I want to
start this post by saying .. if you have not been to Seven Mile Beach YOU MUST
GO!!! I am not a conosuir by any extent, but I have traveled all over the Caribbean, and this was the prettiest most happening beach I have been to!
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| Mark ... on the way to 7 Mile Beach |
The cab ride from Mo Bay took a bit over an hour. The driver first quoted us $180 USD,
but after the week went on we got the trip for $120. I love bargaining in Jamaica! Our driver acted as a tour guide as he took us toward the
west coast of the island. We
traveled through what looked like the countryside and learned all sorts of facts
about Jamaica. Such as…
-Jamaica
has 14 Parishes and each city has
a parish. These Parishes run off donations and offer “kindegarten”
for children ages 3 to 5 for a small fee.
-We also learned that Jamaica has not welfare system or housing
assistance, so people MUST work.
Many people who do not have work or full time work are forced to pedal
goods in their time off. Because
of this, you do not need a license or permits to sell goods on the side of the
road etc.
After arriving
in Negril we saw a series of American looking hotels (large and luxurious) as
well as some smaller, more Caribbean styled, hotels. I love stying in smaller paces like that, but not during my
first time in a country. We got
dropped off in Margaritaville Negrill, which was perfect. They have chairs and security that
watches your items for a small tip.You do not need to eat or drink there, but it is of course suggested. The chairs were located
at a great spot on the beach, so we set up shop and started walking. We walked for a solid hour and passed
by all types of resorts, smaller hotels, shops, bars and restaurant. The beach was truly pristine, and one
of the better beaches I ave ever been to.
Mark and I walked and walked and grabbed a few drinks at
Margaritaville and headed into the
water. The water was so clear and
the sand very smooth. I was in
heaven!
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| Largest Sting Ray I have ever seen in nature, about 3.5 feet across. He was just hanging out while I swam! |
For lunch we
at at The Treetop Hotel and Bar. We dined
on fresh fish fingers and a Caribbean lobster with herbed butter sauce. The lunch was delicious and filled with
Caribbean flare. At around 3pm it
started to rain, so we packed up shop and headed to Rick’s Café to cliff jump
and watch the Sunset.
Rick’s is a
must-see if headed to Jamaica any time soon. It is a restaurant built into a 35 foot jumping cliff. The restaurant boasts great views of the west end of Jamaica, as well as a top notch sunset spot. Unfortunately the clouds did not nullified the views and sunset we were promised, but I’m sure they would’ve been
incredible. As for the jumping,
Mark jumped and I did not! Jumping
from a platform surrounded by jagged rock is not for me; although I know I
should have because there are no guarantees I will have the opportunity
again. Oh well!
We departed
ricks around 5:45 and headed back to Mo Bay.
On the whole this day was PERFECT and I would recommend
going for sure!
Back to reality:
I’m blogging
from 35,000 feet, and it feels great!
Of course this won’t be posted until later tonight when my normal Internet
service resumes, but it still feels good.
As much as I love vacation, it is also good to return to the comforts of
routine.
Yesterday was
a bittersweet day, like most last days of vacation tend to be. Although I am so thankful for our law
enforcement officials for finding both marathon bombing suspects and holding
one in custody, it was a difficult week to be away from the ones you love. Many of my friends and family live
right in Boston, as Mark and I did when we were younger (Mark full-time me a
frequent visitor). I wanted to
ensure that everybody, especially those who were close to me were safe and
sound. As gorgeous as Jamaica was,
you couldn’t avoid the story. CNN,
other resort guests, cab drivers and local people alike were talking about it,
and sharing their versions; while the whole time I longed to be back in my
city with my loved ones and friends.
We were determined
to “pass the time” yesterday, although the weather wasn’t always
cooperative. Mark played a few
rounds of beach volleyball, his primary exercise for the week.I tried to read, listen to music, take
walks, talk to others etc. We
grabbed lunch around 12:30 and soon after the rain came. We played cards to pass the time, and
eventually packed up our stuff and became instantly glued to CNN. Although the newscasts were repetitive
and at some points ridiculous, it was comforting to see our city on tv, and to
know that progress was being made.
It is silly to be worrying from so far, I know; but we both were.
Right
before dinner we discovered the second suspect had been found and was in police
custody. It felt like a boulder
had bee lifted from my chest!We
went to dinner eagerly! I dined on
a grilled salmon dish served over steamed baby spinach and mixed veggies. The fish was great, as were the cold
and hot appetizer options. Mark
and I decided to celebrate our last night of vacation by taking a plate of
desserts up to the room and eating
them, while watching a movie. We
dined on German Chocolate Cake, Fruit Tart and Chocolate Cake Balls while
watching …… A sweet ending to a blissful vacation!
