#did some splashy for the waterfall | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hearts-hunger · 5 years

Text

So Much Better || Poly!Queen

Summary: Freddie comes in to rehearsal with a hangover, and his boyfriends fuss over him. Companion to this mini fic!

Pairings: poly!queen

Genre: Fluff, a tiny bit of angst if you squint

Word Count: 1.6k (she’s babey)

Warnings: None, besides my own unbeta-ed writing :P

A/N: This one’s for the sweet nonnie who asked me to expand on the poly!queen drabble I wrote for when Roger comes in with a hangover. It’s a bit long to put as an answer to an ask, so I decided to give it its own post. I hope you like it! ♡

Freddie stumbles into rehearsal with barely a minute to spare. He’s grateful for the dimmer light of the studio compared to the irritatingly bright morning sun outside; in fact, everything about the studio is especially nice considering the massive hangover he’s only possibly living through at the moment. It’s dark and cool; he smells coffee brewing, dark, just like John likes; the sounds of the street outside dull as the door closes behind him and the soft hum of Red Special drifts through the air. He takes a moment at the door to collect himself before heading in to greet his boyfriends.

Brian’s sitting on the floor, his long legs taking up an endearing amount of space on one of the soft Persian rugs that cover the studio floor wall to wall. He’s cradling Red Special in his lap, re-stringing the E, plucking gently and drawing a soft twang from the string as he tightens it. His curls fall over his face and his lips are parted slightly in concentration.

John is sprawled over the couch, one of his legs draped amusingly over the back of the sofa as he frowns at the piece of paper in his hand. He bites the end of his pencil, muttering quietly to himself, working out lyrics in his head. His expression brightens when he finds the right word, and he hastily scrawls it on the slightly crumpled sheet of notebook paper.

It takes Freddie a minute to spot Roger, but eventually he finds the blonde tinkering away at the underbelly of his drum kit. He adjusts the height of the toms, letting out a sharp curse and snatching his hand back as he pinches his finger in the process. Freddie chuckles; no matter how many times Roger adjusts the kit, he almost always has a wound to show for it. Roger tucks his hair behind his ear and tries to be a little more careful as he returns to fixing the offending drum.

“Sorry I’m late,” Freddie ventures after a moment, his voice louder than he’d expected in the comforting quiet of the studio. All three of his boyfriends look up, not having heard him come in; their expressions range from happy to worried to amused as they take stock of him.

“Fred!” John says cheerfully. “You came!”

Freddie can feel a slight blush warm his cheeks. “Of course I did, silly. We have rehearsal.”

“Yeah, but you look bloody knackered, love,” Roger says, hopping off the drum risers. He sticks his hands in his jeans pockets and gives Freddie a chaste kiss. “You sure you’re alright to be here? You had an awful lot to drink last night.”

Freddie gives a flippant wave of his hand. “Don’t I always?” he says, deflecting. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. I’m here, aren’t I? So let’s get this show on the road.”

“You’re sure?” Brian asks, getting to his feet and putting Red Special in her stand. He comes over to Freddie and brushes his cheek with the back of his hand. “We were going to let you sleep it off.”

Freddie sighs at the soothing coolness of Brian’s skin against his. “Yes, darling, I’m sure,” he insists, though his stomach feels a bit too rocky for it to be the truth.

John folds his paper and shoves it in his back pocket before coming up to Freddie and taking his hand, kissing his knuckles in a sweet gesture that’s very like their youngest boyfriend to give. “Fred - ”

“John, my flower, I love you more than anything; but if you also ask me if I’m sure I’m alright, I won’t speak to you for a week.”

John’s smile is cheeky and he beams under the pet name. “Okay, Freddie,” he agrees, though he does it more to please his boyfriend than because of any real assurance that Freddie is as fine as he says he is. He kisses Freddie’s cheek. “Whatever you say.”

“Now, that’s more like it,” Freddie says briskly, trying his best to put on the front of the lead singer who’s all business rather than the pathetic, dreadfully hungover boyfriend he is. He claps above his head and they disperse to their spots, retrieving instruments and settling for the first run-through of the morning.

“What’s up first?” Freddie asks Brian, who’s always the most organized of them all and actually keeps track of what songs they have to get through.

“I thought we’d try Deaky’s new song,” Brian says, giving the bassist a gentle smile. “We sort of went through it before you got here, Fred, and I’d like to see how it sounds all together.”

John blushes. “Oh, well, it’s not quite finished,” he says bashfully. “And I don’t know if it’s any good, really, it might be complete rubbish.”

“Not possible,” Roger says firmly from his seat behind the drum kit. “Besides, what we worked through earlier was quite good. Go on and count us in, lovely.”

John beckons Freddie over, and Freddie stands beside his youngest boyfriend to look over his shoulder at the lyrics scrawled on the paper sitting on the music stand.

“Just, y’know, I was thinking that you’d start just after Rog comes in - ” His eyes light with excitement. “And maybe you could play some piano for it, if you wanted, I think that might be nice.”

Freddie chuckles. “If you want me to, my love,” he says sweetly. John has a tendency to get ahead of himself when it comes to songwriting - he’s got a whole vision in his head from the beginning, and it all comes tumbling out in an enthusiastic, chaotic jumble. “Let’s go through this first run-through, and then we can talk about piano, ok?”

John flushes. “Right,” he says with a laugh that sounds a little embarrassed.

Freddie kisses his cheek, right where the endearing pink of his blush shows, and John giggles.

“Alright, flower, show me your song,” Freddie says. He hopes none of his boyfriends notice how feeble his voice sounds - he really feels quite poorly, but he’d hate to hold up rehearsal any longer than he already has. After getting confirmation from Roger and Brian, John counts them in and starts the song off with a lovely little bass riff, a waterfall of twangy notes that Freddie thinks is quite clever. He’s about to say so when Roger comes in with a run down the toms that leads into a splashy finish on the crash cymbal, and Freddie can’t help when he winces and sucks in a sharp breath at the way the sound sends pain spiking through his head.

“Oh, Freddie,” John says sympathetically, immediately forgetting the song and letting his bass hang on the strap over his shoulder so his hands can go to to cradle Freddie’s face. Freddie unconsciously puts his hands over John’s, keeping them there, trying to quiet the ringing in his head that remains even after Roger has grabbed the cymbal to mute it.

“Sorry,” Freddie says pitifully, embarrassed and trying to make light of it, but his voice is so weak that his boyfriends see right through him. The headache has made his rocky stomach even worse and he draws a shaky breath, trying to steady himself.

“Jesus, Fred, I’m sorry,” Roger says, hurrying out from behind the kit to stand nervously by John’s side and look up at Freddie with an expression of guilt and worry. “I didn’t even think about - God, that was really stupid of me. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Freddie says, though he can feel the sting of tears as his head continues to pound. “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have gone on such a fucking bender the night before rehearsal.”

Brian chuckles as he runs a soothing hand through Freddie’s hair. “You make it sound like none of us have ever partied all night and come in to rehearsal with a massive hangover, sweetheart.”

“But it’s such a bloody pain to deal with me,” Freddie says miserably. “I’ve kept you all waiting and now Roger can’t even play because of me.”

“I don’t mind,” Roger pipes up, his guilt still evident in his voice. “I’ll sit this one out, it’s ok.”

“Better yet,” Brian suggests, “why don’t we all have a bit of a break, and we can get some medicine into you and hopefully get you feeling better.”

Freddie looks up at Brian with eyes pooled with tears, partly from the pain in his head and party from the tenderness his boyfriends are showing him. “Are you sure?”

“Now, Freddie, love, if we can’t ask you if you’re sure, you can’t ask us,” John says, teasing and sweet. He runs his fingers over Freddie’s cheek to catch the few tears that fall.

“Oh, you poor love,” John coos. “Come on, Roggie and I will cuddle you while Brimi gets your medicine.”

Roger looks a little uncomfortable, scuffing the toe of his sparkly pink converse against the rug. “I don’t have to - I mean, you know, if you don’t - ”

“Oh, hush,” Freddie says, taking Roger’s hand and pulling him close. “You’re perfectly alright, my darling. No need to fuss. Leave that to Brian.”

Roger chuckles as he leans closer to Freddie. “Okay.”

“Come on,” John says, separating himself from the two of them to put his bass on its stand before taking their hands and leading them to the couch. Brian brings water and painkillers as they settle Freddie between them. When Freddie’s taken his medicine and finished the water, as per Brian’s instructions, Freddie lays his head on Roger’s lap. John runs a soothing hand over Freddie’s thigh and Brian sits on the floor facing the couch, gently combing his fingers through Freddie’s hair.

“Better?” Roger asks.

Freddie presses a gentle kiss to Roger’s leg. “Yes, my darling. So much better.”

forever taglist: @tv-saved-the-teenage-girl @hazah@dashlilymark@punkgeekchic @harrisunn @stephydearestxo@luckytrashgooprebel @someone-get-a-medic @chlobo6

#i hope you like it!!#i think it's pretty cute #maddie writes stuff!#poly!queen fluff #brian x john x freddie x roger #poly!queen angst #poly!queen fanfiction

21 notes · View notes

rememberthattime · 5 years

Text

Chapter 44. New Zealand

Back again! It'd only been three weeks since Chelsay and I returned from New Zealand, and although the South Island was one of our best trips ever, we felt like something was missing. Did we not have enough CookieTimes? Well, duh, but it was something else... Oh. That's right! We forgot to go to the North Island.

Having missed half the country, Chels & I decided we needed a Kiwi Trip Round II, but this time, we wouldn't be exploring alone. Our friends Pete & Megan joined our journey from real-life Hobbiton to Mt Doom. And so it began: the Fellowship of (adventu)Ring

Before getting to the North Island, I want to briefly mention a work trip I’d returned from only 2 days prior. My meetings were in Atlanta, but if I’m flying 17+ hours to the US, I’m stopping in Dallas. Now, my family had been in Sydney only 6 weeks before, but I hadn’t been home since August. That meant this “house (work) money” stopover was a long-awaited oppo for home-cooked meals, QuizTime by Matt, and board games with the whole fam (Mini Monopoly was the game of choice).

It actually worked out that Chelsay wasn’t with me this trip — see, we can’t play Monopoly together. Her strategy is to buy all the property, lose all her money, not allow me to trade her cash for property, then continuously mortgage the properties until I start paying rent. It’s a ruthless, bleed-out strategy! The winner is decided in the first lap around the board, but I think she enjoys watching me slowly die over the next 6 hours.

That was a tangent... Anyway, I had a great time at home, and am actually returning for another work trip in just a few weeks.

Back to NZ now. I returned to Sydney on a Wednesday, and we were flying out to Auckland that same Friday. I basically just stayed at the airport for the day and a half in-between... Actually, this would have been a viable strategy with Megan’s ridiculous credit card benefits: her perks got us ~$200 in free food! I have to admit: we were so distracted by the free food that we nearly missed our flight. Last ones on the plane!

We arrived in Auckland fairly late, and had a 2.5 hour drive to our first destination: scuba diving at Poor Knight’s Island. I was still jet lagged from the US trip, so hardly remember any of the ride up. Actually, the only thing I remember from that night is that we needed to wake up at 7:15 for an 8:15 dive check-in.

7:15 didn’t happen. I awoke to Peter announcing to the room: “It’s 7:47!” I’m not sure why he happened to wake up, but we were so lucky he did. Our phones hadn’t switched timezones, but thank god’s Pete’s internal clock did. Sleeping any later might’ve caused us to literally “miss the boat.”

We somehow made it to the dive shop in time, but this early AM rush was just the start of the day’s excitement. See, Poor Knight’s is considered one of the most diverse, most secluded, and most best (yeah I did) dive spots in the entire world. Don’t believe me? Well, Jacques Cousteau lists Poor Knight’s in his Top 10, which is like cracking Chelsay’s favorite piece of white furniture. My point: he knows what he’s talking about.

As explained by our Welsh skipper, Poor Knight’s is a now-deserted island that was once part of a 25 km-wide caldera (!). For reference, the ring of that volcano was the same distance from Seattle to Sammamish.

As we got closer to the island, our guide Juergen prepped us for the dive. What safety checks we need to do in advance, what different hand signals meant, which animals we’d see, which animals we’d see “doing it”... Wait what? We didn’t say anything at the time, but this was the first instance of Juergen’s weird and repeated references to reproduction.

Some would say Juergen over-prepared us for the dive - we now knew too much. Anyway, we geared up into our 7 mm cold-protection wetsuits, threw on extra vests and a hood for good measure, and hopped in.

A couple things to note here. First, although normally frigid, we had really lucky weather which warmed the island’s water temp to a very reasonable 20 C. This meant our 7 mm wetsuits were overkill, though I think the extra coverage helped avoid Juergen’s objectifying eyes...

Second thing to note: the 7 mm wetsuit is FAR more buoyant than the 2 mm we’re used to wearing in Manly. After our initial dive descent, I quickly experienced this difference, nearly blacking out as the buoyant suit pulled me up from 10m to 3m in just a few seconds.

It actually took most of this first dive to adjust... and to just remember how to scuba dive. It was bizarre, but an absolute blast to be back in the water after not diving since Indonesia 7 months before. The setting lived up to its billing as well, as hundreds of species, thousands of fish, and infinite seaweed swayed back and forth with the current. Specifically, on Dive #1, we saw a sting ray, eagle ray, several camouflaged scorpion fish, a group of orange spotted nudibranch, and one especially playful wrasse.

youtube

I felt far more prepared for the next dive, which was lucky because we spotted all of the big stuff on this trip. It turns out I’m pretty good at spotting things when (A) they’re big, and (B) I’m not blacking out like I did on the first dive. For Dive #2, we saw two eagle rays, a moray eel, and a massive sting ray. Megan, our group’s most experienced diver got pretty close, which provides reference for how big this thing was.

youtube

A few more things I’d like to remember from our dive day:

My scuba learning curve might have been slow, but Chelsay had zero trouble. I think it’s because of her unique technique. First, I’ve never actually seen her swim. Instead, she sort-of floats around like a dead person and let’s the current do the work. Second, she takes EVERYTHING in. Through a combination of the goggle magnification and her already big eyes, it constantly looks like she’s just seen a shark.

Poor Knight’s is really a great spot for diving. Beyond the fish and swaying seaweed, the setting itself is just really cool. 20m tall pillars, underwater ocean caves, and phenomenal visibility to take it all in.

As if the diving wasn’t enough, our boat (“The No Stress Express”) came across a pod of ~15 curious dolphins on our ride back to shore.

youtube

After reaching land, we had a five hour drive to that night’s AirBnB. This seems like a long trek (basically driving from Seattle to Couer d’Alene AFTER a full day of scuba diving), but our entire group was up for the journey. It’s rare but extremely lucky to have travel buddies equally willing to push for the perfect itinerary, but that’s exactly what Chelsay and I had with Pete and Megan: our mirror couple that prioritizes getting the absolute most out of their travels.

How else did we ensure we were maximizing our time on the North Island? Road trip Maccas and Cookie Time McFlurrys. Crumbly chocolate chip cookies coated in caramel sauce and mixed in a creamy “bucket” of soft serve. ...Juergen would’ve made an inappropriate joke about the word creamy.

Thanks to Johnathan van Ness teaching us “How to Treat Our Skin Like the Gorgeous Organ She Is” and Daniel & Jorge explaining “What is a multiverse?”, the five hour drive went quickly and we were at our AirBnB in no time. And what a unique AirBnB it was.

We pulled into the Big Bird BnB, where our lovely host Dotty stayed up late to show us our cottage. Dotty off-handedly mentioned her animals, which gradually led to us discovering she had entire petting zoo. This wasn’t just any petting zoo though... Dotty had a “collection” of MINI cats, dogs, cows, goats, rams, and horses. Note, not all of the aroused horse was tiny... Juergen would’ve been going nuts. This miniature collection went along with normal-sized animals: pigs, ostriches, emus, and snaggle-toothed alpacas. Damn Dotty, where’s the Ark!?

The exclamation mark on our bizarre but very pleasant surprise of a BnB was the breakfast: bacon and (ostrich) egg on toast, with kitten cuddles on the side.

We couldn’t have asked for a better start, but it was only the beginning of an adventurous day. Our first stop was the nearby Waitomo Caves, one of TripAdvisor’s Top 10 highest rated destinations in the world. ...between this and Jacque Cousteau’s dive spot, a lot of Top 10s in this trip already.

We’d signed up to essentially float through an underground cave on an inner tube. The catch: rather than head lamps, the caves are illuminated solely by bioluminescent glow worms.

After a brief introduction, we once again wetty’d up for cold, wet, damp, and unavoidable submersion. We followed our guides through the cave’s entrance, which was really just a crack in the ground barely bigger than my body. Once inside, the walls didn’t get much wider, though they got far taller. Navigating narrow passages towering as high as 40 feet, we sloshed through running water while descending deeper and deeper into the damp dwelling.

Now 50 feet below the surface, we’d escaped all natural light. The cave itself was wet, but we were also soaked after tubing through underground streams and leaping off several waterfalls. After a particularly splashy jump from a 6-foot ‘fall, our guide asked us to form an inner tube-train. Something was happening — we must have arrived.

The group formed a floating line, though with our headlamps on, we couldn’t really tell what the fuss was. This particular cavern looked like each room before: a long, narrow passage, framed be limestone walls and stalactite millennial (i.e. they took a millennium to develop. Not millennial like... instagrammers. No, not funny? I’ll try another millennial reference in a sec).

The guide asked us to turn our headlamps off, and the show began. The limestone walls and entitled millennial stalactites disappeared in the darkness, but the cave hadn’t quite turned pitch black.... Galaxies of tiny blue bioluminescent lights now consumed the cave’s ceiling above us. Layers and layers of overlapping blue light.

It didn’t seem real — more like an attraction at Disney. This is fake right? The rock is just hollowed plastic, and there’s a black light somewhere back there?

Nope, these lights were very real and (uh huh) very natural. See, the light is produced when underground worms create waste. Through evolution, the worm’s waste began to glow, which attracted and trapped more food. Nature!

The amazing thing is that these glow worms had been all around us, but were hidden by the light from our headlamps.

With all other lights off though, the worm’s shit shined. The sharp light from the cave’s ceiling softly reflected off the water below, illuminating the long passage of the otherwise black cave into infinity.

Shockingly, we were underground for almost 90 minutes, so our eyes had really gotten used to the dark. Exiting into the sunlight felt like leaving da clubz after an all-night bender... which I do often.

We were literally stepping out of a hole in the ground, which is a perfect transition to our next destination: Hobbiton. The fictional home to hobbits, where their homes are built directly into holes in the ground. Does a hobbit’s shit glow too?

The ride over was short but entertaining. First, the views. Having now driven through both the North and South Island, New Zealand’s landscape continues to amaze me. I don’t know how such a small country can have such diverse landscapes. It’s like the entire EU packed into a country the size of WYOMING. This particular drive reminded us of Ireland, with vibrant rolling green hills and a population of cows that far outnumbered the local humans.

Second point to note from the ride, our entertainment: Chelsay. Megan hadn’t seen the LotR’s series (c’mon Pete), but Hobbiton wouldn’t be the same experience without context. Don’t worry. There’s no one better to boil down a 9 hour film series than Chelsay. She should have her own show summarizing plot lines. I try to imagine what Tolkien would say if he’d heard Chelsay’s explanation of LotR... I’m sure he’d agree it was an Oxford-level literary lesson.

With our whole team now on the same page (book pun?) re: Hobbiton, we were ready to tour the fictional hamlet. Our guide for the day was Paul, who was truly living his best life. Describing Paul as “a big LotR guy” would be an undersell. There’s a 120% chance he dressed up as Gandalf for the movie premiers. We couldn’t have gotten a better tour guide though, as Paul’s enthusiasm was infectious.

Not only was Paul Middle Earth’s biggest cheerleader, but he clearly knew his stuff. As we perused the Green Dragon Inn or Bag-End, Paul shared insider stories from Hobbiton’s history.

Before filming started, Peter Jackson, LotR’s Oscar-winning director, had flown over this farmland and thought it would be the perfect Hobbiton. He landed his helicopter and approached the owner, asking if the farmer would allow a film set on his property.

Not hip to the fantasy fiction culture, the farmer rejected the offer and told Jackson that “he, his helicopter, and their Harry Potter magic riff raff could bugger off.” I’m paraphrasing.

That night the farmer told his family about the cooky Hollywood director. The farmer’s son (more hip to the fantasy fiction culture) saw LotR’s dollar sign potential and called his dad a “daft sod.” Dad called Jackson the next day and the rest is history.

EXCEPT NOT! After LotR finished filming, they tore the set down! The first trilogy wrapped up in 2003, and without further need for Hobbit holes, the farmer took his land back. Great. Except he was missing out on a huge tourist opportunity.

Luck again saved our fortuitous farmer friend though, as LotR was so successful that Jackson pursued a second trilogy, The Hobbit. The filmset was built back up, but this time, they didn’t tear ‘nuffin down after filming. Instead, they put up a sign that read “Nerds welcome,” and the tourist crowds came in droves. Our group included.

The set is genuinely a fairy tale. What used to be open farmland is now truly Hobbiton, with 39 (!) intricately detailed homes, each etched with hints of the occupant’s occupation. Florist, baker, village drunk. Led by fanatical Phil, we paraded through “precious” pathways (alliterative Golem reference), trying our luck at hobbit games like stilts, and quenching our thirst with brewed-on-site beverages.

The fairy tale hamlet was buzzing and jovial, but we had to get a move on because that night’s AirBnB was about two hours south.

The drive a stark contrast to Hobbiton as it included almost zero humans. I mean that in two ways: there was both a lack of civilization, and also everyone in the car fell asleep during my turn to drive. Daniel & Jorge were the only ones to keep me company, and they rambled on about small-talk-topics like whether the universe is random or chaotic.

Shockingly, we came across a small town closer to our AirBnB. Thank god because we’d finished all the car ride CookieTimes and I was hungry. There appeared to be only one restaurant in this town, and its name was Rust — not the most appealing description. With few alternatives, we shot our shot and the meal was a massive success. Massive is the key descriptor. These burgers needed a butchers knife to stay upright.

It was necessary sustenance though, as our hike the next day, the Tongariro Crossing, required all the energy we could muster (mustard? Burger pun? ...I’m tired and writing this from a 24 hr plane ride to London).

For a bit of extra energy, we slept-in the next morning and took our time with a tasty fried egg breakfast courtesy of Chef Pete. Unfortunately this slower start created a new risk. See, Tongariro is a 19 km one-way hike: you park at the trail-end, then take a shuttle up to the start. However, because it’s such a long hike, most trekkers start early so the shuttle only runs from 5 AM to 10 AM. We pulled into the lot at 10:08. Ohhhhh, pickles.

Luckily there was a man wearing an orange construction vest. He looked official, like a park ranger, but honestly he could’ve been anyone. We asked him if he knew a way to get back to the trailhead, and because he had a truck, asked if he could give us a ride. I don’t want to give this guy too much credit because I’m sure he’s perfected this with hundreds of sleepy-headed tourists, but the savvy SOB responded “You got cash?” Goodonya mate. This burly Maori man is in the middle of nowhere New Zealand, and he’s created his very own Uber for Idiots Who Slept In. I’m immediately recommending him to EY’s Entrepeneur of the Year program.

“Joe”, as he introduced himself, was actually a really nice guy. He offered to pull over for pictures, asked if we needed any sunscreen, and even told us about his family. He was proud that his eldest daughter had just shot three deer... which means he has guns... which means we weren’t pulling over for any pictures... actually we just want to get out of Joe’s truck asap.

The ride was quite long (30 minutes), so upon safe delivery, we thought we were being generous when we offered 40 AUD to Joerotorua (we were skeptical of his white person name so made up our own). Joe really had us by the balls when he responded “That’s all?” We played dumb, sheepishly smiled, and quickly exited.

Woo. I joke about Joerotorua, but he actually saved us. Our day could’ve been seriously sidetracked if he hadn’t helped-a-Hobbit out. Thanks to his entrepreneurial venture though, we ended up right where we needed to be: the Tongariro Crossing trailhead.

Now, Tongariro was actually a tough fit into our initial itinerary. When planning, we struggled to justify forcing this out-of-the-way hike into an already packed agenda... I mean, we’d already been to Poor Knight’s, Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, and Hobbiton. Was it really worth it? Let’s have a Googl-WE’RE GOING! It took about two Google images to realize this other worldly landscape was a must-do.

And so we set off, taking our first steps into the 19.4 km trek. The payoff was essentially immediate. Within the first few Ks, we were navigating towns of bizarre lava formations, trekking through Martian deltas under LotR’s Mt Doom, and conquering what we would later find out is called The Devil’s Staircase.

We were really lucky with the weather. As I write this, I’m not sure I even appreciate how lucky we were. Spoiled brat. This particular weekend, the traditionally hit or miss North Island was hit by and Aussie Heatwave (and I don’t just mean my sexy mid-length socks *wink*). But seriously, it was hot. 90 degrees. No shelter or shade. Walking on an active volcano. Like a desert mirage, the horizon shimmered into a sweltering haze.

Like Frodo and the Fellowship, we fought the dark powers of Mt Doom’s incline before reaching the trail’s saddle. From here, the 360 degree views were unbelievable. I specifically remember looking out at the perfect desolate symmetry of Mt Doom and thinking “This is crazy.” The I turned 180 degrees to see the otherworldly colors of an exploded volcanic crater and thought: “THIS is crazy!” Then I walked 100 yards to find sulfuric steam rising from emerald lakes located between Martian lava fields and I thought: “EVERYTHING is crazy!”

youtube

We stopped for some epic-LotR journey footage on Pete & Megan’s drone (aka Charles Lindbergh), before enjoying potentially the most picturesque picnic of my life. In terms of hard grades, the views were and absolutely unbeatable A+. Our entertainment was also 10/10: a super friendly Kiwi who showed us how to quickly descend the scree via skip (we called it the “graceful little prance”... or was it “graceful little prince”. It works either way). The only F grade: a sulfuric fart smell hanging in the air.

Now, Poor Knight’s, Waitomo, and Hobbiton (+ Dotty’s animal farm) all exceeded expectations. They were dope, but it was this track, the late add to the itinerary, Tongariro Crossing, that I’ll remember most from the North Island.

Mt Doom and our 19km hike through Mordor was truly a full-day activity. Following our eight hours on the trail, we had a two hour drive to our final stop of the trip, Rotorua (yes, of “Joerotorua”). By the time we arrived, the only sensible option was a second round of Maccas. Imagine how badly Frodo and Samwise would’ve wanted a CookieTime McFlurry after their own hike through Mordor.

We passed out *herd* (Chelsay saying “hard” in her hood voice) that night, but were surprising spry the next morning. It was our last day on the North Island, and Rotorua (aka RotoVegas... that’s not a joke) had plenty to offer.

We had three options for the day. First, street luge. Yerp. Second, redwoods. Yerp. Third, geothermal hotspots. Ehhhh. We decided to pass given we’d endured enough fart smells at Tongariro (...I’m also pretty sure Joerotorua let a rage-one rip after we shorted him with 40 AUD). Anyway, we decided to focus on the first two picks.

Stop one was the famous Rotorua Street Luge. This place was another adult playground... I’m surprised Queenstown didn’t have a street luge. Oh wait, they did? Makes sense. But the Rotorua version is bigger and better!

We decided one run wouldn’t be enough, so signed up for three. For the first luge, we went conservative in the intermediate lane. It was good getting a feel for the track, but once we’d raced to the bottom, we were ready for Expert.

It was here that our group became known to the locals. They started calling us the “Bomb Squad”... (They didn’t, but I’m retroactively adding it). Our four-person havoc wreaking, hell raising, Harry Potter magic riff raff group bombed down the track as we passed far more conservative Chinese tourists and liberally braking/highly offended families. They’ll forever remember the Bomb Squad. A couple other notes from the luge:

You actually go quite fast (up to 30 mph), and the Expert track dips to help you power through turns.

My stomach flipped a little as I pulled two wheels off the ground on one particularly hard turn.

I’m not sure Chelsay applied her brakes. Like, not once.

youtube

Like the real Vegas, RotoVegas was toasty, so our next stop was a welcomed reprieve: Rotorua’s redwood forests. After stepping out of the car to the parking lot’s sulfuric smell, we escaped from both the fart scent and the sun into the pine-y shade of the redwoods. It was here that we were able to reflect on what and action-packed four days it had been.

I’ve always said that the sign of a great trip is the ability to point to a memorable activity from each day. Well, damn. One day we went scuba diving in one of the top dive sites in the entire world, spotting horn-tailed sting rays and even hornier-tailed dive instructors. The next day we explored a seemingly fake glow worm cave, followed by a visit to a seemingly real-life Hobbiton. Then we trekked through Tongariro (aka Mordor... aka Mars... aka Joerotorua’s place of business). Finally, we wrapped up with street luge and big ass trees.

This isn’t even to mention the wonderful company Chelsay and I got to share. Sure, the itinerary delivered an amazing four days, but what made this trip truly special was spending it with our mirror couple Manly fam (aka the Bomb Squad).

youtube

0 notes

seasiawanderer · 7 years

Text

Chiang Mai: Oh my Buddha!

Sorry for the delay- we left but then I wrote this blog and deleted it -___- and then I got food poisoning so here we are.

Chiang Mai is one of those cities that is obviously so OLD it even has a moat and wall around it. (The wall only looks gold because of the lights they shine on it, though. I thought it was real at first.)

It’s one of those things you look at and think that whoever’s kingdom this was probably get would mad if they saw how much change has happened.

Also there was, of course more meat on a stick!

Besides the huge market, we ended up doing 2 day, 1 night “jungle trek”. My shoes needed a thorough cleaning after we were done because it was probably the most pathless trek I’d ever been on. Like, my foot got stuck in a rice paddy thing at one point. Thankfully the weather was great, and we stopped along a waterfall at the halfway point:

This is where we ended up staying. There was one toilet (Thailand toilet summary post coming soon!) that didn’t flush, and all of us on the trek shared a bamboo hut. Also the shower was the river nearby! It was pretty surreal being in the middle of the jungle like that. We all got our own little foam pad to sleep on and mosquito netting. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be!

After arriving, we watched our host cook food for us. Literally in the other bamboo hut, he made food with fire.

I’m not sure if it was because we were tired, but it was the tastiest potato curry (and other things I forget the name of) that we ever did have. {Louie is saying it was probably the best meal thus far.} Our tour guide said “It’s spider soup! Oh my buddha!” Ahahah oh my buddha.

After eating we bonded with the other tourists over how we got to be on this trek. Surprise! Everyone had been directed to travel agencies by tuk tuk drivers. Some of them had gotten scammed more mightily than us, and some of them even bought suits xD.

Now a word about elephants to get this off of my chest. Don’t do anything related to elephants or animals in general in SE Asia. Before leaving home, we were thinking we would go to an elephant sanctuary because elephants are cool, but we wouldn’t want to be enabling them being hurt or anything.

We ended up booking our elephant portion of the trip with Ms. Tum in Bangkok, and we decided we’d see how it is before going. Well when we arrived at our place in Chiang Mai, there were posters everywhere about how they were so good for the elephants and blablabla.

Fast forward to when they took us elephant riding. We got on only because the elephants we were seeing didn’t seem distressed at all. That was because we got the mad distressed one. It was the scariest part of the trip because our elephant wasn’t just distressed, it was MAD. I literally prayed the whole ride. Do you know what elephants sound like when they’re not. having. it? They sound like angry semi trucks turning on. None of that splashy trumpety elephant sound. It was horrifying because our elephant driver person kept yelling at it to keep going or stop running, etc.

Anyhow, we got off that elephant and decided that we had contributed to something cruel and sad, so maybe we’ll do a LEGIT sanctuary next even if it was super expensive.

Good that the bamboo hut we stayed at had an elephant sanctuary right next door! When we got there, we saw the elephant chained up and sad looking. They only released and fed them when the tourist groups came. When you look at reviews online so many of them say that they’re so good and ethical etc. But then you find the few that were observant enough to see which way or another was mistreating them.

Sad elephant eats. ^

On our way back, we went bamboo rafting. Little kids were nearby and kept splashing us with water.

Before leaving Chiang Mai, we had a free day in which we did a lot of walking and exploring. One of the places we stopped was this huge Wat (can’t remember name lol). There was a portion of it that I couldn’t go into because I’m a dirty woman apparently. And they made me wear this robe thinggy too.

But oh my buddha everything was so shiny. It reminded me of church but the deluxe version with all of the gold.

Creepy monk that I’m sure is very holy.

I think I would prefer these colorful temples over the solemness of catholic churches.

We also went to this cafe called ristr8to where they make Really Good Coffee, and serve it in test tubes or skull glasses.

We should have ordered hot coffee because apparently that’s their specialty, but oh well.

Finally, we went to the very top of another huge huge fancy mall with automatic butt sprayers in the bathroom! D:/:D.

And then off we went to Chiang Rai the next day.

#ohMyBuddha

2 notes · View notes

fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years

Text

SS18 Trend Report: All the trends you’ll be wearing in 2018

https://fashion-trendin.com/ss18-trend-report-all-the-trends-youll-be-wearing-in-2018/

SS18 Trend Report: All the trends you’ll be wearing in 2018

It’s time to get ahead and jump on board the trend train – here’s our ultimate guide to the SS18 trends from the catwalk

The Fashion Month dust has settled, we’ve finally emptied out our cases from Paris Fashion Week (still can’t find that missing earring, dammit) and the street stylers are back to Kira Kira-ing their breakfasts, instead of each other outside show venues. We’ve done our Spring Summer 2018 fashion trends research, and now we’d say it’s high time for some next-season wardrobe plotting. Let’s face it, it’s never too early to start that wish-list – especially if you want more than a hope in hell of getting your hands on that Gucci bum bag. So, what did we learn from the NY/London/Milan/Paris Fashion Week whirl?

We’ve got two words – Fashion Prozac. That’s right, after an epically depressing year for politics (and just about everything else), designers reacted in the only way they know how. With uplifting, colourful, joyous clothes that took us off into another universe. Kaleidescopes of rainbow colour, the yummy new sugared almond pastels, Versace’s Insta-breaking supermodel reunion, some pretty powerful 80s power dressing – and OTT texture and fringing galore. The message: the outlook might be a little gloomy right now, but at least we can dress ourselves happy…

Scroll on down for all the Spring Summer 2018 trends to know about

Summer fashion trends 2018: Crayola colours

Designers raided the Pantone colour chart for pulsating primary colours – tomato red made a strong showing, seen everywhere from Preen to Victoria Beckham. There’s cobalt, emerald green and bright yellow. See Balenciaga’s head to toe take – canary yellow dress, layered over a long-sleeved top in the same shade, and accessorised with matching platform Balenciaga Crocs – taking the prize for coolest/craziest *delete as appropriate * collab of the season.

Gestuz Women’s Ihara Skirt

Priced at £89.04, available at Amazon.co.uk/Fashion

Buy now

If head to toe brights aren’t your bag, there’s always….

Summer fashion trends 2018: Pastel colours

Delicate sugared almond shades have shaken off their Hyacinth Bucket connotations and turned themselves into a fashion statement. Preen’s standout show, inspired by saris and womens’ rights movements, was a masterclass in how to do pretty and powerful – with one-shouldered dresses and draped shapes in delicate shades of palest pink and green. The big news: lilac, that most Queen Mums-y of shades, is set for a major comeback. Buy a lilac bag now. Or have yourself a scoop of Neapolitan, like Celine’s cream and pink combo.

Caspia Linen Wrap Jumpsuit

Priced at £130, available at French Connection

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Puff sleeves

Princess Di and her late 80s heyday were a pervasive influence on some of the season’s key shows. Clearly the 20th anniversary of her death got Virgil Abloh thinking – he dedicated his entire Off/White show to her. And a fabulously unexpected treat from his normally streetwear-focused label it was. Puff sleeved jackets, high-waisted jeans, pristine white slouchy boots and big shouldered printed dresses. Claire Waight Keller’s debut show for Givenchy was a slick parade of strong, squared blouses in Working Girl-worthy graphic prints and teamed with cowboy boots. Meanwhile, at Saint Laurent Paris fashion week, Anthony Vaccarello brought all the Dynasty glamour for nighttime. The Power-Pouff – it’s a thing.

Topshop Tie Back Balloon Sleeve Blouse

Priced at £45, available at Topshop

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Check print

You think of checks as being strictly winter-only, but they’re making a convincing case for being spring’s It print. There were folksy ginghams at Loewe, sweet red and blue plaids at Alexander McQueen, beautiful bright shopper-bag checks at Mary Katrantzou and a whole show of them at Fendi – even down to checked tights.

Stradivarius Checked Snap Button Trousers

Priced at £29.99, available at Stradivarius

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Feather clothes

Fluffy marabou and ostrich fluttered across a whole host of SS18 – from Anthony Vaccarello’s feather-yeti ‘It’ boots at Saint Laurent to the twisted take on the trench that’s become John Galliano’s signature at Maison Margiela – this season is all about a gold brocade version with white feathers flying from the shoulders. It’s not rain-friendly, but we’ve got the new haute take on the rain mac for that…see below.

Feather-Embellished Wool-Blend Dress

Feather-Embellished Wool-Blend Dress, Christopher Kane

Priced at £1195, available at MATCHESFASHION.COM

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Fringing

Another iteration of the maximalist mood – major statement fringing, swishing across necklines, hemlines, bags…you name it. And these are no wishy-washy boho trims. The look isn’t so much haute-hippy as put-through-a-shredder. Car need a polish? No problem – just slip into one of Erdem or Calvin Klein’s dresses and shimmy away.

Summer fashion trends 2018: Beach clothes

Marc Jacobs said it best, with his mad mash-up of swirly prints, rainbow colours and turbans. Imagine the splashy, sun-drenched style of a 1960s Palm Beach socialite – Lilly Pulitzer, say – and then take it up a notch or three. Gucci’s Hawaiian-tropic print two-piece teamed with glittery gloves and a pile of necklaces is a case in point.

boohoo Scarf Print Off the Shoulder Midi Dress

Priced at £25, available at boohoo

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Suit shorts

Oh, shorts. So boring, so basic. Just lurking in the back of the drawer, only to be pulled out on holiday when no-one’s looking and all your sundresses are covered in ice cream. Or so we thought, but summer fashion trends 2018 already sees the rise of the Statement Short. Louis Vuitton’s silky boxer style, Saint Laurent’s high-waisted leathers, and a whole host of (are you ready) – Shorts Suits. That’s right – fashion-forward summer tailoring will finish at the knee.

Buttoned High-Waist Shorts

Priced at £35.99, available at Mango

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Wet look clothes

Wet-look, wipe-clean (oo-er), whatever you want to call it, the texture of the season is shiny. Christopher Kane’s black vinyl dresses and Balmain’s jumpsuits had kinky Soho vibes, while Mary Katrantzou and Calvin Klein were thinking more along the sporty waterproof lines, using plastic-coated nylon and drawstrings aplenty.

Wolf & Badger The Malaya Ruffle Skirt

Priced at £127, available at Wolf & Badger

Buy now

Which brings us neatly on to….

Summer fashion trends 2018: Transparent rain macs

Trust Karl Lagerfeld to create an entire ecosystem for the Chanel SS18 Paris show – building a French cliff scene inside the Grand Palais, with real live waterfalls and cascading streams for the models to stroll round. Climate change statement or practical fashion problem solving? Maybe both. Either way – we’re covered for spring showers. Transparent plastic macs, rain hats…we’ve never seen Karl so sensible. Other labels including Valentino also produced ‘It’ macs – we never thought we’d say those words.

Clear Vinyl Trench Coat

Clear Vinyl Trench Coat, Topshop

Priced at £65, available at Topshop

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Sportswear

Another face (more like North Face in fact) of the simmering 80s theme – Dad-tastic sportswear. That’s right, fashion fans – the shellsuit is back! Witness Gucci’s jaunty two-piece and Isabel Marant’s sexed-up tracksuit worn with high heels. The best way to carry off this trend – instead of looking like an escapee from a Soviet Olympic training camp, circa 1989 – is to dilute heavily. Take one shellsuit jacket and wear with something seriously sexy on the bottom. Or team the new sporty ‘dad’ trainers (see below) with a pretty summer dress.

Blue Limited Edition Colour-Block Chunky Trainers

Priced at £34.99, available at New Look

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Floral dresses

Summer wouldn’t be summer without a sea of florals and pretty dresses – and this season doesn’t disappoint. Prizes for the sweetest go to the Liberty prints at Chloe and ditsy florals at Loewe. There’s also a whole host of sheer loveliness to choose from when it comes to the perfect summer dress – if you’re not brave enough to wear with visible briefs on full display (a big runway trend), pop yours over a high-necked blouse and shorts, a la Emilia Wickstead.

Rixo Rose Abstract Daisy Blue Dress

Priced at £315, available at Rixo

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: Accessories

Now you know what you should be wearing come SS18, give your outfit an instant SS18 refresh with some key accessories These are the hottest trends to invest in…

Summer fashion trends 2018: Bumbags

Go all-out and channel your inner favourite 1980s fashion icons by investing in a bumbag or a chic leather belt bag, as seen at Givenchy

We all love investing in the best trainers out there, but for SS18 the clumpier the better. Think bright whites and hike-tastic trainers.

GG Marmont Quilted Leather Belt Bag

GG Marmont Quilted Leather Belt Bag, Gucci

Priced at £765, available from NET-A-PORTER

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: OTT earrings

The more your earrings resemble those seen on Pat Butcher, the better. This is the jewellery trend that won’t die right now, and it’s going to be even bigger for summer.

Brass Goldplated Venus Earring

Priced at £120, available at Anna + Nina

Buy now

Summer fashion trends 2018: The XL tote

The mini bag has dominated the last few seasons, but now the practical big bag is back with a vengeance…

Abella Tote

Priced at £145, available at Marri London

Buy now

And that’s a wrap on SS18 – and our bank accounts.

Time for a major wardrobe upgrade…

0 notes

playavacationblog-blog · 6 years

Text

Out and About in Ocho Rios

Slightly east of Jamaica's midline, the resort town of Ocho Rios is all white-sand beaches, turquoise waves and emerald hills. It's peaceful here and well suited for families, not least of all because it's accessible, appealing all year weather-wise and, thanks to the island's new network of highways, simple to reach. Travelers are catching on and love playing on beaches straight out of Caribbean central casting, knowing they are also just a few minutes away from dense rain forest, crystal clear pools and rushing waterfalls. Even the littlest adventurers can enjoy an early-morning catamaran cruise or a chairlift ride up into the mountains. Read on for how to explore this tropical playground that quietly keeps getting better and better.

http://endlessvacation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Jamaica-EV-V5-01-25.mp4

Lay of the Land

Your adventure begins on the way to Ocho Rios, as you zip along the coast-hugging Northern Coastal Highway from Sangster International Airport, only 62 miles away. The road passes through Trelawny Parish, whose mountainous backcountry is where retired Jamaican sprinter and world-record-setting champion Usain Bolt-known as the world's fastest man-grew up. Some locals say his speed is a result of growing up on a diet of Jamaican yams, a super-carbohydrate. If you pull over at one of the roadside stalls selling roasted yams cooked over an open grill, you can taste its sweet flesh for yourself, with a side of breadfruit or salted red herring or cod. There's a good chance the stall will also offer you a fresh coconut with a straw to wash it all down with before you press onward.

Once you've arrived, it's a short walk through a shopping and souvenir area from Turtle Bay Pier, where cruise ships dock multiple days a week, to the center of Ocho Rios (or Ochi, as the town is called), which is scheduled to debut a renovated Main Street and a new artisan's village later this year. Ochi is set in St. Ann's Parish, known as the garden parish because of its lush greenery and forests fed by rushing rivers and waterfalls. To take it all in and feel like you're deep in rural Jamaica, you need drive only a few minutes on Milford Road into the hills. Continue your tour by driving up the A3 through the magical Fern Gully. Just above town, the road becomes steep as it wends its way through sheer-sided hills crowded with dense green cover that turns even the sunniest of days dark. More than 300 varieties of fern, including iridescent tiger ferns, whose delicate fronds shimmer in tones of jade and purple, grow in the gully.

Roadside stalls sell wooden carvings and statues, and after three miles, the road pops out into the country town of Colgate, where you can either turn around and head back to Ocho Rios or continue on past the village of Walkerswood, where the tasty jerk marinades and hot pepper sauces of the same name are made, and to the bustling capital of Kingston, 40 miles away.

Go With the Flow

Ocho rios means “eight rivers” in Spanish, and of all the rivers that flow down the town's nearby mountains, Dunn's River leads to one of the area's most popular attractions: Dunn's River Falls (Belmont Rd.; 876-974-4767; guided tours, $20*; children, $12), a waterfall surrounded by a water park and craft village. If there's a cruise ship in port, you'll want to arrive when the gates open at 7:00 a.m. (gates open at 8:30 a.m. on non-cruise-ship days) to avoid the crowds. You'll get a good preview of the rushing waterfalls as you take the stairs alongside the falls down to a beach, where guides will organize you into groups of up to 12 people. You'll link hands and start up the falls themselves (water shoes and a decent sense of balance are a must), carefully climbing over boulders and pulling your companions up and through the water, with guides offering support. It's exhilarating fun, and reaching the top takes about an hour if you pause for lots of refreshing dips in the clear pools along the way. At the top of the falls, there's a café and a water park that caters to the littles (children must be at least 36 inches tall to climb the falls).

Just down the road at Dolphin Cove (Belmont Rd.; 866-393-5158; dolphin encounters, from $99; children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult), the entire family can either go for a thrilling swim with dolphins or stand in knee-deep water to get a kiss from one. The number of visitors is limited to ensure one-on-one time. For more splashy fun, Hooves Jamaica (Belmont Rd.; 876-972-0905; two-hour beach rides, $70; children 13 and under, $50; children must be at least 36 inches tall) runs horseback rides along the beach into the shallow waves.

To experience the coastline, you can ask your resort to arrange for a catamaran or a private boat to ply the area's translucent waves, past limestone cliffs and headlands covered in sea grapes, and stop at swimming beaches that catch your eye. Halfway between Ocho Rios and the town of Oracabessa is a tiny stretch that is great for a quick swim and snorkel (many catamaran cruises will provide snorkel gear, or you may be able to rent through your resort). Just around the next headland is Bamboo Beach (876-975-5122; admission, $11), outfitted with lounge chairs and a bar-slash-restaurant with live reggae.

Cap off your day of exploration with dinner at the always buzzing Miss T's Kitchen (65 Main St.; 876-795-0099; dinner for two, $60), whose bright dining room and new extension is tucked away in a garden. The history of Jamaica is reflected in the restaurant's cuisine, influenced as it is by many of the cultures who have lived on the island over time, from the Arawak people onward. Miss T herself makes everything fresh, from marinated fish to jerk chicken.

Mountain High

Adrenaline junkies love Mystic Mountain (876-974-3990; chairlift, bobsled and zip-line tours, $138; children 12 and under, $115)-even getting there is a blast. Hopping aboard the chairlift, you'll slowly ascend 700 feet until you're above the treetops. You'll have a bird's-eye view of the coast and Ocho Rios and can see the colors of the ocean turn from pale aquamarine to navy blue past the reef line. At the summit, you can have lunch at the café, which serves authentic Jamaican fare and tip-top views, and contemplate doing the bobsled or zip line next. The bobsled (a two-seater option is just right for small children) whizzes down the mountain on a fixed track, and you can go as fast as you can stomach. The zip line, meanwhile, traverses the forest canopy from platform to platform, high above the track below.

Afterward, consider visiting the Blue Hole, a deep limestone swimming hole in the hills south of town-either on your own or with a tour booked through your resort-or take a tube or bamboo raft down the White River to where it meets the sea at White River Bay. Calypso Rafting (876-817-8433; tours, from $25) offers outings. At the mouth of the river, schools of silver fish flash under the water while people swim and play music in the dappled shade.

History Lesson

It will surprise no one that the island's most famous resident was musician Bob Marley, who was born in the small town of Nine Mile, a 30-mile drive into the mountains, where the singer is buried at the Bob Marley Centre and Mausoleum (Nine Mile; 305-665-5379; admission, $19). What may is that Jamaica (a British colony until 1962) was home to one of England's most renowned 20th-century playwrights and composers, Noël Coward. His Firefly Estate (Firefly Hill Rd.; 876-725-0920; admission, $10; tours and afternoon tea available by appointment), about half an hour's drive from Ocho Rios, sits high above the town of Port Maria on a swath of land that was once a lookout for the pirate Henry Morgan. Coward entertained the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and the Queen Mother here until his passing, in 1973. A tour takes in the house and grounds, with sweeping ocean views from east to west and across to Cabarita Island, showcasing this part of Jamaica as the natural wonderland that it was then and is now.

STAY

RCI® affiliated resorts in Ocho Rios include:

Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa by UVC-4 Nights DD71

Spend the day by the rooftop pool looking out on Montego Bay, or at the Beach Club with its palapas and wait service. A59 Montego Freeport, Montego Bay Member Review: “The restaurants were terrific.”

Secrets Wild Orchid by UVC-3 Nights D541

Shares amenities with Moon Palace Jamaica. Lot 59A, Freeport, Montego Bay Member Review: “The staff was so friendly!”

Iberostar Rose Hall Beach DB89

Expect gorgeous beaches, vibrant gardens and ocean views. Rose Hall Main Rd., Montego Bay Member Review: Not yet rated

RCI® Tip

Did you know Jamaica is a popular cruise port? RCI® subscribing members can exchange their Points or a qualified Deposit and save toward the purchase of select cruises.** Visit cruiserci.com for more terms and conditions.

For complete member reviews (as member reviews have been condensed) and additional resort listings, visit RCI.com or call 800-338-7777 (Weeks) or 877-968-7476 (Points). Club Members, please call your specific Club or RCI telephone number.

Search Now

Non-RCI affiliated resorts in Ocho Rios include:

Hermosa Cove

A quiet nine-room boutique property in Ocho Rios with a private beach, Christopher's restaurant and bar and three recently added cascading pools. Hermosa St., Ocho Rios; 855-811-2683; hermosacove.com; doubles from $400 a night

The post Out and About in Ocho Rios appeared first on Endless Vacation.

0 notes