One week in Feb. 2022 in Jamaica was chosen to celebrate Emma's birthday and because, at the time of choosing, it was only Level 2 on the Covid list. (By the time we left it had been moved up to Level 4 by the Center For Disease Control.) In the past we had stayed away from Jamaica due to its large size and reputation for crime. Before choosing Jamaica we had reserved and then rejected Dominica for lack of adequate infrastructure. We had also reserved and then rejected Barbados due to horror stories of healthy families with children confined to their hotel rooms for a week simply because passengers seated near them on the plane had tested positive for Covid.
BEFORE
A Sign From The Heavens
on 2nd Ave. & 21st St.
AFTER
Our roomy balcony directly on the Caribbean at the
52-room Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
It came with sunsets.
Past guests included Marylin Monroe, Arthur Miller
and Winston Churchill
We enjoyed a hotel chef's tour of a nearby Farmer's Market.
Emma bought pimento, (in the plastic bags to the left
of the tomatoes) - an important ingredient in the jerk
spice mix she will duplicate when we return. Not a pepper,
it looks like black peppercorns but has a subtle allspice spectrum.
Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, shown here in
the hands of the chef. Tripartite, only the white flesh
around the seeds is edible - but not raw.
After market, the chef demonstrated a popular Jamaican dish,
ackee with salted cod form Norway. The cooked ackee resembles
scrambled egg.
The market also had one of our favorite treats, young
coconuts, first the "milk" is sipped and then the vendor opens
the coconut with a machete, cuts a spoon/scraper from the
coconut shell and you eat the wonderful "jelly" inside.
The market trip allowed Emma to supplement the unsatisfactory
fruit served at breakfast (shown on the left) with ripe, sweet
mango, pineapple and papaya shown on the right. Also great custard apple
not shown here.
Mirror view in Miss T's restaurant in Ocho Rios where
stuffed crab, curried shrimp and oxtail stew were good.
On another evening the Jerk Center was not satisfactory.
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| Hiking in Holywell Nat'l Park near Kingston |
Crouching in Holywell Nat'l Park near Kingston
| View of the Blue Mountains from the trail. |
The Dunn's River Falls, a major site, has been extensively
developed. A walkway along the falls makes it unnecessary
to join hands in a group and follow a guide up the stones.
Line of tourists forced to walk upstream
Some visitors take lascivious photos
 |
Fruit stand on the road to Kingston where Emma spotted custard apple. |
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| Impressive sculpture in Kingston. |
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| Stop for excellent ice cream at the Devon House in Kingston. |
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| Table with excessive silverware at Jamaica Inn. |
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| The children sent birthday flowers for Emma. |
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| Our very fine driver Orando. |
Another view of our beautiful balcony.
Breakfast
Two feet
Crab
Rainbow
Mystery Fruit
A room to remember
END
