She.......AGREED!!- lol- We think da same as long as we are Jamaica all is well!
She.......AGREED!!- lol- We think da same as long as we are Jamaica all is well!
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:-)
oh-kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
[[[ sounds like a *team*-thing-y ]]]
be hapPpy
Linder??? Did you find the cheap plane tickets and left us?
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I wish! lolOriginally Posted by Vince
Linder??? Did you find the cheap plane tickets and left us?
Finally got caught up on sleep. Or perhaps it was a short hibernation- lots of grey and snow outside..... haven't been outside for over 24 hours- too deep for my car.
The splice is pretty funny as I sat under it every day and never knew till you found it! Its the roof of the Mango Bar which is wrapped around the base of the tree and is made from scrap lumber and bamboo from our yard. The tree is twisted so it gives a bit of support and since it is over 200 years old and not growing the bar was fitted snugly around it. Amazingly it feels rock solid!
Careful now, this next photo could cause heart palpations when you see the bar's downhill supports! We had a housewarming party and it held a DJ and 12 people comfortably and did fine with all that weight. Ingenuity and making do with what you have is a finely honed Jamaican talent that I admire.
And yes that is 3 ancient hardwood logs with rocks for a base.......
Our house has much different construction. Foundation is deep and big- took weeks for it alone. Tons and tons of steel rebar woven throughout the house- cell reception is affected if your not by a window-lol!
Vince glad your wife is excited about Jamaica. Follow your dream- wisely.
Our neighborhood has a couple houses with sad story's. Unfinished they were started by dreamers who met the wrong person to fulfill it- and sadly wound up abandoning their dream homes. Unless you go with a realtor (which means more $$$ with gated community and resulting isolation), you will need someone on the ground to supervise your construction or you may be cheated. And this far up in the mountains everything is based on a handshake and cash so it needs to be a local you trust. Cards and checks only work at the hardware/window stores along the main coastal road.
When we met our next door neighbor who oversaw our house build, his reputation preceded him. He's sort of a male Mother Teresa around here and feeds and clothes a lot of neighbors in spite of the fact that he has no running water in his unfinished house. But he has a dream to better things for everyone up here by bringing in much needed tourism. And we wanted to do something in our retirement that made the world a bit better and so it was a match made in heaven.
Building our house was phase one.
Next we add guest rooms down stairs and the proceeds will finish our neighbors house so he has guest rooms of his own.
And of course as soon as we get back we're starting the mountain bar-hopping adventure.
FYI we feel really safe here. Don't think I would anywhere else with this much poverty all around. We know most of our neighbors and chat daily while out for a stroll. We live at the end of a long road and more than once have been told that we are watched out for by many neighbors. We share food, charge phones, and spend tourist dollars here. Plus the upcoming tourism plans are wanted by all.
What you have and are doing is EXCATLY what we want! Everyone help each other out and live in Ja. When we go back home to Ja. we do it local style. We have a very dear fren, that I talk to 1-2 times a week. Rob and Lisa know of mi fren. Good guy there! He is our mother Teresa. lol When we are in Ja. we are all side by side. Been up in mi frens community exchanged stories with his neighbors, drank lotsa of Red Stripe all to get there. Played cricket in the church yard. Been to Jamwest together. Mayfield Falls getting the cold, soothing wata. All is well. I like the tourist dollars that come to Ja. But I stay away from those places. I like country shopping. All is just my opinion. Missing the Jamaica fresh air!Thanks you for staring this thread. IMO, It ROCKS! Respect!
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Now that I sit here dreaming and thinking of Jamaica. My question is to myself. "self.... why isn't there more likkle houses in communities like Linders available to stay at?" I have mi fren been looking for places in his community for our next reach. I bet if there was more choices in da country hills in da communities it would be a true vacation. I think it would bring more money and closeness to each local and "foreigner" together with stories and good times together as one. Ahh the country life. If needs lets all walk or hitch a ride to da beach. Just some random thinking.
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Its happening Vince.....slowly. Our community has a guest house that has been around for years- seems booked a lot- but its the only one.
However there is a fellow building a 3 story resort about a half mile from our house. It looks like a big apartment building complete with many balconies. He is from New York (explains the apartment looking building-lol). Loves Jamaica and has the same goal- bring tourism to the mountains! He dreads trips to the US because of the cold weather and he has severe allergies that only bother him there- allergy free in Jamaica!
Our next door neighbor/friend has had a dream of Mountain Tourism for years. He owned 3 lots. His, ours and another person from the US. Eight years ago the other person started a house and only had it worked on a couple weeks a year. Last summer it was a 2 room unfinished shell. So for 8 years now, he's had a carved wooden sign with the name of his future guest house to put on the street. Then we met him, fell in love with the mountain, and its people and started our house. And when the third person saw our house she got inspired and the house on the third lot is finally making a lot of progress- walls are up for another 4 rooms and a huge balcony. The Wood Sign is going up this year!
the name on that sign?
"MANGO WALK"
When we get back, our guest rooms are the next project. Hope to have them done in a few months.
Now I have to leave Jamaica thoughts for a bit.
A back home reality is sinking in.
Tan is fading............skin is dry.......getting a cold...... and I have to go do my taxes today.
Sure hope we can be back on the mountain soon.
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* sigh *
:-(
miserable ain't it....??...
be hapPpy
love how you worked/used the bamboo
be hapPpy
I keep thinking something like that for the next phase of Zion Hill
Cap
linston@redplate-negril.com
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