June 2001

Global-Scene -
Ibiza

   The town of Ibiza is nestled beside a small bay on the southern coast of the Spanish island Ibiza, which in turn is located approximately 150 miles southeast of Barcelona. This seemingly quaint village is transformed each summer into a pan-European party central. Thousands of collegiate coeds, from countries near and far, flock to the island to join a frenzied 24/7 celebration of libidos without borders. This is MTV Spring Break on steroids and the partyers are young, guilt-free, and not responding if you only speak English.
   Well, not exactly.
   There are actually two towns of note on Ibiza. San Antoni, which is roughly a 25 minute drive from Ibiza town on an opposing coastline, is overrun by vacationing English students. These Brit brats routinely display all the potential and ambition necessary to become first-class soccer hooligans. On the positive side, they do tend to keep to themselves, and so much to the delight of almost every other nationality, they can be easily avoided. The bottom line: unless you can name Liverpool's goalkeeper while drinking a pint of Guiness on your head, stay away from San Antoni.
   Now, Ibiza town is where you find the real action. This old, elevated and fortified hamlet has been surrounded by giant nightclubs, which compete each sunset to see who can create the briniest spawning grounds. The hands-down winner is Manumission night at Privelige (capacity 12,000), where every vice has its own stage, every sin its own sound system, and every perversion its own playroom. As if all this wasn't enough, there is more ³dispensing² going on inside Privelige than at a Pez convention.
   So what kind of finale does it take to cap an evening like this? Suffice it to say that an evening at Manumission culminates when a certain dancer takes center stage and offers evidence that his ancestry was originally from Nantucket.

For more photos check out www.globalscene.com/ibiza