great stuff! I love the falls, too.
great stuff! I love the falls, too.
When you are under the washing machine the water is like a raging silence. The white noise, it seems to produce a blanket of quite to everything.
Da Ninja - 1st Annual Belly Flop Champ - Soon Come
~Fear accompanies the possibility of Death, Calm shepherds its certainty.
People's actions no longer affect a warrior when he has no more expectations of any kind. A strange peace becomes the ruling force in his life. He has adopted one of the concepts of a warrior's life -- detachment.
~from "The Eagle's Gift"~ blog.ralonzosinclair.com
I haven't had the chance to go to Mayfield as of yet, I've been to Dunns. I would love to go my next trip but don't want to bring the baby! Especially since I can't swim a lick. I will put it on the "Future To-Do" list.
Happy holiday family time!
Water is shallow in Mayfield, mostly walking in the river. There are always areas to avoid swimming, you'll enjoy. Dunn's = Major Tourist trap, Mayfield is very rustic, natural and beautiful.
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Thanks for the trip report on Mayfield Falls! Our 9th trip in a few weeks and we've never done that side trip yet and had already planned on fixing that - we're now booked with Kingsley for Feb. 9th
What a great day to start the morning,with a refreshing trip report.You guys looked like you were really enjoying the falls. I have read on here a few other times that Mayfeild Falls is must, I have put it on my to do list for my upcoming trip. We are doing Mayfeild Falls, horseback riding and the Pelican Bar as our "official "excursions. I loved the detailed descriptions of the feelings the falls made you all have. In particular Markus, I totally understood what you meant when you said you felt like a pollutant in the water. I felt the same way in Jamaica at certain times. From the chemicals in my hair to the ones I put in my body I just did not want it on me or in me any more. For example, on my last reach to JA back in August
I just did not want any more perm or chemicals in may hair so I 've went back to being natural, no chemicals any only natural products on my hair. I remember how bad I felt when I lit up a cigarette in the beach. I was like "this is not right, I should only smoke the ganja" so I have slowly reduced my cig intake but I still hate the habit and trying to quit. I am just more into the natural beauty of things more than before since I started going to Jamaica. I think I have always been a little hippie as my mom would describe me but JA really brought it out in me even more. So right now my hair looks like a combination of Chaka Khan,Kelis(when she first came out) and Diana Ross all wrapped up in one and I love every strand of it! Daisy you look so happy and content in the photos! Nice!!
I was exhausted after Mayfield falls...
My feet were bruised from stubbornly climbing barefoot over all of those jagged rocks, My whole body was aching from head to toe. For anyone planning a trip to Mayfield falls, I have to tell you that the trek through the jungle and up a waterfall is no small feat, so be prepared to be tired afterwards.
Markus neglected to mention that he carried me most of the way back from the falls to the main grounds. I was done for and could no longer walk. He lifted me up and I clung to him tightly, grateful to take the weight off my battered feet. My hero
**Next time I'm renting the water shoes**
Despite that, Our trip to Mayfield falls was truly one of the most amazing and invigorating experiences in my life!! I can't adequately describe it in words and I think Markus did it better than any of us could.
I passed out during the car ride back to Negril. Markus shook me awake when we arrived back at the Grand Pineapple
My first instinct was to climb directly into bed and continue sleeping…
I was starving though and my hunger won out.
I was a bit delirious when I stumbled into the dinner area with Markus and Jamar. I sat down, ordered and listened with bleary eyes to Markus and Jamar contemplating their plans for the night.
"Okay, What do you want to do tonight, Daisy?", Jamar asked
"Sleep", I mumbled and then I let my head drop down onto the table. "Boss Lady" was out for the count. The boys were going to have to figure out what they were going to do next on their own.
**
That's when I heard a voice behind me. "How are you enjoying your stay at the Grand Pineapple?"
I snapped my head up embarrassed and smiled "It's Great! We're having a wonderful time!", I turned around in my chair to see who was speaking to me.
It was a young man, handsome and in his mid-twenties. He had hazel eyes,Short dark brown hair and a warm smile. The first thing I thought was how much he reminded me of my brother... especially his eyes. I wasn't really thinking clearly though, so I didn't make the connection right away. He was wearing a hotel uniform.
The label on his uniform said "PAUL"
Markus put two and two together faster than I did. I was just staring at him with a dazed expression.
"You're Paul!", He said "Daisy's relative!"
"Yes, Hello!", Paul said shaking his hand. Then he turned to me..
"Wow!.. hey, hi!", I said extending my hand. ("wow.. hey, hi??" - seriously? Did I really say that? ugh.)
We shook hands, He was smiling and looking closely at my face. I was staring at his. He had such a kind sympathetic face. I noticed all these similarities…I just couldn't stop looking at his eyes, same color as my fathers eyes, same shaped eyes as my brother… smile was like my brother.... His face was a little fuller but we could pass as brother and sister. I didn't expect him to really look like me. Not really. I know he's my cousin (well technically first cousin once removed) but cousins don't always resemble each other. My cousins on my mother's side don't look like me at all.
This was the very first cousin I have ever met from my father's side of the family! So as you can imagine, this was really huge for me. All these thoughts were rushing through my head and I realized it would be so weird to verbalize them, so I was quiet.
"Daisy, right?", He said. He had a full Jamaican accent which for a second threw me off. I don't know why I suddenly expected him to sound like an American.
"Yes, that's me. I'm Daisy" I said
"When Tayshaun told me I was looking at every person that came in tonight... and when I saw you, I knew right away", He said.
Now you would think in a situation where you meet your long lost cousin for the first time, that you would have all these brilliant things to say and it would be like time never passed or something. Tears and hugging... Oprah Winfrey standing on the side clapping..etc.
But suddenly I was feeling incredibly shy and overwhelmed by the circumstance. I had all these things I wanted to say but they were stuck on this roof of my mouth. As a result, I looked like a deer caught in headlights. I was so happy and so sad at the same time. Happy that I had found my cousin, sad that all these years had passed without us even knowing each other… growing up in two different countries... Now we're across from each other as complete strangers with so much to catch up on.. but where do you even START?
"It's great to meet you!" I managed to stutter out. "I can't believe that you're here working at THIS hotel. I mean, There are so many hotels in Jamaica..."
"I know! It's great to meet you too", He said "I called my mother right away and she wants to-"
That's when he was interrupted by someone calling out to him from across the room "Paul!" The staff member was gesturing as though it was important.
"One minute!" He raised a finger and then looked back at me. "I'm sorry I have to go right now because it's very busy tonight. How long are you staying in Negril?", He asked.
"We’ll be in Jamaica for 3 more days. Tonight is our last night at the Grand Pineapple and then we're moving over to other hotels on the cliffs" I explained.
"Okay good, I'll be here early tomorrow morning, so we can sit down and talk then"
"Okay sounds great!"
He smiled and then he was gone.
I sat there contemplating what had just occurred. Both Markus and Jamar were staring at me.
It was kind of a surreal moment for me that is hard to put into words. I remember trying to smile but I wanted to cry. This brief meeting my cousin brought up this intense feeling of loss in my chest. His resemblance to my brother and the fact that he's clearly around the same age right now that my brother was when he passed away... hit me harder than I anticipated. I just didn't expect it to be like this... I felt a painful lump in my throat..
This isn't easy to write about... so I'll just leave it at that for now.
I went to bed right after dinner, I lay in bed for a while before I could fall asleep because my mind was racing. It was a lot to digest. I couldn’t wait to tell my parents about this and I was looking forward to having a longer talk with my cousin.
The moments before I finally drifted off, I remember feeling a sense of peace. At that moment, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Everything in life happens for a reason, and another piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place.
This trip was turning out to be so much more than a vacation for me.
Carpe Diem
Oh my!
That's such a cool thing to have happen...there is something to be said about moments such as these. Congratulations on making such a wonderful connection. Can't wait to hear more!
Some people were born in the wrong century....I was born in the wrong country!
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Oh Daisy...PLEASE, please don't leave us hanging to long....I am on pins and needles.
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