Take
this quiz. If you answer 'no' to more than two of the
statements, consider going to another resort.
Not
all the above necessarily occur but, if any did, would
it ruin your vacation? If the answer is 'yes,' then
somewhere else may bring you more pleasure.
Most
questions about Hedo have to do with nudity, sex, who
goes there, and what to wear. Here are the quickie answers.
Nakedness
Is Hedo a nudist
place?
Hedo is not a nudist resort. Guests are not naked all
the time. Nudity isn't mandatory and is only allowed
within the walking paths of the nude-side rooms and
at the nude beach and nude pool complex. That's about
a third of the Hedo campus. Topless is permitted but
not overly common on the prude beach and at the prude
swimming pool and hot tub.
On
Thursday's Toga night, nudity is allowed at dinner.
On Tuesday's Pyjama night, nudity is allowed in the
disco. The secret rumored rule is that nudity is allowed
anywhere at Hedo after midnight, but the truth of that
rule varies. Other than that, no nudity is allowed.
I'm
nervous about the nude beach. What's it like?
Fun. Get naked. Get over
it. Life's too short. The second most difficult
thing about the nude beach at Hedo is taking your clothes
off the first time. The most difficult thing
is putting them back on. (See Why Go Naked—and How
To Get There on page 225.)
Our
previous experience with nudism was 'no touchy-feelie'
at resorts. That is, nude is not equated with sex. What
about at Hedo?
Hedo is different: it's
not a nudist resort, but a lot of people are naked.
Hedo has strong erotic undertones and oftentimes overtones,
too. Some weeks are sexier than others depending on
who's there. Some times of the day or night (2 a.m.
hot tub) are sexier than others. Hedo has touchy-feelie
among friends who enjoy it. Occasionally someone will
touch you in a way you think inappropriate, such as
a fanny pat. Just let them know that doesn't fly with
you (if indeed, it doesn't) with words or a stern look—just
like in the real world.
Can
I wear my bottoms on the nude beach?
Women, yes; men, no. Attractive
women wearing their bottoms will be looked at more than
naked ones—as a curiosity and because clothes make many
people look sexier. (Sarongs or a long T-shirt are acceptable
cover-ups on the nude beach as long as you are naked
under them.) When women have their period, some wear
bottoms (see Periodic Pain on page 242). Some
weeks the 'prude patrol' of hude guests is vociferous
and may give you fun-natured grief, but they usually
let up if you are pleasant. Clothes are out of place
on the nude side, just as walking naked on the prude
beach makes you out of place. But if people have been
seeing you naked on the beach, you can also wear clothes
and not be hassled. Women have more leeway to wear clothes
on the nude beach than men do because of the leer factor.
My
spouse is a prude and I'm a nude—can we manage okay?
The nude beach area just
past the pier is a DMZ for people who want to wear clothes
but be on the nude beach with their friends or spouse.
Most nude people are uncomfortable with a dressed person
hanging at the bar or grill, though, unless that person
is well-known and liked.
My
husband is concerned about getting aroused on the beach.
Is this common?
"Wood on the beach!" Yup, wood happens, but it's rare
because most guests don't inspire that reaction. Naked
doesn't equal sexy. Some are proud of Mr. Happy taking
a peek and like to show it off. One inspired buck said,
"I can't help it." So the women decorated his wood with
body stickers and then ignored it. (See Addressing
Temporary Blood Displacement on page 232.)
How
to dress
What do people
wear at Hedo?
Everyone favors tropical wear found at any Caribbean
resort. At breakfast and lunch in the dining area, men
and women dress in shorts and T-shirts, swimsuits (any
type from big one-pieces with major support to minuscule
thongs), and cover-ups or sarongs.
Naked
male chests are common at breakfast and lunch but not
at dinner. Naked female chests are not allowed off the
beach except for Toga (during dinner) or Pyjama nights
(after dinner). At meals, women need only cover nipples,
even with a sheer or loosely woven material.
At
dinner, people dress up more, though shorts and T-shirts
are still plentiful. Skirts approximating belts are
not uncommon. Some women shop Sluts 'R' Us and enjoy
traipsing around in spandex and ultra heels.
Sandals
are always okay, but socks are ridiculous—this is the
Tropics. Shoes are only required in the Pastafari restaurant.
Shoes are wise, however, because glass breaks nightly.
(See
Best Dressed Is Undressed: Clothes Are for Closets
on page 29.)
What
do I need for the Toga party?
Hedo supplies a white twin-size
sheet. After cleaning your room on Thursday, the maid
puts an extra sheet folded on your bed. Bring accessories,
if you want, such as a belt, safety pins, gaudy jewelry,
or a headpiece. Do not wear underwear—the danger of
having it removed by someone runs high.
How
wild do people get on Pyjama and Toga nights?
Wild? As in clothes: very.
For PJ night: from naked to doggie collars to severe
bondage stuff to cutesy-wootsy to boxer shorts to full
flannels with slippers and stuffed animal. Toga night
can be judged by the number of breasts on display. A
good Toga night shows at least nine breasts (some women
wear a one-hooter halter).
Sex
I'm
a single gal; are there any single guys?
Congratulations—you won first prize for the easiest
question to answer. Tell her what she's won, Johnny.
You won an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of more single
guys than you can handle. They'll be flown in at their
own expense from exotic locations all over the world—including
New Jersey and New York. You'll marvel at their ability
to consume alcohol and wear tacky beachwear. You'll
be thrilled at their colorful use of slang. But wait—there's
more! You'll enjoy effortless flirtation from your Hunk-A-Roo
Roundup nightly at our world-famous hot tub! Enjoy the
libation of choice as you take your pick of dozens of
boy bods, from beefcake to buff to bloated.
Will
the swingers try to make me have sex with them?
Swingers, except for a few
weeks of the year, make up a small portion of the guests
at Hedo. "Contrary to popular belief, people in 'the
lifestyle' will not chase you down and make you have
sex with them," says Vicki from Las Vegas. "You have
to be somewhat aggressive if you want to have sex outside
your relationship. No one spends time pursuing people
who have no interest in swinging because too many other
people are willing and want to play."
In
the swinger lifestyle: 'No' always means 'no, thank
you.' Swingers generally are fun, social people and
will not lure you in or make you uncomfortable if you
tell them, "Thanks for asking, but no thanks." (See
Swinging Is an Attitude, Not an Activity on page
259.)
We're
not into the lifestyle scene but don't want to alienate
people by saying 'no' all the time. How does that work?
Only people who want to
exchange bohdily fluids (and not socialize) will snub
you. They are people into the total encounters scored,
not the quality. You'll have a great time laughing with
your mate in your room about their shabby advances.
Do
people really have sex in the hot tub or is that part
of the Hedo hype?
Yes, sex in the hot tub
occurs...as long as the guards (a.k.a. the sex police)
aren't stopping it. Some men do stare, but they usually
don't bother you. Sometimes lurkers aren't even there.
You'll likely have no problems with sex on the beach
at night—and with the chair cushions, pleasant beds
can be made. Bring your bedspread to make your love
nest cozy.
Is
there a lot of sex going on openly?
The vast majority of guests
are not getting it on in public. The amount of open
sex depends on the time of day or week and the crowd.
Open sex often occurs among the same people. Some people
go home disappointed because they never saw any open
sex. Sometimes sex goes on whenever you aren't around
and stops whenever you appear. Hedo is not an orgy,
but sometimes that 2 a.m. hot tub can become interesting.
Hedo
is a physical place (affection included) for some people,
but you only go where you are invited, just like the
real world. People do jiggle each other's tits. They
cup balls and give massages, but it's among friends—and
you know who you can do this with if you have good socialization
skills. This touching is for fun (read: cheap thrills)
and doesn't last long enough to result in orgasm.
How
intrusive are the single guys? Will they be hitting
on my wife all the time?
Depends. What does your wife look like?
Your
wife can use English to thwart advances—but don't be
disappointed if they don't occur. Strong language should
work for the rare person with severe rectal-cranial
inversion.
Will
I get laid?
Depends on whether someone says yes to your advances—just
like the real world. Contrary to the media reports,
Hedo is not a big sex party. If you are male and go
to Hedo without a date, realize you won't be going for
the sex. Women, however, enjoy the high ratio of men
to women. (See The Meet Market: Advice for Singles
on page 263.) You have no assurances people are disease
free; contrary to the "Exit to Eden" movie, Hedo has
no mandatory drug or disease test for admittance.
"Hedo
is not a singles club. It would have been more fun
with a mate or close friend. But that didn't stop
me from having the time of my life. The people at
Hedo are the most friendly people you'll find anywhere.
Go to Hedo with a good attitude and an open mind.
If you are honest with people and friendly, you are
accepted by almost everyone, couples and singles,
Nudes or Prudes."
—John Dobermiller
Who
goes to Hedo?
What type of
person goes to Hedo?
All types go there. The repeaters tend to be a little
more affluent. Some upscale guests wear pricey jewelry
on the beach to show it off; most do not. Every occupation
goes to Hedo, from doctors and lawyers, to musicians
and artists, to secretaries and truck drivers, to moms
and retirees.
The
guests are predominately white with 10% or so of other
races. Almost the entire staff is Black Jamaican. "Hedo
has lots of race issues," says Frank from Chicago.
"You have to race to the hot tub to get a good seat…you
have to race to the bar to get a drink…you have to race
to the beach to get a raft…you have to race to the PJ
party so you can watch everyone else come in."
Most
guests are from the United States, but a large Canadian
contingent is always at Hedo. Europeans and South Americans
are gaining in numbers. Usually at least one coordinator
(staff who leads games) is fluent in Spanish.
Generally,
half the guests are couples. Men outnumber women by
at least 2 to 1, but some weeks the ratio seems more
like 8 to 1. The average age is low-40s, but the mid-range
is 30 to 55 years old with 18 to 90 years of age possible.
The attitude—not the look, age, or income of the person—makes
a difference in whether fun is had at Hedo. (See Go
for the Sex, Stay for the People on page 141.)
Is
everyone supermodel thin, or is there a range?
The range of people you
see at Hedo is the same range you'll see at home—from
hard bohdies to what most people are: lumpy. But get
over yourself—whether you are an Adonis or a chubbo.
Hedo guests are forgiving. No one cares what you look
like unless they want to have sex with you—and everyone's
taste differs.
"From
time to time I heard something stupid such as, 'the
ones not wearing suits are the ones who really should.'
Nothing could be further from the truth. The older
women, the larger women, the woman with the mastectomy,
the ones with stretch marks, you are all gorgeous...your
bohdies look great and most of you had a spirit that
was just so attractive. The young petite girls have
nothing on you. (Although young pretty girls contribute
a great deal, too.)"
—Steve, a single guy
Do
repeater groups take over Hedo?
Repeater groups don't usually
make Hedo virgins uncomfortable—likely because they're
getting quieter and are becoming more eager to meet
new people. Repeater groups tend to be couples and 40+somethings.
The last three weeks of January are heavily populated
with Lifestylers. You find fewer singles at those times,
but singles are always at Hedo. Repeat offenders can
fill up more than 60% of the resort, especially during
the resort's Anniversary (Nov. 1) and many U.S. holidays.
(See Isle Be Back: Repeaters Are Surprisingly Organized
on page 158.)
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