OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

[PoohNY]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

SS-

"Can I have a life outside of this trip report?"
NO NO NO you have to finish this story.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

I'm waiting patiently

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Welcome to Jamaica
I wake up in the morning and look out the window and I know its gonna be OK because I’m living my dream. I am finally going to see Bob. When planning this trip I knew that whatever I did in Jamaica I was going to visit Nine Mile. Chef is coming to pick us up at 9:30. Me and Tia get dressed. I go in the living room to check on Marlon. He’s still asleep after staying up all night watching TV. I told him that we needed to do some errands and that I would bring him back breakfast. Me and Tia head out to the cambio. When we are on the way down the street we see that the information booth on Main Street is open. We ask if any cambios would be open this early and the lady tells us-no they won’t be open until 9:30. I tell Tia that we can just ask Chef if we can go to a cambio before we leave Ochi.




We go over to Fisherman’s point and I introduce her to Ben and Scratchy-B. We have fun hanging out and talking to the people who have come for breakfast. I was really happy that Marlon didn’t come with us because Ben was again holding my hand to long and trying to put his arms around me. He was asking me if we could come by more often and I told him that we had everything is well planned out. I get Tia’s attention because it is getting late and we head back to the hotel.

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

I’m worried that Chef would get there before we are ready. Chef gets there at 10:00 which was perfect timing. The night before he hit a cow and had to get his front light replaced. We go to the front and get to meet our guide for the day. What first struck me about Chef was his English accent. Just looking at him I expected patios to come out of his mouth(it did later). He told me that he had lived in England for years but was born in JA. We ask him could he take us to a cambio. When asked who was gonna sit up front I shouted “me” and ran to the front. I wanted to be upfront so that I wouldn’t miss anything. The plan was to go to Nine Mile and then drop off some school supplies.


Tia wanted to go to Dolpin Cove, but we decided that we wouldn’t do it because I didn’t want to and she had done it in the Bahamas. Chef told us that he could take us on a different way going down the mountain. I’m getting so excited. I can feel that I am getting closer to Bob. I talked to myself today about not crying when I went into the mausoleum(I should have just cried-I did cry enough times later in this trip).

We go to the cambio and we are own our way. I was just enraptured by the ride. This was the first time that I had gone up Main street past Fisherman’s Beach. I saw the ocean and hoped that I didn’t have my mouth open. It was so blue, blue. I haven’t seen anything that color before. We get off of the main road and start to go down a smaller road. Colorful little houses and shacks pop up. Opps we hit a nice pothole. The road gets bumpy, bumpy. We start to do the road dance. Marlon calls out from the back seat, “Welcome to Jamaica.”



What Is This Tree Called?

[Jamaicamiss]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

It called a Traveler's Palm Tree. Summin explain it ta mi an talk abou it in mi July 2004 trip report.

[Marilyn]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

TSmall
Says that it is called a travelers palm because if you cut into it it gushes sweet refreshing water, which would comfort a travler along a journey...thus travelers palm.

Whatever it is called, I am having on on either side of the entrance to my villa when I get it. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[cinnni]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Great pictures so far Sugar!! Can't wait to see the rest. Looking at your pictures overlooking the water from the hotel are bringing back all sorts of memories for me. That is the scene I looked at each morning from our verandah while everyone was sleeping still.

[Hush Darlin]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Originally posted by Sugar Shug:
[qb] Sweetssop-I'm coming- gesh. Can I have a life outside of this trip report? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/qb]

No No and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
not when you have such a exciting trip report...
I dont have patience [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] noen whatsoever at all [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]
anyways jus kiddin...I notice you have a 3 year old I remember that age quite well as I have a 5 year old.

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

I have to say thanks to Tia for carrying half the school supplies over in her luggage and to the Wakefield family for providing ALL those supplies in the yellow box.

Thanks Marilyn and Jamaica Miss for the info. Sweetssop-you are too funny. Your lack of patience reminds me of my 3 year old. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Cinni-Fisherman's was fun. I loved getting up in the morning, throwing open the large window and watching Ochi wake up.

[jamaicaboo]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

wow i am loving this! I cannot wait to read more! Please come back...................... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]ray:

[grandma2]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

very nice SS, thanks

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Jamaicaboo and grandma-Here's more report
Peace

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

The Natural Spring
Just to warn you, I took a lot of pictures on this part of the journey. Chef takes us along the side of a valley(I don’t know technical names) that has a river running along the bottom. Tia was trying to hold in her screams. I was in heaven. We stop at the end of the road. There is a garden to the right of us and the river is a few feet to the left of us. He gets out of the van and tell us that we can get out. He walks us down the side of the river bed and over to a natural spring. I am jumping up and down inside. My office mate who is half-Jamaican told me that her best experience in Jamaica was having a massage by Rastas at a natural spring. A very tall, tall man with deep eyes comes over and tells us the history of the spring. He told us that it has been used by the people in this area since slavery. Me and Tia have our cameras out ready to take pictures. Chef tells us to wait. He said that its not time yet. The tall man asks us if we have a light. We say no and he gets one of the many kids who were by the water to get one. He explains that there is sulfur in the water and that many people come here to get a massage because this is a healing spring. He gets the lighter from the little kid and lights the water. Flames are dancing on the top of the water.

He asks me do I want a massage. I say-YES. He gets a circular board and places it on a round rock. The tall man and Marlon help me into the water. The tall man starts to massage my arms and legs. Can we say heaven? He asks me to pull my skirt up to a point where I felt comfortable and places his hand over the flame. He then puts his warm hand on my legs. I wanted to melt into the water. His hand was so hot. He then starts to massage my feet. He must have massaged me for 10-15 minutes. After it was finished I ask-Ok so how much does it cost for the full massage. He asks Tia if she wants one and she said no she’ll get one when we come back. We agree to come back on Friday at noon.









Me asking-So how soon can I come back ?

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

On the way back up the riverbed I take off my flip flops and walk barefooted. I’m through. If not for Bob I would have wanted to go back to the hotel and go to sleep. Chef picks a leaf from a plant and asks me to smell it. Hmmm. It smells familiar.

He tells me that its Lemongrass. Cool. We all load into the van and head back to the road.

Chef Helping Tia Put Up the Lemongrass-We Were Supposed To Use It For Tea-Didn’t Happen

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

On The Way To See Bob
I’ll let the pictures tell the story, but I was just loving the mountains. I loved the way the air got so clear and fresh and it smelled lovely after the rain. It was meditative and the perfect entrance to Nine Mile.




Marcus Garvey’s House