This Must Be The Place

As we arrived at Ibiza around 9:00 AM, swim trunks in hand, the perfect 80-degree weather  everyone had mentioned to us couldn’t have felt better. We quickly waved down a cab outside the airport and made our way to Hotel Victoria where we would spend our one night. Once we dropped our bags dropped off at the hotel, the Malibu Beach club, suggested by Hugh, was our next stop. Although Hugh had a rough idea of where the club was located, we were not completely sure where to enter the beach. After passing several sandy and sketchy pathways, we stumbled upon a promising, boarded walkway. Moments later, Hugh informed us that, “this must be the place.” The beautiful tropical countryside, white sand and crystal blue water of the Mediterranean Sea was before our eyes.  We gathered towels and umbrellas before setting up our beach spot. Positioned directly on the shoreline for all to see, it was obvious that we were American as our blank faces starred with curiosity and excitement.

Once we situated ourselves on the beach, it was time to test the water. Without hesitation, all four of us raced into the water. The salty, warm water was a necessary treatment to cure our bodies from minimal sleep and dehydration from the night before.  After an hour or two of downtime in the Mediterranean, we decided to venture onto the beach club’s terrace for another authentic Spanish meal. Even though we already had a taste of paella the night before, it was clear that this local restaurant’s paella was going to outshine the Japanese Steakhouse’s attempt at the classic Spanish dish. To no surprise, the paella was magnificent and was the perfect complement to several rounds of Estrella beer.

We paid our bill and headed back to our umbrellas but decided to entertain ourselves with some paddle ball, known as Kadima, that we had seen all of the locals playing; some even playing topless…… Hugh returned from the activities tent with a pair of new Kadima paddles, each paddle made from an exotic wood on the island.  As we took turns playing, we found ourselves jumping and diving in the water, attempting to rally for the most consecutive strikes between each other.  Despite our best efforts, the locals still hold the title for most hits in a row. By a lot.  The energy exerted in the water gave us enough reason to partake in another siesta back at the hotel.

After cleaning up and getting a good meal in us at the hotel restaurant, we headed downstairs to grab a drink at the bar and heard a peculiar sound coming from the patio. As we walked through the entrance, we noticed a trio of local dancers who knew a thing or two about booty shaking. Surprised by the  performance in our hotel bar, we felt obligated to have a few beers and support their various acts and  representations of Spanish tradition and culture on the island. Although the dresses and dance moves were very appealing, we had already purchased tickets to another performance that would ultimately be the highlight of our stay in Ibiza.

The hotel receptionist called us a cab and before we knew it, we were at one of the hottest clubs on the island, Space.  The club was hosting the opening party for a venue known as “BE”, a very popular and exotic venue on the island.  Headlining the event was none other than Armin Van Burren. Putting the Netherlands on his back, Van Burren has been dubbed the World’s best DJ four years in a row and this show was all the proof we needed. With a complex arrangement of lights and mist surrounding the main stage, Van Burren was able to play for nearly 6 hours and kept his fans partying until the early morning.