Crystal blue transformation of time and space

[MOJOMATIC]

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...