Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Dreaming of Jamaica

flowerThis morning I woke to a wonderful temperature of 18 degrees, a sure sign that old man winter is well on his way or in some cases already here and quite settled in.  It is a far cry from the recent vacation we took before Thanksgiving.  Vincent and I spent a wonderful 7 days in Jamaica.  It was a wonderful birthday present as well as a wonderful way to relax before all the wackiness of the holiday season.  It was the first time either of us had been to Jamaica so we were not sure what to expect.

 

DSC_0095  Touching down in Montego Bay the sun was just beginning to set.  Our resort was on the other side of the island so we had an hour and a half drive to our destination. We sat back to enjoy the ride.  The roads are narrow in Jamaica and we had to drive over the mountain.  The manner of driving was a bit different than what we were used to.  First they drive on the other side of the road which really was not all that bad.  The other thing was the way they would swerve to miss either pot holes or people walking along the road. Many times it appeared that we were driving straight towards an oncoming car, only to have one of us swerve out of the others way just before impact.  It was a bumpy ride at times and a bit scary but we eventually made it.

 

  Our room was facing the ocean and right on the beach.  After a quick supper we spent the rest of the evening just sitting on our deck watching the waves and enjoying the warm weather. Our early flight that morning and the bottle of wine we shared led us to an early bed time. 

 

breakfastBecause we arrived after dark it was difficult to see much of the country side.   The next morning our view was much clearer.  We were served breakfast on our balcony.  What a wonderful way to wake up each day.  A beautiful sunrise and wonderful weather.  I have to say that it definitely did spoil me. Because of the time difference we were up by 6am each day.  Early maybe but the sun set earlier as well so we did not want to miss any of the wonderful sunshine.

 

our placeWe did not do much extra while there.  It was an all inclusive which I think is the only way to go if you can.  Our days consisted of breakfast than down to our place on the beach.  It was set up and ready each day with towels and a wonderful ice chest full of Red Stripe, water, and ginger ale.   We ate our lunch each day on the beach as well.  Jamaican Jerk was our mainstay for lunch.  I grew to love the spicy flavors as well as the variety of items served.  I am not much of a banana lover but I grew to love fried  plantains.

 

red stripe  Our afternoons were either on the beach or in the pool.  It would usually cloud up a bit as the day neared late afternoon.  It would then rain for a bit then let up before evening came.  A couple times while it rained we indulged ourselves and had couple massages.  Afterwards we would walk back to our rooms in the rain.  It has been years since I walked in the rain and splashed in the puddles it made.  (Something I used to love to do)  These walks as well as the many mojitos we had were my favorite part of the afternoon. 

 

Then off to the room for a brief rest and then supper. A wonderful way to end the day.  A relaxing supper and maybe a little time listening to the local musicians.  I do not know how it  could be any better.   Yea I know it doesn’t sound very exciting but it was the most wonderfully relaxing vacation I have ever had.  In fact, we decided from now on if possible we will do a similar vacation each year.  The dates fall just perfectly around our anniversary (Oct 30th) , my birthday (Nov 19th), and Vincent’s birthday (Dec. 8th).  It is a wonderful way to celebrate all three as well as give oneself a bit of a breather before the holiday season gets in full swing.   A different island each year should be something nice to look forward to. 

 sunset

We did not get to see many gorgeous sunsets as it would cloud up and shower a bit each afternoon.  I did manage to capture this one though.  

7 comments:

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Sounds lovely and I'm glad you got to relax and enjoy. Oma Linda

greekwitch said...

Oh my! That sounds amazing! My butt(and the rest of me) is freezing down here. I can not stand cold weather!

Judy said...

We went to Jamaica once in the 1980's...it was nice...comfortable and relaxing...with great people...glad you enjoyed it also...I imagine it has changed a bit since we were there...

Mrs BC said...

Wow, what a wonderful relaxing holiday! Sounds like you had a great time.
x

On Fragile Wings said...

This sounds heavenly...

you shall return to us rested and content.

What an amazing Christmas gift to each other.

Dede said...

One day George and I will go to Jamaica and do just the same, enjoy our surroundings and each other. It sounds like a beautiful place and the thought of a different island every year, oh my goodness, what a real treat that would be! The kids still to this day love fried plantains. They were a really cheap snack to make when they were little. LOL The grand babies and I still like to puddle jump, their mother isn't so happy about it, but they and their clothes are returned cleaned. They just don't understand that they can't puddle jump if they are with her. LOL Wishing you a day filled with warm energy!

(((HUGS)))

Theresa MacNaughton said...

What a lovely way to celebrate your birthdays. Looked like it was pure bliss. That sunset was just gorgeous - glad you got to capture at least one of them on your camera. Thank you for sharing your trip!