The market, Little London and Blue Hole; Whitehouse, Jamaica - Day 5

We were planning on going to Kingston today, but our friends there were just too busy for a visit. So, at the last minute, we have no plans. Since this is Saturday, we know that the market would be in the full swing.  We hop in to our little green car and set off in search of another adventure.

As soon as we turn down the side street where the market is held we see people crowding everywhere and the street has disappeared. We stop the car and get out to explore.  There are vendors are practically on top of each other.  Blankets are laid out in the street.
Cars are parked with trunks open and wares displayed. Carts are filled with fruits and vegetables of every kind imaginable.  A barrage of smells envelops us.  Somewhere, there is a bar-be-que nearby.  It is noisy and colorful and beautiful.  We buy bananas and papaya, greens, and the best homemade coconut candy I had ever had until then or since.

After the market, we go off to meet a new friend, Miss Margie. Margie had been Linda’s very first friend in Jamaica.  We have heard about her for months and are excited to finally have the chance to get to know her in person. We find her house and show up at the front door.  She greets us warmly, shows us around, and asks us lots of questions.  She has a beautiful home right on the ocean where she swims every day.  She shows us her wet suit hanging on the line.  She said she used to swim without it - until she got stung by a jelly fish. I’ll remember that.

After we leave Margie, we head off to toward who knows where.  While we are driving, we started talking about properties that we had looked at on our previous visits.  We make a few phone calls - so glad to have a Jamaican phone to be able to communicate with anyone and everyone! - we stop for lunch at an interesting road side stand where the jerk chicken is delicious, and then head to see our friend Leroy in Little Bay.

When we get there, Leroy is no where to be found and the whole street seems empty.  Since we know the property isn’t sold and our friend is coming, we climb over the fence, and walk around until Leroy comes. Another couple comes to see the property while we are there but we try to avoid them as much as possible.  They leave quickly when they realize that there is no beach.  We think we may try to buy this place, so we are relieved.

We spend a couple hours here taking pictures, measuring, drawing, and dreaming.  We feel right at home and don’t want to leave.  I can't see it from Indiana, so I want to make sure to take it all in.  We have a great time talking to Leroy, asking him questions and becoming friends.

When we finally decide that we were done, we go next door to a little road side stand to get something to drink.  It’s deserted.  It’s very colorful and covered and there are a couple of chairs in front so we sit down and wait.  After a few minutes a little boy sees us, runs back to the house, and a man appears.  He is both the owner of the shop and the owner of the house.  He introduces himself as Captain Georgie, the next door neighbor. He is a fisherman and has a little boat in the bay. He knows all about the place we were looking at and we talk to him for about a half hour.  He is very sweet, too. We love making new Jamaican friends.


We finally pull ourselves away and go down the street about 5 minutes to Brighton and Blue Hole Mineral Springs.  We miss the tiny sign several times, driving back and forth on the road.  We know that it must be near here somewhere so we keep searching. When we finally see the sign, we turn onto a windy little one lane path and hope that it leads us to our destination.  All of the sudden the road opens up to a clearing and in front of us there is a thatched roof restaurant and bar, a swimming pool and changing rooms, and a huge hotel up the hill.

There really is no parking lot and it doesn’t appear that there is anyone else here, so we just stop the car and get out.  We walk up to the bar where a couple of Jamaicans are sitting.  We meet the owner, Wabba, who ironically we find out is Leroy’s cousin.  The other guy introduces himself as BJ, and who I think looks just like Corbin Bleu from the Disney channel.  He tells us that he is the lifeguard. We talk for a few minutes and make friends with them.  They point us in the direction of some small changing rooms and we put on our swimsuits.  I make a bee-line for the beautiful blue swimming pool.  They tell me that it is filled with spring water and has rejuvenating, healing qualities.  I have cuts, scratches, bruises and mosquito bites.  I’m up for some soothing and healing right about now.

But, they tell me, I must get out of the pool and see the blue hole.  So, I do.  Blue Hole Mineral Springs is a natural fresh water spring that comes up from the ground about 35 feet below the surface. The hole is about 20 feet around.  No one really knows how deep the pool is.  Wabba was a diver and a tour guide who lived in the area, stumbled across this piece of wild, untouched land, partnered up with an American, and together they developed the property.  It’s starting to make a name for itself as a place to come.

Wabba and BJ try to show us how it is done by jumping from a tiny little platform high up in the trees down into the blue hole beneath.  No thanks.  There is a ladder on the side of the rock.  I’ll just climb down.  Bruce jumps from about mid-way down the ladder.  I ease in to the dark water.  We swim around for a little while and then hold on to the rock on the side of the cave.  Looking up, we are almost four stories beneath the earth.  It’s kind of dark down in the hole except where the sun is shining in. The water is cold but invigorating.  What an experience.

It is getting late in the day and we know that we need to start back.  On our way it starts to blow and rain heavily, but we drive out of it.  What is it with these afternoon rains?

When we get back, we are told of a birthday celebration that is being held for Mr. Mackie, another local and friend of Linda’s who also happens to be Miss Sadie’s husband.  So, we change our clothes, get cleaned up, grab an umbrella for good measure, and head over to find Mr. Mackie.

All of our Jamaican friends from Whitehouse are there.  Miss Sadie has prepared a delicious dinner
of chicken, rice and peas.  We weren’t really prepared on this trip to celebrate so many birthdays, but Bruce finds a Taylor Architects flashlight that he has along and we give that as a gift.  Mr. Mackie loves it.

After dinner, a huge 3 gallon box of rum raisin ice cream come out from the kitchen, which I am pretty impressed with.  Sure, I’ll have some! Somehow, ice cream in Jamaica is so much better than at home. We finish up with dinner, help out with the dishes, visit for awhile, and head back to go to bed.  The days for us are very full.