Club Paradise, Jamaican Style… Day 2

Day 2 was one of the most relaxing days of my life… it pretty much just involved lazing around, drinking rum drinks that were brought to me on a silver tray (by our favorite butler Aldean), catching up on my reading and emails, swimming in the pool and basically just staring at the clouds and waves.

I started off the morning being woken up by one of the most amazing sounds in the world- the sounds of waves crashing along the beach mixed with intense rain. It seems that the tail of Hurricane Ike had finally arrived on my small Island… I laid in bed for hours just listening to the sound of the wind and watching the lightning on the water- oh yes I can just open my doors and there is the ocean! There is something to be said for French doors that just open into Paradise. I’m about as far away from Los Angeles as possible! Luckily the bulk of the storm happened around 4am so by 7 I was sitting outside on the veranda with my coffee just staring at the turquoise water wondering how I’m ever going to be able to leave this place. One of the best things about this Villa is that there are no windows, at least glass ones that is. And upstairs is just a completely open house. There are some walls, a few doors leading to other rooms but the rooms just open up to outside. It reminds me of living in a tree house.

The rest of the day flew by in a haze of Planters Punch, sun and rain…Throughout the day the storm would start up again and we’d have to pack up all our gear and head inside, though really with the well trained staff it was more like they packed up our gear for us while we waited where it was dry! I have to say it’s one of the oddest things to have a “staff”… here at Bluefields there are about 10 people that rotate in and out throughout the day, all here just to make sure we have everything we need and that we don’t have to lift a finger for anything… and although it is something I could get use to, I don’t think I would like it day after day because the truth of the matter is you are never alone because there is someone constantly watching after you… and sometimes I just like to be alone. Luckily there is a private patio right off my bedroom where I was able to get a little private sun time (aka without my bikini top on) so I will be able to go back to the states minus tan lines, yay!

Though as amazing as it’s been to have nothing to do, I will admit I did start to go a little stir crazy by the end of the day… I did get to take an amazing walk along the footpath up and down the neighboring Villas and really watch the storm progress. And of course I took a million pictures of every little thing I saw and every small wave crashing on the beach. It was amazing to walk and not see anyone, no hear any noise except the waves, to just smell the amazing salt air and rain. I originally thought to go on a run, but it was just so breath taking I actually had to just stop and enjoy everything all around me. For the first time in a really long time, I was able to really just stop. And it felt amazing!

Since it was too stormy to go into town we didn’t even make it to the market today, much less snorkeling and cliff diving. So all that has been shifted to Friday and luckily tomorrow we are off at 6am to Zip Line through the rainforest and then off to what is supposed to be the Niagara Falls of Jamaica! I’m nervous, excited and scared all at the same time! Basically just having the time of my life and can’t wait to see what adventure tomorrow will bring. It has started to rain once again and I can feel my eyes getting sleepy...


So until tomorrow...
Sending my love from the Islands!
XXOO,
Hardt

PS Additional Animal Count today: My new friend the crab that followed me on my entire walk along the beach today, our 3 dogs that have now grown to 5 dogs (which all seem to like to sleep right outside my door), a really cool Pelican which spent most of its day right in front of the villa looking for food and of course the really loud frogs right outside my window that like to remind me that yes I am in a Jungle and not at home in LA!

Jamaican me crazy...Day 1

After a long day tending bar for college football the last thing I wanted to hear Saturday afternoon was that my flight to Jamaica was delayed… after a nerve racking couple of weeks watching hurricanes come in and out of the area I was starting to get nervous that I would have a week of rain, flooding and come back as white as I had left. So with the delay you can imagine how happy I was to just finally be on my way to the airport…. Suitcase, check. Wallet, check. Passport, check. And we were finally off…. Until we checked in at the airport. Luck would have it the one person doing the passport checks on all of us had left hers at home! So while the rest of us bellied up to the bar to start our early Jamaican festivities, poor Janice was stuck rushing home to get hers. To only find out that as soon as she had her passport in hand, of course the car wouldn’t start! But finally she was on her way, in the second car of the evening… yea we are finally on our way to Jamaica. Well of course that was after our 3 hour delay in the airport… we were tired but didn’t care-we were FINALLY on our way to Jamaica.

And boy was the wait worth it. This island is breath taking… I am currently sitting out on the patio off of my bedroom, over looking our pool and private cove just staring at the stars in the sky… and once again I am speechless. In less than 24 hours I have fallen in love with the land, the people and the way of life.

View from my bedroom

View out the other bedroom door

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself... let me go back to the beginning when we landed, in wonderful Montego Bay! Upon arriving (with no cloud in sight!) our driver Percy meet us at the airport with our rental van- a 12 person passenger van was needed to fit the 6 of us and all of our luggage! In the hour and half that it took to get from the airport to our Villa in Bluefield’s we went through town after town, and over mountains and through what can only be described as rainforests… I was first struck but how shockingly beautiful the poverty was in this county with everyone dressed in their Sunday best and the brightest clothes I have ever seen hanging on the clothes lines. How happy everyone seemed to be, no matter what their station in life was or what their job was that they were doing. We passed the smallest bars you have ever seen, little shack stores and houses on top of one another- almost all painted lively colors and with people sitting out on verandas just enjoying the Sunday breeze. Everyone was just walking along the narrow road, cars honking at one another, families waving to friends across the street. It was as if everyone had a smile on their face.

Montego Bay

Montego Bay

Road to Negril

Road to Negril

Road to Negril

Road to Negril

Road to Negril

Road to Negril

Road to Negril

And just when I thought I couldn’t fall more in love, we hit the Negril side of the island and the water. Let’s just say I basically swooned! It’s unbelievable how crystal clear and calm the water is… and how warm! Upon arriving at the villa we were greeted by the manager, our chef, our butler and more staff than you can imagine! We spent the morning and early afternoon in a transitional Villa since ours wasn't ready for us yet... best temporary accommodations I think have ever seen with staff coming in and out of it all day. Though our temporary Villa was nothing compared to Le Hermitage where we will be spending the next 8 days. A 4 bedroom Villa complete with infinity pool and the most amazing view that I've ever seen. Plus you can't beat staying at an old Pirates Lair! And when they say fully staffed villas they aren’t kidding. In the last 12 hours we have had every need tended to. We’ve swam in the pool, had drinks brought to us in the ocean, floated in the most clear water I will probably ever see, ocean kayaked along the shore, took a nap in a hammock right over the ocean...

Bluefields Bay

Bluefields Bay

My own little piece of paradise!

La Hermitage

First nights dinner and our view from the dinning room

Sunset at diner

we've eaten the most amazing foods for lunch and dinner (Pineapple Lamb kabobs that I can't even being to describe!), drank more alcohol than I care to remember, stared at millions of stars, wished on at least one, and am now currently listening to the sounds of the jungle around me. It’s insane to think that less than 24 hours ago I was sitting in Los Angeles, amongst the smog and traffic and stressing myself over jobs and boys that don’t really matter. It seems now that all that matters is this moment. Nothing before this really has meant anything! Tomorrow we are off to another adventure… the boat picks us up at 10am to bring us to some off shore reef to snorkel, then it’s back to the villa for lunch, and then to what I’m dying to do- Ricks Café on the water and I will be cliff diving from the bar! And if I survive that it will be off to a Cocktail Party in the evening!

Sending my love from the islands!
XXOO,

Hardt

PS Animal Count so far: Goats, Cattle, Rosters, 3 dogs that live at the Villa right outside my bedroom, a half dozen lizards, pelicans and about every mosquito know to man which are currently having a late night snack of me!

My watch Dogs