June 10, 2024 - Week 20

I was graced with the presence of a visiting friend this week and with that, we met up in Port Antonio, Portland for a lovely retreat before heading back to Kingston for a 'cultural' tour for my friend.

The trip to Port Antonio was more scenic than anticipated, with windy roads bordered on both sides by lush trees and the sounds of crickets/toads/birds and then of course the coastline. We passed through St Mary with its banana trees and pineapple fields before hitting the lush rainforest state of Portland. On the narrow roads occasionally lined with shacks selling jerk chicken and other goods, we passed by one shop called "Edith Jerk Shop". I didn't know I had a shop there!

We stopped by a fruit stand where I tried Stinking Toe Fruit and a Mammee apple and treated myself to a bottle of raw organic mountain honey before hitting the road again.

Once at the hotel, despite the heavy downpour, we braved the walk to Frenchman's Cove Beach (I ended up walking barefoot on the road because it was raining so much my flip-flops were sliding off) where we managed to wrangle our way in without paying the JMD 2,000 per head entrance fee. It was worth visiting as we had the Cove to ourselves. We also visited the Blue Lagoon and again because it was raining we had the place to ourselves.

To wrap up the trip, I kayaked to Coco Walk where a scene from "No Time to Die" was filmed and I fulfilled my dream to be a "Bond girl" if not Bond herself.

PS - I also serendipitously met a Jamaican Dancehall artist: Skeng. I thought I was asking a random stranger about the weather until someone later commented if I knew who I was talking to and upon seeing my confused face, they said "That is Skeng!"