Jamaica 2008

Here are our the trip details.

Tues Mar 11th

I was momentarily overwhelmed with emotion landing in the country where I was born and where I grew up. (I'm Jamaican of Chinese descent). They had background reggae music playing at the Montego Bay airport. After immigration, we were whisked into the BEACHES lounge area at the airport where we were offered refreshments (including beer and snacks) and a clean washroom. Then onto an air conditioned minibus for the hour and a half journey into Negril. Apparently it can be a 2 and a half hour journey in rush hour. Beaches Sandy Bay Negril is a lovely intimate sized hotel on one of the best stretches of beach. They sat us down in the lobby and a lady came with cold face rags and checked us in while we snacked on hors d'oeuvres. Our ground floor (smallish) room was about 15 steps to the beach when you walk out from its back porch and what a view. We ate mostly at the buffet restaurant which was very close to our room. That first night was 'oriental night', passable food, except for the hot delicious chicken noodle soup. For dessert they quite often had chocolate cake and brownies to die for. K loved the cheesecake. We glimpsed a fabulous view of the sunset by the beach just before dinner. They are spectacular as Negril faces west.

Wed Mar 12

Breakfast at the buffet next morning was wonderful. They seated us by the pool overlooking the beach. I started with oatmeal porridge like grandma used to make, then had round fried dumplings with saltfish, steamed callaloo (spinach) and fried plantains. They had bacon, eggs, etc as well. Finished with great coffee (M's favourite) and fresh fruit. Then we went to the beach and did a bit of aqua cycle (pedal bicycles) on the ocean, (all the watersports are included in the package price). Then we took the included shuttle bus over to Beaches Negril to check out the larger resort. They had a small water park (well, compared to Atlantis in the Bahamas), with a couple of waterslides and a small lazy river that the kids enjoyed. We tried the jerk chicken sandwiches from the beach grill there. My favourite bar drink was a fruit punch in a blender made with fresh fruit, the consistency of a froster drink. After that, L and K caught a banana boat ride on the beachfront then we swam in the ocean and lounged on provided water rafts for a bit. M found a great alfredo pasta with large grilled shrimp dish from the beach grill, so we all snacked on that. We took the shuttle back to Beaches Sandy Bay. We ate Jamaican beef, chicken and vegetable patties from the beach grill there. Time seems to stand still in Jamaica, we seemed to get so much done. It didn't seem very crowded, except maybe at dinner time. We felt like we had the beach almost to ourselves. Pristine grounds, always being cleaned. The rooms did have paper thin walls. Lots of families, little ones and also some older kids. M and I got sunburn on our lips from lying under the shade trees at the beach.

Thurs Mar 13

Breakfast: I had escoveitched fish, fried bammy (cassava bread) slices, grapefruit cut in half and scooped out just like dad used to do it. (They also had bacon, eggs, etc) Then we went for a glass bottom boat tour (included in the price). Even the Diving is included. We saw starfish, live coral and small tropical fish in the clear water. We also boated by Hedonism (nude beach), Sandals, etc hotels. Then L had a 45 minute private tennis lesson (included in the price). Then they were giving out fresh cut coconuts with drinking straws from a beach stand they set up. I asked the guy to split our coconuts after, so we could eat the soft flesh as well. We swam and relaxed some more on the beach and the kids more aqua cycle. For lunch we ate beef and chicken patties from the beach grill as we sat at a table in the water. They come out and serve you drinks while you do that. The Tex-Mex buffet for dinner was 'ok'.

Friday Mar 14

A gorgeous sunny day, it had been raining all night. We did the usual buffet breakfast. Then we went snorkelling. The boat took us out to a reef. Gorgeous coral and tropical fish. The photographer gave us food to feed the fish so they would swarm around us as he snapped us. We met a nice family Bill, Terri and their teenaged daughter Rebecca from Kansas City. We sat and chatted with them as our beach chairs were side by side. M got a great jerk chicken (Delroy's special) and fries dish from the beach grill and we had patties for lunch. K loved their curly fries. The kids went to play trivial pursuit by the pool and some other beach games. The weather is very humid. M's shoulder was acting up. We had the seafood buffet for dinner (ok). It's a real family environment, lots of all kinds of kids.

Sat Mar 15

Cornmeal porridge for breakfast, yum. I also had some steamed pak choy (like steamed callaloo) and sweet potato fries. We finally took a tour of the grounds, found the xbox room with 18 stations, the gym, the spa, the tennis courts. We did some souvenir shopping at the resort shop, the prices seemed the same or better than the stalls at the end of the beach and I hate bargaining. M and the kids went for a Hobie-cat sailing lesson then we all went out for a bit on the sailboat, but I got nervous and told them to forget it, we didn't get out very far. (included) Then L and K saw the banana boat and went for a ride way out into the ocean. At the 4pm beach volleyball game, L met some nice girls her age from Montreal. For dinner we got 'dressed up' a little bit and ate at the sit down Italian restaurant near our room. The food was very gourmet and delicious. Good seafood soup full of tender scallops and squid. My shrimp pasta dish was 'al dente' and the tiramisu dessert was sooo good. The kids went to the xbox room that night, open until midnight. They also went to the beach bonfire. The staff took lots of action photos for sale ($$$). Our room had a hairdryer, safe, alarm clock, stocked mini fridge, coffeemaker.

Sunday Mar 16

Breakfast was ackee and saltfish with fried dumplings and I had a bowl of the delicious cornmeal porridge as well. They had the largest sweetest ortanique oranges all peeled for you at the fruit bar. Yum. I also had lots of watermelon. For the first time M and I had lunch at the buffet restaurant. It was really good. I had rice and peas and grilled lambchops, 'homemade' fish fingers in batter and fried chicken. That most delicious chocolate cake was there and fruit. I felt like I was bursting after every meal. No wonder I gained weight (3 pounds). L and K were having a ball playing all the games and won 'beaches' necklaces. I swam in the ocean (good exercise actually). I floated easily in the salt water with the feeling that I could do this forever. No internet seems to be available from that kiosk in the lobby...grr. I'm also starved for news. The satellite tv has enough channels, but CNN isn't my favourite channel.

Monday Mar 17

Had fried bammy (cassava bread) and steamed callaloo (spinach) for breakfast, and cornmeal porridge. We saw a few 'green' decorated people on the beach. (St. Pat's Day). Bill and Terri mentioned that the U.S. March break is starting up this week, so it does seem a bit more crowded. M and Bill have been taking turns getting up really early to reserve the beach chairs by putting towels over them. I think it's their fun. The buffet lunch had a nice cream of pumpkin soup, tacos, etc (ok). Then who should we meet but K's teacher last year Ms C (and her boyfriend). Unreal. L participated in a fashion show. They actually gave them clothes from the Resort Shop to model. K found a group of about 6 boys to hang out with in the water. Then L went for a tennis lesson. M and I swam in the gorgeous ocean water. At sunset, there was a beach side dinner. They moved all the tables and chairs right onto the beach and set up all the food out there, including a burger bbq. It was incredibly romantic by the water at sunset, incredible ambience. Bill and Terri saved us a table next to them as they were going fast. L sat with her own friends. I had the most delicious roast beef, rice and peas, escoveitched fish, fried dumplings. Oh, did I forget to mention the great conversation? Terri told us of her early life, travelling so much as her dad was an airline pilot and she had free flights anywhere in the world at the time. They went to India, Africa... she's now a writer for a major greeting card company. Bill is a former CFO of a major bank, but now self contracts and is having trouble getting contracts in Kansas City. They had moved there on a job prospect from New York about 3 years ago, but it didn't work out.

Tuesday Mar 18

We went home this morning, much to L's dismay. K and I missed the comforts of home. We think it might be nice to go to an Ocho Rios resort next time, then we could do Dunn's River Falls, etc.