03/2018 - December 2018 Boca Chica Invasion

[Jimmydr]

Giving this a thread-bump....

Looks as though we have two invasions? El Toro and Minkyboodle, the second week of December, then Mr. Smooth and Jimmy the third week?

I'm looking at airfares for that third week. Probably at a premium, but I like celebrating my birthday downrange ... and I didn't spend all that much in Brazil, during the past three weeks. Why not enjoy myself?

Got in touch with Tropical Sea Divers, next door to The Boathouse, so I've lined up my days' entertainment. Hope the nights go well, too....

I won't be there this year

[minkyboodle]

Giving this a thread-bump....

Looks as though we have two invasions? El Toro and Minkyboodle, the second week of December, then Mr. Smooth and Jimmy the third week?

I'm looking at airfares for that third week. Probably at a premium, but I like celebrating my birthday downrange ... and I didn't spend all that much in Brazil, during the past three weeks. Why not enjoy myself?

Got in touch with Tropical Sea Divers, next door to The Boathouse, so I've lined up my days' entertainment. Hope the nights go well, too....

Rafa locked in and CentralNJDude and PapiQueRico thinking about. C'mon fellas!

[XXX]

Rafa locked in and CentralNJDude and PapiQueRico thinking about. C'mon fellas!

Rafa and CNJD Are great guys,,,,,,

And if you can get Papi to shut up about politics for a minute,,,,He's ok as well,,,,,

Just dont ask him what happened to the Yankee's this year,,,,

[Mr. Smooth]

I won't be there this year

Change your mind?

Has one of those Atlantic City femme fatales have you wrapped around her finger?

[Hunter]

Just cant make before xmas...So I will be around Dec 27 - the 1st in the capital....then 5 days in the Sou....

Just doing capital right now...Anyone around after xmas give me a shout....

[Jimmydr]

Just cant make before xmas...So I will be around Dec 27 - the 1st in the capital....then 5 days in the Sou....

Just doing capital right now...Anyone around after xmas give me a shout....

But you go every year?

[el toro]

Let's go.....let's go. Some may say Toro likes a good party.

Booked at $282 on Jet Blue direct from Orlanod. After 2 connecting flights that costed more to STI and POP, it was nice to see such a low fare for the 3 hr ride. Lowest I've ever paid in 10 years going to DR.

[Mr. Smooth]

Let's go.....let's go. Some may say Toro likes a good party.

Booked at $282 on Jet Blue direct from Orlanod. After 2 connecting flights that costed more to STI and POP, it was nice to see such a low fare for the 3 hr ride. Lowest I've ever paid in 10 years going to DR.

I'm jealous! A very low fare on what has to be the best domestic airline in America.

I'm taking JB one way, Delta on the return, due to scheduling conflict with JB, with economy plus seating on all 4 legs, was roughly $1,100.

But I try to justify paying that much because it will be a nearly 2 week trip.

And Christmas fares from the West Coast to the Caribbean ain't cheap anyway.

[whynotme]

I'm jealous! A very low fare on what has to be the best domestic airline in America.

I'm taking JB one way, Delta on the return, due to scheduling conflict with JB, with economy plus seating on all 4 legs, was roughly $1,100.

But I try to justify paying that much because it will be a nearly 2 week trip.

And Christmas fares from the West Coast to the Caribbean ain't cheap anyway.

damn that's more than I pay to go to asia…………. and your a lot closer so never to late to switch

[Mr. Smooth]

damn that's more than I pay to go to asia…………. and your a lot closer so never to late to switch

Yeah, I had already checked out Thailand for that time just to see what the fares would be. On Eva Air, my preferred airline choice, an economy ticket was over $1300. I decided to hold off on going there until March and the fares dropped like a rock.

So much so, that I booked a premium econ seat for $1309 on Eva, a little less than their econ fare in December. Econ in March was $717 last I checked, but for the entire round trip, sitting on that plane for roughly 31 hours, the fare in prem econ works out to about $16 bucks an hour more for the added room and comfort over cattle class.

Well worth the extra cost.

Had I booked the regular seating for my DR trip, I would have paid about $200 less than what I did for the econ plus seats. Round trip for me means about 19 hours in the air, so another $10-11 bucks an hour for the added leg room and comfort.

Again, it's worth it to me.

[Westy]

I've booked my flight, and my room at the Garant - Dec 15-21.

Monday, December 17, 2018, the drinks are on me, wherever I am, if anyone WANTS to drink with me.

It's my SIXTY-fuckin'-FIFTH fuckin' birthday, and I hope SOMEONE will want to drink with me!

(But I'm accustomed to drinking alone.)

[whynotme]

I've booked my flight, and my room at the Garant - Dec 15-21.

Monday, December 17, 2018, the drinks are on me, wherever I am, if anyone WANTS to drink with me.

It's my SIXTY-fuckin'-FIFTH fuckin' birthday, and I hope SOMEONE will want to drink with me!

(But I'm accustomed to drinking alone.)

I am in Thailand then or I would drink with you...……… and I love drinking alone too

[j_d66]

I am in Thailand then or I would drink with you...……… and I love drinking alone too

People always ask me why I travel alone

my answer is always the same

i am never alone unless I choose to be alone.

There is always someone around me

actually i prefer to travel alone. My rules and my schedule and only have to please me

[Jimmydr]

People always ask me why I travel alone

my answer is always the same

i am never alone unless I choose to be alone.

There is always someone around me

actually i prefer to travel alone. My rules and my schedule and only have to please me

There were very few trips where I was truly alone. I may arrive a few days early but lately, at least 4 other mongers around.

[Jimmydr]

I am in Thailand then or I would drink with you...……… and I love drinking alone too

Is staying home, drinking and chatting on here considered alone?

[whynotme]

Is staying home, drinking and chatting on here considered alone?

yes

[Jimmydr]

yes

So many of us are alone together

[Westy]

People always ask me why I travel alone

my answer is always the same

i am never alone unless I choose to be alone.

There is always someone around me

actually i prefer to travel alone. My rules and my schedule and only have to please me

Exactly. Your money, your choices ... where you go and what you do is up to you.

I had this brought home to me, very sharply, last month when I took 'Grandma Pat' down to Brazil to visit Ricardo & Terezinha ... it was nice to be there, but everything, EVERYTHING was a matter of compromise. Even more so, when 'family visits' meant a whole roomful of people chattering in Portuguese, which I speak just a little and Pat speaks not at all.

Pat is 82, she walks slowly and she tires easily, so that put a limit on where we could go and what we could do. We stayed at Ricardo & Terezinha's house, sleeping in their children's bedrooms while the kids had mattresses on the living room floor; it would have been really awkward for me to "go catting around" under the circumstances, so I didn't.

Oh, and the kids? Spoiled rotten -- especially around Terezinha, who caters to their whims. Elena is 12, right at the cusp between crayons and perfume. Luis is 8, but he acts like he's 3 unless he's with Ricardo; then he settles down. Pat was thoroughly frustrated with them, and about halfway through, she was nearly ready to move out to a hotel for the rest of our visit....

We did get down to Oktoberfest in Blumenau -- sort of; we actually visited Ricardo's mother and sisters in the nearby town of Pomerode, and caught the Wednesday night parade in a very disappointing rainstorm (thankfully it wasn't chilly!) ... then went straight back to Pomerode, because Pat was too tired to go to the Festhalle and listen to some German oompah-band music while we had a couple of beers....

Oh, well. It was fun in its way, they were great hosts, and I enjoyed myself. But I prefer my 'solo' mongering escapades.

[Jimmydr]

Exactly. Your money, your choices ... where you go and what you do is up to you.

I had this brought home to me, very sharply, last month when I took 'Grandma Pat' down to Brazil to visit Ricardo & Terezinha ... it was nice to be there, but everything, EVERYTHING was a matter of compromise. Even more so, when 'family visits' meant a whole roomful of people chattering in Portuguese, which I speak just a little and Pat speaks not at all.

Pat is 82, she walks slowly and she tires easily, so that put a limit on where we could go and what we could do. We stayed at Ricardo & Terezinha's house, sleeping in their children's bedrooms while the kids had mattresses on the living room floor; it would have been really awkward for me to "go catting around" under the circumstances, so I didn't.

Oh, and the kids? Spoiled rotten -- especially around Terezinha, who caters to their whims. Elena is 12, right at the cusp between crayons and perfume. Luis is 8, but he acts like he's 3 unless he's with Ricardo; then he settles down. Pat was thoroughly frustrated with them, and about halfway through, she was nearly ready to move out to a hotel for the rest of our visit....

We did get down to Oktoberfest in Blumenau -- sort of; we actually visited Ricardo's mother and sisters in the nearby town of Pomerode, and caught the Wednesday night parade in a very disappointing rainstorm (thankfully it wasn't chilly!) ... then went straight back to Pomerode, because Pat was too tired to go to the Festhalle and listen to some German oompah-band music while we had a couple of beers....

Oh, well. It was fun in its way, they were great hosts, and I enjoyed myself. But I prefer my 'solo' mongering escapades.

Who is Pat?

[Mr. Smooth]

Is staying home, drinking and chatting on here considered alone?

I do it that way all the time, especially when I'm on here at 4 am EST, (1 am for me) and you guys are all asleep!