A Different Experience

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This weekend at Silver Sands was more than the usual sea, sun, fishing and dominoes. For it was heavily overcast on Saturday and there is no way that I go into the sea or pool when there is no sun, for I get cold very easily. Don’t let anyone fool you, Jamaica can get cold!

So on Saturday morning, fishing was canceled and we were rather bored as the dominoes players were not coming until after 6pm. My cousin Lolita and her husband Robert were here from Canada and they were interested in getting an idea about the price of real estate in the area, so Delroy, (another cousin) came to take them around. Since I had nothing better to do, I went with them and after they viewed a few properties, I asked Delroy to take us to Good Hope great house, since I had always heard about is and am always searching for places to ride to on those occasions when we can get "Wine Down."

Well we were not disappointed. Accompanying us too was Jerome, a cardiologist from North Carolina and guess what, since we were all just killing time, no one had a camera. What a wasted photo opportunity, for the area is so picturesque.

Good Hope is an 18th century great house sitting on over 1000 acres of land. It overlooks the Queen of Spain Valley, the Martha Brae River and the Cockpit Mountains and the vista is absolutely breath taking. I t was originally a sugar plantation with its own sugar factory, but the factory is now used as a packing house for agricultural exports.

Most of the other fine buildings which were built with backbreaking slave labour, are restored and really gives us a good idea of the opulence that was the lifestyle of the colonial masters. The main buildings have been beautifully restored and refitted with the period furniture. What was originally lavish living quarters for the owners has been converted into suites which are now rented out. Even the "carriage house" has been converted into flats and what was the "counting house" is now the honeymoon suite. The most modern addition is a Yoga deck overlooking the Martha Brae. Outside the Great House are beautifully manicured gardens with a wide variety of unusual trees, a lily pond a bird sanctuary, swimming pool, tennis court and hot tub.

Naturally, the great house is situated on a hill (with a helicopter pad to boot) but below it are the stables and a potters’ studio. We met a young potter named Ian there and he gave us a very interesting tour of the place and explained a lot of the processes involved in the art.There are great swimming areas in the Martha Brae, between the great house and the potter's studio.

Next we decided to go look at Chris Blackwell’s country hide away called "Pantry Pan." According to Delroy, the late King George the 5th had an illegitimate son and to avoid scandal in England, he shipped him off to Jamaica and gave him that property.

We had to cross the Martha Brae a couple times to get there as the property is located on the road to Bunker's Hill but, Lawd, di road bad. Definitely out for riding. Anyway, his house is in no way spectacular, just a big house located on a well manicured property. It is definitely out for riding, but not Good Hope as it is in
Wakefield which is only 6 miles from Falmouth and the road is paved. Falmouth is 10m miles from Duncans.

Later it was dominoes, food and liquor as usual and on Sunday, it was my worst fishing expedition as I only caught two miniscule butter fish but that was better than Fidel (Pat and Howie’s cousin) who caught none. Dominic of course was sea sick but brought in two!