Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Leaving Paradise

All good things must come to an end, and so on Sunday it was time to return home.

But first…breakfast!

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And one more visit down to the water, and looking longingly at the bloody island that I still didn’t get to see.

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Right after this photo, I jumped into the water for one final swim and got promptly dropped on my ass onto the rocks that had shown up overnight as the sand washed away. Ouch.

Saying goodbye to our new Canadian friends. Lee’s dad was doing Ironman Florida this past weekend!

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I extended the vacation as long as possible with one last margarita as Margaritaville in the airport.

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Our connection in Dallas left very late due to mechanical problems, and we didn’t get home till nearly 2am on Monday. Color me exhausted!

I was glad to see my first impressions of Jamaica were right – beautiful country, constant warm weather, warm water and incredibly friendly people.

A few thoughts on Couples resorts for those who might be interested:

  • Couples only (any gender combination, I believe) – no kids, no large family groups, just couples.
  • All-inclusive - covers food, drink, activities and excursions including scuba, golf, horseback riding, our Dunn River Falls trip, the fancy reservation restaurants, etc
  • Amazing service. I got a little embarrassed with being called mi’lady so much, but everyone went out of their way to help keep the visitors happy.
  • AWESOME food – SOOOOOOOO much better than any other all inclusive places I’ve ever visited. Really one of the hallmarks of Couples. I ate new fruits and veggies, including things I’ve never tried, with every single meal.
  • No tipping allowed. They say it and they mean it – employees would get fired for taking a tip. This eliminates any pressure to tip or even carry money around from the time you arrive.

3 comments:

Maggs said...

So I watched Couple's Retreat over the weekend... your version sounds better than the one in the movie.

Meera said...

Thanks for the resort review! We try to go on a kid free vacation once in a while, so this will be a good one to try!

Maria said...

Wow, a couple's retreat sounds so grown up! I'm glad you enjoyed Paradise...going back to reality sucks!