Jamaica - Land of Wood and Water

I experienced the best time of my life when I went to Negril, Jamaica last week. It was full of fun, excitement, and an opportunity to meet new friends. We left last Thursday in the pouring rain from D.C. At one point, I couldn’t even see the highway on our way to the airport. However, before the plane took off, the storm passed and there was a bright sunshine. Our flight to Montego Bay was smooth and relaxing. As I looked out the window below the plane, the water was so clear and beautiful. The view of the small islands surrounding the water was breathtaking.

We arrived in Montego Bay around 1:00p.m. Since Negril is an hour away from the airport, we took a shuttle bus to take us to our hotel. During our ride, the bus driver pointed to the KFC restaurant. He shouted “Do you guys know what KFC stands for?” Everyone responded Kentucky Fried Chicken. Then he said “Down here it means, keep from cooking.” I was too tickled by that statement.

We arrived at the Palms Resort around 3:00p.m. The bus driver got lost getting there, but we finally made it. When we arrived in our room, I wasn’t too impressed at first. It was a small room with a bathroom and a garden view. I guess I became so spoiled when it comes to hotel rooms since I used to staying in a family suite. My husband explained to me that I need to be open- minded and not view the room like it’s a sardine can (lol). Once I took a look at the room again, it was small but sweet. Our room was literally in a garden. It was filled with beautiful flowers and palm trees.

The beach was absolutely beautiful. The area is quiet and relaxing. There really weren’t too many people on the beach which is just the way I like it. Many well-known hotels such as Sandals, Beaches, and Couples Resort are located at the beginning of the strip. Since out hotel was near the end of the strip, everything was low-key.

One of the exciting things we did at the beach was jet skiing. We never been on a jet ski and wanted to try it. It was so much fun! My husband kept going super fast, I thought I was going to fall off. Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself.

The main attraction we visited was a place called ‘Rick’s Café.’ This was a great hang-out spot with a bar, restaurant, water diving, and a beautiful view of the sunset. It was amazing seeing people dive from the cliff into the ocean. There was a great live reggae band too.

It is amazing to meet new people during vacation. We met a wonderful couple (Vuyi and Scot) from the Bronx, NY who were staying at our hotel too. We spent hours talking to them by the pool until they closed the bar and restaurant. It was such a great conversation. We talked about marriage, funny shows on TV, traveling, and just life in general. It was a night to remember indeed.

On our last night, we all went out to this restaurant called the “Push Cart.” The food was absolutely delicious! I had the Jamaican Peppa Steak. My husband and Vuyi had the Ox tail stew, and Scot had the roast jerk pork. My rum runner drink was very strong too but my husband was able to drink the rest of it. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to any one visiting Negril.

I absolutely loved Negril, Jamaica. The hotel was great, the beach was beautiful, and the people were friendly. I have no regrets at all. This trip made me realize that you can live a wonderful life by opening your mind by seeing new things. I am looking forward to doing more traveling in the future. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to experience a wonderful adventure.

There's Nothing Like Family

Two days ago, I sat and listened to the wonderful waves at Myrtle Beach, SC. The weather, the attractions, the food, and the fellowship with my family was GREAT! I would say this was the best vacation I've had with my family in a long time. Now, we've always managed to make Myrtle Beach a family trip for almost every year. I've been there since I was an infant. So, it feels like a second home whenever I visit. I think the most wonderful thing about our trip is seeing how much my family has grown. Growing up, there was only the six of us on vacation, and now there's twelve of us. This includes my older sister, her husband and daughter. Then my brother with his girlfriend and her daughter, our adopted godsister Tatyana, my lovely younger sister, and finally myself and my husband TJ.

I think the best time I had on my vacation was walking on the beach to one of the newest piers built on the beach. It's called the Second Avenue Pier. It includes a great restaurant and a bar on the second level. It has a wonderful ocean view. The food was absolutely excellent. Crab sandwiches, onion rings, and a mango drink was all I needed. On top of that, they had a lounge area where you can sit back and relax on the comfortable couches. I know I felled asleep for about 15 minutes until my husband nudged me to wake up to head back to the hotel. I told him "I could sleep here all day!" He just shook his head, smiled and said "C'mon hon, let's go."

The other best time I had was hanging out with my siblings. We all went to Ripley's Aquarium and saw some exotic sea life. Big sharks, swordfishes, and even jellyfishes. We even took a group picture once we arrived in the aquarium. I love that picture because it shows how much I love all of my brothers and sisters. Although we may be far apart in distance or not able to see each other like we want, we had that moment to spend time with each other.

After the aquarium, we dropped the children at the hotel and headed to Senor Frogs night club. We had a blast! They had a paparazzi camera booth and all of us pretty much took over it by taking silly pictures. My younger sister Araina was pretty much on the dance floor the whole time. I went there a couple of times until I couldn't find him anymore since it was jammed pack.
After the club, we back to the hotel and had a late snack of TJ's nacho dip. Then we a laughing session about my Dad. We just reminsced on funny moments he has done such as giving directions to my brother by drawing a map on a napkin, or how he asked my brother-n-law Herman if he had a belt while my sister Trecia was in labor and used his phone charger cord instead.

Lastly, I enjoyed my baby neice Haleigh. She is such a doll face! All she did was smile and laugh and chewed on her toys. It was such a joy of seeing her. All in all, I loved my family vacation. I definetly can't wait until next year. I LOVE YOU FAMILY!!!