Water Wonders

When I think of Jamaica, I can't help but think of the magnificent turquoise seas and the endless white sand beaches.  The water is oh, so warm, and glassy smooth, except during tropical storms, when majestic waves crash ashore. Then,  surfers usually choose other islands.

Levi enjoys the beach

On this trip, we had access to a beautiful beach just a short trek from the condo.  We were all mesmerized by the starfish and fiddler crabs, zebra fish, stingrays, and snails that shared their habitat with us. Victoria and Levi built sand castles and collected a myriad of shells, and we all meandered along the top of the stone breaker, peering into the water lapping the rocks.  It was amazing to see so many varieties of sea creatures that we usually watch only on a TV screen or, perhaps, in a pet store.  God has made such awesome creatures!

Victoria found a friend

 I love mid-summer sales, because we were able to pick up an assortment of inexpensive snorkeling gear right before our trip.  This particular beach had a man-made reef within easy swimming distance from the shore.  Really, the water was so shallow that everyone, except Levi, could have walked most of the way out to the reef.  Erin and Meagan remembered snorkeling with their dad years ago when we last visited Jamaica, but snorkeling was a new experience for the rest of the family.  They all practiced in the pool first, then headed for the beach.  I didn't try snorkeling this time, but I took pictures.  The water was clear, and the snorkelers were all able to use their gear efficiently, if not effortlessly, at least part of the time.  They all saw several stingrays and plenty of small, colorful fish.  Levi reported excitedly that he had seen two large angelfish swimming right below him.  Bill is an expert at snorkeling but, if he isn't careful, Levi will soon pass him up. Levi's summer swimming lessons at our local YMCA really paid off, because he has become a proficient swimmer and snorkeler.  The others weren't too bad, either.

Bill and Levi love to snorkel

The condo community has two swimming pools.  The whole family swam in one of the pools nearly every day, and sometimes twice a day.  There is no need for a heater in Jamaican pools, because the water is nearly as warm as bath water.  It was a special treat to be able to swim after dark, with just the starlight and a few underwater lights to illuminate our way.  Meagan and Erin talked about swimming in the smaller of the two pools when they were young, because Meagan, at the age of six, didn't feel too secure in the big pool.  Erin was glad that everyone, including Meagan, was willing to swim in the bigger pool this time.  The larger pool is not quite as close to the condo as the smaller pool, but the big pool's waterfall makes the few extra steps worthwhile.

The small pool, as seen from our balcony

Nearly every window of the condo sports a stunning view of the nearby Yacht Club marina, with boats of every size and type swaying gently in the water.  One afternoon, we all walked to the end of the dock in the lightly falling rain to investigate the yachts up close and, perhaps, dream a little about sailing away across the sea.  The next morning, we awoke to the sight of a mammoth cruise ship docked across the water.  We are always thrilled to see the cruise ships that dock there several times a week, but we were disappointed to find that the beach was closed to us until that evening because the cruise ship passengers were using it.  The gorgeous sunset at the beach that night made us glad that we were forced to wait.

The marina, as seen from our window

For our family, no trip to Jamaica would be complete without a drive to Ocho Rios to climb Dunn's River Falls.  The experience is nearly indescribable, but I'll try.  Swimwear and water shoes are a must for most people climbing the falls, although some of the guides climb barefoot, wearing shorts and t-shirts, and carrying several cameras for their guests.  Each guide shepherds a group of about twenty people up the falls, encouraging everyone to hold hands and help each other over the rough spots.  Our group was led by two guides, Harris and Wallace, probably because our crew included several children.  The water is clear, and some of the rocks are steep, but the falls are breathtaking, and relatively easy to climb.  Meagan first climbed Dunn's River Falls when she was barely six; her most memorable incident was when she lost her water shoe, which was retrieved and returned by another climber downstream from us.  Levi, who is almost eight, had no trouble at all climbing the falls.  Halfway up the falls, one man pulled out an engagement ring from who knows where, and proposed to his girlfriend there in the middle of the roaring river.  She accepted.  I was amazed that the ring wasn't washed out to sea.

Our whole family enjoyed Dunn's River Falls

The whole ascent took us about an hour, including pauses here and there to take photos.  We took along a disposable waterproof camera, so we waited anxiously for a whole week for the pictures to come back from the developer.  (Our digital cameras really spoil us.  We don't like to wait!)  Bill took extra care, this time, to lend his hand to help me up and down the steepest rocks, but the climb wasn't difficult for any of us.  (I paid for it the next day, of course, with lots of aches and pains.  Life would be easier without fibromyalgia.  Some things, though, like climbing the falls, are worth the inevitable pain.)

The Market at Dunn's River Falls

I'll admit that I was dreading the part of the trip that required us to wend our way through a sea of hawkers selling their wares, on the way from the parking lot to the mouth of the river, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that the park has spruced things up and confined the craft sellers to one relatively small area that we walked through only when we were all done climbing the falls; we were even more surprised to find that most of the Dunn's River vendors were polite and patient.  How refreshing!

Sunset at the beach

When we are in Jamaica, we take showers two or even three times a day, after we swim in the pool, after a few hours at the beach, or even after a sweaty afternoon spent lounging and reading.  I love the master bathroom's spacious shower, complete with its skylight.  Jamaica is the only place where I'm glad to take cool showers.  Levi wasn't so sure that it's ever necessary to take so many showers, but he didn't complain much.  One day, I sent him to the shower and went upstairs to take mine.  When I came down, showered and fully dressed, to check on him a while later, he was still playing with about a dozen Hot Wheels cars in the shower, which had steamed up the whole bathroom.  We had to have a few words about shower etiquette in Jamaica, namely, keep it short, sweet, and not too hot, and no cars in the shower!