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JAMAICA         DIARY  2

Photos   Map & Plan   Diary 1  2  3

From Diary 1 and the eastern north coast, I now head up the Blue Mountains once again.
7. February.
After breakfast, I head west on the coastal road to the Blue Mountain "highway"; B1. It finds it way through these magnificent mountains - and so do I. It start raining in the morning, and only stop when it drizzles during the day. I follow the coastal road for 35 kilometres to the little town of Buff Bay. On the way, I pass Rio Grande and some smaller rivers.
One is just a swampy creek, and I manages to get a good sample of mud. A little grey heron sit on the floating plants, and some other birds are seen in the surounding bushes.

I reach  Buff Bay in-between showers, and stretch my legs. Here, one of the typical old British churches are found, along with other old buildings. I find lunch - that is what I call the little bag of coconut cookies I find. The rain pick-up, and I head on. I can only keep the windows clear, using the air-con, but I sure need the vision!
From here, the road turns narrow and real winding. It follow the river, and in some stretches, it is carved into the rock-sides along it. This is Blue Mountain and John Crow National Park, but a few people are living along the road, growing coffee.
Here are several smaller waterfalls, crossing the road, and had it been a dry day, I would have spend a long time exploring. But it is not! I have close to 60 kilometres to where I came from, on the other side of the Blue Mountains, and the road get rough and even more narrow. The views seems great, although I have to guess quite some, due to the fog.

I only do a few stops to photo plants and views, due to the rain. Never the less, it turns quite late before I returns. The higher parts are covered in clouds, and the deep potholes filled with water: Not the most relaxing driving. Despite I fail to get any good pictures, it have been a real nice drive. I have seen so many beautiful views and a few interesting plants too.
I stock some more water and food in Buff Bay, and start cooking, when I reach home in San San. Considering it have been a rainy day, it turned out quite good.

Buff Bay and Blue Mountains north.

8. I head west ,on the north coast to Buff Bay and additionally 75 kilometres to the big town: Ocho Rios. It is mainly a coastal road, sometimes build out in the surf, other times way up and into the dense forests. Here are a few cotton fields, coconut plantations and banana fields. Despite everything look this fertile, the agriculture seems real light.

I make a short stop in the little fishing village; Annotto Bay. Here, the old market is still alive. Lots of local vegetables and fruits, but from few sorts. Outside town, I make one of many stops at the coast. Here, a real beautiful lagoon holds flowering water lilies. Out at the sea, the sand is real dark for once, and the waves quite wild.
The dark skies I headed towards this morning have evaporated, and it is a real warm and nice sunny day.

I reach the rather large town of Ocho Rios at noon, and deposit my bag at the guesthouse, in the dead centre of the town. I start looking for a good restaurant, and end up paying a local hustler to show me one. A real good vegetarian restaurant in a back-street, on the second floor, serve me samples of their entire menu: Eight courses. I stumble back to get the car!
My guidebook claims the highlight of the entire north coast is a Erie Blue Hole. Here are actually two, but the other one have been spoiled by too many cruise ship visitors. While I am into the mountains, I do some of the narrow and real steep roads. Here, the forest is tall, overgrown with epiphytes and dense. I find some bluish rivers with ponds.

At many of the intersections, young men in blue T-shirts are real insisting: They want to show me the Blue Hole. It is that annoying, I consider cancelling it, but it should be the highlight? I finally get to it, but without a guide, and then I have to negotiate the entrance fee!
It might be a great place, should you like loud music form several sources, cigarette smoke, sticky mud trails, sealed with beer bottle fragments and -capsules, worn-down nature and hustlers. Well, I might be spoiled from the Reach Falls...

Back through the centre of the town to the botanical garden. It look like the neglected garden of a large hotel, and might be closed? I head back and drop the car at my new home, and walk next door to the huge souvenir area. Here are a lot of small shops with colourful items. In some of the shops, local men sit and chop wooden statues, paint or sleep.
The wide smiling women push me into their narrow and gloomy shops, telling me I can ask and touch. That is all right. But when the 150 kilo women squeeze them self into the shop, the light and air disappears, and they repeat: "ANYTHING you like; you can touch EVERYTHING!", I feel a bit anxious.

At early dusk, I flee, and find another restaurant on a second floor, serving some good vegetarian food. Then I head out to the local Turtle Beach. It is around 1000 meters of bars and restaurants, next to a 25 meter sandy beach. And the beach is closing now! Well, I head home, make a mug of tea and start working.
By the way; I don't understand why people thought this could be a dangerous country to travel in: I have seen quite some white women, who have gone here by them selves - although they all have local (male) company by now. 
Annotto Bay, Blue Hole and Ocho Rios.

9. I'm up a bit early, but I'm not going to wait for the six young girls I'm sharing room with, to use the single bathroom! I continue along the northern coast towards Falmouth. It is a bigger road than I'm use to, and the area is more developed. Here are even some big hotels, a golf course and some leisure horses behind white fences.
I stop at some of the coves, and watch the fishermen's early attempt to launch. Here are a lot of small birds on the sand and seaweed. On the sand, I find the skeleton of some large sea urchin.
The next cove have some amassing clear waters and a view to a bit of mangrove. The inland is mainly bush land, overgrown with vines. Here are a few fields, but considering how lush everything is, there cold be way more. In other places, the barren limestone allied the road, but else, it is still so fertile.
Besides from smaller settlements, here are a few quite modern towns. However, the main part of the road is lined with green nature and scatted sheets.

Despite I have been driving real slowly, I reach Falmouth at nine. Right outside town, a Saturday market is found, and I do a tour around. Mainly home-grown vegetables and some fruits, but also clothing and food in plastic bags.
Despite it is a bit early, I see if I can drop my bag at the hotel. It may not look like the best neighbourhood, but I know by now; Jamaicans are friendly people. I wait some time for the right person to turn up, but loose my patience.

I set the GPS for Greenwood Great House. It is unique among plantation houses, as it survived the 1831 slave rebellion. Most of the interior dates back hundreds of years, and here are some amassing objects. A young girl give me the full tour (while another follow us), explaining the origin, year and use of most objects. Here are quite some mechanical music robots, driven by disk with holes, plenty of ancient china and old furniture with secret rooms.
The oldest parts of the house is from 1780, and many objects date back that far. An African map from 1626, a mantrap to catch runaway slaves, old china stores for gin and whiskey and so much more. It truly have the feeling of being alive - but the owner actually live here, so no wonder. The TV is hidden away behind 250 year old doors of a cupboard. As I exit, some other guests turns up, and the poor girl, having her first day here, can go on. I am truly amassed how much she remember!

It seems like most guests only visit Montego Bay - and I ought to find out why! I park at the harbour, which have room for several huge cruiseships. Here is a large souvenir market, but only with the common things.
I make a loop through the old town, hoping to find a bite to eat. It is fare from fancy, but it does hold its charm. Here are a few old colonial buildings and a lot of small shops, sheets and people. It is diffently not where the cruise guest come.
I find a egg-burger and a vegetarian patty at Juici Patties; Jamaica's answer on McDonalds. I get to see most of the old harbour area, before I head back. On the way back, I get to drive into the fancy area where the tourists are. Nice beach, huge hotels and lots of bars.

Back in Falmount, I drop the car and head down to the water. Another nice beach with fishing boats on, and then a monstrous huge harbour for cruiseships. I manages to get into it, but as here are no ships, it is closed, and I have to find my way through a fence and a construction site, to get to the town. When there are no cruiseships in town, the city is isolated from the water!

It is Saturday in Jamaica, and everyone are paid by the week: Shoppingday! The old part of Falmount is located around the Water Square, where the old market, the courthouse and alike is found. I do most of the streets and find a fault-tasting cup of tea in a diner. Here are real busy: Shouting people, cars with speakers on the roof, horns, engines and people in general.
I head back before dusk to "enjoy" a cold shower and start working. I don't feel like walking back to town to chase some supper, and cook some myself. Well, that would have been more easy, had the owner bought gas, but "it should be here shortly".
That I don't buy at half pass eight, and I set out to find supper in the town, leaving the partly microwave cooked pasta and challenged opened can of beans to the caretaker. I find some quite good Chinese noodles, and call it a day. 
Falmount, Greenwood Grant House and Montego.
                    I am about the leave the north, and the diary continues in Diary 3 and the south.

Photos   Map & Plan   Diary 1  2  3

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