Today we stayed at Nautilus Villa, right on the water. It was awesome! There were kayaks and paddle boards available which we used to cruise over to Blue Lagoon (formerly Blue Hole). The water was so nice… truly wonderful
“SUP” Jamaica, 2023
Fun fact: when I was maybe 4 years old, I fell into Blue Hole and my father jumped in and rescued me. I don’t really remember falling in, but I do remember playing on the pier right before the incident. Scary!
This time around, I enjoyed myself a lot more, swimming around and enjoying the scenery.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/1500 sec, ISO25 “Caribbean View” Port Antonio, 2023
There were also sea turtles and rays swimming about. So neat to see. I definitely recommend a visit to Blue Lagoon if you are in Port Antonio.
By the way, our group had a nice collection of camera gear… dSLR, mirrorless, GoPro, film p&s. All bases covered!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/200 sec, ISO32 “Camera Gear” Port Antonio, 2023Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/180 sec, ISO32 “Sunset” Port Antonio, 2023Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 35mm, f/8, 1/105 sec, ISO2000 “Purple Glow” Port Antonio, 2023
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/600 sec, ISO32 “Flowers” Port Antonio, 2023
Since our arrival was so late last night, we planned to just hang out at Norse Hill, the property we are staying at. And what a beautiful property it is! It’s actually Norse Hill Estate and Botanical Gardens, so the flora is amazing. There are trails that meander around the grounds with inspirational quotes on plaques scattered along the trail. It’s very cool!
Tomorrow we’ll explore a bit, but today it was nice to just hang out at the pool, walk around the gardens, and chat with friends and family.
Our Jamaica day was spent mostly on an excursion to go rafting on the Martha Brae River. When I was little, we went rafting but I only have a vague memory of it. I do, however, remember a small bamboo toy raft that I got as a souvenir which is probably still in my old room at my folks’ house.
So I was excited to go rafting as a grown-up, and take my own kids. The trip down the river was really fun and relaxing, and our boatman, Derek, was a cool rasta, who talked to us all about the river, the local fruits and vegetation, and even about the “old days” in Jamaica which was when most of my mom’s family was still living there. Derek, who was in his sixties, even told us about the political situation of the time, and how he remembered that many of the Chinese-Jamaicans left after Jamaican independence because of the political uncertainty. It was really interesting to hear about the situation from someone outside my family.
“With Derek” Martha Brae River, 2019
The rafting lasted about 45 minutes, and I wish it were longer because I enjoyed myself so much. It was so peaceful, cool with a gentle drizzle at times, and not too many mosquitos.
Soon, though, we were on the mini-bus back on our way to Ocho Rios. We did have a quick stop at a local market and I bought some jerk chicken to see how it compared to my cousin’s. It was yummy!
After we got dropped off in Ocho Rios, we met up with my cousin who drove over from Port Antonio to see us. She showed up with a basket full of fresh fruit which we all sloppily enjoyed near the dock.
Although our stop in Jamaica was very short, it was fun to see a bit of the country where my Mom was born and raised. We’ll be back!
