For a brief orientation on what is most wonderful about Jamaica and its
people one need look no further than the
Jamaica National Flag. It was designed by a committee of the Jamaica
House of Representatives and first flew on August 6, 1962, Jamaican
Independence Day. The three colors and four triangles used in the design
are representative of the nations' past and future. Two green triangles
on the top and bottom stand for the hope of the people and the country's
agricultural bounty. The gold swaths that separate the triangles
embodies the wealth of natural resources and the sunlight that bathes
the island in a gilded aura and the two black triangles symbolize the
people and their legacy of strength and creativity.
All of these qualities can be found all over the island but to visit
Kingston is to explore the most culturally diverse and culturally rich
area in the country. Situated on the southeastern coast of the island
the Jamaican capital is also its largest city. Kingston was founded on
July 22, 1692 after an earthquake and tsunami destroyed Port Royal,
leaving more than 2,000 dead and the survivor's were forced to relocate.
Port Royal was established in 1518, 174-years before Kingston, but
Jamaica's biography begins long before that.
Jamaica is part of an extensive string of volcanic mountains that line
the bottom of the Caribbean Sea with mountaintops that, in some cases,
rise above the water and form islands. Jamaica rose and submerged
several times during its formation and limestone covered vast areas
forming caves and hidden rivers. The entire Caribbean is referred to as
the West Indies with Jamaica being one of a subset of islands known as
the
Greater Antilles.
The Arawak, or Taino, Indians arrived on the island around 2,500-years
ago from South America. They settled along the shoreline and fish became
a dietary staple. They grew cassava, cotton, tobacco and vegetables and
named the island Xaymaca after its chief resources, "wood and water." On
May 4, 1494 Christopher Columbus sailed into what is now St. Ann's Bay
on his second voyage but was unable to land. He sailed on to Discovery
Bay where he landed and claimed the island for Spain. Jamaica for the
next 15-years served as a provisioning base and point from which the
Spanish could mount conquests.
Columbus named the island Santiago, St. James, but the original name is
the one by which it has always been known.
Governor Juan de Esquivel and a group of settlers founded Sevilla la
Nueva in 1509 followed by other small villages. In the 1520s St. Jago de
la Vega was developed as the first capital with trade and government
functions taking place there.
Esquivel was responsible for the earliest slave trade when he
immediately began enslaving the island's indigenous people and sending
them to Hispaniola and Spain and retaining some to labor on the island.
Eventually, when the Arawaks and indentured servants proved inadequate
as workers the Spanish turned to African slavery as cheaper and
potentially providing an endless supply. The chief crop of the island,
and most of the Caribbean, was sugar, a crop that was so labor intensive
that the life expectancy was extremely short for workers.
King Ferdinand granted permission for Christian blacks to be transported
from Spain, not Africa, to Jamaica as slaves in 1501. Africans were not
brought into the colony until an asiento, a contract, allowed
importation of 4,000 blacks annually from Africa over a 4-year period.
King Charles I signed it in 1518 and by the early 17th-century
the island's population was 50% free and enslaved blacks. It is
estimated that more than 1-million slaves were transported to Jamaica
directly from Africa before the slave trade ended in 1834.
British forces landed in Jamaica
on May 10, 1655 under the leadership of Admiral William Penn, father of
Pennsylvania's founder, and General Robert Venables and claimed it for
England.
The Jamaican Assembly first met in Kingston in 1755 but, curiously,
documents fail to tell us where. In 1814 the Assembly moved to Hibbert
House and the government purchased the structure in 1872. Headquarters
House, as Hibbert is now known, was the Legislature's home until 1960
when it was relocated to George William Gordon House. Hibbert House now
houses the National Trust of Jamaica and the 2-story Flemish-bond
residence has been extensively remodeled.
http://www.jnht.com
The house, a masterpiece of 18th-century Jamaican
architecture, was constructed by Thomas Hibbert to win a bet as to which
of 4 planters could build the most stunning mansion. The prize was the
hand in marriage of the town beauty. Hibbert came to Jamaica in 1734 to
protect his family's interests in the slave trade and he became
personally wealthy doing it. He won the bet in 1755, declined the
marriage and formed a relationship with his beautiful, educated,
enslaved housekeeper Charity Harry. Charity and Thomas had 3 daughters,
all well educated, one of whom was an art student of Sir Joshua
Reynolds. Hibbert continued to own nearly 1,000 slaves on his plantation
properties. Charity was at his bedside when he died.
Gordon House, the Jamaican Parliament, Building, is located adjacent to
Hibbert House. The 2-story. L-shaped, contemporary building is named in
honor of national hero George William Gordon.
Born of an enslaved mother and a planter he became a self-taught lawyer,
landowner and political activist who urged resistance by the
underprivileged. He was charged with insurrection and treason
in relation to his
supposed role in an insurrection at Morant Bay. He was executed on
October 23,1865.
George Stiebel, Jamaica's first black millionaire, built Devon House in
1881 on the foundations of St. Andrew Parish Church's rectory. Stiebel
was the son of a black Jamaican housekeeper and a German Jew. He left
school at 14 to become a carpenter's apprentice and in his 20s his
father gave him money to help him purchase a ship to engage in trade. He
soon purchased more ships and engaged in legal trade as well as gun
running. In the 1850s he was aboard one of his ships when they sank
washing him ashore in Venezuela. He became a peddler there and
accumulated enough profit to become a gold trader and purchase shares in
a gold mine. Rich once more he returned to Jamaica and bought 99
properties because the law did not allow ownership of 100.
The Jamaican Georgian Devon mansion is a consistent recipient of
TripAdvisor's "Certificate of Excellence" and has been visited by
numerous international luminaries including Queen Elizabeth. Heritage
Tours are offered on weekdays and include 14 of the 24 rooms. The rooms
are fully furnished and highlights include an elegant staircase in the
vestibule, the Ballroom adorned with an original Wedgewood ceiling and
the Sewing Room featuring a staircase that could be pulled up hide an
upstairs gambling area. Outbuildings have been repurposed to serve as
Courtyard Shops. Both the food and libations are renowned and
National Geographic
designated Devon House the "4th Best Place to Enjoy Ice
Cream".
Lady Musgrave Road links many of the heritage sites but not Devon House.
When George Stiebel constructed the mansion Governor Lord Anthony
Musgrave's wife took umbrage at having to ride pass the home of a black
man. Her husband had a road cut for her, Lady Musgrave Road, so that she
would not have to feel humiliated.
http://www.devonhousejamaica.com
National Heroes Park is one of the most visited of the 36 National
Heritage Sites in Kingston. The area was once the site of the Kingston
Race Course and on
August 2, 1838 a large celebration was held here in recognition of the
total eradication of slavery and apprenticeship. In 1973 it became the
National Heroes Park and monuments were
erected to honor the island's seven heroes, Nanny of the Maroons, Paul
Bogle,
Alexander Bustamante,
Marcus Garvey,
George William Gordon, Norman W. Manley
and Sam Sharpe. Bustamante, Garvey and Manley are interred there.
In July of 2003
Laura Facey's controversial Redemption Song statue was dedicated in
Emancipation Park. Two 7-ft. bronze nudes, a male and female, stand
facing each other looking skyward. The dome-shaped base is etched with
Garvey's words that were incorporated in Marley's
Redemption Song, "None but
ourselves can free our minds".
Although slavery officially ended in the 1830s the underprivileged and
disenfranchised failed to gain opportunities. In 1914 Garvey established
the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and Back to Africa
movement. In 1930 Ras Tafari Makonnen, Haile Selassie, ascended the
throne of Ethiopia and was viewed as the fulfillment of a prophecy made
by Garvey. It is believed that Leonard Percival Howell founded
Rastafarianism in 1935, he wrote the first book on the subject,
The Promised Key,
and he is recognized as the first Rastafarian. Originally one of
Garvey's most important followers he deftly blended the teachings of
Garvey, veneration of Haile Selassie and inspired preaching to grow the
number of followers.
The most famous Jamaican and Rastafarian is Robert Nesta Marley, OM. He
was born in 1945 in Nine Mile, Jamaica but his life is well interpreted
in Kingston where he spent the majority of his life.
Jamaica's Central Housing Authority erected government housing on
200-acres in the 1940s called Trench Town. Renters were provided with
water, electricity and a shared kitchen and bathroom facilities for a
nominal fee. Apartments consisted of one or two 10-ft. by 10-ft. rooms.
Trench Town Culture Yard (TTCY) area was part of the "U" block of homes,
16 rooms with 16 families, around a communal courtyard. It was here that
11-year old Bob Marley and his mother moved in 1956 and it was here that
his legend began.
Bob Marley was taught to play the guitar by one of the residents,
Vincent Ford, the Wailers were formed here, he and Ford composed
No Woman No Cry
and he recorded his first album,
Catch a Fire. In 2007 TTCY was granted protected National Heritage
status.
http://www.bobmarley.com
Guided tours are regularly scheduled and are a wonderful experience.
Several of the rooms form a museum that exhibits photographs, artifacts
and makes clear the fact that a number of noted musicians, activists and
artists lived here, Marley was merely the most famous. On exhibit is
Marley's first guitar. Two rooms of particular note are Ford's room,
outfitted with a bed, walls covered with Biblical scripture, his
personal Bible turned to psalm 68 and the kitchen that was used by Bob
Marley as a bedroom featuring his original bed.
Marley's father, Captain Norval Marley, was a white Englishman in his
50s and his mother was 16. He never met his father and, as an adult, he
sought out his English family but they refused to acknowledge him.
Captain Marley's photograph is displayed.
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In the courtyard guests can take pictures with a statue of Marley and
the remains of his first car. Marley's early recording studio still
functions and if you visit on a recording day you are welcome to enter
the studio and watch.
http://www.trenchtowncultureyard.com
The Bob Marley Museum is part of a complex that includes a theater,
recording studios, cafe, exterior art exhibits and Marley's home from
1975 until his death from cancer at the age of 36 in 1981. The house was
purchased from his manager and retains original bricks, marble steps and
sashes.
Guided interior tours are 1.5-hours and showcase Marley's awards,
honors, career, personal items and lifestyle. Tours begin with the
biographical murals on the exterior and the statue in front of the
residence that includes portraits of Garvey and Selassie. Also
highlighted are his favorite spot to compose music and the place on the
porch where he held interviews. Showcased areas inside the museum are a
room wallpapered with articles that relate his career from 1973 to 1981,
a stage backdrop, bedroom in which he died, his kitchen still filled,
with his personal utensils and the studio in which he recorded 3 albums.
The last stop on the tour is a visit to the rehearsal room where the
assassination attempt was made on his life in December 3, 1970 accessed
through the yard.
http://www.bobmarleymuseum.com
Bob Marley founded Tuff Gong International in 1965 and gave the
enterprise his nickname. It is a full-service, state-of-the-art
recording studio and tours can be arranged. tuffgong.com
Three of the most important anchors of Jamaica's culture and heritage
are the richness of the language, the cuisine and the music. These
unique aspects of the island's traditions will be a focus of our sojourn
as we continue in Kingston and then travel to Port Antonio for
experiences that take us deeper into the island's legacy.
Colorful speech is found throughout the island and even though English
is the official language Jamaican Patois, or Creole, is heard
everywhere. It is this combination of English and African that resulted
from the need for the English to communicate with the enslaved and for
communication with each other. Many of the words migrated into the
language when there was an African designation and the slaves either
preferred to use it or there was no comparable word. In the 1950s the
Rastafarians introduced their own linguistic variations based largely on
their belief system as well as creating new words and reggae music uses
this language, symbolism and philosophy to both entertain and promote
social awareness.
The same year Columbus anchored in Jamaica he brought sugarcane cuttings
from the Canary Islands and set into motion a series of events that
would impact the world economy forever. By the 1600s molasses, a residue
of the boiling of the sugar cane to create sugar, the most important
Caribbean product, had become a problem. A pound of molasses was
leftover from two pounds of sugar and some planters turned to dumping it
in the sea because so much was left. It is believed that around 1620 on
Barbados they began to use the residual molasses to make alcohol.
Rum's first documented mention dates from 1652 when rumbullion is
referred to as kill-devil, a distilled molasses drink. The general
consensus is that rum is an abbreviation of the English word
"rumbullion" meaning a big commotion and within 2-years nearly 1-million
gallons was made yearly in the Caribbean. It would become an important
trade item, often used in lieu of hard currency, and a crucial factor in
the 3rd leg of the triangle trade. In the 1800s Jamaica
became the leading rum distillers with 148 distilleries in 1893. Today
Jamaica's six distilleries produce the greatest number of varieties of
rum internationally and by 2016 Jamaican rum will have attained the
prestigious GI certification indicating that its quality and
characteristics are directly attributed to its place of origin.
Nassau Valley's Appleton Estate was first cited as a rum-producing
estate in 1749 106-years after the Appleton Estate was granted to the
Dickson family. The geographical features of the valley, spring water,
limestone hills, climate and the fact that Appleton controls the process
from the "cane to the cup" have made the Jamaican Appleton Rums famous.
In 1845 a non-family member purchased the estate and in 1916
J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. became the owners.
Joy Spence was appointed the Master Blender in 1997, the first female in
the spirits industry to attain this position worldwide. She received a
Bachelor of Science Degree with First Class Honors, a Master of Science
degree with Honors and the highest final exam scores ever achieved by
any student at her university.
Tours of the Appleton Estate in Nassau Valley are offered as well as
Spirits training at the JWN Academy in Kingston.
The Kingston Academy offers blending classes by pre-arrangement
that include a film and comprehensive information on Appleton Rum
qualities and production.
http://www.jwnacademy@camperi.com
You have not eaten in Kingston if you have not dined at Scotchies Tree
New Kingston, a true Jamaican experience. Diners eat in thatch-roofed
gazebos set in an outdoor garden surrounded by lush foliage and exotic
flowers. Scotchies' menu reads like a list of all of the dishes that are
unique to Jamaica and Caribbean culture and visitors have the
opportunity to watch the food being cooked on a traditional wood-smoking
grill. The restaurant is most famous for its delicious jerk chicken and
pork. Historically
West African Coromantee hunters roasted wild pigs in pits using a blend
of seasonings and spices that were unique and largely kept secret. Later
Maroon communities commonly used this method of cooking. Other favorites
served here are steamed fish, roasted breadfruit and the national dish,
ackee and salt fish. The ackee is the fruit from a West African tree,
"Akye Fufo",
brought to Jamaica in the 1700s.
The next stop on our cultural and heritage tour is Portland Parish,
approximately 60-miles from Kingston on the northeastern coast of the
island. It is far less urban than most of the other parishes and allows
visitors to experience Jamaica's raw beauty from the 7,402-ft. Blue
Mountains down to the shores of the sea. The capital city, Port Antonio,
was established in the 1680s but the parish dates from 1723.
Jamaica's first inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site was the Blue and
Jim Crow Mountains. They cover 33% of the island and are home to 200
bird and 500 plant species and are increasingly renowned for the famous
Blue Mountain Coffee. Views of the mountains are terrific as you pass
along the road.
http://www.bluemountaincoffee.com
You know you are in Portland when you reach
Dickie's Best Kept Secret, a restaurant cut into and built along side
the cliffs. Owner Dickie Butler built it by hand and crafted most of the
furnishings. The restaurant has several levels and a set of steps that
lead to the beach. An experienced chef, Dickie cooks all the food and
reservations are mandatory. The food is so fresh that when making your
reservation if you specify fish they go out and catch it. Dinner here is
a bucket list experience.
Port Antonio is credited with being the "Birthplace of Jamaican
Tourism", an outgrowth of its once being the "Banana Capital of the
World". It was a shipping
port for bananas and the inspiration for "Day-O", or "The Banana Boat
Song" and it is said that tourists hitched a ride here on the banana
boats arriving from the US.
http://www.portantoniojamaica.com
American film star Errol Flynn gets some of the credit for increasing
the region's popularity when in 1942 he was forced by a storm to anchor
his yacht on the island. He traveled to Port Antonio by motorcycle and
was captivated by its unspoiled beauty. He moved here permanently in
1950 and the rich and famous flocked to the area.
Rio Grande River Rafting as recreation, introduced by Flynn, is a
tourist magnet. Rafting tours are approximately 2-hours long and are
poled by raft captains. Originally the bamboo rafts were used to carry
bananas from the interior to the seaport. Visitors are transported
through stunning scenery on 30-ft. long rafts that seat two. Elizabeth
Taylor and Richard Burton were known to spend the entire day rafting the
river valley using 4 rafts, one for them, one for food, one with a bar
and one with musicians. Feel free to duplicate the experience.
explorejamaica.com.jm/rio-grande-rafting-jamaica
Trident Castle,
in Turtle Crawl Bay, is the sole castle in the entire Caribbean. The
Austrian Baroque structure was built in the 1980s for a German Baroness
but ownership subsequently passed to the Levy family. It can be rented
and the list of international celebrities who arrive on the property via
helicopter for a secluded villa vacation inspires awe. The castle is as
photogenic as it is legendary. castleportantonio.com
Jon Baker of Gee Street Records founded GeeJam Recording Studio in Port
Antonio in 2000. Tours of the state-of-the art studio, designed to
provide the complete production process, can be arranged.
Recording took place at all hours and performers began staying in
bungalows on the property and today Geejam Hotel is a much-awarded
luxury boutique resort. This is one for the glitterati but specials are
available online. geejamhotel.com
The Blue and Jim Crow Mountains were designated a UNESCO site based
partially on their place in cultural history as an area of sanctuary and
sustenance to the Maroons fleeing colonial rule and slavery. The
indigenous Taino Indians were the first to seek refuge in the mountains,
followed by slaves. "Maroon" is derived from the Spanish word cimarron
meaning "wild", used to describe those who fled and fought back.
When the English conquered the island in 1645 they commanded the Spanish
to surrender all their goods, including their slaves, and vacate the
island. Some Spanish and many of the slaves fled into the hills and
waged a guerilla campaign. The Spanish formally turned Jamaica over to
the British in 1655 and the island became a lucrative slave-trading
center. Although money was generated from the trade the enslaved and
Maroons exacted a cost. Between 1680-1785 more than 600,000 slaves were
imported, there were 16 slave rebellions before 1813, uprisings in
1816, 1823 and 1832 and by the 1820s more than 2,500 runaways were
documented annually. The Maroons, refusing reenslavement, became a
well-trained, organized fighting force and because of their location in
the hills they could strike any plantation and their mountain fortress
was difficult to attack.
Nanny of the Maroons, a warrior, leader and priestess, now one of
Jamaica's National Heroes was enslaved on the islands. It is believed
she was a member of the Ashanti Tribe from Ghana and she was brought to
Jamaica in the late 1680s. By 1720 she and her brothers had escaped and
she had established a settlement in the mountains. Once there the
Maroons established an Afro-centric community that maintained
traditional African customs and values. After numerous attempts to
overcome the settlement the British signed a treaty with Nanny's brother
over her objections and Nanny and her followers moved to another site
and established New Nanny Town in 1739.
New Nanny Town was closely guarded and once anyone crossed the Black Rio
Grande River they were watched. If they reached Watches Hill an abeng, a
cow horn blown from the side that can be heard over 10-miles away, was
used to sound a warning. The abeng functioned as a war horn and method
of communication. It continues to be played at festivals, funerals and
community assemblies. The name comes from the Akan word for horn.
New Nanny Town, now Moore Town, is 11-miles from Port Antonio and
continues to be inhabited by descendants of the original Maroons. A
colonel and a 24-member council govern the town. The current colonel,
Wallace Sterling, has served voluntarily for over 20-years. Guided tours
of New Nanny Town can be arranged or visitors can embark on a
self-guided tour. The Cultural Center should be the first stop for
information, to view a small display of artifacts and to purchase
crafts. Guided tours offer an opportunity to see a call and response
music and dance performance specific to Moore Town Maroons. Two drums,
Kromanti, are anointed
with rum, as both a gift to the gods and to lubricate the skins. One
drum plays the rhythm and the other is used for improvisational beats.
The drums and songs are more than 250-years old.
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The highlight of a visit to Moore Town is a stop at the Bump Grave,
where Nanny is interred. A stone monument has been erected, inscribed
and placed on a stone patio with an inset of an abeng imbedded in the
ground. http://www.mooretown.weebly.com
Goblin Hill Villas is situated on picturesque San San Bay in Port
Antonio and offers 12-acres of accommodations, beaches, tennis courts, a
pool and exotic flora and fauna. Villas are fully furnished and are
staffed with a housekeeper who, in addition to general housekeeping
duties, will prepare meals. The panoramic views here are stunning and
Goblin Hill has been listed as being "the
best place to watch the sunset".
http://www.goblinhill.com
Club Kingston at the Norman Manley International Airport gives
visitors a chance to extend their trip just a little more. For a fee
guests can avail themselves of departure services including open bar,
bountiful buffet, business services, video games, shower facilities and
special boarding privileges. Noted Jamaican artists' works decorate the
Club and a variety of reading materials are offered. This is a
particularly good choice if you have a long wait for your flight.
vipattractions.com/club-kingston.php
Now is the time to start planning your visit.
http://www.visitjamaica.com
JOY'S COCKTAIL, created and enjoyed by Master Blender, Joy
Spence, herself.
1 part Appleton Estate Reserve Blend
3 parts ginger ale
Slice of orange
5 drops Angostura bitters
Orange peel (garnish)
Squeeze the orange slice into a lowball glass, and then drop
it in the glass and muddle it. Add ice, build in remaining
ingredients and stir.
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