Dunn’s River Falls: My Jamaican Vacation

June 17, 2011 By 4 Comments
dunns river falls Dunns River Falls: My Jamaican Vacation

Climbing Dunn's River Falls

 

 

 

Majestic and Beautiful, Dunn’s River Falls is one of Jamaica’s premier attractions.

What you see here is a group of tourists climbing the nearly 1000 foot incline of the falls.

We are part of the group who made the climb during our Jamaican Vacation.  And, even though the rain didn’t cooperate, it was a magical experience — in part because it’s an accomplishment to make the difficult and slippery climb.

We started our Dunn’s River Falls trip aboard a catamaran at Sandals Grand in Ocho Rios, which is also home to the Cool Runnings attraction, named for the historical Jamaican Bobsled that inspired the movie by the same name.

I’m not sure what I expected from the trip, but my imagination never dreamed of walking THROUGH the waterfall.  I guess I imagined a large waterfall, maybe a small version of Niagara Falls.  When they spoke of climbing the falls, I imagined a path leading up to this majestic waterfall.  I never imagined we would link hands in a human chain and snake our way up the MIDDLE of the falls — climbing on rocks and through little lagoons.

At a VERY generous 40 something, I was the oldest person in our group.  Despite a few falls and some good catches by the folks behind me I MADE IT TO THE TOP!!! Of course, I was really sore the next day — especially my feet which had stone bruises.  But, I’m glad I did it if only to prove I still can.

Part of our day included a stop for snorkeling before getting to the falls.  They anchored the “cat” along a reef and we had a great swim.  I’ve snorkeled lots of places in the Caribbean — Grand Caymans, Florida Keys, Aruba, St, Thomas … — and this is one of the best snorkeling spots.  Lots of fish swim near the reef, which is shallow enough you get to see them up-close.  The reef itself is spectacular for the variety of coral it contains.  Don’t touch the coral, as it damages structures that take a long time to replace and you get a very nasty cut.

On the trip back aboard the “cat”, we had lunch and it started to rain in buckets.  During the trip, you almost couldn’t see the water in front of the boat, which pitched in every direction.  Our group mainly stayed below, but a few hardy folk braved the rain and spray.  After all, we were already wet, so what damage could a little rain and saltwater do?

A few deck hands stayed on deck with us — maybe to ensure we didn’t fall overboard.  We danced and even the worst dancers didn’t stand out as we all struggled to stay on our feet.  Copious amount of alcohol  — much of it shots straight into our mouths — didn’t help matters any.  By the time we docked, everyone was soaked and a little unsteady.  So we stopped at the nearest shelter, which just happened to be a bar.  Several friends on the trip never made it to dinner.

 

 

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Jamaica Rewind: Vacation Mon!

June 7, 2011 By 6 Comments

 

DSCN0252 Jamaica Rewind: Vacation Mon!

Sandals Grande Jamaica

We just got back from our Jamaica vacation.  We had a great time — I wish we could have taken you all along with us.  So, I thought I would.  Here’s day 1 in Jamaica.

 

Off to Jamaica Mon!

We had to get up really early because our flight was at 8:35 and we’re an hour from the airport.  It’s a good thing we left with lots of time to spare (international flights require about 2 hours) because the road was blocked on the way in.  I’m not sure what the problem was, but this is DC, Mon and they close roads around here for VIPs and we have more than our fair share of them.  It might have been a head of state, a member of the cabinet, or Charlie Sheen (yes, they set up a police escort to make sure Sheen got to his gig on time).  My boyfriend thinks they closed it down for a bike rally in the area.  Whatever the problem, I don’t know the area well enough so I’m really glad we had a GPS.  That’s the new accessory everyone in DC sports to show how important they are since cell phones are so ubiquitous now.  Or maybe they have them because the roads are always closed down and they need to figure alternate routes on the fly.

We flew Airtran, which was recently bought by Southwest.  I’ve had really good experiences with Airtran’s people, but their plane have the least amount of legroom I’ve ever seen on a plane — and I’ve flown in little Cessnas.  And, of course, the kid next to me alternately screamed and threw bits of peanut butter crackers all around her.  I was so happy we were going to an adults only resort — when they aren’t yours, it’s annoying to put up with their behavior.  Heck, even when they are yours kids can get on your nerves.

Unfortunately, the merger with Southwest hasn’t gone far enough, so we had to pay $65 to check our bags.

There was a lady on the plane who had never flown before and even though the flight was pretty smooth, we ran into enough turbulence she was white knuckled all the way to Jamaica.  She made several trips to the head, probably loosing both breakfast and dinner from the night before.  As we started to land, she really panicked as her friends told her we were going down.  They thought it was great fun — and to tell the truth we had a couple of laughs at her expense.  She seemed pretty good-natured about it once we were on the ground.

Jamaica Awaits

DSCN0252 300x225 Jamaica Rewind: Vacation Mon!

Sandals Grande Jamaica

Customs and immigration were pretty easy and then we were in the Jamaican sun.  Sandals has a nice waiting area in the airport — and so do the other big all-inclusive resorts.  You can get a Red Stripe — the local beer, not too bad if you’re not too picky.  Most all-inclusives include transportation to the resort, so we waited for our shuttle, which turned out to be a minivan and we got squeezed into the middle seat where we had even less legroom than on the plane.  From the website, we expected a 15 minute trip, which was our first surprise — Ocho Rios is actually over 130 km from Monterey Bay, where we landed, so it took us nearly 2 hours to get to Sandals Grande Beach and Riviera.

Sandals is a very pretty resort — a little tired and in desperate need of remodeling — surrounded by some of the poorest people.  Homes in the area consisted of small shacks made of corrugated tin, old doors, blocks and whatever else was available to keep out the weather.  The roads were really narrow and cars passed so close that an extra coat of paint would have made the two collide.

We went to lunch as soon as we got to the resort — we were starving and would have eaten anything, but the food was really good.  The bar was open — and even though we weren’t in Key West we figured it was 5 o’clock somewhere.

Our room was OK, so we unpacked and started to relax.  The room was a little worn, but it was clean. It had plantation beds, which I guess are supposed to be romantic with their big 4 posters of dark mahogany, but when you’re just a few inches over 5 feet, plantation beds mean you do a LOT of climbing up — not too graceful or romantic.

Dinner was great and we had a few more drinks and a little walk around the property before deciding to turn in early.  They do an orientation to show you around the property and highlight some fun things to do and how to use the transportation system.  We met some folks and, it turns out, they were on the same plane with us and live near us — she works at the Pentagon.  Another couple from orientation was at the next table at dinner.

All in all, a great start to our Jamaica vacation.

 

 

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Vacation Time: Planning a Vacation After 40 (Part 2)

June 2, 2011 By 1 Comment

 

MontegoBay m1 Vacation Time: Planning a Vacation After 40 (Part 2)

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Last week, we introduced planning a vacation after 40 so today I’d like to finish that topic.

 

Planning a vacation for 2 after 40

Last week I talked mainly about planning a vacation with your kids and/or elderly parents.  Today, I’d like to focus on taking a vacation by yourselves.  This will be the first time I’ve done this since my kids were born.  But, I figure, at 18, 20, and 24, they’re old enough to take care of themselves for an entire week.  I do, however, worry about my dogs, my plants, my good china, and the plumbing.  So, I’ve given them instructions on feeding the dogs — if you’re hungry the dogs probably are too — my plants –water — the good china — don’t touch it — and left the name of a good plumber.  I’ve already mentally prepared myself for a sink of dirty dishes and an inch of dust when I return.  Oh the joys of motherhood!

We’re in Jamaica — through the wonders of scheduling, you’re reading this while we lie on the beach sipping frozen margaritas.  Wish you were here!

Along with the normal challenges of stocking the fridge, leaving instructions for the trash, etc. planning a vacation after 40 brings its own challenges.

 

Challenge # 1 – No Kids

Finding a place that isn’t overrun with kids.  Nothing ruins a romantic dinner faster than a baby crying.  We put up with this when our kids were young, but we shouldn’t have to deal with it now.  I don’t think I even ate a hot meal until my baby turned 3.

I love children, just not at dinner.  I also don’t like having them step all over me on the beach or spilling food on me in the restaurants.  So, finding a couples only resort was a MUST for us.

We chose Sandals in Jamaica — I’ll let you know how it is when I return next week — IF I decide to come back. I’ve been to Club Med before and they’re lovely.  The food is Awesome.  But they can be a little hedonistic and, frankly, I don’t feel I have that much energy this year — its been a bad year.

Challenge # 2 – No Kids

While I’m generally pretty tolerant of kids, I have no tolerance for their older versions — twenty-somethings.  I know we were the same when we were that age — listening to loud music, drinking too much, sleeping until 2 then partying until 2 am.  That’s not my idea of a vacation anymore.  Now, I know many of you will disagree with me, but after working 60 hour weeks — on a good week — I just need to relax.  And, I’ve never been a late night person.  I’m up by 8 every morning without an alarm clock — usually more like 6.

The other things I’m not crazy about is honeymooners.  We enjoy meeting people on vacation and have some really good friends we’ve met that way.  Its hard to do that when everyone is spending the trip in their rooms.

Challenge #3 – What Will We Talk About

After a couple has been together a while, sometimes conversations become functional — who’s driving carpool to rehearsal? Did you pick up the laundry? What should we do about X? We don’t have the same conversations we had when we first met — what do you like to do?  Who is your favorite band?

In our case, it’s even more challenging because we work together.  Much of our conversation centers around running the business — meeting deadlines, discussing strategy, reporting results ….

Sometimes I feel like that couple in the movies where they’re sitting at dinner with nothing but silence stretching before them.

MontegoBay m1 300x201 Vacation Time: Planning a Vacation After 40 (Part 2)

Montego Bay, Jamaica

When I’m planning a vacation, I try to have some organized activities planned.  This means we’re guaranteed to have something to discuss over dinner — the beautiful fish we saw while snorkeling or how we felt when we climbed to the waterfall.  It not only fills the void, but helps us connect at a deeper level.

Challenge #4 – Location

Now, this might not matter to you, but I travel enough.  I don’t want to spend half my vacation in the airport or on a plane and I certainly don’t want to drive.  So, I was looking for a place reasonably close with good air service — that way if they canceled our flight, we wouldn’t be stuck for days waiting for the next empty seat.

Besides, I like Jamaica.  It’s hot, but the water is blue and the flowers are vibrant.  The people are really friendly, too.

I guess the biggest issue is planning a vacation after 40 is different, not only because you don’t have your kids with you, but because our lives are different after 40.  We have so many responsibilities between kids, jobs, parents, homes, pets …. Vacation needs to be a time to relax, explore new vistas, and get to know each other again.

What are your goals in planning a vacation this year? Where will you go? Who will go with you?  What are your challenges?

 

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