Today we came into the port of Famouth, Jamaica Mun! We booked a 1700's Plantation tour with lunch. We exited the ship and were taken by bus out to the good Hope Plantation. The Jamacian guide Lydia was great & she told us that the driver - Delroy, has a PhD to drive here....thats Pot Hole Dodger!! The roads arent good for sure but the heat & humidity - Phew! The humudity was close to 100% and about 30C. Everyone was dripping wet with the stickeyness once we got out of the air cond bus lol.
The plantation was so interesting, the big house was built in 1755 for the 17 year old english bride Elizabeth Williams. You would think it would have been a shock moving there from England buut apparently she loved it, until her unfortunate death at 24 from malaria. She was buried in a room under the big house as were her wishes.
Elizabeths grave
Colonel Thomas Williams had over 1000acres as he was legaly allotted land 'as far as he could see', so built the house on highground. Now it still farms large amounts of oranges of many varities. We tried the 'ugly orange' as its known and its sweet and so juicy. They did have slaves but the owners were very good to them by all acounts. Out the back the Colonel built a 'counting house' as it was rude at this time to count money in the the house, but apparently as there was no bank in Jamaica at this time, the money was sent back to the UK.
The counting house
"Ugly' orange- so juicyAfter touring the plantation (which still has the old stone kitchen being used) we travelled further onto the land and saw the old bridge the slaves built and the massive water wheel. Then we went to have Jamaican jerk chicken in a massive stone open air dining room. We tried red stripe beer- very nice too after the extreme humidity, although it rained on and off and it cooled a little. Back along the pot holey road! To the town where they have the "Bend Down' market every Wednesday, named for the very practical exercise they do when they shop there!
We wandered along the protected and private port front after we finished the tour (We hear Jamaica is known not to be particularly safe in places, so the port is fenced and guarded. I noticed though as we travelled, that the people are very trendy and have styly hair as well! No rough sorts that we saw, but there is rubbush everywhere on the roadsides. We were also told that Falmouth is where Usain 'lightening' Bolt came from!
Graeme bought a really nice watch to add to his collection in the guaranteed stores that Royal Caribbean contract and you get a decent duty free discount, although I also bartered them down a bit more!
Day 15-
A day at sea today, so it was nice to relax after yesterdays activities. We decided to miss breakfast and save ourselves for lunch, otherwise you eat wayyy to much! We went for another wander round the ship, chamged our onshore activity for tomorrow in Mexico cos the one we were booked into was 10 hours long we found out! Then we tried a different restaurant for lunch. Struck up a conversation with a couple while waiting in line and they invited us to sit with them. Diane and John are lovely people, look at least 10 yesrs younger than they are and have cruised over 40 times! They live between Florida and Buffalo NY and are friendly and humble along with it. Its a great way to share tips and discuss things worth seeing as there are so many very experienced travellers - mostly older than us but a lot of the americans really look after themselves and enjoy the retirement they worked so hard for. Dreaming about that kind of retirement!!
Had the most delicious lunch of fresh prawns which were in the buffet, salad and mozarella ball cheese, y.u.m. And there were cakes about the size of a large oven door- they looked too good to cut up, but...oh well. There was a wattch sale onboard today with 75% off, guess who got another 2? Sheez his collection now sits at 10!
Walked around outside in the central park area then went for a beer in the Globe & Atlas english pub onboard. Mooched around, talked to both our girls on video chat and Ayla and Charlee then got ready for dinner.
We went to the most amazing show I think Ive seen later called "Come fly with me' which was all music and aerial trapezists, dancing and singing. It was incredible what these atheletes can do and they swung down on wires, flew up into the rafters on umbrellas, had a brass section band, a huge model aeroplane etc etc. Going to go see it again tomorrow.
Off to the 70's dance party now in the street that runs through the middle of the ship and its a lot of dancing from what we hear. Will need a drink to quelch the thirst!
Well.... had to have 2 drinks cos they had frozen mohitos and you got to keep the glass you chose! Awesome I got a pair lol!! So glad we went alond, it was so much fun and everyone was there even though it was 10pm, old, young, able bodied, mobile scooters, elderley, a few kids.... it was great. Then we went to a dance bar for the 70's after party and had a bogie. So long since Ive danced!!
Frozen Mohito & keep the glass
We both have found that althought here are 6000 passengers onboard, it feels so much better than the smaller shi ps we have been on and we havent felt peopled out at all- so many places to go and they planned this ship out so well.
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