Trystan's POV:
I really hate air travel these days. It's crowded and cramped and always uncomfortable. Try this after one of the longest, busiest, most tiring days of your life!

It started okay though. An hour after the wedding ended, the limo picked us up to take us to SFO. Well, first they sent the wrong kind of vehicle (a Lincoln town car) a half-hour too early, so Thomas called to complain. Then they sent a 10-passenger stretch limo -- just what we wanted for a No Way Out style pleasure ride!

Unfortunately, our 10pm flight to Miami was delayed by nearly two hours. I was soooooooo tired, I started falling asleep in the waiting area. Finally we got on the plane and zonked out with the headphones on to the in-flight classical station. We had four hours of fitful sleep, then had a three-hour layover in Miami International Airport. That place seemed more like a foreign country than Jamaica did! Of course, that could have just been me being extra cranky. My stomach wasn't too happy for most of the trip -- not motion sickness, just leftover tired stress from the preceding few days. The only good thing about the Miami airport was the Cinnabon, which led to the big in-joke of the trip: "I shall call it ... Mini Bon."

Miami to Montego Bay, Jamaica, was another two less-than-comfortable hours. We finally arrived, and were treated to a troupe of Jamaicans singing as we waited in customs. Nice touch, especially since the airport is pretty short on amenities. We had to trek all around the airport to find the Air Jamaica Express flight to take us into Negril, then wait another hour. I was so incredibly anxious to not travel anymore that day!

The flight to Negril was on a miniature turboprop plane holding a dozen people, all crammed into a tiny, noisy, hot little space. We sat right behind the pilots, and had a full view of the cockpit, which was kinda neat and totally made me think of our friend Chad, a pilot. We also had a stunning view of the coast all during the 15-minute flight. People say the drive to Negril is harrowingly bumpy and rough, but the flight isn't all that smooth either. In such a tiny plane, you feel every air current and every bit of turbulence is magnified. Not for the easily nauseous.

The Negril airport is nothing more than a crowded shack, where we were able to find a taxi quite fast. Negril is crawling with white Toyota minivans and station wagons that want to take you anywhere. Don't be surprised if your driver is the first one to try and sell you ganja too. We soon lost count of how many people tried to sell us pot on this vacation.

on to Part 2