Jamaica — Losing yourself in tropical paradise
In Atlanta, we have a three-hour layover before our next flight. We take off and pass over Florida, then Cuba and out over the open waters of the Caribbean Sea. I can see a few small islands and a cruise ship heading for some exotic place. The plane starts to descend and I see Jamaica for the first time. As we get closer, I see that the island is covered in a carpet of green mountains. Montego Bay comes into view, and I hear the landing gear engage. I feel my blood pressure go higher, as the plane goes lower. Excited butterflies dance inside me, as I fidget in my seat and wonder where the bobsled team trains.
We land at 11:30 a.m., go through customs and I get a stamp of approval on my passport. My Jamaican adventure begins.
Sandals Dunn's River Resort has an Italian Renaissance flair and is named after the famous Dunn's River Falls. The lobby has an open breezeway and two beautiful winding staircases surrounding a water fountain. I check in with my traveling friend, and we take the winding staircase to our room.
Tired from a day of travel, we enter our room. It's decorated with Mediterranean-style furnishings and has a private balcony overlooking the plaza below. We both felt like we needed sleep, but decided to stay awake and go to bed early that evening. With disorientation from jet lag, we place our wallets and passports in the room safe, change our clothes and head for the plaza.
On the plaza I smell food cooking and realize, I'm hungry. I order Jamaican Jerk Chicken with french fries.
Jerk Chicken dates back to the Carib-Arawak Indians who inhabited Jamaica. The chicken is "jerked" with a sharp object to make holes in it, then stuffed with a variety of spices. The chicken is smoked heavily on the grill and the holes allow heat to escape, which keeps the chicken tender and juicy. I enjoyed this dish so much, I had it for lunch everyday. Sandals is an all inclusive resort, and with a thank you, I take a seat and enjoy my first Jamaican meal.
Recent comments
After 10 visits to the island I am always amazed at how much love…
Anonymous | Aug. 31, 2008 at 8:30 a.m.
i am jamaican and i disagree about there being two classes of people…
cheryl | Aug. 28, 2008 at 12:41 p.m.
We went on a cruise 30 years ago and it included a brief stop in…
Carol | Aug. 25, 2008 at 10:45 p.m.
