Jamaica

Thu - December 29, 2005

Jamaica 2005: deja vu!

We returned to Couples Swept Away again in 2005. Without even trying, we ended up visiting during the same exact dates, 10-14 December! I reread my journal entries while there and it was amazing that, unknowingly, we pretty much did the same exact stuff we did last time around! Jamaica was excellent, yet again. We had a ball, even though I had a cold while I was there. It didn't impact anything we did. We ate, drank, swam, cruised, and had just as much fun as we did last time! I've put together a short collection of photos to see how things went this time!

Posted at 04:04 PM Read More

Mon - December 20, 2004

Jamaica pictures and blog updated!

Finally got pictures and journal entries updated! Enjoy. Remember to read the blog from bottom to top, since the most recent entry is listed at the top of the page!

Posted at 12:33 AM Read More

Tue - December 14, 2004

Final day

Last day in paradise. Up at 8:15, waiting on continental breakfast from room service. We should have been out of the room by 11, but Diane got it extended until 1 PM. The Nebraska couple passed our veranda and we talked for a few. They invited us to come to their wedding at 11 and we showed up and talked with them and another couple they'd met. A French couple that's lived in DC (off Connecticut) for the last 15 odd years. It was a beautiful wedding, and once it started, the overcast clouds cleared and the sun beat down on all of us.

End note: It SNOWED on the car drive home from BWI.

Posted at 07:29 PM Read More

Mon - December 13, 2004

Day four

Diane got a massage at 11 AM, which was very good. I swam 12 laps and read my book, waiting for her to finish. Off to the beach for drinks, swimming, and reading. Then, walked to town via the beach. This took about an hour. We walked around, stopped in some shops [very souk like], and then walked back to have more frozen drinks at our resort.

It's Monday, so no pizza pie. Humpf! Mais, we played pool and drank three each of Red Stripe and wine. I won a few games and Diane won our final game.

Back to room to shower and off to dinner. Aside: Fantastic holiday. Back to the grind by Wednesday morning. Vacation high to work low. Mon to Monday.

Posted at 07:27 PM Read More

Lemon Grass

Joined Diane for a romantic swim, very Danielle Steele. Then, off to the sports bar across the street. Rowdy Americans watching football and being typical ugly Americans. Diane & I had some seasoned fries and a nacho platter. We talked with Chris and Dan, from the catamaran, who were waiting to go to Feathers for dinner. They were on their pre-honeymoon. Both were from Nebraska and both were heading into their second marriage. They were really nice folks. Diane schmoozed with a South Carolina couple on their honeymoon. Then, back to our side of the street for dinner at Lemon Grass, the Thai restaurant on top of the main dining room.

Oh, before discussing that, Diane & I played pool above the dining area and drank wine and Red Stripe. Played 8 ball (we both lost due to scratches) and then played 9-ball, which Diane won all three of the games we played!

Back to dinner...had to wait awhile for a seat, so we sat @ the martini bar and had some drinks. Then, off to a fabulous and really spicy Thai meal. We started with a sampler appetizer plate for two, then a hot (very spicy) and sour soup. This was followed by a nice salad that cooled things off. Diane had a Red beef curry and I had their pad thai. Very good. Diane had a tapioca pudding for dessert while I had a mocha and papaya crème brulée.

We went back to the room, very exhausted, and got to bed early.

Posted at 07:22 PM Read More

Sun - December 12, 2004

Day Three

We got up at 8:50 (lost power during the night, so our alarm never went off). We got up, I shaved my head, and we went off to breakfast. A quick meal and then off to the water sports shack.

We waded back into the ocean and into a boat to go snorkeling out on the reef. Great snorkeling. We saw a sea turtle (a German woman on the boat pointed it out) and lots of other fish. Even saw an eel-like fish. We held a baby star fish and a sea urchin. Our guide retrieved them from the seabed for us. On the way back, we passed a capsized hobie cat & retrieved the woman who was sitting on a pontoon with her boyfriend. The crew helped right the cat and one of the crew sailed it back in with the boyfriend. The girlfriend came aboard our boat, none too pleased.

Three people on the boat had had open heart surgery, members of the zipper club. One old man, one youngish-man, and the young German woman.

I'll close this entry out noting that I'm enjoying a Red Stripe on our first floor huge veranda overlooking the beach (about 2 meters away) while Diane lounges in the ocean. I'll join her soon!

Posted at 07:14 PM Read More

Post Feathers

Last night was fantastic! Dinner @ Feathers was awesome. We had a 5 course meal and a bottle (plus a bit more) of Negro Gato Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. Portions were perfectly sized. You got a great taste of flavor but nothing overwhelming. I would rate the food A and the presentation A+.

For my meal, I had: Smoked Salmon carpaccio, cantaloupe and papaya chilled soup, a peppers & tomato salad, a Caribbean lobster tail and beef tenderloin, and finished with a beautiful lemon meringue tart. Blue Mountain coffee & a glass of Jameson Irish Whiskey finished off the meal. Diane started with crab cakes, had the same soup as me, then a Caesar salad, same entrée, and then a chocolate dessert. She had coffee and a Bailey's Irish Cream to end her meal.

We finished about 10:30 and went back across the street to watch Shrek 2 on the beach. Lounge chairs and blankets complemented a great screen and sound system. It was cool to watch the movie while seeing the waves crash in the background, hear their sweet song, and watch the moon and stars. There was a full bar on the beach, so more Rum and Pepsis. Plus, fresh popcorn served in little bags completed the picture!

Posted at 07:08 PM Read More

Sat - December 11, 2004

Day Two!

Up my 9:30, mon! No hangover, we be jamming! Off to excellent buffet breakfast with poached eggs for Diane and a tomato & green pepper cheese omelette for the other D.

Signed up for Catamaran cruise and off to the beach. We hung out in the water on body-length floating things (cushions from beach lounge chairs). Drank Piña Coladas (Diane) and Jamaican Brownings (Drew) while floating in the ocean. C'est bon!

Off for a walk on the beach. Passed Sandals, Beaches, then local beaches. Back to room to read a bit and get shower head fixed. It trickled for the 1st day, but was fixed by the 2nd and works fine now). Drank Red Stripe and wine from the fridge. Mini-bar restocked! Oh, there be rejoicing here, mon! Irie!

Off to Veggie bar and ... <drum roll please> ... more Jamaican sushi! Smoked Marlin sushi rocks. Then, back to the room to get supplies and off to the Catamaran cruise @ 3:15.

We waded out to the boat (~ waist deep) then sat, drank, and watched the coast go buy. Stopped at cliff diving area. Two from the boat might have gone, but I didn't see anyone do it. It was a 35 foot drop and as the captain said, "Listen boys, you'll crack your peanuts if you do it wrong." That was good enough for me.

But, for the less inclined for the holiday-appropriate Nutcracker Suite, the catamaran had a slide off the side. Drew was the second one down the slide. I didn't lean a bit forward so once I left the slide, I rotated backwards and got salt water up my nose. But, hey, it cleared my sinuses! On my second time down the slide, I leaned too far forward and did an inverted U into the ocean. The third time, I got better, but the fourth time was stellar... perfect vertical drop. 9.8 and 9.9s all around! :-) Diane did the slide twice, perfectly both times. I guess I pressured her into doing it. While she enjoyed it post facto, I'll be more careful and considerate next time.

We met two couples on the boat, one was getting married the next day and the other were just engaged. The later were Dan and Chris, and Dan & I both had gone down the slide 4 times (egging each other on). All three of us encouraged Chris to go down the slide, and she eventually did...twice!

We all swam around the boat for awhile and then got back on board to watch the sunset. They did a limbo contest which an engaged woman won as we got near the resort. We waded back onto the beach. Showers, relaxing, and fun in the sun prior to heading to Feathers @ 9 PM.

Posted at 07:01 PM Read More

Fri - December 10, 2004

Beach Sushi and the rest of the first day

I once sore never to eat sushi in a warm climate. The Cultured Pearl in Rehoboth Beach, DE, proved me a liar twice over. Now, I've done sushi at an outdoor grille in Jamaica...it was superb. Smoked marlin was the main item that was delicious.

We made reservations for Feathers, the only dress up restaurant on the property. 9:00 PM tomorrow!

We did orientation: property is so huge with multiple pools, hot tubs, work out areas, bars, restaurants, etc. Martine bar, we have to try you out!

Plus, must have more sushi!

Posted at 06:41 PM Read More

First day in Jamaica

Ya mon, irie ("everything's great")! We be jamming. Negril, Jamaica, Couples Swept Away resort. All inclusive, baby!

We were up @ 4:50 AM, @ BWI parking garage @ 6:30, checked in by 7:25 and flying by 8:30! Had great food on the plane: cheese omelette with hash browns and sausage and first Red Stripe, free onboard! Diane had a mimosa.

We were in Montego Bay by noon and on a bus to the resort by 12:25. It was about an 1.5 hour trip there. We rode with Barrington, our driver, and another couple: Chris and Cami. They were celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary, and were married at the other Couples resort in Negril. They were from New Hampshire. He runs a software consulting company (small world, eh?) and she runs a family video store business.

Chris suggested we stop for beers along the way, so we pulled into a gas mini-mart and bought 8 beers: 6 red stripe lights and 2 regular red stripes (for me, of course!). There was a bottle opener @ the cash register. Wow, I felt like I was back in Gun Burnie, Merland. We paid USD $20 and got back $900 Jamaican dollars. Dude!

Drinking in the van was fun, talking with Barrington about his two boys and with Chris & Cami. D&D with C&C. Dude, music factory flashback or what?!?

Pee stop about 50 minutes outside of Negril. Picked up 4 more red stripes for the crew and D&D got some side-of-the-road jerk chicken. Freaking awesome! [Future aside: This was the best jerk chicken we had the whole trip. Like buying pretzels off the street in Philly.]

We got back on the road and dropped C&C off at their resort. Arriving at Couples, Ricardo greeted us as we got off the van with cool hand towels. He walked us into the covered reception area and served us really nice champagne in great crystal flutes. We drank while we checked in.

Off to the room and a mini-bar without any tab! Two rum & pepsis later, and we headed off to lunch and the resort orientation.

Bye!

Posted at 06:40 PM Read More

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