I’ve written about the poui tree in a few earlier posts. I noticed it in my neighbor’s backyard one week, it’s brilliant yellow blooms covering the entire tree, the next, there was a carpet of yellow petals on the ground. I didn’t know what to make of a tree in the tropics that loses its leaves. I was intrigued.
When I did a little research, I discovered that in addition to the yellow, there was a pink poui. Where the yellow is striking, more easily identifiable and more common, the pink is less so. It’s beauty is subtle.
Poui Tree
So off I went, looking for the pink poui. Each time I noticed a profusion of pink petals, I’d pull out my camera but as I got closer, I’d realize that it was some other tree. Or, I’d see the real thing but there’d be no place to stop safely.
Weeks turned into frustrating months, one season changed into the next. I’d just about given up ever getting a shot of the pink poui in bloom. One morning as I waited for the bus that would take us on a planned tour, I noticed a pink tree on the opposite side of the parking lot. I didn’t want to get my hopes up until I was sure.
Poui, close up
I walked slowly towards the tree, camera in hand. As I got closer, I noticed that some petals had already started to rain on the ground, a few were on the cars parked nearby. Yes, this was a poui.
I snapped away, hoping the bus wouldn’t arrive before I could finish. It’d have to wait, I thought to myself.
Poui
I can’t tell you how happy I was to finally capture a pink poui tree. Nothing could spoil my day after that!
For more photos, please check out Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travel Adventure organizes. Hope to see you there!
Otaheiti apples came to Jamaica and the Caribbean from the Pacific islands. Bright red, sometimes pink in color, they have a texture that reminds me of cotton candy. Some varieties are pear-shaped, others are slightly round; some have a mild flavor, others are quite sweet.
Otaheiti apples are also called Jamaican apple and cocoplum here; pommerac and rose apple in parts of the Caribbean.
Otaheiti Apples
Otaheiti apples have about 100 grams of water. They are also excellent sources of Vitamin C, calcium, thiamine and riboflavin. Because of their high water content, they will last only a few days if they’re not refrigerated, slight more if they are.
Apples
During the season, which runs from about December/January until about May, trees laden with fruits are everywhere. They have to be picked quickly before the birds get to them, like they did in the photo above. They’re bagged and sold by street vendors or in the markets. Otaheiti apples can be used in salads, juices, preserves and to make wine.
How to Make Otaheiti Apples Juice
2 dozen otaheiti apples
4 thin slices ginger
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
4 tbsp lime juice
Directions
Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Strain into iced glass or over ice cubes.
Decorate with otaheiti apple slices or mint leaves.
Serves 6.
Recipe from Norman Shirley via JamaicanEats.
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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.
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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The tambourine or timbrel is an important musical instrument in Revival churches in Jamaica. It is also featured in mento, Kumina and Pocomania music.
According to Wikipedia, the tambourine originated in Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, the Middle East and India.
Tambourine
The Tainos, Jamaica’s original people, called it the maguey, and used it in celebrations for their ancestors.
There are several references to the tambourine in Jamaican popular culture. In the Anancy story, Tiger Sheep-Skin Suit, Brer (Brother) Tiger plays the tambourine.Anancy (or Anansi), a spider and a trickster who outsmarts everyone, came to Jamaica from Ghana’s Ashanti people.
Another reference comes in 1837, when Isaac Belisario (1794-1849), a Jamaican artist of Jewish descent, published several paintings on street life, which included costumed dancers and singers who sang to the music of fife, triangle and tambourine.
The tambourine comes in different shapes. The most popular resembles a small drum with several metal disks placed at intervals in the side. To use it, the player shakes the instrument with one hand then strikes it with the other.
Prince Harry Playing the Tambourine in Jamaica
Last year, when Prince Harry was on his official visit to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, he played the tambourine with British vocalist Gary Barlow who was also on the island recording music for an album commemorating the Jubilee.
Saltfish is so popular in Jamaica, it’s one of the two main ingredients in ackee and saltfish, our national dish. We eat it fried, roasted, baked, or in stews and at any meal of the day.
uncooked fish
Salt or codfish came to Jamaica by way of Canada – Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, to be exact. Back then, planters were looking for food to feed the large population of enslaved Africans who worked on their plantations. It was for the same goal that they imported breadfruit from the South Pacific. Saltfish, as codfish is called locally, was traded for rum and molasses and shipped back to the island.
when saltfish could shingle house…
The first time I heard the expression, when saltfish could shingle house, I couldn’t understand what my mother was walking about. Why would anyone use saltfish to shingle their house? Years before saltfish was so inexpensive and commonplace, people thought jokingly that it could be use for everything, including as shingles for their houses.
Flaked fish
Not so now as saltfish runs from $5 – 7 a pound. It is more expensive than meat and some other types of fish. To make it attractive, supermarkets sell it in pieces weighing about a half of a pound. You can buy even smaller amount in grocery shops.
Today, approximately 80% of the saltfish, usually hake or pollack, imported into Jamaica comes from Norway. Saltfish maintains its popularity, in part, because of its long shelf life. It also doesn’t require refrigeration. However, it is no longer inexpensive or looked down on as food for poor or lower class people. A staple of our diet, saltfish is on the menu of households in all strata of Jamaican society, and appears in a variety of dishes including ackee and saltfish, or cooked up with tomatoes, calalloo, cabbage, okra, butter beans, or found in fritters.
Chopped tomato, scallion, onion, thymeTomatoes
How to Make Saltfish and Tomatoes
Ingredients
1/2 pound saltfish
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks of scallion, chopped
1 sprig thyme
Black pepper, to taste
2-3 strips of Scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
Oil for frying
Directions
Soak saltfish in water overnight or bring to boil. Drain and add more fresh water and boil again to remove salt.
Chop onions, scallion and tomato; cut 2-3 strips from Scotch bonnet pepper and set aside.
Drain and add cold water.
Using your fingers or a fork, flake the fish and remove any bones.
In a medium skillet, add oil and allow to get hot. Saute chopped onions and scallions until transparent. Add pepper, then add tomatoes. Stir frequently until tomato flavors the oil.
Stir in the flaked fish. If there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a little water.
Add black pepper and stir until the ingredients are fully mixed.
Lower the flame and let cook for 5 minutes.
Garnish with scallion or green peppers (sweet) and serve.
This can be paired with rice or ground provisions and can be eaten at any meal.
I was waiting at the airport to pick up a friend when I saw this stilt walker. With his colorful costume and height — he looked about 10 feet tall — he was impossible to miss in the crowd of people who, like me, had gathered at the arrival entrance of the airport.
Colorful man
I’ve seen this particular stilt walker, or someone else wearing a similar costume, in Montego Bay several times since then. They seem to be part of the entertainment for cruise ship passengers.
According to Wikipedia, stilt walking has been traced as far back to 6th century Greece. Stilt walkers have been seen in countries such as France, Spain, Mali and have been used in a variety of situations from farming and jousting. It’s hard to imagine walking on stilts much less walking and jousting, a 600 year old tradition in Namur, Belgium!
Stilts can be hand-held, strapped on, or made with springs that allow the stilt walker to run, jump, and perform other activities. Stilt walkers are popular forms of entertainment, especially at circuses and festivals.
Hilton house
While I don’t remember stilt walkers being part of Jamaica’s cultural history or repertoire, I do remember that at one time, houses, like the one I grew up in, were elevated. Having a house built off the ground allows air to circulate freely and keep it cool. It also helps to keep out insects and other unwanted pests, and protects the house if there is flooding.
July 27th is National Walk on Stilts Day, an unofficial holiday.
Sept. 16th – Linking up this week with Travel Photo Mondays, which Noel of Travel Photo Discovery organizes.
The first time I saw Pastor Brown’s house, I had my friend stop so I could take a photo. It still is the most colorful and eye-catching house I’ve ever seen. My impression then was that an artist or someone equally comfortable with color lived there. Or someone who was absolutely not wedded to the conventions of design, or an eccentric.
An Eye Catching House
My first photo was a quick shot, taken as the car rolled to a halt, the engine still running. My friend and I took off as soon as we noticed an elderly gentleman coming down the steps, his hand pointing in our direction. I was sure he would admonish me for taking a photo without his permission, or tell me I needed to pay a fee. And I felt guilty as we sped away. I felt I had invaded his privacy, something I’m very scrupulous about.
A year later, I was once again in Portland. This time, I was with a couple of my friends who I told about the house. I doubt they could imagine what I was trying to describe. It became one of those you’ve-got-to-see-this situations. When we got to the house, we knew we had to stop, and this time I was able to take it all in.
There was color everywhere, every inch of the house, every surface was decorated. There were also signs.
Wall at the Brown houseGate to the houseSign and photos of Pastor Brown’s visit to Buckingham PalaceColor everywhere
As we approached the gate to the property, a man waved and called out to us. “Come, come in!” he said, as if welcoming long lost friends.
The house is set back a good distance from the road. We walked down a grade, crossed a stream then walked up another grade to the house, which is set on the side of a hill.
Wall DetailPastor & Mrs Brown
As we got to the steps, the man introduced himself as Pastor Brown. He called out and his wife appeared from behind a brightly painted door and joined us on the verandah. Pastor Brown proudly showed us around his house. He was clearly proud of the work he had done over the years. He was even prouder to show us photos of his travels. Among them, his pride and joy, a faded photo of him standing outside Buckingham Palace. The way he tells it, it sounds like he actually met the Queen Elizabeth.
The house
For the record, Pastor Brown is a real preacher. He and his wife were so hospitable I even promised to visit the next time I’m in the area.
This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.
Most visitors to Jamaica arrive in Montego Bay, but I doubt many know that it’s the capital of St. James, the island’s fourth largest parish. Located on Jamaica’s northwest coast, St. James shares borders with the parishes of Trelawny (east), St. Elizabeth (south), Westmoreland (southwest), and Hanover (west). It got its name, in 1655, from James II, who was formerly the Duke of York.
Like the rest of Jamaica, the original residents of St. James were Taino Indians. Sadly, they didn’t survive Christopher Columbus’ landing on the island in 1494. Some succumbed to European diseases, others committed suicide instead of accepting subjugation to Spanish authority, while some died fighting against the Spanish. Remnants of their presence have been discovered in settlements along the coast of the parish.
Mobay Beach
Montego Bay is derived from Bahia de Manteca (Lard Bay), the name the Spanish called it because of the large population of wild hogs that they found there and which slaughtered for lard that was exported to Spain.
During sugar’s heyday, several plantations dotted the parish making sugar and rum the main exports.Many of these plantations and great houses were burnt to the ground in the 1831 Christmas Rebellion, one of the largest slave uprisings in the island’s history. The revolt was lead by Sam Sharpe, who was born on Croydon Plantation. Sharpe was hanged and now one of Jamaica’s National Heroes.
Monument to Sam Sharpe at Croydon Plantation
St. James has developed much in the last several years, due in part to its location and its legendary white sand beaches, which began attracting visitors to Montego Bay and the north coast since the 1940s. Commonly referred to as the Second City, and the tourist capital of the island, Montego Bay welcomes nearly half of the approximately 3 million visitors the island sees each year, making tourism the parish’s main industry and largest employer.
Most visitors who travel to Montego Bay never leave their all-inclusive hotels. If you’re one of them, here are five reasons to get out and discover the diversity of activities that St. James has to offer.
Ahhh…Ras Natango Garden & Gallery
Ahhh….Ras Natango Gallery & Gardens – A rock garden, art gallery and the best ecotourism spot in St. James. Ahhh…Ras Natango is located about 20 minutes from Mobay, in the small community of Camrose. Entrance $30, includes shuttle pickup. Lunch is available on order for an additional fee.
Converted Pub, Greenwood
Greenwood Great House – Near the border of Trelawny in a community named Greenwood is Greenwood Great House, which was once owned by the family of the English poet, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning. Greenwood has the Caribbean’s finest collection of musical instruments, antique furniture, china and rare books, which all belonged to the Barrett family. Guided tours are available 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. US$20. 876-953-1077
Rocklands Bird Sanctuary – With more than two-dozen endemic birds, Jamaica is a bird lover’s paradise. If you love birds and are in the Montego Bay area, head over to Rocklands Bird Sanctuary where you can spot up to 17 species, including the humming bird, Jamaica’s national bird, and feed them too!
Fields of pineapple
Croydon Plantation – Croydon Plantation owes its reputation to pineapples and coffee, as well as its connection to national hero, Samuel Sharpe. Sharpe was born a slave at Croydon. He became a Baptist preacher who organized a peaceful protest in December 1831 that turned into the largest rebellion on the island. Plantation tours with pineapple tastings are conducted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Cost $70 includes round trip transportation and lunch.
Rastafari Drummers
Rastafari Indigenous Village – If you’re interested in learning about the Rastafarians, how they live, what they eat, their philosophy, head to the Rastafari Indigenous Village, a small community of Rasta bretheren, and some sistren too, who’ll give you the 411 on Rastafari beliefs, show you some drum moves and give you a tour of their village. An ital (purely vegetarian) lunch is also offered.
Bonus Option:
Rafting on the Great River – Nothing relaxes more than river rafting. This one-hour excursion down the Great River includes buffet lunch and drinks.
I’m sharing this post with Wanderlust Wednesday, which Dana at Time Travel Plans organizes.
I love codfish fritters – tasty bite-size morsels of cooked codfish enveloped in light flour – but made them for the first time only last year. Cod or salt fish fritters are very popular as appetizers or snacks and are made by adding flaked codfish to a batter, which is then deep-fried.
Batter
Also called Stamp and Go, apparently after the command (“Stamp and go!”) that was given to 17th century British sailors when tasks had to be done in a hurry, codfish fritters are sometimes referred to as Jamaica’s first fast food. They are relatively easy to make, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to make them. Codfish fritters can be eaten by themselves or accompanied by a dipping sauce.
Soak codfish overnight in water, or bring to a boil twice (for 12-15 minutes), draining and adding fresh water after each boil.
Drain and rinse the codfish under running cold water.
Using a fork or your fingers, flake the codfish into small pieces, taking care to remove any remaining bones.
To a small skillet, add oil and allow to get hot. Add onion, garlic, tomatoes and escallions. Sautee until soft about 5 minutes. Add black pepper then combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool
Add codfish to the seasonings. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, add flour and baking powder. Stir to incorporate.
Add codfish mixture to the flour and stir to combine.
Add water gradually, mixing by hand until a firm but loose batter is achieved
Pour oil into a 6-qt. Dutch oven to a depth of 2″, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Using a tablespoon, drop rounds of dough into oil, and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes; repeat until remaining dough is finished.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer fritters to paper towels to drain briefly.
Garnish with tomato or lime wedges, chopped scallion, etc., and serve.
Recipe adapted from Enid Donaldson’s The Real Taste of Jamaica.
Although I’ve only used codfish, I’m sure other meats can be substituted. Fritters are not only about meat. Bananas that are very ripe can also be used, though the recipe is slightly different.
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