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Jamaica - Its People, Natural Beauty and Fruits

January 28 - February 6, 2011

Audley Nugent

With tour leader Lorne Smith


Want a break from the cold winter while learning and experiencing another culture? This is the tour for you. Spend ten days in the warm, tropical island of Jamaica and explore the island as you travel around and visit highlights of the country. You will enjoy meeting the friendly Jamaican people, seeing its natural beauty in different settings and tasting the delicious fruits and food of the Caribbean. You will meet Mennonite Church leaders to learn about the church in Jamaica and worship at the International Worship Center in Negril where you will meet people from many different countries. Audley Nugent, our driver/guide will give you a plantation tour and give you much information about his beloved country. Lorne Smith, from Markham, Ontario, who has led many TourMagination tours, will lead you on this wonderful Jamaican winter break.

Click here to read past blogs about this tour.


Friday, January 28
TourMagination will help you book a flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica where the tour begins. During slavery, and well into the 20th century, Montego Bay functioned as a sugar port. National hero, Sam Sharpe, a slave and preacher in Mo Bay, began the anti-slavery movement that resulted in the famous Christmas Rebellion of 1831. We will pass the memorial to Sam Sharpe as we travel through Montego Bay on our way to Negril where we will stay for two nights along the beautiful silky sand beach.

Saturday, January 29
Named by the Spanish in 1492, Negril is a shortened version of the word for Gorilla. The name is thought to be a reference to the black cliffs south of the village. The well-known Seven Mile Beach in Negril is actually only a little more than four miles long, stretching from the Negril River to Rutland Point. Today Audlley will give us a tour of Negril and take us to the extreme western tip of Jamaica where a solar-driven lighthouse stands. We will also see ocean-side caves in cliffs made of solid coral. You will have time this afternoon to relax and enjoy the silky sand beach and the gentle waves of the ocean.

Sunday, January 30
Worship with Christians from around the world
Worship with Christians from around the world.
After a delicious breakfast, we will attend the worship service at the International Worship Centre – the Negril New Testament Church of God where persons from many countries come to worship. Then we will leave Negril and travel on to Mandeville. We will make a stop in Savannah-La-Mar on the southwest coast of Jamaica where we will see buildings dating from the Spanish days, as well as the natural harbor with its original seawall, and have our lunch. As we travel today, Audley will share many interesting things about Jamaica’s plants, fruits, nuts and foliage. Before arriving at the hotel in Mandeville where we will stay for two nights, we will stop at Mud Lake to learn about the bauxite industry.

Monday, January 31
School Girls in Kingston
School girls in Kingston
Mandeville is a quiet, restful mountain resort, a little over 2,000 feet with a cool climate (70-75° F during the day). The town is often likened to an English village with handsome stone buildings and stone-walled pastures. Once a sleepy country town, Mandeville came alive 40 years ago when the potential of the red earth of the surrounding countryside was wedded to the world’s demand for bauxite and its end product of aluminum. Now eco-tourism is ushering in another stage in the town’s development. Today we will meet with Mennonite Church leaders to learn about the Jamaica Mennonite Church and about the Mandeville area. We will go to the Caribbean Center for the Deaf and learn about their program for more than 100 students and the trades they are learning. You will have a free afternoon to relax by the pool or have a rest.

Tuesday, February 1
Today we will enjoy various kinds of scenery as we drive to Kingston, Jamaica’s capital city. As we reach the mountains Audley will tell us about Jamaica’s famous Blue Mountain coffee. You may want to purchase some before you leave the island to take along home. In Kingston we will have a tour of the city including its harbor area, Liberty Hall (where the legend of Marcus Garvey is told), the University of the West Indies, government offices, the Parliament buildings, theatre, Redeemer Moravian Church, Holy Trinity Church, Sabina Park Stadium (built for the world cricket competition), “Peace Center” (gun crime prison) and much more. We will enjoy the night at the lovely Terra Nova Hotel.

Wednesday, February 2
After leaving Kingston, we will pass through a dryer area and then through huge sugar cane farms. We will see many fruit stands as we travel with fruits such as sand berries, star fruit, bananas, Tahitian apples, papayas, coconuts and chewable sugar cane. Then we will travel through an area of clay soil where the trees and plants are more lush. At Bath Fountain Hotel Hot Springs, we will take time to enjoy the hot mineral waters. At Boston Beach, we will have an opportunity to taste jerk chicken for our lunch. We will later pass by a mangrove forest where we will learn about the mangrove trees and why they are vital to a certain ocean fish. Then it’s on through Port Antonio and over the Rio Grande before we reach our destination of Ocho Rios where we will stay for four nights.

Thursday, February 3
Dunn's River Falls
Dunn's River Falls
After a leisurely breakfast, Audley will take us to Dunn’s River Falls which cascades down approximately 695 feet into the sea. Are you up to climbing the falls? (Bring an old pair of sneakers). A Jamaican guide will lead those who choose to climb the falls. At the top of the falls, there is a craft market where many vendors will be happy to sell you their wares. This afternoon we will have time to relax and enjoy the beach and the Caribbean Sea. We will have another delicious Jamaican meal this evening.

Friday, February 4
Today we will travel to the Rio Neuvo battle site that recognizes the battle between the British and Spanish on June 17, 1658 which the British won. Audley will take us through other interesting areas such as a subdivision of large new homes built by British expatriates, before making a stop at Lloyd’s pottery shop to see his beautiful pottery. Lloyd and Joyce will be happy to welcome us and would appreciate any purchases we make. We will stop to see the Calvary Mennonite Church in Retreat as well as the Jamaica Mennonite Retreat Centre (formerly known as Palm Ridge). We will enjoy another area of the beach this afternoon before heading back to Hibiscus Lodge.

Saturday, February 5
Fern Gully
Fern Gully
There is still more to see in the Ocho Rios area so we will head out again to see churches and beautiful Fern Gully where the road is built over a dry riverbed. Jamaica has over 550 varieties of ferns and most can be found in this rainforest. At the edge of St. Ann’s Bay we will see a statue of Christopher Columbus and will drive past the birthplace of Marcus Garvey, their national hero, in St. Ann’s. There may be time for a stop at Shaw Heritage Park before we go to the straw market where many hand-crafted items can be found. A visit to the farmers’ market is also an interesting experience! After lunch, you will have some time to soak up some more sun by the pool or hot tub, rest, or pack your bags. We will enjoy our farewell dinner as we reminisce about our time in Jamaica.

Sunday, February 6
This morning as we travel back to Montego Bay, we will enjoy the scenery on the north side of the island with a stop at Discovery Bay where Columbus landed. All too soon it is time to bid Jamaica “Farewell” and fly back to our home cities in North America.


For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We would be happy to be of assistance.
 
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