Yah mon way cool!
Yah mon way cool!
Guess I might as well start at the beginning for this to make any sense. That first sight of the rock is always one of my favorites. This is just off the coast, east of MoBay, on descent:
We were scheduled to land MBJ around 1pm on a Saturday in late March. Due to various issues, we sizzled on the tarmac for a good half hour until at long last we pulled up to the gate.
MBJ seemed better air conditioned than previous, but the lines were insane. I had booked Club Mobay (first time) and wow were we grateful to see our rep Rodonia with her sign MOJO welcoming us to Jamrock, getting us through the system and escorted through for expedited rum punch service. Well worth the cost in this circumstance.
We met Gregg the owner of Reggae Tours, got a big smile and after securing some J's from the ATM, met our driver Peter Morris. Great guy, super professional and friendly. First stop: Pork Pit. The sign says it all. We're back, happy time!
We're usually at Scotchies for first jerk, but as we arrived so late in the day, decided to check out Pork Pit as it's closer to our other Mobay stops. Overall, good marks. First time I've had proper smoked ribs in Jamaica; got a mix of chicken and pork as well, along with plantains and festival. Not as much pimento flavor as Scotchies for sure, probably because Pork Pit smokes over grates rather than pimento sticks. The sauce was more of a chimichurri than a classic jerk sauce. Heated us up proper, though, and got this Jamrock trip started right.
Got a short vid of the scene - guy carving cane on his pushcart (we had just bought a coco from him) and the smoky chicken setup at Pork Pit. Nuff nice!
Last edited by MOJOMATIC; 04-12-2015 at 06:10 PM.
Love me some Bluefields Beach. Nice start and looking forward to the rest.
Great start
Missing Jamaica
Next stop after Pork Pit was the Charles Gordon farmers' market. Always bustling, although it had slowed down by 3:30pm on a Saturday. We shop at Doris' stall, she comes from St Elizabeth - the breadbasket of Jamaica - always has very fresh produce and a nice big smile. She's in the first stall next to the parking lot and wanted me to take a couple photos, spread the word online, let everyone know where to get the best fruit and veggies.
We walked away with armloads of Jamaica's bounty: bananas, pawpaw, tomatoes, onion, green peppers, scotch bonnets, cucumber, sorrel, ginger, sweet potatoes, melons, cantaloupe and more. Little Stacy Ann helped count and bring our goods to the van, what a cutie!
Next up was the Mega Mart for coffee, beer, liquor, juice, snacks and grapefruit. Then on towards Negril, as an early evening storm set in to the island. Bless!
Love the pictures - thanks for sharing!
Don't waste your time with explanations, people only hear what they want to hear.
Yes, the rain set in around 5:30pm, just after we loaded up the van at Mega Mart. Fortunately we had both Appleton Reserve and ginger beer on hand, so it was Dark & Stormies all around, to get us down the road. The drops were especially heavy around Lucea; clouds seemed to part at Green Island and it was down to a slight drizzle by the time we got into Negril.
The stoplights and sidewalk were new since our last visit, nice touch for road walkers. Couldn't see much else, as night had fallen, but rolling into Tensing Pen was a welcome return to familiar sights.
We somehow got the van unloaded with a quickness, and set up the Long House with supplies. Quick showers, drinks on the patio and dinner down at the lodge - lobster all around.
Relaxed after dinner and had a guest, Shuga Mama wandered in to join the conversation and ended up spending the night. I prepared some sorrel juice - super easy: one pound of well-washed sorrel, one large piece of peeled and grated fresh ginger, a tablespoon of whole allspice. Pour boiling water over it, cover and let sit overnight.
By this point we were dog tired (like Shuga Mama) and headed to bed - happy to be back in Jamaica!
How was Tensing looking this last trip? He was pretty tired when we were there in November, and I always worry about him when we leave. Beezy was her usual crazy self.
When we stay there, the three of them hang out with us in the hammock hut just in front of long house and bark at everyone (especially rusty and Mikey) as they walk by.
You're off to a great start, MOJO! Looking forward to reading more.
We're thinking about hitting-up the Pork Pit after we leave the airport on our next trip. Usually stop at Jerky's, but this time I want to switch it up.
Love these pics which are helping me to hang in there for the next nine days!
The Tensing Pen bridge one is amazing.
Thanks for sharing.
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