Those Were The Days

Has it been 10 years?

It was a long flight. The jerk in front of me reclining in full didn't help. Neither did the fact our seats were split by the aisle. That's what you get when you book last minute. I'm still not sure if the Captain was joking when he said there was no radar at the airport, but I can appreciate his sense of humor. Everyone was looking out the window for other aircraft waiting to plow into us on approach.

But the second we stepped out of the plane the warm air hit me in the face and I heard the tropical music, I knew we were in paradise.

Jamaica is a tropical wonderland. Yeah, we were in full tourista mode. Packed into a minivan complete with the driver selling beer and shady locals with offers of ganja. And we haven't even left the airport!

The ride around the island is an adventure all it's own. Unfamiliar surroundings, confusing signs, narrow roads and death wish drivers.

Hand me another beer, will ya?

Passengers disembark at resort after resort along the way, each looking shnazzier than the last before we finally reach ours... Sandals, Ocho Rios. We checked into our Penthouse and are greeted by our concierges, Carlos and Amanda. Our wish is their command and they do their job very well.

We met that couple from Pennsylvania on the floor below us after hanging off the balcony. They were a hoot. I wonder if anybody has ever been thrown out of that restaurant before we were that night? I really liked them.

Then there was the hidden pool you found at 2am. That's a night I will never forget.

I enjoyed the guided sightseeing and shopping trips. But the trip with the private driver was the best. I still wear the gold chain you bought me bought that day. I wish we had gone back to The Little Pub that night. I think it would have been a blast, but our driver strongly advised against it. I really liked the cuban cigars and local rum they served.

Days on the beach, nights on the dancefloor. Full spa service and swim-up bar in between.

It ended all too soon.

The ride back was even more death defying, but you slept thru every bit of it. The flight home was quiet. A complete 180 from the previous flight in more ways than one. Everyone was contemplating the reality that lie ahead and the paradise left behind in our jetwash.

It's too bad things didn't work out between us because that was the perfect week.