Thursday Travels: Rhapsody of the Seas, Montego Bay

What the Western Caribbean lacks in scenery, it more than makes up for in fun! Jamaica is no exception. There are so many excursions and activities to choose from that it makes an excellent port to revisit. One of the most popular excursions is a trip to the Dunn's River Falls near Ocho Rios.

The falls are a national treasure in Jamaica, and climbing the cascading falls is an adventure not to be missed. I am so glad I had this opportunity before my back became such an issue, it would be impossibility for me now. It is not an easy trek up the falls, nor is it without some risk, but oh so much fun!

The climb begins on the beach, where the falls spill into the ocean. The climb is a total of 600 feet...all on very slippery rocks with ice cold water cascading down on you!

A human chain is formed in order to assist one another in the climb and guides are positioned along the way to help with the more difficult areas. Not for the faint of heart, many people turn and climb back down after the first 20 feet.

We had lots of picture ops and enjoyed the climb greatly. What was unexpected was how enjoyable the bus ride to and from Montego Bay was! This was a ship excursion and we filled an old school bus easily.

 Our guide on the bus ride was a woman who insisted we answer everything with "Yes, Mon" and "No worries, Mon." We sang Jamaican music, especially that of Harry Belafonte, and learned a great deal of the social, government and education structure of Jamaica. 

Along the way back we stopped at a roadside eatery for local food. This was NOT a place you would find in a Frommer's travel guide, but man it was good! Jerk Chicken fresh off the grill, Jamaican Meatloaf (more like a meat pie), and Rum Punch. Truly one of the best meals I have ever had!

They also had the bus pull over to buy some fruit from guys dangling the stuff from their hands along the road. No fruit stand...just guys waving fruit alongside the road! It was an odd fruit called guinep. You peeled back the thin green peel to expose a slightly gelatinous fruit. You basically suck this off until all that is left is the pit. They bought enough for everyone on the bus to try it...and those of us who actually enjoyed it were able to eat several.

Despite our local food foray, none of us suffered from any form of food poisoning or even indigestion. I will try the local foods anytime I get a chance on a cruise...after all...life is an adventure!

Bon voyage ~Marla 

Thursday Travels: Cruise Diva

I thought I might use Thursdays to start a little travel log for myself. Hope you enjoy it!

I love to cruise. Actually, I just plain love to travel; cruising just happens to be my favorite method. I took my first cruise in 2004 at the age of 42. Prior to that point, I had really not seriously considered a cruise as an option. As a family we traveled quite a bit. By the age of 18 our children had been to at least 25 states and deep into Canada. But a cruise? Not that interested. Then my mother passed away. I decided I needed a change for Christmas that year, and a cruise seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

Our Christmas cruise was planned for the Eastern Caribbean. We would leave out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Our ports of call were to be the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas. I remember being more apprehensive than excited. I had read reviews of cruising and there seemed to be a lot of complaints alongside the glowing testimonials. Then there were the critics who slammed cruising in general, the “Travel Snobs” as I now call them. They felt the only way to visit a place was to spend several days there soaking in the culture, not several hours. We were spending a lot of money on this vacation; what if we hated it?

We flew out of Wichita on Saturday for our Sunday sailing. We arrived quite late in Ft. Lauderdale and by the time we settled in at the hotel it was 1am. I recall feeling a little achy and under the weather that night and noticed a cough starting. I hoped it was just exhaustion, but I wasn’t that lucky. I ended up with bronchitis. I fought it the entire cruise as well as the next 4 weeks. As a nurse I had brought a small pharmacy along and immediately began antibiotics; and codeine for the cough. I slept a lot. On port days we were on the go. Illness was not going to stand in the way! At the end of the 7 day cruise I realized that it had been the best vacation I had ever taken, despite being ill! I had caught another bug, the cruise bug. And I have never been able to shake it.

I learned a lot that first cruise. Booking excursions through the cruise line is not always the best choice. Some ports are more conducive to wandering around on your own than others. Take as many pictures as possible. Don’t waste time going to the port of call shopping shows, the cruise line does not care about getting you the best deal, they care about the kickback. Avoid any store with the word “International” in its name. Wean yourself off pop/soda before the cruise, unless you want to spend $40 for a week’s worth of soft drinks. Finally, act like the responsible adult you should be. Most the fatalities/serious injuries on cruise ships and excursions occur because the person was incredibly drunk or incredibly stupid!

Bon Voyage! ~Marla