The trip to Jamaica

Awwwwww no... Uhhhhhhhh. Too Early. What time is it? (the beginning of a common theme) 7:00am. We need to finish packing. But first, first... breakfast. We went to breakfast with Rachael's father, and other family in the Hilton restaurant. It was early. But we needed to get moving. We had a good breakfast, it was a buffet. The waiters were less than accommodating considering we were one of just a few tables. But anyway... we had a good breakfast.

We needed to get home and get packing. Adam and Kelly were coming to pick us up at 11:30 to take us to the airport. Though he didn't admit it, he would not have been pleased if we weren't ready. So we said our goodbyes and then went home and started packing.

It wasn't as hard as we thought, though it wasn't easy either. We spent a little time checking and double-checking that we have everything (especially the birth certificates and all). We were finished by 10:30 - 11:00. Perfect. Adam and Kelly arrived and helped us with our things. It was sooo nice to not have to worry about transportation to the airport. Adam and Kelly were taking care of the tuxes and our transportation to the airport, they were a God-send.

They dropped us off around 12:00. Our flight was at 2:40. We got in there and there was barley a line for us. We went up there and went through without a problem. As we were going through security I beeped. I took out my money clip and change and I reached for the wedding band. The woman at security said, "You'd better not take that ring off." I chuckled and left it on. This, somehow spirred a conversation between Rach and the woman behind her. Rach would have talked anyone's ear off I think, because she was so excited.

Now we wait. La de da de doo.... We grabbed a bite to eat. And then sat and reflected on the wedding a bit until it was time to board. Someone please explain to me why planes have 3 seats on each side? I mean don't most people travel in even numbers? Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems to be that way... Anyway, we sat down and no one sat with us - we considered this a small victory, don't ask me why.

We were a little tired, but excited. We had to stop over in Miami. Waiting in airports may be the most excruciating thing to do outside of moving. Luckily there wasn't much time there. We waited for the next one. The flight would be short, and like I said, we were just anxious to get there. On this flight we were given homework - Customs sheets to fill out. I did have the joy of saying "yes," when we were asked if we were family. I filled out as much as I could. This was the first time I have been outside of the country outside of Canada.

It was kind of dark on our arrival. So we didn't get to see much. Once there, we went to the baggage claim... okay, so maybe I don't know what my bag looks like. I swear the bag passed us 4 times. One time I pulled the bag off thinking it was ours, then put it back after deciding it wasn't ours... it was. Oops.

We grabbed them and went to the Couples Resort place in the Montego Bay airport. There we were graciously offered a beverage - Red Stripe Light. It was really good. We waited a bit for the van. There was another couple in there with us, and a woman who apparently worked for Couples, I think. The four of us went to the van. I tipped the guy who carried our bags - one of the few times that I would tip with our "All Inclusive" trip.

The ride to the resort was 2 hours long. It was interesting to say the least. First, the Jamaicans drive on the opposite side than we do, and they have the steering wheel on the right. The second thing is they - well, at least this guy - drive like maniacs. They pass every few seconds. The roads have a number of pot holes, and I think we hit all of them. Rach and I sat behind the other couple. The woman in front of us had her head down on her husbands' shoulder almost the entire ride. She was skeered. I think I actually started dozing off a little, but didn't fall all they way asleep.

We finally pulled in. The lobby was wide open. There were no doors, just an overhang and 2 desks... Check in was painless and we had help with our luggage - now we are to the 'no tipping' portion which was great. It was about 11:00 or so at night. We went up to the room and took a look around. We had an 'oceanview' room. There were a set of double-doors that opened out onto the patio. We opened it up and marveled a little at where we were. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Ok. Food now. Me hungry. Need beer too. Rach was hungry as well, and we wanted to see a little more, so we took a walk. We went to the (choose)
a. Beach
b. Bar
c. Eatery
d. All Three in one place

If you chose "D," then you're a winner!!! We had a couple cheeseburgers and fries. And some beverages. It was late, but no big deal. The grill stayed open until 4:30am. I didn't have a watch, and neither did Rach. We had no clue what time it was and didn't care. We did know that we were tired. After our hearty meal we decided to go back and sleep.