I went (briefly) to a a destination wedding on Culebra- a little island off Puerto Rico last weekend. I thought it would be a good warmup for my trip to Negril in 2 1/2 weeks.

Perhaps it was the harrowing ride on the catamaran (or as I like to call it "el barco de la muerta") through a storm with a 1/3 of the boat scared, 1/3 throwing up, and the rest blissfully inebriated. I realized we were in some serious stuff when the crew started taking pictures of the bigger and bigger waves tossing the boat around, and watching the captain getting increasingly nervous. Or perhaps it was the initial confusion and soaking wet luggage when we arrived at the destination only to find there was no staff and no easy access to rooms or food. Anyway it colored my impression. It did get better after we dried out got food and the sun came out in time for a lovely wedding. Lying on the beach always trumps sleety cold New England November weather.

While it was very nice and extremely laid-back and simple, it was very different. You had to plan ahead for food entertainment and transportation rather than it just showing up magically like it does in Negril. I missed the combination of relaxation and fun that I have only found in Negril. It lacked the vibe that keeps me coming back year after year.

As soon as I unpacked and did laundry I started to re-pack for the next trip.