Jamaica Encompassed, January 2017

A funny thing came over me in latter half of 2016. I'm not sure what, but my usually constant wanderlust waned somewhat for a while. Maybe it was the extenuating circumstances with my mother's health or maybe I just need a break from lots of travel over the past several years. So I decided to hang out in New Jersey for much of the latter half of the year and decided in October to start on a new hobby that has been on my bucket list for a long time - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It usually doesn't take very long before the itch reemerges. I developed a list of possibilities for rather short foreign trips I could take if at short notice since I'm not able to commit to something far ahead because of my mother's health. But I'm also not a prisoner to it and don't need to be around all the time. Jamaica in January seems just about right. It's not too far from home so doesn't involve an especially long or expensive flight; it's fairly compact so makes for a good short trip destination; and it's warm at a time of year when things are cold in New Jersey. Jamaica is mostly a beach resort destination, but lazy beach resort holidays really don't appeal very much to me. When I go somewhere I like to travel around, see the sights, soak in some of the culture, and get a real feel for the place. Jamaica has a rather rough reputation for crime, though, so I'm reluctant to wing it and travel around on my own in a rental car as I did two years ago in Dominican Republic. Surprisingly, there aren't many tour companies that offer group trips around the country. Toronto-based G Adventures, formerly known as GAP, does offer one such small-group tour called Jamaica Encompassed, a 10-day counter-clockwise loop around the island. Luckily for me, there was availability in mid-December for their early January departure. I've only traveled in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean so far - Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. So a former British colony and a mostly Black nation in the Caribbean will be a somewhat new travel experience for me. I'm looking forward to Reggae and Rasta, Jerk and Ganja as well as rum and beaches and waterfalls as tour the island in what will be my 86th country.

Planned Dates

Jan 05, 2017 to Jan 15, 2017

Countries

1