Jamaica, part 2

Pictures of the resort + random happenings.

View from our room.  Patio with couches and fire pit.

My criteria for the trip:

I wanted to throw a swimsuit in a bag and go sit on the beach.  I didn't want to worry about anything. I didn't want to think about what we would eat or what we would do. 

Thus, the all-inclusive resort was where we ended up.

view from our room.  They would do couples massages in those little huts on the pier...it was super awkward.

The trip definitely met my expectations.  We both just took a carry on and I still had at least 5 items I never even used.  When we wanted to eat, we just picked a restaurant and sat down.  They even had an ice cream machine you could get yourself a cone at any time.  I surprisingly only had 3.

There were only a couple of activities we actually had to sign up for, but they made it all really easy.  Other than that, we just spent a ton of time soaking up the sun and reading.

Ben was the first one on the beach one morning.  There's nothing better than the sound of the ocean in the morning.

We rode the shuttle to the resort with a couple on their honeymoon.  Both of their names were Kasey.  It was highly confusing.  I wanted to ask the girl a question, but every time I said, "So Kasey..." the guy would answer.  We saw them every day on the trip and I never could figure out how to address the girl Kasey.

From the dock, look back at the resort

The morning we went to the falls, we met another couple, our same age also on an anniversary trip.  They said they were celebrating 1 year.  When we told them we were celebrating 10 they had a look of confusion/disbelief/waiting for us to say "just joking".  They didn't really say much after that.  Just so you know, Ben and I are conversation killers.  It's a fact.  Being in ministry + 3 kids + 10 years of marriage = not fun according to the world.  I still think we're pretty cool.

from dock, looking at right side of resort

We are not tourist-y people.  So that was the only downfall to the trip.  By the last day, I got really tired of people asking if they could take my picture (so we would buy them at the photo shop) or if I was interested in joining the afternoon activity.  I just wanted quiet and to not answer any questions.  

On the positive side, there was always someone there to offer a drink or to pick up after I was done eating.  And, I liked that we went early enough in the season that the resort was not as busy as it could be.  We didn't have to fight for beach chairs or wait in line for food.

one of the pools at night...with a fire pit in the middle

path through the resort

view from our favorite restaurant

Both times we were in the Jamaica airport, the fire alarm was going off.  So here's the thing...no body moved.  No one flinched or got up or looked around.  They just sat there, annoyed.  What is wrong with us today?  We hear a fire alarm and just sit there and think it doesn't pertain to us and some body else should make it quiet.

One of my favorite memories from our trip was on our way home.  We sat next to a Jamaican girl, probably about 18.  It was her very first time to fly and her first time out of the country.  And she was deaf.  Ben and I pulled out our very rusty sign language and tried to give her instructions about the flight.  Ben helped her fill out her customs form and she wrote us a note as we landed..."thank God we're safe".  I can only imagine how scared and overwhelmed she must have been.