It is Sunday evening and home from a great day hashing with Kim, Samar, Erin, Del and Stats. We went to Llanrumney on the north shore, St. Mary's parish, and very near Port Maria.
This is about a 90 minute drive from Kingston and no buses go over The Junction, so we pooled our resources and rented a Suzuki Vitara - it had lots of room in the back for our spare clothes, dry shoes, packs, etc. However, it was a little crowded in the back for Sats, Erin, Kim and Samar; I was driving; and Del was my navigator (he only missed one turn and that was early and easily backtracked).
Trip over the junction was picturesque but very steep, twisty and extremely narrow. This was exacerbated by the reams - hundreds! - of cars and small buses (vans) hurtling towards us and racing to Kingston. And this with everyone dressed in the bright green of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), hanging out of windows, riding on tops of cars, waving flags and hooting horns. Del really wants one of those horns for an Ottawa Senators game. We surmised that they were heading for a political rally in Kingston - political rallies here are HUGE - but found out at the end of the day, when we took Sats home, that many of them were at the residence of Prime Minister Holness (maybe they went there after the rally).
Anyway, it made the drive much more than its usual challenge but we made it safely. Though a pedestrian along the way, who was walking on the road around a sharp bend, is lucky to still be ambulatory. All corners, and they were continuous, were greeted Jamaican style, with honking of horn to warn that we were coming. I'm getting quite good with the one hand on the horn and one on the wheel.
The hash was it's usual fun with the usual share of adventures such as fording two streams, ankle deep mud, avoiding the quicksand, under one fence and over another, dodging cows, and trying to find a trail when it appears that there is none. After and 1 1/2 hours we were all back safely and enjoying our beer and a quick snack of jerk from the Buccaneer Jerk & Juice before we headed back to Kingston. It gets dark by 5:30 now and I didn't want to drive over The Junction in the dark - maybe next time.
I think a good time was had by all - certainly by me! Thanks, friends and fellow hashers.
JLP rally takes over the road in Stoney Hill. It is difficult to take pictures while you are driving - good thing we were stopped.
Digicel is everywhere, even the smallest hamlet in the mountains
Houses on the hillside on the other side of the gorge. You have to take a footbridge across to them.
We made a pit stop at The Junction, but declined the menu . . . .
. . . though Del did opt for some OFC, thinking it might be a change from all the KFC in Kingston.
We arrive at the meeting place for the hash.
The hares and the hash master give instructions. Coincidentally, the hash master (on the right) is the chair of the board of directors at the CVSS, where I work. I don't have to call him Mr. Bernard anymore, I can call him Owen.
There's Del, fording the first stream. A few less than hardy souls backtracked at this point.
We start to string out as we go along.
Sharing the pasture with some very fine cows.
This is the trail. Really.
More trail.
Sats crossing the second stream.
After crossing the second stream we can to climb a bank of mud, avoiding the quicksand at the bottom.
Was very glad that I wore my hiking boots and wool hiking socks. And was even more glad that I had nice dry Tevas to change into afterwards.
Sats getting his initiation as a first-time hasher from Emile.
Del's turn to be initiated . . .
. . . and Erin's too.
Cooking the jerk at Buccaneer's.
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