Countdown to Christmas
on George Hamilton (Jamaica), 27/Nov/2010 16:22, 34 days ago
This being the last weekend in November and hearing about the snow in Canada, I decided to make the best of the warm weather here before heading home to the bitter cold of Canadian winter at Christmas. That means making sure we are outdoors as much as possible to soak in all the sun.We started out on Thursday evening in the gardens at the German Embassy watching the film "Soul Kitchen" but not without getting lost. Mapquest had the address pegged at the wrong end of the road so we all ended up in the wrong location. Fortunately for George and I we asked a police officer for assistance. He was just standing behind the cruiser as backup because they had just pulled over a car and we didn't think it would hurt to ask. He actually gave us even more ridiculously incorrect directions by telling us we weren't on Seymour and directed us to go around the corner. After finishing with the pulled over car, he and his partner realized their error and came looking for us. Guiltily, they drove us to the German Embassy with the blue lights flashing - so that was fun. Chauffeur driven to an embassy by the local police.Friday evening we met with the loosely organized rotating cards club in the funky tropical paradise gardens of the Kingston Mikuzi Guest House where France had recently moved. I love the Mikuzi and we are seriously considering moving back there when France moves out. Her suite is perfect plus it's so quiet. Our current apartment has the convenience of the shops but the traffic noise is overwhelming sometimes and we have no outdoor living space, something that is almost a necessity in Jamaica. Did I tell you about the architecturally designed L-shaped house I visited recently with my sewing group where the living room only had three walls? The long interior wall was completely open to the court yard garden which had an iron trellis covered in grapevine for a ceiling - truly an outdoor living room! We were served fresh grape juice as we sewed. The corridor to the bedrooms and bathrooms was also outdoors. There was no outside wall, just a roof over a pathway bordering the same court yard. But as quite often, I digress.Saturday morning, George and I headed to Coronation Market after a traditional Jamaican breakfast of ackee and salt fish at our local coffee shop. We got all the trimmings: calalloo, yam, boiled banana and fried dumplings. Dee-licious.Today we're heading back to Treasure Beach one more time...our sixth trip in 8 months, so come back tomorrow for the photos.When we return to Jamaica in the New Years, our number 1 resolution will be to find accommodation with outdoor living space for the remainder of our stay. Our second resolution is to explore the Caribbean in greater detail. We're hoping to do weekend trips to varioius islands so stay with us as we explore deeper into our new world.