Day 1 (November 10, 2016): Jamaica, mon!

For many years now, it has been our tradition to take a short break in the sun during Veterans Week, before the crazy Christmas rush sets in.  It has enabled us to take in a fair chunk of the Caribbean, but we had never made it to Jamaica, which is where many Caribbean adventurers start out.

We finally jumped out of bed at 3:15am, having slept through too many whacks on the 'snooze' button.  At 4:30am, we were at the WestJet check-in counter at Halifax International and then up, up and away ahead of schedule at 5:15am.


[Descent into Toronto at dawn]

With just three hours of sleep to our credit, we rested at the Plaza Premium Lounge in Pearson's Terminal 3, until our WestJet connection to Montego Bay departed. 


[Using lattes to try to stay awake in the lounge at Pearson]


[The early morning view of the Terminal 3 tarmac at Pearson.  Note the towers of North York -- Toronto's second downtown -- in the background]

Both flights were packed, which was fine.  But on the Toronto-Montego Bay flight, the guy next to me was quite large -- okay, one of his legs was the size of two of mine.  He spilled over into a third of my 'middle' seat, making for an excruciating four hour flight to Jamaica.


[The Long Point National Wildlife Area juts out into Lake Ontario]

[Virginia's Chesapeake Bay]


[First view of Jamaica]


[About to land -- getting excited!]

We landed at 1:40pm, more than half an hour early.  Two other flights from Toronto landed at the same time, so the customs hall was madness.  Then we went to the Budget Rent-a-Car counter, where it literally took the guy 45 minutes to get our rental contract together.  We had read warnings on-line of how awful the roads and drivers are in Jamaica, and also about how skanky the car rental agencies are, routinely scamming customers by charging a fortune for pre-existing nicks and scratches. As a precaution we went over the car with a fine toothed comb, and photographed the vehicle from top to bottom. 

We left Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay (which is on the northwest corner of Jamaica) almost two hours after we landed, and started the 50km drive along the north coast to our Melia Braco Village Hotel in Rio Bueno.


[Limestone cliffs en route from Montego Bay to Rio Bueno]


[Crazy drivers aren't the only road hazard -- goats are, as well!]

Overall impressions?  Well, the island is definitely lush and definitely bordering on Third World.  The drivers are definitely crazy -- making three lanes out of two and taking ridiculous chances at passing with oncoming traffic looming.  Roaming goats, roadside vendors, and uniformed kids returning home at the end of the school day, all made for a pleasant -- if not hair-raising -- drive to the hotel.


[Jerk chicken, jerk pork -- if it's meat, they jerk it!]

We pulled into the Melia property around 4:15, and were immediately impressed by the grounds, the layout of the buildings, and the friendly service.

[Locals playing football as we drove into the Melia grounds]


[The resort's beach just before dusk]


[Cloud formation at dusk]

Jamaicans insert "mon" (man) after every few words.  They seem genuinely warm and very proud of their island.  And Usain Bolt!  If our first dinner is any indication, their food is spicy and hearty.


[Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice.  On our first night here, we had jerk pork tenderloin...]


[...and jerk chicken lollipops -- at least that is what the menu called them!]

So those are a few initial reflections on our first half day in Jamaica.  It has been a long day, and we are ready to crash.  Tomorrow is going to have some serious beach relaxing!

Good night, mon!