Day 5: "Off Day"

Today was a big day considering it was declared to be an “off day” for enjoyment. The morning started off with a bang with a classic Jamaican breakfast. On the menu were ackee and saltfish, boiled green bananas, and yam. Have to say, they do eat well down here. After that, we were energized and ready to take on the Blue Hole in Ocho Rios. This attraction is approximately 45 minutes away from Milbrooks Resort and involves super blue water and waterfalls - my kind of day!

Our first stop was at a souvenir shop, where I picked up a nice sun hat and sampled multiple Jamaican fine liqueurs, such as Appleton Rum and Sangsters Cream Rum. When we got to the  Blue Hole, our guides greeted us: Jamal, Enriquez and Demar. 

Jamal is modeling my new hat, if anyone cares

The first stop at the Blue Hole was at a spot where we could rock jump, rope swing, and swim under the falls. To be honest, I ended up sinking a GoPro attachment there but was fortunate enough to be able to pay a diver to fetch it out for me. J

Jump off!

Afterwards, we walked down a trail to a second location that included platform jumping, waterfall repelling, and exploring through caves behind a set of falls. It was super fun! Jamal, Enriquez, ,and Demar did not even need the rope to repel down the falls. They ran up and down that thing so many times I was cross-eyed at one point. This made me think of how many times they have done that in their lives. This could have very well been their playground when growing up. Cool to think about.

Dakota and Clare swim under the waterfall

On my way back to the van after the excursion, I was able to learn a couple things about Jamaican culture. First, a little boy taught me the Jamaican handshake. “One Love” is what it stands for. It is similar to a thumb war, but instead of battling you would brush each other's thumb three times.

Steve learns a new handshake

After learning this handshake, it is safe to say I did it with every Jamaican I met. The second thing I learned was about Jamaican bartering techniques. This was the second time I had experienced this - the first time being at the beach in Margaritaville on the second day. It was a reminder of how advanced some of their conversational selling tactics are. For instance, on my two minute walk back to the van, I encountered three separate individuals selling multiple items to me at once. One of the persons walked up, cracked me a beer, and asked for five dollars. When I declined the offer, as tempting as it was, he told me it was too late because it was already opened. The guides also asked me multiple times for a tip. As a group we gave them  tips because they were rockstars. I found this quite unique because this constant/asking/selling style I have not experienced in North Bay. Our driver explained to me later that Jamaica has a saying or motto that reflects their friendly culture: “They treat you, you treat them.”

On the ride back home we stopped for some frozen yogurt, chocolate, and Jamaican patties. I have to say, if someone opened an all-hour Jamaican patty outlet in North Bay, they would do well. These things are fantastic. At the patty restaurant, two young boys came up to me selling chocolate wafers for their school in the parking lot. They were not half bad; I wish I could remember the name.

At the end of the day, back at Milbrooks we were greeted with a nice Jamaican dinner which included festivals (not the music kind), and jerk chicken. Festivals are pretty much small rolls of cornmeal bread. All in all, the days here seem to be getting better and better with more fun-filled excitement. Cannot wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

- Written by Steve Mason