This was a quick, 10-day trip to Ocho Rios with a dear friend. We rented a cute little seaside cottage with a private deck and gorgeous views and a friendly neighbor cat named Kayak. The weather was hit and miss, so we spent a few days hunkered down watching the waves thrash against the rocks, and others out in the sun snorkeling and snoozing in the breeze. Our open-air living quarters invited a variety of insects and creepy crawlies into our sphere, sometimes late at night, which made for some hysterical laughter and frantic batting/fanning/paralyzed-in-fear-so-the-giant-cockroach-doesn’t-fall-onto-my-face/catch-and-release moments. All in good fun.
Our front porch had a lovely view.
This was a stressful way to follow Game 7 of the World Series, but it had to be done. RefreshRefreshRefreshRefre- WE WON!
Crabby McCrabberson, who would hang out near our stairs at night. Watch your step in the dark.
Casey took this and demurely blurred below my neckline.
Bedroom, with a very pretty but functionally useless mosquito net. The night the cockroach climbed up the INSIDE of the net, right next to my face, was the night we decided it needed re-engineering with some hair pins and strategic tucking. The following night when we woke up to a gentle thudding, we discovered that Mothra had come in for a visit and was flying into the wall near our lamp. But he was not IN our netted safety zone, so we deemed our adjustments a success.
Scotchie’s for delicious jerk with our taxi driver, Malcolm (who apparently goes by Mooney).
At the craft market in Ochi
This woodcarver did custom orders and was very friendly while he worked.
Snorkeling!
Turns out it’s very hard to take clear photos underwater with a GoPro. This was one that is actually discernible.
When the weather was calm, we could see the extensive reef just out our doorstep, and sometimes spearfisherman further out.
This was our cottage- a perfect little hideaway and a great deal.
My buddy Kayak.
Snacks on the porch hammocks
The elderly housekeeper at the main home on this property was named Miss Annette, and most days we hired her to cook for us. She’d give us a shopping list in the morning, and then when we were out swimming, she’d come in and cook delicious brown stewed chicken or shrimp something or other and leave it warming on the stove for when we made our way back to the house. She is a sweet, kind lady and a heck of a cook.
The grotto on the way to the swimming deck
Stormy seas