Roads in Rural Jamaica

[Q3210]

The most boring drive are on Westmoreland roads, especially the one linking St. Bess to St. James through Westmoreland in between Newmarket and Montpellier.
Pure bush on both sides on a never ending corner into corner narrow but smooth road.
An example of underdevelopment to the most.

The most interesting drive is the one from St. Catherine through St. Ann. Spanish Town to Northcoast St. Ann is so beautiful and full of life.
The Rio Cobre gorge with the Flat Bridge is so serene and salubrious driving adjacent to the river for a few miles up to Bog Walk. The climb from Ewarton up through Mt. Rosser and down into Moneague is lovely.
The view of the ocean from up top of Chalky Hill is out of this world.

[SandiF]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

Q mi have to agree that the road linking St. Elizabeth to Westmoreland boring fi true. Definitely the St. Catherine link to St. Ann is one of the more interesting and hey, the stop for fresh fruits and locally cooked food is par none on that route.

The road wey mi always fraid of and drive like a bat out of hell just be off it is Junction Rd. This route I have to take if I want to visit relatives on either sides. Once as I get into Annotto Bay it is a sigh of relief then another mad dash as I hate Annotto Bay. Very little places to stop and catch a fresh fruit, or good cook food on this route but nuff stop for picture taking. Photogenic! After Annotto Bay I start loving the scenery of the mountains ahead but the winding climbing and that scary Blackcrow hill always mek mi come close to PUMS! LOL!

Looonnnggg time I have not driven St.Catherine to St. Ann route.

Edited to add: Few years back we were in St. Thomas heading into Bath. All I know the road was narrow, muddy, slippery, rocky and a continual climb... oh not mention close to pitch black. Mi nuh religious but dat night a leggo some prayers. LOL!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Q3210</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The most boring drive are on Westmoreland roads, especially the one linking St. Bess to St. James through Westmoreland in between Newmarket and Montpellier.
Pure bush on both sides on a never ending corner into corner narrow but smooth road.
An example of underdevelopment to the most.

The most interesting drive is the one from St. Catherine through St. Ann. Spanish Town to Northcoast St. Ann is so beautiful and full of life.
The Rio Cobre gorge with the Flat Bridge is so serene and salubrious driving adjacent to the river for a few miles up to Bog Walk. The climb from Ewarton up through Mt. Rosser and down into Moneague is lovely.
The view of the ocean from up top of Chalky Hill is out of this world. </div></div>

[foolya]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Q3210</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The most boring drive are on Westmoreland roads, especially the one linking St. Bess to St. James through Westmoreland in between Newmarket and Montpellier.
Pure bush on both sides on a never ending corner into corner narrow but smooth road.
An example of underdevelopment to the most.

The most interesting drive is the one from St. Catherine through St. Ann. Spanish Town to Northcoast St. Ann is so beautiful and full of life.
The Rio Cobre gorge with the Flat Bridge is so serene and salubrious driving adjacent to the river for a few miles up to Bog Walk. The climb from Ewarton up through Mt. Rosser and down into Moneague is lovely.
The view of the ocean from up top of Chalky Hill is out of this world. </div></div>


That's so true. I got 2 flat tire in one day on that terrible road. The pot holes stretches from one side of the road to the other. There's no way to avoid them except you drive the road daily and know one is around dis or dat corner. My car rim were so bent out of shape from dropping in holes deeper than grave pit.

[Q3210]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

2 flats on one trip is a trip-out in itself. Sorry about that hell, foolya.
Sandi, when the night is full dark, meaning no stars and no moon light when it`s rainy and overcast can be a mean challenge to the best of drivers on unfamiluar roads.
Your prayers do help concentration most. Of course good anticipation and eyesight is paramount.

Another potholed riddled and boring road to drive on that shows up the vast UNDER-DEVELOPMENT in many parts of Jamaica is the one linking May Pen to Cave Valley via Chapleton, Pennants, Trout Hall, James Hill, Corner Shop and Bog Hole.
Mostly bush and hardly a hint of agriculture or commerce.


The road from Annatto Bay to Port Antonio is all well paved, marked and wide enough to hit an average of about 80 KmPH.

Junction Rd. in St. Mary has been an obstacle course for years and underdevelopment hits you if you see well.

[britisha]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Another potholed riddled and boring road to drive on that shows up the vast UNDER-DEVELOPMENT in many parts of Jamaica is the one linking May Pen to Cave Valley via Chapleton, Pennants, Trout Hall, James Hill, Corner Shop and Bog Hole.
Mostly bush and hardly a hint of agriculture or commerce.</div></div>

....telkking it a likkle further, on to Frankfield and Rock River...was like traveling to hell...pere stones in those days...have they paved those roads yet?


...an mi noh like Mt Rosser road...di wan fram Ochie to Ewarton,,,tuh much precipice...

[SandiF]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

Can't remember the area where this road was but we were heading into the other town called Bath, in Clarendon parish. Don't know if it was the milky river we eventually stopped at but the road was one long helluva dust bowl filled with pot holes and nutten but so so dry dusty bush and rockstone. By the time we got to Bath mi did more dan ready fi a long shower. lol! I could not wait to get out of the area as it was dry as pitch.

[neutral]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

I find it very difficult to describe any roads in jamaica as &quot;boring&quot;,.......there is so much flora and fauna to appreciate,what you see as &quot;bush&quot; I see as beautiful greenery,for one who can drive for 5or 6 hours on a motorway in the Uk without seeing anything interesting I can tell you that I truly appreciate the roadways of jamaica.

Police roadblocks,.....people by the roadside selling anything from crayfish,ackee,coconuts,bananas,breadfruits,yams,g anja,..even .small children at the right price,...mini landslides,people overtaking you when you are trying to overtake someone else,.....people overtaking someone who is overtaking you when you are overtaking someone,....passing people with enough load on their head to shame a donkey,....and if you`re lucky enough to pass a river where young nubile firm titted girls are bathing in naked abandonment.

Boring...?.....no sah !

[Hush Darlin]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

Q the road you are talking is the back road
and my last visit we traveled through that same road. I have never like it.
But that road is jus the shortcut from St Bess to Westmoreland so that way u bypass Bluefields and Whitehouse

[ILP]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Natral</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Police roadblocks,.....people by the roadside selling anything from crayfish,ackee,coconuts,bananas,breadfruits,yams,g anja,..even .small children at the right price,...mini landslides,people overtaking you when you are trying to overtake someone else,.....people overtaking someone who is overtaking you when you are overtaking someone,....passing people with enough load on their head to shame a donkey,....and if you`re lucky enough to pass a river where young nubile firm titted girls are bathing in naked abandonment.

Boring...?.....no sah ! </div></div>

the imagery...
mi love a man daht can create dem kinna imagery

sorry...

[MsExced]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

just the july we drove from runnaway thru browns town the road was more pot hole than road but we had so much run looking at the houses, churches, trying to identify the different flowers,

[Q3210]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SweetSsop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Q the road you are talking is the back road
and my last visit we traveled through that same road. I have never like it.
But that road is jus the shortcut from St Bess to Westmoreland so that way u bypass Bluefields and Whitehouse </div></div>

No Sweetsop. The border between the 2 parishes I am speaking about is the one up in the hills beyond Newmarket. Once pass Newmarket you`re practically into Westmoreland at New Roads and Leamington going towards Montego Bay to the north.
At Newmarket an immediate left turn takes you to Darliston.
Both these roads have smooth surfaces unlike the surface from Middle Quarters climbing up to Newmarket. However, the roads are extremely narrow and wine-ding.

No matter how Natral sees it as fauna, I repeat that the place is under-devloped with pure bush and more bush on both sides of the road for miles.
Proving that most development takes place in the coastal regions and some interior passages off major arteial roads.

[remo]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

mi juss drive dat road in April..St James - Westmorland,St.Bess and on to Manchester in April...Yuh need a reel strang heart but Boring?...no sah......

[Q3210]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

Driving on it infrequently, I understand. Driving on that route almost every week, sometimes twice, thrice a week, trust me it gets redundant.

My emphasis was on under-development however. For many miles on and off so many roads there lies opportunity in the form of real estate and development.
Too many old board and unsightly zinc roofed shacks when one comes up on a man made structure.
Where there is abundant bush for miles, there is something missing, unlike most of south east St Elizabeth and south Manchester where the Jamaica bread basket is located. Cultivated fields of melon, carrots, cabbage, onion, eskellion and thyme are a picture to the eye.

In St. Ann there are pastures with cows and horses and towards Brown`s Town the hill-sides are littered with yam hills and other cash crops.

There is so much room for development for those who wish to be entrepeneurs, but crime and Government red tape still remain hindrances.

[remo]

Re: Roads in Rural Jamaica

ok from that point of view I now overstand what yuh saying