Arrival in Jamaica

Lindz and I just went to Jamaica to attend the wedding of a friend of hers. We sort of declared it our own honeymoon as well. Here's a few tidbits from Day 1.

That's Cuba down there, as seen from a comfortable, first-class seat on an Airbus A320 EOW. The nice flight attendant gave me Scotch on the rocks and little shortbread cookies. A wise man once said, "It is better to go first class than to arrive." Lindz's folks helped us out with the plane tickets (they have enough miles saved up to go to Pluto).

After braving the skies above the menacing Tropical Island of Communists, we landed in Jamaica and spent an hour or so in the customs line with legions of fat, ugly Americans. I don't include my wife and myself with the fat, ugly Americans because she is slender and good-looking. I am married to her, therefore I am svelte-in-law. We finally made it to our tour company and headed for the resort.
Here we are, crawling through Montego Bay traffic with our driver, Hennis, at the wheel of the Toyota HiAce van:

Although it's difficult to make out, I zoomed in on Hennis's false teeth. Had he put them in his mouth instead of the dashboard, I might have understood his heavily accented descriptions of towns and natural features:

Jamaica is a lush, beautiful place. We drove for about an hour and a half from Montego Bay to Negril on a road that followed the coast.

We arrived at the resort and inhaled some tasty coconut shrimp and conch fritters. The first item on our agenda was a "Welcome Cruise." After some logistics, waiting, sweating, bus riding, waiting, sweating and paying, we got on the boat and started drinking. It rained at first, but a gloriously clear evening ensued.
Here are some locals in a boat. I believe they were trying to sell something to the folks on a nearby catamaran.

A woman who resembled Brigitte Nielsen was quite naked on said catamaran:
  
After everyone on our boat was suitably full of rum punch and beer, the captain and crew pulled up close to shore and offered everyone the opportunity to swim to shore and jump 40 feet or so into this cove:
   I did not partake, but I was told that if one jumped inexpertly, one would undergo a thrillingly painful seawater enema.
This is the sunset that we enjoyed near the end of the booze cruise. By this time, I had already endeared myself to the company that brews Red Stripe.

Lindz and I got off the bus at our resort, had a tasty dinner at the restaurant, and went to bed. A day of uninterrupted travel, drinking and swimming really takes it out of you.