|
|
 |
complimentary wedding packages; and all the land and sea sports that you can pack in between your required beach lounge chair duties. Somebody’s got to keep those lounge chairs from blowing out to sea...
Strangely not an area containing eight rivers as the term “ocho rios” denotes, Ocho Rios is very rich with waterfalls, gorgeous, cliffed beaches, luciously green tropical landscapes, botanical gardens, limestone caves, and scenic, hillside vistas. Nearby Discovery Bay was noted by Christopher Columbus in 1494 as “the fairest land mine eyes have ever seen.” Oh, Chris, you old understater, you. Usually called “Ochi” by locals, the town was mistakenly named “Ocho Rios” by the English following a 1657 battle with a raiding Spanish armada over control of the area near the outflow of Dunn’s River Falls. The Spanish had always referred to this area as “Las Choreras” (meaning “waterfalls” or “river rapids”), and the English won the battle but lost the translation. Ocho Rios is the first town in Jamaica to be developed specifically as a resort. In 1923, the Great House of a failing plantation became Jamaica’s first exclusive hotel. By 1948, it was joined by my hotels (the then-Sans Souci Lido and the then-Dunn’s River Hotel) and two other hotels. One cruise-ship dock, one Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant, and a few million jerk centers later, and you have modern-day Ochi. Dunn’s River Falls and Park turns out to be a Jamaican must-see-and-do, though I originally thought it was a touristy deal too touristy to be groovy. Wrong! What seems completely daunting from its description ("Hey, let’s climb [whatever that means] up 600 feet in elevation over a waterfall that descends to and then crashes into the ocean!!), is a certified blast-and-a-half. You have to be attired in your swim gear and some of those spiffy rubber sandals, have with you the simplest of cameras, and an adventurous spirit to handle the powerful current and COLD-water pools and cascades. Your only regret would be not climbing these falls! On the opposite side of the town of Ocho Rios is our next accommodations, the historic resort and spa known as Sans Souci Jamaica ("sans souci” meaning “without care” or the popular “no worries”). Set high on a wooded bluff overlooking the ocean, Sans Souci has evolved from a small, charming hotel back in the day to the magnificent spread of a luxury resort that is today. Dotted with sumptuous gardens, mineral springs, towering palms, a lush pond, two beaches, a waterfall grotto home to Charlie the Sea Turtle, four restaurants, and four bars, your only “worry” will be what to do next while your really busy doing nothin’ at all. Sans Souci is an all-suites resort set on secluded cove just past White River Bay. Here we enjoyed wonderful, nightly musical entertainment, a beach fiesta right on the torchlit water’s edge, a Grand Gala Night (featuring canopy-covered gourmet food service with dining on the enormous lawn next to the beach and live music on the outdoor stage), and making friends with local vendors who make and sell their own paintings, baskets, jewelry, and art pieces just off the beach. Our days at Sans Souci were jam-packed with no worries: sunbathing, snorkeling, missed opportunities to learn scuba diving, trips to the hot tub, visits to the European spa, missed opportunities to work out at the fitness center, swimming, floating, photo assignments (yawnnnnn), high tea each afternoon, watching folks get hitched on the beach, Nature walks (Nature just seems to be everywhere you walk!), and making sure them beach lounge chairs didn’t go missin’ somewhere. Needing a break from this pace, our hosts actually arranged for us to leave the property. I know, what were they thinking? No really, because of the sheer nature of the “luxury” |
||||||