We headed back out on Highway A3 and on to our next stop. That next stop turned out to be along the coastline at Annotto Bay. And a few yards away sat an old railroad turntable. Just beyond it sat an old tanker car and a water tower. The collection of artifacts, if you will, resembled a rusting ‘museum’ of Jamaica’s rail history. I didn’t even know Jamaica had railroads in its past. Apparently it did, dating back to 1845. Various iterations of freight and passenger service have come and gone since then. Glen let me take as long as I wanted to explore the area.
From Highway A3, our excursion turned onto Highway A4 and headed toward Port Antonio. Though the temperature was rising by now, it was still mainly overcast with patches of blue sky here and there.
Our first stop in Port Antonio was the Errol Flynn Marina. We walked along the marina, pier, and docks. Again, Glen let me take as much time as I wanted, occasionally providing some information. Apparently this used to be one of the main ports for shipping bananas grown on the island. You’ve heard the Banana Boat Song, right? (“Daaaaay-o. Day-ay-ay-o”). That song had its origins here. Today it is a port for cruise ships. The rich and famous used to come here…and still do.
I spent some time taking in the sight of the yachts and sailboats in the marina, and the homes, condos, etc. that surround the area. While we were there, we were lucky enough to see the Coast Guard boat come in from a training exercise.
As we continued driving east, our ride was full of conversation. Glen told me a lot about Jamaica including places of interest and a little history. He filled in missing parts of stories I had heard. We discussed the news articles I had read. I brought up the topic of Air Jamaica. That led to a long exchange where both of us contributed facts and stories regarding the airline and its owners. After a while, traveling with Glen felt more like riding with my cousin as opposed to a tourist/driver association.
The dialogue between the two of us was going very well when Glen abruptly changed the subject and began talking about castles in the sky. I wondered, “What is he talking about? And why is he all of a sudden talking about castles?” He had this timed perfectly. As we came around a curve, a castle came into view. It’s called Trident Castle. Fittingly, fairytale weddings are held here. We stopped briefly on the side of the road for a couple of photos, and then continued on.
Frenchman’s Cove beach lay ahead. Apparently Frenchman’s Cove beach is a popular beach, yet I had not heard of it. It is a private beach on the grounds of the Frenchman’s Cove Resort. The beach itself is secluded and naturally protected. It is a very beautiful area with gentle waves rolling in. If you’re not staying at the resort, you can still access the beach by paying a small entrance fee.
Glen had planned for me to go swimming here, but I did not bring my swim trunks. So instead he waited while I walked around the beach and surrounding area. As I grabbed some photos, he showed me a couple of good vantage points. One included climbing out on a tree limb overhanging a river. As I crawled out there, I told Glen about the time I was on Maui at the Iao Valley. I was trying to take photos of the Iao Needle and managed to misstep, ending up with one leg planted solidly in a river similar to the one I was now hanging above. No such thing happened this time. I got my photos and returned safe (and dry) to the bank of the river.
The Blue Lagoon
From Frenchman’s Cove, we headed out to the Blue Lagoon. After a pretty short drive, we parked and headed down a pathway toward the water. It honestly did not look like much but, as you know, looks can be deceiving. One of the men working there came out of a small building. He and Glen talked for a bit, then Glen motioned me to come on down to the water. There we boarded a small motorboat.
The boat ride took us out of the lagoon and along the surrounding coastline. Though we were technically out on the open ocean, it was not nearly as rough as I expected. We passed by Monkey Island and Alligator Head. It was quite obvious how the latter got its name. We passed a number of very nice oceanfront homes, some with their own docks. One of them had a slide that launches you into the ocean. I would love to be able to stay in one of these homes for a week or two. They appear to be very secluded, largely visible only from the water. And they look very peaceful. Unfortunately, the boat did not stop here. Our short cruise returned back to the lagoon.
Blue Lagoon used to be called the Blue Hole. After the movie The Blue Lagoon came out, the name was changed. The movie was also filmed here, as were parts of Club Paradise. Glen showed me some of the locations where both movies were filmed.
The water here changes color depending on how the sun hits it or if there are clouds. Maybe because the sun was high in the sky by this time, I didn’t get to see much of the color variations in the water.
The reason this used to be called the Blue Hole is because there is a very deep portion near the back (I think) of the lagoon. Here you can see the darker blue color of the water. It was once thought to be bottomless. The depths have since been plumbed. I’m sure Glen knows how deep it is but he did not say. I guess to add to the mystery. I will follow his lead and not say how deep the lagoon is, but I did look it up after I got back home.
The Blue Lagoon is a very romantic place to go rafting. The rafts they use have flowers in bamboo containers on either side of the raft. Actually, the entire raft is made of bamboo, all except for the seat cushion. Your guide pilots the raft with a long pole slowly around the lagoon while you relax and enjoy the scenery. If I get a chance to return here with my wife, I will have to do this. And possibly swim here. I have heard that due to the runoff from the waterfalls and the inflow of water from the ocean, the different temperatures of the water in the lagoon can be like a spa treatment.
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