Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

[nattydreadgirl]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

Tigerinatrance,

Great trip report and the photos are lovely.

I purchased a tee shirt in Negril years ago that said...

NO: I don't have any spare change
I don't want my hair braided
I don't want to buy a TimeShare
I don't want to buy any drugs
I don't want a Taxi

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[tigerinatrance]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

Ah, so I already have some competition for my T-shirt 'eh?

[tigerinatrance]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

The Blue Mountains are on the way next!

[Laurel]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

..... Laurel tappin her 'Thrill of Brazil' talons....

Waitin on ya ... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[swedishrasta]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

(((Laurel))

swedish tapping foot waiting for her novel long answer to PM.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] :love:

[Laurel]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

Soon Come -

[tigerinatrance]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

On Thursday, we hung around the Jamaica Inn, reading on our veranda, and enjoying the sounds of the ocean.

We made our way to JI's private beach - which is beautiful. It is meticulously combed everyday. We were supposed to go to Fern Gully and visit the home of a woman, Suzanne, who we met at JI - I felt really badly about not going - but it seemed like we had something to do everyday. We had to spend a likkle time on the beach.

So, we did. I think I was on the beach a total of 3 hours when in Jamaica. Later that evening, we had our Noni facial, and couples massage at the Spa, which I mentioned earlier.

After all of that, there was no way I was getting dressed for dinner, so we had dinner in the room - a perfect end to a perfect day. Friday at 8:15 am, we would be heading out to the Blue Mountains for our bike ride.

[tigerinatrance]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

Friday morning - I'm up even before the wakeup call - excited about the photo opportunities in the Blue Mountains.

Scott had been there before, and had talked about how beautiful it was, so I knew I'd have a lot to shoot.

The bus picks us up at Jamaica Inn. Our driver is Cleve, who told a lot of stories about the areas through which we were driving. He was very good at pointing out historic sites, and points of interest.

At one point, we went through the bus and introduced ourselves and what we like about Jamaica - that loosened everyone up a bit.

We made our way through the everchanging Jamaican landscape, from the north coast shores, through small villages and larger towns which were bustling with activity. We drove past banana plantations, and graveyards, James Bond Beach, the Goldeneye property and Firefly.

We stopped in St. Mary at a rest stop, and on the way back, Scott was able to find an Ethiopian Flag (or at least, one of the earlier versions of same, complete with CROWNED Lion of Judah and CROSS)

We were winding through the mountain roads, which are about the size of a single-lane, country road, found in the States. Our bus was clinging to the edge of the road, while other vehicles passed, and the bus passengers hissed and braced for the bus to tumble over the mountain side, into the valley at any moment.

I was not at all concerned about the mountains, the bus, or the narrow roads. My feeling was that our driver knew what he was doing - I certainly would not want anyone backseat driving in my city, as I whip from lane to lane on the highway - even though it looks dangerous, I know what I am doing. I had to assume the same thing was true for Cleve.

Anyway, I decided that if we did happen to meet our end on that ride, that would be OK with me - I actually thought "well at least people at home could say "at least she died in Jamaica, in the Blue Mountains, and not on her way to work on a drizzly, gray morning." So, I was just fine.

And the views were fantastic

[Laurel]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

I hope you will have lot's of stories to tell and photos to share from the BM's - each time I see the views thru another lens it pounds further into my heart how bad bad I need to experience this!!

[NapiHead327]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

Originally posted by tigerinatrance:
[qb]

I even have a personal message for NappiHead from someone in Jamaica - but it is all part of one particular story, so we'll have to wait.

[/qb]

Hmmm??? Moi???

[tigerinatrance]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos




If you haven't made it to the Blue Mountains, you should. The air is so fresh, and crisp - it bites at you a likkle bit when you are not in the sun. But, if you are in the warm sun, breathing in the cool air, taking in the beautiful sights and sounds around you - you are in heaven.



This is how people get water in the mountains - at least one of the ways

Our tour guide, Cleve, was very knowledgeable about the ride up, we passed by James Bond Beach and Goldeneye and Firefly, Port Maria, and so on. It was the first time I saw the African Tulip Tree (Flame of the Forest) – apparently there was one at Jamaica Inn, a huge tree, but Ivan took the top off. These trees are absolutely beautiful, and they are everywhere in the Blue Mountains.




Visiting the BM gave me a new understanding of the whole coffee process. We would see the plants, in rows on the middle 1/3 of the mountain (similar to how grapes for wine are planted).



They are hand picked once they turn red, by hand. As you can imagine, they don't all turn red at the same time - and so you have to check the bushes all the time.



The men would be walking up and down these steep mountain roads, with their huge machettees, as they were going to cut down any of the potentially threatening weeds or brush near the coffee plants.

Oh, and did I mention that to be considered Blue Mountain coffee, the beans must be grown at an elevation of over, I think it is 2500 or 3000 feet (elevation – above sea level) – so, imagine, these women are walking up and down those mountains, carrying bushels of beans. There are no roads taking the farmers to their crop – only trails, up the sides of these mountains.

[NapiHead327]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

reminds me of Rudemonk's coffee post. Great!!!

[tigerinatrance]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

On the way up the mountains, you see streams, sometimes gently flowing, sometimes rushing, out of the side of the mountain. Impatients grow around rocks on the side of the road. At one point I realized that almost every landscaping flower that I put in my garden year, after year (after they have died from the winter), grows wildly in Jamaica. The flowers were beautiful. The views were breathtaking. The people who live along the mountains collect water in these jugs:




Actually, Blue Mountain Bottled Water is from here, the only difference, it is filtered before you drink it.


We make our way up the mountain, past women at the river, washing clothes and then allowing them to dry in the sun on the river rocks. We pass by Whitey’s house, the Obdeh man, from whom a family was looking for advice when we passed, his house red and yellow, sprawling along the river bank, a precarious looking bridge taking you from the single, one lane mountain road, over the river, to his home where a flag with several crosses, all sideways, all white with different color backgrounds, whips in the wind.



Construction is occurring on the road, and there is actually heavy equipment taking up part of the road, on the side of the mountain side, the river far below, the only way down a series of rocks carved from the river’s route. After what seemed like, participating is a weird ballroom dance for heavy equipment, we were on our way.



We make it to a stopping point, which serves as a headquarters of sorts for BM Bicycle Tours. The gift shop/café is open air, and perched on the side of a mountain with absolutely breathtaking views. We meet our guides who offer us breakfast which consists of ackee, calaloo, minidonughts. Sausage or bacon (I can’t remember), maybe sweet potatoes/yams. We did not eat breakfast because we had eaten at the hotel.

[Sinco01]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

[Laurel]

Re: Ocho Rios, Jamaica Inn, Blue Mountains, Nine Mile with photos

AWESOME!!