duplicate what is available at  
the  typical  CM lunch or dinner would probably cost somewhere around  
$50 a meal, if such a meal were even available.)  

As  a  side bar, the CM literature speaks of the taxi ride to/from Le  
Raizet  (l'aeroport)  as  $60. Everyone I spoke with on this trip had  
paid  $40.  Even  with my split trip on arrival via Gosier, the total  
only  came to $48. However, it is always a good idea to resolve it in  
advance.  One of the taxis I took was metered, the other was not. The  
totals  came out the same. So perhaps the metered taxis set the fare.  


I  was  traveling  alone  this  trip  and am always alert to shopping  
possibilities  for  those  back  at  home. Little in the Gosier shops  
around  the  hotels  was especially attractive and it was always very  
expensive.  How  about  300FF ($60) for a knit shirt (a nice shirt to  
be  sure,  but  still a lot of money). I passed and found the CM gift  
shop  had  better  values.  Cost  was  about the same but quality was  
higher.  

Regarding  the local currency: For convenience of dealing with taxis,  
etc.,  upon arrival (when banks may not be near or open), I got about  
$300  in  French  Francs.  I  watched  the  exchange rate in the Wall  
Street  Journal  and  picked  a  time  when  I  thought  the rate had  
bottomed  out.  Then  called  the  bank  (give  them about a week) to  
arrange  for  pickup  at  the local branch. Like securities, there is  
the  "bid" (sell) or "asked" (buy) rate. The rate quoted in financial  
press  is  about  in the middle. Typically, there is about 10 percent  
between  the  buy/  sell  rate, which is the bank's charge for making  
the exchange.  

If  you  don't  have  Francs  available,  be  prepared  to  be  taken  
advantage  of...either  by  your  hotel or the shop where you want to  
use  greenbacks.  I  exchanged  dollars  with  the Bank of America at  
about  5 francs to the dollar. At the hotel it was only 4.6. However,  
if  you  take  too  many  francs,  you will either have to spend them  
while  away  or bring them back home and take the reverse charge from  
the  bank  upon  exchange from francs. (You can spend them at CM, but  
they  will  not  change  to  dollars.)  In  most cases, this is not a  
problem,  anyway,  since  you  could  use  them in settlement of your  
account.  

Bar  tabs  ("bead bills") in the neighborhood of $200-$300 for a week  
at  CM  have  been rumored. I didn't want to spend this kind of money  
at  a  place which is supposed not to require much money once you get  
there.  However,  one of life's simple pleasures for me is sitting on  
the  beach,  with  a  balmy  sun  overhead,  and contemplating life's  
mysteries,  meanwhile  sipping a tall, cool one. So I decided to take  
my  own...in  the  form  of  several bottles of champagne (California  
vintage,  what  else).  However,  the  ready  availability of wine at  
lunch  and  dinner cut into my appetite considerably. I even wound up  
bringing  a  couple of bottles back home. (Which was a real waste, as  
I   stop  and  think  about  it...all  that  great  Caravelle  beach,  
ambiance...and champagne going to waste.)  

Part  of  the  reason  for my restraint, of course, was because I was  
spending  so  much time on (and off) the sailboards. There was a very  
competent  windsurfing  instructor (Mark, from Redondo Beach, CA., no  
less)  who was one of the better ones I have seen. His tips helped me  
to  get better a lot quicker than in other lessons I have taken. Then  
there  were kayaks and the Lazer class sailboats. Not to speak of the  
snorkeling which I never got around to.  

I  must  also put in a word for the circus. I'm your average, 57-year  
old  less-than-muscled male who needs all the help he can get when it  
comes  to feats of daring-do. But these GO's on the circus staff were  
(continued)
                                                 
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