Day 8: Goodbye, Jamaica!

On our last day in Jamaica, the team woke up to yet another well-prepared breakfast including banana pancakes, a slice of tomato, scrambled eggs, and french toast. Funny enough, it was just then that several members of the team noticed that the pancake syrup we have been consuming all week was not maple-syrup, but rather, butter-based syrup. 

Following breakfast, our team split off to finish up last minute tasks including taking photos of a few remaining medicinal and non-medicinal plant-life on the property, packing our bags, completing blog posts, finishing up abstracts for applications to Nipissing University's Undergraduate Research Conference, and soaking up the last few hours of Caribbean sun.

Panorama from back entrance to villa

Panorama from gazebo

For lunch we enjoyed seasoned chicken wraps as Marguerite Diana McIntyre-Pike joined us for a presentation. Diana is a passionate and experienced pioneer and promoter of community tourism in Jamaica. She works with the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) and is the Caribbean coordinator of the International Community Tourism Network. Diana explained to us the importance and positive affect her community tourism efforts have had on participating communities and villages. The concept of promoting an entire village, rather than a particular landmark, heritage site, business or singular activity in such communities enables the visitors she and her colleagues host to immerse themselves in real Jamaican culture. The visitors eat authentic Jamaican cuisine, while witnessing and learning how people from more rural areas of Jamaica work and live. Diana's presentation  was quite invigorating and inspiring as she seemed to be bursting from the seams with passion to tell us about her efforts, 40 years of experience, and vision for Jamaica and other tourist destinations around the world. Following Diana's presentation, her colleague, Philip, discussed how his own work as a member of Global Diaspora in Jamaica is intended to facilitate and improve community development.

Presentation at lunch - from right to left: Philip, Richard, Diana

Diana’s organization and her own passions, along with Philip’s, seemed to mesh wonderfully with Richard’s vision for Camp Millbrooks. Richard is extremely focused on creating sustainable jobs and improving the lives of those in Tangle River and the surrounding communities. I believe we all learned some valuable and interesting information concerning community tourism, the efforts of Diana’s and Philip’s organizations, and how they may complement Richard’s future endeavours.

Group photo after the presentation

After the presentation, we began to get ready to go, with some last minute packing, last minute questions, and last minute jumps in the pool. As we said goodbye to the staff and Richard, who we had gotten to know so well over the past week, the reality that we were leaving set in. We grouped up for one last photo before heading to the airport.

Group shot in front of the resort

Unfortunately, it seemed to take no time to get to the airport from the house, as we took in the roadside view for one last time. After grabbing souvenirs and discussing how much we would miss Jamaica, we boarded the last West Jet flight and headed home.

Checking in at the airport

-Written by Daniel Goldsmith