Jamaica, Mon!!

I just got back from an amazing trip to Jamaica with Dan. Survived our first vacation with flying colours:). Of course, they say one week isn't long enough and it really wasn't. We had great weather with only a little refreshing rain. We stayed in Negril on the far west coast of the island that is known for their beaches and fabulous sunsets at a great resort, Breezes. There was a 7 mile beach which was perfect for morning runs. We relaxed the first couple of days just taking in the beach and water sports.

Dan took his first scuba lesson so we did go out a couple of times. I found a big chuck of coral in his life-jacket pocket so I took it out of there as I thought he was stealing which is illegal to do so. I hadn't seen the instructor put it there to help his buoyancy so he had trouble with it afterwards. Oops!!

Here's the view from our room and me just relaxing in the room at the end of the afternoon.









We rented a car to drive around the island in two days. They drive on the left side of the road with lots of potholes!! Dan was a brave man to drive. He did think it was fun. Forget the Wii video driving games, just drive in Jamaica!!! We hiked up Dunn's River Falls in Ochos Rios which had slippery rocks, but very fun.





We, then, had the most adventuresome part of our trip - driving the backroads on a Saturday night. We wanted to get to the trailhead to hike up to the highest point of Jamaica. The road just kept getting narrower, more potholes, more cliffs and less road signs. Plus a lot of drunk Jamaicans on a Saturday night to deal with and ask directions of. It was a very scary drive and, while Dan did a great job, my quads were sore after the drive from bracing from the scariness and close calls. We had a flat tire and 4 tall, young Jamaicans came out to help us and luckily that's all they wanted to do. Phew!!! Just after midnight we reached our goal and luckily one of the guesthouses had a place for us to stay. We didn't reserve anything - that would have taken too much planning. We were relieved to have a bed and a safe place for our vehicle so it wouldn't be stripped down overnight.

We hired a guide to take us to the peak. We had read that the trail had a lot of detours, and since I have been lost in the woods before, we thought it best to know where to go. In the end we didn't need him at all, but he was full of good information and we were supporting a local. Had a great hike on a beautiful day. It was in the Blue Mountains where they are known for their coffee so we got some at a non-tourist shop rate!!







It was great to see the island and see more of the Jamaican culture, but we were really happy to have a break from the driving. The next day was a swim with the dolphins:). I have always wanted to be around dolphins and while I'm not supportive of their captivity, I had to do it once. We even got to pet and hold a nurse shark which are powerful creatures, but they are the most docile of all sharks. Still, didn't want to get near their teeth.















The end of our days we just spent back at our resort, getting souvenirs, dancing to reggae, etc. We certainly did not want to leave and would love to go back. We may not make it back there too soon as there are many other places to check out, mon.