Sun Is Shining

I love themes. My whole family does, actually. We can come up with a theme for even the most mundane event, and then feel compelled to carry out the theme to the nth degree. Winter Wonderland weekend, Bacon birthday, Pumpkin Recipe day – yes, we’ve done them. Dr. Seuss Christmas, Rubber Ducky birthday, and Olympic opening ceremonies dinner have all happened. So a castle-themed resort in Jamaica is a perfect fit for me.

Blue Cave Castle is a quirky take on a Medieval castle, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The steps to my room are very tall, like they were built for giants. There are wooden shields on the wall, the furniture has crenellated edgings, and gold and red tapestries adorn the windows. My family would call it very ‘Spanish Inquisition’ style. But the artwork on the walls is Jamaican, with carved wooden faces that look like Bob Marley, and one that looks weirdly like P. Diddy. There is a TV in my room, but I haven’t even turned it on yet. I probably won’t. I haven’t turned on the air conditioning either. There is a nice breeze always blowing through my room, and I love having the windows open all the time.

I woke to the sound of rain, but it was just a brief shower and the sun was back out in no time. I tried a Yardie omelet for breakfast, which is a vegetarian omelet with callaloo in it. (Why ‘Yardie’? Because it’s full of stuff growing in your yard?) We ate early so we would be ready for our day trip. Today’s itinerary is an Island Picnic with the same tour group we were with yesterday.

Donovan and Marlon were our guides and captains both days on the catamaran, and took us back to the coral reef for more snorkeling. There was a family of 5 from Burlington, Iowa on today’s cruise. Did I mention I really love to snorkel? I was cursing not having the underwater camera, because there were no clouds so you could see the reef perfectly. And I saw a cannon! Really! How cool is that?

After snorkeling, we cruised to Booby Cay for a lobster dinner. The lobster was grilled and served with, what else? Rice and peas, and callaloo. Then we relaxed on the island, taking photos with Ralphie the puppet and lying in the sun. There was a vendor selling jewelry and souvenirs, but no one bought anything from her because she was a total bitch. She was the exception, though, because everyone else has been very friendly.

Arriving back at the castle, I took a shower and did a total face plant on the bed. I’m talking dead-to-the-world asleep. It felt so good! Our cabdriver sang to us on the way to 3 Dives, where we watched an amazing sunset while waiting for dinner. The grilling is done outdoors in a steel drum, and all seating is outdoors. I had conch, rice and peas, and callaloo. Now, I’m not going to lie, I like rice and beans and callaloo but I’m starting to get a little tired of it. Sharon and Chrissy are done with it entirely. We need a different side dish, mon.

We ended our day with a phone call to Ralph and Mel. It was so good to talk to them, and Ralph loved hearing about our adventures. He wants to see lots of pictures, and we are certainly going to have some great ones to show them. Goodnight, Ironman and Lady Iron!