Maryland, St. Andrew.

Our regular Sunday ride turned out to be quite pleasantly different today. This is because we not only discovered a great swimming hole, but got breakfast to boot.

As a matter of course, we had been riding up to Maryland which has a very long river and just above the village centre there is a section that you can ride right down into the river. That is where we usually went. Last week however I had observed that the villagers had dammed up a section of the river creating a very pleasant looking swimming hole with a waterfall to boot. Since I never swim in the freezing water and I was way behind all other riders, I didn't even bother to tell them about it.

This week however when we stopped in the village one of the villagers suggested that we try the new swimming spot and since I had seen it I was able to guide the courageous ones to it.You see this summer has been extremely hot even up in the normally cool hills of St. Andrew and apparently, some caring persons had put sand bags in the river to dam up a section so everyone could swim. IT is quite deep actually with one section being in excess of 6 feet (I am told) but one of the young men responsible for the innovation told us that they even have a lifeguard so that when the kids come out they can swim and not risk their lives.

Actually, I was the only chicken as I have always been allergic to cold water. Most of the group dived in in their clothes while others stripped down to their underwear. I am contemplatng taking along a towel and bathing suit next week to see if I can get the courage to jump in, for everyone else seems to have had a ball despite how cold the water was.

And would you believe to top it all, we ran into a colourful "Pocomania " parade in Lower Maryland, where the ladies in their red tie heads, literally stopped traffic to circle around in line, several times in the road.

When we got back down off the hill, instead of riding through the back of hope Gardens as usual, since everyone was dying of hunge , we decided to check if a new cook shop we had discovered open on Emancipation Day was open on Sundays. Happily it was as and Charles and Betty were once again our willing hosts .

I think this was our best non-out- of- town -ride to boot. See photos at; http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3220327&id=763366822#/album.php?aid=131505&id=763366822