I've always wanted to go to Jamaica. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's from reading too much about Nelson's time in the West Indies, or maybe it's too many years of listening to bands at Folk Fest cover Marley, or maybe I just got the idea that it was a good place to go back in the early 80s when The Love Boat was on and I was young and impressionable.
In any case, I'd heard from people over the last several years that they did not enjoy Jamaica. Complaints about weather, safety and atmosphere abound so I took everyone's advice three years ago and went to Mexico instead.
As I sit on the balcony of my room on this hot, beautiful night (listening to a live Reggae band), I'm hear to tell you; I'd take Jamaica over Mexico any day. The resort we're at is everything it's advertised to be. If I do another all-inclusive I'll come back to this chain in a heartbeat. Unlike Mexico, the pools are warm enough to spend an afternoon in (with frequent stops at the swim-up bar). The resort is spread out over about 100 acres (part of that is golf course) meaning there's lots to do and lots to explore. Pools are located in various locals and the whirlpools are heated (presumably to rest those tired muscles after a long day of beach volley ball). The restaurants all have incredible views; a lot of them overlooking the ocean. The food is exceptional; a good balance of traditional island fare to more contemporary North American dishes for less adventurous eaters.
Of course, going off-resort is not recommended, a fact I find unfortunate. There are security guards at every gated entrance and razor wire around the outer walls. I have a hard time forgetting that this place is only paradise if you're an overfed, developed-world tourist (like me). It's actually the reason I don't do an all-inclusive vacation every year. My social concious takes a bit of a hit every time I visit one of these places. I think that probably the best way to see the “real” Jamaica would be to travel here with a friend from here. Oh, and you can add this to my list of places “I will never rent a car and drive in”. Imagine twisty, interior BC roads, Quebec drivers and left-hand traffic. Lanes are really more of a suggestion than anything else. The ride to the resort was interesting, to say the least.
I would have prefferd to have more of my baby weight off for the trip but I can't really complain that I'm more than half-way to my pre-baby size. This trip is my last unhealthy hurrah; when I return I have six weeks to prepare for my first triathlon. Don't worry, it's a “tri-it” triathlon, not an Ironman.
Baby boy is with his grandparents in Red Deer and last I heard was munching on a frozen carrot to ease his teething woes (I understand that this is how I survived teething). The nice thing about being at an 18-plus resort is that (unlike Vancouver) I don't have to see any babies that remind me that I'm a bad mother for going away.
Well, signing off for now. There will be pictures and more inane chatter in days to come. View the album here:
http://www.duxfordgirl.ca/inmemoriam/browse.php?id=18