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

[Sugar Shug]

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




The rains came for a minute. Chef looked over the hills and said the rain looks like it was at Nine Mile. He was right. He also pointed out different trees, flowers, and produce. Tia loved this part of the trip because she was able to cool off. You know I loved the hills, but missed the heat.

[Sugar Shug]

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

Nine Mile
Now we are at Nine Mile. This was deep. I was getting so excited. Here is my first glimpse of the property.


It was raining and I didn’t bring my umbrella out of the apartment. I don’t worry about getting my hair wet because it’s natural, but Tia is having issues. As I’m about to open the van door a security guard comes up to me with an umbrella and tell me that he doesn’t want me to get wet. I tell Tia to get under the umbrella. The security guard ushers us to the front steps and I say thanks. We enter the front entrance which houses the gift shop. I’m not interested in buying anything. I go to the Rasta at the cash register. I sign my name in the book and walk to the side. Marlon goes up to the Rasta is looking confused. He and the Rasta are talking. I can tell something is up. Oh my goodness-He wants me to pay for him. Well I’m not gonna let him out of this easy. After he signs the book the Rasta asks him for the money. He points over to me. The Rasta says-she only pay for sheself. I turn around and Marlon’s says he’ll pay me back. I say forget about it.

Ok-so he was getting on me and Tia’s nerves on the way over with some of his comments. (He’s judgemental) and now this. If he had told me yesterday that he didn’t have the money, but still wanted to go, even after all that drama with the lobster, it would have been no problem. I understand. It’s that you don’t say anything and he knew he was wrong because he started acting funny. For the whole rest of the trip I was polite and tried to stay nice. I feel like I’m the host, but brother man is outta here as soon as we pull into Ochi.

After I paid the money we walked into another building. I got to take off my flip flops again. I went into the bathroom and tried to ground myself. I told myself to get over it and let it go. I’m here to see Bob and I’m not going to let negative vibes interfere with this experience. This is something that I’ve been dreaming about for years and it will be wonderful. The talking to myself worked and I was able to almost forget about all the mess until we left.



View from the Porch-we were waiting for the rain to stop so that we could start our tour.

I loved these chairs-they were on the outdoor porch.

[Sugar Shug]

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


Walking up to Bob’s House-These ladies were laughing at me because I kept taking my shoes off.

As I’m writing this section One Love just started playing on the TV. I guess Bob is here with me.

The view down the hill.

Bob Lives


Our guide had the best laugh. Any time he spoke about marijuana he just gave the funniest laugh. Tia wished she had her palm pilot with her so she could record it and play it when she’s in a bad mood.

That’s as close as I got to JA’s national bird.

[Sugar Shug]

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

I'll add more later. Have a good day.
Peace

[Sugar Shug]

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

Opps. Double post
Peace

[jamaicaboo]

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

oh i am loving this, i have never visited nine mile but it is always on my to do list, after reading this and seeing the pics i am surley gonna go when i head back to JA!
I will be waiting for the rest..............

[Marilyn]

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

Going to Nine Mile is a spititual pilgrimage.

[trelawnysmall]

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

I am enjoying your report, full of humor & a lot of spiritual growth.
I believe you have met one of your life time friends, someone who will constantly surprise you, provide you with endless adventure, hold your hand along your spiritual journey, help you laugh & allow you to cry, this new best friend's name is, JAMAICA!

[jamaicaboo]

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

Originally posted by Tsmall:
[qb] I am enjoying your report, full of humor & a lot of spiritual growth.
I believe you have met one of your life time friends, someone who will constantly surprise you, provide you with endless adventure, hold your hand along your spiritual journey, help you laugh & allow you to cry, this new best friend's name is, JAMAICA! [/qb]

love this tsmall, such beautiful words!

[Green_Biscuit]

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

Later when? Can you be more specific?

[Sugar Shug]

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



The entrance to Bob’s childhood home

Bob’s bed.

[Sugar Shug]

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



At the end of the tour we go to go into Bob’s mausoleum. I wanted the tour to end and me to be alone in there. Why is there all this talking? I need silence so I can feel Bob. The tour guide explained that Bob and his half brother were buried inside of the mausoleum. After the other tourists left I just stood there. I kept thinking-There’s A Natural Mystic Blowing Through The Air. I swear I could feel him. I could feel an otherness in the room. I wanted everyone to leave, but I look up and Marlon is behind me. Moment over. Damn. As we were leaving I kept trying to avoid Marlon. Kinda hard when there is only three of us. I was taking more pictures and Chef was telling me the names of some of the local flowers.




This is one of my favorite shots

[Sugar Shug]

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

We head back down the hill and we are on our way to the school.



Furniture Maker’s Shop

Tia has to use the bathroom so we stop at one of Chef’s family member’s house. We all buy something to drink out of their store. Chef notices that his relatives (I can’t remember the exact family relation-if I was in Guyana I’d say cousin cause everyone is your cousin) aren’t in school. We are told that school doesn’t start until the following week. Tia suggests giving some of the supplies to the two little girls that we meet. We give them supplies and take pictures. They were so sweet.


Young lady in the blue is ranked 3rd in her class at school!!!!!!!!!
We give the rest of the supplies to the mom so that she can give them to the Principal of the school.

We hang out there and Chef shows us a plant that closes up when you touch it.

Tia spent the rest of the trip trying to find that plant again.



Painting on the wall of the family’s shop
We soon say bye, pile back into the van and head down the mountain.

[Sugar Shug]

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

Oxtail PLEASE!!!
Tia starts saying that she wants oxtail and CDs. I told her that we can find CDs in Ochi. Chef also tells here that we can find her oxtail in Ochi. Chef takes us through Fern Gully. It was tooo cool.


The pictures that I took there didn’t come out too well. I guess dark, plus moving isn’t a great combination. I saw Mr. Benedict.

Too soon we get back to Ochi. I know that I will miss the mountains and at sometime in the future I will have to go back and pay my respects to Bob. When we get to Ochi we go to the Island shopping area to see if a store Chef knows has oxtail. All of a sudden people are yelling and running around. Jamaica has just won a gold medal. I was happy I was there. People were so excited. I was in Trinidad during the Summer Olympics in 2000, but this was cool seeing everyone’s reaction. I was later talking to my friend about how we in the US take it for granted because we win so many medals, but I saw people crying in the streets. It was deep.

We get to the first shop. Nope no oxtail. 4 shops later, still no oxtail. I remembered that the Coconuts Café had oxtail. I had ordered the curry goat. It was good but the peas and rice(sorry I’m Guyanese we don’t say rice and peas) was dry. Chef said that they probably cooked it in the morning and by the time I got it at night it was all dried out. Tia gets some chicken. I won’t get any because I’m not paying for Mr. Marlon. I decide that I will just have to come back to get some food. Now I made this decision before we go to 5 different shops looking for some oxtail, so I’m getting more upset by the minute. We are finally on our way back to the hotel. Tia whispers-Does Marlon have enough money to get home? I said we don’t have to worry about such things. That’s something that I won’t mind paying for.

Chef drops us off back at Fisherman’s. Tia told him that we would confirm with him for Friday. I think she got scared at the price he quoted to take us back out there. It was a good price. When I talked to her later I got her to realize that for the price of the massage and the transportation-we could not get a better deal in the States or at the fru-fru-she-she place that we had planned on going to. I think she was sensitive because she got taken on the price from Boscobel. That guy robbed her-she probably paid 3 times what she should have paid.

As soon as we get out of the car and are thanking Chef for a WONDERFUL day, Tia asks him can he drop Marlon off to the area where the buses are. Chef says no problem and we escort Marlon back to the room so that he can get his bag. As we are going up the steps he and Tia are having a conversation and I’m say huh. Tia says something along the lines of Marlon coming back on Saturday. She give me the LOOK. I say-Oh we have plans on Saturday, so we should just say bye now. I give him a half hug and tell him safe trip and we send him out the door.

[jamaicaboo]

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

wow you are so in touch with bob, great report on nine mile, i am anxious to see how the rest of the vacation goes with chris now that marlon is out of the way.........or at least i hope he is?