After a day at sea, we were very excited to dock and explore. We went to breakfast onboard and Beth and I ordered avocado toast. It came with poached eggs on top and I thought for sure it was huge globs of sour cream. I thought, “Man, that is a LOT of sour cream” right before I figured out it was an egg.
After breakfast, you could see Jamaica. Our boat was docking and it was impressive. The boat is so large it is crazy they can get it where they want in the first place, but it can also go sideways. Wonders never cease. We all got ready to go and then found our way out the doors on deck zero.
You can book excursions through Carnival or through another method or you can just go out and see the sights but I would not recommend that in Jamaica. The minute you are off the boat and the pier, they start selling to you. Everything. It is a constant barrage. We had made plans to meet someone that Jonny knew through a friend. But we were asked over and over about excursions and hair braiding. (The hair braiding was actually tempting but I’m not sure it would work on my hair.) We finally made it through the mayhem and waited by Harley Davidson Jamaica in hopes Junior would show up.
And he did! He came and picked us up and off we went. (A neighbor warned us about Jamaica. Luckily, no one tried to pick our pocket but the vendors were crazy.) We told Junior we wanted to go to Blue Hole, but he took us a different way to Dunn’s River Falls. Best. Choice. Ever. I’m not sure we would have chosen to go, so I’m glad he went there.
We got there and paid our $25 entrance fee. Junior was our “guide.” Almost everwhere you go, there is someone leading you because they expect to be paid at the end. All of Jamaica felt this way, very intense like you were being pulled on strings and everyone wanted your money. At least with Junior, people left us alone because we already had someone native towing us. We bought a locker and headed down to the beach.
Funny side note. Junior changed clothes when we got to the Falls because he knew he would get wet (we came in our suits) and he happened to have a Stadium of Fire t-shirt. He has never been to Utah, so I found this quite funny. Never know where clothes will end up.
The beach was gorgeous. Fine sand and clear water. It was amazing. I wore my fitkicks and they were perfect. Great for keeping out rocks and pebbles. The beach was at the bottom of the falls. From there, you climb all the way up, which is maybe ½ a mile. There are rocks everywhere and multiple ways up. The falls and water stream over everything but you can still find good foot holds. Sometimes you might step into the water and find it deeper than expected, but never too deep. Tour groups had to hold hands and stay together following the path designated by their guide, but we went at our own pace and chose our own path. It was so fun and so beautiful.
I don't put as many videos on the blog because they don't show up in the blog book, but it seems a few videos are in order here. This first one is us getting used to the waterfalls right away. Junior went for it, so it seemed the right thing to do.
In one area Jonny noticed huge spider webs with large spiders in them. They were the SAME spiders that I saw in CA at the aquarium there. Junior says they aren’t poisonous but I still wouldn’t want to touch them. After Jonny pointed them out, you could see them all over the place. But it didn’t detract from the experience. Still awesome. Here is a video from the falls and a picture I took later in the park.
Hiking up Dunn's River Falls was easily one of my favorite parts of the cruise. It was breathtaking and glorious to be in nature like that.
We stole Beth's phone after and took a couple selfies. Junior doesn't get too silly on camera, although he seems like a genuinely nice guy.
Look at this amazing Banyan tree.
We could have spent the whole day at that beautiful place, but we also wanted to check out Blue Hole, so we headed that way. It was farther away and up windy, thin roads. They drive on the left side of the road there and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. I think it would take me a long time to get used to that and I’m really glad we didn’t rent a car.
We saw a man selling reggae brownies, meaning marijuana brownies. They grow a lot of marijuana in Jamaica and there is a lot of joking about it, but it is plentiful and very easy to obtain as you’ll soon see. (Someone told me later it is legal to grow and legal to sell, but not legal to smoke in Jamaica. Clearly that doesn’t stop anyone.)
We finally reached the Blue Hole and this wasn’t Junior’s scene so we were assigned ‘tour guides’ It was basically 2 kids to show us around. This area was nice and shaded (as was the other) with many lagoons and pools. The falls before were mostly rock with water rushing over, but here you had deep pools up to 20 feet. (I believe they are probably different rivers and 2 of the 8?) The first pool was right next to the parking lot. It was an area used in the James Bond movie ‘Dr. No’ (I’ll have to go back and watch that.) We all jumped off the edge of the waterfall and swam over to the edge. Junior didn’t come on any of these jumps. He can’t swim well. Funny fact, he says 60% of Jamaicans can’t swim even though they live on an island. There were plenty of life jackets available but we were all good swimmers so we didn’t use any.
At the first lagoon (the official blue hole) there was also a swing you could hold onto and swing out and drop into the water. We were taking turns but very sadly, when Jonny went, something popped in his bicep and we think he tore the muscle off the bone. Needless to say, you could tell it hurt. He’s very stoic and he never complained but it was bad. They had all of us swim into this under cave area and they took pictures. This is another way to get your money. On the cruise too. They take pictures of you all the time, every night at dinner and there are photo stations all over the boat. Then they want you to buy them of course. We jumped off a couple more times and then they took us back to look at the pictures. (I kind of wanted to buy one, but I didn’t)
I honestly thought that was it and we were going home but there was another trail in the other direction. This trail had more walking. The goal was to take you to the top and then you would do jumps on the way back. It was really beautiful and the Jamaican jungle is fantastic. I don’t really mind the humidity but I’m sure with extra layers of clothing, it would be more uncomfortable. This part of the tour was ‘sketchy.’ Along the path there was merchandise and shanty shops but more importantly, they were selling marijuana right there on the path. And people were smoking it, so you could smell it all along the trail. Oh my heavens!!! These are the moments I’m glad I don’t take my kids. Tyler asked me on the way back if I recognized the smell. I didn’t at first, but it didn’t take me long to put two and two together. Especially with them selling it in plain sight. Tyler didn’t see it because he didn’t have his glasses on, but he recognizes the smell from his mission.
One area you had to swim across. That is where we left Junior behind. There was a really beautiful waterfall there, but the rocks and waterfall were on a slope and you would have to jump very far and land in the perfect place if you jumped there. We passed on by and went farther up.
When it didn’t make sense to go any higher, we turned around and started jumping in pools. I was brave and did all the jumps. I just didn’t think about it. Some were maybe 15-20 feet and the biggest maybe 30. High for me, but not too bad. Once you had to do a cannonball since it wasn't as deep and Jonny knocked his shin on the rocks coming out and got a good bash. It wasn’t his day.
At the big waterfall, there is a different place to jump and that is where we went and you could jump twice. Tyler wanted to jump off the waterfall but they said no and I get it...that is an injury waiting to happen. There were really only the four places to jump and with Jonny getting hurt and our children tour guides, it wasn’t our favorite place. Our guide Martino was pretty good at doing flips and stuff. I was impressed. Tyler even did a flip that was legit. Not for me. Just jumping in and holding my nose is enough.
We didn’t have a lot of time left after that so we opted to grab some lunch and we asked Junior to take us somewhere authentic. He took us to Tastee’s where we had patties. We also got coco bread which was so soft and yummy. The pattie is like a fried pocket with meat or chicken inside. Then you can tuck it in the coco bread and eat it like a taco. Imagine a large bread taco with a fried chicken pot pie inside, so to speak. I thought they were very yummy. We also got soda and they have a brand called Ting. It is grapefruit juice and akin to Fresca. Yummy stuff and just the kind of drink Jonny likes. Money exchange rates are different there, so the kids were later very shocked to hear we spent $2000 on lunch. In American dollars, it was less than 20.
Junior took us back to the port after that. We paid him $150 for his trouble and wished him and his wife Sabrina (and unborn child) well. The day wouldn’t have been half as good without him.
The line to get back on the boat was so long. We kept shifting to lines farther down because they were in the shade but it worked out that they were shorter. We didn’t wait too long although Beth had to have her bag searched because she had candy in there and it looked bad on the monitor. Could have been a bag of marijuana for all they knew.
We showered and went to play games. Jonny was teaching us to play 500, but I was so tired. I was falling asleep so they sent me to bed for 45 minutes but it wasn’t nearly enough. All through dinner I was loopy tired. I think I said many stupid things. I even called Walter, Victor, and wrote Victor in my journal that night. Seriously...so tired. Dinner was not great. The shrimp curry was pretty bland and Jonny switched me dinners. The Bitter n’ Blanc cake was tasty. (It seems the desserts are usually pretty good.) Showtime again tonight. The one guy, Sogi, with the glasses gets so into it. He really shakes. Walter does not like to dance. He usually stands there and watches. Although in the video, you can see him dancing a little when Jonny pans around.
We did go to play more games after dinner. We finished 500, but that game stresses me a little. I played with Beth and we won but we did it slowly while the boys just lost a lot of points by not taking their bids. I don’t feel like I have enough control in that game. Beth said we should play with our spouse but it would never work since Tyler and I are newbs. We would be slaughtered.
After finishing up that game, we called it a night….sort of. The boys left to go do something and Beth and I hung out in the library and I journaled while she worked on the video. It is looking so cute. In case you were wondering, Mr. Elephant was waiting for us in the stateroom. Besides Jonny's sad bicep, the day was fairly amazing. Jamaica is an intense but exotic location. Tomorrow is Grand Cayman. Can't wait...
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