We walked thru the Esmeralda property last week and spoke with the young man in the reception area, he stated that the fall prices would be about $240 a night when they reopen after their summer vacation. We have stayed here usually for 10-14 days at least eight times in the past. Basically the resort is close to 90% back to the way it was before the incredible damage was inflicted on it by the hurricanes. There was only one unit that is still closed but there were people there measuring and taking notes before they begin rehabbing it. There was still some small areas of metal roof damage on a couple of units but other than that Esmeralda has done in my opinion a great job rebuilding.

L'astrolabe was open and doing a decent midday business. As you walk down to the beach there is a lot of debris strewn about, from water bottles to broken glass and rebar & wood but you can easily bypass any of this. The CoCo beach restaurant is ever so slowly being rebuilt, the cinderblock walls are up and they are securing rebar on the roof , there were only two men working on it so if that's the norm I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't 100% completed before the fall.

We rented chairs at KKO and enjoyed a few drinks and talking with others. They have done an exceptional job cleaning the area and getting the bar & food service up and running, their restrooms were by far spotless.

later we strolled down the beach still surprised at how some areas are striving to put the bad times in the past and move on but equally surprised at how others have not. As we got close to where the old boulder barrier was for the Club Orient area we were what I would honestly describe as accosted by a group of people fully enjoying the sun shall we say, screaming and waving their fists at us for invading their "area" with our bathing suits on. Believe me I have no qualms with anyone that enjoys having the sun on every inch of their bodies, but at first not understanding their wrath until this group of 4 or 5 men quickly walked up to us and questioned why we would walk around without taking off our bathing suits. One failed mensa candidate started to yell at my wife, not me, for her sheer ignorance at keeping her suit on, my wife was in quickly in tears as she tried to explain that we in no uncertain terms were just enjoying a walk on the beach. He then began to backup when as I stepped in front of him and lowered myself to his brand of bullying, immediately the conversation was done but despite my requests to apologize to my wife he trotted back with his crew to the safe zone of the women that were with them. Since when are people allowed to overtake certain areas expressly as theirs on a public beach. Is this what the mentality of the CO crowd is, to berate two people as they mind their own business walking the beach ? We passed a few people that were enjoying the sun and never paid attention to it, by far the majority of people are not sans clothes but seriously who cares. What was once Club O appears as if it will never be rebuilt, and that really surprises me considering it was a fantastic option for a lot of people.

Last but not the least is the Island itself. When tourism is your #1 source of revenue for the majority of residents what is the mentality of the government in charge to turn their backs on the what vacationers visiting here for the first time see as they drive around. Tons & tons of rubbish, garbage, stripped & abandoned cars, pickup trucks & construction vehicles, metal storage containers litter the entire Island, unless you are in a gated resort. When you are told by some that no one cares, all you can do is shake your head and say a prayer for these poor people.