I didn't expect that a global lockdown would happen and yet it did. Something you'll keep seeing me write about is that I'm so grateful. I have a list of places to travel to. New and do-overs. Ibiza is one of the do-over. I'm so grateful to have done this trip before the world stopped in its tracks. First time I went was 2002 for the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona. I was presenting on a research study I did and I wasn't very comfortable with myself yet. My exploration was limited. I went back in 2015 and added Ibiza to Barcelona. Wow! I was thrilled to see some friends from West Hollywood at the Matinee event and we had a blast. Then I went back in 2019, different life circumstances, my goal was to relax and I did.
I booked my accommodations through booking.com after some research. I knew the places I want to avoid and I wanted to be by the water. I didn't know the hotel was one of the party hotels, where there's a lot of stuff going on throughout the day. But someone told me it's one of the quieter hotels. I chose a queen bed with a balcony view of the water, not the pool. The first room was not what I reserved and thankfully the front desk representative was very understanding and gave me a better room. I also didn't know that breakfast was included in my reservation so that was a plus. I learned to read all the options on that website. One of the best things was walking past the pool to get to the beach and just rent one of the lounge chairs with umbrella. One day I spent almost 4 hours on the beach, in and out of the water, with food brought to me from the pool restaurant.
I remembered from my 2015 trip that the old town had a great vibe. I did forget that they don't do lunch at noon. Only tourists do. But I was hungry so I found a little restaurant away from the crowds, in one of the alleyways, and ordered a seafood paella. My craving was satisfied. Throughout my stay I was determined to try dishes I don't normally get in LA, and to try the small places, not the large restaurants buzzing with tourists.
The highlight in Ibiza was the private boat tour I got through a representative at the hotel. After getting postponed a day because of some rain (additional note at the end of this blog) I had the boat all to myself. We made several stops along the coast and wherever there was no jellyfish or shark I was able to jump in the water and just float around. Since I'm a cosplayer, I couldn't help but bring 3 swimsuit cosplays, changed in the little bathroom, and got the skipper (or is it captain?) to take my pictures and record videos. Yes I looked crazy to the other boaters, but I fulfilled a dream of being a full on cosplay nerd in the middle of the ocean! I thought I would be bored in that 4 hours going all around the islands but it was just indescribable. The rock formations on the cliffs, the coast, the color of the water changing from the deepest blue to almost sand white clear. The skies were so clear with beautiful white puffs of clouds. Being able to float around with no cares in the world was definitely a luxury i hope everyone gets to experience at least once in their lifetime.