Jamaica or Bust

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 9:25 am

Despite the horror stories and high crime.... My Favorite vacation was a 10 day trip to Jamaica.

Private seclueded villa, maid, butler and chef service. Food from paradise. As well we had our own private driver who took us to places the average joe tourist would never venture too. He even took my youngest daughter and I into a class room for an hour just for her to experience their way of learning. He took us to church and I have to say, the people there are very poor but they sure do look beautiful for sunday mass which is a 4 hour event. Something very ethereal about a bright white church filled with black people dressed in their fines white satin and silks. Very pretty indeed and when the sing it is incredibly moving.

San San Beach and Frenchmans cove were glorious. We had drinks served to us by a gentleman dressed in formal wear yes he was in black pants, dress shoes and a crisp white long sleeved shirt. He treated us like royalty on this lovely secluded beach. This area by the way (Frenchmans Cove) is where Errol Flynn came to and fell in love with in the 50's the height of Jamaica's glory days. Many a movie star came to Jamaica to holiday and party and practice all kinds of wicked things.

We were taken to a lovely outdoor market and were accompanied by a private body guard but being naive Calgarians we didn't seem to notice what he was doing for us. It was truly an amazing adventure and I can happily say... I did take my children ages 10 and 14 and they had the time of their lives. I would go back in a heartbeat with the girls again.

Also we spend many an hour sitting on the dock at the Blue Lagoon. Yes the place where Tom Cruise lived in the movie Cocktail. It is a lovely slice of paradise.

www.jamaicadreams.com check it out.

catwoman_51 · Post by **catwoman_51** » Sun Dec 26, 2004 11:31 am

Gee Minks--that sounds absolutely incredible! I hope to get to Jamaica

before I kick the bucket! It really sounds like a beautiful place to relax.

I just returned from Hawaii two weeks ago and it was a shock to return to

Ky, temperatures. The sun,sand & sea is wonderful there also. We stayed

on an Army facility where they send soldiers for R&R. So it certainly wasn't

luxurious, but the price was terriffic. Hated to come back, if it weren't for

hubby.............who knows? Maybe I can post pictures later.

Pearl Harbor · Post by **Pearl Harbor** » Sun Dec 26, 2004 3:41 pm

Personally, I am not comfortable having to travel to a place where you need bodyguards.

What about staying at the secluded, armed, and fortified resort? Makes me wonder what I am doing there.

catwoman_51 · Post by **catwoman_51** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:45 am

Pearl Harbor, Sorry if I gave the wrong impression. We weren't guarded and there were no MP's walking around other than at the gate. It was an army

facility where the guys/girls could come to relax & be with they're families.

It just happens to available for extended families to rent as well, of which I am one.

It was a beautiful place & well- kept. I'm glad it was available to me because I could never in a million years have been able to make the trip otherwise. It wasn't secluded, armed, or fortified other than MP's at the gate.

BTW, since PH is your name, we visited there, it was a very moving sight.

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 10:24 am

catwoman_51 wrote: Gee Minks--that sounds absolutely incredible! I hope to get to Jamaica

before I kick the bucket! It really sounds like a beautiful place to relax.

I just returned from Hawaii two weeks ago and it was a shock to return to

Ky, temperatures. The sun,sand & sea is wonderful there also. We stayed

on an Army facility where they send soldiers for R&R. So it certainly wasn't

luxurious, but the price was terriffic. Hated to come back, if it weren't for

hubby.............who knows? Maybe I can post pictures later.

Hey Cat it was fantastic a place of many a fond memory. I hope I get back again.

Hawaii is lovely, I have been there 2 times, love Maui, but Kawaii was my fave, was there many many years ago and the beauty was stunning. Much less commercialized on that island. They call Maui "little canada" but all in all I would go back to hawaii again too. I am not much for scuba diving, something about being way deep underwater and running out of air that I can't get past, but snorkeling was the cats meow off horseshoe island off of Lahainna on Maui. Gaws that was fun. Ahh the tropics sigh, makes me wonder why I live in frosty Canada again, as I venture a look out my window at the snow... bleck.

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:43 pm

tmbsgrl wrote: That sounds so wonderful! I have never been anywhere out of the United States, But friends of mine got married in Jamaica not too long ago. I hope to go there some day!

Ahh it is a beautiful place to get married. Pity about the government, crime and drugs but I think they will survive it.

I would like to try hedonisim over there sounds interesting, but would go for the tame side, not the partner swap part ahahahahahaha

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Fri Jan 07, 2005 9:44 am

Sorry but i went in may 2004 and i hated every min of it we stayed in ohio rios i personnaly found jamaica to be dirty and quite scary try going into a cash point with 10 men standing outside watching you ,you also have to pay to use the beach something i have never had to do there were dead dogs kicked to the side of the road ,and everybody hassling you every where you went we couldnt hire a car because its impossible to get insurance and every body is so aggressive on our first day some guy showed us his bullet wounds. The food wasnt that great either , and the beachs we expected better every where you went (even in KFC)people where trying to sell you drugs even to my 15 year old . This is a place i will never go to again but i would try some of the other islands sorry to burst your bubble but its not that great .sarah janex

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:41 pm

pantsonfire321@aol.com wrote: Sorry but i went in may 2004 and i hated every min of it we stayed in ohio rios i personnaly found jamaica to be dirty and quite scary try going into a cash point with 10 men standing outside watching you ,you also have to pay to use the beach something i have never had to do there were dead dogs kicked to the side of the road ,and everybody hassling you every where you went we couldnt hire a car because its impossible to get insurance and every body is so aggressive on our first day some guy showed us his bullet wounds. The food wasnt that great either , and the beachs we expected better every where you went (even in KFC)people where trying to sell you drugs even to my 15 year old . This is a place i will never go to again but i would try some of the other islands sorry to burst your bubble but its not that great .sarah janex

As with all vacation spots I guess there is a right place and a wrong place. So very sorry to hear you had such a terrible time. I believe too that weather has since done a number on the island I love (recent hurricane that is) and also where you were was a true tourist trap, where I was was heavenly seclusion and we were well looked after. I guess I was blessed with good fortune to have found shorham greens then.