Ochos Rios and Montego Bay Jamaica was my first time taking a trip flying First Class! Once again YOLO! Soon as you step off the plane, the haggling to the 10th power began!!!! Get back...get back I say! What in the world!!!! This was MY experience! I had a damn good time though and I'll go again but stay vigilant please because there ARE worries maaannn!! hahaha
Ok, Here we go...I went to Jamaica with my cousin and we met two ladies from Atlanta, Georgia, that ALSO took advantage of the (last minute discounted First Class upgrade) on the plane! It was worth every penny too...we were tipsy as could be by the time we landed and everyone was "LIVE"!
We stayed at the Sunset Jamaica Grand Resort in Ochos Rios that we purchases via Groupon for 4 days and 3 nights. Our flight was purchased separately through Delta. We landed in Montego Bay and caught a shuttle from the airport (there are many to choose and they will try to get you to purchase from them) to Ochos Rios. Our shuttle driver stopped in a very questionable neighborhood and us with a bunch of other tourist packed in his mini bus watched from the window as he bought some marijuana from a street dude. hahahahaha I could not believe what we were witnessing...then the christian looking folk that we dropped off at their resort before reaching ours bought some from him. hahahaha Literally this is how it started off in Jamaica!
He did give us safety tips...like don't walk off the resort to shop.. Only use the vendors on the resort for excursions because it was dangerous for us as tourist, was his advisement. But of course...you know how we AMERICANS do it! We walked our behinds out of the resort to go shop because we think that we can't be touched. Walked right into this big Rasta man with dread locks bigger than any I had ever seen in the states. He seemed nice though....(trap) He asked us to come shop with him...he lead us to this area that had many vendors and tents inside. As we followed him other vendors without any regards for him already talking to us...reached out grabbing at us to come shop with them. The further we walked...the scarier it became. My cousin called my name and held onto my arm because she was terrified. Finally, I stopped and said no lets go. We turned and sped walked up out of there. He was calling for us but we were on a marathon to get out. We saw a store across the street as we left. We went inside... a very pleasant Jamaican girl greeted us and offered us a sample of alcohol. We needed it to calm our nerves so we took it. The owner was a man from INDIA...wow! He came out and offered more samples of different Jamaican rums! It was cooled by the air condition unlike the smothering tent city we had just ran from. So we then began to shop for souvenirs and drink as the two kept giving us samples. I think the gimmick was to get us drunk so that we spend a lot...and we did! We both left carrying a huge bag in each hand ...full of shot glasses, key chains, tee shirts, towels, braided purses, and Alcohol! hahah
But, when we walked out the door to head back to our resort..... guess who was waiting. There stood the clearly pissed off Rasta Man we had run from staring at us with his fist clinched. I hear my cousin call my name as she does when she is scared! I said "Ohhh sh#*t"! I've never been so scared! He didn't say a word just looked at us in anger. I kind of don't blame him but hey we felt safer in the Airconditioned shop. We ran across the street and to our resort. We never WALKED out again...finally following the safety advice.
The following are some of the activities though we purchased from the hotel.
(1) Dolphin Cove excursion to swim with the Dolphins ...but we just waded in the water next to them.
(2) Mystic Mountain bob sledding with tributes to their bob sled team that made history in the 1996 Olympics. That is also where I tried the Red Strip beer pictured first in this blog. We also did the canopy ride across the jungle.
(3) Swim with the Sting Rays....ugly little creatures but friendly. We were told that the stinger had been removed so they were no threat to us!
(4) Dunn's River Fall (favorite)