Blue Mountains, Kingston

The Blue Mountains are surprising and truly awe inspiring. After spending some time on the beach, it was incredible to change pace completely and head up unbelievably difficult roads to 4,000 feet. There I explored lush, gorgeous terrain. The Jamaicans I met in the Blue Mountains were also different -- friendly, hard working people who had not become jaded by all the tourism of places like Ochos Rios or Negril. I stopped off at Whitfield Hall after seeing it in a guidebook and got a guide to help me go to Blue Mountain Peak, which is over 7000 feet high. Not what I expected from a Caribbean trip. Beautiful. The tropics and the mountains in one package. I will go back.