The Lodge at St. George
- March 11, 2007
- Rated 2 of 5 by
flamingokid from northbrook, Illinois
Monday: The place is beautiful--very nice. But get this: we are the only guests in the entire resort. Today we went out snorkeling in a boat meant for 30 people--just us.
Friday: Counting the days. Thursday I got the shit bitten out of me--I have bites all over--probably sand fleas. But the glass is half full! I don't have sunburn--just sun poisoning. Little water blisters on my arms and various splotches here and there. We're going out snorkeling again today and I'm praying the water is calm in clear. It's a huge reef but it’s not the greatest for snorkeling. Diving is the attraction here--not snorkeling. The lodge is still empty and it has become more apparent why it is empty. It was owned by the same guy for twenty some years who sold it to someone who kept it very briefly before selling to the present owner. The food is served "family style." Since we're the only guests, it is a little ridiculous to bring platters of food and never once ask us what we'd like to eat. Finally, today, we spoke up so it might improve. But it has not been to our taste-- meat that has to be cooked for many hours before it can be chewed buried in some spices and sauces seems to be the preferred main dish.
The staff consist of very nice, smiling people and we are still smiling back. The cabana or casita is quite lovely, with a thatched roof and lovely polished wood. But it has window air conditioning, old, noisy and ineffective. It never gets below 80 in the casita. The lighting is poor. Our clothes are on shelves at the entryway which is completely un-lit. There are not enough surfaces or pegs. There is no door on toilet and the toilet seat is not bolted properly so it wobbles. There is no cabinet to put sundries so it's pretty messy. the sheets are not crisp and fresh. I looked at them a little more closely last night and I requested fresh sheets today.
I have been reading "The Passionate Nomad," the biography of Freya Stark, who learned Arabic and explored the east, sleeping in the dirt with dysentery and danger in remote parts of Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi in the twenties and thirties. But I don't think Freya was paying $400 a night for the privilege.
On the good side, they have a laptop sitting on the bar with a satellite Internet connection for anyone's use.
On Saturday the owner showed up with a small entourage. Too bad he didn’t turn up a little earlier. The quality of the food went up several notches on our last night at the Lodge at St. George.
From journal The Lodge at St. George, Belize