Kidnapped!

Now I know what it feels like to be kidnapped and imprisoned! Well maybe that's a bit dramatic since my experience was nothing like that poor Colombian senator who was kidnapped and held by rebels for some seven years during which period she had a child (no doubt the result of rape) for one of the rebels.

So by comparison, my experience was by no means as frightening but it was a form of kidnapping and imprisonment anyway.

It started so simply, for after having a bout of fever and shivers on Friday 25th May and taking the  usual home remedies and having the fever go away, to my  surprise after a great day of riding to Lovers leap in St. Elizabeth from Spur Tree Hill in Manchester on Sunday, when I returned the fever suddenly reoccurred accompanied by chills.

View from Lovers Leap

By Monday morning the stubborn fever was still around, so I went to my doctor at Medical Associates Hospital  to get some antibiotics. Problem was, my doctor was sick so they sent me to his colleague Charmaine Webb who I had  known many years ago. When she heard about the fever going and coming, for some reason she looked up symptoms for malaria and asked me if I had been to any countries where they have the disease.

I mentioned that I had been in south America but had been back for over three weeks but that seems to have set off a panic as according to them Brazil has a serious malaria epidemic.That's when it was referred to a Dr. Kildere Donaldson who is supposed to be an expert in contagious diseases and he insisted that I had to be admitted for observation and the matter reported to the public health authorities for malaria had been eradicated from Jamaica and they were paranoid that it not return to the shores. I had to be admitted immediately they said so the necessary tests could be done.

 Never having encountered a situation like this, I called to get legal advice but was told that my contact had no knowledge of public health law. So I called a friend had been the medical officer of health for St. Ann. His sober advice was that I go into hospital for observation and testing for  if I didn't, the public health authorities could send the police for me and take me into the public hospital  to be quarantined and tested.

 Well that was enough to get me to go back and be admitted to Medical Associates where they put me in a private room, under a mosquito net and all! However, the  net was open at the top so if any mosquitoes were around, they could have flown in and out in wild abandon, so happily, since I am terribly claustrophobic, I quickly abandoned it!!!

For two days, I was put through every possible test and I think they took away at  least half of my blood and would you believe I never even had a temperature or chills for the entire time I was there . 

Anyway, the hospital is not bad at all. The food good and all the staff nice but there is no place like home. So since I had absolutely no more symptoms, I was allowed to go home although the test results from the government lab were not yet not returned. (I hear those bureaucrats down there can take up to 2 weeks to send back the results!)

What a relief all around. No more confinement and no more topless mosquito nets.

One thing I know though, the next time I go south, I will be taking every single vaccine available, from yellow fever to dengue, for I will never be confined again.

A Big Surprise

Simone , Stephanie, Lauren, Alma, Sharlene, Damit. Back l-r Robert, Peter 

Yesterday, Labour Day and thus a public holiday in Jamaica, I got a great, big, pleasant surprise as members of "World Explorers Riding Club" surprised me with a lovely, delicious (belated )  birthday cake. This was at Donnie Bunting's home at Longville Park in Clarendon.

While I am a member of Fun and Thrills riding club, they were not going anywhere new yesterday and Donnie had long been insisting that I visit his farm and taste some of his delicious lamb recipes, (he is Jamaica's foremost sheep farmer and lamb supplier).

So when Damit,  his close friend and organiser of World Explorers and a former Fun and Thrills rider, told me that that on  Labour Day they were riding to Donnie's  place, you know I had to be in dat...... And I am so happy I did for it was wonderful day all round, not just the food but the new friends I made, the ride itself and the great camaraderie.

The plan was for me to meet the World Explorers at West Kings House road at 5am and would you believe that as I got on to Upper Waterloo Road, my stupid chain came off ! Anyway the area was well lit and I never saw anyone lurking around and with the bicycle just having come from the repairers, it was easy to get it on back on. (Unlike on previous occasions before it actually broke off, when getting the chain back on was living hell!)

As I was early, I did not bother to go to the meeting spot but rode along Waterloo Road hoping to see them coming. At first I saw three young men and enquired it they were with Damit's  group and when they replied in the affirmative I rode on until I saw Damit himself riding alone.

We regrouped at Dunrobin Avenue and it was discovered that one of the riders, Alma, was missing, so  Damit rode back to meet her. They eventually caught up with us at the rest stop by Jose Marti High School.

It was for me an easy enough ride to Clarendon as it is a flat route that I have done many times before and although some of the World Explorers were doing a long ride for the first time, they all did well and most importantly, without there being  any spills. 

We reached Donnie's home much earlier than anticipated but he was not fazed and some of us were immediately recruited to become farmers by assisting to herd sheep!


We were then treated to the most delicious lamburgers and fishburgers, carefully prepared by the chef extraordinaire himself, then to my surprise, a beautifully decorated chocolate cake was placed in front of me followed the by the robust singing of "Happy Birthday". You could have bowled me over with a feather but it was a pleasant surprise indeed and the cake was really delicious.


Later the city slickers were given a tour of the aquaculture section of the farm where they saw how the fish they so love to consume, were raised and fed.

L-R Audrey, Joan, Donnie, Alma

Donnie and Audrey were the  consummate hosts, not only opening  up their home for us to enjoy and satisfying our palates, but also Donnie went to another section of his farm  and filled up one of his holding tanks with clean, fresh, water, so the city slickers could have a nice, enjoyable, swim before the ten of us squeezed into the pickup driven by Robert, for a the return trip and very heavy rains in Kingston.

It was a truly wonderful day all round.

Photos; compliments of Peter Knibb.

We Are A Confused People

I have finally understood why I am such a confused person. Its because I am a Jamaican stupid!

 Its been in front of me all my life and I just could not put my finger on it before. WE ARE A VERY CONFUSED PEOPLE.

Take the issue of our the monarchy and our determination to get rid of it during our fiftieth year as an independent nation. Let me state up front that I do not support the monarchy and would have gotten rid of it from the day we got our independence, so for me fifty years later is very late but not too late. So now that there is a big rush to do it as we celebrate 50 years as an independent nation and get rid of the Priviy council in England as our final court of appeal, instead of becoming truly independent and establish our final court here, we are talking about  using the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Now I have never been a rationalistic and I have always felt we have the resources and ability to be masters of our own destiny, so I have always preached against our inclusion in Caricom, even calling on successive  governments to do a cost benefit analysis of our relationship with that regional body. But of course since Caricom is nothing but a talk shop where bureaucrats and politicians go to shoot the breeze and have a great time, my calls are largely ignored and the general population doesn't seem to care too hoots about how our name is being maligned by our association  or the fact that we are getting the royal grind by our continued association.

 Our name is being dragged down by  the very fact that the current chairman of the organisation is the president of Suriname, a man wanted for cocaine trafficking in Holland and  someone who was implicated tin the assassination of 19 opposition activists in Suriname. He was being tried for this role in this, but due  to internal manipulations, it seems to have  been moved from the agenda. But do we really want to be associated with an organisation chaired by such a character? And what is our history with Suriname that has caused them to be accepted into Caricom without the politicians even discussing such matters with their constituencies?

But back to the matter of cost benefit. I see where the Jamaica Manufacturing Association is saying that they are now doing a study . I guess its a matter of better late than never since other Caricom nations have been  putting every possible stumbling block in the way of Jamaican producers to the extent that our trade  deficit with them is now almost one billion dollars, although a large portion of this is because we import oil from Trinidad.

Then there is the issue of how Jamaicans are treated by the authorities in other territories. Our newspapers are replete with complaints about the disrespectful treatment of  Jamaicans travelling to the other countries. Even I noticed the difference recently when I went to south America and was welcomed with open arms when I presented my Jamaican passport but looked at with suspicion and cross examined as I stopped  over for a day in Trinidad!


So  what about the W you may ask. when this was first established as usual, Jamaica was required to pay the largest amount of the cost but guess what, not one of our jurists who applied for a position on the panel was accepted.

I do not think jurists from the other territories are as qualified as ours and if we really opting for independence, we should be looking to ourselves for our final court of appeal.


Unless of course we are only tying to undo the wishes of the people as expressed in the Referendum of 1961, by going through the backdoor.

Nothing but a contract

Boy Obana has certainly caused a lot of disquiet, especially in Jamaica, by his sanctioning of gay marriages.

The responses have been twofold here among heterosexuals. Among those who still want to love him although they are totally homophobic, they have taken the position that he is just a very good politician and  has taken the position to ensure that he gets the support of the powerful gay lobby, thus ensuring that he will garner some extra votes to help prevent him being a one term president. That group forgive him and still love him although they add that they hate hypocrisy in politics.

Then there are the rabid religious fanatics who are now declaring 'fire bun" on  him for turning America into Sodom and Gomorrah.

You know, I am no homsosexual, not because I took some decision as a teenager, but becauee my innate attraction was to the opposite sex. It came naturally, no sweat on my part. This is what convinces me that people do not voluntarily determine their sexual orientation.  Its just how nature determined things for them. Besides who would voluntarily choose to be a homosexual in a world where in most places it opens you up to ridicule and persecution? And to those who say that if that is the urge they have they should abstain . Why should they when heterosexuals don't?

That said, if they want to get married all power to them for what is marriage really? In my book, it is simply a contract that we make claiming it is because we are in love. And getting out of it is far more difficult than entering in it and it creates a lot of unnecessary expense and trauma, especially for children. So believe me, it is something I certainly plan to avoid when I reincarnate!

In the meantime, whomever wants to tie themselves up in that kind of contract, all power tothem.

Dont Forget Siesta!

Cars loaded on the pontoon

Although I had been in South America for more than two weeks, by the time we reached Brazil, I  had totally forgotten that thing called siesta aka don't expect any form of service between 12 noon and 2pm daily. And guess where it caught us twice? At immigration! Boy what a hassle and while they close promptly at noon but no way do they open promptly at 2pm. That's life in Brazil and I guess, most of the latin side of south America. 

 Apart from siesta though, the trip to Brazil was absolutely wonderful, at least for those who don't look to travel for every day comforts. For to travel to Lethem, the last Guyanese town before you cross the bridge to Bon Fim in Brazil, we had to travel 540 kilometers of which over 300 was through Iwokramaa rain forest (and rain it did!) so the road was really nothing but a forest pass so it took forever to get through. Not only did we encounter some of the largest potholes on that  known to man (and woman) in that forest pass,  but also, many  were full of water. (The government plans to pave it for the world cup 2014 in Brazil which is a bad idea for it will destroy the forest. )

This forest starts just after you pass  Linden, the bauxite centre of Guyana and to  make the journey even slower, environmentalist with the permission and support of the government, close that road for hours at a time to give the wild animals time to sleep undisturbed.

 I did not mind the trip at all though it was slow and at times uncomfortable. In fact I found it mainly stimulating and it certainly made me appreciate nature even more. When we stopped at one of the Amerindian villages to sleep and await the opening of the pontoon, I rented a hammock and had a good nights sleep, although I have not slept in one for over forty years. The night noises (not the snores though, for there were several people under a shed in hammocks)  were also a joy to hear and although I recognised some as crickets and various kinds of toads, at least we knew they were small not threatening animals.

 When the  pontoon sent across the river next morning., we crossed over Kurupukari river. There  are a number of nature lodges in that area and for those who love the great outdoors,  that's a place to go.

Of course, because you are in a forest, they have some destructive things called termites and I saw one nest which looked about 3 feet tall, but a friend of mine has a picture on facebook of one that is almost as  tall as a normal human being, for here they build them on the ground.

Kurupukari river

So all around the forest you see the trees that have been destroyed by those pests and of course they had to cause a tree to fall across the road stopping all traffic while we were on our way. Luckily there was an environmental protection agency vehicle in the area and thy quickly used their pulley to remove the obstacle.

After you clear the forest you arrive at one of the most beautiful savannas protected by the scenic Kanuku mountains. Along that passage is where you will find  many of the nine indigenous Indian villages like the Arapute, Ruperee  and Woweta . I don't understand however why this area remains so uncultivated  and idle with just cashew trees which apparently grow naturally and a very few cattle roaming. On the other hand, across the border in Brazil, their adjoining savanna is fully productive with cattle farms and a variety of orchards etc.

Right now there is an invasion of illegal Brazilians who are flooding  into Guyana to mine for gold and diamonds and this causes serious problems for everyone for thgere are several road blocks by the police trying to find them. At Jawalla, too they are also being blamed for polluting the rivers because they are not using exercising responsible mining.I suspect that if I return to Lethem in 20 years,  I will find that Brazilians have taken over the Indian's savannas for they really don't look like they are interested in using it!!!

 The bridge over the Orio Takattu river which separates Brazil from Guyana at  Lethem and Bon Fim respectively, only opened in 2009 and what fascinated me was the fact that while the Brazilians drive on the right and the Guyanese on the left, what they did was to build two round abouts, the one leading from Guyana ending up on the right lane in Brazil and the one coming from Brazil ending up on the left hand lane in Guyana. It seems to have worked quite well for I understand vehicle accidents in the area are few and far between.

Because of the close relationships between both countries, I noted that the Guyanese had put up road signs in both Portuguese  and English but the Brazilians have not returned the compliment. In fact, my short visit to Brazil made me conclude that like the French, they ave chauvinistic and have decided that if you visit their country, you should at least be able to speak their language and the fact is very very few Brazilians English and worse yet they totally reject the Yankee dollar so you have to find cambios to change your money before being able to make any purchases.

We were lucky became the tour operator had screwed up our arrangements so we could not spend more than a day there, but he compensated by sending a bilingual Wadachina guide named Haraldo with us, for we would never have been able to survive without him as Ann Marie, our Portuguese speaking Guyanese friend had fallen ill and was unable to accompany us.

My greatest disappointment though was  the fact that my stupid camera died just as \we got to Bon fim so my entire time in Boa Vista remains only a memory.

The fact is though, I enjoyed that small taste of Brazil and although I did not get the time to take the trip down the Amazon river, it is on my itinerary for the near future as is as trip to Rio.

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Houses at Amerindian village of Madura from where you can take a five day hike to Kaicheur