Okay, let me start by apologizing for the title of this post... I've had that one loaded up for weeks. :)
Just got back from Jamaica! I was there for my cousin's wedding.
I've gotta say, that's a brilliant concept. A small wedding in a beautiful setting with a built-in honeymoon.
I think there were about 28 people there for the wedding; just family and close friends. It was really great as a bit of a family reunion, since we don't all get together very often. I can't think of a nicer place to get together either. I've got a couple shots that I've uploaded here:
Dad in front of a Traveller's Palm
A shot of the resort, Riu Club Hotel Negril
I really didn't get many pictures. I spent a great deal of time scuba diving, which I didn't have my camera for. It was a funny (and serendipitous) turn of events that lead to the scuba diving. I just went into a dive shop near work in order to pick up a new mask and snorkel, just in case I wanted to do a little snorkeling in Jamaica. They mentioned that they offered scuba courses, and invited me to come out and try a bit of scuba in their indoor pool. I tried it out on the Wednesday of that week, and enjoyed it so much that I signed up for the course of Saturday and Sunday. That weekend was filled with classroom study, and practice in the pool. In order to complete my PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) scuba certification I just needed to complete 4 open water dives with a certified instructor. Unexpectedly I was actually able to complete all 4 dives in Jamaica! That was really exciting!
It was pretty wavy out in the open water, and it made for a bit of sea-sickness on the boat to and from the dive sites. It got a little easier each time though. Something I'll just have to get used to I guess. Unfortunately the wave action also stirred up the bottom a bit, so visibility wasn't at 100%, but it was still excellent. I saw many rays, an octopus, and a baby Morray Eel. It was a new experience, and one that was totally unplanned for, but I've really fallen in love with scuba diving. I'm really excited about local diving opportunities this summer.
Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to give a quick overview of the trip. I might come on later and get into some more specific details. I'll also be back with some details of my next trip once I've started getting things ironed out.
