Mondo Exotica!

My personal experience with the world of exotica came at a very tender age. The Polynesian craze which was popular in the late 50’s and early 60’s touched even my small Texas city. The Tiki Club at the Tradewinds Motel provided adults with an escape from the pressures of everyday suburban life.

The Tiki Club was part of the motel restaurant and had a very foreboding and dark entrance. As a young child I wondered exactly what kind of mysterious and wonderful club the adults had devised “in there”. I knew it had to be really cool because they were given little plastic animals to put on the sides of their drinks. Many of my intrusions into the alcohol laced adult world of the time were based on the aquisition of these colorful little animals. Not only was the Tiki Club one of my targets, I was even run out of the Officer’s Club at Kirtland AFB as well! Well, I just had to have a red plastic monkey or an orange giraffe, so I decided to venture into this forbidden zone. Much like a spelunker I cautiously marched into the dark cavernous entranceway into the Tiki Club. After just a few feet inside I suddenly came face to face with a huge carved tiki god with menacing ruby eyes that reflected the dim light. Needless to say, I froze in terror! After a brief staredown with this wooden sentinel, I decided to beat a hasty retreat back into the restaurant only to hear the roar of laughter by the adults seated there. This club wasn’t in any danger of being invaded by kids on this day! The tiki totem had done its duty, the gods were appeased, and life went on.