The cornerstone of summer 2007, the most anticipated event of our summer, has come and gone – our anniversary trip to Jamaica. Next month marks ten years of wedded bliss, and what better way to celebrate than with a week in the Caribbean. We had talked with Al & Alissa for awhile about taking a trip somewhere this summer, and after burning through several options decided that Jamaica was the best option. Jen found the Sandals Royal Caribbean online and we ran from there. A week without stress was just what the doctor ordered. I could post pages and pages of thoughts, but for now I’m hitting the highlights.
First off, several pictures :
Royal Caribbean is a wonderful resort, styled like an old world British plantation with lush gardens, many fountains, and lots of landscaping. We had booked a beachfront room on the far side of the resort, and were pleasantly surprised to find that upon checkin we were given a free upgrade to concierge service. This gave us access to 24 hour room service and freshly stocked in-room bars every day.
Some people come to party. Some come to tour & travel. Some come to shop. The four of us came to do nothing. Outside our rooms was a pool, a jacuzzi, and one of the beach areas with concrete pier and gazebo. I’d conservatively estimate over half of our waking hours were spent in one of the three. Lounging there was made much easier by Glenroy, a staff member who continually took bar orders from the pool area. Add in the ability to have room service delivered poolside and there’s no reason to leave.
Since this was our anniversary trip, we planned to do a renewal of vows during the week. That occured on Tuesday, and it was a wonderful ceremony. The Sandals wedding team of Nadine and Antonelle put on a very nice ceremony, complete with photographer, a very funny minister, the best champagne I’ve ever had, and an awesome Jamaican fruit wedding cake. The cake was so good we got a second one to bring back to West Virginia (by all strokes of luck it survived the trip intact). Al & Alissa were in attendance and took some great pictures & video of the event too.
That’s not to say we didn’t get out and do some of the local activities. Wednesday we all went horseback riding through the Jamaican countryside in Sandy Bay. The trail took us up through the mountains in Hanover and down past the ruins of an old sugar plantation. After a short break to regroup, we climbed aboard retired racehorses and took a horseback swim into the Caribbean. There is no good way to describe how cool that was! Thursday we took a half-day trip out to Ocho Rios to climb Dunn’s River Falls, a place that most every Jamaican tourist goes. Climbing the falls was a lot of fun, even though we were led in a big human chain that was not conducive to the differing abilities of our group. Most of us at one time or another were stretched as far as our arms would allow, while still being pulled from both directions. There were several pools along the falls where we could stop, rest, and have our pictures taken. Some of the rocks allowed for a mini slide into a pool, while another pool allowed for a back flop into it.
I’ve neglected to get into the culinary only because there’s so much else to write about. Because of the three Sandals resorts in Montego Bay and the number of restaurants each has on site, it’s possible to stay a week or two and not have the same meal twice. We all dined at the Courtyard (Mediterranean grill), the Plantation (Jamaican inspired fare), Tokyo Joe’s (Asian themed “mongolian barbecue”), and the OK Corral (Southwest/TexMex). Becuase of tight reservations, Al & Alissa dined at the Royal Thai while we went for our first of two visits to the OK Corral. Throughout the week I got to have the (almost) authentic Jerk Chicken I had been waiting for while sampling additional meats we’ve never had before, like curried goat (bad curry sauce but a real tender meat), leg of lamb (pretty good), and ox (which Jen had and was not impressed by).
And there was some alcohol to be had. Being all inclusive, the hooch flowed freely 24 hours each day. There’s no way to count up all the Red Stripes we collectively drank, the Appleton rum, or any of the other liquors in the mixed drinks. We did plow through five bottles of champagne during the week. One morning I think I had four Red Stripes before noon and four strawberry daquaris for dinner. Also got a chance to enjoy overproof rum (151) in a drink – what a kick! The other new experience of the week was to enjoy a couple Cubans with Al one night on the closest pier. [Edit - they were purchased by an Aussie in Europe and never came through America, so I think I'm in the clear regarding US laws.] Having never smoked a cigar before I was a bit tentative, but it was quite relaxing. It’s safe to say I won’t be making a regular habit of puffing, but it wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would be. It also helped that the Cuban was high quality and didn’t smell near as bad as the Swisher Sweets one tends to encounter in public.
Probably the greatest memories of this trip (beyond the actual experiences) will be the profound personal influences it had for me. First off, Jen and I were able to spend quality time together in an unwinding and relaxing environment, something we haven’t been able to do in years. We also got to renew our commitment to each other and enjoy a intimate ceremony in paradise to to it, and we were able to share these moments with good friends. Even though I was a little bummed to come back, I’ve found myself in probably the greatest overall frame of mind that I can remember for some time. I’m not feeling the same stresses I was prior to leaving, and I’m more relaxed now than I can ever recall.
All in all it was an excellent trip. I can’t think of a thing we’d do differently next time, other than making sure another 32 years doesn’t pass by before returning.
