I started out with a clear idea of what I wanted to do for this week’s Travel Photo Thursday, but by the time I finished going through my photos, I decided to do something I call, It’s All in the Hands.

Our hands perform many different tasks throughout the day. But I’m fascinated by people whose hands pull nets full of fish, hammer nails or pound stone, keep tradition alive – ordinary people doing ordinary things with their hands. Here are a few I met during my travels.

I never tire of watching Fay, who I call the Peppermint Candy Lady, make peppermint candy from scratch. It’s a tradition she learned from her mother. She has taught to her son, who she believes will continue it.

I noticed him, moving slowly, determinedly in the heat of the afternoon, closing the distance between us, one hand clutching a string of freshly caught fish. This is a normal sight in fishing towns and villages in Jamaica. But with a large cruise ships docked several yards away at Falmouth Pier that day, it felt out of place. He smiled when I asked if I could take his photo. 

When the guide at Holywell Recreational Park heard me say I’d never seen the raspberries that grew in this part of the island, he slipped quietly away, returning moments later proudly bearing a handful of beautiful fruit. These are a different shade of red than those in the U.S. but just as sweet.

Limestone rock covers almost two-thirds of Jamaica. It was used in the construction of many of the old buildings in the island. I watched as this worker hammer a rock to get the right size and shape to patch a hole in a retaining wall.

My sister designs and makes jewellery; she also teaches. She works primarily in silver and has made most of the silver jewellery I own. I love her work but until a few months ago, I’d never watched her make any of her pieces. Here she’s showing a group of women how to make a simple necklace using copper wire and gemstone. I think copper wire is her new favorite material. 

 

Linking up this week with 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.