Color me CUBA: Montego Bay, Jamaica

The Jamaican look!

We flew from our local Lehigh Valley International Airport to Jamaica. Don’t let the grandiose name fool you. It’s a tiny airport in the Poconos which makes it a joy to fly out of; however, we had to be up at 3:00 a.m. for our early morning flight. But it was worth it. No crowds, no traffic, no fuss. Easy peasy. We connected in Philadelphia and arrived on a Boeing 757 in Montego Bay in the early afternoon. The Montego Bay airport was a mob scene. Apparently, this is one popular island for escapees of the cold weather (probably even more than usual since other islands are still recovering from the hurricanes).

BTW, we found out early on that the locals call “Montego Bay” – “Mo Bay” for brevity.

Lush grounds of the Royal Decameron

Our hotel room at the Royal Decameron Montego Bay Beach Resort had a gorgeous setting right on the warm turquoise-colored water. The hotel itself is an older property that could probably use a refresh, but it’s okay for just two nights before we board our cruise ship.

Beachfront just outside our door
at the Royal Decameron Hotel

One very annoying aspect of this hotel is that every extra thing costs: $20/day for WiFi, $5/day for a refrigerator, $2/day for the in-room safe, and, if you lose the key, it’s a $100 fine. That type of nickel & dime stuff is quite prevalent. But everyone is very friendly, even though Frank is suspicious of their pleasantries and over-exaggerated courtesies. We had the nicest waitress, but then she became adamant that we give her our telephone number for back in the states. Not sure if she’s looking to come visit us in PA or just being over-the-top friendly. Frank, of course, is worried about the arrival of an unexpected Jamaican house guest someday!

Like most places here in Jamaica, our hotel is under an all-inclusive plan. We understood why this is such an attractive option when we went “off the reservation” to a grocery store across the street. At the security gate, the young guard recorded our leaving, along with our room number (probably so they can notify next of kin if you don’t come back!).

Anne contemplates her next move

Our feet had barely hit the off-campus pavement before some creepy-looking guy with a popcorn hat came up to us and said, “Do you need anything?” No doubt he could have supplied any recreational drugs we had in mind! On to the grocery store we plodded, looking for a few sundry items to complement our stay here in Jamaica. The grocery store was kind of sad and didn’t have much of what we needed, so we high-tailed it back to the hotel, passing several unsavory characters again, giving us the stink eye as we hustled along trying not to make eye contact. We think we’ll stay on the hotel grounds from now on.

Red Stripe is a common beer here in Jamaica

One of the items we tried to get at the store were lemons. Frank likes a little real lemon juice in his drinks, and in his water thermos when hiking along and the “thirsties” strike. After a few days here in “Mo Beach” never seeing a single lemon, we asked a local why a warm tropical place like Jamaica doesn’t seem to have lemons (even in the bars and restaurants here at the hotel). He really didn’t know, altho he retorted that “in my 18 years of living here, I have never seen a single lemon.” Wow, in this climate, I would have thought they’d have lemon trees growing on the beaches even!!

Enjoying our stay in Mo Bay

In spite of all that, this is an idyllic place. We had a marvelous time at the beach, stretched out on lounge chairs under shady trees.

Frank gets ready to snorkel!

We also did some snorkeling over a decent stretch of coral just beyond the beach. While the snorkeling wasn’t the greatest, it was free and right in front of us! And at lunchtime, we had a gorgeous view of the ocean while some musicians entertained us with lively Jamaican music. Notting to worry bout here in Jamaica, man!

Jamaican sunset

Mo Bay has been a nice little taste of the Caribbean, giving us some beach time and a chance to adjust to the hot and steamy climate. Now we are rested and ready to tackle Cuba!

Note: Frank was right to be suspicious. When we got home, we discovered that someone had attempted to make online purchases using our credit card (right after we left Jamaica for Cuba). Luckily, our credit card company blocked the transactions. Too bad for you, man!

More pics: