Yeah mon.

[SeaRex]

Umm... kay.

Anyway, I'm back.

Jamaica was awesome. We had a beautiful house with stairs that led right down to the ocean, complete with coral reef and a bunch of nifty fish and junk.

Made me feel a little guilty, though. The majority of people down there are really poor. Doesn't stop them from being nice. Not the fake American nice, either. They were nice and honest. Good combination. The culture shock went both ways, too. Coming back to America, I was... well... shocked at how crowded, wasteful, uptight, and self-righteous our culture is. Always known about it, of course, but it takes seeing a different culture first hand for it to really hit you. From our plane I could see all of the air pollution blanketing the American cities. Lovely.

Highlights:

• Bob Marley's birth/resting place at 9 Miles Village.
• Snorkling with Amber.
• Haggling with the locals over souvenirs and other stuff.
• Hiking through a jungle, climbing down a rickety-ass pipe/ladder/rock structure into a giant sinkhole/cave complex, and swimming in a semi-subterranean river.

[used:)]

I know how you feel about the whole culture shock thing. It went through my head when I visited Peru. It makes you feel how made we have it here, but also how gluttonous we are as well.

[Dusan]

"Bob Marley's birth/resting place at 9 Miles Village."
Ah Jamaica....

[Munch's Master]

Heh, sounds like a good trip. And yep, I definitely can understand the whole realising-society's-wastefullness, I experienced it when I went up to a little out of the way place in the countryside in Scotland. The more peaceful somewhere is, the more you realise how much we exploit the planet, I guess.

[AquaticAmbi]

I cried a lot on the trip. We got to stay in the heavenly part of Jamaica--our rented house was paradise. But we got a pretty good glimpse at hell. I wanted to give all my money to all the people and/or spend it feeding the starving ferrel cats. I fed the kitties twice and went back and gave two artists some extra thank-you money for the carvings I bought.

I also went scuba diving. It was the best diving I've ever done... One site was called the canyon, where I swam through 50+ ft. high mountains of coral. The second site was a drift dive, where I got to see more details of the vibrantly colored fish and corals.

We had a margarita each, which were NOT like the one I tasted with my mom in Florida a long time ago. These tasted like drain cleaner and were in no way a highlight of our trip. But Luke mixed the rest of mine with some fruity stuff and made it bearable. I later called him a nipple and at one point told him to be aboo from Aladin as I kneeled on a rug in the hall, kind of singing "A Whole New World." I think it didn't affect me too much though; It just made me a little more weird and hyper than usual. Still, not something I'll ever do again.

Anyway, merely chatting with the locals and observing their way of life was so interesting and humbling. I don't think I'll ever forget any of those I talked with.

Luke covered everything else pretty well in a much more concise manner. Meh. He did forget to mention the beautiful waterfall and caves in the area of the jungle we hiked and climbed through.

EDIT: I also got stung by a jelly fish. Grr. Not so fun.

[Kimon]

Hiking through a jungle, climbing down a rickety-ass pipe/ladder/rock structure into a giant sinkhole/cave complex, and swimming in a semi-subterranean river.

That last past is what makes me envy you so. Swimming in a subterranean river. That's incredible.

[SeaRex]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, we didn't actually get to swim in the subterranean part; just the section of the river that was overshadowed by this huge sinkhole dome ceiling... thing.

But yeah, it was pretty neat.

[used:)]

It must really have been great to go scuba diving. Marine life is so awsome to see up close and personal.

[Kamille]

marine life is amazing your so lucky lol

[SeaRex]

I still say "pchaw" to marine life. Too many venomous things.

Mongooses (mongeese?)... now that's where it's at. Those little things were all over the island.

[Nate]

I need photographic evidence of your adventures...

[Kamille]

oh do you have any photos to share?

[SeaRex]

Ambi, upload some pictures. Please. I'm lazy.

But yes, I shall get some pictures for all to enjoy.

[Kimon]

Wond'rous!

Well, if it makes you feel any better, we didn't actually get to swim in the subterranean part; just the section of the river that was overshadowed by this huge sinkhole dome ceiling... thing.

But yeah, it was pretty neat.

Sounds like it, Lucky McLuckerson.

Did you witness any mongoose-on-cobra action? That would've been radical.

[AquaticAmbi]

I still say "pchaw" to marine life. Too many venomous things.

Says the man who claimed he loved snorkeling so much and wants to get certified as a scuba diver.

Pictures much later. I took like 130 something, and I'm sure Luke's parents did too. My scuba pics will have to be scanned as they were taken on a disposable camera. I'm wearing a bikinar in most of the best pictures of Luke and me, but none of you are worthy of seeing that or seeing Luke's glorious nipples.

Um.. no mongoose/cobra action. I don't think they ever had cobras in Jamaica. >.> There were so many mongoose though that we didn't see a single snake.

[Lord Vulcher]

Welcome back SeaRex.

[used:)]

Did you witness any mongoose-on-cobra action? That would've been radical.

I think that's in India.

[Nate]

I'm wearing a bikinar in most of the best pictures of Luke and me, but none of you are worthy of seeing that or seeing Luke's glorious nipples.

No fair! I want to see some Luke-nipple action!

I'll show you my nipple if you show me his...

[Facsimile]

I also got stung by a jelly fish. Grr. Not so fun.

*Remembers Friends episode*
*Looks at Luke*
Teeheehee.

[AquaticAmbi]

*Remembers Friends episode*
*Looks at Luke*
Teeheehee.

Bwahaha! I told Luke about that episode when it happened. Then I shook my fist at the ocean and damned all the jelly fish.

Okay, so... Something I haven't even told Luke: Because the friggin' sting hurt pretty much all day long, I got kind of desperate when we got back to the house and hopped in the bathtub and proceeded to try peeing on the back of my leg. I really couldn't bend that way! So I used the bottom of the tub and swished my leg around in it.

.......It made absolutely no difference, except adding a nice uriney smell.

In other news, pictures should be up soon. I'm having a hard time picking because, like I said, I'm a little uneasy about posting bikini pictures. I am no slooot! But I might.. who cares...

[Mojo]

I have no problems with beachwear. Look at the WDYLL thread.

[SeaRex]

Pictures! Took Ambi a while to get them to me. XP

View from our house:


Another view:


Bob Marley Mausoleum:


Waterfall at the jungle caves:


Lagoon near subterranean jungle cave river thingy:


Amber "enjoying" her margarita:


Us by the ocean:


The sun was really bright that day. Ignore our squinty faces.

[used:)]

I glowing greener than a Leperachan on St Patrick's Day.

[AquaticAmbi]

Blah, I hate how I look even skinnier than usual in that pose. But yesh, these are definitely some of our best pictures.

[Leto]

I'mma like those jungle ones. Nice and tranquil.

[Wil]

Ah, it all looks and sounds so gorgeous. Even the not-so-enjoyable bits reek of the foreign holiday experience. Glad you both had such a great time, but then again how could anybody not?

[Nate]

Wowee!! Those caves and that beach look amazing!

*knows where to go on his next holiday*

[Kimon]

Holy baby-eating Ronaldo. I have always, ALWAYS, dreamed of going to the land of clear, blue-watered islands, and enjoying the wondrousness that is the H2O. And then there are the rainforest pictures.


That's so.... I hate you.

*Various fist-shakings*