InsideJourneys

Treasure Beach, Featured Post

Posted on October 26, 2011August 25, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

I’ve been featured in the Cheapflights blog in their Travel Bloggers choice series. Take a look at why I think Treasure Beach, Jamaica is a destination everyone should visit. [caption id="attachment_10359" align="aligncenter" width="614"] View from a villa[/caption] Cheapflights is the UK’s leading flight deals provider and if you haven’t already booked your flights to Jamaica, take a look at their site. ***************** Since my arrival in Jamaica, I've been soaking up everything around me, especially flowers. Many, like this one, the Shrimp Plant, are…

A Jamaican Cherry

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

I noticed this lone cherry on the tree yesterday and couldn't resist taking a photo. [caption id="attachment_7277" align="aligncenter" width="566" caption="Jamaican Cherry"][/caption] I was told that this was the last one of the latest crop but I noticed a few buds of flowers so I imagine there will be another one in a few weeks. I can't wait.

Jamaica’s Newest Prime Minister, Andrew Holness

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

Jamaica’s ninth and youngest leader, 39 year old Andrew Holness, was sworn in as prime minister [caption id="attachment_7272" align="alignright" width="299" caption="Andrew Holness, Jamaica's new prime minister"][/caption] yesterday afternoon in an elegant and sober ceremony on the lawns of King’s House, the residence of the Queen's representative, the Governor-General His Excellency the Most Honorable Sir Patrick Allen. Prime Minister Holness takes over from Bruce Golding, who was forced to demit office following his handling last year of the extradition of Christopher…

Soulful Sundays: Dennis Brown

Posted on October 23, 2011October 24, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

One of the few child stars in Jamaica, Dennis Brown recorded his first hit when he was just eleven years old. The "Crown Prince of Reggae" recorded more than 75 albums in the lovers rock style, a romantic genre of reggae music, producing hit after hit in a prolific career which spanned nearly thirty years and included stints as a producer for his DEB label in the UK. Brown, who was born in Kingston in 1957, died in 1999 but…

Jamaica: Honey Bananas

Posted on October 22, 2011August 3, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

We picked this bunch of bananas from the garden a few days ago and I watch each day as the green outer skin turned yellow. [caption id="attachment_7265" align="aligncenter" width="566"] Honey Bananas[/caption] In no time, each hand was gone - shared with neighbors and friends and eaten one by one.

Friday Focus: Lola Akinmade-Akerstrom

Posted on October 21, 2011July 31, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

This month, InsideJourneys inaugurates Friday Focus, a series of interviews with writers and travelers. October’s Focus is on Nigerian born writer/photographer and editor for Matador Goods, Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Lola holds an MSc in Information Systems from the University of Maryland and has a solid background in Geography. She specialized in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for 10+ years and her affinity for the geosciences and maps meant she was born to travel. Her work has appeared in Vogue, National Geographic Traveler,…

Travel Photo Thursday: Noni

Posted on October 20, 2011October 20, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

A few years ago, Noni was all the rage. Everyone was buying and drinking the juice for its health benefits. When I returned to Jamaica on vacation during the heights of its popularity, a friend pointed it out to me -- I had no idea that it grew wild here. Locally, it's known as "Duppy Soursop." [caption id="attachment_7244" align="aligncenter" width="565" caption="Noni"][/caption] In Jamaica, a duppy is a ghost and since the Noni does look a little like a soursop, another…

Can I Leave the Person I’ve Become Behind?

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

One of my uncles in Florida always reminds us whenever we travel to Jamaica that we must leave the US behind. By that he means that we have to remember that many of the things that we’ve become used to – service and its efficient delivery, the availability of certain items, etc., will be irritably slow or sometimes non-existent. But is it really possible to leave the person I’ve become behind? We are the sum of our experiences. When I…

Staying Connected While on the Road

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

One of the issues we face as we travel from developed to developing world is matching the ‘always on’ level of connection we’ve come to expect and enjoy. It becomes particularly critical if you plan to be away for longer than a week and you’ve committed to post everyday. Prior to leaving the US, I researched connectivity options available through the major providers in Jamaica – Digicel, Lime and Claro - and felt confident that the only difficulty I’d have…

A Taste of Jamaica in Photos

Posted on October 17, 2011August 3, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

The Taste of Jamaica, a display of local foods and culinary contests, was held over the weekend at the Convention Center near Montego Bay. Here are some photos of the event. [caption id="attachment_7216" align="aligncenter" width="708"] Fruits and vegetables[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7225" align="aligncenter" width="706"] Ackee, the National Fruit[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7218" align="aligncenter" width="565"] Sample from the chefs' competition[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7219" align="aligncenter" width="391"] Beverage samples[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7220" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Beverage samples[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7221" align="aligncenter" width="568"] Part of the crowd[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7223" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Ice…