Yes indeed. Got my mouth watering. Can't wait for my "first breakfast".First breakfast in Jamrock - "ev'ry time" - has gotta be ackee and saltfish.
Yes indeed. Got my mouth watering. Can't wait for my "first breakfast".First breakfast in Jamrock - "ev'ry time" - has gotta be ackee and saltfish.
So many firsts of everything to enjoy, every time you come back! Glad you're enjoying the report.
Well, the first full day was awesome, just being there - exploring many blue tones, deep seas and blue skies. Drifting deeper into a crystal blue transformation, we floated for hours. Slowing down and breathing deeply. Didn't matter that the clouds rolled through mid-afternoon... the fish keep on swimming, we do too. We ran into a huge school of needlefish, swarming and surrounding, flitting all about. Home base was always the orange ladder upwards. Words.
Throughout the swims, we bobbed and weaved across the cove. Amazing how you can stay relatively still, even with all the sways and swells. The very end of the cove beckoned, it looks like there might be a cave inside? We were tempted to enter. But it was nice just to float in the deep crystal blue.
It was Palm Sunday. According to the Bible, the day of triumphant return, a moveable feast. Much like today! It doesn't matter what religion you are, or none at all, it's natural to have the spirit of gratitude when you are blessed with the sights and sounds of Jamaica.
The evening hour rolled around and jerk was called for. I fixed two XL roadies - Tanqueray & Sorrel with a splash of soda - and called in a massive order at Three Dives to go. Me and the Curator took off on a jerk quest, walking down One Love Drive, with drinks in hand. We stopped off at Barbara's shop for a quick review of her goods, then as we rounded past Pushcart we smelled the signature jerksmoke. Lovely! Grillman hooked us up with an entirely free lobster as well as extra orders of plantains to go with our feast. Nice tips for him & the cook. Nuff Love!!
Quick ride back to Tensing Pen... Miss Amber had fixed up ozark-spiced callaloo and ethiopian-spiced sweet potatoes to accompany the jerk chicken & lobster. A massive feast - greatly enhanced by spices, herbs, fine wine, many smiles and gentle beats.
A fine first full day in Jamrock!
Monday was brilliant! Bright blue skies in the morning as we dug into fresh fruits from the Mobay farmers market and a big glass of iced blue mountain coffee on the front patio of the Long House. Something about those Jamaican bananas - makes me swear I'll never eat the boring old Cavendish bananas again.
The view from the Long House patio was especially pristine today, although that doesn't differ much from other days. Peep it:
Love that bridge, so iconic! Here's another view from sea level. Floating along, the water along the cliffs seems more buoyant than other oceans I've swum in. Not sure if that's really the case, or if it's just my mood while pon de rock, but it just seems so easy to float effortlessly, quietly, peacefully.
First trip at Tensing we were hesitant to jump; this time, we were constantly taking the plunge. I had the video running a couple times, here's one of my faves:
The deep blue of the sky, the bright shining sun, the crystal clear waters... Monday saw many jumps, endless floating, lots of letting go of everything.
Bless up!
Love me some Bluefields, got married at Villas of Bluefields amazing propertyOriginally Posted by booger
Once u go u knowRosalie
Monday afternoon continued on the chill theme. The weather moved quickly, with a changing mix of clouds and sun bursting through. The air was warm and filled with the sound of gentle waves.
At one point a lovely young Costa Rican practiced yoga on the bridge. A fine sight. There was a rush of guys from around the resort taking notice - never seen so many males suddenly become interested in yoga practice!
Her name was Julianna and she was there with her boyfriend, very friendly folks. They said they have plenty of beaches in CR and wanted to try out some cliffs. They certainly made great use of them.
We made the rounds to catch up with Tensing Pen staff and meet new team members. Some familiar faces and new ones too. Niney is doing his thing keeping the grounds beautiful. I don't remember any lifeguard staff from last reach so it was nice to meet them; Keno and Kim were a constant presence. Ruth, Palmer and Webster on the housekeeping staff shared recipes, hooked us up with ice, generally kept everything well in order.
Love Tensing Pen, really a very special spot.
Just after sunset, we received a special package of local herbs and spices. Always nice to get a touch of local flavor and enjoy the bounty of Jamaica!
Dinner was at Pushcart; enjoyed well-made cocktails, steamfish, curry goat, oxtail and sides, as well as kickass house-made rum cake and Devon House rum raisin ice cream for dessert.
Around 10pm the skies opened up entirely and it was the most crystal clear night I'd seen in a long time. Jupiter was aligned with the moon, two very bright objects directly overhead Negril. Sirius - the dog star - was rising in the west. (Shuga Mama stopped by again to say hello.) Betelgeuse was glowing red over on the northern horizon. And Pollux was visible. Really nice to take in the vast distance of stars amidst the deep black-blue of space.
I was identifying these stars using the Sky Guide app, a great little tool if you're interested in the night sky.
Bless and good night!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and photos.
Thanks for bringing the telephoto lens, MOJO. Yoga is a beautiful thing.
Great report! keep it coming.
Tuesday we decided to light out of town for a minute, check out some scenery and also the greenery. Bluefields and Zimbali were our destination; figured it's a nice step outside Negril, without too much time for transport.
The Tuesday morning sun was bright and again I woke up earlier than expected. Unable to fall back asleep, I put on some clothes, went downstairs and poured myself an ice coffee. I went for a walk to occupy myself until the others awoke, ended up on a nice stretch of the legs. So nice to get out in the early morning when things are still so quiet.
I walked for a while and wound up at Out of Town Pastry; loaded up on fish loaf & veggie patties. Shared a route taxi back with Harry, the owner of Catcha; small world. Picked up a six-pack of Red Stripe at Wise Choice and by the time I arrived back at Long House with beer and patties, the others were up and ready to rock. Another very special Jamaican breakfast.
We packed up our gear and driver Peter Morris of Reggae Tours arrived in his pristine mini-van. No disrespect to the many other great drivers on this board and on the island, but Peter is one of the best! He informed us it was his birthday, we vowed to make it a good one. And on the road we went...
Always enjoy rolling through Jamaican countryside. Can anyone name the Toots tune this pic reminds you of?
We got into Sav-La-Mar and it was bustling as always. I love the inventory at this roadside haberdashery:
We took a left at the KFC and proceeded down through the market. This proved to be a false path as the road dead-ends, but we loved all the sights and activity. The scene was more pushcarts than stalls; tons of great-looking fresh fruits and veggies:
The vendors were boisterous, quite a busy Tuesday morning. You could hear small snippets of conversation and the occasional sound system as we rolled through the market.
Every other pole had a sign for the Westmoreland Curry Festival, this Sunday April 26th. If anyone on the board will be in the area this Sunday, please attend the curry festival and report back! I bet it's amazing.
Eventually, after a couple other turns, we made it safely to Bluefields Beach. Breathe deep! Yet another opportunity to take in the deep crystal blue tones of Jamaica. Amazing.
The sun shone brightly as the waves lapped quietly ashore. We bought spoons from George the woodcarver and settled in with some sand between the toes. The beach was almost empty, save for a jerk barrel, some guys playing dominoes and a guy selling red stripe. Beautiful.
The storm clouds up the coast looked menacing, but little did we know what was in store... Stay tuned...
Last edited by MOJOMATIC; 04-22-2015 at 11:37 PM.
Ten points to Sam I Am! Yes indeed - a classic.
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