As Jango and I separated ourselves from dozens of other visitors, the answer to an unasked question first wondered before even leaving the cruise docking area all seemed to come together at this third destination Jango took me too, appropriately originally named "Bird's Nest Lookout", the area now provided an accessible boardwalk and was renamed to "Ysassis Lookout Point", after the last Spanish Governor of Jamaica .The reality was seeing Ocho Rios in the distance and the beach I could not find, an optical illusion later discovered in another passenger's photography making the same trip to Coyaba Gardens at Mahoe Falls on a separate tour.
Photography by Julia Hollenbeck
In the left photo, the Island Princess is docked below the mountain and out of view behind another cruise vessel shown above, and in the right photo Ocho Rios Beach and hotel resorts are visible. While these two photos are side to side, if one could see the scene all in one, the truth of what could not be seen would now be visible. With absolutely no doubt, the "Island Village" is still there to the left of the large hotel shown and Turtle Beach with Jamaican's selling their exquisite handmade crafts of beautiful wood carvings and other things they make. On a personal level, I would like to believe they still operate from stalls set up in the sand and not a paved roadway but like most places over time, many things change.
Photography by Jan Ketonen
The "illusion" of cruise vessels docked in front of the hotel property is actually not an illusion, but a matter of documented fact. The tee shaped pier is indeed the main Cruise Ship Pier and is still used for cruise vessels, offering a fantastic scenic view from the beach with the ocean behind the vessel(s). The dock still remains in front of the resort property and was discovered after looking at additional photography from Jan Ketenon.
Viewing the scene while approaching the harbor area, the Cruise Ship Pier is located to the left of the James Bond Pier with the main pier located in front of Turtle Beach, (which is actually a public beach), and the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa. (In years previous, this property was InterContinental Hotel, then Hyatt Regency and Sheraton.)
With progress and time, the Ocean Village Shopping Centre stands within a large concrete plaza and contains the Ocho Rios Craft Market where one will find a supermarket and several souvenir stores. The Island Village along with the sandy paths and covered huts is replaced with a newer "Island Village" housing the only cinema in Ocho Rios, Margaritaville, in-bond stores and other additional souvenir shops and is located within easy walking distance of the Main Cruise Ship Pier.
If one is on the hill in-between the two hotel properties, or on a particular part of the beach within the cove, the curvature of the coastline makes it appear cruise ships dock off to the side when docked at the James Bond Pier. This perspective is correct in present times, but only if the Cruise Ship Pier is not used due to the size of the vessel and/or other arriving vessels. The docking procedure originally seen (28-years ago) remains unchanged, but will not allow two large vessels at the Cruise Ship Pier. Nonetheless, my earlier statement of "totally different than what expected" for docking procedures remains as wrote. Unfortunately, passengers do not dictate or predict which dock will be used. On the other hand, there were benefits to docking at the James Bond Pier. It was difficult to select the best photography for this sequence in lieu of two good friends both taking basically the same photography of the scene. (See above Photo by going Back to Top)
Returning to Coyaba Gardens
Probably one of the more interesting sights for me was seeing the walls made of stone, knowing full well the hours it would take several workers to build. In one area, a water fountain seemed lonely and begging to be turned into a wishing well. (Photo on left)
Jango patiently waited while leaning against an authentic lava rock used for purifying water, a tradition now nearly extinct, but rain water still flows in this magnificent valley through lava beds and rocks. (Photo on right)
Purchasing machine stitched embroidered tee shirts and handmade bracelets from Vendors in this immediate area gave me yet another pleasant surprise while speaking with a craftsman and purchasing a small wood handcrafted bowl with a lid from him and then engaged in conversation of my trip in the past.
Twenty-eight years ago, at the Bamboo Village next to the Trelawny Beach Resort, I purchased several large carved heads from a vendor named Ken Brown. After telling the vendor my story of these purchases, he relayed he knew Ken Brown and that he now had his own shop; I asked him to let Ken Brown know of my visit as we had wrote and later emailed one another for several years.
There was more to see and most unexpected was a peacock who seemed to be quizzically starting at a British Army Cannon dating back to 1720, (earmarked as being from Lyssons, Saint Thomas), beneath the shade of a large tree, as seen in the photo on the left. Then Jango took me to another area where fresh rain water flowed through a small valley, naturally purifying the water to some extent by streaming through the rocks. (Photo in middle) We made our way to another area where I was able to scale a small ramp and entered into yet another very tropical area. (Photo on right)
An interesting view with an aquarium fashioned glass window (Left Photo) allowing people to see the natural aquarium filled with Koi carp, mullet, snappers and turtles, swimming beneath the surface of the shallow pond especially made for them with fresh water naturally changing and cleansing the pond daily. (Photo on Right)
Heading to the vehicle was nostalgic while admiring the poinsettia bush, (Left Photo), beautiful Anthurium, (Middle Photo), and the small flower Jango held in his hand for me to photograph. (Right Photo). The flower reminded me as a child, but now the name of it escapes memory; the flower could be used as a whistle if knowing how to do it, contained a sweet sap and delightful scent.
Milford Riverhead is fed by watersheds extending south for fifteen miles and filtered by limestone formations, rising at the rate of two million gallons of water daily. (Photo on Right) Even with all the beautiful flowers, ferns and other foliage, my interest piqued with seeing the natural flow of water and walls made by hand with stones found in this unique aged area that is now open to the public with excellent tours provided. Indeed, there were new attractions to see, after 28-years and where else would someone have the opportunity to see this magnificent blooming tree?
Sadly, but fulfilled with new insight, we left Mahoe Falls and the Coyaba Gardens and began a leisurely descend winding through turns along the road. Close to the noon hour (CST) Jango stopped to show me a large Banyan tree where swings hung from long ropes attached to a main branch and gentlemen quietly sat. (Photo on Right)
Shortly after noon, he stopped the van again, next to a school yard with a chain link fence. The children were surely on a lunch break and scurrying about the pavement, all dressed in matching uniforms while adults supervised the youngsters.
He droved another fifteen minutes along the winding road and then pulled over to stop. To my surprise, he knew exactly where to find my first request.
"Jill-in-the-Bush"
Jango deployed the lift, unfastened the tie downs and invited me outside. Next to the street, a Jamaican woman and her family had tables filled with an assortment of treasures, but it was her daughter who caught my surprise. "Jack-in-the-Bush could not be here today for you," she began to explain, as her daughter stood quietly next to her. "But I found Jill-in-the-Bush and she will dance and sing for you".
Without further ado, the arms of Jill-in-the-Bush began to move away from her body as if a bird in flight, while she twirled and danced, singing a song in unison with her mother. When her dance had finished, her mother explained that everyday a fresh set of greenery made primarily of ferns and an assortment of fresh flowers, were attached to the heavy frame and headdress that fit over "Jill's" shoulders. It was an unexpected visit and an honorable occasion after learning Jill-in-the-Bush continued the legacy of Jack-in-the-Bush. Jango knew exactly where she would be along the winding road while heading for yet another surprise.
Jango earlier asked me about coconuts and I explained to him that I grew up in the Hawaiian Islands and thought there was nothing better than soft "baby" coconut. Soon after, Jango pulled off the road again and approached three men in the shade of a tree with a table clearly displaying coconuts. He returned to the van, extending his hand with a fresh coconut neatly trimmed away from its shell with the soft coconut "meat" and a napkin. (Photo in Middle) The coconut was delicious and probably the first "baby" coconut eaten in a decade. After it was devoured, he returned with another coconut for me, with a straw to drink the milk from inside. Standing outside of the lift van, Jango drank the milk from his coconut while I took his photos, clearly showing coconut milk is good to the last drop! (Photos on left and right)
At approximately the same time, Bill and Rose Remeika, passengers from the same cruise, were off doing something they had never done before:
Rose had told me the night before during dinner that they were going to ride a camel while in Jamaica. "A camel? When did Jamaica start having camel rides?" I wanted to know. Rose's response was she didn't know, but she was by golly, going on the camel ride!
Unlike what one might not consider exactly a Jamaica experience, it certainly captured the attention of many tourists with a large array of other things to do in addition to riding a camel.
Even though this was not (perhaps) something exactly accessible for PWD requiring mobility devices, I thought it interesting and included photos taken of the two of them riding a camel. Research for this odd happening in Jamaica brought information that there was only one camel ride on the island, apparently established in 2005.
Additionally, a photo of Rose Remeika walking with what appears to be a donkey is shown above but I have not a clue as to where she obtained the gorgeous hat or if she stole it from the donkey.
Dunn's River Falls & Park
Exploding into a new look and greater access for PWD using wheelchairs, Dunn's River Falls and Park now offered paved roads, brightly colored buildings to explore with some having access and a platform to overlook the falls. This was certainly not the same view 28-years ago, when arriving in what resembled a converted school bus and entering a dirt path. Progress was indeed made, including an accessible bathroom.
The brightly painted buildings pulled my interest to wheel up the paved road and take a few photos of what could easily be seen. There were more building than what is shown here, but the fact remained, the falls were beckoning as well and they were the most important part of this stop, so I returned rather quickly while Jango waited so patiently.
From a smooth wooden platform photography taken reminded me that some things in life simply do not change, and in this case, no change was good. The tradition of walking in uniform, holding hands to form a chain while following a guide to conquer the trek from a low point up to a higher point remained. It was more than nostalgia for me and I found myself reminiscing with Jango while watching persons walk on top of large rocks, many wearing rubber soled shoes, simply was not done in years past.
Back then, in 1981, there remained the tradition of bare feet slipping and sliding on the slippery rocks while laughing at one self and others who fell into the cool water. There was no doubt it was now a matter of safety and common sense, but it still seemed a little odd to me while I watched the parade of people. In the photo on the left, a large group of people are walking toward the falls while holding hands. The middle photo, taken by Jan Ketonen, shows a better view of the falls from an area below the platform I was situated on and the photo on the right shows an entry area for people to begin the climb.
Too soon, it was 1:30 in the afternoon (CST) and Jango said we needed to head back to the ship. He let down the lift of the van and waited patiently for me to take one last photo of him.
While approaching the Reynolds bauxite installation, from an opposite direction, I suddenly saw part of the cruise ship I had arrived on docked at the James Bond Pier. Jango willingly pulled to a stop, backed up, and then took a photo for me with my camera.
Then I spied the cannons, at least four in a row - obviously a fort from years gone by, but we were now at the end of our journey and out of time. Jango willingly quickly backed up the vehicle again and snapped the photo of the fort.
I learned this structure built in the late 17th Century is called Ocho Rios Fort and has a threatening appearance to unwanted visitors from the sea.
Reinforcement of the Ocho Rios Fort occurred in 1780 while fearing an attack from the French, but it was not until 1795 when an enemy vessel appeared off the coast of Ocho Rios, spied the cannons, and then made an attack at Mammee Bay.
In recent years the Ocho Rios Fort was rebuilt by Reynolds Jamaica. Two of the original cannons remain and two more cannons, which defended Mammee Bay in 1795, are proudly in position at the Ocho Rios Fort.
The fort is directly in front of what was once called "the old port" and is today known as the "James Bond Pier".
In truth, there are two piers functioning in Ocho Rios for cruise vessels and the mystery of how these ports and docks are used is resolved with sincere appreciation to Belinda Nash who provided the photo below of a Princess Cruise vessel docked at the Main Cruise Pier in Ocho Rios.
Princess Cruise Vessel Docked at the Main Cruise Pier
Jango pulled into the parking area for the James Bond Pier and lowered the lift after undoing the tie down straps to the wheelchair. He gave me clear directors in order to return back to the vessel and we bid each other farewell. (Photo on right of Jango standing next to one of the vans with a rear lift.)
As I returned to the cruise ship, it occurred to me that Jango is undoubtedly one of the very best tour guides having lived all of his life in Jamaica and if you would like to hear him sing the favorite Jamaican songs he is so well known for, he will be happy to oblige you!
The major important thing I learned about Jango is he always adds at least one extra surprise during one of his tours of Jamaica. There are ten wheelchair accessible vehicles in their fleet and one of them can carry as many as four wheelchairs at the same time.
Additionally, through this travel I learned the Jamaican's expression of "No Problem, Mon" is often spoken and practiced whenever asking for a favor.
While not directly hearing these words spoken by Belinda Nash, her willingness to oversee this article was accurate and complete, obviously states the hospitality and sincerity of Jamaica Island flavor; the same as experienced throughout the entire ten day cruise. (Photo on left of Belinda Nash.)
When mixing it all together, this is what encourages persons with disabilities to seek perfect cruise lines and ports of call offering accessibility the same as what is offered to persons without disabilities.
In some scenarios, not everything may be perfect for land tours and the most important part of the travel remains the voyage.
For More Information on Tours Contact
Maxi Taxi Association
For the Physically Challenged
"Jango" George Wilson
Email
Telephone 876-544-7118
World Tours & Cruises 2004 Limited
Belinda Nash
Director of Operations
Email
Ocho Rios, Jamaica, W.I.
Telephone 876-974-5009
Disclaimer: Wheel Me On... or any Board Director of the non-profit organization and/or other person involved in creating this web page are not liable for any damages arising from content, suggestions, or mode of travel and have no obligation or liability for any claim based upon content of written material. Information provided on this web page is literary expressions to encourage persons with disabilities (PWD) to travel, so long as the PWD is capable of traveling and no intent of prescription or warranty is contained herein. PWD are encouraged to practice safety for their own physical requirements; tour companies, drivers and guides are not responsible for medical equipment or supplies.
The WMO Rating for this tour is posted in Members Only
January 2009 Accessible Tours to Five Countries Completed!
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At precisely 7 AM (CST) Crew Members deployed the ramp and began setting the stage for passengers to leave the vessel. The procedure taking them about fifteen minutes was interesting to watch from the promenade deck while waiting for my escort and scheduled tour appointment with World Tours & Cruises 2004 Limited. While waiting, I wondered what I would be shown and where the sandy beach I had last seen from the Island Village had disappeared too; where "Jack-in-the-Bush" (a man resembling a bush) would suddenly move and startle the tourists bringing motion of dance close to them.
At approximately 9 AM, my journey back to Jamaica began with Bobs Ferro, Senior Assistant Purser, on the Island Princess escorting me around the corner of the dock to meet "Jango" George Wilson, (later discovered an exceptional guide with over 25-years of experience), who would be taking me to places of interest on the island.
Immediately after meeting Jango, I met Belinda Nash, Director of Operations, World Tours & Cruises 2004 Limited, from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, who arranged the tours with Jango. After entering the rear lift of a high top van, Belinda Nash provided several pamphlets of places to see that would be accessible, but the first thing I asked was whether or not "Jack-in-the-Bush" still remained in Ocho Rios. At first, she looked at me quizzically, and then smiled and said something to Jango. Turning back to me she said, "Jango will see what he can learn". Unfortunately, another matter had risen and Belinda Nash was not able to join us on this venture, but later became a wealth of information for the completion of this article.
The beautiful gardens exploded with brilliant flowers and tropical ferns, shrubs and trees. Many varieties of Begonias, Ginger and Hibiscus were seen as pictured below. With a knowledgeable tour guide named Naldie Hardware, who worked exclusively at Coyaba Gardens and Mahoe Falls, this was a tour promising the unexpected with accessibility throughout the majority of the facility. This journey through the tropical gardens did not stop here; instead it exploded into additional exciting sights and other worlds in nature's settings.
