The magic time approaches. Twenty two more days and I will be on Jamaica time.

Well, actually twenty one, because the drinking, carousing, and relaxing start when I leave home (assuming I’m not the poor soul assigned to driving duties).

We, (meaning me, my wife, my best friend and his wife), are staying at a resort called Sunset at the Palms, which my compadre found online. It is a set of treehouses/huts set into the jungle across the road from the beach. At first, a location off the beach threw me a little, because there is nothing I like more than a beach breeze, but a quick check on TripAdvisor.com reassured me that this was a good choice. Of all the resorts in Jamaica, this one was ranked #2 by the visitors, which is very impressive considering the places that are there.

Our flight leaves at 9 a.m. and arrives in Mo’ Bay at a little after 1 p.m. Allowing two hours to get through the airport and into our shuttle bus and make our way to Negril, with a stop at a bar on the way over, the Appleton rum should be well into my blood stream by 4, and at sunset I intend to be eating lobster on the beach, at least slightly pickled.

Our friends have never been to Jamaica and I am a little curious as to how they will enjoy the experience. I think it will be cool, but I have explained the concepts of Jamaica Time, Soon Come and, most importantly, What happens in Jamaica stays in Jamaica!

I can’t believe Vegas stole this motto. We’ve been using it for years in the islands.

I am going to try and blog during my stay, and want to go ahead and set out a loose set of plans, then blog about what happens to them and what we actually end up doing.

I want to eat at Xtabi on the cliffs at least one time. Their lobster is great and they serve a pumpkin (squash) soup that has callaloo (a kind of spinach) in it that is incredible. Although Ricks has a reputation as the place to watch sunsets, Xtabi beats it hands down, mainly because there is never a crowd there whereas Ricks is always packed with (shudder) tourists.

I intend to smoke several cigars (no Cubans of course because that would be illegal and obviously end democracy as we know it! What an ignorant law!), drink lots of rum, play on the beach, watch topless women, lay on the beach, listen to Bob Marley (you really have no choice in Jamaica since he blares from every speaker), read, and…oh, yeah….drink lots of rum.

An example of the best thing about Ricks is shown on this video: