SO HOT IT'S COOL!

Okay - I'm back. It was hotter than a witches tit in a brass bra, but totally worth it. First of all I left at the perfect time, e.g. the time of lowest traffic flow, and made it out to Palm Springs in an hour forty five minutes. And that's with a three car accident in the fast lane just east of Redlands and a truck fully engulfed in flames in Beaumont. The temperature was at 103 degrees when I rolled through Rialto. Yesterday I was really paying attention because I was drivng a new route from Burbank and now I know where Monrovia and places that are mentioned on radio ads for carpet warehouse sales are. I was a little worried about my ancient old BMW handling the heat, but it did just fine and got me there in record time.

Korakia is located in old Palm Springs, just three blocks west of Palm Canyon. There are two main buildings, originally houses, which were built in the 20s and sit across the street from each other. I went out to meet my best friend who had booked the south pool bungalow in the Mediterranean Villa (16 rooms). There are about 6 rooms that abut the pool area, the others are set back further and in their midst is a bocci court and a ping pong table. The bungalow is free standing with slate tile floors and walls consisting of french doors which open onto the pool area. There are large olive trees all around the pool area which gave me shade - a necessity since I am a really white woman who wrinkles easily.

We changed into our bathing suits and set out to round up lounge chairs so we could bask in the hot dry desert heat. I'm being dramatic. It was actually pretty nice - about 102 degrees. Perfect for an afternoon of inertia, napping and reading. Normally I'm sure that Korakia is very peaceful and calm and perfectly suited to relaxation, but yesterday marked the arrival of Anne, Denise and Candace who were pounding mojitos and plotting out where they were going to meet "hot men". They were drunk and loud and pretty darn funny. I could've gotten annoyed, because there was no napping in their proximity. You know that sketch they do on Saturday Night Live featuring Drunk Girl? Well multiply times three and that's what was splashing in our pool. The thing is they were hilarious and I couldn't help but engage them in conversation.

Anne, a robust woman, e.g. big boobs, big ass and a booming voice, in her late 30s/early 40s, is recently married to a man whom she met six years ago. Upon meeting him she advised him that he would marry her so he better get those other women out of his system. He told her she was crazy. But she got him. She had such a strong personality it occurred to me that she might've just worn him down. You know successfully stalked him till she brought him to ground. Denise is blond, 34, single and hating it! We were comparing wild sex in Palm Springs stories from years ago. I once almost got caught by security having wild nekkid sex on the 14th green of the golf course by Costa's. But she won. She once had sex at Pompeii's. On the dance floor. In a crowd of people. Don't think I could get that drunk. Candace the third of the drunk girls is 25 and, well, she really didn't have any interesting stories - yet. After consuming a bottle of rum they started drunk dialing guys that they know, trying to coerce them into coming out to the desert for dinner. No takers. At about 5pm they started making plans for their evening - pondering where they could go to meet hot guys. I chimed in that most of the guys who live in Palm Springs are like gay, or ninety. I mean it was Tuesday night!

I couldn't help but wish that we had gotten one of the rooms across the street. Away from the party. They finally went in to get ready and I got to enjoy a little peace and quiet by the pool before I had to get ready for dinner. The shower in our room was one of those that you often see in Europe - no doors, no real shower area - more like a corner of the entirely tiled room where a shower head jutted from the wall. I kind of like the freedom of not worrying about getting water on the floor. Water could go anywhere! Before dinner we walked across the street and checked out the mint tea and cheese spread the hotel puts out. It was a little warm to snack on cheese, but the pool at the Moroccan Villa was very cool. It's round with a little palapa and a wall of fountains to the left of it. In fact there are a few fountains on that side of the street so that you could lay in your bed and hear the burble outside your rustic wooden door.

Dinner was at Las Casuelas, an oooooooold favorite mexican spot. There was a live band and big margaritas and chips and guacamole after which we mosied back to our groovy pensione to find that the fire pits had been lit at both villas and next to our bungalow, out by the bocci court they were showing The Big Sleep starring Bogie and Bacall. We pulled up lounge chairs and laid out under the stars to watch the movie.

Went to sleep around 10pm and woke up at 6:30 to an absolutely glorious day. Will definitely be going back to visit again. Hopefully without Anne, Denise and Candace.