Life in Jamaica » See, Do, Experience

Sligoville Detour (Photos)

xhanubis — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:08:44 +0000

I drove through Sligoville today, not by choice but because Jamaica still has not found a way to construct a decent bridge across the Bog-walk gorge. The adventure began with two officers, motorbikes parked in the middle of the road.

“you have to go left, road close”
“OK, where does left take me?”
“Sligoville, it’s the detour”
“OK, are there signs along the way?”
“where do you live?”
“New Kingston”
“where are you going?”
“New Kingston”
“Where do you live”
“New Kingston”
“Oh OK, well when you reach the top of the hill, left takes you down to Red hills and Right takes you to Spanish Town”
“Thank you, officer”

He could have warned me, that it’s the second top not the first one that I need to make the right turn, or we could just build a couple of signs and stuck them along the route, Yeah Jamaicans don’t read but they didn’t have to say anything, just arrows that point.

The road was bad (worst than normal) the drive was long…very long, but between the beginning and the end, the vista more than make up for the negatives.
I stopped at a quarry and took these pictures to share.

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Rafting Down the Rio Grande (photos)

xhanubis — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:16:13 +0000

That Jamaica is beautiful is a given. I will however continue to argue that the most beautiful part of the island is Portland. And I argue this not because it is the parish of my birth, but because of its lush unspoiled scenery.

If you are ever in Jamaica or even if you live here, rafting down the Rio Grande is a must have experience. The raft takes a seven mile trip down the river through some of the most beautiful landscapes the island has to offer. You can pilot your own raft for portions of the trip, take a dip in the beautiful clear water, buy refreshments from any of the floating bars or shop for art and crafts from the riverside art galleries.

If that is too tame for your senses you can go night rafting…The pilots promise…THEY WILL NEVER TURN AROUND!

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Photos courtesy of Mel, Jason and Moiya. Thanks guys!!

Folly Great House

xhanubis — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:43:02 +0000

Sitting on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea, the forlorn, decayed structure tells a tale of love gone awry…of one man’s folly in trying to win the woman he loved.

The story goes:

That years ago a wealthy Irish man came to Portland Jamaica (reputed the most beautiful of all the fourteen parishes) and fell in love, not only with the land, but with a local beauty. In his eagerness to win her heart he decided to build a Great House overlooking the sea where they could spend the rest of their years in bliss. But alas, the foolish gentleman, in his haste to construct the perfect home for his bonny lass, chose to use material found on site…sea sand and seawater for the construction.

Needless to say, the house began crumbling around them as soon as it was completed. The bonny lass fell sick and died at the Great House and the gentleman returned home with a broken heart, never to set foot in Jamaica again.

And so the place was named in his honour…or more appropriately for his Folly.

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