Jamaica MON!

It's been quite a long time since my last blog bliggity bliggity blog.  And I sure do apologize and hope that you will continue to follow along on my food journeys with me.  Because of the holidays, it has been crazy busy so I haven't had a chance to gather my thoughts enough to write up a blog.  Christmas and the Eve were awesome and I felt completely blessed to be able to share them with my families on both sides.  The food and drink were flowing per usual and Santa was also very good to me this year.  Bonus!!!

For the New Year and a girlfriend's birthday festivities, I decided to finally indulge in one of my dream vacations.  Jamaica!!!!  MON!!!  And it was all that I had hoped for.  Fun in the sun.  Beautiful weather.  Gorgeous beaches and pools on the resort.  Magnificent sunsets. Reggae music blaring making you want to shake your booty.  Meeting new friends from all over the world.  Learning a new culture from Jamaican natives.  Sharing laughs along Bloody Beach.  Drinking Red Stripe and Jamaican rum punch like it's going out of style.  The aroma of ganga in the warm air.  Admiring as dudes cook FRESH lobsters and crabs in the most simple but delicious form at Don Fresh Lobsters (donfreshlobsters.com) on the beach.  Enjoying food galore at the many buffets and various other joints in Negril.  Jerk chicken, rice and beans/peas, greens, and bread was my absolute fave dish.  Sipping on coconut water right from the fruit.  Sampling soursop drink which was the bomb. Attending a soccer game where a whole village gathered.  Crazy!  Jamming in clubs.  Getting some color.  Talking some smack and trying to learn a bit of Jamaican slang.  Patois or Patwa is not the easiest language to pick up on but I sure did try.  Ha!! 

It was almost as if I was a child again.  I had so many questions about every little thing and our new friends were more than eager to educate.  I love learning about various cultures and enjoying new cuisines.  It was absolute Heaven on Earth for one week straight.  Ahhh! 

The natives of Jamaica are so friendly, inviting, cordial, animated, funny, generous, and overall fun to be around.  In several ways, their culture and hospitality reminded me of my own Irish heritage.  There are many beliefs in common, the personalities of the people are similar, the laid back, not in a rush kind of mentality, and even the unbelievably gorgeous landscape including the roaming livestock .  Almost every view in either country is breathtaking.  Ocean and green hills for miles. 

There is no way to narrow it down to one reason of why I love Jamaica.  The people, the country, the food, and the drink are four obvious ones.  I could go on for days about my once in a lifetime vacation that I will never ever forget.  Actually, I wish I had some of Earl's jerk chicken right now.  Thank God I am fortunate enough to have experienced such a glorious holiday at this time in my life.