The Wedding Tree

According to legend, everyone married at the Riu gets a wedding picture around this tree. I bet not everyone has a 'monkey' version.

Just A Day at the Beach

What Are They Looking At?

I really like this effect, not hard to do but very time consuming.

Group Shot

Here's a shot Mike took with the self-timer on the new camera, everyone that came down to Jamaica. I got 200 of the pix we took on a cd from Mike when Jen visited last week and have been gimping some of them. 

Coming Home, the Other Half of the 'Fun'

Up at 5am hoping to catch a sunrise since we had to be up for the bus to the airport anyway. No luck. The bus trip back was far less eventful because there was little traffic. We got through the terminal quickly enough but the flight coming in was late so were an hour behind already. Once we got on the plane we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of the royal family of Mississauga again. I got some great views of Cuba, the Bahamas and thousands of other smaller islands and shallows. We hit some rough air for a bit but were released to a higher altitude to get out of it. Since we were late we had some zigging and zagging over Lake Ontario to fit into the landing pattern but it meant approaching Toronto from just east of downtown and then heading east so I got to view everything throughout the approach. Things got a bit bumpy and this freaked out the princesses. One of them turned to a flight attendant and asked "why is it so..is it so...why is it so..?" Turbulent?God's trying to take you out and just can't decide if He wants the rest of us to go at the same time, I thought to myself. He decided to let us land but we were very late. AJ and Brad had only 2 hours to make their flight in another terminal so they ended up missing it as there must have been 4 flights going through customs at the same time and baggage was very slow. They had to pay another $150 and sleep in the airport overnight. We we tried to save them by volunteering to sleep over as our flight was overbooked but couldn't find them. While waiting in the ticket line I saw Curly Neal of the Harlem Globetrotters.

It was a great trip and even though I didn't get too excited about it before I did enjoy Jamaica. 2 days in hell for 6 in paradise is not a bad tradeoff. And it was all worth it to see the happy couple!!  No not those two, the other two.

The Smile (Jamaica Last Day)

I was on my way back from my last ride in Jamaica when I got 'the smile'.  Jamaicans have the most amazing smiles and their teeth are incredibly white. They obviously have very dark skin so there is alot of contrast but their teeth are very white. When they smile it is infectious. Most of the people around the resort were very cheery but some seemed pretty sullen. I guess cleaning up after what they consider to be rich people day after day would get to anyone, some handle it better than others. A young woman in a maids uniform passed me on the walkway and for a second her smile beamed, but she let it go before she had passed and I caught it. Was all this "No Problem, Jamaica" just a show for us tourists? I hope not because I enjoyed the people there. People like Stepper who was happy to show his pride and knowledge of his country. People like Keisha who made the most awesome omelettes every day, mine with the kitchen sink, while singing and joking with everyone who came along. Anyone in the entertainment gang could get people dancing, laughing or just involved in whatever activity was on that day. I just hope it wasn't all a show.

On the beach they had a huge party with jerk everything for lunch. Shrimp, chicken, sausage and a seafood and vegetable stir fry. We planned a trip into Ocho Rios after hearing from Jen and Curtis that it was worth the trip and the small area known as Island Village was free of any begging or aggressive street salesmen. We booked Stepper and took along Mel's grandmother. We wandered among the shops, I got a deal on tshirts and we picked up something for Ginko. I checked out some of the Bob Marley cd's and plan to find a couple when we get home. When we got back Sal actually made it into the ocean for about 30 seconds. We went to the Asian restaurant which was okay but it was nothing compared to the feast they had in the main buffet that evening. Live and learn I guess.  

That's Stepper (looks like Morgan Freeman's younger brother), Keisha and Sal with the Margaritaville parrot. 

The Wedding (Jamaica Day5)

Wednesday turned out to be the best day, weather wise and because it was the day everyone had been waiting for, the reason we all made the trip. Mike and Mel were married shortly after noon on the beach in Jamaica with a 3 piece Jamaican band and a small group of family and friends around them. It was a simple cermeony but special. I don't think anyone will forget it. Mel was beautiful and they both looked pretty relaxed. What could go wrong? Mel's dress had made it back from Montego Bay with more than an hour to spare, everything else was a piece of cake. I think the day was everything they had hoped for.

I was busy snapping pictures with Mike's new Nikon. I was a bit nervous as I really didn't want to mess things up and had never touched it before. The ceremony was followed by some time by the pool relaxing. Then  we all gathered again in a far corner of the resort for dinner with Karlton. He was our waiter and try as he might he just couldn't keep up with the guys drinking Red Stripe in 6 oz. glasses. He finally gave up and brought them a pitcher. When it came time to cut the cake the kids went about it as our traditions dictate, feeding each other. Then Karlton suggested what everyone thought was 'bare feet'. After the groaning and moaning about that being gross he demonstrated what he meant, some icing on Mike's lips for Mel to kiss or 'bird feed'. They roared over that one for quite a while. The kids brought thier own music and shared a first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kresack. Later on AJ managed to get them called up to the stage for another dance in front of the crowd during the evening's entertainment. 

In our room housekeeping had seen our anniversary cards and as they had every day adorned the king size bed with flowers and birds made from white towels and fresh flowers. Today was a four piece arrangement and a bubble bath to boot.

30th Anniversay (Jamaica Day4)

Part of the rationalization for making this trip was that it was our 30th anniversary, hard to believe. I got into the line to book a reservation for dinner at 7:45am after riding. Here's the deal. You can only book into one of the 'gourmet' restaurants from 8am to 4pm and only for the same night. People were sitting in chairs reading when I headed down to the gym and 6:45am. So I waited in the line for a bit and by the time I got to the front the only time left was 9:30pm. We walked by some of the restarants during the early sittings and they were half empty. Sal's dad went to the desk and complained and got the exact time he wanted for Thursday. Another couple reported that $5 could also get a reservation.We went for supper on Tuesday and most of the meal was a disaster. Fancy settings and presentation but not much in the taste department. We ended up eating pizza. I can't figure out why the big deal about restaurants that really weren't anything special. The buffet was just fine in my opinion and you didn't have to get up with the sun to eat. The food all came from the same kitchen anyway. I was hoping for more traditional Jamaican fare.

 

During the day we all jumped in a van with Roy Campbell aka Stepper Don. He was very friendly and had plenty of stories about the homes (Ian Fleming, Arthur Ashe, Sean Connery) and beaches on the way to Dunn's River Falls. 14 of us made the trip down to the beach and then up the 940 foot climb. It was pretty steep in places and the guide tried to have everyone holding hands in a line of 18. It is very hard to climb with no hands and by midway we had mutineed and left him behind. I had our camera in a ziplock bag in my pocket and was sure it would be done by the end but the bag held together and the camera survived. The return trip had us hearing more about Jamaica from Stepper as he was waiting for us in the parking lot when we came out. Wedding meals, local fruit, population and so on. He actually lived in Toronto in the 80's but came home after 10 years. Our adventure at the falls was a memorable way to spend our 10,950th day of marriage to say the least. 

Jamaica Day 3

Monday was just a lazy day on the beach, windy and sunny. I got in my 7am ride in the gym and Mel's grandmother stopped in to give the gym a try. I got her set up on a bike and then went for a plate of fruit and a walk on the beach. We tried the jerk chicken from the hut on the beach, it was great. The hot sauce was optional and wow hot. Saw the news that Lance Armstong had crashed and broken his collarbone, his TDF comeback may be toast for this year. Too bad.

Another Day in Paradise (Jamaica Day3)

Sunday dawned overcast, warm and windy. The beach looked more like I like it with the surf pounding the sand. It had rained overnight quite a bit according to some of the early morning gym crowd, I never heard a thing. Mike, AJ, Brad, Mark and I played some tennis and then all the guys played some beach soccer later in the afternoon. We checked out the entertainment and it was pretty good. They had a name that tune kind of contest and Mel's brother Brad ended up winning. The huge crowd was split between the loud Canadian contingent and another for the US with a few Europeans mixed in. They also had a Miss Riu contest were 4 audience members had to do some embarassing skits. And the big prize for that one was a trip to swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove. Brad picked up a t-shirt and bottle of Viagra (Appleton Rum) for his efforts. 

We think it was some time during the show that Mel's grandmother had the cash and her room keys taken from her purse and her safe robbed. The resort did very little about it and it put everybody on edge. She found out a few days later thet even though her Visa was left the thieves had used her number to buy gas, how I don't know. I ended up carrying our cash and safe key with me everywhere, it even went for a brief swim. 

Pictures from this day were minimal so I think it's time to put up a wedding picture since I guess that's what everyone wants to see.  

The Bride & Groom Arrive (Jamaica Day2)

The big news at the Riu Resort Saturday was that Mike & Mel had arrived. At 7am I hit the gym for my first 20 km ride and met a few people. On the way back I ran into Mel's grandmother, who is also an early riser, had some juice and talked for a bit. The kids came in at 11:37am and since their room wasn't ready and they couldn't wait to get to the beach, they left their bags in our room. The whole gang went to the swim-up bar, played some volley ball, had a swim, got some sun and then back to the swim-up bar. You'll notice that there's no mention of any food or rest. And that's where Mike and Mark's day went for a bit of a turn. Since booze is literally cheaper than water and the resort is all inclusive, the fire water flows freely. If you wanted to sit under a palm tree and nurse a 40 oz. bottle of rum you just have to ask. Mike and Mark did something pretty close, without the palm tree or the nursing. Bojo, their favourite bartender, was mixing all kinds of wonderful concoctions in 40 oz. bottles and then simply pouring straight into their mouths, saves on washing all those glasses. We were on the beach a good 100 yards away and we could hear Mike laughing over the roaring of the surf, time about 1:30pm. The gang came down for a quick swim but Mike was missing. AJ, Brad and Mark swam out to the man who sat in a boat at the edge of the swiiming area selling t-shirts, beads, necklaces, and a strange smelling tobacco-like product. None of the kids bought anything but they kept us all entertained. I'm not sure why this guy assumed people would have cash in their swim trunks but he must have done some business as he was out there all day long every day. (behind AJ in the pic)

We noticed about this time that we weren't hearing Mike anymore and Mark had disappeared. Then we got word that we had to see them. The lack of food, rest and too much sun, not to mention too much liquid refreshment had taken its toll. In a lobby just above the pool, there they were. Mike in a chair with his head on a pillow resting on a pillar (he had discovered the pillar was sort of hard) and Mark still in his straw hat sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. They remained motionless for better than an hour. I kept checking their chests to make sure they were still breathing. After getting the pictures (first picture at 3:47pm) and sharing their story with 100s of passers by, we decided they needed to get to a room. Mel and Jill went to check in and find some help. We got their bags and off they went for another half hour. When they got back they reported the rooms were too far away for the guys to walk, not that they could walk any distance at this point. We had seen some wheelchairs and decided to put them to use as 'one of our grandparents is too tired to get to her room'.

We got Mike upright, into the chair (4:52pm) and began the trek from one side of the resort to the other. They were on the far end of one of the U shaped buildings and the elevator was out at that end. This meant after going through the entertainment hall, the main lobby, around the 5 restaurants and the other pool, we had to enter the opposite end and then push all the way around. Each floor has 80 rooms and except for a few on the ends there are rooms on one side of the hall only. A return trip took about 30 minutes and then we did it all again to rescue Mark. We never saw Mike again that day but Mark was up and about later in the evening. 

Sal and I had reservations at the Japanese restaurant and enjoyed the quiet meal. There were only about 3 tables occupied at the later sitting. After supper we went to catch the end of the entertainment for the night, a beach party and bonfire. The resort has a very talented bunch of kids that do the show every night and mingle with the guests on the beach during the day. Our first full day on the island was a memorable one for everyone. Everyone but Mike and Mark that is.

It's Official

Our passports arrived today so I guess we're actually going. An ex-Northwwod coach was dropped off at the shop today by a current Northwood coach to hand deliver our new documents. One is a cab diver and the other a substitute postman who figured no one would be home to sign for them so he took a little detour on his way to work, it always helps to have all those contacts out there.

I'm running an NHL hockey pool to help support the cancer ride. If you want to get in check out the link HERE.