Great Off Road Riding

As usual we left out late but it ended up as one of the best outings that I have been on with “Fun and Thrills" despite the fact that some of us had done the route before.

On Sunday 25th November 2010, some 25 riders drove to Bowden Wharf in St. Thomas which is now under the control of the Coast Guard, so in order to enter and leave the vehicles there we had to solicit the permission of the the commanding officer . This was done via a soldier who was in charge at the base but there was no problem.

As usual, as soon as the bikes were unloaded, the impatient ones including myself and Charles could not wait for the laggards to get ready so off we went up the ultra steep hill which leads to Old Pera….an unspoilt beach area on the cusp of the Holland Bay Nature Reserve. This nature reserve is the home and breeding ground for crocodiles, and other endangered species and the ponds are a key layover spot for birds migrating from the northern cold during the spring and late summer.

From Old Pera we rode along cane intervals belonging to Duckenfield sugar factory. This was an excellent off road ride with unpaved roads and large portholes full of mud.

As It turned out, us early riders had taken the wrong route as Maurice who is an extremely fast rider was sent to chase us down. When he did catch up with us he said He had been riding at full speed for 1/2 hour before he caught us. The hilarity of the situation is that he was sent with a message that we should turn back to join the A team which had chosen a less steep and more rugged route and were waiting for us at some intersection! Naturally there was an instant rebellion as we certainly were not about to turn back so Maurice defected and stayed with us, so we ended up with two distinct sets of riders, ours being the B team.

Although we stopped and waited for them frequently, they never caught up with us. There were two spills....... nothing serious, and none that I witnessed, but I understand that Sharon who was with our group did fall as did Michael Williams of the A team.

The ride was just great and when we got to the intersection which we could either take to Duckenfield or go straight to the beach at Rocky Point, we had an intensive debate as some of us wanted a little longer ride while others wanted to go straight to the beach. The "beachites" won and I wasn't too sorry for as usual it was inviting, calm, serene, warm and beautiful . And guess what, the sand flies which had feasted on us on the last ride there, were missing in action so we had a really great swim. Of course Barry did create some excitement at one point jumping suddenly and claiming he had been bitten by a crab. While I dismissed it as just a Barry trick, when I returned for a dip just before our departure, I saw a lot of crabs and a fisherman shouted to me to be careful as they bite. My apologies for disbelieving Barry!

We had conch soup with sea puss and it was absolutely delicious. Those of us who ordered chicken and festival were fine while there seems to have been a shortage of fish which is what the vast majority wanted.

All seemed well fed in the end however and I enjoyed a game of dominoes on the beach with Fatman as my partner against Michael Chuck and a gentleman from the area. Chris also joined Chuck to try and beat us, but they didn't. In fact I got a rare "heinkin" bow.

As some of us took an long ago took an oath never to ride after eating (niggeritis and all that) Charles the drive organizer in chief, arranged for some drivers to go in the support vehicle back to Bowden Wharf and bring back some vehicles. By the time we got back a fit ones had ridden off and Tara went straight back to Kingston with Lisa Chen and her friends who came out with us for the first time and had a whale of a time.

When we got to Bowden Wharf the riders had not yet reached but we had a wonderful time swimming and diving there. The only problem there is the strong smell of fuel for this a a coast guard station and I guess as lot of fuel gets spilled in the water.

My only regret is that we did not get to see the dolphin. I hope he is ok and has not been killed by the fuel in the water. A soldier told me that he comes up to feed when he is ready so I hope that is really true.

On the way back we stopped in Yallahs for a repeat of the delicious chicken foot soup we had found there on our return journey from Reach Falls, but unfortunately either we bought from the wrong person or the standard had fallen for this soup was not as good. But what the heck, it filled a gap and brought an excellent day of fun and camaraderie to a great end.

For more photographs, see; http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=299898&id=763366822

Why An Army?

I am one of those who cannot be convinced that Jamaica really needs a fully fledged army. For what are the external foes have they protected us from over the years? 

 Yes I can see the rationale behind a coast guard, an Air Wing and an Engineering Corp since these are all important to national development.

But an a large infantry? For what? To be bus boys and valets for the officers? 

 With our penchant for killing each other, what Jamaica needs is a well trained and equipped security force to deal with internal threats, not a group that we call an army which if we ever had an external invasion could probably not keep the smallest invading army at bay for a day. 

But what am I griping about since once our governments decide to waste our money on unnecessary expenditure, not matter the number of billions involved, we have to just shut up and find the money to foot the bill. 

The issue of the army and its usefullness came rushing back into my conciousness as I read the Gleaner headline "Soldiers to get marching orders". According to the story, the army's headquarters is to be relocated to Caymanas and while I have no quarrel with that, what I definitely have a quarrel with is what is happening to beautiful Newcastle on the salubrious hills of St. Andrew. 

Has anyone in authority whether in the army of the govenment been up there recently? What is happening is a national disgrace for the once well kept, pristine training centre has become a virtual dungle and an eyesore. 

Are you really telling that we have a standing army with large engineering corp made up of masons, carpenters, painters, electricians, engineers, plumbers etc. yet they have allowed Newcastle to become such a dump?

While I have heard that very little training takes place there now as that function is to be fully relocated to Moneague, I have seen no such announcement. Anyway, that could never be an excuse for them to have allowed the facility to deteriorate to the condition it has. 

This is a place where they once had cottages that were rented to persons wanting to recharge their batteries in the beautiful hills but not even rats would want to stay there now.

 Further there was a time when the soldiers used to maintain the road leading to the camp and keep it bushed. Not even that is being done anymore. 

 It is going to take more than a move to Caymans to convince many Jamaicans that we do indeed a need a full standing army or that the country gets anything close to value for money for having this largely ceremonial millstone around our necks.

What the Heck

They say lighting never strikes the same place twice, but if its impossible or improbable, Charles will overcome. For it was only last year that he invited us to ride to Linstead to have breakfast with a friend of his who works with the courts and was having a fund raising event. Well after slugging it all the way to Linstead and totally starving when we got there, we were informed that it was not a breakfast but a brunch so no food was ready. We ranted and raved and they did manage to come up with some awful food.

This time it was a similar situation .......another member of the court's office having a fund raiser, but the ride was to Port Esquival also in St. Catherine. So off we went at 5.30 am and it was a pleasant enough 50 km ride with lots of stops all the way.

As far as I know, there was only one mishap. It happened near Mccooks Pen when Chuck the non dropper's front wheel hit the rear wheel of Pat the dropper, but amazingly she stood firm and he spilled! Pat did not drop once on this trip so she still has to break her own record, that of having fallen seven times on the very first day she started riding with us. Chuck got a few bruises but he courageously got back on and completed the ride quite easily.

Saturday 20th November also seemed to be a day for careless drivers to go off the road into ditches as on the short trip , we did see two of those, one on Washington Blvd and another just outside of Old Harbour. Fortunately no one seemed to have been hurt in either. It is rather disgusting how the parish council has allowed the bush to have overgrown and protrude into the road by the exit from the highway just outside Old Harbour though and it is possible that the second spill was caused exactly by that.

But back to the ride. A group of us slower riders had left out early but by the time we got to Old Harbour, we had all converged. As usual though Barry had caught us up long before the others and unfortunately Damit had to go back to Kingston to give a lecture, so he left us there and took a minibus back .

Did I tell you were we were told to bring our bathing suits? Well when we got to a playfield just outside of Old Harbour with a sign saying "Port Equivel Sports Complex" we noticed that Charles got on his phone and rode in through the gate to the buildings there, no river or sea in sight. Minutes later we got a message that it as indeed our destination. A bit puzzled since the banner outside advertised an afternoon barbecue, we nevertheless entered. Surprise, surprise, no breakfast was there for us! I understand that when the scouts had arrived, the organisers were just unloading the firewood from a car.

Anyway immediately Charles went off in the support vehicle to try and find something for the hungry and angry riders to eat for breakfast. Thank god, while we waited Karen Chuck arrived in a pickup and Michael invited those who wanted a lift back to Kingston to travel with them . Well since my grandmother always told me 'Hog wash in the first water im see", I jumped to the offer, as did Stanford. So off we went just about when Charles returned with bags of breakfast which I understand contained stewed chicken, (which I don't particularly like) ackee (to which I am allergic ) and calloo.

Things worked out great for us for as I contemplated going home and scrounging for something to eat Michael suggested we go to Old Harbour Bay for fish. Unfortunately that area has become a virtual slum, dirty and full of stagnant water so we opted to go to Hellshire instead. That was an excellent decision as the Karen phoned ahead as we were starving so when we got there we did not have a long wait before getting some huge fish and delicious bammy. Only Michael opted for as swim however as he said he needed to wash away his bruises which had started to burn. As we drove out of Hellshire, Charles called and said they were in Kingston so I guess the other 18 or so riders did not tarry after breakfast and no beach!

Anyway as far as we four were concerned, it was a matter of "All's well that ends well." What the heck, just another eventful day with Fun and Thrills.

For other photographs, see my facebook album.

The Corruption Problem

The best news this beleaguered nation has had for years, came via the Corruption Index which shows that corruption is finally on the decline in Jamaica. Because for years, corruption has been having a debilitating effect on this nation, robbing all of us of opportunities as the corrupt practices of a few has been slowly bankrupting the nation.

A decline from position 99 to 87....a 12 place drop in the corruption perception index. is therefore a great, welcome leap forward. While we welcome the direction in which the country in going , we cannot become complacent however, for in the Caribbean we are still far more corrupt than other members of Caricom, all of whom are doing much better than we are in terms of growth and progress.

Since the corruption that affects us most is propelled by the actions of politicians and persons employed to the public service, one way that we could make a great leap forward is to set up a commission to ban certain persons from holding public office for life. This is done in Nigeria where corruption is also a serious problem.

Such banning would of course be based on their track record and could not be based on actual conviction in the courts. For as we know, it is almost impossible to get a conviction of wealthy persons such as politicians and corrupt bureaucrats in this society.

So such a body would have to do their assessment based on the debilitating effect that the actions of persons who have held public office in the past, have had on the country. A perfect example of a debilitating effect is the type of contract that was signed on our behalf with the purchasers of the once publicly owned JPS...... a contract which never put the interest of Jamaicans in the forefront but instead has put us all in the position where were now have the most expensive electticity rates in the region, a reality which will stymie our progress for decades to come.

And there are numerous other acts that have been done supposedly on our behalf by those who we employed but who did not put our interests in the forefront, for which we continue to pay dearly.

So until we do something revolutionary, we will only continue limping along and celebrating minor gains which though good, still keep us at the bottom of the pile in the region.

Cuna Cuna Trail etc.

Ever since we went to Millbank and had that delicious Maroon food consisting of turned cornmeal and janga run dung, some of us Fun and Thrill members have been dying to repeat the process ...no the food. 

So, when our environmentalist Kim who does a lot of work in the Rio Grande valley suggested we do a hike along the Cuna Cuna trail and end up at a maroon village where we would again be treated to that super appetizing gourmet delight, I have been raring to go.......

The Cuna Cuna trail is an over five hundred year old trail that the maroons established on a ridge between the Blue Mountain and John Crow mountain ranges (the Blue Mountains are to the west and John Crow to the east) first, to escape from the British who wanted to dominate them and later to transport runaway slaves that they captured for a bounty, between the parishes of Portland and St. Thomas . 

This was then an arduous trail which the British soldiers with all their training could not maneuver for not only was it heavily forested but also there are lots of caves and other sections where the Maroons could hide out and ambush them. 

Also, it has an abundance of springs with fresh life giving water which allowed them to hide out for long periods at a time.

In them old days when there were no cell phones, the Maroons had their own means of communication, the abeng. This is an instrument made from cow horn and it can send various predetermined signals depending on how they blow it. 

The sound of the abeng could easily carry through the silent, ominous hills from one parish to the other. They also used drums to send signals for religious ceremonies. Drums are made form goats' skins....... the one made from the female goat is called a Bange and has a high sound . The one from the ram skin is the Cass and has a deeper sound. 

These tools are still being used by the maroons who live in villages between Hayfield in St. Thomas to those at the headquarters at Moore Town, otherwise called Maroon Town but for ceremonial purposes, not guerrilla warfare.

It is significant that the opportunity that we got to hike the 5 mile long trail through the spectacular, undulating mountain side was on the eve of the annual National Heroes day. Of course, Nanny, the maroon leader who led her people to victory, is our only female National hero, though she is somewhat of a mythical figure as she was alleged to have the power to catch bullets being fired by the British in her bottom and fire them back at the enemy.

Just before 7 am on Sunday 17th October, 26 of us headed out in 6 vehicles and drove to Hayfield, a village of around 200 person just above Bath in St. Thomas. Like most country roads, it was narrow and in poor condition but since we had commuted in SUV's is was not difficult.

On the way up into the district, Howie, with whom I was travelling, saw a little boy between 6 and 8 years old, with a large lighted spliff in his hand. Horrified he drew up beside him told him to hand it over, but he refused and got ready to run away. As we went further up the hill we saw a man a and reported to him that a young boy was coming up smoking a big spliff. The man just laughed so we were shocked thinking it may have been a tradition in the area , but thank heavens when we joined up with our guide "Shaggy" and related the incident to him, he said he had never seen kids smoking ganja in the area so it was not a tradition.

I had made the arrangements for the trip with Ms. Wilkes who Kim and connected me with and it turned out that she has been the Chief of the Bownden Pen Maroons for some twenty years. How the villages work is that each one has its own maroon Chief and they all sit on the council at Moore town under the chairmanship of the overall Chief who is elected by the democratic process. The Maroons look after their own internal affairs although things like infrastructural work is done by the Government of Jamaica. However they deal with their crime problem except murder and criminal activities in their villages are far below the Jamaican average.

Although the cost of the journey was quite expensive, $500 to use the trail and $300 each for the guide, when we saw how well kept the trail was it was worth the money. This is an extremely treacherous area with lots of break aways but they have put is cement bridges and bamboo railings all along the way. And the path is not at all overgrown despite the high level of rainfall in the area. Fact is it is the best kept trail I have ever seen in any part of Jamaica, even having two nice rest stops with bathroom facilities and benches so that hikers can rest their weary bodies for a while.

Anyway the role of the guide was greatly exaggerated as I was told he would give us all the historical information as we went along but it turned out that Shaggy knew very little more about Maroon history than we did! He was pleasant anyway and it turns out that he is the father of "Papcaan" that rising DJ who along with Vybes Kartel made the popular and catchy tune "Mi Clarks". Shaggy proudly told us how his son got 80 pairs of Clarks shoes from the company whose sales in the Caribbean has risen over 300%, since the song became a hit! Anyway he seems to be doing well otherwise as he is now on a tour of Europe. 

Happy for him.

Anyway back to the trail . The area is absolutely beautiful...... lush, green and picturesque. The view from all angles is really awesome and the climate cool and pleasant. Shaggy did point out a few plants like the "Catchman Fig". This is a parasite but it grows into a huge tree. The one he pointed out had two huge trunks with a passage between and we walked though it on the trail. We were also introduced to the cabbage Wood tree which he said is very tough and they use in construction. A fruit I had never heard about is the Mammee which is brown and round. They say it tastes like a mango and Desiree says they have it in Guyana. 

Of course, the trail has a wide variety of ferns including the Giant Tree Fern and he did name several varieties for us. Also, brightly coloured lillies popped up just about everywhere and the profusion of palms was ever so pleasant. A funny moment was when one of the hikers asked him which road was close by as she had heard a car blowing its horn. Shaggy informed her that it was a bird called the Shine Eye! He also pointed out to us the feeding areas of the Blue dove which seems to scratch out large areas on the ground as it searches for insects. Although he promised that we would find some edible fruit to pick us up, we were not lucky enough to see and fit guavas or jack fruit that were accessible. Quite frankly in all my days of hiking I have never seen deeper ravines so I can't figure how they can get any of the fruits growing on the edges of the trail anyway.

After about three hours, we got to the cottages operated by the Bowden Pen Maroons and were met by the chief Mrs. Wilkes. Although the had told me on the telephone that we might not be able to get any janga for when it rains they are washed away, a super disappointment was that she forgot to do the turned cornmeal, the lame excuse being that since they usually eat that with the janga, it had slipped her. The food was great anyway especially the wild boar. I don't know how non pork eaters survive. Wow!

After lunch some of the macho people went to the Rio Grande River for a swim, but although I was dying for a bath to cool down, after a full belly, I wasn't going anywhere but back to the vehicle.

The walk to Bowden Pen had quite an effect on some of the participants who are not accustomed to long arduous hours of exercise. Among them, was my neighbour Verleta. 

By the way, Betty had turned back from we started the trail and Charles had gone back to the car with her then caught up with us when we got to the cottage. Well would you believe he was able to find a taxi in the middle of no where!!! For you have to understand that the road just below Milbank had broken away about two years before so they have only one or two cars in the Comfort Castle/Milbank area and passengers have to walk pass the breakaway and get other cars on the other side to get to Port Antonio.

Well somehow Charles found one of the cars and invited person s to ride back. Within minutes the deportee had eight former hikers including Verleta who really had a challenge coming down and Grace who had lost her shoes and had determinedly continued hiking in her socks from way up the hill. After they got to Port Antonio they took a minibus to St. Thomas and linked back up with us at the Bath turn off just after Port Morant.

The rest of us walked back up the Cuna Cuna trail and it was really an easy hike for the highest point was just around 2,500 feet above sea level, just over a third the height of the Blue Mountain peak and we got back to Kingston just after 8pm after an arduous but pleasant day.

Since we had nothing planned for the National Heroes Day holiday next day, Damit had asked me what I was doing and I had told him I was going to take a short ride and see how far up Mountain Spring road I could go up . Would you believe that he called me at 5.30 am! Anyway we linked up at about 6.30 am by Burger king at Barbican road and were riding slowly up the hill.

When we almost got to our regular meeting point at Widcome, we saw a number of riders and I asked Damit who they were as I couldn't believe they were Fun and Thrills riders as we had no arrangement to ride on Monday. Well it truned out to be Orrrel, Michael, Maurice and Howie . It was almost an absolutely impossible coincidence! They the are A class riders and they had decided among themselves to also ride up Mountain Spring the very same route and time we had!

After we all had a good laugh at the turn of events, they rode off leaving Damit and I behind. My granny gear was giving problems however and just as I passed over the fording my chain fell off.

 Anyway, determinedly I got back on and was doing ok until we passed where the Rasta man sells the fruits and two women walkers took over the good side of the road, forcing me into the sand. I nearly fell and had to push over the ridge until I got to the flat area where I again mounted.

By then Damit had abandoned me and I did ok until I got to the next steep section . That's when I gave again up but having passed where I had given up on my first try, I did not all at all feel badly.

However it is only when you are dead tired that you realise how heavy the damn bicycle is, for pushing it up to wailing wall was a super challenge. After resting there a while I again mounted to try out the real steep part of the the hill but by bicycle kept doing the wheelie as the front wheel kept lifting up. Again I dismounted and pushed with great effort over the super steep section.

The only thing that kept me going was the fact that we had ordered breakfast from Howie and he had kindly been voluntered by us to find us something to eat! After the super steep section I again mounted and almost reached Peter Phillips' back gate then again gave up again, being totally out of breath. Just then, my phone rang and it was Damit telling me not to go home as they were coming to rescue me. To make him feel bad for abandoning me, I told him I was already at home so not to bother and I kept on punishing up the hill. Anyway as I broke the corner I saw Maurice and Howie walking down to rescue, me trailed by Michael, Damit and Orrel. Maurice and Howie took turns pushing the extra heavy bicycle up to Howie's home so I could finish the journey with a little dignity (not puffing and blowing like an overworked train).

We were served delicious brewed coffee and breakfast followed.

What had started out as a mere leisurely ride which I had planned to abort the minute it became hard, turned out to be a tiring but a wonderful start to the holiday morning.

The camaraderie and just sitting on top of the hill looking down on the beautiful, peaceful city, invigorated me to the point that I was able to sit down and do this long boring blog without even stopping to think for a minute. I guess it is obvious that I didn't think!

CAUGHT!

Boy did we ever catch him this time!

I am speaking about F&T ride organiser and super athlethe Howie. It was his birthday on Saturday 8th October and we planned a birthday party for an entire week and he did not even get a whiff of it. I say this time as two years ago I had a surprise birthday party for him after he single handely engineered the protection for my home after Gustav had removed the retaining wall, and that time he said he knew I was up to something from I invited him over for curry goat!

This time it was absolutely beautifully executed and Damit had even done something to the F&T email account in order that all mail went to everyone but Howie!

The idea for the party was floated by Barry wheile we were at a function at the Chinese Benevolent Society a week before. (Howie was also there) . He floated the idea to Michelle and I and Michelle immediately volunteered to do the soup and a bread pudding and I volunteered my house and to do some stuff.

The idea immediately took on a life of its own once everyone else was advised, for Howie is highly regarded by one and all. What even made it more difficult for him to even think we were doing something was the fact that at breakfast on Saturday, we gave him a card signed by everyone and took lots of pictures of all the girls kissing him and everyone making much of him!(I don't even have one picture for this blog for although lots are taken at every event, we they are never posted for general consumption! ) It was so impressive that he just could not imagine anything else was in store.

That evening, Solay used her feminine wiles to get him to pick her up and it was only when he hit my road and saw his brother's vehicle and some others that he recognised, that he had an inkling that something was not right.

It was a wonderful evening despite the rain. I thought we had an abundance of food which could not be finished but by the time poor Orrel arrived after braving the rains to drive from the northcoast, he barely got any. ...and you know how Orrel likes food! In fact so determined that he was to be part of the affair that he had a lady deliver bottles of wine during the day.

Special thanks to Barry too who braved the rains to come and assist me before hand in setting up the canopy etc for the party. Sharleen was also a great help in that she assisted in the cleaning up.

The food was great, the camaradie wonderful and all the active riders had a part in the success of the affair for everyone brought something to ensure that we all had a great time.

A bungling bureaucracy

For years, I have had real estate business dealings with National Housing Trust (NHT) and have often had occasion to say it is one of the most efficient government organisations that I have ever encountered.

Not anymore however, for my recent experience indicates that the Trust has now become a bungling bureaucracy.

In March this year, I was sent a letter inviting me to pay off my mortgage and when I saw how attractive the savings would be, jumped to do so. This was after calling to find out what the discharge fees etc would be. I then paid the sum in full only to get a letter dated 6 th April 2010 informing me that what I had paid earlier was insufficient to close the deal as a balance of $2198.44 remained.

After complaining that I had received an earlier sum and paying it and getting the usual apology, I asked if this new sum could be paid electronically and was told I would have to come in. So I went in and as is customary when one has a bill to pay, I headed to the cashier and got my receipt after being told the process takes approximately six weeks to complete. This was the 7th May, 2010.

I basically forgot about the whole thing until running into the receipt four months later and remembering that they had not returned the security. I called them only to hear that a letter had been sent to me in September (which I am yet to receive) that I still owed the balance.

When I gave the receipt number to the lady in the Loan Management Department, she said I should bring in my receipt as they had no record of it.

What I learnt on my visit to the NHT the next day, left me speechless for I was then told that the reason why they had no record of the payment was because I had not advised the Loan Management Department that the money had been paid!

When I asked in amazement if the cashier does not send an advice to the relevant departments when payment is made, I was told no for the borrower needs to go to Customer service before making payments, for them to start the paperwork. When I showed her the letter I had received which had no such instructions and pointed out that the cashier did not say that the receipt should have been taken to another department, a sheepish apology was made. The fact is however, it is not the poor clerk who dealt with me who was at fault but the super bureaucrat who devised this rigmarole in this the electronic age 2010!

Can you imagine if this bureaucrat worked at the Collector of Taxes? What would happen is that ticketed persons, after paying the fine,would have to take their receipt to the Police Traffic Department downtowwn, to show they had paid the fine! Worse, if one was paying property tax one would have to drive to the relevant Parish Council to show that the taxes had been paid! My God, what a thought!

I am absolutely amazed that someone in management at the NHT could have devised such a paper pushing bureaucratic system! Is this how they create "jobs for the boys" .....by setting up departments all over the place for customers to trudge to?

All I can say is that if this was a private company, whoever designed this system would have been retired in the public interest and put on a pension long before computers were invented!