Christmas decorations start going up on stores, office buildings and private homes in New York City right after Thanksgiving. The decorations are sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate. No matter, they put a smile on my face and help me get into the spirit of the season. I’m sure they do the same for others, which is why there are usually scores of people milling around. Each Christmas, this building on 6th...

One of the sure signs that Christmas is around the corner is the flowering of the pigeon peas. Also known as gandules, they are called gungo or pigeon peas here in Jamaica and are the essential ingredient in the rice and peas dish most families prepare on special occasions and, in particular, on Christmas Day. The pigeon pea originated in eastern India and was brought to east and west Africa, and...

I was so taken by this boat – its color and design, and the way it contrasted with the blue of the water – that I had to take a photo. It also gave me the idea for today’s Travel Photo Thursday post. Here are a few other ‘boat’ photos I found in my archives. Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need: a homely...

Doors cover entrances. They provide protection, separate one space from another, and allow free movement in and out. They can be small or large, ornate or plain, narrow or wide, keyed or sliding, swinging or revolving, open or closed. They can even be false. Doors can be made of wood, iron, glass or mesh, and have knobs, handles, pulls, plates or nothing at all. Whatever their composition or design, they...

Approximately 5,000 couples get married in Jamaica each year making it one of the sought after locations for destination weddings. With miles of white sand beaches, historic great houses, and beautiful gardens, it’s no surprise that the island has been voted among the most romantic wedding destinations, and counted among the Caribbean’s and world’s leading honeymoon destinations. Jamaica makes it simple for straight couples planning a destination wedding. There are...

Rockfort Mineral Baths is located in East Kingston, at the foot of the Long Mountain. It includes an historic military fort which gave the area its name. The complex operates as a subsidiary of the Caribbean Cement Factory. The fort was constructed around 1694 to defend the island. Though it has been around since the 17th century, the mineral spring was discovered only in 1907 following the earthquake which caused extensive...

Last week, I waited anxiously for Hurricane Sandy to arrive here. Though western and central Jamaica were spared miraculously, when Sandy changed course, the eastern side bore the brunt of the damage and large parts of it are now disaster areas. This week, I’ve been glued to the television, once again feeling powerless, switching from one channel to the next, looking in absolute disbelief at the images from my other...

The Wag Water River in the eastern parish of St. Mary is, to me, one of Jamaica’s more interesting rivers. It rises in the mountains of St. Andrew, flows for just over 36 kilometers through St. Mary and empties into the sea west of Annotto Bay, in the parish. The Wag Water, which used to be called Agua Alta, is one of two rivers that supply water to Kingston, the...

Devon House is a Georgian style mansion that was built in 1881 for George Stiebel, Jamaica’s first black millionaire. Though having a German Jewish father, Stiebel’s mother was black and in photographs, he appears to have more of his mother’s color. Stiebel was born in 1820. When he was 20, Stiebel’s father, Sigismund, gave him start up money to buy a ship which he used to transport cargo between North and...

The Oakton House, a stately wooden structure caught my eye. Located in Half Way Tree, Kingston, it’s a stone’s throw from the Old Courthouse that I wrote about a few posts ago. It was probably built in the 19th century, during the height of Jamaica’s Georgian period (1702-1910), but no records have been found to show who the original owner was.