Time for Church!
I'm fascinated by churches, especially their design. Sometimes they're simple, almost stark, other times elaborate. If I have my camera and can stop, I'll take photos or I'll get my camera and return later. Whatever their design, however, churches inspire reverence. [caption id="attachment_8196" align="aligncenter" width="393"] St. Agnes Cathedral, Rockvile Center, NY[/caption] As I waited at the Rockville Center station for the train to Long Island a few years ago, I saw this church in the distance. I couldn't believe how…
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5 Reasons to Visit Portland Jamaica
Portland Jamaica is probably the island's best tourist destination you’ve never heard of. It’s got beautiful beaches, soaring mountains, a network of caves, romantic coves, shimmering waterfalls and dramatic coastline. Because of its location, Portland also records the most rainfall of any parish on the island. It is lush and infused with rugged beauty. Portland, a combination of the old parishes of St. George and part of the current St. Thomas, got its name from the Duke of Portland who…
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Foodie Tuesday: Jerk Lobster, Little Ochie Style
I didn't know what to expect from this jerk lobster meal at Little Ochie Seafood Restaurant but let me tell you, it surpassed my expectations. The delicate and slightly sweet taste of the lobster is a seamless marriage with the pungent flavors of the pimento, Scotch Bonnet pepper, mace, scallion and garlic that are the main ingredients of jerk. It was as if they were always destined to be. [caption id="attachment_12186" align="aligncenter" width="710"] Little Ochie's Jerk Lobster[/caption] It was my…
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Holy Goat!
If you've been to Jamaica, one thing you're sure to notice is goats, lots of them. Everywhere. [caption id="attachment_12181" align="aligncenter" width="636"] Sitting on a grave[/caption] Last year, while I was on a visit to St. Peter's Anglican Church in Falmouth, I noticed this goat sitting calmly on one of the graves in the church yard. I thought it would move as I got closer so that I could get a better shot but it didn't. I figured the poor goat…
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The Gumbay Drum
The gumbay drum caught my attention at the Accompong Maroon Festival in January. I'd never seen a drum that was small and square and looked more like a stool than a drum. As I was leaving the festival, I noticed a small stall with storyboards explaining how gumbay drums are made. There were also several drums on display. The gentleman inside introduced himself as the son of the master drum maker. [caption id="attachment_12165" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Son of the master drum…
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Travel Memories – Barcelona
Most travelers have a trip that's so full of travel memories, they recall it over and over, like fishermen obsessing about the one that got away. I’m one of them. My three-month stay in Barcelona was the flowering of an idea that had become planted in my mind back when I was a student in high school in rural Jamaica. Out of the blue one day, our Spanish teacher spent an entire period regaling us with her stories of her…
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FoodieTuesday: The Multi-Purpose Coconut
A few mornings ago, my neighbor brought me two jelly coconuts - the young coconut with meat that is translucent and soft, or sometimes pale white. Part of the husk or bark had already been removed. Although, it was only about 8 a.m., I still hadn’t had breakfast so I asked him to take off the tip so I could drink the water. It was refreshing. [caption id="attachment_11405" align="aligncenter" width="544"] A farm[/caption] As I fixed breakfast that morning, I thought…
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Croydon Plantation Jamaica
Croydon Plantation in the Catadupa Mountains of St. James, owes its reputation to pineapples and coffee, as well as its connection to national hero, Samuel Sharpe. Sharpe was born a slave in 1801 at Croydon and became a Baptist preacher. In December 1831, Sharpe organized a peaceful protest at plantations in the western end of the island that turned into the largest rebellion on the island. It took the military two weeks to end the rebellion, which by then had…
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A Few Photos from Hope Zoo Jamaica
Earlier this week, I wrote about my visit to Hope Zoo to see Lucas, the African lion that was donated to the zoo. I didn't only see Lucas. As I made my way to his enclosure, I came across a few of the other animals that make their home at the zoo. [caption id="attachment_12062" align="aligncenter" width="636"] Entrance to Hope Zoo[/caption] It was hard to miss the pink flamingos even as they appeared to be hiding behind the foliage. [caption id="attachment_12063"…
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Newcastle Jamaica
Newcastle was established by the British as a military center in 1840. It is now used as a training camp for soldiers and recruits of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). The location, in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, was chosen by Major General Sir William Gomm, the lieutenant governor of Jamaica at the time, who noted that yellow fever, a major cause of death among British troops, occurred less frequently in the cool of the mountains. And…
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