Nice picture, please stay safe. Lets hope all of this world health crisis will finish soonOriginally Posted by Rumghoul
Nice picture, please stay safe. Lets hope all of this world health crisis will finish soon
Hi
Hey Rumghoul! This would be the time you would make the trek to Treasure Beach! Are you there, going, waiting out this mess we are still in? We had a couple of places booked but ended up bumping to 2023 as our two airlines cancelled direct flights fromWinnipeg and it just didn’t seem like a good idea. We can travel as we chose to vaccinate, but wasn’t feeling right about it. I am still working and worry if one of us tested positive on the way back then it’s quarantine for 5 days with no movement. We have booked a week out to Vancouver and Vancouver island In may for a bit of a get away, staying inCanada for now. Hope all is well with you.
Johng you must be suffering double withdrawal with no island treks and no pics to live vicariously through! Can you believe we are still in this crazy time? I remember when we came home on March 12, 2020 and it was only the beginning, yet here we are almost two years later. Hope all is well with you and your family. Did you son get married? That wedding was supposed to take place inEurope if I remember correctly. Our Junior hockey over the holidays ended before it began, but kind of saw that coming. So heartbreaking for those players. Can’t really get into the Olympic Games this year, and so over the winter. We have so much snow up here we are running out of places to put it? If it’s a four letter word that starts with s then I am more into sand than snow for sure!
Hope you are both well, looking forward to getting back down south next year as we will be scouting a long stay place as I will be retiring May 2023, and plan to try out a 90 day stay so will see what we can scope out!
Take care and drop a line. Maybe drop a line or story of a memorable moment spent in Jamaica!
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
― Bob Marley
hey_mon, glad to hear that you are keeping well! Things here in the Northeast US are OK, luckily I've avoided Covid, knock on wood!! Winter hasn't been too too bad yesterday was in the 60's today two inches of snow. Go figure!!
Spoke with my Brother Sonny in Portland this morning and he said that Covid hasn't been an issue in the mountains but Kingston is still suffering. He refuses to get the shot, doesn't trust the government like most Jamaicans!!! He wants me to come down to visit but right now isn't the right time. I checked airfares yesterday from NYC to KIN and MBJ and are more expensive than I would have imagined, but what do I know??
Your 90 day stay plan is ambitious but God Bless You!! My suggestion would be break it into one week to 10 days in several different locations. Use rental cars every so often combined with Knutsford's to get to your spots. My suggestions would be fly into MoBay and travel east to Runaway Bay and or Ocho Rios. Check out Turtle Beach Towers in Ochie. Continue on to Oracabessa and Strawberry Fields. Further east to Port Antonio and Boston Beach. Then backtrack to Buff Bay and venture up into The Blue Mountains via the B1 up to Holywell Park at the top of Hardware Gap. Continue down the mountain to Strawberry Hill and then into Kingston. From Kingston head west on the A2 or with Knutsford's to Treasure Beach. You probably want to continue on to Negril as well and then back to MoBay having done a complete loop of the island. With the availability of AirBnB you should be able to find digs that fit your pocketbook!!
I'm envious of your trip to Vancouver and the Island!! One of my favorite places in Canada!! it was my go to place to scout and recruit players!! Nothing against Manitoba or anything but I really liked the Western kids!! My perfect world would be a place on Vancouver Island for the summer and a Cool Runnings spot in JA for winters!!
Have fun,
John
hey_mon/johng - so glad to hear from both of you! We have not left the US but have at least started traveling within the US again. As we have our own business we just cannot afford to get stuck out of the country by a positive test. Someone I know just got back from Ireland - they put off trip 2 years - ended up spending an extra 9 days because first she tested positive, then husband tested positive so they could not get a flight back to the US - they are hoping their insurance will cover some of the cost - the hotel was over $350 a night and cheapest they could find as it is high season there. Anyway - we are missing Treasure Beach - keep in contact with friends there. Have perfected a passable jerk chicken and my rice and peas are up there with the best of them! Winter was not too bad without going somewhere warm - headed to northern Michigan several weekends and did some nice snowshoeing.
We have wanted to go to Vancouver Island (love Vancouver) but again - staying in the US so we have booked a trip to Seattle in September - 4 nights near Mt. Rainier and a few in the city. We just got back from New Orleans (celebrated our 40th anniversary), So things are good with us - don't believe either of us have had covid but who knows. We are vaxed and boosted. Summer is coming so it will be nice to get fresh air and open the windows for a fdw months.
Johng - that itinerary sounds wonderful - I am too chicken to drive a car in JA though and rely on drivers so it can get expensive. We do want to get to the Blue Mountains one of these days.
Glad to hear from both of you and glad everyone is ok!
Greetings Rumghoul,
So happy to hear that you are well and healthy.!!It is way past too bad that Covid has caused so much hardship to the entire world!! Who would have ever thought that such an illness could disrupt everybody's way of life. It's impact on Jamaica as well as other countries reliance on tourism is truly a shame not to mention the deaths and those whose health has been negatively effected. Personally speaking I pray to my Lord for peace and good health for all of us!!
It is unfortunate that you have been unable to return to Jamaica and TB for such a long while!! Me too. I haven't flown on a plane for over 3 years now and don't see it happening any time in the near future. It's a shame because I am certain that being in JA without the influx of mass tourism is probably like old times laid back. Negril Beach is most likely much easier to navigate as a result too.
As I said to hey_mon Vancouver, BC and Island are my favorite Canadian destination. Calgary and Banff close behind. I find the Canadians to be very good people!! Seem to have a different outlook on life than us below the border!!
In any event I hope that you have had an opportunity to spend time in your favorite Michigan locations!! I lived and played hockey in Grand Rapids one season which was interesting and not far from Detroit.
Stay safe and healthy and maybe one day we can hoist a glass of rum together in JA!!
Rumghoul,
Forgot to mention, renting and driving a car in Jamaica I have found to be much easier than many suggest. Years ago when the rental cars were old and beat up and with standard transmissions that was a challenge but today's vehicles are newer with automatic tranny's and air conditioning is way easier to navigate. Yes there are dangers involved and yes most important that your credit card will cover full insurances but if you rent from a reputable company, drive carefully and completely sober then for me I think renting a car is the way to go!!
Johng - I thought I responded - must have closed out before I posted reply. Anyway, we are still exploring Michigan. Funny you mention Grand Rapids - we have not been there in a couple years and are going for a weekend the end of the month. My husband and I love craft beer and breweries so it is a good destination for us lol. We still have not made plans to leave the US - I just don't trust that testing won't be started again in fall if/when things heat back up. We have our own business - just the two of us - so we really cannot be stranded anywhere for any length of time. But - if the worst that happens to us through the pandemic is we can't travel as much, so be it. Too many have lost so much - including too many lives.
Rumghoul,
Glad to hear that you and your husband are well!! Understand your situation but it's too bad that you can't sneak a few days to recharge your batteries in TB. I am in a somewhat similar situation so I get it!! There is so much for me to still discover within a few hundred miles of where i live. Jamaica is always on my mind and I can't wait to return sometime soon!! All the best and enjoy your summer!! Regards, John
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