Chikungunya or whatever

I will never make another chickunuya joke as long as I live for that damn virus is no joke.

Well I don't know for sure if that is what I got over the weekend for I did not get the rash which I hear is part and parcel of the package. And the fever and cold never really took on but I suspect that was because my ganja and white rum home remedy killed that in the bud. But lord the pain, I have never had such pain apart from in child birth.

 When it hit on Saturday morning, I swore I had aged about 40 years overnight as I felt like someone who had never stood up on my own two feet for a long time. The pain was everywhere too but worst at the front of my feet so I tried walking on my heel but I could barely stand up. Then I could not lift up my right hand, my left thumb hurt like hell and my head felt like it was splitting.

It took twelve Panadols before I could take a few steps without writhing in pain.Thank god for Al as he really was my saviour this weekend.

The minister of health keeps telling us there is no chik-v epidemic so I want to know what it is the at least 15 people that I personally know are having and so many other people around the island who are complaining about this strange painful illness.

 Maybe I did not have chikungunya, but whatever it was it was one hell of a virus and it made me miss two important events, the trip to Noisy River and the coastal clean up on Saturday 20 September.

Another great weekend

I can think of anything else that can surpass a weekend at Silver Sands with its wonderful white sand beach, fishing and some vigorous dominoes later.

This was another such weekend of fishing and all that, except this is the first time that our fisherman City
Yout shocked us when he declared the way out that he was low on gas and shortly after water started  coming into the boat. But all things seem to work for the greater good as despite our not being able to go out as far as we are accustomed, we seemed to have caught more fish than we normally did when we go beyond the reef. As to the water coming in to the boat, this was because the plug put  into the bung was not installed properly so after bailing out the water and correcting the error, all was great and the fish just could not stop biting. (I never tasted one of my catch though as they were fried and gobbled up very quickly)!

In the afternoon I played dominoes until I could not sit down anymore and as usual it was "bruk an spoil" and the surprise of the day was that I never got one six love, the first time in recent history but neither did any. What a pity.

Saturday had been overcast so dominoes was perfect but Sunday was extremely sunny so it was beach and pool all day and it was nice to have Penny, Stefan and the kids driving over from Montego Bay to visit and swim. Pity they came so late but it was nice to see them nevertheless and with this wonderful new highway, hopping over to the northcost is certainly now, easier, more pleasant and a scenic journey.

An historic ride

I think Fun and thrills riders created history on Sunday August 31st by being the last riding group to take on the new south to North highway which reports state have been killing automobiles because of the steepness of the incline. Last, as the very next day is when the toll kicks in and cyclists will definitely not be allowed, they say.                                                                                                            It was  however the closure of the Mount Rosser route on the 31st August 2014 that caused some 30 of our courageous cyclists to take that route for they had been severely warned that cyclists would not be allowed on it.

Moneague  Lake

While I have no way of knowing who actually did it all as I, being o little courage said from day one that I would not be riding over Mount Rosser on that trek to Blue hole in Moneague which was organised by our efficient sheriff Nicole. 

Instead I choose to hike from Faiths Pen with 9 other persons. We therefore drove on the new highway which took us through brand new, absolutely beautiful and lush country.

We had planned to take the exit to Faith's Pen so we could hike to Moneague, but that exit was closed so we had to go to the end of the highway, drive to Faiths Pen then hike back to Moneague then east to Blue Hole.

Shortly after passing Moneague lake and
Watsonville, up drove Charles Simpson declaring that he could ride no more and had jumped into his vehicle. Gail who had been driving the supporting vehicle took  then took the opportunity to stretch her legs and joined us hikers.

The destination, Blue Hole is quite an attractive park in the making. The owner, Mr. Carter, told me it had been bush land but he has a dream to eventually make it into a full entertainment centre with movie theatre and all.

 Incidentally, he told me the name of the river there was Blue Hole but I prefer to believe the map which identifies it as River Hole!

As we had driven  most of the way, we were there some time before the riders started filing in . First came was barber Dean who arrived at least half hour before the 2 second place person .

 Barber Dean hasreally blossomed  by leaps and bounds for now he  hardly bothers to ride with us little leaguers and in fact won the Kingston to Negril semi professional race this year.

  Omar too has  become a top rider with out group.

Third came Bernadette, the first woman rider ( I am sure!) to conquer the new highway although she says she stopped three time.

 Blue hole was a lot of fun although on the first touch, the water is quite cold. However once you become acclimatised it was absolutely wonderful and some local kids had great fun showing off to us how they jumped from the ledge up above and even out of a mango tree, into the bottomless blue hole beneath. They must have been shocked however as Kelly one of our hikers, not to be outdone, alsomade the leap!

Local kids also jumped off the ledge in to the deep blue hole beneath.

We all had a wonderful time lounging around, kissing the tree that is supposed to cure all ailments, eating a nice Jamaican breakfast  (though small;!) while different persons related their experiences riding up those unforgiving hills on the new highway while Howie's granddaughter Ria enjoyed herself in the river and on the swing.  

An Omar Downie photo

It was then too that I  heard how Gibby too had made history by falling twice on the new highway and he has the scars on his elbows and knees to prove it too!

When you see Maurice did not make any move to ride back, you get to realise how challenging the ride to the destination must have been and we really missed Barry who is ill in hospital, as we know he always enjoys a new challenge. 

Anyway, regardless of the difficulties some people had completing the journey, everyone had a wonderful day as we always do, especially when  we "discover" somewhere new.

JOAN WILLIAMS, moderator of  JOAN WILLIAMS ON LINE broadcast on POWER 106, describes herself as an unapologetic addict to the Jamaican outdoors. A foundation member of FUN AND THRILLS ADVENTURE CLUB, she explores the island at any given opportunity cycling, hiking or swimming with that group, family, Jah 3 and anyone else who will have her. In 1995, she published the popular TOUR JAMAICA and the 4^th edition is now an ebook available at;

http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389464644&sr=8-1&keywords=tour+jamaica+by+joan+williams

Contact; gratestj@gmail.com