Jamaica

Kathryn Lemmon

On our first day, we had a fleeting brush with fame. Rumor had it that actress Jane Seymour was staying at the estate of Ian Fleming, known as "Goldeneye." Several of our fellow guests, including a retired couple from Seattle, had seen her lounging at the resort’s beach bar. They couldn’t wait to tell their friends back home. I kept my eyes open, but alas, we were not so fortunate.

We were staying at a luxury property on the sea in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. During our six-night stay, the weather never varied-it was 85 degrees and sunny every day. How can you improve on that?

True James Bond fans will no doubt already know about the Ocho Rios connection. Ian Fleming built a house on a 30-acre property by the sea in Ocho Rios and named it "Goldeneye." He wrote his best-selling James Bond series while there. Many scenes and plot details are rooted in the Jamaican landscape that surrounded him. Fleming got the name for his dashing hero from the author of Birds of the West Indies, James Bond.

Fleming felt creatively indebted to Jamaica. He once commented, "Would these books have been born if I hadn’t been living in the gorgeous vacuum of a Jamaican holiday? I doubt it."

In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Fleming invited friends to his beautiful estate. "Goldeneye" became well known on the cocktail circuit of high-flying movie stars, writers and famous faces. Ah, the glamour era of jet-setting celebs-those lost days when air travel was a new and exotic thing.

Back in the present day, we set out to see what drew Fleming-and many others-to Ocho Rios. Our mornings held activities, while the afternoons were all sun and relaxation. Located on DaCosta Drive, the restaurant at The Ruins makes a scenic stop for lunch. Created in the 1960’s by an American physician, The Ruins is not the remains of anything, although it definitely looks the part. The structures are just one man’s whimsical creation. The Ruins combines a lush, tropical setting, excellent food and a natural waterfall. You can dine in the courtyard area, just a few feet from rushing falls. The river begins at a higher elevation and continues downward, over the falls and then under the road emptying into the Caribbean Sea. This venue has had several owners, but the current restaurant opened last September. I sampled several local dishes, including festival, a deep-fried dough with a hint of sweetness and fried plantains, a Jamaican staple. Afterward, we followed a paved path up into thick foliage to get a better look at the rushing water.

Like The Ruins, sounds of flowing water create an agreeable atmosphere at Coyaba River Gardens and Museum. This spot serves as an example of why Ocho Rios and the entire St. Ann’s parish are known as the "Garden Parish" of Jamaica. All types of tropical plants and flowers flourish in the warm Jamaican sunshine. Coyaba is an Arawak Indian word for "heaven" or "paradise."

Our guide, Rainford Thomas, walked us through this aromatic place, beginning with a brief stop at their small museum. Inside are displays and artifacts related to those who have inhabited the area. The 19th-century, cast-iron man trap looked capable of holding a human. Also inside are tributes to Jamaican heroes Robert Mosiah Garvey and Robert Nesta Marley, labeled as "Famous Sons of St. Ann."

Rainford pointed out bright-red ginger lilies, and strange looking lobster claw plants, which feel plastic to the touch. He explained the origins of the name for traveler’s palm, one of my favorites. According to Rainford, the plant comes from a desert setting. It collects water in its fronds for future use and in a pinch, thirsty travelers could avail themselves. Supposedly the plant also grows only east-west or north-south; therefore, travelers can ascertain their direction.

Our next stop was Wassi Art, a workshop and showroom of local artisans creating handmade ceramics. What began as a hobby now employs fifty people. Complete artistic freedom is their credo; hence, you see a wide variety of styles represented. Their showroom contains everything from primitive pots to whimsical figurines. The bulk of Wassi’s terracotta clay comes from the Blue Mountain range.

For years, climbing Dunn’s River Falls has been "the thing" to do when in Ocho Rios. Even if you don’t climb, go in for a look and a cool drink. Blue-shirted guides still assist climbers making their careful ascent on waterfalls so perfect you would swear they were created by Hollywood rather than nature. We watched with amusement as one fellow dropped his cell phone into the river. Perhaps no one told him climbing Dunn’s River Falls was on the agenda for the day.

Perched on the cliff side, close to Dunn’s River Falls, is a new water attraction called Dolphin Cove. As the name implies, you can have an up-close and personal experience with friendly bottlenose dolphins in an enclosed environment. Trainers and dolphins relocated from Mexico for this attraction. Depending on your budget and your wishes, three options are available: Touch Encounter; Encounter Swim; and Swim With Dolphins. Reservations are a must for any of these programs, especially when cruise ships are in port. The Swim With Dolphins option allows the most interaction with these beautiful creatures, but we opted for the Encounter Swim. Our group held the maximum eight persons, amongst them four adolescent girls sporting the braided hair so popular in Jamaica. Giggly and nervous, the girls did fine once in the water. The program consisted of a great deal of commentary about the creatures as we bobbed about in our lifevests and flippers.

The trainer stood on a platform above, using hand signals and a whistle to guide the dolphins. In the grand finale, we each had one-on-one time with a dolphin for much touching and kissing. Yes, I kissed her rubbery chin several times. It ended all too quickly.

Other options at Dolphin Cove include a small, human-made beach area, a guided jungle tour and a lunch buffet. Free lockers are available to hold your belongings while you have your dolphin experience. Their gift shop contains many dolphin-related items to remind visitors of the experience. While you are in the water, staff members take still shots and video, which you can purchase to take home.

Also fairly new to Ocho Rios is Cranbrook Flower Forest. Known mainly to the locals, this oasis of serenity teems with tropical flowers and plants, covering about 136 acres. The Little River runs through the park, and it is also dotted with several tranquil ponds. This is the place to take a picnic lunch and get away from the cruise-ship hordes. Cranbrook is open every day.

Always seeking a bit of antiquity, I requested a look at Seville Great House, built in 1745. This building and the surrounding grounds contain many layers of history, beginning one-thousand years before Columbus came in 1494. From the Taino Indians to enslaved Africans, to Spanish and English, various peoples have trod this part of the island. Each left behind bits of their civilization for future generations to unearth.

On a typical day early in May 1494, the Tainos got a visit from the first European to see the soil of what we now call Jamaica. History records Columbus called the spot, "The most beautiful place I have ever laid eyes upon." He lived at this place, which he called Sevilla La Nueva, for over a year. The great house sits on a rise, with an excellent view to the sea. The rooms are vacant now, no period furnishings to be seen, but it does contain an exhibit. Guides take you around to the displays and point out the artifacts which have been excavated. Only about 30 percent of the area has been excavated, while the other 70 percent awaits archaeologists. Several cases hold items recovered from the sea, since divers have made repeated attempts to locate two ships lost by Columbus. No luck yet.

The exhibit at Seville Great House is looking a bit dated and those in charge hope to soon have the funds to give this bit of history the attention it deserves; nevertheless, it is educational. In a rather odd twist, the last private owners of the estate are buried just off the front yard.

Prospect Plantation sat next to our resort, so we opted for a look. You can sign up for a guided jitney ride around the property, to learn about the trees and plants. It is a bouncy ride with a nice breeze.

It is impossible to discuss Jamaica without mentioning the food. A term you will see repeated everywhere on the island is "jerk"-jerk chicken, jerk fish, jerk goat, jerk beef- with every menu offering jerk meat of some kind. If that is not enough, there are roadside stands anywhere you travel offering "jerk" take-away. Jerk consists of marinating the meat in a special sauce, then slow cooking it, usually on an open grill.

This cooking process has been around since the time of the Maroons, the descendants of escaped slaves. It is the signature dish of Jamaica. I can honestly say I have never eaten anything quite like it, and the meat is extraordinarily tender. Every restaurant has its secret recipe for jerk sauce, with the secret closely guarded.

It is no secret that you will enjoy Ocho Rios, for it offers the best of what Jamaica has to offer.

Hoosier native Kathryn Lemmon writes on travel, health and money.