Jerk Pork at Last

Today is one of the best days of my life in Denver, Colorado. To begin with its a wonderful summer day at last so I decided to ride my bicycle downtown to visit the Art museum. But first I must go pay for my ticket at the Amtrak depot before they raise the price on me again. A few weeks ago I called to find out how much it was return from Denver to Salt Lake City, Utah, and was told $170. When I called to make my reservation today it was $217....a whole $47 more. Absolute highway robbery, but as they say you learn from experience and I did not know that trains set their prices like airlines in that the earlier you book the cheaper it is.

I am only paying the price for this experience because I have not been on a real train (not a subway please!) since I was a teenager and feel like a kid going on my first train ride. I am going to visit my friend Sharon whom I have not seen in probably 20 years and who is now a Mormon living in Salt Lake city. Boy don't I have a lot to learn when I get there. So under those circumstances I had to pay the huge fare increase and not bawl.


Anyway, when I was leaving the train station and going towards the Art museum, I heard music playing loudly and naturally headed in the direction only to run into the Denver Chalk Art fair on 14th Street. The streets were blocked off and people were drawing all sorts of things on the pavements and the road, all in chalk.There was really some good stuff there.

As I once again headed towards the Art Museum, I ran into the People Fair. This is an annual thing where streets around City centre are blocked off and food  and other products are on sale in booths. As I ambled through the crowd, by god, what did I see.....a sign saying Jamaican food. My withdrawal symptoms immediately escalated and I rushed over. Naturally I used my best yardie language and enquired what they had only to be met with a blank stare. So I started my usual tirade about foreigners exploiting Jamaica's good name and reputation only to be joined by a man who assured me in good Jamaican language that it was not so. He said the reason why the people in the booth did not understand me was because they were his family who were born in the USof A.

My first question to him of course was if he had jerk pork and and it was as if God decided to give me a special blessing for his reply was "Den no mus". Oh lord, what sweet words. My next question was about mannish water but drew a blank there. Anyway, I was totally happy to live with mannish waterless jerk pork. I decided to go to the museum first and come back for the jerk pork after, but boy from I got  the ticket I kept thinking of some pork skin and had to just go an get it and postpone the museum tour for a bit.

It turns out the guy's name is Glen and he lives in Colorado Springs. But guess what, he is from Rocky Point in Clarendon. He laughed when I told him Rocky Point people only know to cook fish not pork, but I was perfectly correct for it was not certainly up not up to any quality jerk pork that I know of. Anyway, it had skin and it was crispy so all was immediately forgiven. After all, I have not had a decent piece of pork  (ie.pork with skin!) for almost two months so anything goes at this point.
So I sat down in the park and listened to one of the many bands performing. They weren't too bad and there was a dance area which lots of people were using, so I simply enjoyed the ambiance and the food.

The art  museum is huge with eleven levels of displays ranging from American Indian art to the African experience. This is the second time I have been there and each time it is almost a totally different scenario. I don't think I will ever come back to Denver and not visit that museum.

Designs at the Chalk Art Fair

The artists get down on the pavement at chalk Art fair

So now, finally, I am looking forward to wonderful summer days for the rest of my stay here for although the Denver weather is miserable most of the time, when the summer days come, downtown always has some excellent surprises.

Fluctuating Weather!

It is impossible to take bets on the weather in Denver as it can range from rain or snow one day to warm, sunny, beautiful 70 degrees the next. Today is absolutely beautiful, all sunny and warm. Its the first day I am venturing outdoors in short sleeves.

I even rode my one speed bicycle today.  I keep forgetting that Denver is one mile above sea level so it affects the breathing until one becomes accustomed to it. So although I am accustomed to riding up huge hills, a mere grade at the zoo had me out of breath this morning. Oh well, my lungs will soon adjust.

In Bolder, Colorado

Well thank heavens Michele did not deliver last night and she is having much less pain and contractions today so maybe it will really be the 22nd. I lost $5 to my grandson Shadrach, as I bet him that she would have delivered last night.

Driving around is not a problem for me . In fact I drove the 22 miles to Shadrach's school yesterday afternoon and only made one wrong turn. This morning I picked him up at the animal shelter where he does volunteer work without being accompanied by anyone.

I am surprised at the state of the roads in Den

ver however, considering it is supposed to be first world. There are quite a few pot holes and the roads are uneven. I think the roads in non-first world Costa Rica are far superior, but of course they are much better than in good old Ja!

Going over to Bolder today.

No Malaria in Jamaica

Would you believe that my daughter Michele was called on to give blood in Denver, Colorado where she lives, and when they heard she had spent 10 days in Jamaica in the summer, they told her she could not give blood for a year? Why? According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), there is a high incidence of malaria in Jamaica, hence the restriction.

That is absolutely not true however, as the World Health Organization web page on travel restrictions gives no such warnings. Besides while it is a fact that we had a small outbreak of malaria about two or three years ago, that was dealt with successfully long ago.

Michele’s blood type is A negative, a type shared by only 6% of the world’s population. So they called her as someone needed that type urgently.

I think the approach of the CDC is quite backwards for what they do in Jamaica is, after the blood is taken, they test it for diseases etc. By so doing, they do not turn away donors who they may never see again, but get rid of the blood after the fact, if it is in any way defective.

I remember last year when my very dear friend Hilma Walker was in hospital on the verge of death, because she too had that rare blood type, it was touch and go for her for days. We only got some relief when a public appeal was made on radio for that blood type. After that, some of the persons with A negative started an association aimed at bringing in all who shared the type and to build up reserves.

Anyway, I told Michele to save her blood and give it when she comes to Jamaica next April for the triathlon, for we are in critical need for that type of blood. I was thinking of Hilma when I said that to her,but unfortunately Hilma died on October 28^th, four days before her 58^th birthday. My heart is broken by her untimely departure although I knew she was very ill. Anyway her courage was such that we simply forgot her illness and always assumed that she would have lived forever. Unrealistic I know but what can I tell you?

My heart goes out especial to her children, Marsha and Jerome, especially, Jerome.This is not only because he is my godson extremely close to his mother, but also because at the tender ago of 28, he has high blood pressure.....no doubt brought on by the pressure of his mother's illness, something he felt helpless about.

He is a medical student with only two years to go. Even if he had been fully qualified he could not have helped her as her time had come. She had fought well but some things are just beyond the human spirit as much as we would like to think we are in control.

God go with Hilma and I know I will never forget her.