An issue that’s cited often as an obstacle to Jamaica’s development is the lack of a comprehensive, reliable, affordable and safe transportation system – and good roads throughout the island.
This lack of an adequate system of transportation also prevents visitors, and residents, from getting around efficiently, and exploring off-the-beaten path locations unless they have a car, or can rent or hire one – usually at a cost that makes it prohibitive for the average person.
Enter the Knutsford Express. While the Knutsford doesn’t solve the island’s transportation problem, it is a welcome step.
Jamaica Gleaner photo
Launched in July 2006, the Knutsford Express skirts the coasts with daily departures from Kingston to Montego Bay and Negril with north coast stops in Ocho Rios and Falmouth. There are connecting buses for passengers who wish to continue to Negril.
Knutsford also provides once daily service between Kingston and Montego Bay with stops in the south coast towns of Santa Cruz, Mandeville, Savanna la Mar and Negril.
While there are mini buses that ply the Kingston-Negril route daily, they are typically overcrowded, uncomfortable and have no air conditioning. The Knutsford Express is, by far, the better option. It costs far more than the mini buses but at US$25 per person from Kingston to Negril, it’s good value. The company offers a discount for online and early purchase, senior, student, children and other fare options. The fare includes a complimentary bottle of water.
The company also offers cargo and courier services as well as private charters, and special excursions to music festivals and other events such as Reggae Sumfest, the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, and Rebel Salute. Unfortunately, the Knutsford does not operate in either of parish of Portland or St. Thomas.
Knutsford Express runs an efficient operation and have been on time on all of my trips.
I’ve always enjoyed the fall and this year, I get to spend part of it in New York City, one of my favorite places.
After being in Jamaica, where the temperature rarely dips below 70 degrees in most places, I have a new appreciation for the cool, crisp air that fall brings. You can almost feel the switch that comes as the last days of August usher in September and the frenetic pace of summer gives way to the gentleness of fall.
Here are a few of the fall activities that I look forward to doing.
1.West Indian American Carnival – This annual cultural extravaganza takes place in Brooklyn on Labor Day and signals the end of summer. Millions come out to prance and ‘wine’ and enjoy the vibrant celebration of West Indian culture.
Taking photos with the queen
2.Brooklyn Book Festival – Started in 2006 by Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, to give voice to the writers who call Brooklyn home, the BBF has since expanded to include writers from outside the borough. The festival, which is free, will be held on September 22nd at Borough Hall and other venues.
3.Wine Tastings – Each fall, we drive out to Long Island’s North Fork to meet friends for our usual wine country tour. We try to visit two or three vineyards and have lunch then drive back to the city. I’ve always wanted to check out some of the wine festivals in New Jersey, and might do that this year as well.
4.Broadway comes alive – Fall also means the new theater season begins on and off-Broadway. Here’s what I’m looking forward to seeing: After Midnight, The Glass Menagerie, Macbeth, Richard III, and Waiting for Godot.
5.Fall Fashion Week – Not just for fashionistas and big name designers, Fall Fashion Week is a chance to get a peek at they styles that will be in the stores in spring and check out the work of designers who’re not yet household names. Fall Fashion Week is on until September 12th.
Fall is not only about the turning of the leaves or the coolness in the air, it’s also the time I celebrate my birthday. The party lasts all month and usually involves a themed event, and a trip north to Toronto to celebrate with my friends from university.
This post is part of the fall blog carnival hosted by Patti at One Road at a Time. Be sure to check out what other bloggers have to say about fall.
This Friday Focus features world traveler and blogger, Dana Carmel. Dana and I ‘found’ each other through a post on my blog and discovered that we shared a connection to Westmoreland, Jamaica’s westernmost parish. You see, Dana met her husband and travel partner, Jave, in Westmoreland. They later married near Montego Bay. She’s been back to Jamaica several times and, in this interview, shares memories of her first and subsequent trips to Jamaica. Read on to learn more about her.
Dana & husband, Jave
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles although I lived in Panama for close to four years as a child when my dad was in the military. I’m a married law school grad working full time in contracts management for a multimedia company here in L.A., but I’m slowly but surely transitioning to becoming self-employed and traveling on a more consistent basis through my travel planning and tour operating business, Time Travel Plans. Travel, voluntourism, and writing are my life’s passions, and I’m looking forward to the day when I can pursue those passions full time.
How often do you travel?
I try to travel as much as possible with 1-2 trips abroad each year and some local California or domestic U.S. trips in between. Exploring my home state and taking trips within the U.S. holds me over until I can satisfy my foreign wanderlusts.
How do you decide which places to visit?
Well, it depends on who I’m traveling with. Time Travel Plans is the exclusive travel planner for all Passporters Expeditions (PE) which are annual volunteer trips abroad sponsored by Passporters – Live Don’t Merely Exist. So when there’s a PE trip, we kind of take a vote on where we should travel based on cost and the humanitarian needs in a particular country.
When traveling with my husband Jave, it really just boils down to affordability and how much time we can afford to take off from our jobs.
What brought you to Jamaica?
I was planning a destination birthday celebration for my 26th birthday, and I initially invited some girlfriends to Puerto Rico. Several months before our trip and before we’d booked any reservations, my brother and cousin who’d just returned from Jamaica couldn’t stop talking about their trip. They had such a good time on their “guys’ getaway” that I decided to switch my birthday “girlfriend getaway” from Puerto Rico to Jamaica, and I’m so glad I did!
Dana in Negril
What has surprised you most about Jamaica?
I didn’t know much about Jamaica before my first visit, so learning about Jamaicans’ rich history and culture was very surprising to me. Most of us black Americans don’t know our country, culture, or language of origin. So to go to Jamaica, a predominately black country, and to see the locals take such pride in their culture is so refreshing. I haven’t been to West Africa yet, but Jamaica reminds me of what certain West African countries might be like. My only hope is that Jamaicans will preserve their West Indian culture and values and not try to assimilate to Western standards.
What misconceptions or myths have you laid to rest?
You know, I don’t think I ever bought into any misconceptions or myths about Jamaica or Jamaicans. Some people think that all Jamaicans smoke weed and wear locks, but that’s just not true! I will admit that I’ve always thought that no one can dance quite like Jamaicans, and I have to say that it’s the truth! No one gets down on the dance floor like Jamaicans! I grew up dancing and I’m sure that even young Jamaican kids could outdance me.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve done here?
I married Jave who’s a Negril local! I call him my “Jamaican souvenir” – ha!
Tell us a favorite Jamaica story
Every trip changes my life in one way or another, but my birthday trip to Jamaica literally changed my whole world!
After landing in Montego Bay, as we drove from Sangsters International to Rose Hall Resort, I remember seeing a pickup truck full of Rastas with their dreadlocks blowing in the breeze. This was prior to all of the recent construction in St. James, so there was still a lot of greenery along the road to the resort, and our ocean views were blocked by all of the greenery. I remember thinking to myself, Maybe we should’ve gone to Puerto Rico.
We arrived at our resort early in the morning, so our room was nowhere near ready. The check-in clerk invited us to eat breakfast, and afterward, we all sat out on some beach chairs near the pool overlooking the ocean. Soon enough, we were all knocked out. It was the best sleep I’ve ever had in my life – mouth wide open as the wind gently cooled us. After checking in, we went down to the beach, and I floated on my back for a good hour or so and I literally felt all of my life’s problems and worries seep away. I’d never felt such a sense of peace except for when I was in Bermuda which also holds a special place in my heart. But I felt like I was at home in Jamaica, and one of my friends and I romanced the idea of quitting our jobs and moving there.
Tryall Club
My birthday in Jamaica was the most memorable. We climbed Dunn’s River Falls and spent the day in Ochi followed by a special dinner back at our resort. The next day we went to Negril to Rick’s Café and to Seven Mile Beach. As we were walking the beach, the beach hustlers kept harassing us to take a glass bottom boat tour. Once we negotiated the price down, we were game. There were two guides on the tour. One of the guides introduced himself as Jave. I told him that he had beautiful eyes, and he thanked me and smiled. Jave and his co-worker Steve took us snorkeling at the reef – scaring us with all sorts of weird-looking sea creatures from the reef.
After the tour and back at the beach, Jave asked me if he could have my phone number, but he didn’t have his phone on him. Not thinking that I’d ever actually call him or keep in touch, I programmed his number in my phone. As we walked away, I turned around and saw Jave leaning against the boat and watching us as we walked. At that moment, I had an uncanny feeling that this Jave guy would somehow be a huge part of my life, but I didn’t know how.
A few weeks after our trip, I came across Jave’s number in my phone and decided to give him a call. And the rest is history…
Name 5 of your favorite places to go or things to do when you’re on the island.
Sweet Spice (Negril) – As soon as we arrive in Negril from L.A. and once we’ve had a chance to freshen up, Jave knows that I have to stop at Sweet Spice for either their curry chicken or their lemon pepper chicken. My trips to Negril are incomplete without eating at Sweet Spice.
Seven Mile Beach (Negril) – This is my favorite beach in the world. Not because it’s necessarily the most beautiful (although it is a beautiful beach), but because it feels like home. Jave and I met on this beach and have spent countless hours there. Our favorite thing to do in Jamaica is to walk this beach. We used to dream about our lives on our Seven Mile Beach walks in the early stages of our relationship. We even got married at Rondel Village on this beach.
Blue Lagoon (Port Antonio) – The Blue Lagoon is beautiful yet a little creepy at the same time. With a mix of salt and fresh water, it’s unknown how deep the water is in the lagoon and the water is quite dark in some parts which means that it’s probably quite deep. When Jave and I visited, I asked him if he wanted to go for a swim, but he refused since he doesn’t swim in water he can’t see through.
Frenchman’s Cove (Port Antonio) – There’s a garden leading to Frenchman’s Cove, and as we made our way out of the garden to the mouth of the cove, I felt like I was in the Garden of Eden. Frenchman’s Cove truly looks and feels like paradise. There are even vines that you can swing from into the water!
Ketto (Westmoreland) – This is the community where Jave grew up and I definitely think of Ketto as my second home. I always tell Jave that it reminds me of an island-style “Little House on the Prairie”. Like so many communities in Jamaica, Ketto is a small neighborhood where a few families share the same yard and everyone knows everyone else’s business. In Ketto, you’ll be awakened by cocks crowing in the morning or by someone shouting your name from across the yard. Cold showers or outdoor showers, communal dining, and convenience stores run out of the front of people’s homes are common in Ketto as in most other rural Jamaican communities.
How do you balance work, travel, and your personal life?
I just try to keep things in proper perspective and prioritize God and family above everything else. Apart from that, travel is what balances me! I also samba to release stress. Samba is such a huge part of my life now!
Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m so proud that I’m forever bonded to Jamaica through Jave. When we finally decide to have kids, Jave and I are both committed to instilling them with a sense of pride by teaching them as much as possible about both their African-American and Jamaican heritage.
Dana Carmel is a world traveler, cultural explorer, and a community servant. When she’s not at her day job, she spends her time volunteering locally and abroad. Also, she spends a lot of time plotting travel adventures for her travel business, Time Travel Plans. Read about her volunteer and non-volunteer adventures around the world at www.TimeTravelPlans.net.
The Labor Day weekend means one thing to New York’s West Indian American community: the West Indian American Carnival! Now in its 46th year, the Carnival bills itself as the greatest carnival in North America. It is perhaps New York’s largest cultural festival.
The celebration of carnival began in the 1920s as a private event among the West Indian communities in Harlem. It became an official event in 1947, when a Trinidadian woman received a permit from the city to organize a street festival on Labor Day. In 1964, the city revoked the permit because of a disturbance at one event.
The festival resumed in 1969, in a new location – Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway – perhaps following the migration of West Indians from Harlem. It also had an organizing committee, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, which, under the 32-year stewardship of Carlos Lezama grew into the signature event it is today.
The West Indian American Carnival, 2013
Each year, the carnival kicks off on Thursday with a music festival, featuring some of the region’s popular entertainers. On Friday, there’s a Youth Fest and a Brass Fest; and a Junior Carnival Parade and Panorama Steelband Competition on Saturday. Fat Sunday (Dimanche Gras) features the winner of the steelband competition as well as the king and queen costume winners.
Taking photos with the queen
And on Labor Day Monday, the activities come to a grand finale with paradewhich attracts elected officials – the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, has been the grand master for the last several years – business leaders, members of the Caribbean diplomatic corps and between one and three million people. They line the Eastern Parkway parade route from Schenectady Avenue to Grand Army Plaza enjoying Caribbean food, the many floats, costumed bands, and the sounds of Soca, Reggae, Zouk, Kompa, Salsa and Calypso.
Watching the Junior or Kiddie Carnival
Like most West Indians, I look forward to carnival and have spent many a Labor Day on the Parkway. Had it not been for my not-totally-back-to-normal-ankle, I would have been there this year. The junior carnival was a good compromise as I’d never been and I was curious to see the youngsters do their thing. Yes, carnival is not only for the adults.
Junior Carnival
It was nearly 2 pm when I arrived at the Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum station. As I exited the subway, I was surprised to see several parents and their costumed youngsters waiting to board. Was the carnival finished?I was relieved when one mom said her daughter had already performed and they were going home to rest. Outside the station, more people were sitting on benches near the museum’s entrance or milling around.
I followed the sound of soca music to the area behind the museum where the carnival was taking place. There were food vendors, face painters and people, lots of people, flags waving, flags tied on their wrists, or dressed in the colors of their respective flags. There was pride and excitement in the air.
There were only a few bleacher seats and they were already taken so I joined a group of people standing partially under the shade of a large tree. But I was so far back, I could hardly see the stage when the different camps danced and paraded before the judges, without raising myself on to my toes – something I could have done easily pre-accident. I was lucky to get a few photos. I’ll just have to get there earlier next time.
Linking up this week with Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes.
Jamaica produces about 95 million coconuts each year – a large number of which is consumed locally. The mature fruit forms the basis for confectioneries such as grater cake, gizzada, and drops that are popular among Jamaicans. These coconut treats turn up in grocery shops, in the baskets of itinerant food sellers and on fancy tables.
Pink topping
A few weeks ago, I attended an event and was pleasantly surprised to see grater cakes among the sweets on the dessert table. Grater cakes are made primarily of sugar and grated or shredded coconut with a little almond essence. It’s relatively easy to make and perhaps because it’s mostly sugar, satisfies the sweet tooth.
Granny is
fried dumplin’ an’ run-dung,
coconut drops an’ grater cake,
fresh ground coffee smell in the mornin’
when we wake. – From the poem, Granny is, by Valerie Bloom
In the old days, we made grater cake with wet sugar, which is raw or unrefined sugar, also called Muscovado sugar. Wet sugar isn’t as popular as it used to be so now we use granulated (white) sugar.
How to Make Grater Cake
Ingredients
3 cups dried or shredded coconut
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon almond essence
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red food colouring (optional)
Directions
Peel off the outer layer (brown portion) of the dried coconut, wash, grate and set aside.
Combine grated coconut, granulated sugar and water in a pot and put to boil. Reduce to medium flame, mix in the almond essence and the salt. Stir constantly until mixture thickens.
Remove a 1/3 of the mixture and add a small amount of red food colouring to give a delicate pink colour.
Scrape remaining coconut mixture into a greased casserole dish and spread evenly.
Spread the pink coloured coconut evenly over the white mixture.
Set aside for 25-30 minutes or until sufficiently cooled.
Cut into squares and serve.
Recipe from gracefoods.com
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