Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

[loops]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

(((((GB)))))...thanks! i don't know which flower you are speaking of....copy it and I'll try to help identify it.

Glad you like the pics.

[loops]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Askme...have you been to Bath? Maybe you or Sweetlips can do a little write up on it...before i scare off anymore peeps...I'm just not into having complete strangers touch...nevermind slap me.

Glad you like my stuff.

(((Pepper)))...it's all a contrast...glad you keep stopping by for a glance...and happy you like what you see.

ncroots...thanks to you as well...you warm my spirit.

[mountaingal]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Originally posted by loops:
[qb] this next plant is known as Love lies bleeding...in fact i believe a member of the amaranth family...as is calaloo.

[/qb]

i just LOVE that you know this, that this plant and callalloo are related.

you've got some lovely shots. My daughters and I were lusting after the Fern Hill photos - we want to go down this year for Independence, and it would be great to spend a night or two at a really fancy hotel.

[askme]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Loops have not been there yet but will be there this summer for sure. So will let you know after I return. Hear is suppose to be awesome. You have any more shot from the road for us ???

[Island Girl]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Hi again Loops,

I'm not askme or Sweetlips, but we have been to Port Antonio/Portland five times in the last 10 years, staying a week the first time and ten to eleven days at a time thereafter. This year May will be our sixth trip, our 9th to Jamaica.

We have been to Bath twice in our 5 trips. This, our third time to Bath, we will defintely overnite at the Bath Hotel, it is simply lovely. We have never been down any of the "non-official" side trips away from the baths themselves. The Bath Hotel and the springs are enclosed within the hotel complex. They are cleaned and refilled after each use, so are very sanitary.

No one has ever offered to "slap" us, that seems to be off the actual official Bath property up (or down?) the river away from the hotel. I hear you can bathe in the warm mineral river and get a massage from a local "Rasta", although we have never done and have no desire to do- have heard so many times it is a "ripoff" (not my words, lol)

As you can gather, there are a few "unofficial" tours. The pressure at the entrance is quite intense [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] everyone is competing for your attention, almost like Negril Beach, LOL. BUT once inside it is very peaceful, almost surreal, which explains why we keep returning.

The bath itself: basically you are ushered into a tiled room with high windows and steps down to the bath, where you can regulate the hot-and-cold water, which is flowing constantly out of the pipes, to your liking. You can also drink the water, it is supposed to be beneficial. When you are sitting down, on the bottom of the tiled bath (like a giant square bathtub with room for a few people) the water comes up to mid-chest height, at least on me but I am short, LOL. They are supposed to leave you in there for 20 minutes I think but we have always gotten a much longer bath. I believe optional services, such as massage, are available at the hotel as well, but they are never pushed on you.

It is very relaxing and we have always enjoyed it, enough to make the rather bumpy journey there each time anyway, LOL [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] The road we take there is very interesting, through banana and sugar cane, and cocoa plantations. quite idyllic and never boring, plenty of photo ops. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] OH you do have to bring your own towels, but no swimsuit needed as long as you know the people you are going in with [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] It's part of the fun [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Anyone with any questions can PM me so as not to mash up Loops' thread. We have also been to Milk River Bath (in fact, provided a pic for the feature here on jamaicans.com) near the South Coast of Jamaica. Would be glad to answer any questions I can.

By the way, there is only one entrance to the official Bath, that is at the hotel at the end of the drive. Do not let the hustlers distract you or drive you away and ruin your trip; once you get past a certain point they are no longer allowed.

IRIE! *IG

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Originally posted by loops:
[qb]

love this one. [/qb]

This one, Loopster. Looks a little like

Fuchsia triphylla 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt'

the leaves are wrong....but the flower sure looks the same....

[loops]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

well GB...i am familiar with that fuschia you show there cause i love them...just love that variety.

As far as the photo....on that one...i'm not sure....i want to say it's some kind of scotch broom...but i don't think so. Maybe Mountaingal will come back and enlighten us.

And by the way Mountaingal....thanks! Amazing the minutia i can retain. Fern Hill is not tremendously fancy...nor a dump...cosmetically. I think you'd like it...all 3 of you could do a one bedroom suite comfortably. There's 3 of you, right??

[Island Girl]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

OH SORRY LOOPS!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Forgot to give you your "kudos" for the day, and tell you again how much I am enjoying this!! The pics are awesome, we finally got a decent digital this year so we will be taking more pics ourselves this time unless we get too caught up in the experience, you know how that goes, I will bet...

We did the Rio Grande rafting a few years ago, isn't Miss Betty sweet? She told us she put seven daughters through COLLEGE working there, can you imagine that? When we asked her how she got all of those heavy pots down to the riverside each day, she answered, with that wonderful Jamaican accent, "I load myself up like a pack mule and take the ankle express!" She was an astounding lady; does she still make those wonderful ginger treats for after your meal?

By the way, did anyone mention to you the nite raft ride? They are supposed to have a nite time ride down the river, where they light the torches along the river as you go down, supposed to be verrryyy romantic [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] We are going to try to do that in May, unless there is too much rain (river too high), if they still do it...

ANYWAY, keep up the good work, eh?

IRIE! *IG

[loops]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

hey IG...thanks for the skinny on the baths...maybe someday....

I think Miss Betty's daughter is running the show now...and yes...she did give us some YUMMY ginger coconut drops after din...they were delish.

Linford told us about the moonlight trips...doesn't that sound fun? Except you wouldn't see as much of the countryside....i think the moonlight one would be best for a second trip.

[SweeetLips]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Originally posted by loops:
[qb] Askme...have you been to Bath? Maybe you or Sweetlips can do a little write up on it...before i scare off anymore peeps...I'm just not into having complete strangers touch...nevermind slap me.

[/qb]

I've only been to the "unofficial" Bath on the river. And I agree with Islandgirl that it is very intense pressure once you arrive to have a little guided tour down and a nice massage and the hot spring water poured over your head, so hot it takes your breath away, but I loved it...over and over again, then a plunge back into the cold river water....sooooo nice...fortunately I was with Jamaican Locals and even then pressure was intense I finally gave in and it was really okay, I felt love and nurtured by the rastas down there...never been in the hotel..river was good enough for what I was lookin for, and let me tell ya it took all my pain in my knees away. BTW the slapping you hear is the towels being hit on the rocks, I was not touched in a rough way, very tender and caring.

[SweeetLips]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Sorry double post

[geocox]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Ok, I can do without anymore of that.." Rollin down de Riva’... singin…

You rich easterners stay in these fancy Fern Hill places, whats wrong with a cottage on the beach..... NO! it's... Hill this or Club that…
....
and photos of Bamboo Hmm.... where is your mind.. Scotty look out for dis woman tonight…

Loops, I must go to the eastern part of the island when MissS cuts her umbilical cord.
I can’t even get her to go to Treasure Beach.
Good trip lady you must be worn out but refreshed.

Geo

[rapo93]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

ELLO,LOOPS..i'll hope yu enjoy yur trip at Search Me HEARTwiv CULTURE&ROSANA...
PORTLAND is the nicest place ive seen in JA!!
i've lookedin a post ,jus before that yu've a pic ov my bredden"BULLY(driva) JOHN"at UNDER THE ROK;so, can yu please send it to me,in my private box,like that mi can send the pic nex time i'll send him a pack by the post office.tanks & nuff respect
RAPO93

[Nanook]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

loops...your PM box is full! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[loops]

Re: Portland Parish Adventures...wandering on the green side

Geo!!!! Roll this! rich? moi? you a crazy man for sure. i got nothin...and probably never will...i plan to spend my hard earned dollars while i can enjoy it and before i'm gone.

and Rapo...did you know we were right there when you called Bully that night...it's the night that pic was taken. I will send you a pm...and tell you how to steal the pic right off this trip report...like the rest of these folks are doing. I'm about to post another pic of Bully in the next batch.

yes, had an awesome time at Search Me Heart and with Bully...i was just settling in when it was time to leave. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]