Greetings from one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, Negril, Jamaica!
Where the sky is blue, the water is even bluer, and the mojitos pour free. ;)
Ben and I have only been here for a full day and a half (at the time of this typing!) but have already fallen into somewhat of an island routine. :)
We lazily sleep in, then check out the scene at the pool.
Pass through the lobby to smell the fresh flowers.
(I wish I knew what kind of flowers these are! They’re so beautiful and exotic!)
Then head out for a long walk on the beach.
Our hotel sits at the end of a long cove so we walk about 10 feet into the crystal clear water which is warmer than BATH WATER, and head all the way towards the other end of the cove before turning around and coming back.
The marine life we’ve come across on our walks is a hoot. I bought an underwater camera so I’ll share the pics when I get them developed.
We see all kinds of fish though – short and fat, long and skinny, plus starfish, and even sea urchins!
Once we make it back from our walk, it’s usually time for cocktail hour(s)!!! Ben and I are staying at an all inclusive resort, which means all our meals, and drinks are included in the price of the hotel.
This comes in handy for Ben’s fondness for red stripe, and my obsession with mojitos. ;) Actually, it seems I ran the resort out of fresh mint on the first day, so I had to sample a few margaritas on the second day. Whoops!
The food here is fresh, and plentiful. We’ve eaten everything from seafood, to the BEST jerk chicken,
braised oxtail (which I actually loved!)
and tons of exotic and unknown fruits. I still haven’t figured out what this avocado/oyster looking fruit is…
but jack fruit is my new favorite thing on earth!
Apparently it’s as big as a watermelon, and covered with these hedge hog looking spikes on the outside.
The inside is pitted with almond-looking pits that you pop out, then eat the flesh that peels back in layers like an artichoke. It’s WILD, and tastes like a mix between a banana, coconut, and pineapple. Mmmm, so yummy. :)
Well, back to the sun and fun I go! We’ve got an island excursion planned for tomorrow, and today we’re heading towards the famous 7 mile beach to watch and, fingers crossed, participate in some cliff jumping! Whee!
Hope you’re having a great week! :)
Wow, looks great! That water looks amazing. Sounds like you are having a great time. Ben looks so much healthier now than he did a few months ago. Can’t wait to see the underwater pics.
Beautiful! I’m drooling at my desk!!
I vote for red ginger. Lived in HI for 3 years and they were plentiful, beautiful and had a great fragrance! Looks like you and Ben are in Paradise! Enjoy!
Kristin,
I found your blog via Pinterest… ( gotta love it)! I love your pictures and the food looks so beautiful its almost hard to imagine eating it…ok not really. LOL
I am making your Buffalo chicken wraps tonight for dinner. My house smells amazing!!
Thanks for sharing your adventure in Jamaica. I will be there in July. Can’t wait!!!
love your earrings!
your photos are always so crisp and vibrant! looks like you’re having a lot of fun! i need to go somewhere where the mojitos flow free!
That fruit you were asking about is a cherimoya! They are so delicious and in my local supermarkets here in Phoenix. Be careful to eat around the seeds though since they’re toxic.
we were married in ocho rios last september and we loved it in jamaica. i hope you are heading to ricks cafe to do the cliff diving. it is amazing. have a great time!
Looks AMAZING!! Hope you have a wonderful trip! I can’t wait to try jackfruit now :)
All the ginger is beautiful! Here in Hawaii it grows everywhere…I love it!
I think those are called red ginger flowers?
Sounds like you’re having a great time…and lots of mojitos ;)
Can’t wait to see the underwater pics. Sounds unreal.
That sky looks so beautiful, it doesn’t even seem real. Definitely Heaven on Earth.
By the way, that hot pink flower is ginger which we also have here in Florida. And the fruit looks like naseberry but I’m not 100% sure. Enjoy your vacay!
WOOHOO! I won the Keurig! Thanks Iowa Girl :-)
Lucky! Congrats. :)
That’s so funny, I’ve never actually seen what a jack fruit looks like before. We have a vegetarian food truck in my city that makes jack fruit tacos. They shred up the jack fruit and coat it in spices, and NO JOKE it tastes like straight up shredded meat, it is cuh-razy good! I always thought that maybe jack fruit didn’t have a fruity taste and that was why they could get it to taste like meat, but now I know! :) Loving your vacay pics, have fun!!!
SO JEALOUS! Jamaica is amazing and your resort looks beautiful. I love all-inclusive! And jerk chicken, yum!
i’m glad they actually serve jamaican meat pies in jamaica!!
we tried making some at home (but a failed jamaican meat pie turned into a DELICIOUS empanada!) and it’s very tough for me to walk past a pizzeria and NOT get a meat pie (not sure why they sell them at pizzeria’s around here.. jersey city/NYC) … i just love them.
have fun!
Which resort are you at? Have been looking for all-inclusives in Jamacia!
I stayed at that same resort a couple of years ago. I remember that tree in one of your first pictures. I love it there! I plan on making a trip back there in the future.
Just seeing the blue water is a treat……………! So glad you two are having fun!
The flowers you’re looking at are called ginger. I work at a floral wholesaler here in Des Moines and we have imported these flowers in before. They’re available as a cut flower – good to keep in mind if you ever have a tropical party!