Tag: #btbg

A Jamaican Spring

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

If you’re thinking there’s no spring in Jamaica, you’d be right. Even one of our venerable poets, H.D. Carberry, couldn’t resist celebrating this fact in his poem, Nature.

We have neither Summer nor Winter
Neither Autumn nor Spring.
We have instead the days
When the gold sun shines on the lush green cane fields –
Magnificently

But if you think of spring as a period of rebirth and rejuvenation, a time to restart or reboot then we do experience spring. And despite it being the dry season now — it started round December and will continue through April or May — several events have begun that signal the return of our Jamaican spring.

Yellow Poui Tree
Nothing says sprint like a poui tree

Like the blossoming of the poui tree. Although we have many more days without rain now, the trees have already burst forth in a riot of yellow and pink. Their unmistakably brilliant colors draw the eye to where ever the trees are located and it’s not unusual to hear someone call out, Look, a poui tree!

I did exactly that while driving home last Sunday. As my eyes traveled up the hills above the city, I spotted two patches of dazzling yellow. That can’t be the poui, I thought. But as I got closer, I knew without doubt that it was and it brought on an unexpected feeling of happiness that plastered a big smile to my face.

The blooming of the poui tree doesn’t always bring smiles. Sometimes it acts as a clear reminder for students at the local university that it’s time to hit the books as exams are around the corner.

Flame of the Forest, Hanover Jamaica
Flame of the Forest

In addition to the poui, the Flame of the Forest dazzles with its radiant flowers — I love seeing splashes of red in a carpet of green — and the flowering of the cactus.

Flowering cactus, Montego Bay Jamaica
Flowering Cactus

Flower Shows

It might seem unusual for the dry Jamaican spring to also be the start of flower show season, but it is. Two weekends ago, the orchid show brought out orchid enthusiasts and growers. There will be other shows around the island from now through August.

White Orchid, Montego Bay Jamaica
Orchid

Fruits

The jackfruit and otaheiti apple are some of the fruits that are plentiful now. While the jackfruit isn’t one of my favorites — it’s got an unusual taste and a distinct flavor — the deep red cotton-candy-tasting otaheiti apple is. But the jackfruit’s packed with dietary fiber and has no cholesterol or saturated fats so I should probably try to get used to the taste.

Jackfruit, Bath St. Thomas
Jackfruit
Otaheiti Apples, St. Thomas
Otaheiti Apples

While some fruits are ready for eating, others, like the mango are just blossoming.

Mango tree in bloom, Montego Bay
A blossoming mango tree

And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.

It’s reaping time for sugar cane now and in the cane belt, you’ll see fields that are covered in tall grass-like leaves standing next to those that have been reaped, and trucks laden down with joints of the sugary cane.

Canefield, Duckenfield St. Thomas Jamaica
Sugar cane plantation

But best of all there are the days when the mango and logwood blossom
When bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey,
When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air,
When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars
And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.

Sports

Jamaicans love sports and in our Jamaican spring, schools begin hosting or participating in meets that identify the athletes that will represent them at national and international tournaments later in the year. One of the most popular, the Gibson Relays, took place about ten days ago and the Boys and Girls Champs will roll around in March.

Though we’re not hosting the matches, almost everyone’s following the coverage of the West Indies team as they go up against Zimbabwe in cricket, as well as the performance of the women’s team in cricket World Cup.

These are some of our unmistakable signs of spring in Jamaica. While it might not be a distinct season as it is elsewhere, we do experience a period of rebirth that is just as beautiful and remarkable.

This is my entry to Traveling with Sweeney‘s Spring-themed blog carnival. Please be sure to head over and check out other posts that celebrate spring around the world.

Sandals Island Jamaica

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

It’s impossible to ignore this Sandals recreation resort, with its Asian-inspired design, bright red color and unique location on Sandals Island, a private off-shore island near Montego Bay. It is the only hotel in Jamaica that occupies its own island. How cool is that?

Sandals Island
Sandals Royal Caribbean

Guests get to the private island, which has all amenities, including restaurants, a private beach, pool, Jacuzzi and more  by hopping on one of these dragon boats, or by sea kayak or sailboat. Can you imagine the stories they tell when they return home?

Dragon Boat near Sandals Island
Dragon Boat

Sandals Resorts is the largest locally-owned hotel in Jamaica. It operates seven properties in Jamaica, and several more on the islands of Antigua, the Bahamas, Cuba, St. Lucia and Turks & Caicos. All Sandals resorts are couples only.

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!

 

Reach Falls Jamaica

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Reach Falls has been on my travel list since the late 1980s when  I had found out that it had been featured in the Tom Cruise movie, Cocktail.  You might remember the one where Tom’s a bartender whose skill at flipping and juggling bottles of alcohol and pouring them perfectly into a glass had everyone dazzled. Frankly, that’s about all I can recall of the movie now but it made me curious about Reach Falls.

Reach Falls
Reach Falls Jamaica

Said to have been discovered by slaves from the neighboring parish of St. Thomas, Reach Falls is located in the tropical rain forest of the John Crow Mountains in the eastern parish of Portland. Though the Falls is on the Driver’s River, it takes its name from Reach, the community that it’s a part of.

We set out from Montego Bay around mid-morning a few weeks ago, and after  a few stops, arrived in Port Antonio, the capital, about 4 hours later. Following the signs to Reach Falls, we turned on to a secondary road that was fringed with a variety of flora. There were many downed coconut, banana and other trees, the result of Hurricane Sandy’s pass over this part of the island but not even Sandy could alter the carpet of lush green that spread to the mountains in the distance. After about 20 minutes of relatively slow going – the road was pot holed and narrow – the entrance to the Falls appeared.

Tree and foliage at Reach Falls
Entrance to Reach Falls

Except for a hotel bus, only a few employees were in sight – Reach Falls was deserted. Following the release of Cocktail, in 1988, the Falls saw a spike in visitors but numbers have leveled off. That might be due to its location relative to Montego Bay. Although Port Antonio is where tourism began in Jamaica (ships taking bananas from the island would bring visitors back), it too, has lost some of its former glory.

Size could also be a factor. At about 11 acres, much of it rain forest, Reach Falls is just too small to accommodate the hordes that visit Dunn’s River or YS Falls annually and with just one plunge pool, there isn’t much to do except enjoy the peaceful scenery. Which was quite fine by me – I like places that not overrun by visitors.

Reach Falls
Reach Falls Jamaica

After we purchased our tickets, our guide led us the few yards through a thicket of hibiscus and ginger lilies down the steps to the Falls.

The Driver’s River rises in the mountains and traverses limestone rocks before it empties into the sea 3 miles beyond Reach Falls. At the Falls, the river cascades approximately 22 feet down a rock face into a sparkling turquoise pool.

Hibiscus and foliage near Reach Falls
Reach Falls Jamaica

Though not as popular as Dunn’s River Falls with its human daisy chain, or as spectacular as YS with its rolling countryside, it is no less beautiful, and because there are fewer visitors, is an oasis of calm. You can hear and see a variety of birds, including the black and yellow billed parrots, overhanging vines, bamboo canes, and over 23 different species of ferns.

Main pool at Reach Falls
Reach Falls shallow pool
At the edge of the Falls, the water is so clear – you can see all the stones at the bottom – we didn’t want to go in. Seeing our hesitation, our guide asked if we wanted to swim. It was refreshingly cool but also quite shallow. The water hit me just above my ankles but it got deeper further away from the edge. The shallow area, he explained, was reserved for non-swimmers, while the roped-off area was for swimmers. Yes, Reach Falls is a great spot to cool off on a hot day.
Foliage near Reach Falls
Reach Falls foliage
The more than 20 rivers that crisscross Jamaica produce almost as many waterfalls. If you’re a nature lover or a waterfall enthusiast, you should check out Reach Falls and take the guided tour down the Driver’s River.

Before You Go

About 25 miles from Kingston and 100 miles from Montego Bay
Open Wednesdays to Sundays and local public holidays from 8:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Age 4-12 years – US$5; 12 and over US$10
Amenities: Bathrooms, changing areas and store

 

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!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Despite its crass commercialism, it’s hard to ignore the message of love that Valentine’s Day evokes.

There are several stories about the origin of the day of lovers — and they all come back to Valentine. One is of a third century priest who defied the Emperor Claudius and performed secret weddings on young lovers. Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers than those who had wives and children and forbid them to marry. When the emperor discovered what Valentine had been doing, he ordered his imprisonment and later his execution.

Another Valentine rescued Christians from the beatings and torture they received in Roman prisons. Still another Valentine is said to have sent a letter to the young girl who visited him in jail – he’d apparently fallen in love with her. He signed his letter, “From your Valentine.” 

Whatever the truth of the origin of Valentine’s Day, one thing is sure. It’s the one day in the year that lovers, and those who want to be, feel free to express their love by sending flowers, chocolates and cards – though maybe now, they also send emails, ecards and text messages.

Valentine’s Day represents a huge economic boon to florists, restaurants, card sellers. Approximately 189 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day. However, if you waited until today, you’re likely to pay up to four times more per rose than you would have yesterday. You’ll probably also pay more for the meal.

Here in Jamaica as everywhere, lovers will celebrate Valentine’s Day with dinner and flowers.

I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.
 – Alice Walker

Torch lily for Valentine's
Torch lily

Continue reading “Happy Valentine’s Day!” →

The Story Behind the Lucea Clock Tower

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

If an order was delivered to you in error, would you keep it?

Lucea Clock Tower with distinctive looking helmet
Lucea Clock Tower, Hanover Jamaica

That was the question the residents of Hanover had to answer when they received this clock instead of the one they ordered. The mistake wasn’t theirs of course. It seems that the captain of the ship that was taking the clock they received, a gift from Germany to the people of the island of St. Lucia, got confused and delivered it to Lucea instead of St. Lucia.

It was an honest mistake on the captain’s part. Lucea, the capital of the parish of Hanover, had been known at various times as Sant Lucea, St. Lucia, and St. Lucea. I’m not sure what it was being called then but I can easily see how the captain could’ve become confused, especially since Jamaica was probably better known than St. Lucia.

Unfortunately, for the St. Lucians, the people of Lucea fell in love with the clock, which was designed to resemble the helmet worn by the German Royal Guard, and decided to keep it — the one they had ordered was more modest — and took up a collection to pay for the difference in cost. A German landowner paid for the tower and the clock was installed in 1817. It is an eye catching landmark that seems has been watching over the town of Lucea for almost 200 years.

No word on what the St. Lucians thought of the Hanoverians’ highjacking of their clock or if theirs still stands.

While most towns in Jamaica still have their clock tower, none has as fascinating a history as the one in Lucea.

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!

 

Jamaica: Keeping Alive the (Almost) Lost Art of Making Peppermint Candy

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

It was faint at first then as I trained my ear, a rhythmic slap-slap-slap sound filled the spaces within the noise of the festival. Was someone chopping wood? Curious, I moved quickly towards the direction of the sound. That’s when I spotted her.

Standing in front of a board that was hung about arms’ length above her head, she was wrapping a brown, sticky mixture around a nail that protruded some 6 inches from the board. Each time she folded the mixture over the nail, she slapped it against the board — that was the sound that had caught my attention. I inched closer and watched, fascination spreading over my face. What was she doing?

The crowd around her stall grew larger as more people were drawn to her stall. Using smart phones and digital cameras, they recorded her movements as she stretched, slapped and wrapped the mixture for several more minutes. When she stopped, it had turned from brown to beige. A whiff of peppermint floated through the air as she added a few drops to the mixture and continued to stretch and fold  until it glistened. Finally, she took it off the nail and added a few dollops of red that produced vibrant swirls as she stretched and twisted the mixture. Cutting off small pieces, she shaped them into canes and laid them on a small table.

Peppermint Candy swirl
Peppermint Candy

My excitement at seeing the Peppermint Candy Lady, as I started to call her, turned to pride. I had no idea that peppermint candy was ever made from scratch, let alone here in Jamaica. In a country that is often quick to embrace the new, I was thrilled to see someone who was carrying on the tradition.These are the kinds of experiences that, for me, make travel rewarding.

I was to learn something else that night: peppermint candy making was an art that my paternal grandmother had practiced. I never knew my grandmother and as I watched the Peppermint Candy Lady, I imagined, for a moment, that I was watching her.

After she finished and everyone had walked away, I approached. We didn’t get to talk long as Fay, that’s her name, had to set up her booth for the independence celebration that would begin the following day in Kingston. I wanted to watch her again and promised I’d meet her at the festival. I arrived just as she began setting up and we talked as I captured these photos of her at work.

Fay Thomas, 52, learned to make peppermint candy by hand from her great grandmother. She was 13 or 14 when her great grandmother brought her into the business saying she was getting older and needed her learn and eventually take over.

Back then, her grandmother used to turn 12 lbs. of sugar — boiled in two pots — into candy. Now, Fay does 6 lbs. and mostly displays her art at fairs and festivals. It’s a laborious process that she carries on for the love of it; it’s not enough for her to make a living at.

Continue reading “Jamaica: Keeping Alive the (Almost) Lost Art of Making Peppermint Candy” →

A Visit to the Hanover Museum #Jamaica

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Places that hold memories of the past lose some of their emotional sting over time and free us to fill in the spaces with our imagines of how things were.

On a visit to the Hanover Museum in Lucea, Jamaica, I saw for the first time the inside of a colonial jail and I could almost feel the pain that stained the walls.

The Hanover Museum Jamaica is located in what was formerly the Hanover Workhouse, a two-story structure that was built of cut stone, about 12″ thick, that was transported from England as ship’s ballast. It is uncertain when this workhouse was built but there are references to it at the time of the Hanover Conspiracy, an attempted slave uprising in 1776.

The Hanover Workhouse consisted of four rooms, a jailor’s house and, on an upper level, two “apartments” for debtors. It served as a place of incarceration for male and female slaves who were held there for a variety of offences. (According to one of the storyboards, one woman said she was there for having too many children — eight.) Some were also sent to the workhouse to be ‘broken in’ upon arrival in Jamaica.

Prisoner bed at Hanover Museum Jamaica
Hanover Museum Jamaica – concrete bed with ‘pillow’

The tour begins in the main area that is said to have held up to 50 people. Off this area is a cell with a concrete bed that runs the length of the room, almost filling it. About 3 feet off the floor, the bed had a pillow — of concrete — and reportedly slept up to 15 prisoners. Seeing this bed, my mind drifted to the words from Bob Marley. “Cold ground was my bed last night, and rock was my pillow too” from Talking Blues.

Next to the sleeping area, are two smaller cells where prisoners were sent for solitary confinement. There were no beds here and I wondered if they were kept shackled in collars or other contraptions.

There’s another large room but it’s unclear what that was used for. Only the cut stone outer walls of the upper floor remain.

The Hanover Workhouse, as the name suggests, was not a place of relaxation. Prisoners were fed minimal rations and they had to work – breaking stones, clearing brush and fixing roads – and they were chained together to get it done.

There were other methods of punishment: prisoners were put in collars or on a treadmill, a brutal mechanism that resembled a waterwheel above with a horizontal bar which they had to hold, their feet just touching the wheel. They had to keep pedaling the wheel in order to avoid serious injury or a whipping from the overseer who stood nearby.

A Disturbing Artifact

One disturbing artifact that is on view is a metal cage, called a gibbet, in which a prisoner was enclosed from head to toe. I felt a chill down my back as the guide explained that after being secured in the gibbet, it would be hung outside until the slave died.

In 17th century England, judges could impose a sentence of gibbeting for those found guilty of capital crimes like murder, pirating, etc. Thomas Thistlewood, a British plantation overseer, recorded in his journal that gibbeting was used in Westmoreland during the 1760 Tacky rebellion.

Continue reading “A Visit to the Hanover Museum #Jamaica” →

Inauguration 2013: Barack Obama and MLK, United Today

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Four years ago, I was among nearly 2 million people who traveled to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to witness the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Today, I’m 1,500 miles away, watching the ceremony on television. But no matter where on the map you are, geographically or politically, the pomp and the ceremony are no less poignant or humbling.

Of course, there are obvious differences between today and four years ago. For one, the temperature in Washington, DC was colder for the last inauguration than it is today, and there are far less people on the Mall than there were then. Watching the ceremony on my TV, I realize just how much of the proceedings I missed — despite the many jumbotrons that were on the Mall.

For Inauguration 2013, a look back at 2009
The President and First Lady in 2009

Of course, the significance of today, January 21, 2013, isn’t lost on most people. To have the president being inaugurated on the day that’s set aside to celebrate the birthday of civil rights activist and preacher, Martin Luther King, Jr., must be gratifying for those who worked and lobbied for the holiday.

And for the survivors of those who, like King, lost their lives in the struggle, it must have been a proud moment to see Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of slain civil rights activist, Medgar Evers, deliver the inaugural invocation.

Today, there’s a sense of having come full circle. MLK’s monument graces the southwest corner of the Mall, his spirit hovered over Inauguration 2013 and his dream of an inclusive America was echoed in Richard Blanco’s poem, “One Today,” and in the president’s inaugural address.

Continue reading “Inauguration 2013: Barack Obama and MLK, United Today” →

Can You Afford Not to Have Travel Insurance?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Having travel insurance should be a no brainer for those of us who travel. But most people don’t think of it until it’s too late.

Take my friend, Jessica, for instance. On her first trip to Africa, she arrived at her destination only to find that her luggage had not. For two weeks, all she had was the clothes on her back, a few items given to her by others on the trip, and some personal articles. Her suitcase went on its own adventure. Following her return home, she had to produce receipts for the contents but received a check from the airline that only covered the cost of a new suitcase.

In the grand scheme of things, a lost suitcase is a temporary inconvenience. But what if my friend had become ill and had to be hospitalized, or worse, evacuated home? Without travel insurance with appropriate coverage, her trip and her finances would definitely have been ruined.

Why then are we so cavalier about travel insurance?

One of the reasons we give so little thought to travel insurance is because we believe it will be prohibitively expensive. But at a cost of a fraction of the actual price of the trip, it’s a small amount to pay for our peace of mind.

There’s also, I suspect, the expectation that vacations will be perfect interludes where nothing bad ever happens. Ironically, it’s also the time when we’re most likely to venture way outside our comfort zones and engage in activities we’d probably never do at home.

According to Britain’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), 10 Brits have been hospitalized abroad every day this year. Last year, the figure was 70 a week.

And so far this year, there have been 13 cases of young Brits falling from balconies while on vacation.  Unfortunately, 3 lost their lives while others ended up with very serious injuries.

Because of this, the FCO along with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA – The Travel Association) are now campaigning jointly to help prevent further incidents.

But it has to go further than that. Of 2,000 people surveyed by the Foreign Office, 48% revealed that they did not realize that they would be responsible for their medical expenses if they became ill abroad.

The situation isn’t better in America where the United States Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) found that since the summer of 2010, one in eight adults have had their travel plans changed because of natural disasters. Of that number, only 29% had travel insurance.

To further underscore the importance of having travel insurance, it is one of the requirements for obtaining a Schengen visa.

So how much coverage should you get? Whenever I buy travel insurance, I make sure to have medical coverage, including provision for evacuation in the event of an emergency; trip cancelation and interruption; lost, stolen, delayed, or damaged baggage or personal effects; missed connections and flight delays. I’ve also bought coverage in case my hotel or airline becomes insolvent while I’m on my trip.

Thankfully, I’ve never had to file a claim but knowing that I was protected was worth the additional expense.

So whether we’re making plans for that Caribbean vacation, the trip around the world or to take the kids to see their grandparents, we should always include travel insurance to the budget. Can you afford not to?

 

Staying Safe While on the Road

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

We rarely think about staying safe while on the road but consider what happened to me on a recent trip. While it wasn’t serious, it had me rethinking safety while I travel.

It was a few minutes before 3 a.m. I pulled the shower curtain back and suddenly, as if I had also hit the lights, I was plunged into darkness. I flipped the switch but nothing happened. Maybe the bulb blew, I thought.

The hallway was dark when I exited the bathroom and there were no lights in any of the adjacent buildings. Continue reading “Staying Safe While on the Road” →