Jamaica trip report part I
I'm back from a wonderful start to 2011 in Jamaica. This marks the fifth visit to that blessed island for me and Stephan. Though I know I love Jamaica, I forget how much until I'm actually there and it hits me hard with a take-your-breath-away sort of love that makes me know I'll be back.
I kept a daily journal while I was there, nothing too fancy, mostly just an account of what we did each day with a few thoughts about my novel and other writing projects. So I actually have the raw material for a trip report of sorts, something I always mean to do but seldom get around to doing. Throughout the course of this report, I'll include some links to places we visited as well as organizations that we support that do great work for community improvement, environmental protection, and sustainable tourism. Here's part I.
First, a bit of history. Stephan and I visited Jamaica for the first time in late May of 2000. I did a lot of research online, read guide books, and participated in a bulletin board frequented by Jamaicans and travelers to Jamaica. We decided to rent a car and travel around the island, even though most tourists apparently don't do this.
Though Jamaica is home to many spectacular resorts, it's not my travel style to stay holed up in a resort and only emerge for tours of the most hyped attractions. Driving around and going through some non-touristy areas is what really helped up fall in love with Jamaica. It is a third world country. This can cause some discomfort or guilt for those of us with higher standards of living, which is I think part of the reason some people keep to the walled resorts. It's also a wonderfully scenic place with a vibrant culture, great food, and friendly people. Though I love lounging in front of the ocean with a cold drink as much as anyone, I also like to get out and explore and soak up all the place has to offer.
We loved it so much that we've returned every few years since then, the last time prior to this trip being January 2007.
The photos are in small format for ease of web page loading. You can click once to make them bigger, and again for full-size.
January 1
We ended up getting into Jamaica several hours behind schedule due to fog in Charlotte, where we had planned to connect through. After several hours in the Philadelphia airport, we finally boarded and got to Jamaica around 10:30 p.m. We rented a GPS with the car, though in retrospect that wasn't really necessary as we've made do without one on previous trips (if you get lost, you just ask. No problem, mon).
Fortunately, the road to Negril is better than it used to be, so driving at night wasn't too much of a problem. Probably because of the holiday, each town we passed through had lots of people out and about. It felt really good to ditch the jacket and closed shoes and enjoy a nice warm temperature.
We didn't get to Negril till after midnight, where we had a room booked for one night at the White Sands hotel. The security guard was asleep but woke up and showed us to our room, which was fairly basic but decent-sized with a balcony that had just a corner of ocean view. Of course we had to take a walk on the famous seven-mile beach. We kept going toward where we heard music playing, but never found any bar or restaurant that was still open. Seeing so many stars was really wonderful, and actually helped inspire a new story I've partially outlined. We also saw a pretty large crab eying us and sidling stealthily toward the sea.
View from White Sands beach, Negril
January 2
How lovely to wake up to Jamaican sunshine and the sound of the ocean! Though the beach in Negril is great, our real love is the cliffs on West End Road. We had a room booked there for the next two nights, but it was still nice to get in a bit of beach time. We had a nice, leisurely breakfast at the hotel restaurant on the beach, watching the waves, terns flying, sunbathers, a few swimmers, people riding horses, and the sellers of fresh fruits, juices, pastries, etc. that make their rounds. Negril is a pretty busy beach with lots going on.
We took a short swim in the ocean before packing up and heading to one of my favorite places anywhere, the Rockhouse. We stayed at this boutique hotel in 2000 and loved it. Unfortunately, it's gotten quite a bit more expensive since then. We decided to just stay there for two nights and really spend the time enjoying what the property has to offer, probably being very much like those tourists I scoff at that stay holed in in their resorts. On the way, we stopped at the Negril craft market, not buying much this time, but appreciating the crafts.
Margaritaville
We had lunch at Margaritaville, a poplular Negril bar--a beachside playground for big kids. Honestly, it's a bit of a tourist trap, yet it has something going for it. I wouldn't want to be there late in the evening with all the college kids, but it's a fun place for lunch. I'm not a big fan of Jimmy Buffet, but kudos to the guy for turning himself into an institution. The margarita and fajitas hit the spot.
How to describe the Rockhouse? Just go to the website and drool. I've never been anywhere like it. The hotel is comprised of several thatched roof huts perched on a cliff above deep water, and they've gotten to be less rustic and more deluxe over the years. I was ok with rustic, but I suppose I'm addicted to this place enough that I have to return. The restaurant, also perched over the cliffs, has a spectacular sunset view and great food. Lots of ladders on the cliffs allow access to the water. When I'm there, I could spend all day in the ocean swimming from cave to cave, snorkeling, etc. If I get tired of swimming, I just float. Some of the best snorkeling I've ever done is just beneath their restaurant. Though I love a beach, there's something really special about being able to just climb directly into deep, crystal clear water.
Another thing I like about the Rockhouse is that they have a non-profit foundation that has done a lot for local schools and libraries. Every cent donated goes directly into projects like much-needed school renovations, etc. I do prefer to support businesses that give back to the community.
Stephan with sorrel drink
Upon arrival, we were treated to a lovely rum punch made with sorrel, a deep red, somewhat bittersweet herb that is used a lot in Jamaica. Then, we hit the water, climbing down a long staircase by the adjoining Pushcart restaurant and into the water. The only bad thing about swimming at the Rockhouse is that if the water gets rough, you can't go in, or risk getting smacked onto a rock. Fortunately, during this stay, the water was calm enough we could stay in, though there were just enough waves that made us a little leery of going to far into the ocean caves or too close to some of the rocks. I brought swimming goggles this time, which was turned out to be a good idea, because I saw just about as many fish when I was just swimming around as I did when snorkeling--I just spent more time looking at them when I had the snorkel.
I've never been a great swimmer. By the time I officially took lessons, my grandmother had pretty much taught me how to swim, so I never really learned the strokes properly. This started to change after a knee injury a couple years back when swimming was about the only aerobic exercise I could do. All the swims at the gym have paid off and now I'm much more comfortable just hanging out in deep water and making some pretty long crossings from one part of the cliffs to the other.
Dirty Banana
We enjoyed happy hour at the pool bar. A "dirty banana" is my favorite Jamaican drink. Here's a recipe that sounds close to what we had: dirty banana recipe Honestly, the bananas are so good in Jamaica you could put a banana in just about anything and it would be good.
For dinner I had a steamed red snapper in a banana leaf, very flavorful with coconut milk, onions, and peppers. The vegetables in Jamaica are excellent too. I love my veggies, and it's great to have a nice helping of mixed cho cho (a green, pear-shaped squash), carrots, etc. with just about every meal.
View from our deck
We retired early to room #2, with a stone wall like a ship's prow overlooking the cove below, ready for yoga with Fanette, my favorite yoga instructor anywhere, the next morning.
January 3
Yoga at Rockhouse
Yoga was amazing! I felt very stretched out and relaxed afterward, ready for breakfast. Fanette Johnson has been teaching in Negril for a while, and Stephan and I really enjoyed her classes last time. She helped me make accommodations for my "bad" knee (actually it's improved so much it's now not limiting me much at all) and reminded me on correct form on a couple of poses. She's such a great instructor because she helps you find the edge of the pose without pushing, and with constant reminders on what to concentrate on and how to monitor your own form, breathing, etc.
Rockhouse cave
After a delicious breakfast of poached eggs on callaloo (a uniquely Jamaican type of greens somewhere between spinach and collards, maybe), we snorkeled all along the coves beneath the property. We saw all sorts of fish--blue, yellow, spotted, striped, long and thin, fat, and corals, sea urchins, sea plants, and so forth. Though the water was a bit choppy and we had to be careful of the rocks, we had a wonderful time. I can't keep it up indefinitely because my mouth gets tired of holding the snorkel, but as soon as we got out, I went back in with my goggles for some more vigorous swimming.
Sunset by the pool
After lunch (blackened snapper salad-yum!) it was back in the water for more swimming. We saw a pretty spectacular sunset during happy hour at the pool bar, then had dinner at the adjoining Pushcart restaurant, featuring a Mento band singing acoustic Jamaican folk. Then, back to our little deck on the cliff for star and bat gazing! Bats come out of the cave at night, of course. While swimming, we hadn't gone far enough in to see any bats. We also saw a little blue heron near the pool shortly after sunset, terns, egrets, frigate birds, and a couple of humming birds in the garden.
I could easily spend more time at the Rockhouse, but as I said to Stephan, I think the best way to travel is to leave a place when you're not quite ready to go and move on somewhere new. This beats doing the same things over and over again, however much you enjoy them, and getting bored or into a rut. If we'd had one more day in Negril, I would have wanted to go into town more and maybe revisit the Royal Palm Nature Preserve, but I was mostly happy to just be a fish and enjoy the water.
Up next, the trip to Treasure Beach on Jamaica's south coast!
I kept a daily journal while I was there, nothing too fancy, mostly just an account of what we did each day with a few thoughts about my novel and other writing projects. So I actually have the raw material for a trip report of sorts, something I always mean to do but seldom get around to doing. Throughout the course of this report, I'll include some links to places we visited as well as organizations that we support that do great work for community improvement, environmental protection, and sustainable tourism. Here's part I.
First, a bit of history. Stephan and I visited Jamaica for the first time in late May of 2000. I did a lot of research online, read guide books, and participated in a bulletin board frequented by Jamaicans and travelers to Jamaica. We decided to rent a car and travel around the island, even though most tourists apparently don't do this.
Though Jamaica is home to many spectacular resorts, it's not my travel style to stay holed up in a resort and only emerge for tours of the most hyped attractions. Driving around and going through some non-touristy areas is what really helped up fall in love with Jamaica. It is a third world country. This can cause some discomfort or guilt for those of us with higher standards of living, which is I think part of the reason some people keep to the walled resorts. It's also a wonderfully scenic place with a vibrant culture, great food, and friendly people. Though I love lounging in front of the ocean with a cold drink as much as anyone, I also like to get out and explore and soak up all the place has to offer.
We loved it so much that we've returned every few years since then, the last time prior to this trip being January 2007.
The photos are in small format for ease of web page loading. You can click once to make them bigger, and again for full-size.
January 1
We ended up getting into Jamaica several hours behind schedule due to fog in Charlotte, where we had planned to connect through. After several hours in the Philadelphia airport, we finally boarded and got to Jamaica around 10:30 p.m. We rented a GPS with the car, though in retrospect that wasn't really necessary as we've made do without one on previous trips (if you get lost, you just ask. No problem, mon).
Fortunately, the road to Negril is better than it used to be, so driving at night wasn't too much of a problem. Probably because of the holiday, each town we passed through had lots of people out and about. It felt really good to ditch the jacket and closed shoes and enjoy a nice warm temperature.
We didn't get to Negril till after midnight, where we had a room booked for one night at the White Sands hotel. The security guard was asleep but woke up and showed us to our room, which was fairly basic but decent-sized with a balcony that had just a corner of ocean view. Of course we had to take a walk on the famous seven-mile beach. We kept going toward where we heard music playing, but never found any bar or restaurant that was still open. Seeing so many stars was really wonderful, and actually helped inspire a new story I've partially outlined. We also saw a pretty large crab eying us and sidling stealthily toward the sea.
View from White Sands beach, Negril
January 2
How lovely to wake up to Jamaican sunshine and the sound of the ocean! Though the beach in Negril is great, our real love is the cliffs on West End Road. We had a room booked there for the next two nights, but it was still nice to get in a bit of beach time. We had a nice, leisurely breakfast at the hotel restaurant on the beach, watching the waves, terns flying, sunbathers, a few swimmers, people riding horses, and the sellers of fresh fruits, juices, pastries, etc. that make their rounds. Negril is a pretty busy beach with lots going on.
We took a short swim in the ocean before packing up and heading to one of my favorite places anywhere, the Rockhouse. We stayed at this boutique hotel in 2000 and loved it. Unfortunately, it's gotten quite a bit more expensive since then. We decided to just stay there for two nights and really spend the time enjoying what the property has to offer, probably being very much like those tourists I scoff at that stay holed in in their resorts. On the way, we stopped at the Negril craft market, not buying much this time, but appreciating the crafts.
Margaritaville
We had lunch at Margaritaville, a poplular Negril bar--a beachside playground for big kids. Honestly, it's a bit of a tourist trap, yet it has something going for it. I wouldn't want to be there late in the evening with all the college kids, but it's a fun place for lunch. I'm not a big fan of Jimmy Buffet, but kudos to the guy for turning himself into an institution. The margarita and fajitas hit the spot.
How to describe the Rockhouse? Just go to the website and drool. I've never been anywhere like it. The hotel is comprised of several thatched roof huts perched on a cliff above deep water, and they've gotten to be less rustic and more deluxe over the years. I was ok with rustic, but I suppose I'm addicted to this place enough that I have to return. The restaurant, also perched over the cliffs, has a spectacular sunset view and great food. Lots of ladders on the cliffs allow access to the water. When I'm there, I could spend all day in the ocean swimming from cave to cave, snorkeling, etc. If I get tired of swimming, I just float. Some of the best snorkeling I've ever done is just beneath their restaurant. Though I love a beach, there's something really special about being able to just climb directly into deep, crystal clear water.
Another thing I like about the Rockhouse is that they have a non-profit foundation that has done a lot for local schools and libraries. Every cent donated goes directly into projects like much-needed school renovations, etc. I do prefer to support businesses that give back to the community.
Stephan with sorrel drink
Upon arrival, we were treated to a lovely rum punch made with sorrel, a deep red, somewhat bittersweet herb that is used a lot in Jamaica. Then, we hit the water, climbing down a long staircase by the adjoining Pushcart restaurant and into the water. The only bad thing about swimming at the Rockhouse is that if the water gets rough, you can't go in, or risk getting smacked onto a rock. Fortunately, during this stay, the water was calm enough we could stay in, though there were just enough waves that made us a little leery of going to far into the ocean caves or too close to some of the rocks. I brought swimming goggles this time, which was turned out to be a good idea, because I saw just about as many fish when I was just swimming around as I did when snorkeling--I just spent more time looking at them when I had the snorkel.
I've never been a great swimmer. By the time I officially took lessons, my grandmother had pretty much taught me how to swim, so I never really learned the strokes properly. This started to change after a knee injury a couple years back when swimming was about the only aerobic exercise I could do. All the swims at the gym have paid off and now I'm much more comfortable just hanging out in deep water and making some pretty long crossings from one part of the cliffs to the other.
Dirty Banana
We enjoyed happy hour at the pool bar. A "dirty banana" is my favorite Jamaican drink. Here's a recipe that sounds close to what we had: dirty banana recipe Honestly, the bananas are so good in Jamaica you could put a banana in just about anything and it would be good.
For dinner I had a steamed red snapper in a banana leaf, very flavorful with coconut milk, onions, and peppers. The vegetables in Jamaica are excellent too. I love my veggies, and it's great to have a nice helping of mixed cho cho (a green, pear-shaped squash), carrots, etc. with just about every meal.
View from our deck
We retired early to room #2, with a stone wall like a ship's prow overlooking the cove below, ready for yoga with Fanette, my favorite yoga instructor anywhere, the next morning.
January 3
Yoga at Rockhouse
Yoga was amazing! I felt very stretched out and relaxed afterward, ready for breakfast. Fanette Johnson has been teaching in Negril for a while, and Stephan and I really enjoyed her classes last time. She helped me make accommodations for my "bad" knee (actually it's improved so much it's now not limiting me much at all) and reminded me on correct form on a couple of poses. She's such a great instructor because she helps you find the edge of the pose without pushing, and with constant reminders on what to concentrate on and how to monitor your own form, breathing, etc.
Rockhouse cave
After a delicious breakfast of poached eggs on callaloo (a uniquely Jamaican type of greens somewhere between spinach and collards, maybe), we snorkeled all along the coves beneath the property. We saw all sorts of fish--blue, yellow, spotted, striped, long and thin, fat, and corals, sea urchins, sea plants, and so forth. Though the water was a bit choppy and we had to be careful of the rocks, we had a wonderful time. I can't keep it up indefinitely because my mouth gets tired of holding the snorkel, but as soon as we got out, I went back in with my goggles for some more vigorous swimming.
Sunset by the pool
After lunch (blackened snapper salad-yum!) it was back in the water for more swimming. We saw a pretty spectacular sunset during happy hour at the pool bar, then had dinner at the adjoining Pushcart restaurant, featuring a Mento band singing acoustic Jamaican folk. Then, back to our little deck on the cliff for star and bat gazing! Bats come out of the cave at night, of course. While swimming, we hadn't gone far enough in to see any bats. We also saw a little blue heron near the pool shortly after sunset, terns, egrets, frigate birds, and a couple of humming birds in the garden.
I could easily spend more time at the Rockhouse, but as I said to Stephan, I think the best way to travel is to leave a place when you're not quite ready to go and move on somewhere new. This beats doing the same things over and over again, however much you enjoy them, and getting bored or into a rut. If we'd had one more day in Negril, I would have wanted to go into town more and maybe revisit the Royal Palm Nature Preserve, but I was mostly happy to just be a fish and enjoy the water.
Up next, the trip to Treasure Beach on Jamaica's south coast!