ANOTHER GREAT SUNDAY RIDE

Well today Sunday 5th July 2009, was not our usual Sunday ride. Normally, unless we plan a long ruin ride out of town, we usually ride up to Maryland or Jack's Hill in St. Andrew, just to keep the muscles strong.

This Sunday we planned to ride up to Guava Ridge, which is near Mavis Bank, basically the route you usually take when travelling from the city to the Blue Mountain peak. This is a beautiful area in the hills overlooking Kingston, so beautiful that the late prime minister Michael Manley, had his weekend retreat in those cool hills of Guava Ridge. Unfortunately we could not find a place to have a well earned breakfast after the strenuous ride so we scrapped the idea and decided that Maryland was it.

Anyway, when everyone gathered we decided that we may not get as far as Guava Ridge or Mavis Bank, but there would be no harm in riding up into that side of the hills via Gordon Town. So off we set.

It was a pretty easy ride up to Gordon town where we found that a new Bailey Bridge had been installed and even an electronic traffic signal, as in 2008, hurricane “Gustav” had destroyed the decades old bridge that had served the people so well for a very long time.

We then crossed a fording and started up the steep winding road. All along the way we were accompanied by magnificent hills and mountains with shapes and colours to die for. Heather and Johnnie also were in hog's heaven, so to speak, because there were mango trees everywhere and they found every type of mango they could wish for lying on the roadway.

When we reached Craig Hill, I started to bawl as the sun was getting fiercer (the main hazard of riding in Jamaica, especially when we do not start out early enough). Eventually we took a democratic decision to do one more corner then turn back. The others took off like a light and went around many other corners with me lagging at the back. I eventually saw Chuck resting under a tree and was only too glad to report via cell phone that he and I would be turning back. The revolt was then joined by Damit forcing the rest, Johnny, Heather, Michael and Michelle to turn back too.

The good news was that Donna had called when we were riding up to invite us to breakfast after the ride. We gladly obliged and it was most welcome and very delicious.

The sad news was that Johnny advised us that this would be his last ride for a while as he was going to live in Maryland, USA.

It will be my last Sunday ride for a while too, for with all my family, Shadrach, Michele and Michelle all coming for the a few weeks in the summer, I will be out of town for the next three Sundays.

It was another great Sunday well spent but unfortunately because it was unplanned, I did not carry my camera but did take a couple pictures with the phone. Will see how those turned out.