We vacationed in Jamaica again this past March. After four years in our beloved Negril, we decided we wanted to explore a different part of the country. Because we've loved our time with the Couples Resorts, we chose Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios as our home for a week.
"The details are not the details. They make the design." - Charles Eames
Last year I started keeping a list of the tiny things I wanted to remember from our annual trip to this special island. It's those moments that make the experience so wonderful. Here's the 2015 list:
getting a red "TSA expedited" stamp on my boarding pass and not having to take off my shoes
seeing a gorgeous sunrise outside the windows at Logan as we waited for our flight
having a direct flight this year (yay! no stress!)
watching and enjoying Big Hero 6 on the way there
only spilling a tiny bit of Red Stripe on my shirt this time on the bus to the resort (baby steps!)
getting to see a whole new part of Jamaica on our bus ride, especially the beautiful coastal vistas
the Mr. and I letting out a simultaneous sigh after we stepped out of the bus and saw the orchids and lush greenery at the entrance to the resort
seeing our room and the amazing balcony view for the first time
drinking my first dirty banana of the trip and enjoying a grilled red snapper sandwich while seated at a table right on the beach
discovering I didn't have to jump up to get on the perfect-height-for-me swim up bar seats
feeling sad yet intrigued by a tiny dead tree frog floating in pool
getting a special delivery of Ting to our room
enjoying cheese and crackers on our balcony before dinner
seeing my first little lizard
watching the white egrets fly past our balcony at the end of the day
enjoying the beach party with some of my favorite Jamaican foods: escovitch fish, fried bammy, and rice and peas plus a very yummy sweet potato tart for dessert
getting a seat just inches from the ocean
listening to our favorite steel drum band, The Silverbirds
sipping a rum cream at the Balloon Bar before turning in for the night
watching the egrets fly back the other direction in the morning
witnessing a giant piece of fruit falling off a tree, just missing our heads
diving in to our first breakfast at Palazzina -- fresh papaya, sour sop, guava, salt fish and ackee, pineapple French toast, and fried dumplings
walking on the beach and finding tiny pink shells and a huge crab
finding an awesome seat at the pool with a view of the ocean
trying a few new-to-me drinks -- Banana Banshee, Peach on the Beach, and a Jamaica Delight
winning second place in trivia and getting a bottle of rum cream for my morning coffee (and discovering that it was Miss Jamaica Universe who beat us)
enjoying a jerk burger and a rum and Ting for lunch by the beach
discovering how much better a piña colada tastes with a rum cream float
spending the last few hours of the day on the beach
finding a giant crab and a giant spider in its giant web on the way back to the room
having a lychee martini at the Martini Bar
The Mr. saving that martini (and me) after a rat almost jumped on my shoulder
savoring an incredible dinner at Palazzina: Caesar salad with crunchy proscuitto bits, charred tomato soup, lobster, and passion meringue pie
feeding lobster bits to the kitties
plotting to empty the bowl of anchovies into my purse so we could lure the kitties back to protect us from those rats
starting the day on the balcony with a little rum cream in my coffee and a chocolate croissant with some banana bread
wandering around the spa paths and checking out each massage hut
finding the hidden beach
walking on the main beach with my honey
eating a beef patty with extra jerk sauce and a chocolate ice cream cone for dessert
walking around the pond and seeing pelicans divebomb the fish in the pond, and seeing egrets, herons, and turtles
meeting the green parrot, Crackers, and having her whistle at me
taking our first dip in the mineral pool
soaking in the hidden jacuzzi and then relaxing by the mineral pool
enjoying dinner -- beef tenderloin with jerk sauce and ackee rice -- at a beachside table for two at Bella Vista
eating fried bammy and fresh papaya for breakfast
getting a hot stone massage in a hut overlooking the ocean, waves crashing below, on my birthday
having some quiet time on the balcony afterwards
discovering the cookies in the lobby!
taking a trip to Scotchie's to enjoy jerk chicken, roasted breadfruit, and a Red Stripe with our gracious driver, Orville
finding Anita, the blue macaw
being addressed as "m'lady" for a week
being completely overwhelmed by the wonderful Starlight Gala -- and especially enjoying the red snapper with lime buerre sauce, tomato soup, and banana dessert
watching Milton and Co. dance and listening to the fantastic singer, Tammy T (and little bro Clive with his awesome dreadlocks)
enjoying my morning coffee with rum cream and croissants on the balcony
experiencing a quiet early morning by the pool
listening to the birds squabble in the trees
discovering the popcorn machine at the beach grill
dozing underneath the pool umbrella as the rain poured all around us for about 20 minutes
loving the cassava chips with pumpkin jalapeño and roasted artichoke dips at the mineral pool
following it with a chaser afterwards -- a snapper sandwich
finally feeling like we knew our way around the paths of the resort
savoring dinner at Casanova: shrimp and salmon kebab with the awesomest risotto, tomato and crab soup (with vodka), and beef tenderloin
listening to the reggae show, playing on the terrace below, during our dinner
sipping Blue Mountain coffee after dinner
being awake for that early morning moment when the tree frogs are still chirping and the birds begin to sing
despite inertia, getting up and going on the morning nature walk
seeing a doctor bird
seeing my childhood hero, Rikki Tikki Tavi, aka a mongoose darting across the lawn
eating almonds fresh off the tree
appreciating the magnificent rubber tree
eating fresh papaya and muesli for breakfast
sitting in the jacuzzi during a rain shower
seeing a little black lizard inflate his throat
watching the talented Brian at the Balloon Bar do his cocktail tricks
enjoying Blue Mountain coffee after dinner (again!)
listening to the jazz entertainment back in the room while falling asleep
waking up to sunshine after a cloudy, rainy day
getting our favorite poolside seat for the last day
realizing we still have a ton of resort credit left and booking a private sunset boat tour for our last evening
walking along the beach and finding a cool shell and the remnants of a palm leaf arch used for a wedding next door the night before
swimming out to the floating dock and dangling my toes in the Caribbean while watching the boats go by (and laughing when the Mr.'s shorts almost fell off when he climbed the ladder)
eating my last beef patty with extra spicy sauce and a rum and Ting
buying a few photos of ourselves that we actually liked
taking time to explore the hidden beach
finding the hidden mineral grotto
taking a photo walk on my own
sadly taking our last dip in the pool
enjoying everything about our private sunset cruise on the Dolce Vita
going really, really fast and managing to barely spill our champagne
discovering there was a cheese plate to enjoy on the boat
seeing Dunn's River Falls and Lobster Dave's from the water
finding Mick Jagger's house on the top of the mountain
ordering room service on our last night and enjoying my favorite, grilled snapper with lime butter sauce
one last room service breakfast of Blue Mountain coffee and buttery croissants, and dumping the rest of the rum cream in my cup
sitting outside on the balcony in my underwear until the very last minute when I had to put my pants on to get on the sad bus home
taking in everything on the final ride home and seeing slices of Jamaican life (and Usain Bolt's school and track)
eating our traditional cheeseburger before our direct(!) flight home