Jamaica is the land of Bob Marley and reggae music. A world wide sensation, Marley won a Grammy lifetime achievement award and his album Exodus was called the best album of the 20th century by Time Magazine. Many of his songs are familiar and “One Love” pops up every now and then in Jamaica travel commercials. Reggae is relatively new as far as Jamaican music goes, coming to prominence in the late 60s and 70s with artists such as Marley,…
Jamaican cuisine, as you can imagine, has a long list of influences from other cultures and continents. The early Spanish settlers, the African slaves, the Chinese and Indian workers who replaced them after emancipation and various European visitors have all left their mark on this island countries varied but distinctive cuisine. Let’s start with the Jamaican national dish, Ackee and Salt Fish. Ackee is the pear shaped fruit of an evergreen tree imported from West Africa in the 1700s. When…
Jamaica is an island that is famous the world over. It is a name almost everyone has heard, and for good reason. Reggae music, Jamaican rum, Blue Mountain coffee and jerk spice all come to mind when Jamaica is mentioned. But what is there to do and see if you go there? The many television commercials likely give the impression that sitting in a chair on a beautiful white sand beach with a cold drink as you stare at shimmering…
Christopher Columbus is credited with the discovery of the island of Jamaica. The year was 1494 and it was his second voyage to the New World. He is said to have exclaimed that Jamaica was the “fairest island eyes have beheld”. Later, on his fourth voyage, Columbus was given the opportunity to become better acquainted with the island when his ships were damaged by storms and he was stranded there for an entire year. The Spanish soon settled in and…
This month we visit the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Jamaica is the 3rd largest island of the Greater Antilles and the 3rd largest English-speaking country in the Americas. It is an island of lush tropical greenery, mountains reaching as high as 7,402 feet, plains, valleys, rivers, gorges and world class white sand beaches. The name Jamaica comes from the Arawak Indian word Xaymaca, meaning “land of wood and rivers”. It has perhaps the most spectacular scenery in the Caribbean and…