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

Unforgettable Venice

According to UNESCO, each day, more than 60,000 people visit Venice, which is more than  the population of that city! What scares UNESCO though is their belief that this level of traffic will affect the city adversely for according to them, the city is sinking!

The never ending crowds in Venice

I found this interesting in light of the joke made by the guide on my second trip to that marvelous city. For according to the guide, the authorities keep claiming Venice is sinking only to encourage tourists to visit before city disappears under the sea!

One of the numerous bridges 

 She however insisted that Venice is not actually sinking but the water marks you see on the buildings (the capital, San Marcos square is the lowest point) that give that impression are made by rising and falling tides. She even reinforced the point by citing examples of how  over centuries, since its establishment around 421 AD and especially between the 9th to 12th centuries when Venice was a city state, strategists in the navy were able to defeat the enemies because Venetians understood the tides and could easily lead the unsuspecting out to the Adriatic sea where they became trapped when it changed to low tide.

Well I don't know whether Venice is really sinking but I will certainly be trying
to visit that unforgettable city made up of 118 small islands (most of the islands had monasteries on them before Napoleon invaded and destroyed them) separated by canals and linked by some 440 bridges, as many times as I get the opportunity, for I can't see how one can see and enjoy all it has to offer in one lifetime!

One of the smaller detached islands

 On this latest trip, I got the opportunity to not only visit the mainland which is made up of five boroughs but also Burano, Murano and Lido  islands.

Burano island with its small population of around 9,000 is famous for its brightly colored homes which the guide told us became a tradition as the island was mainly populated by fishermen and the bright colors allowed them to be able to see their homes while they were at sea.

Colorful homes and shops in the main square on Burano island

I really did not buy that explanation, but I loved the burst of colors!

What they also have there too is internationally known hand woven lace products which just about every shop in the square carries as tourists love to buy the table cloths, place mats, clothes etc.

On the other hand Murano island is famous for fine and colorful hand made glass blown  products.

Beautiful Murano glass

This industry started around 1291 and remained a cherished family tradition for centuries but with the advent of technology this tradition is under siege but we feasted our eyes and pockets on some of the most fabulous glass blown products, some with solid gold embellishments which unfortunately we could not take any pictures of. 

However we did get to tour the factory and actually watch as the expert blew a glass horse. 

Glass blower on Murano island

This type of profession comes with a severe price however as the sand which they  use to make the glass and which they now import from France,  has to be melted at horrific temperatures in the furnace and it must take centuries of conditioning to work in such establishments!

 Lido island was by far my favorite of the independently standing islands and the favorite of Italians from all over I am told, as it borders the Mediterranean sea and has a highly developed tourism product with its wide beaches and sidewalk cafes.

Wide beaches on Lido island

 We spent two enjoyable days there and while this is the only island which allows private cars, no one needs anything more than a bicycle to get around and there are hundreds of bicycles there.

You may be a bit astonished to hear  that Lido is the only island to allow but remember, Venice is a series of islands joined together by bridges!

Lido is the only island allowing cars

To tell the truth however, it is only after this last visit  there that I have really come to appreciate the level of sophistication that led to the development of the transportation system there.

Transportation ranges from large cruise ships bringing thousands of visitors from abroad and ferries that take you all over Europe to gondolas in the canals, small water taxis which whiz expertly through the waterways and water buses.

The water bus system is extremely efficient, running  from morning to night on regular schedules with stops at permanently erected bus stations at the side of the waterways.

The buildings look even more majestic in the early morning.

Then there are the gondolas which are synonymous with Venice.

We were told that getting a licence to operate a gondola is like getting gold and despite the fact that some 400 gondolas are licensed to operate in the at least 100 canals, very few women can get a licence  and the waiting time for anyone to get a licence is 3-5 years as positions like that only become available when one of the current operators retires.

I cant think of a more majestic place in Europe with greater art, architecture and fantastic sites to visit than grand old Venice.



MORE PHOTOS OF VENICE

The gondola operator must bend down to go under the bridges when the tide is high

Joan Williams, moderator of Joan Williams Online 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 fourth edition is now an ebook available at http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref. Contact gratestj@gmail.com.

A Refreshing Hike

Sheriff's hike to the mountains yesterday was invigorating, and refreshing and as usual,offered great camaraderie and lots of mangoes but caused a near mutiny, all inputs necessary for a great day with the icing being a wonderful breakfast at Coy's.

I suppose that it is because the dates kept changing, why only nine of us turned up, but Chuck is perfectly correct, the only way we could have completed the proposed trail in three hours, was if we had gone in a straight line!

It was interesting  none the less as it is the first time I had been up Dustry road which we often pass on the was to Maryland.  As it turns out, that road makes the distance to Irish town really short by comparison to the main road. Well actually it is not a road, but really a rough track  with bush growing in the centre in parts and on which, if you are not careful, you could end up twisting your ankle.

When you see arch cyclists like Barber Dean and Barry having to dismount in parts, you know it is really terrible and I am sure even the "off road don" Howie would have found it challenging in parts.  Incidentally, we did pass a few riders out on their way up to Newcastle, then further up we saw Barber Dean riding up with a couple guys but he turned back to join us while Barry, riding on his own,  caught us up just above Cafe Blue.

Anyway we trod on with Maurice and Karen really enjoying the mangoes from the trees all along the way after Maurice, candidate for the Survivor reality show, even got a stick to speed up the process, although he does have a mean right hand when it comes to stoning mango trees!

Not a step further , we decided right  here.

Although the proposed hike was supposed to take us to Newcastle through the shortcut then on to Greenwich and finally Hollywell  with the return journey via Hollywell's back gate down to Woodford and finally Maryland for breakfast at 10 am, shortly after we passed the turnoff to Newcastle, timekeeper Desiree pointed out that there was no way we could be get back to Maryland at 10am if we completed the proposed trail, we then had a democratic meeting and decided to go to Ras Jam instead. However after walking for another half hour and not seeing any sign of the  Ras Jam turnoff, there was a near mutiny as we were tired and hungry. So when we arrived at a little garage where that colourful mini bus that has always been prominent on the road to Newcastle was parked  apparently getting an engine overall, some of us in insisted that it was time to turn back.

The hike back was easy and very pleasant for with the sun now fully out, the mountains simply glistened and the view of the city was really great.

By the time Desiree and I  got to Coy, (we were lagging at the back and Barber Dean stayed to keep our company) we found that a number of riders had come up as well as Betty and others who drove up,  for breakfast. As usual, breakfast was really good and while a few of us left after, some stayed to cool off in the river.

Joan Williams, moderator of the Joan Williams Online 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 fourth edition is now an ebook available at;

 http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref. Contact gratestj@gmail.com.

Police Not Effective

In the front page article in the daily Gleaner today entitled "Gun Licence requests triple" I see them quoting some crime statistics that are as bogus as they come.

This country owes a debt of gratitude to former commissioner Ellington, under whose watch murder was reduced by almost a quarter although we are no where close to what he civilised world lives with.

However, I do not think the police has been acculturised to pay any attention to other forms of crime (although one gets the impression  that only minimal attention is paid to murder anyway) and instead of devising measures to deal with these, they produce statistics like robberies being at 1311, which have no bearing on reality. I say this as I know for a fact, that police do not investigate, visit the scene or record some robberies (praedial larceny too!) reported to them  although I do not know to what extent this is so or if it is a mater of policy.

 

Take Kingston and St. Andrew, where there is a new and growing form of gun robbery being carried out in residential neighbourhoods with such precision, that a policeman told a recent victim that he thinks the gang that perpetuates it, have people with either military or police training. 

This is daylight robbery being carried out by well dressed young men  (who seem to operate in pairs but have a vehicle and driver close by) who are appearing to be  going about their lawful business in residential areas. As they do not appear threatening, no one pays much attention to them until they pounce on unwary residents and force them at gunpoint into their homes which they then pillage at their leisure, loading the loot into the waiting vehicle.

A  friend who was  the victim to such a robbery recently, told me that his quick response security personnel told him that they had received  as much as 5 such reports of this type of operation in one day recently. Another private security person told me that in one day they had received 21 calls from clients on that morning alone, although these calls were about different different types of crimes, not just the ambushes. 

So if this type of robbery is so pervasive why has the police not been putting out composite images of the young men who are carrying out these ambushes in broad daylight all over town and who do not use disguise?

I tell you why, it is because the police have no interest in solving robberies committed against ordinary citizens!) preferring instead to to put out bogus statistics thus causing people to be even less vigilant as they go about their lawful business while the hold up men have  a field day and their victims suffer grave psychological trauma in silence for months on end.

Then there are the criminals who seem to  work for some cash for gold operators. 

I wonder what percentage of persons who used to enjoy open air exercising on the streets of the city can say they have not been robbed of phones and jewellery at gunpoint or know someone who has been ?

-I have no doubt  that the tripling of requests for gun licences that the report in the Gleaner spoke to, has something to do with the grave sense of insecurity that pervades despite the billions we spend on secirtuy.

'Indestructible' Pompeii!

Mount Vesuvius hovers ominously in the background

I think from I was born I have been hearing about Pompeii.

You see, my late father just happened to have been a history buff and he reveled in the stories about ancient Greece and Rome, so naturally tales about Pompeii  which was established around the 6 to 7th century BC and which was overrun by both these colonisers at one time or the other, became part of the almost daily fabric.

According to history, Pompeii grew in importance until it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Ad 79, and it remained buried for over 1500 years. Wikipedia also reports that Mount Vesuvius has erupted several times since then and is the only volcano in Europe which has erupted in the last 100 years.  

Our tour guide also revealed that the last eruption was in 1944 and although it is still considered one of the most dangerous volcanos in the world, some 3,000,000 people have made the surrounding areas their home. I suppose they take comfort from the fact that the oldest observatory is stationed there and everyone (residents and tourists alike) get totally free medical care once they are on Italian soil!

Quite frankly, despite this early exposure to that famed city, visiting it was never on my bucket list, however when I discovered that the Mediterranean cruise I  was taking was calling at the port of  Naples,  a mere half hour drive from Pompeii, you know who had to join that tour and it is probably the best decision I have made for the entire year too! 

The first inspiring thing I  learnt on the the tour was the fact that the tour company we were using, only used history majors as their tour guides. What wonderful news for someone who just revels in history, as no matter how many stories one hears and publications one reads, nothing beats actually walking on the soil with someone who sounds like he has actually lived during the years when the great city was a force to be reckoned with. 

These skeletons dating back 1000 years were preserved by the volcanic eruptions

And we actually saw skeletons of some of those residents who lived there before the Romans arrived which had been found  well preserved by the larva. 

A really impressive aspect of the ancient Pompeii is the grid system they used to design the streets, something so practical and relevant today that it was copied by those who designed New York city many centuries later. 

To actually walk on the streets that were constructed centuries ago with even humps that pedestrians could walk on to prevent them getting their feet dirtied and soaked by the sewage which ran freely on the streets in all those ancient cites, gave one a real insight into the brilliant thought process of those who lived so many centuries before we did.  

The streets were made with humps on which pedestrians could walk to avoid stepping in raw sewage

What is absolutely amazing about this indestructible city is that despite many assaults from earthquakes and volcanoes, so much remains behind to indicate the level of sophistication of those who lived in the ancient city or used it as a vacation destination. For example, it really bowled me over seeing the evidence that around 80 BC, while the Romans occupied Pompeii, they actually established a complex hydro system, gymnasium and even a spa and sauna. 

Wall papered family home!

At the ruins too we saw a well preserved family home with all the creature comforts of that period and remnants of a bakery.

Walking among those ruins was the experience of a lifetime.

Ruins of Pompeii

A PICTORIAL JOURNEY

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^thedition 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