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Hello Old Friends! I've recently returned from a visit and thought I might share some experiences and thoughts. I've actually been home over 2 weeks and am still suffering from 're-entry' to life here and so am obsessing on JA as usual...so, thanks for letting me re-live some of it.
The flight from Boston to Mo' Bay via Air Jamaica was on time, uneventful, and direct. I love those summer flights because you're in Mo'Bay by 10:30am. You don't lose the whole first day to travel.
As the plane landed and we taxied towards the terminal, I saw our good friend and driver waiting on the observation deck. This is a good sign! We made it through customs and immigrations quickly and after greeting our friend were on our way.
6/22-6/24 -Runaway Bay
We spent the first two nights at a resort, Club Ambiance, in Runaway Bay. We've stayed there before and enjoyed it. Each time, they've given us a nice honeymoon room with a huge balcony, so we settled in nicely. For the most part, I could skip the resort experience..so many people everywhere..but my husband enjoys the 'vegging out' and lack of making plans and such. We did have a nice time and enjoyed chatting with the other guests..lots of British, Scots, and some Jamaicans this time. The resort is, in my opinion, very well run. The staff is wonderful and the property is pretty and clean, even though it is not new. All buildings are located quite close to the water and this is a major attraction for me. To those who've noticed the place upon driving past; the view from the road does not do it justice.
6/24-6/26 - Ocho Rios
Our friends picked us up in the late morning to move us. We stopped at the marketplace in St. Ann's Bay and did some shopping on the way in. This is one of my favorite activities..stocking up. We of course had to stop at Leslie's Haberdashery. Something about it reminds me of the old Woolworth's at home when I was a child and I cannot pass the place without buying something! Usually a soccer ball or toys or papergoods or..
We bought the last of the veg loaf from the bakery on the hill. After a couple days of resort food, we were in need of some serious veg. The loaves are always a good start. Our friends purchased some callaloo(which was scarce this visit), cabbage, scallion, thyme, irish, carrots, yam, and everything else we needed and we were on our way. Love St. Ann's Bay! I am not a city person, but I love to be part of the hustle-bustle there, especially on market days. I've even finally perfected the Jamaican art of walking amongst the slow-moving traffic without getting my feet run over!
Once in Ocho Rios, we checked into Columbus Heights(CH). We had the same unit that we've had previously in which we enjoy the long verandah and the lovely view of Ocho Rios. Columbus Heights is a good place to stay; clean, well-furnished apartments, well-managed in general. For those who are unfamiliar, it's the same piece of property which houses Sky Castles, but the Columbus Heights phases are managed by a different company, Tourism Consultants. Check-in consisted of the pleasant office lady giving us the key and we were in within seconds(easy check-in is a big selling point for me).
We spent the first day at CH by the pool and partying on the verandah with friends who cooked an amazing meal of brown-stew chicken, steam fish, steam veg, rice n peas, and of course grapenut ice cream. Yum! I cannot leave the veg alone. Once it's cooked, I'm eating it on water crackers, toast, rice, anything. It's an addiction that I don't plan to overcome any time soon.
The next day, we ate breakfast down at Sans at the fisherman's beach and then made our way to Turtle Beach for the day. I must say, we were shocked at the lack of people on the beach. All those people coming off those cruise ships, and there were maybe 10 beachgoers from the ships. They must just scoop them up onto buses and whisk them away to the falls or the dophin place, I guess. The beach vendors are hurting, that's for sure. We saw this throughout the trip. Things are rough down there right now. Prices of everything have gone up so much and there's little work to be had by many. sigh.. anyway.. We had a nice beach day. Our intention was to spend a few hours on the beach and then venture out and about downtown. We ended up spending the whole day right there in the shade, in the water and back. Lovely! At lunch time, one of the vendors set up a table for us. Lunch consisted of curry chicken and rice, fresh pineapple, and coconut water. It was a very enjoyable day! We returned to CH, freshened up, rested, and then went out for drinks with friends in the evening to Cafe' Mango.
6/26-7/2 Mammee Bay Estate
Upon leaving CH, we headed 'home' to Mammee Bay and Villa Riviera. Each time we return, it's like going home again and each time we leave, it's harder to go. I can see myself renting that villa for an entire season some day.
Villa Riviera is an older home located in the Mammee Bay Estate. It is immaculately mantained and has lovely gardens and a most inviting swimming pool and verandah. We rent directly from the owner who is a very nice Jamaican gentleman who lives in Canada. It is important to him that you enjoy your stay, and we do, every time.
At the villa, I spend much of my time on the verandah listening to the tree frogs and the breeze. That is, when I'm not picking limes from the tree, or floating in the pool, or taking long walks with my husband along the beach and through the paths in the woods, or shopping with the few vendors still on the beach. The beach club is still very quiet as it has been since the closing of Enchanted Garden. The restroom facilities are open, but the restaurant is not. However, a couple of the guys cook fish and yam some days. I enjoy the solitude, but it's sad to see it so quiet down there. I used to enjoy when the beach club was hopping and you could be part of it if you want or take a short stroll down the beach and be a million miles away from anything but that calming breeze and the sound of the surf hitting the reef. Yes, Mammee Bay remains my favorite place on earth.
The rest of the trip consisted pretty much of relaxing and partying around the villa and beach. We visited with friends in Steer Town and went out on a few excursions.
One night, my husband and I had a romantic dinner at Bibibips. Great atmosphere and good food. I'd definitely go back.
We spent one afternoon at Puerto Seco Beach in Discovery Bay with friends. Our friend's little boy(he's not quite 2) had a blast in the water with us. We frolicked in the shallows with the Jamaican families. My husband joked that we were out too far..we were near the ropes! (hehe) It always amazes me that most Jamaicans I know do not know how to swim. A good Jamaican friend of mine says the same...he says that many people pretend to swim, but they really don't. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this. Please forgive me for making this generalization if I'm off base. It's just based on my observations over time.
Finally, we took the long-planned visit to Port Antonio. Wow! Lovely scenery. We stopped at the Rio Grande...I can see why they call it that!
We trespassed briefly onto the grounds of Trident Castle..fancy! We went to Boston Beach and had chicken and stopped at the Blue Lagoon on the return. We took a ride around it on a bamboo raft. It would have been even more enjoyable if our friend John (who can't swim but says he does) hadn't insisted on going along with us. The whole time I'm thinking, "this water is 200' deep and if John goes over the side..well, that Rasta is 6' tall and thin and shaped like a torpedo and will probably shoot straight to the bottom and my husband is going to have to do a deep-sea rescue because I don't think I'm up to it. How do I perform cpr again??" It didn't help that our other friend was pacing on shore worrying that John was about to die.
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] How romantic..
Anyway, Port Antonio was nice. But, you know what? I must say that I thought St. Mary was even lovlier. I could live there..something more inviting about it to me. Those banana plantations and the rolling hills..spectacular! Libby, if you read this, I know why you love it there. BTW, we had planned to stop at your place on the return, but missed it and time was getting late. Next time!
Portland took my breath away, but I don't know that it's the place for me..almost too remote. I loved Buff Bay though and the whole ride was scenic. However, after passing Oracabessa and heading towards Ochi, I did get that warm feeling of being home again..even the Ochi traffic and noise was welcome. Go figure.
So, that's about it. Unfortunately, my writing style is not as fluid as many of the wonderful writers here, but hopefully you enjoyed it even without pictures. Thanks for letting me re-live my visit.
The flight from Boston to Mo' Bay via Air Jamaica was on time, uneventful, and direct. I love those summer flights because you're in Mo'Bay by 10:30am. You don't lose the whole first day to travel.
As the plane landed and we taxied towards the terminal, I saw our good friend and driver waiting on the observation deck. This is a good sign! We made it through customs and immigrations quickly and after greeting our friend were on our way.
6/22-6/24 -Runaway Bay
We spent the first two nights at a resort, Club Ambiance, in Runaway Bay. We've stayed there before and enjoyed it. Each time, they've given us a nice honeymoon room with a huge balcony, so we settled in nicely. For the most part, I could skip the resort experience..so many people everywhere..but my husband enjoys the 'vegging out' and lack of making plans and such. We did have a nice time and enjoyed chatting with the other guests..lots of British, Scots, and some Jamaicans this time. The resort is, in my opinion, very well run. The staff is wonderful and the property is pretty and clean, even though it is not new. All buildings are located quite close to the water and this is a major attraction for me. To those who've noticed the place upon driving past; the view from the road does not do it justice.
6/24-6/26 - Ocho Rios
Our friends picked us up in the late morning to move us. We stopped at the marketplace in St. Ann's Bay and did some shopping on the way in. This is one of my favorite activities..stocking up. We of course had to stop at Leslie's Haberdashery. Something about it reminds me of the old Woolworth's at home when I was a child and I cannot pass the place without buying something! Usually a soccer ball or toys or papergoods or..
We bought the last of the veg loaf from the bakery on the hill. After a couple days of resort food, we were in need of some serious veg. The loaves are always a good start. Our friends purchased some callaloo(which was scarce this visit), cabbage, scallion, thyme, irish, carrots, yam, and everything else we needed and we were on our way. Love St. Ann's Bay! I am not a city person, but I love to be part of the hustle-bustle there, especially on market days. I've even finally perfected the Jamaican art of walking amongst the slow-moving traffic without getting my feet run over!
Once in Ocho Rios, we checked into Columbus Heights(CH). We had the same unit that we've had previously in which we enjoy the long verandah and the lovely view of Ocho Rios. Columbus Heights is a good place to stay; clean, well-furnished apartments, well-managed in general. For those who are unfamiliar, it's the same piece of property which houses Sky Castles, but the Columbus Heights phases are managed by a different company, Tourism Consultants. Check-in consisted of the pleasant office lady giving us the key and we were in within seconds(easy check-in is a big selling point for me).
We spent the first day at CH by the pool and partying on the verandah with friends who cooked an amazing meal of brown-stew chicken, steam fish, steam veg, rice n peas, and of course grapenut ice cream. Yum! I cannot leave the veg alone. Once it's cooked, I'm eating it on water crackers, toast, rice, anything. It's an addiction that I don't plan to overcome any time soon.
The next day, we ate breakfast down at Sans at the fisherman's beach and then made our way to Turtle Beach for the day. I must say, we were shocked at the lack of people on the beach. All those people coming off those cruise ships, and there were maybe 10 beachgoers from the ships. They must just scoop them up onto buses and whisk them away to the falls or the dophin place, I guess. The beach vendors are hurting, that's for sure. We saw this throughout the trip. Things are rough down there right now. Prices of everything have gone up so much and there's little work to be had by many. sigh.. anyway.. We had a nice beach day. Our intention was to spend a few hours on the beach and then venture out and about downtown. We ended up spending the whole day right there in the shade, in the water and back. Lovely! At lunch time, one of the vendors set up a table for us. Lunch consisted of curry chicken and rice, fresh pineapple, and coconut water. It was a very enjoyable day! We returned to CH, freshened up, rested, and then went out for drinks with friends in the evening to Cafe' Mango.
6/26-7/2 Mammee Bay Estate
Upon leaving CH, we headed 'home' to Mammee Bay and Villa Riviera. Each time we return, it's like going home again and each time we leave, it's harder to go. I can see myself renting that villa for an entire season some day.
Villa Riviera is an older home located in the Mammee Bay Estate. It is immaculately mantained and has lovely gardens and a most inviting swimming pool and verandah. We rent directly from the owner who is a very nice Jamaican gentleman who lives in Canada. It is important to him that you enjoy your stay, and we do, every time.
At the villa, I spend much of my time on the verandah listening to the tree frogs and the breeze. That is, when I'm not picking limes from the tree, or floating in the pool, or taking long walks with my husband along the beach and through the paths in the woods, or shopping with the few vendors still on the beach. The beach club is still very quiet as it has been since the closing of Enchanted Garden. The restroom facilities are open, but the restaurant is not. However, a couple of the guys cook fish and yam some days. I enjoy the solitude, but it's sad to see it so quiet down there. I used to enjoy when the beach club was hopping and you could be part of it if you want or take a short stroll down the beach and be a million miles away from anything but that calming breeze and the sound of the surf hitting the reef. Yes, Mammee Bay remains my favorite place on earth.
The rest of the trip consisted pretty much of relaxing and partying around the villa and beach. We visited with friends in Steer Town and went out on a few excursions.
One night, my husband and I had a romantic dinner at Bibibips. Great atmosphere and good food. I'd definitely go back.
We spent one afternoon at Puerto Seco Beach in Discovery Bay with friends. Our friend's little boy(he's not quite 2) had a blast in the water with us. We frolicked in the shallows with the Jamaican families. My husband joked that we were out too far..we were near the ropes! (hehe) It always amazes me that most Jamaicans I know do not know how to swim. A good Jamaican friend of mine says the same...he says that many people pretend to swim, but they really don't. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this. Please forgive me for making this generalization if I'm off base. It's just based on my observations over time.
Finally, we took the long-planned visit to Port Antonio. Wow! Lovely scenery. We stopped at the Rio Grande...I can see why they call it that!
We trespassed briefly onto the grounds of Trident Castle..fancy! We went to Boston Beach and had chicken and stopped at the Blue Lagoon on the return. We took a ride around it on a bamboo raft. It would have been even more enjoyable if our friend John (who can't swim but says he does) hadn't insisted on going along with us. The whole time I'm thinking, "this water is 200' deep and if John goes over the side..well, that Rasta is 6' tall and thin and shaped like a torpedo and will probably shoot straight to the bottom and my husband is going to have to do a deep-sea rescue because I don't think I'm up to it. How do I perform cpr again??" It didn't help that our other friend was pacing on shore worrying that John was about to die.
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] How romantic..Anyway, Port Antonio was nice. But, you know what? I must say that I thought St. Mary was even lovlier. I could live there..something more inviting about it to me. Those banana plantations and the rolling hills..spectacular! Libby, if you read this, I know why you love it there. BTW, we had planned to stop at your place on the return, but missed it and time was getting late. Next time!
Portland took my breath away, but I don't know that it's the place for me..almost too remote. I loved Buff Bay though and the whole ride was scenic. However, after passing Oracabessa and heading towards Ochi, I did get that warm feeling of being home again..even the Ochi traffic and noise was welcome. Go figure.
So, that's about it. Unfortunately, my writing style is not as fluid as many of the wonderful writers here, but hopefully you enjoyed it even without pictures. Thanks for letting me re-live my visit.
Port Antonio...for our wedding anniversary, I hooked up with Chef, who took my family and I (hubby and son both born in Ochi and had never really been out of Ochi) to see their faces on that drive to Reich Falls, it was priceless. Glad to know you had a great trip and thanks for sharing it with us [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
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