Boats, bars, beaches & babes [31st July-1st August 2012]

^^ thanks - comments duly noted and amendments made / additions :)spank:) actioned !

The girl in the coral dress will not be making a later appearance this trip ... she went off to stay in California with family for a few weeks, but if opportunity presents itself on both our parts could potentially be returning later in the Season :). We will just have to see what path fate lays down for us on that front ;).
 
Smart observations about Ocean Beach Club,think you've nailed it there.
Not far off my earlier pre-opening found photo opportunity ;)

The rest is not bad either....
 
kimajy said:
... Ocean Beach Club ... 35 Euro entry fee ...
After a few enquiries and a little ‘casing', I manage to blag my way in for free :spank:.
Not saying how – that's going to remain a secret ! ;) ... ...
Click to expand...

H-O-W :?: :!: :?:
did you say maccy put you on his all-time-VIP-guestlist ?

... now tell ffs please ... i´m all ears :twisted:



kimajy said:
... I don't last longer than about 15 minutes inside
before I'm ready to get out :spank:.
Went in with an open and curious mind ..
and came out with all the answers I need ;) ...
Click to expand...
:rolleyes: :eek: :twisted:
 
Over a couple of Rekordelig ciders on the hotel balcony (how moreish are they ?!!!), finally manage to sort out a return flight to Gatwick for tomorrow night instead, at twenty past midnight :D... and after a phone call to the Atesa airport desk it turns out I can extend my car hire for about 30Euros :eek:, far less than I was expecting 8). There's no more to pay on the Gatwick parking and I don't need any more hotel nights. All in all, a scoop. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Thought I wasn't going to be on the island for the Radio 1 Ushuaia party ticket-for-wristband exchange session, but I'd won two free passes in the random online entry draw and brought out the tickets with me on the off-chance ;). Goodness knows why I applied – would never have gone myself :confused: and could never have imagined I'd be on the island on the afternoon of August 1st, but seem to recall a few too many bevvies as being the original culprits :oops: !

Knowing how badly some people want to go, and given I definitely won't be here at the weekend, feel morally bound to put them in the hands of a worthy recipient
halo.gif
. So a thread is posted on the Forum offering them up before we head out, by now well gone midnight. :eek:

We're headed to Sushiya Aoyama in Ibiza Town, the little sushi place on Plaza de sa Drassaneta. In reality it's a stone's throw from 'fashionable' Calle de la Virgen so frequented by tourists, but in every other respect it's well and truly in the real ‘sa Penya'.

They were intending to close at 1am tonight, but, after promises to get there as promptly as we possibly could, kindly agree to hold out for us :p 8). I've been wanting to go here all Season but somehow never made it... parking is a challenge at the best of times near this area of Eivissa :rolleyes: and it's even more so in peak season :(. We're pressed for time, have two cars as I'm headed off clubbing after dinner, and we've no time to use a car park and walk either, really. :confused:

McRackin manages to spot a parking space on the outskirts to leave one and we head into town in the other :). Every side street is packed with cars and after several circuits we finally manage to nail a spot, a brisk 5 – 10 minute walk away. We're already late and phone our order (for Tuna Sashimi and Salmon Nigiri) and our apologies through. I'm glad I'm not on my own – would never have sorted this out :eek: :eek: :eek:, never mind remember how to find the car again ! :confused: :confused: :confused:

Entering Plaza de sa Drassaneta along a narrow alley is like stepping into another world :eek:. It's really quiet, away from the bustle of the main streets of the Old Town, and up a flight of steps is the little sushi bar. Despite the hour, the welcome couldn't have been warmer. Chef Hideki Aoyama is in the open kitchen, full of smiles. His partner, Elena, is the perfect hostess. The challenges of getting here melt instantly into a distant memory in the wave of charming bonhomie which surrounds us :D. We've beers in our hands in no time at all and a table is set up for us outside. :D 8) 8) 8)

The little terrace by the entrance provides a bird's eye view of the constant comings and goings of punters headed to purchase the wares of the gypsies living round here :lol: :spank:. It's quite a parade :eek: :!: Our sashimi and sushi arrive, beautifully presented, with all the best trimmings. It's the moment of reckoning ... I can honestly say this was the best sushi and sashimi I've had in Ibiza without any doubt, and on a par with the best I've had anywhere. It's no “fusion” food ... this is the real deal. 8)

Elena joins us for a chat after we finish our mains. We share stories and laughs. It's just like being with a long-standing friend and we hear about some of the realities of setting up and operating in this location :eek:. Elena and Hideki deserve a medal for establishing and making a success of this place, in the face of challenges which would undoubtedly prove too great for most. What is so striking is that the ambiance is somehow totally authentic and yet unique... 8) and I felt completely at home there. Sushiya Aoyama is definitely now the only place I'd want to go for sushi in Ibiza Town. :p

It's pushing 2am by now :eek: and we decide to pass on desserts this time. So Hideki arrives instead with a complimentary piece of Tuna Nigiri each, made with the very finest cut of fish to end our meal :twisted:. It's been really great – next time I'm getting there earlier and having a full 3-course meal :D! We didn't ask the price when we phoned through our order ... and the bill is far less than I would have imagined :eek:. Really good value. 8)

Spotlight wrote a review on this restaurant here :arrow:
http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2012/sushiya_aoyama_sushi_review_i.htm

Bid fond farewells to new found friends and head off to retrieve the cars.. sadly it's time for McRackin and I to part company as I'm in for an all-nighter ... at Sankeys !
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Diynamic Neon Nights at Sankeys, Ibiza 31st July 2012

After the usual quick detour via the all-night off-licence near Asador Sissi's to procure a little vodka and redbull, car is duly stowed conveniently opposite Sankeys entrance.. (8)) with about an inch to spare at front and rear following about 20 precision parking manoeuvres :eek:. A bit of a stroke of luck, really, all in all ! :D

There's no queue by now and the door staff are friendly as ever. As I walk in, H.O.S.H. are in full flight in the Basement and it's clear things are turning the corner from warm-up hours to a rocking night :). It's an atmosphere that seems fairly unique to Sankeys, when a pretty clued-up and potentially rather jaded crowd gets its reassurance that what they are hoping for to bring them all fully to life is about to be delivered :twisted:. I've missed David August unfortunately :( but there's still plenty to come :p.

There are nods to Neon in the crowd – some of the guys have applied discreet Tribal markings in UV luminous paints - mainly on their faces and legs, with one or two taking advantage of the chance to embellish their pecs as well.. :)roll: :lol:) but it's all far more ‘stripped-down' than a Zoo makeover. I actually think it's rather fun – feels a bit like a nod to the late ‘80s and early 90s rave era and shows it's actually a party in here and not just another basement stomp :twisted::p:twisted:.

The demographic is noticeably younger than Viva Warriors on Wednesdays, mainly in the 23-30 age range, I'd say. The girls' outfits are shorter and there's a greater percentage of caps, high-top trainers and sports shorts amongst the guys. The energy is still lagging behind Lawler smashing it out at 3am on a Wednesday but it's relatively early days and there's a happy, friendly mood in the club. :)

I'm really getting into it by the time the H.O.S.H. set ends. Plenty of original and fresh material played, which really worked :). Next up was Kollektiv Turmstrasse Live. This was probably a dream booking for Deep House heads, but I'm hoping the pace and dancefloor buzz built by H.O.S.H. is sustained with the lineup billed in this order. I'm sorry to say that it wasn't. :(

Some of the drops were very long indeed and despite positioning myself directly in front of a huge speaker alongside the DJ booth to try to appreciate the “complex sounds” instead, I just get, frankly, too bored to stay on the dancefloor :eek:. This sort of set would have been far better earlier on in my view, or in a club that's less dance-oriented, but so many dancefloor-killing elements are very frustrating after such a tantalizing build. It's probably fine if you're wandering around chatting but not if you're ‘frozen on a podium' :x.

Decide to check out the Spektrum Room (where the music was unfortunately not my scene at all) so go upstairs to the terrace for some random chats instead :twisted:. It's odd .. the punters seem to have been corralled into a quadrant spreading out from the bar, all pretty crushed inside imaginary lines but leaving a huge area of free space at the opposite side of the terrace to the entrance. :confused:

I go to the back for a fag and am ticked off by a bouncer for straying outside the area beyond the last table with my cigarette :eek:. He looks thoroughly grumpy, seems to be viewing the assembled (mainly British) crowd with total distain, and has clearly corralled them all into a virtual “animal pen” of his own notional delineation. I compliantly spend some time in there and quite by chance meet a couple of guys promoting a new night on the island, who are mutual friends with some mates from London.

The British clubbers are on the whole totally impervious to their confinement in “the pen” :lol:, and seemingly oblivious to the feelings of the staff. However I'm increasingly troubled by seeing a “diynamic” like this :(. Decide to break out of the “pen” and offer the main bouncer and his colleague a cigarette, mainly as a gesture to “reach out” rather than anything else. To my surprise they both accept :eek:, I join them and we manage to have a good chat between my kindergarten Spanish and their broken English. It transpires they really don't like working there Tuesdays, preferring Wednesdays by far with Saturdays coming in second. The crowd being so dominated by British clearly leaves them feeling ‘apart' :(. However, by the end of their cigarettes they are smiling and even shake my hand. I'm glad to have done something, however small, to bridge a gap and lighten the mood :twisted:.

A drink sees me through to the main event of the night – the arrival of Bosnian golden boy, Solomun. Anticipation sweeps through the room, clubbers clear bottles from the floor and place them on the bar ready for some serious dancefloor action :p. The message is quite clear – dance or f**k off :twisted::p:twisted::D8). Happily quite a few people do and it actually becomes easier to dance. I secure my spot beside the left hand podium facing the decks as the tempo is lifted back up to the level we've all been waiting for; and once again, Sankeys Ibiza quite simply goes right off 8):twisted::p. It's absolutely brilliant and floor is shaking with energetic dance and groove.

The tribal-streaked vest and high-top trainer clad young crowd are sufficiently au fait with their classics to be mouthing the words to Eddie Amador's ‘House Music' to each other on the podiums 8). Not everyone understands House Music, but the crowd in here tonight certainly do :p. A Spiritual thing, a Body thing, a Soul thing it sure was as I danced my nuts off all the way till nearly 7.30am with the rest of the room :twisted: 8) :p, when Solomun decided to drop a classic so cheesy I have wiped all recollection of its ID from my memory banks to safeguard my respect for the guy. :confused:

It was my cue to leave. I'd had a really fun night and rather than being airport-bound I've a whole day ahead of me to look forward to instead. Decide to head in the direction of the Gran Sol and take it from there.
 
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kimajy said:



so go upstairs to the terrace for some random chats instead :twisted:. It's odd .. the punters seem to have been corralled into a quadrant spreading out from the bar, all pretty crushed inside imaginary lines but leaving a huge area of free space at the opposite side of the terrace to the entrance. :confused:
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Yes we wondered exactly the same thing....dare anyone even step over that imaginary line.....
kimajy said:

...the arrival of Bosnian golden boy, Solomun. Anticipation sweeps through the room, clubbers clear bottles from the floor and place them on the bar ready for some serious dancefloor action :p. The message is quite clear – dance or f**k off :twisted::p:twisted::D8). Happily quite a few people do and it actually becomes easier to dance. I secure my spot beside the left hand podium facing the decks as the tempo is lifted back up to the level we've all been waiting for; and once again, Sankeys Ibiza quite simply goes right off 8):twisted::p. It's absolutely brilliant and floor is shaking with energetic dance and groove.

The tribal-streaked vest and high-top trainer clad young crowd are sufficiently au fait with their classics to be mouthing the words to Eddie Amador's ‘House Music' to each other on the podiums 8). Not everyone understands House Music, but the crowd in here tonight certainly do :p. A Spiritual thing, a Body thing, a Soul thing it sure was as I danced my nuts off all the way till nearly 7.30am with the rest of the room :twisted: 8) :p, when Solomun decided to drop a classic so cheesy I have wiped all recollection of its ID from my memory banks to safeguard my respect for the guy. :confused:
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I love this guy :D ....a definite new favourite of mine
 
I can't wait to go to Dynamic...

Should be wild. I get that this is the start of a Ibiza institution with Sankeys/Solomun and I really look forward to a balls out house night (being more of the Trance persuasion) as I like to mix it up and love Electro/Techno in virtually all forms (if it's good).

Dynamic and ENTER. are going to be my highlights outside the known Trance havens...
 
Finally ... some more !

Arriving at Calo d'es Moro in time-honoured fashion and pulling up alongside the wall behind the beach, my enthusiasm for a post-clubbing swim is tempered by the unusually visible presence of 2 Guardia Civil cars who seem preoccupied with goings on at the beach below :x. Hang around for a while in the car with the aircon on, but they don't seem to be going anywhere :confused:.

Reluctantly, decide to drive on a bit and swim at Cala Gracio instead, not being minded to stick around anything other than early morning peace in my rather frail condition :eek:. Go round the roundabout at the end of the road and turning back towards San An, and there's a parking spot on the left very near the beach 8). As I switch the engine off, I'm overcome with fatigue :eek:. It's pushing 9am by now. Must have been holding it together with every ounce of concentration, because I basically collapse in a heap behind the wheel :oops:. I've not even the strength to get out of the car and walk to the sea :eek: :spank:.

There's only one thing for it – seat goes back, windows go down beyond half-way (I'm far enough out of town to take the risk), and I discover that Seat Ibiza's are perfectly designed for napping :p. No annoying gubbins or raised arm-rests etc. between the seats means you can really stretch out across the driver's and front passenger's seats ;). Far comfier than the Citroens I often get .. and the passenger door arm-rest serves as a great place to really “get your feet-up”. I'm out for the count in seconds :spank:.

My nap is finally disturbed a refuse lorry going past with 2 guys in the cab who stop and say something to me in Spanish, laughing a little :confused:. I think I'm totally rumbled as being in the middle of kipping off a heavy night ! Can't make out what they're trying to say through the blur ... so wave at them, smile and say “si” a few times. They drive off ... and I doze off again.

My next passer-by is two Guardia Local police officers in a panda car ... calling to me through the half-open passenger window. They thankfully look as amused as the refuse guys – I must look pretty comfy despite the soaring temperatures and increasing daylight intensity ... (or more likely monumentally wrecked .. perhaps I was snoring loudly (who knows !!) :oops: :oops: :oops:). Stifling back the sniggers, they say the same thing as the refuse truck guys said. Decide it's time to admitYo no habloespañol. “Your lights ... they are on.” Hmmm .... a dead giveaway I'd been out in the car last night really ! :rolleyes:

Sh!t. You get used to hire cars with an auto switch on the lights .... never occurred to me to switch the darned things off :x ! Extremely nice of the cops to stop by and tell me tho' 8) ! The fear of having to deal with a flat battery jolts me back into consciousness. Turn the headlights off and wait till the coast is clear feeling somewhat silly. Try the key .. the engine only just starts – a very narrow escape :D. Decide I'd better leave it running for 15 minutes or so .... enough for a warm Red Bull (gaah !) and a couple of tracks before making mine. I'm not going to be swimming at Cala Gracio, or even getting down there, after all it seems ... :spank:

Checking the clock, reality suddenly hits with a real thud. It's five minutes to twelve already and once again I've completely slept through all the time I could have been in my hotel room despite being about half a mile from it :x. Heck. Zoom off down the road back to Gran Sol and as I reach Room 101, the maids are already on to the room opposite and will be doing mine next :x.

Plug in my laptop to fire up and my phone in to charge whilst I'm having a last-ditch shower and remember about those Radio 1 tickets. There are no replies on Spotlight to last night's offer ... only a member's friend's number on a PM from Fronty. Guess everyone is likely still in bed at this hour ! Leave a quick phone message before getting kicked out of the room by the maids.

Sit in the car ringing round everyone I know in San An who might want them for themselves or their friends, but still no-one can be raised at this hour :!: Really don't want to hang around San An any longer. Driving past Pussycat Bar, I decide to offer the Radio 1 wristbands to the workers there. Random punters in San An will almost inevitably assume any sort of free gesture is a con to screw money out of them in some way (sad but true :!: ).

I clear it with the manager before offering and two very good-looking girls waste little time getting their shifts covered and trotting over to the Ushuaia shop with me to get them. It's not an event I'd ever go to these days, but lots of the young crowd were really keen for it (I was too at one point in my life) and the girls were absolutely over the moon about it and I've no doubt would join in the event fully and have a great time. So work for the day done and conscience cleared !

It's stifling in San Antoni :(, the sun is fierce and I really want to get away somewhere quiet. Decide to head to Aigues Blanques rocks – guaranteed to get some space there 8). My head is not where it should be and find myself heading out past the Hotel Puchet. Need to be on the Ronda ! Doubling back, a lady probably in her mid-30s is thumbing a lift. She's rather good-looking (but doesn't look like a call girl !) Looks odd and I pull over ... she wants a ride to somewhere past Tarba (seems in a terrible hurry and looks very flustered). Claims she's trying to get to the Library (??), which closes at 2pm, to get some ticket ... and I decide to give her a ride if she shows me where she wants dropping off. :confused:

Chatting in the car, she completely unprompted tells me she was at Aigues Blanques yesterday and how much she loved it there. Casually drop that that's where I'm off to for the afternoon ... and in an odd spontaneous exchange, she asks if she can come with me ... if I don't mind :confused: :confused: :confused:. She'll happily forget about her “ticket-mission”. It's one of those weird scenarios where I'm totally torn – go alone for some quiet time (what I had in mind) or have an attractive female companion come with me and see what happens. Unsurprisingly, I agree to her suggestion ... but my "sensible" side say she should go do her business at the Library first – no need to defer it as we're so close anyway. Park up, get a ticket, agree to wait for her to go do her business (especially it it closes at 2pm - can wait till then) and nip across the road to buy some cold drinks.

Waiting round that back-street, all sorts of things start going through my head :spank:. My instincts start nagging at me – something just wasn't quite right about her behaviour and body language as she left the car. Was she some sort of con-artist or involved with a dealer ? Did she regret accepting a lift or have second thoughts ? Was there really a Library or was she off doing something else ? If so, did it matter ? Maybe my judgement was impaired in the post-clubbing haze ... or maybe I was being paranoid. It's starting to do my head in :confused:.

Waited it out till about 2.10pm, started getting ‘warning' feelings. Sh!tty perhaps, I know, if she was genuine ... but the San An activities were all taking far too long, it was plenty time after the alleged "closing time" for her to have got back to the car and I was beginning to feel like I was trapped. Really wanted to arrive at Aigues Blanques a bit earlier this time and it was calling me very strongly. Decided to skidaddle :spank: .. so I will never know.


Actually felt quite relieved on the drive over. In the end, I always try to go with my instincts whatever my head (or my d**k) tells me. Feel a nice sense of peace as I arrive, there's just about enough time left for a decent spell here before the sun starts going behind the cliffs and shading the beach .. and I'm really glad to be alone :eek:. All a bit "Zsa Zsa Gabor" maybe but it's completely how I feel ! Park up and get set for some quality beach time 8).
 
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