Travel Review: The Caves, Jamaica

Anyone else ever been to an all-inclusive resort? We have always been very hesitant because food quality at AIs is typically sub-par, drinks are watered down, etc. Before the Caves, we had only ever been to one - a nice place in Playa del Carmen where, fortunately, the food was actually quite good.

The Caves, on the other hand, is not to be compared to other AIs, or any other resort for that matter. Consistently featured as one of the best hotels not only in the Caribbean, but the world - we had to check it out. And we were absolutely blown away.

With only 11 private, secluded guest cottages on the property, Caves is ridiculously peaceful and very romantic. We chose Two Birds and I couldn't have been happier with our room. I love the shabby-chic island style and the outdoor shower, the book and music selection, the minibar constantly stocked with Red Stripe, wine, rum, water, and snacks, and every other small detail that makes this places wonderful. The staff are some of the best. Whatever you want or need, they're happy to help. No staff at the bar/lounge areas? No problem. Just help yourself to any and all of the liquor, mixers, and whatever you find behind the bar. How fun! And if you happen to see Glen, ask him for a mudslide with coconut rum. You won't be disappointed.

The property is breathtaking. We, like others visiting Caves for the first time, were a little concerned about not having a beach. (Hence our first two nights in Jamaica at a beach resort - WOW, Negril is gorgeous.) Believe me, five minutes on the stunning cliffs and you'll forget beaches even exist. Jump into Blue Hole, right down into the cave. Kayak through and around. Snorkel over the reef. Jump the 10, 20, or 30-foot, and stop to chat with Paul before he dives - seriously one of the coolest people I've ever met. Pick a room with an outdoor shower and enjoy the sunlight peeking in through the trees. Relax in the pool after you've gotten your morning exercise. Enjoy your candlelit cave dinner - go for an open cave and marvel at the way the sea crashes right there in front of you. Jump into the outdoor jacuzzi after dessert.

Definitely book some kind of spa treatment at the small Aveda spa. After customizing the menu for our five-course cave dinner (the five-course part was a promotion), the staff realized that we had picked a menu very similar to what the next day's dinner would be. Not wanting us to have two similar meals during our stay, they apologized profusely and sent us to the spa for complimentary sugar scrub massages.

!?!?!??!

Wow. High above the ocean under a thatched roof, listening to the waves... the spa really is a must.

Speaking of dinner, we were served some of the best food I've ever had in my life. Kingfish and red snapper  were my favorites. That red snapper was to DIE for. For breakfast, there are a ton of things to choose from - you can have anything from a traditional Jamaican breakfast to pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, roasted potatoes, and on and on. But not before your first course of fresh fruit. :) I cannot compare the morning breeze, looking out over the crystal-clear water, and the sensation of delicious flavors and smells to anything else. Lunch is always 3 courses - salad or soup (best vegetable soup I've EVER HAD!) followed by something crazy good, followed by desert. Same with dinner. They will always offer two choices, but just in case you're really hungry (or you want to sample everything, which I almost always did), you can have them both. :)

The Caves was such an incredible experience that we're thinking of ditching our future plans for Turks and Caicos and Anguilla in favor of more time at Caves. It was, in a nutshell, absolute perfection. And we will definitely be back.

My vegan experience, my ultimate decision, AND my first vegan muffins!

This past week, with the exception of a single slice of cheese (rote habit when making a veggie burger, I didn't even notice until I was halfway through!), I took veganism for a test-drive. I already abstain from beef and pork (see previous post about animal cruelty, my own personal thoughts on intelligent animals, etc.), but to give up milk? Eggs? Chicken?! CHEESE?!

The main reason for my vegan trial was desperation. I've been battling some of the worst chronic pain I've ever had (second only to my bout with TMJ). Sinusitis is the potential culprit, but the ENT I recently saw said that the blockage showing up on my CT scan - the one causing horrendous pressure behind my eye, in my face and through my inner ear - may be a cyst. For now, I can only treat the symptoms and try to minimize sinus inflammation/irritation.

I've been told for decades now that a dairy-free diet is better for chronic sufferers of sinus problems. But, being the cheese-lover that I am, even my lactose intolerance could not persuade me to eliminate dairy. Several weeks ago, however, I met a couple who made me think twice. They were staying at The Caves in Jamaica, and since there are only 11 guest cottages, Caves is the kind of place where you make friends. As almost all of the guests are strutting around in their swimwear from sunrise to sunset, I was able to admire both of their finely chiseled bodies - wrinkle-free - practically no body fat - and was convinced they were maybe a few years older than Tad and I. And man was I inspired to hit the gym when I got back home.

Anyhow, as it turns out, this couple were in their FIFTIES. I literally didn't believe them at first. They are both committed vegans who shared their stories with me and encouraged me to look into it. Still I was skeptical. Despite all the research showing that a plant-based diet can significantly decrease the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, etc., and despite my desire to become more cruelty-free, I didn't think I'd ever be able to give up dairy.

A few weeks later I'm using oat milk on my cereal and replacing butter with canola oil, just to see if my symptoms decrease even slightly. I can't say that I've seen a huge improvement, but I can say that it's been much easier than I thought it would be. I realize that humans are omnivorous (out of basic nutritional necessity), but my long-time aversion to consuming the dead flesh of something that had a mother has inspired me to really weigh the pros and cons of a vegan lifestyle. Aaaaanddd....

I've decided that it's not for me. (I know there are people out there saying, "Well duh. Humans need meat to survive. And besides, if we all stopped eating meat and animal products, the food chain would be severely disrupted, there'd be an ecological disaster..." etc.) While those things may be true, the way in which we produce these animal products is disturbing and damaging not only to the environment - it cuts food production nearly in half. Do the research on how many people we could feed by switching over to more grains and vegetables. Do some more research on the process by which a dairy cow is used for her milk (including the taking away of her calf after only a few days - dairy calves are used for veal; forced pregnancy; an alarmingly shorter life span... I could go on forever). Look into how beef cattle often wake back up during the final stages of slaughtering. Peer into the cages on a poultry farm and watch them suffocating, crowded next to a million other chickens competing for space. I know, it sounds like I'm contradicting myself - why on earth would I not go vegan given all of these horrific facts? Not to mention the way big agribusiness has taken pollution to a whole new level?

Because a plant-based diet is not entirely sufficient. It truly isn't. Yes, there is protein in soy (but be careful, non-organic soy is often genetically modified... too much soy can actually hinder your ability to take in essential nutrients from other foods, etc. etc. etc....), but non-animal protein just doesn't cut it. In fact, vegan moms who nurse their kids don't pass on enough nutrients to their children. Let's not stop there, though; sadly, there have been (I think it's 4 now?) cases in which infants whose vegan parents fed them soymilk/apple juice and only plant-based foods have died of starvation. And yes, some of their parents were charged with murder, manslaughter, and/or cruelty. First-class proteins, as they're called, are absolutely essential for proper nutrition. And all of them are animal-based.

So... what does all this mean for me personally? I've come to the conclusion that I can keep it cruelty-free, cut back my risk of disease, and still get my first-class proteins. By eating only local, organic, free-range eggs from small farms and fresh, wild-caught seafood, I can avoid contributing to the suffering and inhumane treatment of animals. If the day ever comes in which humans are once again hunter-gatherers instead of mass farmers, I may eat me some steak! But, since it's highly unlikely, salmon and frittatas will do for now. I'm also committing to no dairy. Regardless of the cruel and disturbing way by which milk is mass produced, cow's milk (especially today's hormone-laden cartons) isn't all that healthy for adults. So, no cheese or ice cream for me.

I'm excited to supplement my diet with more creative options, such as black bean burgers and coconut-milk ice cream. In fact, I tried a vegan recipe for pumpkin muffins today, and they are deeeelicious. :) Unfortunately I'm out of pure cane sugar and had to used refined sugar, which I've been trying to avoid, but I made some modifications (cut the sugar to less than half, used only one T. molasses, added 1 tsp. of vanilla, used whole wheat pastry flour instead of refined white) - and I was quite happy with the results. I will be eating these suckers for breakfast. Thank you, Post Punk Kitchen, for the base recipe:

http://www.theppk.com/2009/11/the-best-pumpkin-muffins/

Doctors and Specialists and Copays, oh my!

Anyone else ever had a really hard time finding the right doctor?

Let me open with a little story from 2003:

I had fallen on some ice the year before that, landing on the small of my back. (Yikes.) After taking a management position at a local cafe, I found that working on my feet for 12 hours and lugging gallon after gallon of milk to the front refrigerator was agitating what already hurt like hell. X-rays were inconclusive, so I was referred to a neurologist chauvinistic, androcentric jackass of a neurologist. Now, I had gained 30 pounds in three short months on a high dose of ortho tri-cyclen, and was the chubbiest I've ever been in my life. But was the following really necessary?

He comes in, flips my chart for 10 seconds, takes a look at me, and has a seat. He then proceeds to tell me that his girlfriend is my height and weights 105, that I'm "obese," and that I really should lose weight before trying to figure out "what's going on with my back." Never mind that I had injured it in a fall (and would find out seven years later that it was probably the beginning of my compressed disc); never mind that he was a professional, or that I was in great pain, or that I had paid a small fortune in copays to finally be referred to and to see a neurologist (according to my primary care doctor at the time, the only specialist who could've helped me at that point).

...Seriously? It's also worth mentioning that my primary care doctor at the time was so overwhelmed with patients that every time I'd go in for an appointment, my MINIMUM wait time was an hour. No joke. Luckily, thought, I had (and still do have) a great GYN - Dr. Bellantoni manages his patients very well, always takes the time to talk with me about everything I need to know, and I trust the man (he performed surgery on me). Since then I've switched my primary care doctor and I now see someone who is punctual, professional, and can still take the time to explain things to me. He's also the type who, when I go in and tell him my symptoms, he'll ask things like, "What antibiotic usually works best for you?" instead of dragging me through trial after trial of this and that. He also knows that if I'm there, it's because I'm extremely sick - no pamphlets on "the common cold" or "If it doesn't get better in 7 to 10 days, come back and see me." It's yep, you sound AWFUL - let's get you started on something right away. He's also been very patient with me lately as I started seeing him in May for my head pain, was referred to an ENT, had no luck there, and came back to him instead of a repeat visit to the specialist. Let me tell you, if I'm paying a total of 70 bucks to first see my PCD for a referral and then visit a specialist, it's because I'm in tremendous, unbearable pain - so the casual way in which the first ENT approached my problem and his lack of aggression to combat my pain and solve the issue was a red flag. My doctor was very understanding about my disappointment regarding the specialist and was promptly writing me a new referral to someone else.

So, what's the point of this post? Just to get the word out there that if you're not satisfied with the doctors or specialists you see, don't be afraid to shop around. I know the quality of care is going to decline steadily once the Health Care Reform kicks in (provided no one stages an anti-socialist revolution), so you might as well find some excellent doctors now while they're still around. I took a look at how much money I spend on health insurance each year and realized, hey, I'm the consumer here. I deserve a good experience. I deserve a health care provider who a) knows what he/she is doing, b) has people skills, and c) wants to solve the issue instead of just treat the symptoms with  the same meds while the real problem never goes away. Same goes for the office staff - if I'm being treated as a nuisance for calling to make an appointment at a busy time, forget it.

Other than the horrendously unprofessional EMTs who drove me to the ER when my back went out and I literally couldn't walk or feel my legs - the same guys who insisted that I could walk and that it "couldn't be that bad" (why, because 26-yr-olds don't get compressed discs?!) - I feel fortunate to have some degree of control over my health care, and am wise to exercise that control whenever possible. I can't pick and choose who helps me in an emergency, but I'm definitely going to make sure that I'm in good hands otherwise.