Travel Photo Thursday: My Ship Has Come In
One of the things I look forward to each week is watching the cruise ships as they pull into Montego Freeport. On Wednesdays, its usually a ship from Carnival's fleet. On Thursdays, it's one from another fleet, like Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises. To my surprise today, two Carnival ships, the Conquest, and the Magic - the newest Carnival ship to stop in Montego Bay - have come in. The Magic can accommodate 6,000 - 4,500 passengers and 1,400 crew; the Conquest…
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Celine Dion Headlines the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival 2012
This week, all roads will lead to the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival which is set to start tomorrow, January 26th and run until January 28th at Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny. Headliner Celine Dion, who's performing for the first time in the Caribbean, The Voice's Cee Lo Green, Earl Klugh, The Temptations Review, featuring Dennis Edwards, Heads of State (Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant), Shaggy, Etana, Marcia Griffiths, John Holt, Yellow Man, Destra and Damian Marley are among those…
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Travel Disasters: Do You Have an Emergency Plan?
As someone who makes several trips a year, I’ve never thought twice about or been concerned by the fact that I can’t swim. That is, until now. Two incidents over the past few weeks have me thinking that I need to learn. First, was the report of the Australian visitor to Victoria Falls who swam to safety after her bungee cord snapped. Then reports surfaced last week that some passengers on the Costa Concordia had to swim to shore when…
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Soulful Sundays: Etta James, RIP
This week, we received news that Grammy award winning singer, Etta James, had passed away five days before her 74th birthday. I was 'introduced' to Ms. James when I was a student at university. Back then, as I've written in previous posts, my friends and I would share the music of our favorite artists. Etta James was one of my friend's. Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, Etta James began singing in her church at age 5. She is best…
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Travel Photo Thursday: Jamaican Orchids
I don't have a green thumb but I love flowers, especially orchids. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to love me. Each time I buy one, I think it will be different, it will last more than a few months. Each time, I’ve been wrong. Now that I’m in Jamaica, where orchids are plenty and grow wild, I’m tempted but I’m gun shy. So for now, I’m satisfied to take photos of the ones I see. [caption id="attachment_8025" align="aligncenter" width="524" caption="Jamaican orchid"][/caption]…
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2012
Speaking of today's observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a friend, I was reminded of the time before there was an actual holiday. It took approximately 18 years from the campaign for a federal holiday began after King was assassinated in 1968 to the signing into law by President Reagan in 1983 to the first observation in 1986. During that time, countless people lobbied and worked tirelessly for the day. Take a look at this clip from…
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Soulful Sundays: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Without a doubt, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s current role as the first lady of France has dwarfed her singing career. Until she married and her name became known internationally, few of us knew anything about her. I confess, I didn't put much stock in her singing ability. But a few weeks ago, I watched a documentary on Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy (Somebody Told Me About…Carla Bruni) and was forced to change my tune. I was taken by her voice, and impressed by the lyrics she's written…
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Best of Travel 2011
Thanks to Michaela at Awe Inclusive for including me in Budget Travel Adventure’s Best of Travel 2011 and giving me an opportunity to look back on the best of my 2011 travel adventures. Last year was another fabulous travel year for me. I visited London for the third time and Paris for the first time, though it was my second trip to France. So here's my Best of Travel 2011 roundup -- Best Domestic Travel Destination: To me, Washington, DC is the…
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Travel Photo Thursday: Trident Castle
Round one of the bends on the road that meanders into Port Antonio, a compact seaside town on Jamaica’s northeastern coast, and come face to face with Trident Castle, an imposing white structure that makes you feel as if the turn you just took had deposited you in some European country, not a Caribbean island. Trident Castle sits at the mouth of Turtle Crawle Harbor on a promontory known as Pegg Point. The secluded bay was used to “corral” turtles in…
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