This is the first of several entries about our vacation to Jamaica. First, some background info: Monte and I have never attempted a vacation like this! Our usual "vacation" involves going no farther than 5 hours from home, by car, for less than 4 days, usually with kids in tow. This time, we were gone thousand of miles away, for 7 days, alone! We booked this trip last October, so we have been waiting what feels like forever to go.
We had friends who recommended the
Sandals Montego Bay Resort, so after some looking we decided to go for it.
We left the evening of April 1, and for the two nights preceding it neither of us slept well. Tuesday, the 1st, I was so excited I couldn't hardly stop moving, let alone eat anything. By the time we made it to the Spokane airport, we were both starving. After checking in and feeling relieved that everything seemed to be in order, we ate a quick dinner of chef salad from the only airport restaurant open in our section. Of course, I followed this up with a Starbuck's iced mocha, and since I hadn't eaten all day I even ate a blueberry muffin with it. I finished just in time to board the plane at 7:40pm for Seattle.
The flight to Seattle was uneventful and fast, although I was cold. (I'm always cold, thus the tropical vacation). Inexperienced though we are, we even managed to figure out how to board the subway style train that would take us to our next gate in Seattle. We checked in there, received our boarding passes clear to Jamaica, and settled down for a short 1.5 hour wait for the next plane, scheduled at 11pm. Of course, Monte was hungry again, and proceeded to eat a second dinner, telling me I should do the same since our next flight was 5 hours to Charlotte, NC.
At 10:45, we hear the announcement that there is a problem with our plane. Something is broken and they're trying to locate the correct part. At 11:00, we hear that it may not leave until 11:30. And then, at 11:30, we find out that we are stuck waiting for the next available plane to arrive at 1:30am. This is a huge problem for the entire plane, since all of us are missing our connections in Charlotte. We proceed to stand in line at one of 3 counters in order to change our tickets out of Charlotte from 930am to 1130am. The girls in front of me are also going to Montego Bay, and I over hear them talking about how they put their swimsuits in their carry ons, in case their checked luggage ends up lost. Why didn't I think of that, I wonder, as visions of spending a week in my hotel room with no extra clothes fill my head.
After almost 2 hours in line, I have new tickets on the 1130am flight out of Charlotte. Now fully frozen and exhausted, Monte and I retire to our uncomfortable chairs to wait. By the time 130am rolls around, I feel as though my lips must be blue, despite the blanket that Monte so nicely bought for me at one of the airport shops. We board the plane to Charlotte, and before it even takes off I think I am asleep.
I awaken an unknown amount of time later, and immediately I know something is wrong. I feel sick, and not just a headache either. My head is pounding, I feel dizzy, and that Mocha and blueberry muffin suddenly don't seem like they were such a good idea. Monte is sleeping lightly beside me, and I nudge him awake to tell him I don't feel well. The bathrooms are all full, and I'm not even sure I would make it there anyways, so I stay in my seat. I'm unsure if I'll throw up or pass out first, and then I'm having a nice dream of flying, and Monte's shaking me and whispering, "Mindi, Mindi, are you ok??!!"
It turns out I passed out, scaring Monte to death. When we ask the flight attendant if she could hold the bathroom open, she finds out I'm feeling dizzy and insists I stay in my seat. And if I get sick, we ask? She hands me a white paper bag smaller than a lunch bag. I guess no one told her I ate a huge meal right before we left Spokane!
Thankfully, I make it to Charlotte without using the white bag by holding my head between my knees until we land. We're stuck in Charlotte for about 2 hours, during which I try to eat something. Monte, who thinks food is the cure for just about everything, insists that if I had only eaten something in Seattle, I would be fine. Actually, I think I would certainly have overfilled that white paper bag had I eaten in Seattle, but I'm too sick to tell him so.
The plane for Jamaica miraculously leaves on time at 11:30am, and we are in Jamaica by about 1:30pm Jamaican time. Thinking we finally made it, we are stopped in our tracks by the sight of the custom's line, which strings back and forth, filling the entire length of ribbon strung out in front of the counters. Monte looks at me and says, "We should have gone to Hawaii," and honestly, I'm thinking the same thing. We end up waiting an hour in this line, before we finally get to collect our luggage and find the Sandals desk.
After only a few minutes, it is clear this is going to be an interesting week. We can't understand half of what the Jamaicans say to us, making it difficult to find the right bus to our resort. As soon as we leave the airport, the road is lined with dilapidated concrete buildings, junk cars, and caved in houses. "We ARE NOT leaving the hotel," Monte says to me. Suddenly that
Canopy Tour we signed up for is not sounding so great.
When we unload at the resort, which is only 5 minutes from the airport, and we are guided inside. As soon as we step off the bus, an airplane flies directly overhead as it leaves the airport, drowning out all sound for a few seconds. This is almost more than I can take. "What kind of a dive is this?" I wonder to myself, almost afraid to go inside. The hotel employees insist that it is OK to leave our luggage for them to bring in, but after the trip I've just had I'm not happy about leaving it out of my sight. They lead us to an air conditioned lounge, which is actually really nice. They offer us champagne and cool rags, but all I want is a shower and my toothbrush (my mouth feels like it might possibly have fur in it). Exhausted and unnerved, I am sure I am not the happiest guest they've ever seen, as I refuse the drink and towel and fight the urge to scream at them to book us on the next flight home. We are showed to our room about 15 minutes later, with our luggage safely following. The view from our room is beautiful:
so maybe this won't be so bad, I think. Still, half of me is wishing I had stayed my butt home. Monte is excited to learn they've upgraded our room to one with a mini-bar. Still, after showering the only thing we want to do is sleep, and we both collapse and fall asleep immediately.
To be continued........
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