Juniper Disco

So far, I’ve spent every birthday of my 40s in Jamaica. Its become a goal now to keep this tradition going — although I’ve widened the circle to include any warm, Caribbean island. 

This year, we celebrated on the awesome, word-of-mouth tour of Negril bars, the One Love Bus Bar Crawl. The tour is free and you make reservations by emailing the driver, Lenbert, directly. (NOTE: Make sure you tip the man well when the tour ends!) He picked us up at the designated time at our resort in this super fun rasta-colored bus. We then picked up about 35 like-minded and fun-loving people, most having to stand in the aisles, as seating is limited. No one cared though. We were all there to have fun!

Our first stop was Sunset After Dark.

Inside was great open space, friendly people …

 … the most awesome Bob Marley mural in all of Jamaica …

… and a deck with an incredible view! We watched pelicans diving for their food as we enjoyed our first Red Stripes of the afternoon.

Our next stop was a short distance down the road, Mi Yard.

The people here were so gracious! They brought out trays of Jamaican specialties for us to try. I, of course, gobbled up everything — the fried festival (Jamaican fried dough) and escovitch (fish) were delicious! 

Mi Yard is right across the street from the ocean and the Love Boat bar.

When it was time to scramble back on the bus for our next destination, the Mr. and I sat in the front. Lenbert was blaring Fly Robin Fly, which is now in heavy rotation on my playlist and, is on right now as I write this.

The Mr. took the first position shotgun and I sat behind him. I have the whole thing on video and can’t wait to get that together for you all to see. At this point, I was thinking, “this is the best birthday ever!” 

Our third stop was On the Rocks.

Let me take a moment here to share a travel tip about the tour. Bathrooms. Not always available and when they are, not always fully equipped. So, use one when you see it (a little mantra my mom taught me) and bring along a packet or two of Kleenex and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Toilet paper and a working sink were rare.

The DJ booth here was really fun. And although you can’t see it in these photos, the bar is right on the water and there is a tiny beach there that was filled with sea glass. And a dead puffer fish. If you’ve been following Juniper Disco closely, you know how fascinated I am by things that wash up from the sea.

There appeared to be some rules here at On the Rocks. The “at the bar” part cracks me up.

Most of us tried to finish up our drinks before we got on the bus until Lenbert said, “You can drink on the bus. This is Jamaica.” So funny how conditioned we are to follow the rules from back home. Notice how quickly I acclimated.

Our next stop was the No Limit Bar. 

Again there seemed to be a rule here, but it was a little more generalized than the last bar.

In the back there is a small outdoor space. And a PARROT. Lenbert told us that farmers shoot these birds because they like to eat the ganja seeds. I bet they do.

After this we went to a restaurant/bar, called Choices, where a huge spread of Jamaican food was waiting for us (for $5). Sadly, I only took video of this place and no still shots. 

Our sixth bar was a place I had long been curious about, having seen it from both the road and the water side. Xtabi is right on the cliffs and had some really fun things to explore — gorgeous views and caves right on the ocean. 

I have some great video of this as well — including our descent into the caves and the amazing things we found there!

By this time, it was getting rather close to sunset so we headed to a bar just past the oh-so-famous Rick’s Cafe (of cliff-jumping activities from last year) to a much more rustic, agriculturally enhanced bar, Sir D’s Lookout.

Nothing more really than a few wooden boards on a cliff!

The farther point with the three trees on it is where Rick’s is. 

If so inclined, you could climb down to the water.

And the views of the sunset were really spectacular!

We were told that we should expect to visit six or seven bars during our trip and that the roster changes every time. Lenbert was quite generous that night and took us to one last bar, Bella Donna’s, where we were each greeted with a warm hug. 

We enjoyed one more Red Stripe and a slice each of some awesome pizza!

And, since I can’t really end a post on Jamaica with a photo of pizza, here’s one of Bob Marley instead.

The drive back to the resort was pretty fun, with all of us singing at the top of our lungs and feeling pretty good about afternoon together. Remember, tip Lenbert well when you leave the bus! 

To reserve your spot on the One Love Bus, email Lenbert Williams at bananaznegril@hotmail.com.

One of the things I look forward to the most on our trips to Jamaica is the overwhelmingly fresh, isn’t-it-gorgeous fruit offerings at breakfast. We’ve also developed a bit of a habit of taking our first meal of the day out on to the deck, overlooking the beach. 

I tried absolutely everything they put out: (clockwise from top) fresh papaya, watermelon, Jamaican apple (which has very little flavor and more of a consistency like a pear), and naseberry (looks and tastes something like a fig. So good!).

More fruit, with pineapple this time and mango juice. They also had WARM banana bread and some pretty tasty hash. Corned beef hash, that is.

Clockwise from top: cheese (please! I had a slice every morning), more papaya, sour sop (with the watermelon like seed — the juice is my absolute FAVORITE but the fruit itself has a mushy texture), a boiled banana (which tasted like a potato), more naseberry, and a stick of sugar cane.

One of the days we sat by the pool instead. I had papaya juice and the white thing on the right is a boiled dumpling. The Mr. thinks its odd that I love these so much. I blame my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. We love dough.

Muesli  … in a COCONUT shell!

I even participated in a Jamaican fruit tasting while I was there. From the top: coconut, sugar cane, sour sop, star fruit, Jamaican star apple fruit (purple), Jamaican apple, naseberry. When I was at the spa, they taught me how to eat the purple fruit correctly — you fold it over and squeeze out the mushy stuff. It stains, so watch your super cute coverup when you eat these!

And this is the national fruit of Jamaica, ackee.

Which is served in a traditional Jamaican dish, ackee and salt fish. I tried some with breakfast and it tasted like scrambled eggs and salty fish. I liked it!

Although breakfast was my favorite, we ate excellent food pretty much all day. This was an amazing lunch I had: clockwise from top, cocobread (Jamaican bread made with coconut milk), rice and peas (as Jamaicans call it), some sort of pork, fried plantains, and breadfruit (which tasted like BREAD. Seriously! And totally appealed to my dough-loving tastebuds.)

Jerk chicken, of course!

Fried snapper. On cocobread. Yummy!

Friday nights are lobster nights at Couples Negril. I have to admit, it can be hit or miss but these lobster tails at Heliconia were cooked just right and were served with a wonderful buttery sauce.

In years past, I have posted photo after photo of their amazing desserts. I tried to keep it a bit more under control this year but you really do just need to look at how beautiful these are!

And the carved watermelons were everywhere! This one is my favorite.

This year they had a champagne toast on the beach at sunset. You could get a shot of flavoring in your champagne, and we opted for raspberry.

So … here’s where things were not perfect. (Gosh! Life is so hard!) My favorite drink in Jamaica is the Dirty Banana, which is made with real bananas. Up to this point. This year, they made it with mix. MIX. Only one day did they have real bananas and those ran out quickly. I read on the message board that there was some issue with the banana crop this year, but who knows? Anyway, I got a “proper Dirty Banana,” as the Mr. called it, at Xtabi.

I also enjoyed an ice-up papaya (fresh papaya, rum cream, dark rum, & house-made pineapple-ginger syrup) at Pushcart.

And because we enjoyed them so much last year, we ordered the jerk chicken skewers.

And the jerk sausage.

A few Red Stripes were had, of course!

On the last full day that our new friends were at the resort, we all took a walk down the beach to the Office of Nature, where we enjoyed some fresh grilled lobster. So tasty!

Our last gasp tradition before we leave Jamaica is to have a cocktail and a snack at Margaritaville in the Montego Bay airport (after we procure our rum and rum cream to take home with us!) It was only 10am but who cares?

This jerk chicken pizza with pineapple wasn’t bad either. And you can bet I took that little Jamaican flag home with me where it now sits on my Juniper Disco Lounge desk!

If you missed Monday’s post, the first in my Jamaica 2013 series, you can catch it here. And for more food photos, see last year’s Jamaican food post: Jamaica: Foodstuffs + Drinkscapes

There is a difference between vacation and travel. Vacation is focused on getting away from something, from home, from work, from life. Travel is about going towards some place, about being immersed in wherever you are going. Our latest trip to Jamaica was more about being there than about being away from our lives. I tried to explain that to people when we returned home, but most people just wanted to talk about the weather. Bostonians are obsessed with weather.

So, Juniper Disco readers, I am counting on you to get it. To get that I didn’t just go on vacation. That I traveled to a place I love deeply. That fascinates me to no end. And that fills my heart with joy.

The water and beaches in West Jamaica are just gorgeous. That color is like nothing else in the world. You know how regimented I need to be when I fly so I don’t freak out (including not looking outside)? I was craning my neck to see out the window during our entire leg from Orlando to Jamaica because this color was everywhere below us (That and Cuba. Cuba!) I had entered the magical zone where all my anxieties and hang-ups disappeared.

We are decidedly pool people. I know that seems at odds with my love of the ocean. I can walk up and down the beach all day long but I really like to relax by the pool. This is our view of the swim-up bar.

And what came to be our spot for most of the week plus.

This was our third trip to Couples Negril and a number of people — both fellow resorters and staff members — recognized us from our past trips. One person even told me they saw my video! Here we are with some of the new friends we made this time around. Such great people!

We also took a couple of trips to the cliffs to enjoy the sunset. At some point in my life, we will stay in one of those huts at the Rockhouse Hotel. The sound of the ocean lapping right outside, jumping off the cliffs into the water, and watching the sunset every night seems like heaven!

This papaya drink disappeared in about 30 seconds. 

There’s that color again (at Xtabi)! 

We chilled in the beach chairs at our resort with champagne, listening to a live saxophonist while the sun set over Bloody Bay. They really do treat you like royalty at Couples!

They also feed you like kings and queens! The beach party is one of my favorite nights. And they do this every week. Incredible. (Look at that sky!)

We also made friends with the locals. There is something about Jamaicans that just puts me completely at ease. I think it’s their energy. The Mr. thinks it’s the thin film of smoke that is present all over the island. Either way, I find myself syncing with their completely relaxed vibe. Yeah, mon.

We now have an annual tradition of visiting the original Office of Nature for the freshest and tastiest lobster ever! 

The grounds of our resort are lush and tropical. Birds are singing all day long. It is what I miss most when we leave here and return to the city.

That and these birds.

We spa’d this time (the Mr.’s first spa experience ever.) The spa is enclosed but open enough that I could hear the birds singing and the ocean lapping at the shore while I laid in my peppermint sea twist wrap.

And we listened to the Silver Birds play three times while we were there. So fun and energetic — it is amazing what they do!

And then all too soon, it was time to leave. I had to put closed-toe shoes back on. Which matched the chairs. Sigh.

Soon come … my annual feasting Jamaican-style post. And a play-by-play ride along with the One Love Bus Bar Crawl on my birthday! Irie, friends!

I know. You were expecting Jamaica. I promise, this week! I’ve been working hard on getting things together to share. But first, some of the randomness on my mind lately …

The Fault in Our Stars — Reading this book about a teenage girl who is dying from cancer is PAINFUL! And I could not put it down. “You die in the middle of your life, in the middle of a sentence.” Daggers, people, daggers! Apparently Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) was reading it at the same time. Her post pretty much sums up the experience.

Chupacabra vs. The Alamo — What brilliant madness is going on over there at the SyFy headquarters? Yes, that is Erik Estrada in that photo. On a BIKE. (Queue, CHiPs theme!) We’ve been obsessed with chupacabras in our household since that X-files episode. Put them together and you have one fantastically schlocky movie!

Jamaican Cocoa Butter Cream — Bought this in Jamaica. Good thing. I’ve been bathing in it. The air is so dry here in Boston. Hurry up, Summer! Please.

Head Like an Orange tumblr — GIFs are fun! And tumblr is filled with them. I love the nature-themed ones on this site. This one is my favorite! I’ve watched it at least a hundred times. No joke.

Arash featuring Sean Paul, “She Makes Me Go” — Still not out on iTunes in the US. Poo. Would have been a great addition to my poolside mix. At least you can watch the video here. And it’s based on this song by Ice MC. Love that 90s dance music! (And in case you are wondering, THIS is my favorite dance song of all time. Ever. Ask the Mr. how many times I’ve watched A Night at the Roxbury.)

My new beaded striped necklace — Time to switch from resort wear to New England summer wear! OK, not yet. But I am starting to gather some preppy casual items like this fun blogger-striped necklace.

Top of the Lake — You may have missed this premiere this week if you were focusing on Bates Motel (saw it! loved it! totally creeped out by it!). Airing on the Sundance Channel, it’s Twin Peaks meets The Killing, and centers around a 12 year old girl who is discovered to be pregnant, but she won’t tell anyone what happened. And then she disappears. Completely hooked!

The 2013 Independent Film Festival Boston film list out! — I am most excited about Blackfish, a documentary about Tilikum, the infamous killer whale at Sea World. Did you know he killed several people? Also looking forward to the doc, 12 O’Clock Boys, about Baltimore’s urban dirt-bike gang. Yep, dirt bikes! You can see the full film list here.

For more like this, see the last edition of Random here.

I’m BACK! Still pouting and edging quickly toward grumpy but here, nonetheless.

We had an awesome time and I’m slowly working my way through all my photos and videos. There is a lot to share! Including a very fun birthday celebration on the One Love Bus bar crawl through the West End of Negril with Fly Robin Fly blaring out the windows. (That video is 70s-fabulous, by the way. Note: not for kids.)

While the photos will show you a lot about our trip, they won’t show you everything. When my brain has time to slow down, it’s amazing what pops up. Here’s what else happened …

Made some awesome new friends. Read two books. Thought about life. Walked around in a swimsuit for eleven days and decided it would be a good idea to start exercising more regularly. Wore some hardcore Australian 30+ sunscreen and still got a tan. Totally overpacked. Learned a new phrase: “piss on it!” Committed to FINALLY changing my last name. Discovered wearing white jeans for the flight home was not such a great idea. But stashing a Tide to Go pen in my tote was.

Ate papaya every day and in some cases, every meal of every day. Realized I need to work on my posture. Tried a bunch of new foods. Admitted to the Mr. that I need to see an eye doctor. After swearing off shots years ago, did two in one day. Learned some Jamaican Patois and finally figured out what Pitbull is saying in the remix of Sean Paul’s “She Doesn’t Mind” (“Wha Gwan, Jamaica”). Chased a hummingbird around the garden. Tried to figure out a way to wear caftans to work back home.

Did not have one bit of anxiety during our three flights. Even completely forgot I was on a plane at one point when I was engrossed in Breaking Dawn, Part 2 and silently chanting “Get that Dakota! Get HER!!”  Arrived with dark brown hair. Left with blonde streaks. Had a teeny, tiny terrifying panic attack while wrapped in peppermint, seaweed, ACE bandages, and saran wrap. Slept, and slept, and slept. Discovered the reggae channel. Realized I look like Sheldon Cooper when doing a fist bump no matter how hard I try to look natural.

Discovered a new motto, which I will be posting on my office door:

“Oh, please don’t you rock my boat (don’t rock my boat) 
‘Cause I don’t want my boat to be rockin’ (don’t rock my boat)” 
-Bob Marley

Learned quickly that I was the only one at the resort, not counting the staff, who knew the words to all the Sean Paul songs. Vowed never to move to the Midwest or Canada. Ate lobster three times. Had someone tell me I look 32 (I do, too! Shut up.) Reconfirmed I do not like loud people. Reminded myself a hundred times to just go with it. Except when asked to play volleyball. Decided to plan trips to Charleston, Ft. Lauderdale, the DR, and Barbados. Tried water aerobics with cocktail in hand. Confirmed I really, really need a new camera. Missed writing this blog. A lot.

Give me some time to get my photos in order. I’ll have some great posts for you later this week! (60 days until the boat starts running to Ptown! Summer is coming, people!) 

I’m about to get all Oprah on you. When I travel, I try to set an intention before I leave. Most of the time my intention is to be open to whatever comes my way. Sometimes it’s just to get through the flights without a panic attack. And other times it’s to give myself the space to rest and not pack every second with activity.

As we prepare for our annual trip to Jamaica, I’m stumped for an intention. Mostly I just want to be there. I have a huge list of things I’m looking forward to — fresh papaya and sour sop juice every morning, my daily bird stalking in the garden, grilled lobster at the Office of Nature, the drive from Montego Bay to Negril, snorkeling with pretty fish, Dirty Bananas by the pool, the sounds of the tree frogs at night, jerk chicken, the sun … Sorry. It’s easy to get lost there. But maybe that’s the intention this time around — to get lost in the moments while I’m there.

I know I usually leave you all with some posts while I am gone. Not this year. I’ve decided to take a real break. I’ll likely share some photos on Instagram and a few videos on Vine. Maybe I’ll even be inclined to compose a tweet or two. Feel free to follow me there. This space will be quiet until I return in two weeks.

Now for that video I promised you! This is only the second video I’ve ever made and I learned so much in the process. As they say, “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” I’m ecstatic to share it — with all its imperfections.

Watch until the end. The last clip is my favorite. And now, the debut of my Jamaica video … click here!

Irie, my friends!

It’s MARCH! Not my absolute tippy top favorite — that honor goes to July — but it is right up there. March is my birthday month, my resort month, and my month of warmer-temperatures-are-coming-soon optimism. And that mean ole February is done!

A few things on my calendar this month …

Garbage — Favorite Garbage song? That is a tough choice. If I have to pick, it’s this one. Or maybe this one. Those angsty 90s were pretty fun, weren’t they?

Cezanne’s The Large Bathers at the MFA — On loan from the Philadephia Museum of Art, it’s here until May 12.

Southie St. Patrick’s Day Parade — Confession time. I have never been to this parade. Gasp. I know. They used to be anti-gay (maybe they still are?) so I never bothered. Think it’s time I celebrate this city’s special holiday along with everyone else for a change. I AM Irish by marriage, you know.

Jamaica —  … 11 days of this! I’m trying to be all controlled about it but inside I am jumping up and down like a little kid. Five more days until we leave!

One Love Bus Bar Crawl — And this is how we’ll be celebrating my birthday. On a bus with strangers visiting the local bars in Negril. You know what they say about Red Stripes and reggae … (ok, if you don’t click this.)

While the rest of you were watching the debate this week, JR and I went to the sold out Sean Paul concert at Paradise. I was expecting a diverse crowd that skewed male and was shocked to see the hordes of college age girls packed against the stage when we arrived. And one grey haired lady sporting a fanny pack standing off to the side in the front row. Clearly I had no idea who his fan base is these days.

So Sean has a mohawk now, which I happen to love. Minus the Jamaican vibe, it might not fly but he just exudes cool. Maybe it’s the accent. I am also super proud to report that I knew every song but one, sang them all loudly, and danced my little heart out right along side those youngsters.

He started off with “So Fine” and killed it with most of my favorites in the first ten songs, including “Got 2 Luv U” and “Like Glue.” Needless to say, I was sweaty. 

I am still trying to figure out why he didn’t sing most of the controversial lyrics of “We Be Burnin’,” which, if you don’t know, makes a case for legalizing certain agricultural products. Odd, right? 

One of the questions he kept asking the crowd throughout the show was: ”Do you love your life?” There is no more important question, I believe. Towards the end of the show, he made a few comments about supporting people in whatever they choose to do — it’s that whole Jamaican One Love philosophy that I love so much. As long as you aren’t hurting anybody, go do you. As freaky as you need to be.

Which brings me back to that debate. This is the only political statement I will make here or through any other social media. There is one candidate who is a direct threat to the people in my life who I love dearly and who love their lives. Because I live in the state of Massachusetts, I have had the opportunity to see that candidate’s hateful actions (and we all know actions speak louder than words) firsthand. He will not be getting my vote. Because everyone deserves to love their life.

It wouldn’t be a Juniper Disco post without some good food photos. I cannot tell you how well we ate when we were in Jamaica. This should give you some idea …

Jerk chicken. The FIRST thing I ate. When we arrived, our room wasn’t ready so they told us to go get something to eat. The words were barely out of her mouth before we were sprinting down the stairs to the beach grill. So freaking good!

My favorite salad in the whole wide world! This caeser salad is prepared at the table and served in a parmesan cheese bowl and sprinkled with crispy proscuitto bits. The first time I had this I saved my cheese and proscuitto for last and the waiter tried to take it from me before I was done. I almost stabbed him with my fork. It’s that good.

My birthday lobster at the legendary Office of Nature (the real one — it’s the second one on the beach in Bloody Bay with the really rustic bar.) We watched the lobster pulled from the ocean. And watched it die. The Mr. said the people there were amazed I wasn’t shrieking when that knife sliced him in half. I’m hard core like that. I also watched them grill it and put almost an entire stick of butter on it. And then I ate it, sans forks, like a happy little kid. With my $3 Red Stripe.

Friday nights are Lobster Nights at the resort — we had two Fridays there. Yippee!

Apologies to the vegetarians … I actually had only a small bite of this. You all know my rule about not eating baby animals. 

Spring rolls at Lychee.

So this is my absolute FAVORITE thing at breakfast. I know it’s only dough, but I LOVE IT!

Typical morning breakfast: french toast with syrup of the day, one piece of bacon, fried bammy (NOM!) , and fresh fruit and juice. Look at that papaya!

More morning fruit … 

Curried conch — my first taste!

This year they switched out the self-serve-whenever-you-want corn chips for cassava chips. So yummy!

Chicken Balls Soup!

The desserts were ridiculous …

Fruit tempera (this one is banana.)

My second favorite drink, the Miami Vice. 

Coconut water was available every morning.

This ended up being my favorite juice. It is not sour at all and has a nice mild sweetness to it.

The Mr. brought us One Nut shots … the top is milk frothed with tequila, rum cream is the second layer, and grenadine is on the bottom. Have to say it was pretty tasty!

A watermelon cooler —rum blended with watermelon, lime juice, and house-made pineapple ginger syrup — with the Rockhouse in the background.

And my favorite drink (and first of the trip), a Dirty Banana. It was always my first drink of the day at, um, 10:00 am when the swim-up bar opened. Luckily, we brought a huge bottle of rum cream home and found a great recipe that is pretty close to the real thing so we can have a little taste of Jamaica whenever we want.