Step by step GUIDE on how to walk around in Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Lets start at:
As
you walk, you probably can smell a bitter sweet aroma... that’s the smell of
good old sugar being housed for export to other countries. The factory is
beside those two huge tankers you can see on your left. Just next to them, you
will see a red-orange building. The colour is the result of red bauxite which
contains aluminum. This is where the bauxite was processed.
Today,
the pier is used to accommodate cruise ships and commercial vessels carrying
sugar. Another interesting thing about this place is that it was actually shot
in the James bond movie Dr No. Dr No's
office is the reddish orange triangular building. So yes, you are walking
through the location viewed on the television screens of millions from around
the world. This location was Dr No's laboratory, where Sean Connery’s Bond and
Ursula Andres Honey Ryder made an escape. Watching the movie was
quite awesome as I was able to recognize my home town on the big screens, as
well as places such as Laughing Waters where my grandmother worked as a cook,
which is a short taxi ride away. Not much has changed here except that the
roads are much bigger and smoother from when I was a child. Just look at your
surroundings. Can you see the Pier? Do you see the beautiful blue water and the
white sandy beach? Ahhh breath taking isn’t it? That is Fisherman Beach, and
it's a perfect spot to soak in some sun and enjoy a wide array of local dishes
such as steamed fish, conch, lobster, and Jamaican Jerk dishes. You may even
see some small boats bringing in the day’s catch.
Fern
Gully is located in the hills about 15 minutes from Island Village. It gets its
name from the wide variety of ferns which grow along the gully or gorge that
runs through the area. Some may find it a little spooky but it’s quite
intriguing.
The
gorge is nearly 3 miles long and it zigzags as it follows the terrain of the
land. It was once a river. An earthquake occurred in 1907 and the river
disappeared. The river bed was then paved into a road that now leads into other
areas such as Moneague and also into Kingston. The gorge is quite a thrill;
it’s like taking a roller coaster ride at an amusement park, only natural!
There
are approximately 300 species of ferns present, and there are also other types
of flowers and trees present like the Blue Mahoe. The area is poorly lit by
sunlight and is about 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the town. The gorge is
certainly gorgeous and is also famous for its elaborate wood carvings. The
carvings are made from various types of wood, all hand carved by local artists.
Many of the artists are self taught so it’s quite amazing to see the kinds of
carvings that they can produce. There are also mascots that will entertain you
with tricks and they have a friendly personality.
From the entrance to Fern Gully,
you can take a 15 minute drive to Walkers Wood. It's a small community with a
spice factory that makes a variety of Jerk rubs, seasonings and spices that are
used both locally and internationally. They are popularly known for their
distinctive colorful packaging and especially their jerk products.
It was through this
route that I traveled to attend school early in the mornings before the road got
busy by motorists traveling to and from Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica.
Many people travel to Kingston for business purposes or to go in for work.
As
you walk, you will see a particular kind of yellowish-orange building to your
left. This is Island Village, the home to Jimmy Buffet’s Margarita Ville. Enter
Island Village, and have a look around while I tell you about what you can find
there.
Many
young people and adults come by Margarita Ville to attend parties so if you
ever feel like having some fun, you can get yo groove on. No problem Mon!
Locals call it "Ville" for short so if you hear someone says
"Mia go a Ville" this is where they are talking about. They have the
best Dj's that even play for some of our local radio stations. And as a little
secret, ask for that Special Jamaican Rum punch, without ice... that way you
get more drinks! That's just between you and me! Or you can just opt for a cold
Red Stripe beer. It's also a good choice. Island Village also has a number
of stores and buildings including a cinema, souvenir stores, books stores, and
bars.
Sometimes
when I get bored, I take a walk around and have an ice cream by Devon House. I
usually go for the Stout flavor. It's
made from our local dragon stout - a type of alcoholic beverage. We just call
it "Dragon" - we tend to shorten things around here. So don't freak
out if you hear someone says they want a dragon to drink, it’s just a lil’
booze. Sometimes you will hear people call alcoholic beverages 'Liquor"
but we say "Lick-Kah" in Jamaican patois which is our local dialect.
It’s a combination of English, French, Spanish, and African languages.
When
you're done looking around the village, get back to the sidewalk and carry on
in the same direction you were going.
FOR MORE steps get a FREE look through my ebook:
.http://www.amazon.com/Ocho-Rios-town-human-Joshua-ebook/dp/B00UVXYLQ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1427130937&sr=1-1&keywords=ocho+rios
