Happy Birthday Ann-Marie

When I arrived at the National Volunteer Centre (NVC) - almost three months ago! - I was very fortunate to find wonderful people to work with.  The administrative assistant, Ann-Marie, was the glue that held the office together and I really liked working with her. Her daughter, Chanique, would sometimes come to the office after school and I became "Auntie Wendy". You will notice that I use past tense, which is because we have just spent our first week at the NVC without Ann-Marie at the front desk!  She has a new position at a USAID funded NGO; a position that is a good career move re pay, benefits, and other opportunities.  We are very pleased for her, though will miss her.  


To celebrate her promotion and, coincidentally, Ann-Marie's birthday, she and Chanique came to dinner on Friday evening. We also invited "young Damien", who works at the downtown office of CVSS, and it working on his MBA. Damien is always on the hunt for a meal :-)


As I had to prepare most of the meal the night before, we had my stand-by curried chicken and broccoli casserole, penne, salad, cornbread, apple and pumpkins pies with ice cream. Oh yes, started the evening by sitting on the patio with white wine sangria. A very pleasant evening. 


A few pictures . . . . 

Ann-Marie on her last day at the NVC

Chanique with Usain.

Chanique with Veronica

Usain loved the attention and fell asleep on her lap, while she was watching Narnia on my laptop.

Tired kittens after lots of playing with Chanique

Ann-Marie, Chanique, and Damien

Ocho Rios, Coyaba, Mahoe Falls & Shaw Park

Home on Sunday evening from a very good weekend getaway to Ocho Rios. Friends Irina, Sats, Alex and I left Kingston on the Knutsford Express, arriving in Ocho Rios about 4:30 pm on Friday. The Knutsford Express is a great service with large, greyhound type buses that run Kingston-Ocho Rios-Montego Bay, with online booking and they usually run on time! It is about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Kingston to Ocho Rios. 

I had chosen the hotel after quite a bit of online searching. We wanted something central in Ochi, but also that would suit our volunteer budgets.  After reading reviews, etc. we settled on the Silver Seas hotel at $55 US plus taxes per night for a double room. We were a little concerned that for this price we might arrive at either a hotel that wasn't there or at a hotel that rented rooms by the hour. 

After a 20 minute walk, dragging our suitcases, from the bus stop at the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre through the crowded, busy streets, we were pleasantly surprised to find the Silver Seas perched beautifully right on the beach and reminiscent of old grandeur and with just the right amount of tat. In its hey-day of the 50's, 60's and 70's, before the advent of all-inclusives out of town, it must have been magnificent. The rooms were large with two double beds and the balconies and patios were about the same size of the rooms! Certainly, it could use a bit of upgrading but it was clean and the staff were helpful and friendly. Hey, Irina and I shared a room so we each paid $55 plus taxes total for two wonderful days.

I had bought my own snorkel and fins and was so glad I did. The private beach was small, but we were the only people on it.  And the swimming off the beach was clean and beautiful, with the Ocho Rios reef about 100 metres offshore with coral formations and tropical fish on smaller formations a few metres from the beach. Sats and Irina borrowed my gear to try it out, with Irina renting her own gear on Sunday morning and we went for a long swim and snorkel - this was her first time and she was excellent. We had trouble getting her out of the water to come home to Kingston!

On Saturday we hired a driver, Super (yes, that is really his name) for a half-day to take us to Coyaba Gardens & Mahoe Falls and then to Shaw Park.  This was a really good idea!  It is not tourist season (i.e. cruise ship season) there yet, so all the drivers (vans, taxis, buses) don't have much business. So for about $35 US, Super took three of us around, waited while we explored and even took us to a craft market.  I say three of us, because Alex is taking Spanish classes from the Venezuelan consulate and has three exams upcoming, so he chose to linger on the hotel patio  and study. Alex missed a great day. 

We eschewed Dunn's River Falls, which is overrated and a tourist trap from all we hear. Coyaba Gardens & Mahoe Falls and the falls in Shaw Park were spectacular and the views were stunning. We also learned a lot of the flora of Jamaica from our tour guide, Rainford, at Coyaba. Again, being "Jamaican" had is advantages as we were quoted $,1000J admission (about $10 US), but when showed Jamaican ID were got in for $400 J and $500 J respectively. Well worth it and really good  to know that residents can visit these places at a reasonable cost. 

Saturday night we had a very nice seafood dinner at Spring Garden restaurant, joined by our new found friends at the hotel (and from Ontario), Melissa and Paul, and Alex's friend, Joyce who lives in nearby St. Ann's.  Fortuitously, it was "restaurant week" in Jamaica (local version of Dine Out Vancouver) and there was an incredible prix fixe menu that even included cocktails.  Everyone had delicious fresh seafood - I had the calamari starter followed by sauteed prawns - and the restaurant was beautiful. It was the nicest restaurant I have been to since I arrived in Jamaica. Again, we hired Super to take us, wait, and bring us back. I don't have pictures of this, but Melissa promises to email pictures when they get back to Canada. 

This is getting very long, so let's get to the pictures - there's a lot of them! No pictures of me, however Irina and Sats will email some and I will add to the album later.

Will definitely go back here. In fact, Sats has already booked a week after Christmas for he and his partner who will be visiting from Canada. 

The Silver Seas

View from the lobby patio

Sats and Irina on the lobby patio, with pool in background

This is where we drank many cups of Blue Mountain coffee early in the morning, followed by callaloo omlettes. 

View from the patio of our hotel room. 

Coyaba Gardens

Rainford, who has been a guide there for 25 years, explaining to Irina and Sats

Mahoe Falls

Ocho Rios from Mahoe Falls

From Mahoe Falls

Falls in Shaw Park

Shaw Park

Setting up for a wedding on Saturday afternoon, poolside at the Silver Seas

The groom, in white, his groomsmen and the rasta pastor came down to the beach for some ganja to calm their nerves before the ceremony. Sats, as always, was making new friends

Local kids spear fishing and jumping off the old dock at the Silver Seas

Our beach at the Silver Seas. Doesn't get much better than this

Cool Evenings and Mornings

Jamaicans keep telling me that it will soon be getting cool, at least by Jamaican standards. I have been very skeptical about this, though now starting to believe.

Came home from a meeting last evening about 7:30 pm and sat outside on my patio with tea on a most pleasant evening: still in my shorts and T, but very comfortable and almost - not yet, but almost! - ready for a pullover.

Then this morning, as I headed out to work at 7:15 am, it was just right with a cool breeze.  Hey, 25 degrees is feeling decidedly fresh.

I am sure it will be hot again midday, but I am going to enjoy cooler evenings and mornings while they last.  Hey, those who know me know that I love warm, tropical weather but I must confess that I am looking forward to waking up in the middle of the night with the need to snuggle under a sheet. I will have to wait until I get home for Christmas before I can look forward to a blanket - or a couple of warm three year olds in bed with their Nana :-)

Lime Cay

Home from a wonderful day trip to Lime Cay, the largest of a string of very small cays off Port Royal and the nearest good beach to Kingston. Erin, Del and I were joined by two new CUSO-VSO volunteers, Shalini and Sats - who, coincidentally, are both from Victoria, BC.


After a slow start to the day - we were waiting for the right bus, but at the wrong bus stop! - we did catch the #83 and then switched to the #98 at Mountainview & Windward, which quickly nipped us out past the airport to Morgan Harbour Hotel at Port Royal. After another wee glitch - the Morgan Harbour boat wasn't running this morning, even though I phoned to confirm - we did easily find a boat next door at the bar on the dock. 


The bus trip and the $1000 (return) for the boat was well worth the day. Lime Cay is beautiful with lovely sand beach, perfect swimming, and some interesting coral reefs.  I did not take my snorkel and fins, but will next time.  And there will be a next time! We brought water and snacks as there are no services on the cay, though we understand that in 'high' season when there are more visitors, drinks and food can be bought in the shack


There were about 25 other people on the island throughout the day, all finding their own little spots in the shade.  Most of the were clearly locals and we learned from watching them: a small cooler and folding beach chairs are now on the shopping list.


After spending about 3 1/2 hours sunning, swimming, and relaxing the boat picked us up and took us back to Port Royal where we simply could not resist a visit to the infamous Gloria's for lobster and fish dinners. It was as good as we had remembered (see September blog re Port Royal), though the" lobster in garlic" had transmogrified into "lobster with lots of spices"!  Still, superb seafood at good prices and we will be back.  The seafood is so fresh because they literally go out and catch it - you see the fishers bringing baskets of fish and lobsters from the boats to the kitchen. 


On the ride back we were all happily tired from a day in the sun and with full tummies. Lime Cay is a wonderful place for a day trip and the price is reasonable, particularly if we take a picnic lunch next time (in our new cooler). And you don't need to make reservations, just get up in the morning, hop on the bus, and head to the bar on the dock to catch a boat . . . 

Waiting for the boat at the bar on the dock . .  . only about 15 minutes, which by Jamaican standards is nothing short of miraculous

Do not take sand from the cay.

Shalini enjoying her first day out of the city. And, no, she is not 12 years old :-)  She is a highly qualified and experienced IT specialist. 

Leaving the bar behind . . . 

Lime Cay in the distance

Lime Cay

The shack was just a shady area today. 

We found our own shade. Del at back left, Sats at back right; 

Shalini and Erin repose after a swim. 

The view of Kingston from Lime Cay

The chef and the kitchen (outside) at Gloria's

Flankers Family Fun Day

Today, Monday, is National Heroes Day. The Peace & Justice Centre, located in the community centre in Flankers (few km east of Montego Bay) is where Julia works for the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF). The centre hosted a Family Fun Day on the playing fields nearby.


Julia and I went there at 10 am to help set up, which mostly consisted of us waiting around for two hours while organizers figured what they might want to do :-)  Julia stayed several more hours, selling tickets - eventually - for face painting and the bouncy thing. I took the car back to MoBay and spent some time on the "hip strip", coming back to rescue her with the excuse that she had to take me to the bus. We stopped for a quick swim before heading to the bus . . .  pouring rain again . . .  and feeling quite badly for the folks at Flankers who had all volunteered to put this day on for the community.

Cleaning up and setting up the cook shop. No Jamaican festival is complete without a generous supply of food.

Cook shop taking shape. That is Charlie (in white T-Shirt) on the left, who is visiting from the Bronx, NY, and Miss Rose (in the blue T) who was chief cook. 

This was the planned cooker.  Really. However, better thinking prevailed and they decided to use two old wheel rims, filled with coals and topped with old wire fridge shelves instead. Everyone was pleased with the upgrade. 

Menu. Appears that 'Chicken & Chips' are priceless.

The universal game. These lads were playing football, barefoot on a muddy field, non-stop from the moment they got there. 

The cook shop in action.

Girls from Flankers await the beginning of the festivities.

MoBay in the Sunshine! (and a little bit of rain)

Last blog re MoBay in the rain was sent belatedly at the end of the weekend, after I arrived home in Kingston about an hour ago. Had some connectivity problems at Julia's - her newly installed internet was mostly not working and when it was it was on glacial pace. So blog was drafted and bingo! got uploaded about an hour ago.


Lest everyone is thinking we were drowned rats all weekend, let me assure you that the sun was out much of the next three days and we only had to run for cover a few times each afternoon. 


All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and my first "holiday" since I arrived two months ago. Yes, two months ago. And now, only two months before I head home for Christmas.  My thanks to Julia for hosting me - she has a wonderful apartment in MoBay and I greatly enjoyed her hospitality and humour. She says I can come back again . . .  

The Bobsey Twins in MoBay, wearing our genuine tye-died sundresses.

MoBay Yacht Club where Julia sails.

MoBay Yacht Club

Beach Club across from Yacht Club where I spent the day while Julia was sailing.  She joined me for a swim afterwards.

Beach

There's that rain again! Fortunately I was lunching at the time.

View from the Richmond Hotel - quite stunning. We went there for drinks after our day at Yacht Club and beach.

MoBay in the Rain

Up here in Montego Bay for four days - a long weekend here, with Monday being National Heroes Day. My first "holiday" since I got here and second chance to go to a beach . . .  well, it is a little wet.  Yesterday was torrential, so we wisely chose beer and pizza; today was the first time that I had a day that was either raining or grey all day - but warm!  Of course, it is the height of the rainy season so we should expect this. 

We are making the best of it and being rather adventurous.  We have rented a car for three days and both getting used to driving on the left: our greatest challenge is trying to use the turn signal without turning on the windshield wipers. When either of us do this - and we both do - we break into laughter. 

Have plans for tomorrow, Sunday, and hoping for less rain.  Julia is hoping to go sailing, as per her usual Sunday schedule, and I hoping to be on the beach.  Stay tuned . . . 

 Jamaican Bobsled Cafe on the "hip strip", where we sheltered for lunch on Friday and shared a very good jerk sausage pizza and had a good time. 

 Jamaican Bobsled Cafe

 Julia ready for the winter Olympics :-)

 Greenwood Great House was built in the late 1600's by the Barretts and was the birthplace and home of the father of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (who was born in England). The road up was formerly regarded as the best 1.5 miles of road in all of Jamaica - unfortunately, it has not been upgraded for the last 400 years. It has many of the original furnishings and was a very interesting. 

 Rose Hall Great House, originally built in 1770, was a plantation with 2000+ slaves.  It fell into ruins, but is now fully restored. A good gift shop here, where Julia and I indulged in soe retail therapy and now have matching tie-dyed dresses - actually made in Jamaica!

 The Rocklands Bird Sanctuary is run by donations and was started almost 70 years ago by Lisa Sammons, who died in 2000 at age of 96. Commonly referred to as "the bird lady' she lived in the forested hills inland from MoBay. The guide book described the road as "one abominable road" - I think they underestimated it!  However it was well worth the trip . . . .

Lisa Sammons spent many years luring the birds, sitting patiently with them and holding small "feeders" in her hand.  Now the birds will come to perch on your hand and dine if you sit very still . . .  as did little Anna a visitor from Germany. That is a lovely Doctor Bird (hummingbird), the national bird of Jamaica.  

 Julia astounded that she actually had a hummingbird eating out of her hand!

 Alas, Fritz, who was supposed to be taking my picture on the several times I was feeding a hummingbird - Doctor Birds and Mango Hummingbirds - did not know how to us my camera. However, right before we left I took this with my left hand and just caught a doctor bird - see the luminescent green - as he flies away from a long perch on my finger. Quite delightful.

In the gardens of Rockland Sanctuary.

Brown doves feeding at the sanctuary.