I can say this now, but I felt quite intimidated by this contest. None of the photos I wanted to share looked ‘right.’ It took me weeks to decide on these five. It was great going back through the photos and reliving the memories.
GREEN
King’s House official residence of the governor-general, the Queen’s representative. The house was built originally around 1870 but was destroyed by earthquake. It was rebuilt and this old carriage entrance was retained.
King’s House
BLUE
Earlier this year, I took a guided hike up Jamaica’s Blue Mountain. I didn’t make it to the top like I wanted to and I haven’t been back like I promised. But the mountain’s there when I’m ready again. Narelle, who blogs as Hakea, told me the Blue Mountains in Australia, where she lives, got their name from the blue tint that comes from the eucalyptus trees that are found there. There are eucalyptus trees on Jamaica’s Blue Mountain though I’m not sure if that’s where the name was derived.
Blue Mountains
RED
I had friends visiting in February and we decided to visit Falmouth in Trelawny. When we were leaving, our driver suggested we check out Glistening Waters Lagoon. The red on this row of warehouses near the harbor drew me in.
Falmouth, Trelawny
YELLOW
This spot yielded lots of color — the red of the warehouses and the yellow on this boat. Oh, and the water? It was actually glistening.
Glistening Waters, Trelawny
WHITE
Trident Castle, Portland
Trident Castle is probably the most unexpected property in Jamaica. As you come up on it, you can’t help feeling as if you’ve suddenly been teleported to Europe. Trident Castle was built in 1979 as a private residence for a German baroness. It’s changed hands and is now owned by a wealthy Jamaican, Michael Lee Chin.
This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website
New York City is full of little gems waiting to be discovered. Truthfully, though, we become so dazzled by the lights, mesmerized by the skyscrapers or are in such a mad rush to get from one place to the next that we miss some of the more obscure jewels that are in plain sight.
One such jewel is Library Way, a two-block long stretch of 41st Street between Fifth and Park Avenues that is a celebration of the written word. The project was born out of a partnership between the New York Public Library and Grand Central Partnership and was aimed at sprucing up the street.
Using passages from notable authors and artists as inspiration, over 40 unique bronze plaques created by the Andrews/Lefevre Studios now grace the otherwise grey sidewalk.
They’re not hard to spot, these plaques, but you’d probably walk right over them during rush hour. And if you did happen to spot them then, you’d hardly be able to stop and read let alone photograph them because of the foot traffic.
China’s Terracotta Warriors have been dazzling the world since they were discovered accidentally by a farmer in 1974. Now several of them, along with artifacts and treasures dating to 221 B.C.E., are on view at Discovery Times Square until August 26, 2012.
Terracotta Warriors – Pottery
Standing more than 6 feet and weighing 600 pounds each, the soldiers were created 2,000 years ago to protect Qin Shi Huangdi, China’s First Emperor, in the afterlife. Qin, who proclaimed himself emperor in 221 B.C.E., is responsible for unifying warring factions into the country we now know as China. He built the first Great Wall and China’s canal systems, standardized weights and measures and introduced a uniform writing script. Qin died in 210 B.C.E.
Terracotta Warriors – Replica of Burial Site
So far, about 8,000 uniquely crafted terracotta soldiers have been excavated. In addition, horses, helmets — though no terracotta warrior wore a helmet, pottery, cooking utensils, and ornaments have been discovered in vaults across an area of 22 square miles.
Terracotta Warriors
The exhibition at Discovery Times Square begins with a look back at the Qin Dynasty and continues to the Han Dynasty. It features at least 5 life-sized terracotta warriors, pottery, cooking utensils, armor and two short films – one featuring the farmer, Zhifa Zang, who found the site and another showing a simulation of the army preparing to attack with bows and arrows.
Terracotta WarriorsTerracotta Warriors – Still from documentary. Diagram of the vaults the warriors were found in.
Terracotta Warriors – Defenders of China’s First Emperor is on view until August 26 at Discovery Times Square, 226 W 44th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues. Hours: Sunday-Thurs 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Friday/Saturday until 9:00 p.m. Tickets: Children $20.50, Adults $28.00, Seniors $24.50. Audio Tour: $6.43. AmEx cardholders can get a complimentary audio tour. Flash photography not allowed. Allow 60-90 minutes for this exhibition.
Note: Groupon’s half-off ticket deal has expired (I was lucky!) but you can still get discounted tickets from Broadwaybox.com, Theatermania.com, etc.
This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.
Appleton Estate is the oldest sugar factory and rum distillery in Jamaica, the second oldest in the Caribbean. The sprawling 11,000-acre estate dates back to 1655, however, it did not start producing rum until 1749.
Appleton Estate Rum Tour
Appleton Estate’s location in St. Elizabeth‘s Nassau Valley provides the perfect combination of characteristics — a special soil composed of a limestone formation, known as Cockpit Karst, and favorable climate, sunny mornings and tropical afternoon shower (a slight shower started while we were on the tour) — that produce some of the finest sugar cane on the island.
The Appleton Estate Rum Tour begins, appropriately, with a complimentary glass of rum punch, a proprietary blend of 5 rums that give it an uncharacteristically dark brown color. I’m so used to the strawberry syrup-colored rum punch that this made me think of lemonade made with brown sugar, well, except for the taste. This definitely was not lemonade! Surprisingly smooth, it went down so easily, I asked for another cup. This time, the bartender gave me a larger one and this time, I savored it. I was so busy enjoying the rum punch, I missed the video on tasting and rum types that preceded the guided tour.
Appleton Estate Rum Tour – getting the donkey readyAppleton Estate Rum Tour – sugar mill
Starting with a look back at the time when sugar cane juice was extracted by inserting the stalks into a donkey-driven mill, the tour wends its way pass an impressive display of tools and equipment that have been used over the more than 260-year history of the estate.
Appleton Estate Rum TourAppleton Estate Rum Tour
It then moves to the distillery, where Appleton Estate’s pot and column still production processes are explained. The factory can produce up to 160 tons of sugar of sugar daily with the distillery producing 10 million litres of rum annually. Approximately 80% of this rum is exported to about 70 countries. At the ageing house, we saw the thousands of oak barrels in which the rum is stored for fermentation.
As a part of the tour, we sampled cane juice, wet sugar and molasses, by products of sugar cane. It ended with a tasting of thirteen rums, including the award winning Appleton V/X, Appleton, Appleton Special, and Wray & Nephew Overproof (63% alcohol by volume). We were given a small souvenir bottle when we finished the tasting. Other Appleton rums that have won awards are Appleton Estate Reserve 8 year old, Appleton Estate Extra 12 year old, Appleton Estate Master Blenders Legacy, Appleton Estate 21 year old, Appleton Estate Exclusive, and Appleton Estate 30 year old. Rums are available for sale in the gift shop.
Jamaicans purchase nearly 90% of the overproof rum produced by Appleton. This clear rum, called locally white rum or whites, is an “all-purpose rum” that is used in cooking and baking, and is believed to be good for headaches and fever, and if you feel a cold coming on, just pour some liberally on the top of your head or wipe some over the soles of your feet. It’s the one rum you’ll find in almost every Jamaican household.
Appleton Estate Rum TourAppleton Estate Rum Tour
Appleton Estate marks Jamaica’s 50 anniversary of independence with the recent release of Jamaica IndependenceReserve, a very rare Limited Edition Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum that retails for US$5,000. Only 800 bottles were produced.
One more thing to know about Appleton Estate, in 1997, they appointed Joy Spence master blender, making her the first woman in the spirits industry to hold that position.
Before You Go:
Cost/Duration: The tour costs US$25.
You’ll spend about 2 hours total time between watching the video, the actual tour, and tasting. No reservation is necessary.
NOTE: Because there is alcohol consumption involved, this is an adults only tour. I was told however, that if parents showed up with children tow, they would be included in the tour but not in the tasting. The tour is free for children under 12, half price for those over.
If you’re interested in doing the Appleton Estate Rum Tour, ask your hotel to make the necessary arrangements.
For more information, contact Appleton directly resrumtour@appletonrum.com or call 876-963-9215
Hours: First tour – 9:30 a.m., last tour: 3:30 p.m.
In a punch bowl, combine
1-750ml Appleton Estate V/X
1-750ml Coruba dark Jamaican rum
1-750ml Wray & Nephew white overproof rum
2L orange juice
2L pineapple juice
1 cup lime juice
1/2 cup grenadine and several dashes of Angostura bitters
Stir to mix and add a block of ice to chill. Serve in punch cups and garnish with fresh fruit.
Rum Punch (Traditional)
Serves: 10-12
4 cups water
1 cup lime or lemon juice
3 cups strawberry-flavored syrup
2 cups Jamaican white rum
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl.
Serve over ice cubes with a piece of lime or lemon.
Water and rum maybe added to weaken or strengthen as needed.
This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.
My YS Falls adventure begins as soon as I board the tractor-drawn jitney that would take me from the main entrance of YS Estate, a 2,000-acre, privately owned stud farm, to the falls.
Falling for YS Falls
It’s a leisurely 10-minute ride through lush vegetation that stretches as far as the eye can see. Pass logwood or bloodwood trees, which the estate used to export to Europe back when dyes couldn’t be made without it, poinciana and ackee trees among others, grazing Jamaica Red Poll cattle with an egret or two waiting patiently to catch its next meal, and horses roaming freely in the distance.
About halfway into the ride, part of the YS River, from which the falls derive, comes into view, its sound hardly noticeable over the put-put-put of the jitney. The water is clear and looks refreshing on this day that is being baked slowly by the sun.
Wading Pool
As we come to a stop, I take in the view: a wading pool ringed by ginger lilies and lounge chairs is to my left, a gift shop and cafe on my right, and dead ahead, the bottom of the falls — the rest disappearing into the verdant foliage. A huge logwood tree with a platform catch my eye and as I look up, someone lets out a big woohoo as they take off flying 50 feet above the canopy of trees.
One of the seven fallsThe Falls
At approximately 120 meters, YS Falls has seven waterfalls that form several natural pools that invite you to take a dip or, for the more adventurous, a jump.
The FallsJumping in
There have been changes to the grounds since the last time I visited YS. Walkways now lead from the base of the falls to the top, a zip line canopy tour has been added and there’s tubing for the less adventurous. Several guides are on hand at each pool and accompany tubers and zip liners. Only swimmers are allowed to enter the water.
For the little ones, there are play areas far away from the water, and a few benches placed strategically around the grounds entice you to sit and enjoy nature’s bounty. Or grab a seat on the porch of the gift shop and watch as bird feeders call colorful hummingbirds to take a sip.
YS Estate is also a working stud farm that has produced several thoroughbred champions for Caymanas Park, the local racetrack.
Respect for the Environment
The Browne family, who own the estate and the falls, which are nestled in the foothills of the Cockpit Country, has taken great care in maintaining the natural environment. According to their site, when the falls opened in 1992, Simon Browne wanted to limit the number of visitors to 25 a day but that had to be revised as interest grew. Still, he’s said to monitor the numbers. (Groups are limited to 25.) In keeping with their drive to be environmentally aware, all toilets are eco-friendly.
My friend who joined me for the visit announced that she was in love with YS Falls, that because of the lushness of the surroundings, she preferred it to Dunn’s River Falls. True, YS feels more in harmony with the environment than Dunn’s River though I believe each has its own charm.
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Before you go:
YS Falls is located 50 miles from Montego Bay and Negril. Tours can be arranged through your hotel or guest house.
Admission: Adults $15/Children $7.50
Canopy Tour: Adults $42/Children $20
Tubing: $6 (20 minutes)
Hours: Tuesday to Sundays 9:30 – 4:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays and local holidays
Telephone: 876-997-6360
This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.
Crackling Pig Roast. The words evoke images of celebration, of good times and cheer. So as my sister was reading the announcement in the local paper, I was making plans to be there. I was so intrigued by the idea of a pig roast and the menu that Chef Gari Ferguson had created that I almost showed up a week early!
The Menu –
Whole Smoked Crackling Roast Pig
Green Papaya Slaw
Pickled Red Onions
Hard Dough Rolls with Honey Butter
Smoked Sweet Potato
Mac & Goat Cheese
BBQ Onions
Tangy Tamarind Glaze
Coconut and Lemongrass Sauce
Mango Scotch Bonnet Sauce
On the evening of, we were among the first to arrive. People started trickling in in twos and threes and before long, all the tables were full. Then I watched as the pig was brought in and carefully laid on the table, four young men doing the honors.
Crackling Roast PigCrackling Roast Pig
Chef Gari presiding over the crackling roast pig.
I selected green papaya slaw, hard dough rolls with honey butter, and mac and goat cheese. Contrary to the name, the green papaya wasn’t green. It was those orange-looking strips peeking out below the pork.
Crackling Pig Roast
The pig was tender and succulent, and so tasty that I went back for seconds — it was, after all, all-you-can-eat.
Crackling Pig Roast
Another view of my plate. That’s the glazed onions in front, mac and cheese in the background.
G’s BBQ had its second crackling pig roast this week but I wasn’t able to go. It’s now planning to make it a monthly event so if you like pork and are in the Kingston area during the next month, be sure to check them out.
G’s BBQ
The Marketplace
67 Constant Spring Road
Kingston 10
Mondays-Saturdays, 12 noon to 10:30 p.m.
876-906-4393
Check G’s for the current price.
This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.
As I travel around, I’m fascinated by some of the Jamaican houses I see. Styles change as the population changes so I’m not surprised to see European, Asian and African influences, and materials such as wattle and daub, brick, wood and zinc being used. Usually, based on the design and the materials, I can pinpoint the time period during which most were built. I’m still trying to figure out where on the design continuum this one falls.
Jamaican house
This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.
