By: Marjorie Randall , Referring Travel Agent and Owner of Marlee Travel
As my flight descended over the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea surrounding Montego Bay, I reflected on the warmth of the ocean and the calming waves on the white sandy beach I used to enjoy and it was as if it were welcoming me. After going through the long lines and the formalities of the local immigration my next stop was baggage claim where I discovered my luggage did not arrive with me. The airport personnel were however reassuring and convinced me that the luggage should be on the next flight that night. I have to say they handled the situation very professionally and I did get the luggage to begin a well needed getaway. I couldn’t wait to get a fresh look at the island I last visited some five years ago and to get to the beach for a swim.
It was surprisingly much warmer than I expected and I was glad I heeded my friends’ warning to dress accordingly. Montego Bay had a few surprises for me. The Airport had undergone much improvement and the landscape of the city had changed so much. There were so many new developments and traffic was everywhere. They drive so fast on the narrow streets; I was expecting an accident to happen anytime. I love the hilly countryside in Montego Bay though, and I was lucky to be staying with my friend, who has a lovely view of Montego Bay. The view is breathtaking and the sea breeze exhilarating. Oh!! How I miss home.
Being away from the island for so long, I now crave the fruits and foods I missed. There were mangos, avocados, naseberry, sweetsap,.ginneps, papayas, jelly coconut and breadfruit all available on the trees just waiting to be picked. Oranges and tangerines were out of season but I sure enjoyed the fresh supply of all the others and I had my daily fill. Talk about hospitality and generosity. If you don’t have fruit tress but your neighbour has, you can call it yours too. You will never go hungry here. Every family I visited ensured that I had a taste of the local foods, ackee and salt fish, served with cooked green bananas and fried bammy. Yummy!!! I am also on a vegetarian diet so fresh fish fried or steamed was always on the menu.
Of course I had to visit the resort areas. There are so many new hotels under construction in Negril and Montego Bay. The Riu Hotels seems to be in every town, Montego Bay, Ohio Rios, Lucea and Negril. I visited the one in Negril and was really very impressed with their service and the relaxed atmosphere. What intrigued me though was how huge these new hotels were. They covered many acres of land and I wondered if tourism was doing that well. I guess they are doing something good, coupled with the beauty of the island which sells itself. For more on Hotel Rui, see our separate post on this wonderful hotel.
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