Runaway and Green Grotto Caves

So this morning I had a sleep in and got shocked when I woke up and saw it was 09:30 considering that Aunty Donna wanted to leave at 09:45. After I got dressed and emerged from my room the table was set for breakfast. Then I remembered that we planned to have bacon and eggs for breakfast. So Aunty Donna sets out to cook the bacon lovely and crunchy none of this soft business, while Nan is cooking scrambled eggs. Eggs are cooked and Nan is putting them on the toast while Dad and Aunty Donna make mango smoothies. Dad cuts the mango's up. 1 1/2 normal sized ones and one the size of and R2E2 it's massive. Once that is done Aunty Donna puts in ice, milk and the rest of the ice-cream and blends the hell out of it until it is drinking consistency.

so we get everything to the table and notice that Dad and I are the only ones eating bacon. Aunty Donna doesn't eat pork because she finds it too salty. Carline and Uncle Michael don't eat bacon and Nan had already had her breakfast when she got up so she was just having some fruit. To be honest I think Dad and I were both a little over the moon about having extra crunchy bacon. I don't like mango so everyone one is having fresh mango smoothies and I have some fruit drink.

Aunty Donna was itching to go the the Runaway Bay and Green Grotto Caves ever since she landed so that is what we set out to do this morning, via the Battle Museum at Rio Nuevo which we missed out last Saturday. It cost us US$3 to get in and our guide was Eldon. The first thing that he showed us was the Pimento tree who's berry is the main ingredient in a popular Jamaican spice mix Jerk. The smell from the leaf alone was quite pungent and lovely. Eldon told us when the berries are ready they are black and the aroma, taste and heat are doubled.

After looking the the trees we went down to the back of the yard where you saw this amazing view and you got to see the bay where some of the battle actually took place. It is amazing to see how the ocean and the sky eventually melt into each other.

So after our look at the setting we go into the museum which is actually small but very well done. http://www.jnht.com/news/2009/07/_rio_nuevo_battle_site_officia_1.php. The next photo the original design and outline of the fort. All this is left today is the bottom left hand corner.

After Eldon tells us all the info we go and buy some books. Aunty Donna buys one where Dad buys two. Go figure. We jump back into the car and drive 20 minutes to where the Villa is located and continue to drive in the other direction towards Montego Bay and the airport. All the time we have been here we have tried to get a photo of an old water mill ruin that is on the side of the road. So this morning while heading to the caves we pulled off and Dad and I got out to get some pictures and it was worth it and the few honks of horns we received. 

After a short while we get to the caves. We jump out and walk out to the administration area and was met by Mario who is a lovely man with a good sense of humour. He told us that the admission fee's were.J$1,845 or US$20 each. Uncle Michael and Carline paid for all of us on their card. When talking to Mario he was asking our names and got a bit confused with the two Michael's and so to make it worse Carline said her name was Monica, the same as Nan. The poor fellow had a heart attack. So we went through with all real names.

One we had paid and went to the loo as a percussion, there are no loo's near the caves and the tour is 45 mins to and hour. We were taken over to the entrance by Mario and there we met Avrol who was our guide. We got given our hard hats and a hair net. i had trouble with my first hat as it was a little small. I got it on my head but as I tried to take it off to get it to sit right it came apart and was met by a wall of laughter and then I was given a new helmet.

We then got some group photo's of us. Dad and I couldn't resist on giving bunny ears. I did take lots of photo's inside the caves but as per usual I am not putting them all up.


As soon as we walk into the caves we are hit by a smell and then the bats. They are tiny fruit bat and really quite cute. We are advised that is we look up to close our mouths. Some unfortunate sole in the past has obviously had guana fall into their mouth. We were told that the holes in the cave with muck were not called guana or excrement. They were called holy crap. That comment received a round of uproar from us laricans. The first caves we went into were the Runaway Bay Cave. It got it's name by the leader of the Spanish back in the day Ysassi ran to the caves after the English came and slaughtered all his men. He lived in the cave for two years before he found is escape route and fled the country to Cuba.

Funnily enough everywhere in the caves where these clusters of bats. I couldn't get over how small they were. On the odd occasion we would see a decent sized bat flying around. I tried SO hard to get a picture of a bat in mid flight but unfortunately that never happened so these clusters of bats will have to do.

All around the cave were all these stalactites and stalagmites. For people who don't know get a dictionary. Just joking. Stalactites are a type of limestone that droop from the roof of the cave the secrete a mineralized solution. When that solution hits the floor of the caves it reacts with calcium carbonate and that forms stalagmites which come from the floor and grow up to the stalactite and they will eventually meat and form a coloum. This process take decades.


As we were moving among the cave we came across all these stalagmites with odd shapes. I'll these tour guides have certainly got an imagination or they just have alot of time on their hands. Look at the next two photo's carefully. The first one is a candle with the wick at the top and all the was dripping down and the second one there is the wife on the left hand side holding a baby looking up at her husband on the right. He is looking up and you can see his beard and all is hair falling behind him. Quite cleaver don't you think?

So as we were continuing through the cave we finally come out to see that the all the rocks are actually huge pieces of coral. Obviously there was a earthquake to push the land up and the coral and the caves stayed. Here is Dad acting like nutter (as per usual) exiting the cave. We walk round to the next cave through this rain forest scenery. The next cave is Green Grotto Cave it is called that because of the natural green colour of the rocks and the grotto of water.

In this picture you can see the green rocks and all the tree roots behind it. These roots are actually longer that the tree itself. The tree roots go all the way down the 37 meters to the grotto. It is unbelievably beautiful nothing like we have ever seen. We thought we were looking at the floor and ceiling of the cave. It turns out that is was a perfect mirror image on the stillest water that as so clear you didn't even know it was there until Avrol told us. Avrol said he wanted to show us something so we turn off all camera and he turns off the the light and shines his torch on a particular part of the ceiling and in the water is shone is the shape of a bat with out stretched wings. Aunty Donna then shout "that's Batman's sign! It's the bat cave!" We all then start to sing nananana, nanana BATMAN!! With laughter following. I tried to get a photo but is was too dark. So when we came down we had to go down 67 steep and windy stairs. To make it worse the stairs were odd shaped. Down I was more worried about falling down the stairs. Coming back up the stairs I was more worried about falling back on whoever was behind me.

So we get back up the stairs and get out of the cave where I catch my breathe don't know about anyone else.

We walk round to the next cave which is the wishing well. We all got coins thanks to Carline as no one else had coins. We got inside and waited for someone to go first. Aunty Donna did but unfortunately she didn't throw it quite right and didn't make it to the water. So she got another coin. We watched Avrol and got the gist and started to hear the drops of coins as we throw them in. We then walk out and into the last cave. The way back to the administration hut. On the way we saw the Map of Jamaica.

Can you see the similarity between the sign and the cave. So just before we exit we go through what is known as the Spanish Exit. It is known that because there is a rock that looks like a mans face and when a torch is shone onto it, the Shadow looks like a mans face with a helmet on side profile.

So we exit the caves to a lovely and welcomed breeze we take off out hard hats and hair nets. Go and wash our hands and buy some drinks as we are all thirsty. We pile back into the car and head to Falmouth and unfortunately this is where i fell asleep so I missed that. Sorry. But from what Aunty Donna has told me it seems to be a big crime area as there are police everywhere and has so much potential. So as we are heading back to the Villa we see a sign that says Stewart Castle. So in the spirit of being a tourist Aunty Donna pulls off the road. After going up and not seeing very many signs and almost chucking a u-turn there it is. A crumbled ruin and quite a sight. Then the stories surfaced between Dad and Aunty Donna of the castles and ruins is the UK and Europe. And there goes my eyes rolling. Live in the present people.

After walking around the old estate and the ruins of Stewart Castle for quite a while we jumped back into the car and headed back. On the way we stopped at a supermarket and got the things that we needed. Milk, bread, butter, cheese etc. On the way back we went through Priory. Remembering that we over shot Seville House the first time we went slow this time. Not seeing any signs Aunty Donna pulled into this drive way which looked like it belonged to a grand house. After almost getting bogged on the biggest pothole on the crappiest road we make it to the house. I have never seen so many anchors in the one place. This place is once again a ruin. I have never seen so many separate building belonging to the same estate. We didn't get to see them all as some people still live there and we didn't want to disturb them. The house even has it's own little bridge and river.

This house actually reminds me of a Sherlock Holmes movie, The Last Vampire. So after spend quite a bit of time going over the estate and looking at all the ruins we climb back into the car and drive back. We get back to the Villa around 19:00 hours. We put the groceries away and Dad cooks dinner tonight of spaghetti. SO happy it wasn't chicken. So it has been yet another full day and an even bigger one tomorrow having to leave early, but you can all read about that tomorrow.

I'm going to have a much needed shower and an early night of 00:45. Nighty, night. Talk tomorrow. Happy reading.

Relaxing and church

So after a very busy day yesterday we decide to have a relaxing day and the fact that it is Sunday nothing is open. So we all drag ourselves out of bed and have breakfast. Uncle Michael, Carline, Aunty Donna and Nan all go to church while Dad and I hang back. I try to finish yesterdays blog but it is not working much to my annoyance. So I leave the laptop and let Dad have it before I break it out of frustration.

I watch some TV and do some word searches as you would do on a lazy Sunday in between putting a load of washing on and hanging it out. We decided earlier during the week we will have a roast chicken for dinner as Carline has never had a traditional roast for dinner. Realising one small one isn't going to be enough Aunty Donna buys another with some other things after church.

Aunty Donna has been itching to get some colour since being here but unfortunately it hasn't happened. So we organised to go and spend most of the day down at the beach so Aunty Donna could burn. After about five minutes of being back at the villa it bucketed down for three hours. So we just had sandwiches for lunch and did things until it finished. Oh I know your itching to know the most important thing ever. We just got the washing in on time. Thanks Nan. So it finally happened. It stopped raining. We all got into our swimmers instead of Nan who just gets her feet wet and Carline didn't come. We will get her down there before we leave trust me on that.

So we jump in the water when Uncle Michael tells us that there is a dolphin. We all look with excitement and it is just a huge log. I still can't quite understand if he ment it as a joke or if he was being serious. So Aunty Donna gets out to get some colour which didn't really happen due to cloud over. We all got out for a little bit when I went to the bar and got lemonade for Uncle Michael, Dad and Nan.

I got Aunty Donna and I a cocktail which was called Jamaican Surprise. We believe it had Jamaican rum, pineapple cordial or juice and a tropical punch juice served with a pineapple wedge. Quite nice I have to say. So we get back into the water for a while and then head back. Both chickens are almost thawed. So after the showers Nan and Aunty Donna get dinner ready.

We sit down and have our roast chicken dinner with honey carrots, cauliflower with a garlic cream sauce, broccoli, roast pumpkin, we only have one potato so we have roast potato and rice. I the middle of dinner we have a black out. We have had them before but this has been the first while we are having dinner and hopefully the last. So we find candles, ipad's and phones. Anything that will give us light. As we have finished and taking the plates to the bench the power comes back on.

So I turn the computer back on and try to finish the blog but the photo's are taking way too long. I am just about tempted to leave them out all together when Uncle Michael compresses them for me. I was trying to load a 3.6 - 6.2 MB pics up and he compressed the to 300 KB. Now they are flying through and I am unstoppable. So tonight we are having dessert that Carline has never tried. Ice-cream covered with Milo and malted milk powder. Carline liked it very much as did everyone else.

So after dessert everyone has pottered off to bed. I have finally got my blog up to date I can now rest my tired eyes. I thought a blog would be easy to do.Huh. Well nighty, night all. Talk to you tomorrow from another magical place. Happy reading.

Firefly, Golden Eye and Breadfruit

I have to put this up. I finished the blog last night and was walking to go to bed when I spotted our nightly visitor. Every night we have been at Villa Caribbean Dawn we have noticed it in different places. The kitchen, laundry the hallway just to name a few. At home in Maryborough, Queensland Australia http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/ we have a green tree frog that I have called Roger that comes in and hops around the house. Here at the Villa in Jamaica we have a hermit crab.

So we decided that we would get up at 08:00 to leave by 10:00 as we planned to go to Firefly house. For people that don't know Firefly was the house of Noel Coward. So at 10:45 we hit the road (not bad I know right). We know that Firefly is In the same direction of Port Maria which is 33 kms from Ocho Rios. So we get about halfway when Carline tells Aunty Donna to stop driving. We're all thinking she has to be sick. She tells Aunty Donna "Turn around. I have to show you guys something AMAZING!". So Aunty Donna chucks a u-turn and drives back. Carline says "Here, here. It's here". So we pull up to this unmarked gate. The security guard comes out. Carline asks him if we can come in and have a tour.

So he tells us he will call reception and ask if we are allowed in. So he spends a few minutes there and we are all thinking that we aren't. However he comes back out and opens the gate. So we drive in. It is called GoldenEye Hotel and Resort http://www.goldeneye.com. It is a very exclusive resort where quite a few A-List celebrities come to holiday. That is why there is no signage for privacy. Carline originally wanted to have the wedding reception held here, but unfortunately the person she was contacting left so it was a no go. We get into the resort and park where we are met by Candice who will be giving us our tour. This place is like an eco resort. Everything is natural.

We follow Candice who leads us down these stairs and we are taken back by the secret natural beauty that faces us. This place it hidden to the world, but I gather that is the whole point. Candice takes us down and across the suspension bridge to the main part of the resort. They have boats that you can use on the water. However, you can also swim and snorkel. In the next photo you can see probably hundreds of White Bait in the water. For people who don't know White Bait is a tiny fish.

We get on the beach with such amazing views. The stone island in the middle you can walk over to it. Candice told us that it is waist height. So on me that would be bust height. On the island is chairs where you can lay in the sun and really be away from everyone. 

Candice then starts to take us around the beach cabins. It is so cute that they all have their own little fences that are made out of old tree trunks. We go into cabin number 14 and OMFG. It has a small kitchen but the rooms make up for it. Huge beds both upstairs and downstairs and four claw bath tubs. It is designed for parents to sleep in the top room and lock themselves away from their children.

All around the park all all different species of flower and plants. They are quite beautiful. i would really like to know what they are. Glenda Pitman if you read my blog and if you know what they are I would really love to know. If Glenda doesn't read my blog (Why Not?!) Mum you may have to act as a carrier Pigeon.

So once we have walked around the cottage Candice takes us out and she takes us to the Bizot Bar. When proper guests come to stay they are given a compliment welcome drink which is a cocktail called a Golden Eye. Funny that. So we get round to the bar and we are given a complimentary welcome gift. The one and the same Golden Eye which was made with the owners locally produced dark rum. Aunty Donna, Uncle Michael and I had the cocktails. Carline had a glass of iced water and Dad and Nan shared a glass of local fruit juice. As Aunty Donna was driving she didn't finish her drink as it was quite strong, so I had to pick up the slack.

After our refreshments we went round to the most famous Villa. IanFlemming's villa. Ok so now you people might be getting the name now. For people who don't know Ian Flemming was the man who wrote the James Bond novel's which then came to be major film's which we all know about. OMG I can't put all of them up sorry.

This villa includes 3 buildings, a pool, private gardens, a pond and an out door bathroom and your own staff. One of the buildings is a cinema and bar. Now that's my type of room. Here is a picture of one of Ian Flemming's manuscripts and shorts.

It was quite amazing to see the actual desk where he wrote most of the books. There is the photo of the amazingly beautiful and private outside bath. It was very tempting to just stand under the stream of water or how  Jamaicans spell it wata. But somehow I don't think Candice would have liked that very much. The only thing I would be worried about would be the spiders. To less adventurous people there are indoor bathrooms as well, but what is the fun in that.

All the Villa, huts and all parts of the resorts are linked by water. The resorts supplies kiak type boats so you can paddle to where you want to go. But with wata like this why would you want to paddle. Once we finally left the Amazing Ian Flemming Villa we went over to the spa. Once again we were not disappointed. They have all these little separate huts or treatment rooms as they cal them. You can get single ones or double ones for couples or inseparable friends aka Donna Mclennan and I. So we met Newton who was the mersuse there. He was chucked on the spot but was lovely to us. We got two glasses or freshcoconut wata that we shared between the six of us. Carline tried her hardest to get a free massage from Newton, but too much disappointment she didn't get it. Here is a photo or Newton and myself. On our way to the spas we got lost as Candice had only been there for four days. So when we got lost we actually went onto the owners private part of the island and was met by a surprise of a huge centipede that was made of metal. When I saw it I think I jumped 100 feet and shouted "Is that real?". Everyone was laughing their heart out and said "NO!" apart from one person who said "Yes". Don't know who though.

So after getting my picture taken with Newton we left and were back on our way to the lobby. Candice was going to get us a card with her e-mail and the website address so we could chuck her the link. I would love to stay at GoldenEye but I would have to sell my arms, legs, liver and kidney at the black market. It may be expensive but it is worth it people. start saving. When we were in the villa's I saw the best beach towels. They had towel material in the centre and then other type of fabric around the edges. I told myself that I would pay up to US$80. However much to my disappointment they were actually US$120 so I had to pass them up.

So we were told to get to Firefly House to go through Port Maria. So we did that and Aunty Donna got an increasingly odd feeling that we were going the wrong way. So when we found a local we pulled over and Dad asked in the way to Jamaican men would speak. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the mans face but we were told by Carline that is was another MasterCard moment........Priceless.

She said it was funny for him because Dad is white and he is speaking black. So I'm pretty sure that it made the mans day. After he got over the shock he told us that we had overshot it and that it is just outside of Port Maria in the direction that we just came from. So Dad and Carline got back into the car and headed back. Here is the picture of the roads that we all picture Jamaican roads to look like in the cities and towns. So we are heading back the way that we came and we finally see the Firefly sign. Aunty Donna is kicking herself because she saw the sign the first time and thought is said Firefly, but as we got closer she couldn't quite make it out.

So we head up and just told to follow the road up. So that what we do. We are driving for about 10 minutes and think that we have gone too far. So we park and a police car passes. Aunty Donna beeps the horn. The police officer stops and reverses. We asks for directions and he tells us it's not far. So we decide to follow him thinking he might lead us there. After another few minutes we hit a little community and he stops and is talking to a local man when he tells us just up the road. Carline advises us that Jamaican up the road isn't the same as ours. In Australia when we say just up the road we mean just that a couple of blocks or so. In Jamaica up the road could be a couple of kms or hours.

So we persist. Finally we reach it after about another 10 minutes. The road is SO bad. huge potholes everywhere and chunks missing out of the road. Of course the Firefly house has to be at the VERY to of the mountain at 1,200 ft above sea level. Firefly is the house of Noel Coward who was a British play write among many things. Firefly was his second house and it has not been changed since the Queen Mothers visit in 1963.

Noel had many famous visitors to his house and their pictures are now framed. Noel lived in Jamaica for 30 years before dying of a heart attack at the age of 73 in 1972. His body is buried on the estate. His will dictated that everything would go to his friend. However his friend found it too hard with all the memories so he left it in the hands of the Jamaican government, who intern made it a museum. It is very interesting. Unfortunately we were rushed through as there was actually a wedding taking place. It was lovely of them to take us through and not turn us away. It is quite understandable with views like this that the early seamen thought they would sail off the ends of the world.


So we thought that before we go we better got a photo of Noel Coward and Dad in similar poses. We all knew the cigarette would come in handy some day and it did. Here is also a photo of a original map of Jamaica drawn in the 1700's. How that for preservation.

Unfortunately this is where my camera died and Dad didn't bring his. I know right how could you possibly forget your camera. So there are no photo's for the best bit ever.

We leave Firefly and head back. We pull off the road to James Bond Beach. We thought why not go and have a look. We pull up and it gated. We have to pay to get in to see a beach where a Bond woman did the famous sultry walk out of the water. So we decide that we don't wanna pay so we don't go in. But we stop at the best bit. A make shift shop where two Jamaican man Michael and Kevin are there. We originally stopped because they had crabs and we wanted to get come to cook for dinner. They were still alive strung up. Carline said it wouldn't be wise as they would have been like that all day out if water and wouldn't be nice by the time we came to cook them.

They were selling something we haven't tried yet. Breadfruit. Kevin was eating lunch consisting of roasted breadfruit, avocado and roast chicken. Carline tells them we haven't tried it before so Kevin goes out back and comes back with a plate consisting of roasted breadfruit, avocado and roast chicken for us. So we tuck in as we are starving by this point with all the local children looking at us with amazement.

Breadfruit is hard to describe. You can't est it raw it MUST be cooked. It is quite soft/mushy and slightly powdery. By itself it is very bland and off putting BUT with the avocado and chicken together is AMAZING. Once Kevin saw we like it so much he gave us the rest of his lunch. The Michael who only has one hand starts to cut the tops off the green coconuts puts a straw in them and hands them to us. Uncle Michael actually asked for them. So now we weredrinking coconut water straight out of the coconut. Doesn't get any fresher than this. When we have finished Michael takes them back and starts t cut them again. We are then eating the coconut flesh straight out if the coconut shell with raw sugar. the coconut looks like nothing we are use to.

It is slimy and slopping with a little hardness to it. At first it taste's nothing like coconut but as you keep eating you get the flavour. Then Uncle Michael asks if we can try a mango. It once again isn't a mango we are use to. It is like a huge apricot but with hard grey skin similar to rockmelon. It had four seed similar to apricot seeds and tastes like apricot but it is part of the mango family. We have never seen or heard of this fruit before and Michael and Kevin have never seen or heard of apricots before. So Uncle Michael gets six mango's, avocados which are slightly different to ours and passion fruit.

After Uncle Michael pays and we are leaving Dad gives them extra money for sharing their lunch with us and just for being so nice. I think I can speak for everyone when I say this. Best lunch ever.

So as we are coming home we stop by a military museum which is unfortunately closed.there is a pre independence shindig happening there. The woman who was talking to us or main Dad has actually heard of the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum. That took Dad by surprise. So we said we would be back and left for them to party. They originally thought we were British because they of Dad's accent. How they came to that conclusion I don't know. So Carline grabs me and tells me to say something. So I say what any normal Aussie would "G'day mate. How ya goin'?" Their faces light up with huge smiles.

So we pile back into the car and head back to the villa. Where we all just crash after such a big day and in the end Nan and Aunty Donna get dinner ready. You guessed it chicken and rice. I'll tell you what though these ladies know how to cook. Yum yum.

Nighty, night talk tomorrow. Happy reading.
P.S. I know that some of the spelling or punctuation might be wrong but when I was doing th spell check it went all dumb and if I tried to change it, it went over abd erased the other words. Dum

Dunn River Falls and Park

After finally finishing the blogs early this morning at 01:30. So Dad had gone to bed before me so unfortunately I didn't sleep due to Dad's snoring!! Try to imagine a freight train in the bed next to you (Mum how do you put up with it?). So finally getting some sleep I wake up to a noise that isn't the air conditioner. It is pouring rain. So I turned over and went back to sleep. Aunty Donna wasn't so lucky. The guttering coming out to a funnel outside their room and the rain landing on a log so not to damage the lawn too much. So Aunty Donna was up since 06:00.

Last night I had a really itchy knee so I did what any normal person would do and scratched it with my new nails. I woke up with something that startled me. Well I definitely got rid of the itch. Now Mum think long and hard before you ask me to scratch your back.

Nan is normally the first person awake, but today she was the last getting up at 0920. So we are all awake now. Michael and Carline are going to Beaches Hotel and Resort where Joe and Greg are staying with their families to spend the day with them. So they depart by taxi around 10:00. Aunty Donna, Dad, Nan and I sit down to breakfast. All having poached eggs on toast made by Aunty Donna except Nan who just has a bowl of Corn Flakes.

So after fiddle-farting around for a while we decide to go to Dunne River Falls. So we all go to get changed and ready. I lather on the sunscreen and we head out. The entrance to the falls creep up on you from around a bend so we over shoot it and pull over. We jump out to check out the views which are quite amazing. This photo is taken from the side of the road which is considerably far way from the sea. It is zoomed in as far as it will go and you can see how clear the water is.

So we jump back into the car and something happens that we have not seen since being here. No traffic coming either direction on the road so Aunty Donna chucks a u-turn and heads back to Dunn River Falls and Park.

You can see the waterfall two ways. You can walk down beside the waterfall with the stairs or you can take the adrenalin way and climb up the waterfall. I was originally planing to climb up the waterfall, but after reading more about it in the Lonely Planet Jamaican Guide Book I thought it was not the best option as I am not the fittest person. So when we see the waterfall and are amazed by it's natural beauty and I am quite happy that I chose not to climb it.

So we decide to walk down the side of the waterfall via the cement stairs. We start to walk down the stair and every so often there is a platform where you can observe and take photo's. So we get to the half way point, where you go under the road to head down to the beach. We continue to walk down the stairs. I'm thinking that this is lovely. We get down to the bottom of the waterfall and see that the water from the waterfall is mixing in with the sea.

In the next picture you can see people in a single file on the left hand side under the trees. The people who want to climb the falls meet their guide at the top. He walks them down the cement stairs all the way to the beach. That is where they start to climb the waterfall at the very bottom all the way to the very top. When you look at the waterfall from the viewing platforms you may see hand rails, but the stones on which you climb up are uneven and sometimes with a fair bit of water in between them.

So now what ever goes down HAS to come up. All I can say is oh the pain. So we stopped again at the platforms just to get a breather these times. We decided to get a photo us and a lovely Jamaican woman took a photo of the four of us. Here you can see my awesome New York bag that I bought in New York. She asked us where we are from and we reply Australia. The huge smile that come on her face. "Australia, I LOVE Australia" she tells us and we all proceed to shout Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, Oi, Oi.

On our way up Dad spots this little piece of history.

We continue to drag ourselves up all these stairs and when we finally get to the to I just want to sit down. Knowing that if I sit I will not get up again. So we continue on the this little cafe tent where we get some drinks. Dad has.............Black Coffee quite surprising. NOT! Aunty Donna and Nan have Lemon Squash which is NOT soft drink. It is lemon juice and ice and blend it down. But the sweetness is pineapple syrup and it is so delicious. I decide to have an Iced Mocha. This was so delicious also nothing like the American and nothing like the Australian with crap coffee and loaded with chocolate syrup. This has milk, coffee, cocoa powder and ice blend it all together. It is a lovely balance of coffee and chocolate and isn't watered down by the ice. Oh she used Jamaican coffee. Blue Mountains coffee. Will have to get on DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and see if we can bring it back with us.

So to get out of Dunn's River and into the car park we have to go through the markets. I didn't think it was going to be that bad, but oh boy wasn't I SO WRONG!!! The people with stalls and the people who just brought things to sell even marijuana (YES people here openly ask us if we want to buy dope) latch onto us like leaches. I tried not to stray to far from the others of safety because some of the characters looked really shady. However I thought it would be mean not to shake their hands when they extend theirs. So I shook this ladies hand and she places her other hand on top of mine so I couldn't take my hand away.

At this point two other men are trying to talk to me and sell me stuff at the same time and all three start to argue. She removes her hand and I thought that this is the moment where I can get away. However she didn't change her grip and when I tried to pull away she would pull me back. So I am starting to feel a little nervous and the only way that I can get away from here is to buy something. So I do I pay a ridiculous price for it but I don't care I'm away from her.

I manage to catch up with Dad when this other man comes up to me and he has the longest dreadlocks I have ever seen. They were past his knee's and so thick. So he says that he wants to give me this wooden turtle that he made because he felt bad abut before. I tell him that I don't want it and he says that if I do not take it I would be disrespecting him (The Jamaicans are big on respect). So I take it and he takes it back and says that he needs to finish it. He proceeds to write my name on it. He is starting to act strange and making me feel very uncomfortable. So he gives it back to me and asks for money. I proceed to tell him that he said it was for free and walk away. He comes back and asks for money.

I say again that he said it was for free and that I don't have any money. Before he can say anything else Dad comes to my rescue. This man demands American dollars. Dad tells him that he doesn't have American and only Jamaican dollars. He starts to complain so Dad tells him fine and nudges me forward. As we start to leave he changes his tune. So Dad offers him offers him $1,000.00 Jamaican and he whinges. So he gives him an extra $500 Jamaican. He still whinges. By this point he is pointing to Dad's last note another $1,000.00 Dad tells him no but other Jamaicans have started to gather. So Dad thrusts it towards the man and we are finally allowed to leave. In all Dad gave $2,500.00 which is roughly $27.30 Australian.

That experience was definitely a shock to the system. So we get to the car and head back to the Villa discussing our experiences. When we get home we decide to have lunch and head down to the beach. So Nan and Aunty Donna makes us some sandwiches. I then proceed to get changed into my swimming togs. The day was nice not too hot and not too humid, but as we were near water all day and in a rain forest setting it was horribly humid.

So when I get changed my clothes are literally drenched with sweat all over EWWWWWW!!! I pull on the swimmer over my sticky body and put on my board shorts and more sunscreen. We jump into the car and head to the beach. It is now overcast and no where near as beautiful as yesterday but we still head in and spend 1-2 hours there where Aunty Donna tries desperately to get some colour. I spend about half the day in the sun with two layers of sunscreen and I still get burn. Dam it!!!!!!!

So once we have had enough we jump back into the car and head back to the Villa. Where showers start and yes another load of washing. We decide to have chicken schnitzel for dinner so Nan and Aunty Donna start to prepare dinner when Uncle Michael and Carline get back. So I tell them about the day and particularly the markets where they first laugh their heads off then turn serious and give pointers. Some good, others not so helpful.

So dinner is up and because there is no bread crumbs they have coated the chicken in crushed cornflakes which I have never seen before but it was delicious all the same. My time in the kitchen is coming soon so trying to think I what I can make that I don't need a recipe for. Throw any Australian recipes my way so Carline can experience it.

Well the blog is done for another day. Talk to you all tomorrow from a new and exciting place.