12/12 Las Brisas

The drive to Las Brisas is quite pretty – through lush farmland with the mountains in the background.

		Drive to Las Brisas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

After a brief ride through Trinidad, the town we’ll be visiting tomorrow, we turn off the main road and drive for about 5 minutes through low lying marshlands and tidal pools – sort of reminds us of home!

Las Brisas is located on the Ancon Peninsula, right on the beautiful white sand Ancon beach. The location is ideal for sight seeing around the area – but it is definitely outside of town, and not within walking distance to anything.  It’s all-inclusive, so really, there is no need to walk to anything!  However, we’ve read a lot of reviews on this place and they are pretty overwhelming “not good”.  There tends to be a lot of water issues (no water, or if you have water, no hot water), electricity issues (it’s just goes out) and the buffet food was mentioned several times as “grim” (which is probably where I got my new word!).  And it only opened in 2002!  Wow!  So, we are not expecting much, and are pleasantly surprised by the place!

We are escorted into the main lobby, which is all open air, with comfy sofas and chairs as well as a lovely fountain.  It’s also decorated with a Christmas tree. 

There is a quick little welcome show…

…then we all get our rooms and head through the lobby out across the pool bridge and into our rooms.  Again, we are pleasantly surprised.  We are lucky and are on the 2nd floor (we had read the 1st floor rooms could smell moldy/musty).  Our room is fine – two big beds, nice private patio and decent bathroom (except the shower head is for midgets – it’s set into the tile at about 4 foot height).  It’s clean, we have a refrigerator and the A/C works – and that’s all we care about!  We freshen up, dump our bags and head to the bar!  It’s all-inclusive time – and for 2 days I don’t have to ration my drinking money!

The lobby bar is where end up – it’s a cozy little area off the pool – next to the “snack bar” which has a more cafeteria ambience.  The BS team rests and relaxes here with our wine, beer, mojitos and other assorted beverages! We’re staying in tonight, and eating in the hotel, but we are lucky – Steve and Julie have been able to procure us space upstairs in one of the ala carte dining rooms so we don’t have to brave the buffet!  Yay!

Sadly, I don’t know what I was doing, because I have absolutely no pictures of our meal. So – I now have absolutely no idea what we ate!  I’m sure it was soup as a first course, and then probably some more fish, and ice cream for dessert – but I’m clueless.  I do know that after dinner as we are heading back to our lobby bar, we check in on the buffet – and true to the TripAdvisor description – it is grim!  We are really pleased we were able to eat upstairs in the restaurant!

As we are leaving the buffet, we have to pass the big stage (where they blare music most nights – and daytimes too) – and we are hearing a bingo game going on. But there is no one on the stage? And no one in the audience?  What the heck?  So we dub it “Ghost Bingo” and start to move on.  As we are rounding the corner by the stage – there is the DJ, sitting at a table with 2 players!  They are the only ones playing the game, but he is still announcing it over the loudspeakers – broadcasting it to everyone within earshot of the stage and pool area. Funny!

Shots below are (on the right) outside the “snack bar” with Ed chatting with Julie, Osmel and Steve and (left) “Nebraska” chatting with us over a cigar in the lobby bar (Mrs. Nebraska is standing at the bar behind him).

Night caps for all – and off to bed. Tomorrow is another big day!