A Birthday in Jamaica pt. 1

***For those who know me well know that my birthday passed in January. Due to a lot of catching up on finances, social circles, and life in general, this post is about six months late. I promise to do better. xoxo

If you’re a family or friend of mine, it’s no secret I make a huge deal out of my birthday. It started when when I was just about to turn 24 that I decided I would travel every year on my birthday; a little reward to myself for killin’ another 365. Four years later, I’ve honored my pledge and this year was no different. The destination: Montego Bay, Jamaica.

I didn’t really know what to expect from Jamaica other than sand, sun, and a tan. But Jamaica brought me a lot of firsts. It was my first trip to a region under a state of emergency (found this out the day we left), it was my first trip indulging in recreational marijuana abroad (don’t you dare judge me), it was my first birthday trip with my mom, and it was the first time seeing a dead body abroad. Yes, you read that right – a dead body.

Nonetheless, Jamaica was exactly what I needed not only to celebrate my birthday but to release some built up physical and mental tension.

Where We Stayed
I should start by stating that this was also my first international trip staying at an all-inclusive resort: Secrets St. James Montego Bay. Typically, I stay off the resorts and this is intentional. In my younger traveler days, I “resorted” in hostels for the sole purpose of making new friends and having easy accessibility to the city grounds. And of course, hostels are inexpensive.

When home-sharing started to become a thing (aka AirBnb), I enjoyed conversations with my host(s) whom sometimes even cooked for me as if I were family. Bottom line, I’m not a huge fan of resorts because of the isolation: isolation from the locals, the authentic food, the lingo, the culture, and everything in between. I felt very confined to the attractions and restaurants at Secrets MoBay even though there was plenty onsite to do and see.*

Staying at an all-inclusive resort certainly has it perks though. For instance a full gym, free tennis lessons at the courts, dance lessons by the pool, live music on the beach, accessibility to the other sister properties, a bank, a nightclub and piano bar. Basically anything you could imagine so you don’t have to leave the resort. One of the better perks about all-inclusive was unlimited food and drinks (alcoholic too) at our every request including room service. Believe me, when you have the luxury of 24/7 room service, you will absolutely take advantage at 3AM for no apparent reason other than it’s available (and yes, I am 100% guilty.).

And the cost for this all-inclusive resort: $2,100 USD for five days, four nights, an ocean view suite and two occupants. I’m still internally debating if the convenience was worth the cost.

What We Ate
Because the resort was all-inclusive, the boyfriend and I strategically planned to eat most of our meals on the resort. I mean, we paid good money for all-inclusive so it only made sense. Thankfully, jerk chicken stands were scattered throughout the resort and seasoned and served by Jamaicans, which was reassuring. And again, the best part, we didn’t need to pay.

We did have a few opportunities to eat off-site. On the way to Dunns River, we made a pit stop for restrooms and breakfast where we purchased a Jamaican patty. I’ll be honest, I’ve had better. We also stopped at Scotchie’s during the day excursion to Dunn’s River Falls and Nine Mile. Jamaica is known for its jerk spices and sauce. Scotchie’s surprisingly did not serve their chicken with jerk sauce but instead provided a yellow-Habanero sauce and it was FIRE, literally and figuratively.

How We Got Around
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is sit in vehicle and peer out the window. This relaxes me. The first thing I noticed about the countryside in the parish of St. James and St. Ann is the greenery. Reminded me of similar terrain like that of Cuba and the Philippines. Like much of the Caribbean islands and Latin America, Jamaica has a rich history of Spanish and English conquests which is reflected in the architecture, the language, and the culture. Jamaica’s countryside is full of scattered homes which is typical of a developing country. And although they appeared half built (at least by American standards), this is part of traveling that humbles me the most. The people that live in shanty-towns are not wealthy but they are persistent, and I always think to myself that need to stop complaining about all my first-world problems.

Of course, driving on the other side of the road is always jarring at first especially for an American like me and it takes some getting used to. Not trying to be funny, but it helps to stay calm and not excite or rattle a native driver. Most times you will make it out alive. That said, accidents do happen and for the first time in my traveling career, I saw a dead body lying on the side of the road as a result of a terrible car accident.

How We Were Received & How We Interacted
As I said before we didn’t get to interact too much with locals because we stayed on a resort. Most locals everyone we interacted with worked at the resort or in some form of tourism and nearly all commuted from other areas of the island to MoBay. One local that stood out was Toxic, a dancer at adult entertainment club, Taboo. My boyfriend and I were treated like tourists at first (being overcharged at the door) but Toxic was a delight to talk to. She had great conversation and a bright personality. Also, a great pole dancer…. That’s a different story.

Final Thoughts
Despite traveling to Montego Bay during a city-wide state of emergency, we never felt unsafe. Ever. Personally, I needed one or two more days to walk the city streets and eat a few more plates of jerk chicken.

*Because we weren’t members at Secrets St. James Resort, we were obligated to attend a sales presentation to buy a membership.