Jamaica~An Island Nation~So Much History~So Much Exquisite Natural Beauty~hey Mon,Jamaica Calls
Written: Jun 13 '07 (Updated Aug 31 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unsurpassed natural beauty, wonderful reefs for diving and snorkeling...
Cons: Some islanders can get a bit pushy when trying to sell you their wares
The Bottom Line: Jamaica has many different attractions and sights to see,activities galore, fishing, diving,lovely beaches... great Blue Mountain coffee and Rum!
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| ifif1938's Full Review: Jamaica |
Jamaica, what can be said about Jamaica that hasn't been said a thousand times before…it's an island of contrasts…extreme beauty, natural wonders, exquisite estates, and terrible poverty. Millions of tourists have visited there, by air and by sea, leaving behind the money the populace needs to survive in this world of ours today.
A Bit Of History
A small island nation in the Antilles it was also called the British West Indies…. it's historic roots go back centuries, actually go back to thousands of years B.C, when the original population, the Arawaks, arrived from South America, living there until the first contact with the Spanish explorers….then, as were so many tribes in different nations throughout the world and America as well, they were virtually and nearly historically wiped off the map, so to speak…Until now, since even though very few traces remain of that old culture, the Jamaican National Heritage Trust is trying hard to bring to the public's eye, any and all evidence that might be found of that pre-historic civilization
In 1494, when Columbus was on the high seas discovering all the land he could for his sovereign nation, his ships landed in Jamaica and claimed the island for Spain…So smitten by the beauty of this lush, tropical and mountainous landscape, he built a home there for his family…..it was more than a century later that the British arrived and took over the Island.. Then the sugar plantations, the slavery, and other minorities were brought in to work those rich fertile lands. It wasn't until a revolt by those indentured slaves in the early 19th century that slavery was finally put to an end in 1834, with full freedom for all...at that time blacks outnumbered whites by nearly 20 to 1... Yes, that must have been quite a revolt, with the resulting nation a haven for other slaves from other islands. Today, though politically independent, Jamaica is the third largest English speaking nation in the hemisphere, considered Anglophone and regard Queen Elizabeth II of England, as it's Queen Mother and head of state. She calls herself Queen of Jamaica when she visits.
When it was discovered that the Island was such a splendid spot to go for fun in the sun and recreation of all kinds, the tourism industry began. This was an island of delightful and intriguing mysteries, a land of mountains, surrounded by the pristine sandy beaches which hugged the shores of the crystal clear aquamarine ocean on all sides, ….it's no wonder that it would become one of the most popular vacation spots in the Caribbean .
Through the years my family and I have been fortunate to have spent some truly fun and unique vacation times at various locations in Jamaica… for a quickie weekend getaway one year to Ocho Rios, then another, where we lived in the lap of luxury for a week when we rented a villa in Montego Bay….Our most recent visit to Jamaica was just last month when our Carnival Cruise took us back to Ocho Rios.
We've been to Negril twice to see the infamous Rick's Cafe during its early years back in the eighties. Rick's was the gathering spot for people of all ages who wanted an alternative to the "chic trendy" island spots on the island at that time. Anything went at Rick's and it usually did…Ganja was offered as well as what was on the "legal" drink menus, well, it wasn't offered inside of Rick's, but just step outside….
This spot, near a cliff overlooking that ocean, will always be a favored place to view the most spectacular sunsets for those who revel in that kind of sublime beauty…whether locals or tourists, Rick's has a place in many hearts and memories.
Negril is also home to many very fine resorts, most all-inclusive, located on prize beachfront property…some are for couples, others for singles only or swingles, with nude beaches but not all...One, the Grand Lido, where my sister and her hubby spent every other year for quite a few years, has a clothing optional beach…my sister liked that option…she could sit under a tree in a hammock, with her suit on, reading a book or watching the sights going on around her…I'm sure there were quite a few interesting sights!
I want to mention again this Villa Rental opportunity that was and still is so popular in Jamaica and what a class act it is for those of us who want luxury personified without going broke in the process, since it can be expensive it's a good idea to go with friends or relatives willing to share the cost…We stayed at a villa in Montego Bay located in the hills overlooked the sun kissed beaches and bluest turquoise sea below. The villa we rented belonged to the owner of Colgate Palmolive I believe, or some company like that…It was a four bedroom/four bath with a circular living room that opened out onto a lushly landscaped pool/cabana area and, it was all ours for a week, well, almost all ours, since we went down there with another couple to share the expense…actually it supposed to be 2 other couples but one couldn't go at that last minute….The place came with a full time staff...a chef who asked us each morning what we would like for dinner, after fixing us a scrumptious breakfast, then went to the market to buy everything fresh…there was house keeper, who kept everything spic and span…(even ironed our clothes), as well as a gardener who, each day at 5 o'clock changed his clothing, put on a white shirt and black tie to transform himself into the butler, he then served us drinks and local delicacies to whet our appetite for the meal to come…
Yes, a taste of the good life for a short while….each day we had to pull ourselves out of this lap of luxury to explore the surrounding areas...The Villa was located near the Rose Hall Plantation with it's ghostly mansion so that was a must see, a visit to the White Witch of Rose Hall, this strange women who murdered her husbands and slaves on a whim.
We did the Dunn's River Falls trip, climbing those slippery rocks, holding hands with strangers as we climbed, gazing at the beautiful sight of those amazing falls….we also did the Martha Brae River Rafting trip which was quite a lot of fun riding down river on a two seater bamboo raft. Our guide using a long bamboo rod to steer the raft through the water.
My favorite day was when we went horseback riding on the beach below, what a thrill that was, I'm so glad I had that opportunity to experience that while I still could….the rest of the time we spent taking in these luxurious surroundings we found ourselves in, sharing the good times with our daughters and friends…the cost of these villas vary greatly so going with others to share the expenses is really the way to go if you can…I just found a multitude of websites with all the information needed to book one…when we planned our trip it was before the internet explosion, so we actually used a travel agent! Just google Jamaica Villas and a whole world of these opportunities opens up.
As I mentioned before there is quite a lot of poverty in Jamaica and it became very apparent to us driving from one spot to another in our rental car especially when we went into the hills…shanty shacks were everywhere, but painted bright primary colors as if to give a different impression or to make themselves feel brighter.
When we went to Montego Bay on a short cruise a few years ago, we didn't do much on the day we docked there besides go to a lovely wide sandy beach for a while then attempted the straw market and had to ward off all the Jamaicans who wanted to sell us anything and everything…I was turned off by their pushiness but bought the obligatory t-shirts to bring home for everyone and of course the famous Blue Mountain coffee.
Then, when we went on our recent cruise I had thought that I just might stay on board when we arrived in Ocho Rios but changed my mind when I read the booklet which detailed all the excursions that were available to us upon our arrival….I'm so glad I changed my mind.
We had a super time that day, well, most of it anyway, we decided to take the excursion called. "Ocho Rios Snorkel Adventure" …This was just a short boat ride for a snorkel experience which lasted two hours, out on the Marine Garden Coral Reef and Fish Habitat…since this reef is a part of the barrier reef which surrounds Jamaica, it's a natural that this would be an interesting snorkel exploration and it certainly was. Our guides, who owned and operated the boat were super, they took us out to the deep reef with many colorful species of little fishes….at one point I was handed a small opened urchin to hold out in the water and before I knew I was surrounded with these tiny guys just eating right out of the prickly hard shell in my hand…I loved it and, as our guide kept opening these little urchins, the fish kept coming….we were able to get some really good photos with our disposable underwater cameras. When we returned to the boat we were given Rum Punch and were greeted by two Jamaican men in a row boat, alongside our boat with large conch shells and other little goodies for sale…The theme on board our Carnival ship was "just say no", that's the smart thing to do in any situation we were told more than once.
Our little strange experience:
Upon our return to land we decided to do a little shopping, but I didn't want to go to the straw market just a short walk away…I looked at a map and saw there were some stores not far from where we were but further than walking distance, so we asked a security guard near where the cruise ship was docked, how to get to where those shops, she immediately called a taxi who just "happened" to be around the corner…he said he knew a good store with fair prices and would take us there and back for 6 dollars..What a deal we said and got in the cab. He asked us if we would like to see Dunn's River Falls… there was a look out point very close by he said…so off we went, past some of those colorful ramshackle shacks and up a short hill, then he said he would wait while we got out and walked to the viewing point. He also said that we would be bombarded by people wanting to sell us something and whatever we did, "Just Say No" he said !..Ok, so we walked up to the spot, and out of the blue, we were surrounded, did we want this or that, did I want my hair braided, a bit of ganja, mon?…we just ignored them for the most part or politely said no thanks…anyway, long story short, we stood at the edge of this lookout, saw a small portion of the falls, took a few pictures and were on our way..the whole thing took less then 10 minutes…we went to the store, he introduced us to the owners, and they proceeded to sell us Blue Mountain coffee, some fantastic crème rum, that we taste tested, a few trinkets for my grandkiddies…oh, and a large Jamaica-mon T-shirt for myself…$130 dollars later we were on our way back to the ship. As were were exiting the cab he told us we owed him $45.00..what we said? Well the extra stop at the falls and all..yada yada yada…we gave him $20 and left!
Were we hustled? I don't know, what I do know is that the little toys I bought for the kids weren't in my bags when I looked through them back in our room…I was incensed! We called the store from the number we had on our receipt and they said the little snow globes and pirates toys were still on the desk in front of them..no, they hadn't been included in the sale and they hung up on us…Next morning we were charged $27 for the phone call on our bill from the ship….Hubby talked to the purser, explained what happened and they deducted the charge for us.
Anyway, this did not leave a pleasant taste in my mouth for Jamaica but, after a short while, upon reflection, I realized that this was such a small event in the overall scheme of things, as far as my experiences on that little Island, so I decided not to let it color my thinking about the place as a whole…
Jamaica has some truly beautiful places to visit with it's sheer natural beauty, interesting sights to see, those wide sandy beaches, exceptionally exciting waters to explore and the best Blue Mountain coffee..hmm, let's not forget the exotic rum…so I forgive them and still recommend the island as a terrific vacation destination…just be sure to be aware at all times as to what is going on around you and be careful….best of all, Have fun!
From Wikipedia:
The Anglophone culture beyond the "mother country" is the legacy of the British colonial empire.
Well, I finally made it to 500 reviews...to some it may not seem like much for the amount of time I've been writing here but to me it was a goal I've had for a while....I'm very proud to have reached this point...as a reward to myself and just for the fun of it, I'm going to resurrect the write-off I held last year, Fabulous French Finds only this time I'm extending it to not only French Favorites but for anything in regards to Great Britain, another one of my favorite travel destinations...I think I'll call it Fabulous French and Equally Endearing English Finds So if you have a favorite hotel, destination, book, movie, beauty product or anything manufactured or pertaining to either country, I hope you will join in the fun...Just drop me a line or leave a comment here and I will link it to this review...
I also want to thank all the good folks here at epinions who have read my ramblings these past years and the friends I've made here, each and every one of you are truly special to me.
Why this review as my entry? Well, the links between this Island and England are still strong as mentioned in the above quote therefore I thought it would be appropriate...also it is located in the British West Indies, Islands first colonized by Great Britain....and then of course, the Queen Mother is still honored and to some, considered "Jamaica's mother", that's what she calls herself on her visits to the island...
Once again, many thanks..and of course as always,
Happy and Safe Travels
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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