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- Rafting
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- A little fixer upper we found
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- The ship
On the 23rd we arrived in Jamaica – I wish we could have stayed longer just to listen to the people talk. The distinctive phrases make me smile. I should have carried a notebook with me and written things down instead of sight seeing.
Our first stop was Port Antonio where Errol Flynn retired. The big attraction here is rafting down the Rio Grande river on bamboo rafts. The rafts were originally used to bring bananas down the river to the banana boats. Errol Flynn saw the rafts and decided they looked like fun. Today you haven’t visited Port Antonio if you haven’t rafted. The route is 8 miles, takes about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Surprisingly, the men who pole the boat down river are older – in their 60’s and 70’s. It looks to me like a job for a younger person, but the story is the jobs are highly coveted and require much training before you are allowed to head downriver with a tourist.
The town isn’t much to write home about. This is the rainy side of Jamaica, so the streets stay a bit muddy and depressions in the sidewalk fill with water. We visited the market, as we try to do in most towns. The stalls closest to the street were selling fruits and vegetables. Further back you could buy shoes. If you were curious enough to wander the maze all the way to the back, there were the crafts, tee shirts and other assorted items for tourists. The vendors invited us to stop and look, but we didn’t find much to buy. There are only so many key chains, bead necklaces, and magnets that any one person needs.
The next day we went on to the Black River area. Here, due to shallow water, we came ashore using the zodiacs. Our morning trip to shore was easy, not much swell or wind, so we arrived nice and dry. We then toured the area in mini-buses. Our guide was from the UK, but immigrated to Jamaica nine years ago. While we probably learned more from him, I did miss the real Jamaican description of what we were seeing. Our tour covered architecture, plants, birds, ecological issues and finally a Jamaican lunch of spicy vegetables, chicken, pork, fish and rice and beans. By the time we headed back to the ship, the sea had developed a substantial chop. Thank goodness for warm water and 80 degree temperatures. It isn’t nearly so bad to get soaked when everything is warm.
The 25th was a day at sea. Even though the ship is small, we always find plenty to do. Watching for dolphins, reading, tasting martinis, and of course eating. The food is very good, from the sausage and eggs for breakfast, to fruit and salad for lunch. Dinner is always a treat – last night frog legs for starter, then a Nicoise salad and tuna or lamb for the entrée. Add two interesting couples for conversation and dinner can take hours. Last night our dinner companions were a couple from Denmark and a couple from Carson City, NV. Everyone has humorous or thought provoking stories to tell, so we were entertained for the evening.
