Jamaica and Our Anniversary. Oct, 2012

August 21st was a very special day for us — our 20th wedding anniversary... 

Can I say that it’s hard to believe? No, I can’t. Because I can believe it. Yes, these 20 years really have flown by. Somehow, once childhood is over, time starts to move incredibly fast... But when I look back, I realize just how much has changed in our lives during this time. We have lived in three different countries, had three children, and moved three times. So much has been experienced and accomplished. But most importantly, we have managed to preserve and cherish what matters most — our feelings. Love and respect.

We decided to celebrate our special anniversary just the two of us. We spent quite a while planning and wondering where we could go — somewhere unusual, interesting, and new. And after much deliberation, we decided that what we really wanted was to relax. Just relax and do absolutely nothing. So we flew to Jamaica. The sea, the sun, the sand. No need to run anywhere, rush, or try to fit everything in...

It was our first time in Jamaica, and despite initially planning to simply relax, we realized on the very first day that we really don’t know how to do that! We immediately started planning several excursions.

So, what can I say about Jamaica? The first thing that surprised us was the fact that they drive on the left, following the British system. Then we discovered an incredibly calm turquoise sea and a beautiful, rocky coastline.

We headed to Montego Bay, on the northern part of the island, and stayed at the Gran Bahia Principe resort. Another surprise was the easy access to marijuana. You can buy weed pretty much everywhere. It’s, so to speak, part of the local culture :). We were pleasantly surprised by how friendly and welcoming the locals were.

Another Jamaican hallmark is reggae music and its legendary pioneer and national icon, Bob Marley, whose colourful portraits can be seen everywhere.

Our time flew by, Jamaica left us with wonderful memories, and our photos gave us something to look back on...

This is what our hotel complex looked like. As usual, we woke up early, and there was plenty of space both on the beach and around the pools

Sunrises and sunsets 

One day, we visited the famous Dunn’s River Falls. It’s one of the most beautiful places on the island. The waterfalls consist of numerous cascades, and visitors can climb all the way to the top while enjoying the breathtaking scenery. And once you reach the very top, you can take a photo to remember the experience :) 

We visited the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens, filled with an incredible variety of beautiful exotic plants. But the most romantic experience was our journey down the Martha Brae River on a bamboo raft 

And of course, no trip would be complete without visiting a local market and meeting some of the local “characters” (to be honest, I wasn’t particularly keen on having my picture taken with this very friendly, but extremely marijuana-scented local. However, he opened his arms so warmly that I simply couldn’t bring myself to turn him down).

The Caribbean Sea was so calm and peaceful that it was hard to believe it was actually the sea and not a lake

Time flew by, leaving us with so many wonderful memories. Summer came to an end, and the daily routine began again... Time to start planning our next vacation! :)))