Port Antonio, Jamaica

Friday heading to Jamaica. 

We took MARTA to the airport around 9:00am.  The ride down was uneventful.  Once we got through security to gate we got coffee and passed by the money exchange.  I had for gotten to research on the exchange rate so was unsure if it was better to do it here or when we landed.  Decided to change some just in case. 

The flight was painless except for the teen movie.  Oh I like the flip down LCD screens they had on the 737.  Made me it seem like a pimped ride.  We ordered Delta's new Mile High Mojito.   It smelled and therefore tasted like glass cleaner at first but then grew on you as the rum took over.

When we arrived we walked off the plane onto the tarmac and felt the warm sun and hot breeze.  The ocean air was thick but welcoming.  We walked like a half a kilometer to immigration and customs.  The turn stils always remind me of Disney world.  It took a solid 30-40 mins but everything was routine. 

Once we were clear we could see someone holding up a sign with my name on it.  Derron's  had arranged a driver to pick us up.  Derron was good about following up on email and phone as well as stopping by the cove to meet in person. Mark our driver walked us to the van and we were on our way. 

I sat next to the open window as I wanted to take some pictures on the 2+ hour ride to Port Antonio.   The van was a little older with well worn shocks.  Speaking to several drivers we found they replace them often.  The road out of Kingston was ok but once outside it was weather worn and beaten.  Also it is a small two lane and incase you didn't know Jamaica's drive on the left. 

The pictures I took are here  

We watch as Jamaica unfolds before us.  We've read that this is a poor country but no one seems to notice. Everyone we passed were engaged and seemed to smile.  I guess if you live in a paradise you'd be happy too.  Amoug the poverty you see enginuity such as stores built out of old shipping containers.

We arrived around 630ish.. tired and dusty from a day of travel.  We asked the front desk about where to go for dinner.  Our options were to either go to town or walk down and across the street to a little resturant in the other hotel.  We decided on the walk but found out we have to make reservations.  We thought it must be fancy but later discovered that we were off season and in a quiet part of Jamaica so they don't open if there is no one coming.  

We head to our room to clean up and relax before dinner.  WOW we have arrived!! We're excited and start to take it all in.  The grounds are georgeous. We can hardly believe the gardens.  The river winds it's way through the property and exit to the sea on the beach.  

Incredibly beautiful words can't discribe.  

We arrived at our Villa number 7 and were pleasently surprised at the spacious and open room.  Nothing obscured the view of the gardens.  





The villa was spacious and very comfortable.  The twin beds we figured were a throw back to the I love lucy days. ;-) 

We quickly washed the dust off and laid down for a bit before dinner. 

It is a quick 5 min walk from the villa to the resturant across the street.  Elegant with tropical flowers adorning each table.  We were greeted and just as we asked for a patio table it began to rain.   No matter.

The food was good but we didn't come to Jamaica for Italian food. It is then that we
decided not to try and do too much but to relax and enjoy the trip.  We figured as long as we have a mini kitchen with refrigerator and dinning table we could save time and money by buying what we needed in town and bringing it back. 

The rain came and went all evening and cooperated nicely the whole trip it gave us a window to get back to the villa and then lulled us to sleep.

Day 2. 
Saturday
Sleeping in seems a rare pleasure.
After we roused ourselves we walked over to the guest house for breakfast.  The resort offered a free continental breakfast which consisted of fruit, coffee, coffee cake and toast.  I later found out the bananas and papaya were grown on the grounds.

We sat in the open patio of the guest house looking on the gardens.  We kept complementing how lush and wonderful the grounds were.

Ready to head to town we made our way to the front desk to figure out how.   You can either hire a private taxi or take what is known as the route taxi.

The route taxi's are inexpensive means of getting around Jamaica. You stand on the side of the road (in the direction you wish to go) and wait after 5 mins a car, usually white, with route taxi writen on the side will stop to pick you up.   Don't be alarmed if there is already someone in the car they are headed in the same direction.  The cost is per head.  We asked how much to Port Antonio and the drive said 60JM or about 1 USD as of this writing.   Which correspondented to what the front desk had told us. 

The ride varied depending on the temperment of the driver and seat belts in the back seat seem to not exist. 

We started off at the Anglican Church in Port Antonio as Justi wanted to check it out. 

As we started to walk down the street I was concerned a little as I had read that in Nigril and Montego Bay the tourist are inundated with people selling things, etc...
My fears were quickly releived as we were just another face in the crowd as everyone went about their business.   We quickly found the market which was a good thing as it began to shower.  We took refuge under the blue tarps they had put up anticipating the rain.   We saw a lots of fruit, vegtables, spices and even meats and clothing available. 

We wanted to walk around a bit and then purchase a few things to take back with us so we wandered around a bit.  We were picked up by a guide who wanted to show us around.  John was knowledgeable about the town and showed us a few things we wouldn't have seen otherwise.

Such as this unigue 3 story building with each portico made in the style of a different European country.  It held shops and was like a piazza in the middle.

We also walked to the Marina and along the waterfront. Though we could have done more sight seeing it was getting close to noon and we wanted to get back to the beach. 

Here are the rest of the pics I took in Port Antonio. 

Back at the market we picked up fruit, beer, jerk chicken, jerk pork and bread.  After "tipping" John we found the main road and gas station where route taxi's congregated.  10 mins later and we were back at the cove.


Eat lunch in the room and headed to the beach. 

The water was blue and cool.  We waded in and took in the surf.   As we looked back toward land all we could see was the lushous gardens.  We walked along the edge of the water over to the river's side and walked up stream until we left the waves behind and were in the calm of the river.  WoW hard to discribe.  The juggle like plants lead us to feel like we had totally left civilization. The smell of the grills cooking jerk and the occasional voice on the wind were there to remind us we hadn't.
The fish in the river played hid and seek with the kids in the water and we floated around till our troubles washed down stream.

The clouds came in and we could hear thunder in the distants. The first flash of lightning emptied the beach.  We made our way to the room after only an hour or so on the beach. We vowed to return.

After a cat nap we found that the sun had hidden behind the clouds and that being still quite damp and drizzly that we'd just hang out in the villa.  We went to the living area and opened the 3 large sliding glass doors to let the breeze cool the room.
We could hear the waves crashign on the rocks and the rain dripping from the trees.  We opened a red stripe and  read books we had brought til twilight. 

Oh almost forgot.  The rooms don't have cell phones, tvs or radios we were happily unplugged.   So at some point while we were napping the power went out. We knew cause the fans quite working. I check ed the breakers and sure enough. nothing.  

Without light to read we just sat on the couch watching the lightning lite the sky from a distance and listened to the chorus of insects, frog and birds of the night.  It grew very dark as power had knocked out all the other villas too.   Perhaps due to the darkness we thought we'd seen the brightest firefly in the world.  He lite up the room and bounced off the glass a couple times before finding an exit. 

Using our cellphones for light we made our way to the front desk for emergency candles and matches.   And had a romantic dinner by candle light. 
We later learned that the entire island was without power.  It was restored some time in the night.  oh and the guest house side of the resort has a backup generator.  The villas on our side haven't been hooked up as of this writing.  


Day 3
Sunday
Just before we headed out I went to the otherside of the villa to see if we had left the suntan lotion there and as I opened the door a mongoose ran from the kitchen to the still open glass door, paused one moment to get a good look at me and jumped through.  Seems he had helped himselve to what was left of the jerk pork bones in the trash can.  It made me smile.

After another lovely breakfast we went to the beach. We planned to stay there all day.  

The resort has a small bar and food service on the beach.  As we laid out a waiter from the staff asked us if we'd like to put in an order.   They had ofcourse jerk chicken and sides.   We ordered a couple of beers while we waited.

They brought us a small table and we eat on the beach.  


We swam and sunned till we were both bright pink.

That evening we eat the last of what we had bought in town and listened to the sounds of the wave and chatted about abandoning our plans to return the next day and just stay here. sigh

Day 4.
Monday
I wanted to get more photos of the rest of the grounds before we headed out so I took my camera to breakfast and we walked the trail up to villa 18 and the edge of the cliff.  We noticed areas used by groups that come to the resort to do team building or meetings.

According to the website the queen of England stayed in Villa 18 when she visited in the 70's.

  We took pictures of the grounds and walked back along the cliffs behind a few villas.

The water and views were incredible.

We finally packed and headed to the front to check out when our ride arrived to pick us up.  This van was newer than the last and had airconditioning and newer shocks.   We attempted to stop in Boston Bay for lunch but it was too early so later  we stopped in town of Yallas to have lunch. 

The picture shows the typical 50 gallon drum grill and the chef.  Our driver is in the back ground.  The thin yellow things are called Festivals according to the driver and are like a mix between hushpuppy and fried bread.   


The rest of the ride to the airport was uneventful and quiet. Perhaps cause we were stisfied and partly sad to be leaving.

We will definantly have to return another time.  And stay longer.

I recommend a stay at the resort. Tell them Mark sent you.

Mark