Arriving at the resort right around 8 o’clock in the morning, I fully expected to spend most of the day waiting around for my room to be ready. I approached the front desk and after engaging in some Spanish small talk, the agent advised me to go for breakfast and my room would be ready upon my return. Although I was shocked to the point of disbelief, I was in serious need of a strong cup of coffee. So off I went to the main buffet in search of a caffeine fix. But what I found were unicorns and rainbows – not literally of course, I was tired from the red-eye flight but not entirely delirious. I think.
Never in my life had I seen a buffet of this size – the choices were endless and honestly a little overwhelming. Throughout my stay, I made the habit of walking through the entire restaurant a couple of times before even picking up a plate. Another terrific feature for the independent traveler was the self-service nature of this buffet. Guests were free to seat themselves and acquire their own beverages. Everywhere else I’ve been, there’s always a hostess at the door looking at me with pity as I say “mesa para una” (table for one), then I have to wait awkwardly while she clears the second place setting from the table. And when the server arrives I must explain that yes, I am indeed eating alone – “si, una persona”. Their soulful eyes fill with sympathy as they pour ice water into my lone glass and take my coffee order.
I should probably mention that I am the last person who needs pity or sympathy – I love eating by myself! I’m not limited by anyone else’s feeding schedule – I go when I want and stay as long (or as short) as I want. And as a solo patron, I always choose buffets over a la carte restaurants – the time spent sitting around waiting by myself while other tables stare at this poor, pathetic woman eating alone is greatly reduced. The buffet-style setting provides a plethora of delicious choices while minimizing wasting time that could be spent doing the things I truly enjoy. And being stared at doesn’t make the list.
Why there’s such a stigma attached to dining alone, I’ll never know – to me, it’s simply delightful!
