Andrea Downer, Features Writer
A pathway leading to Hope Gardens, still one of the main green areas in St. Andrew.
Summer begs you to get out of the house. It's the season of mangoes and reggae festivals, a sun worshipper's dream and the time for a much-needed respitefrom life's humdrum routine.
From July to August, you can literally stop and smell the roses, hibiscus, bougainvillaea or any other tropical variety that's in your garden or in your path. For people who are hooked on their morning caffeine, their by-the-clock-routine and days liberally littered with meetings after meetings, the simple task of having fun or finding the ideal spot to unwind during the two months of summer can be quite a challenge.
While you wrestle with the urge to ask your personal assistant to design a vacation plan for you, we have identified ideal spots across Jamaica where you can have some serious 'down' time and soak up some sun. So, when you hit the road this summer with your road map, your sun glasses and your sense of adventure, make sure that The Gleaner's Travel Log is part of your road trip 'must-haves'.
City of KINGSTON
This youngster makes a stylish dive at the Kingston Waterfront in July 2006. - file photos
The hub of Jamaica's metropolitan activity, the city, which is an interesting mix of classes and culture juxtaposed in a heady and sometimes explosive combination, has managed to maintain some semblance of order in the chaos that is suburban life.
Hope Gardens, a traditional spot for unwinding or a fun day with the family, the gardens and adjoining zoo, has been around for many, many years. The sprawling property, which is dotted by many large trees and park benches, offers ideal spots to catch one's breath after exploring the gardens the property is well past its hey day, it retains vestiges of its previous splendour. A variety of colourful flowers and plants break up the otherwise green monotony of seemingly never-ending lawns, and the zoo offers an abbreviated lesson in exotic birds, animals, and other wildlife, many of which are kept in their typical habitats. A restaurant, which opened a few years ago on the property, offers vegetarian fare and the perfec to a home-prepared picnic meal.
Devon House, built by George Stiebel, Jamaica's first black millionaire, in 1881, holds centre stage on a property, which is a favourite hangout spot for friends, amorous couples, and tight-knit families. Situated on Hope Road, a few metres from the busy Half-Way-Tree junction, the property, which has retained its age-old charm, gives no indication of the chaotic life that teems outside its gates. Two restaurants, which offer fine dining, a brick oven that serves up sinful delights steaming with just-baked-freshness, and two ice cream stations which serve up cool tropical and uniquely Jamaican flavours such as guava and dragon stout, ensure that there is a steady stream of visitors through the gates.
Emancipation Park is situated just on the outskirts of New Kingston, next door to the National Housing Trust's head office on Park Boulevard. The park has become many things to many people in a short time. The park's most prominent features are two mega-size statues which stand guard at the main entrance, their gaze turned ever skyward, while a constant stream of water flows over their buried lower limbs and disappears beneath an oval base in which they stand. Shrouded in controversy in its early days because of different aspects of the bronze statues, the park now fits into the New Kingston skyline and a walkway that spans the property, is the tramping ground for many health enthusiasts. The statues are the park's most prominent feature but the massive waterfall's takes centre inside the facility. The waterfall's theatrics can keep antsy children silent and immobile for precious minutes and the powerful rush of water over and over again, is calming to the nerves and senses.
Kingston Waterfront, the venue for the annual breathtaking fireworks display every New Year's Eve, is a scenic respite from the punishing heat of downtown Kingston. Part of the recently renovated lawns hug the Bank of Jamaica, and, at the Waterfront, there are strong, gusty winds coming in from Lime Cay and the Palisadoes Bay. Seagulls dipping and weaving as they engage in their endless dance of sustenance are miniature replicas of the huge aeroplanes that take off and land frequently at the nearby Norman Manley International Airport.
Port Royal, former home of marauding pirates, is an ideal spot to really get away from it all. The town, which survived a major earthquake in the 1800s, forces you to slow your gait and thought processes and live life at the unhurried pace of the golden-skinned residents the town is inhabited, an eerie silence hangs over the predominantly wooden structures which they occupy, and rustic restaurants on the water's edge offer mouth-watering fare that invariably includes fish, undoubtedly caught by fisherfolk who have now taken the place of the pirates.
Lime Cay, located just off the coast of Port Royal, is a favourite party spot for persons from Kingston and St. Andrew. Also a much-used venue for many corporate shindigs, the small island is a rest stop for fishermen or wealthy yacht owners who take to the high seas just for the fun of it, as well as for recreational fishing and some diving.
ST. ANDREW
The parish that has long been twinned with the bustling city of Kingston, contrasts significantly with its more urban sibling. Beginning just past Papine near Gordon Town, St. Andrew offers cool weather, meandering rivers and valleys peppered with cultivation, the most famous of which is the Blue Mountain Coffee. Home of the world-famous Blue Mountain range, which is arguably one of Jamaica's most distinct features, St. Andrew has its own unique flavour and offers different relaxation options from city Kingston.
Strawberry Hill, with its breathtaking view of Kingston, is a getaway option for those with more discerning tastes. The property offers fine dining options and a full spa experience.
At the border of St. Andrew and Portland, the Holywell Nature Park offers a more rustic, close-to-naturerelaxation option for those who really prefer the outdoors. Log cabins are available for overnight or weekend stays and the park is often the launch and climax site of many hikes to the famous Blue Mountain Peak.
If you are very athletic and don't mind a challenge, then an early-morning hike to the Blue Mountain Peak might just be the non-traditional kind of leisure activity that you need. The unique opportunity to bond with nature and the thrill of accomplishing a difficult task should add to the overall experience.
Starlight Chalet, deep in the Blue Mountains, which sits on a ridge across from a section of the Blue Mountain range, is so high up in the mountains, it seems you could almost touch the clouds. Early morning mist rolling off the mountains makes waking up in the mornings a pleasure. The faraway persistent sound of a waterfall that cascades into a deep ravine below the sloping lawns of the property merges into the pleasant symphony of sounds of twittering birds and blooming lilies which seem to be laughing as they sway in the wind. Part of the property sits in the parish of Portland.
