The Jamaica Visitors Rarely See, II
I love road trips and in December, I took a few which brought me into the interior of Jamaica. Here are a few photos of what I saw.
We left early on the morning of the first trip. The air was fresh and cool and as the sun grew higher above the St. Elizabeth hills, it began to burn off the mist that had covered the mountain.
Morning near Spur Tree
Rising more than 2,000 feet up the Don Figueroa Mountains in Manchester, Spur Tree Hill offers breathtaking views of the lowlands of St. Elizabeth and Manchester. Spur Tree got its name from the ‘spurs’ that were thrown out by the giant cotton trees that used to grow in the area. The undulating terrain in the middle marks the distinctive Cockpit Country.
View from Spur Tree Hill
Alumina has been mined in St. Elizabeth since 1953. This factory at Nain processes 2 million tonnes of alumina each year.
View from Spur Tree HIll
The sticks in the middle of this field are used for growing yams, which Clarendon produces a lot of. The fertile soil also yields sugar cane, bananas, coffee, cocoa, citrus, and pimento. This was the first time I saw the land my paternal grandparents called home – and it was beautiful.
Clarendon
Clarendon gets the lowest annual rainfall of any parish but on two different trips, buckets of rain fell. These two photos were taken on the same trip almost at the same spot — notice how thick the clouds became.
Clarendon
We spent a day at the Hanover farm of a family friend and came away with fruits and vegetables. Hanover also produces coffee, citrus, yams, sugar cane, rice, breadfruit, turmeric.
Hanover
One of two sugar factories in Trelawny is Trelawny Sugar (almost everyone still call it by its old name, Long Pond). Besides sugar and rum, Trelawny produces ginger, turmeric, coconut, bananas, pimento, and yam, among other items.
Driving through Trelawny, near Clark’s Town, it’s hard to miss Long Pond Estate. I stopped abruptly when I saw this house that the sun had bathed in a golden hue — it might have been the residence of the estate manager — but it was beautiful.
Long Pond Estate, Trelawny
I’ve driven on this road through Long Pond’s cane fields but this was the first time I really took in this view.
Long Pond Estate, Trelawny
This is my submission to Travel Photo Thursday, which is organized by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.
This week, I’m also linking up with the Friday Daydreaming series organized by Becca at Rwethereyetmom. Hope to see you there!
About Marcia Mayne
Marcia Mayne travels a world full of books, music, art, fun people and great food. She raves about them constantly. Currently, she is journeying through Jamaica, her home country, to discover the places she missed.
HI Marcia:
Thanks for taking us on this picturesque road trip. I absolutely love the untouched beauty of the greenery and the sea. Thanks for the tour. Happy Adventures.
klassikurvz recently posted..Daily Prompt: Toot Your Own Horn
You’re welcome. Thanks for coming along with me.
Beautiful place to visit
I love the landscape…
Muza-chan recently posted..Originally shaped Ema at Fushimi Inari Taisha
Thanks, Muza-chan!
Twitter: worldbooktravel
says:
Thanks for showing us this more green part of Jamaica. Love learning about all the fresh bounty that grows there. That Long Pond Estate house is beautiful and no wonder it caught your eye.Beautiful views, Marcia!
Mary recently posted..Visiting the Viking Ship Museum in Denmark
You’re welcome, Mary. I love this part of Jamaica as much as I love the beach.
Glad you like it too.
Twitter: pen4hire
says:
I’ve seen suggestions before that one should see the interior of Jamaica. I can see why. Partiuclarly love that estate house. You have a knack for finding interesting architecture!
Vera Marie Badertscher recently posted..Reader’s Choice: Best of Last Year’s Travel Photos
Thanks, Vera. I love the old buildings. Wish we could duplicate them — some were very well built.
I absolutely agree — the interior is quite beautiful.
Twitter: avgtraveller
says:
I have to be honest that I’ve only been at the cruise ship port. One day I’d like to explore more of the island. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you get a chance, one of these days, to explore more.
Twitter: vangrizz
says:
Love the last shot. It feels like you could just drive off into the horizon…or the ocean. Whichever comes first.
Steve recently posted..The People You Meet in the Elevators of Hyatt Olive 8
Hmm, might be the ocean. Either one would be fine though, right?
Twitter: vagabond3live
says:
Long Pond Estate looks lovely- would really like to see more of the Jamaica that I’m sure visitors don’t see often. Great photos!
jade recently posted..SUP Yoga in Maui
Thanks, Jade! It’s a great estate. It has the feel of a different time and place.
Twitter: www.totsymae.com
says:
Beautiful photos. I was mesmerized by the last one. Something mystical and haunting about it. You must be really kicking your heals up after a long stint in NY. I am so hating on you right now.
Oh sorry, Tots! I didn’t mean to make you hate me.
So, just come for a visit, why don’t you?
Glad you like the photos. That one has me mesmerized for sure.
What a lovely trip Marcia. So much produce, what a delight! Trust you to break the drought.
And that house! Spanish influence? I wouldn’t like to carry the groceries up those stairs.
Hakea recently posted..being a role model
Jamaica grows quite a lot of produce on large and small farms — some of it is exported and we eat the rest.
It does look like it could be but I’m not sure. Doing a little digging to find out more. I think they might have an entrance on the ground floor so you wouldn’t have to carry anything up the stairs. Besides, I’m sure they’d have servants to do all that!
Twitter: travelnwrite
says:
Oh I love \’insider\’s tours\’ even if they are from the armchair. (Just wait – one of these days I hope I\’ll be taking one in person with you!)
Thanks, Jackie. I’d love to have you along on one of them!
Twitter: atasteoftravel
says:
Jamaica often seems to be all about the beach so it was interesting to read and see the interior of the island.
jenny recently posted..The Roman Ruins of Jerash
You’re right, Jenny. We’ve done a really great job of marketing the beach but the interior is quite beautiful.
Twitter: rwethereyetmom
says:
Gorgeous photos – you have completely sold me on the need to visit Jamaica!
Love the last one!
Becca recently posted..5 Fun Things to Do on Martin Luther King Day
Thanks, Becca. The interior of Jamaica is quite lush and beautiful but most visitors stay in the resort areas to have access to the beach.
Twitter: hikebiketravel
says:
What a lot of lovely photos. What’s with the sticks and yams? I thought they grew underground or are they markers. I love the look of Hanover.
Leigh recently posted..Otavalo: One of the Best Places to Visit in Ecuador
Thanks, Leigh!
The sticks are for the vines. The yam’s underground and the vines are above on the sticks. Not sure if that’s for sunlight or air or both.
Yes, Hanover is quite lush and beautiful.
Twitter: GoneWithFamily
says:
Such a beautiful place, Marcia! It seems that visitors don\’t see some of the most beautiful parts of the island. I had an interesting discussion with a friend last night about whether it was safe to visit Jamaica. She and her family spent a week there last month and she never felt that safety was an issue. They stayed at an all-inclusive (which they weren\’t crazy about) but went on several excursions and thought the island was beautiful. She says that they have been many places where she did worry about their safety but Jamaica wasn\’t one of them.
I’m glad and relieved to hear that, Lisa.
The last thing I want to hear is that visitors don’t feel safe.
Twitter: elizobihfrank
says:
You are such a wonderful ambassador for Jamaica… Great shots.
ElizOF recently posted..Inspiration: Acceptance…
Thanks, Elizabeth. Glad you like the shots.
Twitter: artisdiary
says:
Gorgeous views from atop the Spur Hill and the Pond Estate architecture is amazing too. Would have loved to see it from inside. Have a wonderful day Marcia
Arti recently posted..Kofukuji temple in Nara, Japan
Whenever I travel around Jamaica, especially up in the hilly areas like Spur Tree, it’s the views I look forward to seeing.
Thanks, Arti. Hope you have a great day too!
Twitter: Laurel_Robbins
says:
Beautiful Marcia! Definitely not what I picture when I think of Jamaica. I love seeing the less touristy side of places.
Laurel recently posted..Travel Blogger’s Top Travel Destinations of 2013
Thanks, Laurel. Glad you like seeing the less touristy side.
Twitter: usedyorkcity
says:
What a wonderful trip! I love the Long Pond Estate House, it looks like something you would see right out of a film!
Jess recently posted..Here’s The Story: Free Laughs On The Lower East Side
Thanks, Jess. It is a beautiful house that could definitely be in a film.
Very lovely photos. Such wonderful gifts of nature.
Thanks, Sarah. Glad you like them.
Twitter: theworldofdeej
says:
Great stuff…Jamaica is a country where I’ve only seen what the cruise ships deem worthy. Would be great to get off the tourist path and explore some of these spots!
In fairness, the cruise ships only spend a day at most. You’d need to spend more than a day to see a lot of these places.
Hopefully, you get to do that one of these days.