Christmas Is. - Under the Southern Cross Part 3

[Tony Buzolich]

Jay,

That is a picture of Michael's father hanging behind the bar. Also Michael's younger brother Adrian works or helps out there sometimes too. Nice kid.

[Carl Blackledge]

Carl,

I've been to the Crystal Beach lodge twice. I chose this lodge because of the constant ocean breeze you get which helps with few mosquitos or bugs. They are there too but not as bad as other places on the island. Over at the Villages you are in the lee of the island with little breeze to chase anything away. I shouldn't comment on the Villages as I've never stayed there.

Food at the Crystal Beach was adequate but subject to available supplies coming in either by plane or ship. We had plenty of fresh tuna every day for dinners and sashimi before dinner outside. Dinners were not gourmet but we did have chicken a couple of nights, steak one night, spaghetti out of a can, etc. etc. The final night was a farewell luau with a whole roasted pig, lobsters for everybody, roasted breadfruit, and always rice. Rice was a daily standard with every meal. They did a fine job with what they had for supplies but I think I'll offer to cook a few meals for everyone next time.

There's pros and cons for every place you go. Some like this , some like that. You just have to take it as it comes and make the best of things. If you are expecting something, then the door is open for disappointment.

I was told at the Villages you make your own lunches. We had great sandwiches every day, meat, turkey, etc. with lettuce and tomato. The favorite sandwich though was the fish made out of fresh tuna and mayo.

Tony,

Thanks for the honest answers....Honestly is a very welcome breath of fresh air after dealing with Fishing International and my Guatemala BS trip.

I guess I wouldn't like the food at your place. At home I work out, jog and eat very conservable and try to stay healthy, after that being said When you pay a lot of doe for a fishing trip, I do expect to break my regular routine and eat lots of good stuff. Tuna fish and rice just wouldn't make the grade.
Besides that looks like a good trip

Carl Blackledge

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Tony,
I forgot to mention that. I wonder if Michael will be next in line for the lodge when the "wicked step mother" passes on.
Yep Carl, you better look elsewhere for a good destination. Only one other place that I've been would be a close second to
CI was Honduras. The lodge was also located on an island. I loved the thick heavy coffee in the morning and the croc we had for
dinner a couple times during the week. I don't eat red meat so when it was steak night, I gave the kitchen people my steak.
I'm buying some spam in Honolulu for breakfast and musubi lunch. When I was a kid in Hawaii, I grew up on that, along with bento box lunches

[Carl Blackledge]

Tony,
I forgot to mention that. I wonder if Michael will be next in line for the lodge when the "wicked step mother" passes on.
Yep Carl, you better look elsewhere for a good destination. Only one other place that I've been would be a close second to
CI was Honduras. The lodge was also located on an island. I loved the thick heavy coffee in the morning and the croc we had for
dinner a couple times during the week. I don't eat red meat so when it was steak night, I gave the kitchen people my steak.
I'm buying some spam in Honolulu for breakfast and musubi lunch. When I was a kid in Hawaii, I grew up on that, along with bento box lunches

Jay,

As I told Tony, Thanks for being honest. Your right I wouldn't be interested in any place where I must bring my own food.

The odd thing is look at the money that these outfits make on their customers and the free trips that the trip leaders get, They can bring you and your gear in, but not food. Something there just doesn't jive. I am sure I am not the only guy that doesn't want to eat Tuna and rice for diner.

Again, thatnks for being honest

Carl Blackledge

[mems]

Hey Carl how was the fishing in Guat? Did you catch many sails? I think most guys go to Ci for the fishing, not the food. You can eat pretty well in Oahu before and after. We bring food with us just to make it better. I taught them how to make blackened sashimi, hard to get sick of that. Mems.
Jay if you need nori let me know, you can make lots of musubis at home. Don.

[Carl Blackledge]

Mems,


The fishing in Guatemala sucked with the Green horn crew and Captain they gave us and the boat they switched us to was just a "crop duster" the smell of that old beat up and worn out engine fumes would just make you sick all day long. We were also promised a highly talented Captain and crew, We didn't get those guys. We got the C team

I don't go to 3 rd world country's to eat, I go to fish, however just regular food like eggs and bacon would be OK, perhaps a little meat and salad for diner, is that too much to ask for? In Mexico which is also a 3 rd world country I love their food, and don't have any complaints

Mem's as you can see I do ask lots of questions before I book any trip, on my Guatemala trip I was misrepresented the whole way on every aspect

Carl Blackledge

[dynaflow]

As someone who's fished C.I.regularly for the past decade I'd like to clear up a few anomalies and plain misunderstandings about the various accommodation and their respective facilities.Please note that I have no commercial interest whatsoever in any of the Lodges.Firstly,I find it strange that the best Lodge on the island hasn't been mentioned in this thread...Ikari House,and here's a few reasons why.It's around the corner from the harbour,has the best food(by popular consensus),best (air conditioned)accommodation and IMHO the best Guides.Until his recent sad passing Moana Kofe was Head Guide and his shoes have been filled jointly by English's protege Kuritaro (Ray) and Nathan.Ikari also has the best boats,both traditional and fast hull.As mentioned and to their credit,the Villages is the only Lodge to offer one Guide per angler,and re the sandwich comment,you make up your own from a variety of available fillings which suits most just fine,rather than everyone getting the same.They also have a semi-permanent resident Aussie IFFF CCI.in Nial Logan and run a good operation.The Captain Cook Lodge hasn't been good for a while and needs refurbishment.Friends who've stayed at the Shark Lodge (Crystal Beach) tell tales of no hot water,local coconut bread (yeeech),lack of cold anything to drink and so-so food.I can only hope this has improved.Re mosquitos,I've never had a problem with them as they're only around for a short period at dusk and dawn.They were more prevalent in recent years due to the excess water from the El Nino weather event (thankfully passed) and this also contributed to some local people becoming infected with Chikungunya (a mosquito born virus from Africa).Wearing the right clothing helps,although I appreciate that some blood types are more attractive to Mozzies than others.Re GT fishing,mostly it's opportunistic in the lagoon so if you fish with a Guide have him carry your ready rigged big rod,and this also helps him point out fish you can't see.

[Carl Blackledge]

Thanks for that

Carl