Day 4 (November 13, 2016): Take me home, mon!

Unlike Friday and Saturday, our wake-up on our last morning in Jamaica was not marked by torrential rain. We were up at 6:45am and were at the restaurant by 7:15am. The Village was very peaceful at that hour. We enjoyed our last breakfast leisurely over lattes and were at the beach by 8:15am. I convinced Pam to don her snorkel gear and get in the ocean with me - thankfully she agreed! It wasn't a top-notch snorkeling spot by any means, but we did see a lot of different kinds of fish. We ended our beach time with a nice walk down the sandy stretch and then headed back to the room to pack and prepare to leave by the 11am checkout time. The last morning of vacation is always kind of sad, because you know full well you are leaving all the pampering and have a long haul, a late night and the stress of back-to-work ahead of you. 

[Our last breakfast.  What a peaceful spot!  And great omelettes!]

 

[As we were sitting on the beach, this little crab came out of his shell and started darting across the sand. Small but mighty.]

[Ok.  Just rocks.  Nice rocks, though!]
 

[We ended our last morning with a walk.  Ahhh... I'll miss the feeling of sand between the ole' toes!]
 

Turning out of the resort property onto highway A-1 towards Montego Bay, we planned to stop at the most famous of the Jamaican plantations -- Rose Hall Great House -- before returning the rental car. Rose Hall is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island, so we were prepared for hoards of tourists there. Instead, it was practically deserted. We took the obligatory tour of the house with a guide, who knew her history well. 

[Rose Hall Great House.  Construction began in 1750.]

[The view looking towards the sea, from Rose Hall Great House.]

Rose Hall's construction was started by a plantation owner in 1750, who named it for his wife, Rose. To cut to the chase, it took 30 years to build and eventually ended up in the hands of a young lady named Ann, who had been raised by a voodoo priestess in Haiti. Long story short, she married and murdered three rich husbands in three different bedrooms of the house, pushed her maid off the balcony to her death, and at age 29 was stabbed in her own bed by her slave lover, who had helped her kill one of her husbands. Add to that countless beheadings and merciless torture of slaves on the plantation, and you have a place that has a horrible air of both death and evil. Ann was known as the White Witch, and accounts of her ghost sighting around the house are prolific. 

[You need to read the above to understand the context for these bedroom pics.  This is where Ann murdered husband #1 - strangulation.  In all three cases, she told the authorities her husbands died from Yellow Fever.  They believed her.]

 

[Where Ann killed husband #2.  Multiple stab wounds.  The blood was found in the walls as late as 1905.]

 

[Ann killed husband #3 here: arsenic poisoning!  She sure was creative!]

[And this is Ann's own bedroom, where at age 29, her black slave lover stabbed her to death.]

[The dungeon entrance.  Oh, the horrible things that happened to slaves here...]

[And here lies Ann.  Or at least, this is where Ann wonders the grounds FROM! (if you believe what the people say)]

And here we thought we were visiting a sweet ole' traditional plantation house!

We left Rose Hall and headed towards Sangster International Airport. By 1pm, we had gassed up the rental and returned it with none of the skanky ripoff 'damages' the internet had warned us about. Budget Rent-a-Car was a breeze. The same attendant who had released the car to us said, "See? I told you renting a car in Jamaica wasn't a bad idea!"  We spent an hour in the Club Mobay Business Lounge and then boarded our WestJet flight to Toronto. Everything went well with the flights to Toronto and onward to Halifax, and we arrived home on schedule at 12:30am. 

[Our Westjet from Montego Bay to Toronto.]

 

[The rare 'Super Moon' over the wing.]

What an excellent experience we had in Jamaica! The people were genuine, friendly, and always ready to help with humour. The resort and the sights were beyond our expectations. A wonderful experience all-round. Thanks for tuning into the blog. Join me for the next adventure: Nicaragua in January.

Day 3 (November 12, 2016): An amazing waterfall!

We woke at 5am to the sound of torrential rain and again worried it would put a literal damper on our day.  When we left for breakfast at 8:30am, we wore reef walkers and were literally up to our ankles in water in some places, so heavy was the rain.  But somewhere between the French toast and the omelette, the storm broke and the sun burst through with fury.  By 9:30am, we were on the beach, where we relaxed until noon.

[The rain stopped on a dime, everything dried off, and another day in paradise quickly got underway!]

 

[Melia Braco Village]

[The resort is comprised of 12 "villas", each with 16 units.  This was ours.]

We had planned on two main activities off the resort for our short vacay:  yesterday's visit to Falmouth and today's visit to Dunn's River Falls.  By 12:15 we were in the rental car, driving east towards Ocho Rios, which is Jamaica's third largest town.  It was just a 45-minute drive but white knuckle all the way.  The highway winds through mountainous terrain and small towns, and slow trucks make for frustrated drivers who pull out to pass in the most hair-raising of situations.

[The Jamaican government is doing its best to try to reign in the country's risky drivers]

[The bauxite mine in St. Ann, enroute to Dunn's Falls.  Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the world's main source of aluminium. This part of the mine operation looked like a craft from outer space.]

By 1pm, we arrived at the Falls - Jamaica's top-grossing tourist attraction.  Fortunately, most tour buses visit in the morning, so it wasn't too busy.  At 180 feet high and 600 feet long, the waterfalls are terraced like giant natural stairs. Several small lagoons are interspersed, which make for a refreshing dip. Many people climb the falls amid the cascading water.  We did a section of it only.  Our neighbour had hurt his back at Dunn's a couple of years ago, so we were wary of the risk.

[The incomparable Dunn's Falls.  Note the guy in the middle of the picture, to give some perspective.]

[Another view of the Dunn's Falls cascade]

[OK, this is a total cheat pic!  Yes, we did climb part of the cascade, but only about a third of it.  We walked the pathway to the top to get this picture with the sign.  At least we're honest!]

[A huge banyan tree in the Dunn's River Park]

[And if you want a kitschy wedding, the folks at Dunn's River Falls Park will gladly accommodate!]

[Fruit vendors are a common sight along the highway.  Like this one, selling oranges.]

[I don't know how often they cut the roadside grass, but there were huge garbage bags of grass awaiting pickup everywhere we went.  Sometimes the waiting bags stretched on for kilometres!]

By 3:30pm we arrived back at the resort to finish the day with another round of beach time and snorkelling.  I saw some colourful fish and a stingray today!  We ended the day with dinner at the resort's Asian restaurant, where a Jamaican chef prepared an amazing meal of beef, shrimp, salmon and chicken at the teppanyaki grill, while a group of us sat grillside and watched -- and were entertained.  Our chef turned out to be a singer, as well!  We enjoyed great conversation with a couple from Belgium and a newlywed couple from Ontario. 

All in all, the day that started out with torrential rain turned out perfectly.  Much relaxation, great food, and a wonderful natural scenic attraction.

[Sheldon, our talented teppanyaki chef and singer!]

Day 2 (November 11, 2016): A beach day-PLUS!

We were disappointed to wake at 7:00am and hear pouring rain, given that our visit here is such a short one.  Having slept like logs after having been up for 21 hours on Thursday, we finally pulled ourselves out of bed at 7:45am.  The resort breakfast buffet was over-the-top good.  By 9:30am, the rain had let up, and feeling more than stuffed, we headed to the beach.  A stiff Jamaican breeze blew all day, making it quite enjoyable to sit there.  With partly overcast skies and the shad of a palm tree, I assumed I was being protected from the sun.  But at the end of the day, I realized how strong the sun's UV rays are:  my skin is on fire as I sit here tonight typing this blog.

[OK, I know this may look disgusting.  These are actually boiled bananas - a Jamaican favourite, on offer at the resort's buffet breakfast.]

[The resort pool, as the morning rainstorm was blowing out to sea]

[This guy was on the resort property all day long, cutting coconuts and preparing them as drinks.  Jamaicans have a crazy handshake, in which you rub thumbs three times - for love, peace and respect.  This guy taught me the handshake. I feel like I belong to a secret club now!]

[The resort's beach area comprises three coves. Note the palm shadows that I assumed were protecting me from sunburn.  NOT!]

[Of the three coves on the resort, this is the one where we chilled out all day.  I snorkeled here and saw a scary-looking eel poking out of its hole on the sea-floor.]

By 2:30pm, we were feeling 'beached out'.  So we jumped in our rental car and headed to Falmouth, the island's main cruise-ship port, 20km back towards Montego Bay.  We had heard that Falmouth had a lot of quaint, Georgian-era buildings.  So we thought it would be a good place to stroll the afternoon away.  Replace 'quaint' with 'severely dilapidated, and that will tell the tale better.  In any case, it was neat to see the crazy bustle of a small Jamaican town square and market.

[Enroute to Falmouth, these homes are built on the hilly terrain.  These are definitely of the up-scale ilk, and do not reflect the home of the average Jamaican.]

[The faded but still grandiose courthouse, where the town council presides.]

[Sugar cane for sale in Water Square]

[The chaotic bustle and commerce of Water Square.]


[The chaotic bustle and commerce of Water Square.]

[This Victorian market used to be the site of slave auctions.]

[This is a Jamaican Ackee tree.  The fruit was imported to Jamaica from West Africa on a slave ship before 1778. Since then it has become a major feature of various Caribbean cuisines.]

 

 

We were back at the resort by 4:30pm.  I did a run and then we got ready for the resort's massive buffet and entertainment extravaganza.  Melia Braco Village turns its village centre a huge party every Friday night.  It was all so well done!

[Pam at the village fountain.]

[This is Leroy the Fabulous.  He's an incredible fire entertainer.]

[This Jamaican drumming group had amazing energy!]

 

So that is the sort of day we had on our first full day in Jamaica.  Relaxing, fun, great food and entertainment.  After all, that is what we came for!  Good night from here.

Day 1 (November 10, 2016): Jamaica, mon!

For many years now, it has been our tradition to take a short break in the sun during Veterans Week, before the crazy Christmas rush sets in.  It has enabled us to take in a fair chunk of the Caribbean, but we had never made it to Jamaica, which is where many Caribbean adventurers start out.

We finally jumped out of bed at 3:15am, having slept through too many whacks on the 'snooze' button.  At 4:30am, we were at the WestJet check-in counter at Halifax International and then up, up and away ahead of schedule at 5:15am.


[Descent into Toronto at dawn]

With just three hours of sleep to our credit, we rested at the Plaza Premium Lounge in Pearson's Terminal 3, until our WestJet connection to Montego Bay departed. 


[Using lattes to try to stay awake in the lounge at Pearson]


[The early morning view of the Terminal 3 tarmac at Pearson.  Note the towers of North York -- Toronto's second downtown -- in the background]

Both flights were packed, which was fine.  But on the Toronto-Montego Bay flight, the guy next to me was quite large -- okay, one of his legs was the size of two of mine.  He spilled over into a third of my 'middle' seat, making for an excruciating four hour flight to Jamaica.


[The Long Point National Wildlife Area juts out into Lake Ontario]

[Virginia's Chesapeake Bay]


[First view of Jamaica]


[About to land -- getting excited!]

We landed at 1:40pm, more than half an hour early.  Two other flights from Toronto landed at the same time, so the customs hall was madness.  Then we went to the Budget Rent-a-Car counter, where it literally took the guy 45 minutes to get our rental contract together.  We had read warnings on-line of how awful the roads and drivers are in Jamaica, and also about how skanky the car rental agencies are, routinely scamming customers by charging a fortune for pre-existing nicks and scratches. As a precaution we went over the car with a fine toothed comb, and photographed the vehicle from top to bottom. 

We left Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay (which is on the northwest corner of Jamaica) almost two hours after we landed, and started the 50km drive along the north coast to our Melia Braco Village Hotel in Rio Bueno.


[Limestone cliffs en route from Montego Bay to Rio Bueno]


[Crazy drivers aren't the only road hazard -- goats are, as well!]

Overall impressions?  Well, the island is definitely lush and definitely bordering on Third World.  The drivers are definitely crazy -- making three lanes out of two and taking ridiculous chances at passing with oncoming traffic looming.  Roaming goats, roadside vendors, and uniformed kids returning home at the end of the school day, all made for a pleasant -- if not hair-raising -- drive to the hotel.


[Jerk chicken, jerk pork -- if it's meat, they jerk it!]

We pulled into the Melia property around 4:15, and were immediately impressed by the grounds, the layout of the buildings, and the friendly service.

[Locals playing football as we drove into the Melia grounds]


[The resort's beach just before dusk]


[Cloud formation at dusk]

Jamaicans insert "mon" (man) after every few words.  They seem genuinely warm and very proud of their island.  And Usain Bolt!  If our first dinner is any indication, their food is spicy and hearty.


[Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice.  On our first night here, we had jerk pork tenderloin...]


[...and jerk chicken lollipops -- at least that is what the menu called them!]

So those are a few initial reflections on our first half day in Jamaica.  It has been a long day, and we are ready to crash.  Tomorrow is going to have some serious beach relaxing!

Good night, mon!