Welcome home!
That is always the first response we hear when we arrive in Jamaica. Well, after they ask us how many times we’ve been there. This time was number five and after traveling to Antigua for our yearly Caribbean trip last December, I was glad to be back on one of my favorite islands.
If you’ve read my blog for a while you know that the trip we just returned from last night (delayed and minus one bag) is one my husband and I have taken since our honeymoon in 2003. We moved the date to December which happens to be an awesome time because there is nothing like Christmas ornaments and palm trees in lights in the middle of the tropics.
We switch resorts each year and often islands as well. While we consider most all of our other trips travel (which to me means exploration), this trip is vacation. We sometimes do go off the resort like our private tour of Antigua last year, but this year, we just sat, and read, and ate and drank.
Did I mention we ate?
The weather was unlike anything we have experienced in previous trips. We only had a few days of sun, lots of clouds and some pretty fierce wind. Despite that, it is hard to be disappointed when you can watch the ocean, touch the sand, talk to people of one of my favorite cultures, and eat amazing food.
We aren’t buffet people, but depending on the resort are sometimes forced into that at breakfast. Breakfast is where we have to exercise the most restraint and pace ourselves. If you are too tempted by breakfast, then you won’t be hungry for a jerk patty at lunch. If you eat too much at lunch then say good-bye to enjoying your 4 course dinner.
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| Jerk Chicken Caesar Wrap |
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| Jamaican Beef Patty and a Red Stripe |
I guess one could say we’ve learned over the years and try to avoid rookie mistakes. Passing on pancakes is well worth Jerk Pork Roti or Beef Wellington stuffed with spinach and mushrooms and paired with grilled shrimp.
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| Caesar Salad with a Jerk Chicken Toast |
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| Beef Wellington, Grilled Shrimp and Vegetables |
My photos are a mix those taken with good light, bad light, a point and shoot and my DSLR. For what it’s worth, enjoy!
I’ll be back in the North American Christmas spirit and baking away as soon as I get the suitcase unpacked!
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| Singapore Sling They make a great one in Jamaica. |
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| Pina Colada with dark rum |
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| Chicken Curry with Poppadom and Mango Chutney |
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| Fish and Chips |
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| My favorite dessert – Coconut Bread Pudding with Ice Cream. Followed closely by… |
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| Coffee Cheesecake with finely ground coffee baked into the top. |
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| Bloody Mary in the morning. My favorite drink because it is made with the amazing Catch A Fire Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce. |
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| My husband’s favorite – 15 year El Dorado Rum on the rocks. Goes nicely with the Christmas decorations. |
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| Chips with Curry. Yes, we had a lot of curry. |
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| My favorite lunch. Salad with a little jerk pork and chicken on the side. |
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| Every day needs a little Rum Punch. |
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Now, those of you who entered last for a chance to win the Oh Nuts gift certificate and have been waiting patiently.
The winner via Random.org is #2, Cynthia! I’ll contact you via email. Congrats! Thanks to all those who entered.
Welcome home! 🙂 Looks like it was a wonderful, relaxing trip! The food looks fantastic and I love that last picture with the ocean in the background!
We are looking for a good place to go in the Caribbean for a winter break (we need it already!) Any good resort recommendations?
What a wonderful vacation! and so many delicious eats, excellent!
I just turned down the
opportunity to have chips and curry and I’ve been regreting it ever since. 🙁 What a fun trip! Need to get to a beachhhhhhhhhhh
Welcome home! Kev and I just got back from Jamaica last weekend. We did the Reggae half marathon and had a blast. The weather was totally different than we are used to in Dec. Only got 2 days of snorkeling in but any day in Jamaica is better than being in Chicago LOL
We are already planning trip 5 back for 2011. I can’t believe we have gone back every year but it’s our favorite place to be. We try to talk ourselves in to trying something new but just can’t.
My favorite drink on the island is the Hummingbird. Oh and of course we had to celebrate the race finish with a Bob Marley LOL
Look at all of that great food! I would have loved to have tried that chicken and poppadom. I also like the looks of that coffee cheesecake. What a trip!
I was looking forward to this post and it doesn’t disappoint! Looks like your Jamaican interlude was a complete success, at least on the food and drink end. And as a diehard pancake fan, I absolutely agree that it’s worth foregoing the flapjacks in favor of more local flavor! 😎
Faith – Thanks! I can never get enough of the ocean.
Kat – I have lots of suggestions for islands. We always go to Sandals and have been happy with them. I can email you, but my faves are Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica and Sandals Antigua.
5 Star – We had a great time!
Emily – Ha! Yeah, you’ll never make that mistake twice. 🙂 I wish we could get them more often around here, but it is probably good that we can’t!
Angie – That’s so great. Congrats on the race! The weather was strange for us too. Only about 3 days of sun and it would cloud up at 2 for the day. Lots of cool wind too.
I love hummingbirds too! We’ll likely be back in Jamaica next year as well. It’s our favorite of the islands we’ve been too.
FLB – They were all so good!
Tangled Noodle – So glad to see your comments again! Hope the move went well. It was a wonderful trip. As you know, it’s all about pacing yourself which is easier said than done. 🙂