We completed the first of three certification classes for our new personnel last Saturday, it was a full week but very productive. We are conducting two classes this week to prepare our rookies to perform the full range of their new duties. Once they are certified on our equipment then the real training begins. They will continue to train on the job, for another 6 months or so before we complete their final evaluations.
Sunday morning, God forgive me, I had to work. We had to get the classes ready for this week, and finished at about 11:00am. With nothing on the schedule for the rest of the day, my visiting instructors asked where they could go to do some sightseeing. So I spent the rest of the day playing tour guide. After living here for almost 5 years I have become a reasonable facsimile of a decent Tour Guide; Hum…. maybe another career change in my future? I think not…. I have become accustomed to eating every day, and Jamaican tour guides don’t make enough to do that.
Anyway, I drove my guests to Ocho Rios, and since they have been to Jamaica before, we skipped the regular tourist spots, and instead I continued to drive around the north eastern side of the island, toward Port Antonio. We stopped at several spots for pictures and sampled some Jamaican food. We then headed to Frenchman’s Cove; this is my favorite beach on this Island.
(This is the castel in Port Antonio owned by a certain retired computer tycoon with the initials BG)
Frenchman’s Cove is a private, secluded beach that is set in a cove that is not accessible except by water or by privately owned land. The water is exceptionally blue, (the pictures don’t do it justice), and the cove is also an outlet for one of the mountain streams so the water pouring into the ocean is ICE Cold and crystal clear. The mix of the ice cold fresh mountain water and the bath warm salty ocean is exhilarating. When you wade into the waves you cross bands of water that are ice cold, then bath warm, then ice, then warm, etc.......
As with most visitors, my guests fell in love with this place and they are making plans to have their families join them after training ends, for a few days of R&R here. As for me, I again got to see this beautiful place through the eyes of a visitor. If I had to pick a favorite beach in the world, this would be at the top of the short list.
After spending some time here and eating a late lunch, we started back to Kingston, stopping from time to time to see the sights and getting snacks and stuff to drink. It was well after dark and very late when I got them back to their hotel.
By the way, as I said in the earlier reference about starving as a tour guide, they didn’t even tip me for my services, the nerve of some people ;-) Oh well, it’s good to know my instinct when it comes to my career choices is still in tact. Oh and did I mention, we all had a ton of fun? It was an adventure and they are still talking about it.
Until next time, Lata Mon.
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