First Day in Paradise- Part 2

Mmmmm... fried plantains and mango cheesecake!
see all photos »

Needless to say, our visit into town did not produce an interent cafe. It did however signify my very first experience with a tropical storm. Before we knew it, Allison and I were caught in a ferocious downpour. Not wanting to walk a mile back through sheets of water (as we were already soaked to the bone), we decided to take a cab back to Kuyaba, a cute restaurant we had noticed earlier. What caught our eye from the beach was the whole island look of the place. There were thatched roofs and the entire open air building seemed to be constructed of bamboo (it wasn't). The first thing I noticed once we got inside? One of the most fantastic things I have ever seen- swings as seats at the bar! Why hasn't this taken in the states? It is brilliant! We sat down (in a swing!) at the bar and ordered some drinks. A waiter came up and timidly intoduced himself as Shawn, also known as "Rock Star". We both giggled at this. His belt buckle bore his nickname, as if we could forget it. Rock Star had the looks and mannerisms of a young teenager. Allison and I were dying to ask how old he was. Instead we just enjoyed his company and light conversation throughout our visit.

Swings at the bar?! Jamaican me jealous!
see all photos »

After we finished our drinks, we took a seat (not in a swing... foo foo) at a table overlooking the beach. The rain had stopped and the sun was getting low. This was going to be a nice sunset. We ordered an appetizer of fried plantains and then split an entree of fettucini alfredo. Both were delicious. We were even more impressed with the desserts. Allison ordered a slice of coconut cake. It was served warm and topped with a sweet rum sauce- very Jamaican! I had cheesecake smothered in a tangy mango sauce. It was heaven on plate. We also ordered some coffee, which was alright. It was quite bitter, but luckily our waiter brought plenty of cream and sugar. While we finishing our dessert, a wild cat jumped up near our seats. She was small with a big belly- definitely pregnant. I named her Lucy. We put some cheesecake and the remainder of our cream on a plate. Lucy seemed to really enjoy and appreciate the treat and ate it up quickly before running away.

Our dinnertime entertainment... not too shabby, eh mon?
see all photos »

We left as the sun was beginning to set. Even with the clouds in the sky, it was gorgeous. On our way back we met another Jamaican with a big gold front tooth. We weren't the least bit suprised to discover he cleverly called himself "Gold Tooth". We met a few others along the way. We have quickly learned that Jamaicans are very very friendly and think nothing of walking right up to you, introducing themselves with a handshake and starting up a conversation. Granted, they do always seem to have something to sell (whether it be knick-knacks, boat tour, weed), but even after we'd turn them down, they still seemed to want the company. Definitely something we Californians are not quite used to.

Lil' prego Lucy.
see all photos »

Allson and I arrived back to our room pretty exhausted. The day seemed incredibly long. We read a bit, wrote a bit and eventually fell asleep on our nice hard full size mattress.