So we have always wanted to go to Jamaica. Seeing Cool Runnings “Jamaica has a bob sled team!” secured our goal and so for many years we have said that we would get to Jamaica. It never really worked out on any of the other trips but this time we worked out we had enough time to get off the Norwegian Getaway and get straight out to the airport and fly to Jamaica for four days. So we did.

We stayed at an All Inclusive resort as most of the resorts around the island are. They are not cheap but includes all our food, drinks and entertainment and so they work out OK in the end. Realistically there aren’t many places in the resort towns to go to for meals etc. so you are better off just staying in the resort.

Wow, what a chilled out relaxed slooooooooowwwww pace of life that island is. The people are all really beautiful and rhythmic and there is music everywhere. As you drive around the island you see signs for small shacks on the side of the road “Jerk Stop” (obviously sells the famous Jamaican Jerk Chicken).”Beer Joint” (obviously sells beer) “Party Spot” (Where I assume there is a party). People wander along with a certain swagger and approximately 99.8% of people have dreadlocks or braids of some kind. Including the little tiny kids who are so adorable with their black hair in the start of braids or dreads in tiny little bundles. So Cute.

The resort had a couple of beaches with lounge chairs and a beach bar and these awesome floaty mat type things that you could literally float to Honduras on if you fell asleep. The water was so incredibly clear that it became a little freaky when we started to see the sting rays and really large fish that we were occupying the water with. But the coolest part of our nature in Jamaica adventure was the Pelican’s.
Imagine lying silently in the warmest clearest water you’ve ever seen. The waves lap quietly onto perfect white sand and the sun beats down on you as you rock quietly in the swell.. Then GAZUMPHAH! A pelican dives right down into the water within 10 centimetres of you! Grabs a gullet full of tiny fish and then bobs next to you before launching himself in the flappiest, awkward running flap off the sea. It was terrifying the first time and then becomes the highlight of our swims. We even got to recognise the different pelican’s – magic.

At about midday a little boat turns the corner and moors just off the end of the resort beach. Cowboy hat dude hops off and most of the resort go down and see him over the next few hours. High fives, fist pumps and cash are exchanged for small bags of the green stuff Jamaica is famous for. At the same time Crayfish dude is wandering along with a live crayfish that you can pay him to go and cook for you and serve on the beach. He also sells green stuff and apparently other things too as he was quite happy to tell Nigel and I. There was one other guy wearing a tee shirt that said on the front :You want it…I got it!” on the back it said “If I don’t got it… I go get it!”.
Needless to say that at approximately 4.20 every day the air is filled with the unmistakeable smell of any Pink Floyd Revival concert I’ve ever been to. To be fair you can smell it on your way to breakfast, just after lunch and in the late nights down on the beach. No wonder everyone is so mellow!

Evenings were spent in the resort restaurants and there were four different ones with differing cuisines and then afterwards the resort staff would put on some incredible shows. A tribute to Bob and Ziggy Marley one night. A Jamaican night with every other famous Jamaican artist featured Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Shaggy, Ini Kamoze etc. The music was so great and everyone was so chilled. The Jamaican’s have incredible rhythm and I know that’s a stereotype but they just do! Every staff member has a certain style about them – they are just so darn cool! Hilarious watching the Americans trying to twerk like a Jamaican mon… yeah nah!

All too soon we were on our way out to the airport to get back to the States. We hopped on our American Airlines flight and were advised on four separate occasions that we were sitting in an exit row and were we willing and able to help in the case of an emergency. “Yes” we both answered on each occasion secretly thankful for the extra legroom.
As we sat in our aisle and middle seat there was a complete debacle in the row in front as a guy who had obviously lost a couple of his braincells on the beach of Jamaica was found to be sitting four rows away from the seat on his boarding pass. This caused a flow on effect as everyone tried to sit somewhere else and the following debacle was outright hilarious.

Just before takeoff a dude who I can only describe as Ziggy Marley complete with full camouflage gear, dreads and distinct odour squeezed past Nigel and I to take his place on the window seat. “Are you willing and able to help in an emergency”?” asked the flight attendant… three times! He nodded slowly and then turned to me to see if I could explain what that meant. I started explaining to him that he would need to open the door if instructed by the crew, he promptly fell asleep head forward ,drool escaping his lips. This is how he stayed the whole 1.5 hour flight back to Miami. Just before landing the flight attendant came and started throwing bags of pretzels at him to wake him up. She announced that it’s a common occurrence on the flights back to the States from Jamaica. They have their last smoke in the car on the way to the airport so maximise their opportunity. My main issue was that there might be drug dogs at the airport in Miami and if they sniffed me they would absolutely be able to pick up on something. Thankfully that didn’t happen but it was a great Instagram post none the less. It should be noted that our flight was at 10.30am. Perfect time of day to get blazed according to Ziggy.

What a wild, bucket list ticking awesome few days in Jamaica. We will be back. We will stay longer and we will look back fondly on our little piece of paradise in the Caribbean.