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I could linger for hours, but I have to get ready for the hotel’s Tuesday night cocktail party, which takes place in the Great Room of Cotton House, the central dining and socializing area in the middle of the property. The party attracts just about everybody on the island. They come to catch up on local gossip and plan their weekly dinner party schedule. I greet Elizabeth and her husband Stan like old friends. All of a sudden, I hear my name, “Jill?” I spin around to see Lotty Bunbury, the designer I had interviewed. Somehow, she had learned that I was on the island and wanted to meet me (thank goodness she liked what I’d written about her – see what I mean about cozy?). Lotty and her husband Michael, the island’s sole doctor, are British-born, but they have decided to raise their family on Mustique. Their stories about the island and the experiences shared by the varied group of partygoers give me a snapshot look at life on Mustique. The next day – after a relaxing morning on the hotel’s crescent-shaped beach, where I snorkeled and read my book – I ride my “mule” (the golf cart-like vehicles everyone uses to get around) to meet Elizabeth for lunch at Firefly, perched high in the hills overlooking the sea. She gives me a quick tour of the four rooms set around a two-tiered pool with a waterfall and hammocks hung amid fragrant flowering trees. It is so idyllic, I couldn’t imagine a more charming spot to spend a honeymoon – the newlyweds I met at the airport must be having an excellent time. I order a sandwich and a Hairoun and enjoy the cool breezes. In the bar, a couple from Aspen, Colorado has their hearts set on joining Firefly’s Martini Club. If you drink all 14 varieties (Fruit Fly, Dragonfly, etc.), you become a member and are awarded a commemorative polo shirt. They only need a few more and are determined to finish the job right then and there. I can tell that Firefly is definitely the hub of the island. Elizabeth said things start to get lively at sunset, and the revelry continues well into the night. On many occasions, someone will start tickling the ivories on the grand piano (perhaps Phil Collins or Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon) and soon the atmosphere is like one big house party. The afternoon could easily slip away, but I decide to do a little exploring. I visit Macaroni Beach, the island’s most famous bit of sand, then roam around the tiny fishing village of Britannia Bay, home to a handful of stores including a bakery, general store, an antiques shop and the pink-and-purple Treasure Boutique, which sells bikinis, beaded sandals, linen shirts and Lotty’s sarongs. I make it back to the Cotton House for my afternoon massage then join the manager for dinner on the verandah of the Great House. Later that night, I head back into Britiannia Bay, to visit Basil’s, the legendary bamboo-and-wooden bar where locals, yachties and villa owners drink rum punches, dance to reggae music and catch up with friends, especially on Wednesday “Jump-Up” nights. Mick Jagger is often spotted jamming with the house band. I haven’t even ordered a drink when I run into the “martini” couple. Yes, they got their shirts. And, yes, we make plans to meet up the next day. ● LAN flights: Daily from Santiago, Lima, Buenos Aires, Quito and Guayaquil to Miami. From Miami you must book another flight to Barbados and, finally, a 45-minute flight to Mustique. |
