Home of Reggae

Montego Bay – Great song.  Staying in a lovely airbnb with lots of plants and bird.

Colourful slug among other things in her garden.

Took a walk into town to get some cash and food.  A lovely guy showed us his favourite restaurant – Great Chilli Chicken. He also showed us “The cage” the British built to lock up slaves, along with the munitions store and the hanging area. 

Lots of loud music everywhere and people selling Marijuana on every road junction and smoking it everywhere.

Drivers here are very polite and careful – I guess they need to be with the very many bad potholes, but think it is also very much part of their culture.

I must admit I love listening to the accent of the Jamaican people has a lovely song to it.  Music is everywhere which is fun, although sometimes a little late and very loud.

Steve went to a bottle shop (hole in a shed) and was surprised by the fact that their local rum was 67%.  Do not think we will be trying that, sounds lethal.  This is quite a large bar, most out of town are about the size of the centre bit, tiny and very dark.  

Downside of walking into town is it is a steep hill back up….

On my birthday we went out to the Rockland’s bird sanctuary – thought it would be quiet but so busy with many visitors and virtually no parking – lucky we were early.  Incredible place, so many birds it was hard to know where to look. Many Reptilian visitors too.

Hummingbirds are so tame they take sugar water while sitting on your finger. Not easy to get good photos though as very dark under the canopy.  Luckily we got many more photos in other parts of the island that were in better light.

One of the things here that I think is a great idea is “route taxi’s”, basically like a bus (but a normal car) with a fixed route but no timetable as such, they just keep going up and down the route and anyone can get in or out at any point. They are the pushiest drivers in Jamaica.

Our next stop was Runaway Bay – an interesting little town but not much in the way of affordable food – lucky we had tin’s of corned beef and bread.

Great view of an American Kestrel – such a pretty bird of prey.

 We have now found a food chain around the island that for 2.50 aus we can get a curry or mince patty.  Very tasty and filling and maybe most breakfasts from now. Not all are in the most attractive places (this one in Old Kingston).

The sad thing here for us is that so far almost all sand beaches are either part of resorts or private dwellings, impossible to get near all but one so far (and that was tiny).  So many huge resorts, not sure if they have many guests but we have seen very few foreign tourists so far. Only a couple of rooms occupied in each place.
This was the best beach view – the east coast, least built up, but no way to them.

Over to the east side of the island for more birding but we had planned on our way to go to some blue holes.  They look amazing on the pictures – we did not want to swim just look at scenery and take photos.  Unfortunately after taking a detour to do this, when you get near you get stopped by so many people trying to be your “lifeguard” for the day.  Obviously we did not need or want one as we were only stopping for a look but by the time we had been stopped a few more times we gave up and turned around.  Far too much hassle for us.  In saying that, everyone was pleasant and nice, but it’s just exhausting having to spend 10 mins each time trying to explain why you do not want a guide.

Lovely ground in this new place and again so many birds.  Love the hummingbirds, we had not realised how noisy they are flying overhead.  They come so close and sometimes they have landed on me.

Very lucky here, we have met a single older Spanish guy who has a personal bird guide to go to another area tomorrow and he is allowing us to go along.  Saw so many more endemic birds with him than we would have.  Also we were taken to the best Jerk Chicken stall in Jamaica – and it was too, very spicy and flavoursome.

Over the mountains from north to south with a stay in the middle for more birding. The road is very bad, apart from being narrow, twisty and turny it is full of very large pot holes.  Slow drive but very scenic.  Somehow even though maps only shows one road, we managed to end up on a different road (when you zoomed right in you could see bits of it).  We were at least an hour on this road, and right at the end near where it joined the original road a  car was broken down and there was no way to pass.  What to do – long way round or wait?  It was already 2 pm, poor driver was just jumping up and down in frustration.  Eventually another car came along, walked up a hill and rang some people.  After about 50 minutes with a bit of pushing and shoving and then rolling the car was out the way.

Arriving at Starlight, a basic place to stay but really lovely grounds with lots of birds – and finally a place that was nearly full, one other birding couple and a large birding tour group, mostly American but with one guy from New South Wales.

One of the things I like on the drive is the little shops and bars, very quaint and different.  The bars are tiny sheds and almost pitch black inside.

On finishing the road over to Kingston we realised that the road to the middle we thought was bad was brilliant compared with the rest – even more twisty and turny with even more and bigger potholes.  A 4×4 would have been more useful – well at least you could have gone a bit more than averaging 20-30 km per hour. Plus there were rockfalls which luckily had been cleared.

The Bob Marley Museum was on our agenda but we certainly picked a bad day to go as it was packed to the hilt (apparently very unusual for a Wednesday) but a cruise ship was in for the day,  mostly Brit’s doing a Caribbean cruise.

Still it was a good tour and very informative. Particularly like the art around – and the old photos, and the recording studio. 

Also had a shop selling Marley Natural(over 18 only) and a room to try after you buy.

Fascinating house and story, a shame no pictures were allowed inside the house which still has the bullet holes from where Bob Marley and others were shot in 1976.

Went Birding at Hope Botanic Gardens pretty place a few birds but must have been gardening day with very noisy machines going constantly, luckily we saw a few new birds which was a good bonus.

Last night in Kinston then of to Hispanola.

My favourite thing in Jamaica is the people, just so friendly and helpful, the most considerate drivers too.