A friend from Canada!!!

OK, I am really EXCITED!!! I have a visitor this week….yes and a very special one!! A first FRIEND from Canada finally booked a stay with us in Jamaica. One of my best friends! I have a lot of things planned for her! After visiting Kingston (you only need one day really…haha), we will go on a road-trip to NEGRIL. Awww beautiful Negril, I haven’t been since last November with my parents! This will be my first time driving the 5 hours it takes to get there. I hope everything will go well. But it should, I mean, I already did the hardest part to Ocho Rios a few times now. And a road-trip like this is always fun with good company!!

Everytime we have some visitors, I rent a car from Island Car Rentals to drive around Jamaica. I usually take the 4x4 Suzuki Vitara but this time we’ll try the small Toyota Yaris to see if it can get the job done for a cheaper price. We will be staying at the SuperClub Rooms on the Beach – right on the famous 7 Miles Beach. And since it is not an all-inclusive, we will get the chance to eat at some great spots, my favorites on the cliffs, Rick’s Café and the RockHouse! I’ll come back with tons of reviews and stories for you guys! Have a great week!!

The misadventure in Port Antonio with our first visitors.

A few weeks after the Hurricane Sandy passage in Jamaica, we had our first visitors staying with us, my parents!!! I was so excited, I planned every day of their stay so they would discover and enjoy Jamaica as much as possible! Unfortunately, the first weekend was a total wreck. I wanted to take them to Port Antonio, at the amazing Frenchman’s Cove Beach.

On our road trip, we made a rest-stop activity at the Somerset Falls were Erik and I have been in the past and enjoyed the experience. The place was still out of power since Sandy and was empty except for staff.  The enormous amount of rain that the island had in the past weeks made the water current so strong it was really hard for us to swim to the hidden falls. The employees helped us and showed us a good time by entertaining us with their jumps into the water and all.

After this activity, we hit the road and later we arrived at the Frenchman’s Cove Beach. At the gate, the security guard told us the beach was reserved for a private event. Damn it. Ok…so we went at another beach nearby, San San Beach. This one was almost deserted. The weather started to be cloudy and we soon heard the thunder from a storm catching us. We still had the chance to swim a little while it was raining and a staff member even got us some food at another restaurant nearby that we ate… in the car….haha.

Ok so it was not a perfect day but I was still positive the weekend could be better. It was not.

When we left Port Antonio, the rain was getting a lot stronger and roads started to flood. At some point, we could not go through the water anymore so we tried another road to get back in Kingston. That one was closed as well. After three or four hours of trying to get home, we were obligated to go back at the Frenchman’s Cove were we know they have a hotel on site.  I was now crying and panicking about the weekend being ruined for my parents but they kept trying to tell me we were all okay and it made an exciting adventure to start their visit. Haha…so we stayed at the Frenchman’s Cove resort. Small but charming. 

Rooms were not what we were used to but it was still more than okay for the circumstances. We had fast food by the beach in the evening and some small complimentary continental breakfast in the morning. When we were ready to leave, the weather was still uncertain and rain started again on our road back home. It was even worse than the day before. Here is a video of what we had to go through. 

Erik did an amazing job and we got through every flooded street this time. Later on the way back, I saw the sky getting clearer… and the SUN!!!!! My mom and I started to clap and screamed of joy, it was a great moment for us hahaha. We did make it home that day and we were more than happy to relax. The rest of their stay was wonderful, filled with great weather and great adventures but we will always remember this one and now we can actually laugh about it . :)

Our first hurricane experience.

On October 24^th in 2012, Tropical storm Sandy became a category one hurricane just before hitting Jamaica. As much as I love thunderstorms, I am also equally scared of them so I was pretty excited AND nervous when we first found out that we should prepare for this tropical storm. It was getting bigger and Jamaica was on its direct path. 

What I like about this kind of severe weather, is that unlike the other natural disasters, this one is predictable and you have time to prepare for it. This is what I did, two days ahead I went grocery shopping for dry food supplies and drinks. 24 hours before the storm hit Jamaica, it became clear it would be a category one hurricane. I was getting stressed since I did not know what to expect. Erik thought it would be better to stay at the hotel since we would lose the power and hotels normally have some generators. We had the amazing chance to stay at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston for 2 nights during the passage of Sandy. We really could not complain…living our first hurricane in the comfort of the hotel with some nice room service. A lot of Jamaicans did not have the same luxury, shelters were packed. The sky became darker and we had some rain but Sandy was getting slower and bigger therefore it only hit us the next day in the afternoon. The police also enforced a curfew, in order to keep everyone safe during the storm and also to prevent theft while power was out.

We were watching all radars and new information on our computers by the minutes. 

I kept waiting for it to be frightening…but nothing else than a lot of rain and winds. 

It still left a trail of damages and some of the eastern parishes were more affected than others. Sandy left behind destroyed houses and roads, and one death. 

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=40752

80% of the island was out of power, the electricity company, JPS, worked hard for several months to restore all the power lines. Being in the New Kingston area, we were a priority sector so we only were out of electricity for 72 hours or less. Here are some photos of damages seen in our neighborhood and in Port Royal.

After leaving Jamaica, Hurricane Sandy became stronger and then it transformed into a rare phenomenon; a Super-Storm. It affected the eastern states of America and even a little bit Canada. I found it ironic that the first hurricane I’ve experienced started in Jamaica and went all the way back to Canada. 

Overall, Sandy did a lot of damage everywhere and Jamaica still has to deal with its consequences.  Some of the beaches are to this day not the same as before. The agriculture industry was the most affected and struggles to produce from their damaged soils. The Jamaicans economy was already in bad shape…now it is more and more a problematic for different reasons including the famous Hurricane Sandy.

Electricity in Jamaica.

Electricity in Jamaica is not a reliable resource like in Canada. It is so unreliable that sometimes I think that as soon as darker clouds show up, I could lose the power. Haha, no but seriously just a little bit of rain or wind and we are often out of electricity. A big thunderstorm can make you lose all the food in your refrigerator. During the hurricane season from June to November, I swear I could lose power 1 to 3 times a week! Also, at night, if you’re up in the mountains, you can actually see city lights flickering. This is because the frequency of the electricity is 50Hz instead of 60Hz like in North America.

My best purchase in Canada was a 10$ USB fan shaped like an air plane. Available at Chapters stores ;). So when I did not have the A/C to help with the heavy humidity of a thunderstorm or a rainy day, at least I had this little guy for as long as my computer battery has a charge. The electricity company of Jamaica, JPS, is trying to improve those kinds of situations and cut off some of the trees in the way of the power lines…Now, I ONLY lose the power once or twice every two weeks, maybe more in the next hurricane season. We’ll see! ;)

CRU, Kingston

CRU is a GREAT new bar in Kingston. It is on the roof-top of the new CPJ Market. It really is the perfect place to spend the after-work cocktail hour. You can also appreciate a great view of the mountains. I love the modern design of the place. 

The lounge music is not always for every taste but it fits with the place and still gives a good ambiance. Here is a glimpse at their cocktail and food menu: 

They also have a large selection of wines. The food is good, you still have to keep in mind that you won’t eat a full meal at a bar. I absolutely loved the Bruschetta, and so did Erik…even more than his mini-burgers!* :P 

I really enjoyed this bar and we will go back every now and then for sure! I would rate this one 8 out of 10.

* The CRU food menu is changing every now and then.

Strawberry Hill Hotel

We made our Valentine weekend special at the Strawberry Hill Hotel in the mountains. We wanted to escape the city without having to drive to the other side of the island. This was only a 30 minute drive from Kingston. It was the perfect escapade. 

You are surrounded by nature, fresh air, and an amazing view of the city. You can relax on the long beach chairs by the infinity pool or take a quick dip in its cold river water to refresh your body. The food at the restaurant is delicious and the service is really good. 

We booked the GONG room, which apparently was Bob Marley’s room. It was great, two private balconies with a wonderful view, an outdoor shower, small kitchen and bathroom, tv, desk, etc… it had the feel of a cottage which I really liked. 

Being in the mountains, it can get colder at night than in the city. Luckily for our cold feet, ladies, their mattress has heated pads under the sheets with personal controls for each side so our men can choose not to use it. ;) 

Because this is not a cabin made of concrete but wood, you can hear a lot of what is going on outside of your room. We did not sleep well because of it but we still appreciated our short stay. Strawberry Hill Hotel is a luxury hotel with luxurious prices. We only spent one night and it costs us as much as would 2 nights on the north coast beaches, but really, I can assure you that the place is worth it. If you are staying in the Kingston area, you have to consider and try a one night stay at Strawberry Hill Hotel or at least a dinner at the restaurant (arrive early to enjoy the sunset)! And if you don’t mind spending more money, I am sure you can also enjoy their spa on site! I would rate this hotel a 9 out of 10.

Sunset Grande Jamaica hotel review

One weekend we decided to book last minute for a 2 nights stay in Ocho Rios. The only available choice was the Sunset Grande Jamaica hotel. This was our worst stay in Jamaica. It was not 100% awful but we won’t be going back to this one. The resort itself was not so bad, I really like the lobby and the multiple pools with the giant slide. It would be OK for a family with young kids.

We booked the best room – the honeymoon suite – for a ridiculously low price, haha we concluded that even with this special it was not really worth it. 

The thing is, when we arrived there were no towels in our room. We called the Front Desk about it and they told us they will send someone. An hour later we still did not received the towels and we really wanted to take a shower. We called back but this time at the Guest Service Desk. An hour or two after, we finally received our towels. We took a shower went to the restaurant and came back to our room to go to sleep. Later, we woke up because the phone was ringing. What the hell... Front Desk was calling to check if we really did receive the famous towels. The towels had also served another function in this room: to soak up the water raining down the AC.The restaurant buffet for breakfast was good, lunch ok and supper…ok. Cats were hovering under the tables trying to get food. Birds were also there, ready to steal anything from the tables. We made a reservation to try their Italian restaurant…we almost laughed when our fresh mozzarella appetizer arrived and it was…NOT fresh mozzarella but triangular-shaped slices from what we saw in the main buffet restaurant. 

Sadly, it was a rainy weekend; we did not use the beach but only the pools. We kept thinking about the people who visit Jamaica for the first time and would come back home with those kind of memories…. I would rate this hotel a 5 out of 10.

Rockhouse Hotel review

Another perfect place to go in Negril is the Rockhouse hotel. It is not an all-inclusive resort. It is in a completely different surrounding than the seven mile beach, this one is on the cliffs. There is no beach. If you want to swim, you jump directly into the ocean or go down the ladders. Swimming is more a sport since you cannot touch the bottom. 

For a girl like me…always wanting to jump in the water, it was THE PERFECT PLACE to be because you can jump from different levels (watch videos below). Water is again so clear and turquoise.

You also have the option of relaxing in the majestic pool of salted water. Pictures say it all. 

The hotel was almost fully booked so we took the last villa available, room number 8. Walls are entirely made of rocks; shower is as big as a room and it’s outside but there is still a wall making it private. 

Outdoor shower as big as a room

To eat, you have two choices, the sport bar Jamaican food Push-Cart or the main Rockhouse romantic restaurant with more elaborate meals. Both restaurants are on the cliffs by the water and both are really good!  

Push-Cart Restaurant

During this particular weekend, the tropical storm Ernesto was supposed to hit Jamaica, but luckily we only had some rain at the end of our last day. During the night the hotel lost the electricity a few times and since the AC in the rooms are not connected to the generator Erik was getting hot (he cannot survive in this weather without AC) but I was fine ;). Overall it is a well-deserved 10 out of 10.