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General : JAMAICA AT ITS BEST!!!!!!!!!
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 Message 1 of 6 in Discussion 
From: MSN Nicknameblackempressss  (Original Message)Sent: 10/15/2008 4:05 AM

JAMAICA
PORT ANTONIO

 

"Blown into the harbor by a hurricane, Hollywood bad boy Errol Flynn was amazed by what he found in Port Antonio."

“Heaven on earth,” he dubbed this lush Jamaican haven, “more beautiful than any woman I’ve seen.” So smitten was Flynn with the region’s charms that he bought nearby Navy Island and stayed for years. It’s easy to understand the actor’s passion for Port Antonio. Far from the tourist enclaves of Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, in the upper right-hand corner of Jamaica, Port Antonio is a bucolic refuge nestled between twin scalloped harbors, a magical place, where mist-shrouded mountains slope to the sea and crystal-clear waterfalls cascade into fern-edged pools.

Founded in 1723, Port Antonio was an important center of banana agriculture and export. Centuries dissolve like windward mist when you visit the town’s historic sites, including Folly, a mansion of Romanesque ruins, and Fort George, an 18th-century British stronghold whose rusting cannons still guard the harbor. In the 1950s, Port Antonio was Hollywood’s best-kept secret. After Flynn bought property here, the town evolved into a vacation playground for the rich and famous. You’ll feel like one of the elite as you float down the magnificent Rio Grande on a long, narrow bamboo raft.

Under the water another world awaits, and it’s every bit as magical. Dive in the spring-fed Blue Lagoon, whose depth reaches 200 feet. The world seems to fall away and you find yourself in paradise, where the air is perfumed by tropical flowers and the trees are nearly white with roosting egrets.

Relax in the pool at the base of cascading Somerset Falls. Or match your skills against those of the denizen’s deep: tuna, kingfish, dolphin and marlin. The beach at Frenchman’s Cove is, in a word, idyllic. And the ambiance is unparalleled at Boston Beach, where food stalls lining the road serve all manner of jerk: seasoned pork, chicken, sausage, curried goat; fish and lobster roasted over a wood fire pit. Inland, mountains fall away to great flat lands and nature opens up her wonders, including magnificent Nonsuch Caves. In a cathedral-size room overhung with limestone stalactites, archaeologists have discovered scores of artifacts dating to the days when Taino Indians called the Port Antonio area home.

COURTESTY OF AIR JAMAICA

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Reply
 Message 2 of 6 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameblackempressssSent: 10/15/2008 4:08 AM

JAMAICA
OCHO RIOS

Picture Noel Coward, admiring the sunset from his Ocho Rios estate, a cigarette in one hand, a proper English gin and tonic in the other"

The celebrated British composer and playwright, who lived on Jamaica’s north coast for 20 years, undoubtedly concurred with Columbus, who landed near Ocho Rios more than five centuries ago and declared it to be “the fairest island ever eyes beheld, where the land seems to touch the sky.” The land, as Columbus learned from native Arawak Indians, was Xaymaca, “a place of rivers.” Ocho Rios does not boast eight rivers, as its Spanish name suggests. But water is the town’s lifeblood, nourishing brilliant blue bays, sandy coves ringed by quaint fishing villages, and cascading waterfalls.

At Dunn’s River Falls you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a postcard. It’s magnificent--and also a little touristy. At the falls’ entrance is a village of sometimes overly enthusiastic crafts vendors. But Dunn’s River is an icon of Jamaica, and no visitor to the island should leave without visiting the Caribbean’s equivalent of Niagara Falls. If you’re feeling adventurous, a guide will help you to climb the falls’ 600 feet of limestone tiers. If not, admire the view from the shore and applaud those daring tourists who form a human chain, helping each other to reach the top. Less taxing, but just as romantic, is Irie Beach on the White River, where sparkling water cascades over rock chutes, forming pools large enough for swimming.

Ocho Rios’s fairy-tale beauty also manifests in vine-draped Fern Gully, a three-mile road running along an old stream bed overhung with greenery. So dense is the canopy that Fern Gully appears to exist in perpetual twilight. But you’ll have no trouble spotting bamboo trees entwined with lianas, 500 varieties of ferns, and 200 kinds of tree-clinging orchids, many of which are found nowhere else on earth. Nature shines as well at Shaw Park Gardens, where helicon, ginger and stunning flame trees carpet a hillside overlooking the bay. Is it any wonder that Columbus loved this place?

At Columbus Park Museum in nearby Discovery Bay, where the explorer first dropped anchor off Jamaica, you can view a water wheel used to power a sugarcane mill, as well as a canoe hollowed Arawak-style from a log. The island’s Indian heritage also is heralded at Coyaba River Garden and Museum. And at Seville Great House & Heritage Park, at St. Ann’s Bay, are artifacts from the excavated colony of New Seville, founded by Columbus’s son in 1509. History buffs, as well, can tour Prospect Plantation, which has been producing sugarcane, coffee and bananas since the 18th century. Fishing, boating and horseback riding are part of the package when you choose an excursion to Goshen Wilderness Resort, in the forested green hills farther inland. Or you may want to tee off at a Runaway Bay golf course, or fish for marlin, tuna, barracuda, bonito or dolphin. Shoppers, meanwhile will discover some of the island’s finest arts and crafts at Harmony Hall, a restored Victorian mansion. When the sun goes down, take a canoe ride up the torch-lit White River, a journey that includes a folklore shore, dinner and open bar. Or tap your toe to addicting reggae rhythms. The legendary Bob Marley was born in the nearby village of Nine Miles, and is buried there. Each year in February, the region commemorates his birthday with a musical celebration.

COURTESTY OF AIR JAMAICA

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 Message 3 of 6 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameblackempressssSent: 10/15/2008 4:12 AM

JAMAICA
NEGRIL

Legend has it that law-abiding locals captured the infamous Calico Jack Rackham and his band of rum-soaked pirates in Negril Harbour, called Bloody Bay in those days because it was a whaling port."

Jack no doubt was dismayed that his marauding career was at an end. But, if you’ve got to live in captivity, you can do a lot worse than Negril. For years, this sleepy town languished at the western end of Jamaica. But after the government built a road in 1959, tourists began to trickle in. That trickle turned to a flood in the ‘70s as young Americans and Europeans arrived to tune out and turn on. The counterculture ambiance merely enhanced Negril’s reputation as Jamaica’s lush, laid-back and, at times, licentious center for do-as-you-please vacations.


If you’re looking for fun in the sun, you’ll find it in Negril. The first thing you’ll want to do--indeed, you’ll feel compelled--is to hit the beach. The bow-shaped town hugs Seven Mile Beach, the longest continuous stretch of powdery shore in Jamaica--and one of the Caribbean’s most magnificent. As you stroll along the butterscotch sand, you’ll encounter locals taking a dip, lovers embracing under swaying palms, families enjoying picnics, children splashing in the shallow foam, and, in a few spots, sun worshippers performing their devotions au naturel. Tug off your trunks and join them. Or continue down the shore, past grotto-lined cliffs, until you reach Negril Lighthouse, erected in 1895 at the south end of the beach.

It’s a wheezing hike up the lighthouse’s staircase, but if you stick it out you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the bay and the sparkling Caribbean Sea, which seems to stretch to infinity. Beneath those calm, clear ribbons of emerald, teal and turquoise are treasures even more remarkable. Negril is ringed by magnificent coral reefs that nourish and protect a variety of marine creatures: squirrel-fish hiding in crevices overhung with red rope sponge; yellowtail snappers and parrotfish nibbling at the seaweed.


If you’d like to explore Negril’s subaquatic world, the area’s many scuba centers provide tanks, snorkels, fins and instructions. But you don’t have to get wet to enjoy the deep. Skim its bejeweled surface while relaxing on a leisurely catamaran cruise. Eco-adventurers may want to try sea kayaking, parasailing or canoeing. Explore Booby Cay, where rare blue-footed booby birds breed and portions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were filmed. Or venture into the mysterious Great Morass, a protected area where you’ll encounter towering royal palms, exotic birds and crocodiles. Landlubbers can swing a club or racquet at Negril Hills Golf Club, just south of town; ride a horse to the romantic ruins or Whitehall Great House; mountain bike along the coast; or browse at the crafts market or duty-free boutiques. After the sun sets in a spectacular splash of color, spend a relaxing evening at a restaurant or party down at a calypso beach barbecue. There’s even all-night dancing at local clubs. Reggae is beloved in Negril, as it is throughout the island. In fact, from time to time, Ziggy Marley comes to town, along with a host of other international entertainers.

COURTESTY OF AIR JAMAICA

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 Message 4 of 6 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameblackempressssSent: 10/15/2008 4:14 AM

JAMAICA
MONTEGO BAY

On the northwest coast, Montego Bay is Jamaica's 2nd-largest city and its capital of tourism.

By day, tourists from cruise ships scour crafts markets and duty-free boutiques. By night, they groove to the rhythms that shake the foundations of clubs along the ocean-front Gloucester Avenue. The heart of the Jamaican Riviera, Montego Bay is a paradise of palm-covered hills edging toward sun-warmed beaches and turquoise sea. But there's more to Montego Bay than tourist attractions. This is a city rich in history and tradition. Close your eyes and imagine what life was like when plantations reigned supreme.

Montego Bay's elegant Great Houses were built centuries ago by English planters, whose farms supplied Europe with sugar, rum and bananas. Rose Hall, the most famous of the city's manor homes, attracts visitors from around the world. And Greenwood House, built by a cousin of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, features an extensive collection of rare musical instruments. But don't get the idea that Montego Bay is a stuffy museum. Aristocrats built their homes here because of its sublime climate. Even Columbus was impressed by Montego Bay, christening it El Golfo de Buen Tiempo, the Gulf of Good Weather. Less-romantic Spanish adventurers renamed the place Bahia de Manteco (Lard Bay). But Jamaicans today know this bustling, beautiful slice of heaven by one name only: Mobay.

Just off the coast from Sangster International Airport are 10 square miles of spectacular coral reefs, teeming with marine life.At the turn of the 20th century, weary travelers flocked here to take the cure at Doctor's Cave Beach. The waters may not be as restorative as an English doctor of the time declared. But the beach is, nonetheless, one of the Caribbean's most beautiful, with wide patches of sand peppered with sea grapes and almond trees.

Anglers come here from around the world to haul in blue marlin. And boat lovers love Montego Bay as well. The Montego Bay Yacht Club, in fact, hosts the biannual Pineapple Cup race. On land, there's much to do as well. Golf is superb in Montego Bay, which boasts four 18-hole championship courses, including world-renowned Tryall. Good Hope Plantation offers miles of winding trails for horseback riding. And Montego Bay was made for shoppers. At the Harbour Street Crafts market, vendors tempt tourists with straw bags, batik wrap-arounds and wood carvings. Duty-free shops offer everything from perfume, cigars and liquor to china, crystal and Scottish cashmere. And the "Hip Strip" of Gloucester Avenue pulses with restaurants, art galleries and stores. Nights in Montego Bay are as varied as the city itself. You'll find everything from elegant restaurants to intimate seaside cafes and stands selling spicy local favorites. And on the music scene, reggae reigns in Montego Bay, home of the annual Reggae Sumfest in August.

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 Message 5 of 6 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameblackempressssSent: 10/15/2008 4:19 AM

JAMAICA
KINGSTON
 THE CAPITAL OF JAMAICA

 

"Kingston is the largest English-speaking city south of Miami, rich with historic and cultural attractions, world-class shopping, gourmet restaurants and sizzling night spots."

The city’s rich colonial heritage is hallmarked as well at Kingston Parish Church, where tombstones date to 1699. And at the crowded square known as the Parade, you can almost envision the British soldiers who once drilled here. In nearby Port Royal, relics at the Museum of Historical Archaeology remind you of the swaggering pirates who roamed the western Caribbean in the 17th century. With permission, divers can explore sunken pirate treasures at the end of the Palisadoes Peninsula that hugs Kingston Harbor.

And at Spanish Town, a short drive from Kingston, visitors can learn what island life was like in 1523, when conquistadors built the Cathedral Church of St. James, the cornerstone of their colonial capital. Kingston’s natural attractions are as breathtaking as its historic venues. Hiking is sublime in the towering Blue Mountains, where you can tour plantations that produce coffee prized the world over. Or you can stroll through the 200-acre Hope Gardens near the University of West Indies campus. Dating from 1881, the park features an orchid house and small amusement park for children. Year-round balmy weather brings golfers to Caymanas and Constant Spring courses. Visitors as well can take in a polo match at Caymanas Park, or savor the sport of kings as thoroughbreds round the bend at Caymanas Race Track.

Just as many treasures await off shore. In the beautiful Caribbean surrounding Kingston are canyons and crevices full of shimmering fish, as well as star, rose and giant pillar corals. If culture is your cup of tea, catch a show at the Little Theatre, thrill to the music of the Philharmonic Symphony, enjoy a performance by the National Dance Theatre Company or peruse the National Gallery’s impressive collection of Jamaican art. Shoppers can take home artful wood carvings and other crafts, as well as a full line of duty-free goods. And you’ll love Kingston’s many restaurants, which serve up local and international specialties with Jamaican flair. After dinner, dance a starry night away at Asylum or another of the clubs and discos that line Knutsford Boulevard.

It is the heart of Jamaica, this thriving capital city on the island’s south coast. Home to 850,000, Kingston is the largest English-speaking city south of Miami, rich with historic and cultural attractions, world-class shopping, gourmet restaurants and sizzling night spots. But there comparisons end, for Kingston is like no other city. Listen. On any corner you can hear those lilting, infectious rhythms that make you want to get up and dance. If Kingston is Jamaica’s heart, reggae is the blood that keeps it pumping, and it was in Kingston’s back streets that the music was born.

Smell. From family-owned restaurants waft the aromas of I-tal, the vegetarian cuisine of the Rastafarians, whose complex, cherished devotions took root here before radiating throughout the world. Look. The majestic Blue Mountains soar more than 7,000 feet and the Caribbean Sea shimmers like a net full of jewels.

Overlooking the world’s seventh-largest harbor, Kingston is the center of Jamaica’s government and commerce, a beguiling city whose cosmopolitan ambiance contrasts with the laid-back atmosphere that pervades the rest of the island. Kingston once was the administrative hub of Britain’s Caribbean colonies. Step back to those days when you visit Devon House. A portico rimmed by stately columns welcomes visitors to this sprawling mansion, one of the finest surviving examples of Georgian architecture. Inside, sparkling chandeliers and ornate rosettes on ceilings bespeak the elegance of a bygone era.

COURTESTY OF AIR JAMAICA

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Reply
 Message 6 of 6 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameblackempressssSent: 10/15/2008 4:30 AM

JAMAICA
 
Jamaica is a cultural kaleidoscope.
The country boasts sweet fragrances, shimmering sunsets,
spicy flavors and white sandy beaches.
No wonder hearts beat faster in Jamaica.

 

COURTESY OF AIR JAMAICA

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