Jamaica, Montego Bay Arrival
Reminiscing about the very first island I visited many years ago is like wondering about the first girl I ever kissed; how have things changed over time since I last saw her? Jamaica was the island that was my very first trip to the Caribbean back in 1984. Since then, I have traveled to many others, but few with the magic of Jamaica. Now, 27 years later, I had an opportunity to make a quick trip to return to the place that addicted me to island travel. It was time to see, “WHAT’S UP MON”?
For this visit, I was on a “soft adventure” trip with a group of fun travel bloggers from N. America. “Soft Adventure” is one that is filled with plenty of activities, but stops short of anything too stressful.
The Delta flight from Atlanta is ready to go!
Travel to Jamaica from the central U.S. on either American Airlines or Delta is relatively easy. The flights land in Montego Bay which is the entry point for travel to either the north shore or Negril. It is an island with stunning tropical beauty.
A beautiful stream at the base of the Jamaica Bobsled Run
The airport at Montego Bay has done a good job keeping up with modern air travel. They did a lot of remodeling 4 years ago. The customs and immigration process is very easy. There are plenty of transportation options to the hotels, if not previously arranged.
On this particular trip, my HQ was Montego Bay. My hotel, Iberostar Rose Hall Grand, had arranged transportation. It is a short 20 minute ride by bus or taxi from the airport. My next post will give you a glimpse of the hotel property.
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Conch Fritters Restaurant-Nassau, Bahamas
If you have traveled much in the Caribbean there is a good chance that you have had an opportunity to try one of the food staples of the area….Conch. Conch is the delicious meat that comes in that big beautiful shell that grows under the water on the sandy bottom of the Caribbean.
We love conch and look for any opportunity to dine on it. The Bahamas is one of the many places in the Caribbean where it is easy to find this tasty morsel.
It can be prepared in a variety of ways: in chowders, fried, cracked, conch fingers, raw, pecan encrusted, marinated, fritters, boiled, burgers, stews, etc, etc, etc. I think at one time I counted I had eaten it 14 different ways. Hmmmm…I wonder if there is such a thing as a conch hot dog? Maybe someone reading this blog has some suggestions in different ways to prepare it. Conch lovers unite!
On a recent trip to Nassau we discovered a restaurant named “Conch Fritters” located on Bay Street right across from the British Colonial Hilton Hotel. It’s hard to resist a restaurant named “Conch Fritters.” Yes, it was time for an overdose of our favorite food! Here is a pic of the outside.
Conch Fritters restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas-the place to eat conch
Conch Fritters is a half bar-half restaurant. From the looks of the clientele, my guess is that it gets a little noisy and crowded in the evenings, but we were there for lunch. They have quite a selection of of conch. Here is a partial photo of their menu. Check it out for yourself.
Conch Fritters menu in Nassau
To get things started. We quickly put our chompers into an order of conch fritters with a dipping sauce. Wait for those fritters to cool off, because those puppies are hot! Sorry, I started eating them before I took a photo. From there, it was an order of conch chowder that was absolutely some of the best I have ever had. It had just enough pepper (or something else) in it to give it that Caribbean kick. It was so good; I had to resist just chugging it out of the bowl!!
Hot, steamy bowl of Conch chowder at Conch Fritters' in Nassau
Finally, we were ready for our main course of “cracked conch”, which resembles an order of calamari. It comes with a side order of fried potatoes and cole slaw. Again, there was a dipping sauce for the conch. Does this look good or what?
Nothing better than a plate of cracked conch at Conch Fritters' in Nassau
Needless to say, after that meal we were stuffed, but at least our conch appetite had been satisfied! It was another great meal in the Bahamas! The tab for the three orders plus a couple of bottles of water was right as $50. They automatically include a 15% gratuity on the check.
The check for conch at Conch Fritters' restaurant
If you arrive on a cruise ship, you will have plenty of time to walk to the restaurant and stuff yourself on conch. If you are getting off a cruise ship, turn right on the main shopping street and continue to walk until you get to the curve in the street (about 5 blocks). You will see it on the left. You can rest assured that you will enjoy one of the great foods of the Caribbean.
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Copan Ruinas, Honduras-a dangerous fall while leaving Honduras
After a week of successful studies at Ixbalanque Spanish School, and recovering from a respiratory illness for stupidly wading through dirty, muddy, flood waters in the streets, I thought the rest would be easy. Wrong!!
Central American countries don’t have any OSHA oversight, so you have to use a little intelligence on your own.
In the town of Copan Ruinas, You need to watch where you walk. There are some holes in the street grates, sidewalks, and some very poorly designed steps. Some of the streets have inclines as illustrated by this photo:
tough sidewalks to navigate in Copan Ruinas, Honduras
My last day in Copan, I was hurrying back to the school to pick up something I had left behind. I was trying to be really careful, but just before I got to the school, I slipped down some slick steps and twisted my ankle really bad. I had not had anything hurt like that in a long time.
On the way home, I saw a store owner who recognized me and asked what had happened. He said there was a clinic in town, but he would not recommend it. I hobbled home and just fell into bed in pain. I was supposed to leave on a bus the next morning at 4:45 a.m.
There was a small store across the street from my house and after I awoke I limped over to buy some Ibuprofen–the pharmacies were all closed. The owner was very concerned about me when I told him I had to walk 4 blocks to the bus station with my suitcase early the next morning. He cautioned me that it would dark and in my shape, I could easily fall. He said he would get up at 4 a.m. and carry my bag for me and made sure I got there safe. Needless to say I accepted.
When I got up the next a.m. I could barely walk. Thank goodness, the store owner was sitting outside the door of my house waiting for me as promised. He helped me to the station and made sure I got on the bus.
From Copan, I traveled 3 hours by bus back to the station in San Pedro Sula. On the bus, I met another student who offered to help me get back to the airport. I was glad for the assistance.
When I arrived in Oklahoma City, bruised, battered, and limping, my wife met me at the airport and just looked at me and said “when are you going to learn?”
In spite of everything, on the way home, I just smiled to myself and thought about the challenges of the trip and how I managed to survive everything and have such great memories.
P.S.-BTW-it was a bad ankle sprain and it took several months to heal. It still gives me a little trouble from time to time.
Ok, I have some other trips to write about. I will start those next week.
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
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Recovering in Copan Ruinas, Honduras
After I got caught in the thunderstorm walking back from the ruins that I mentioned in my previous post, I was pretty well soaked to the skin. Remember, I had to wade the streets in some fast rising dirty water. The next day, I got pretty ill with a respiratory infection. Maybe I picked up something from the flooded streets. I will probably never know.
You can see from the photo below, how sloped the streets are and believe me, water can run through them quite fast.
The sloped streets of Copan Ruinas
In any event, Jessina, my teacher at the school accompanied me to the pharmacy to buy anti-biotics. In Honduras, you don’t need a prescription for many drugs.
It took a couple of days for me to recover, but once I did, I had time to reflect back on some of the errors I had made trying to navigate that brutal thunderstorm and it’s aftermath. I should have carried my little travel umbrella, and I should not have waded through the dirty water in the streets. Lesson learned!
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
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Copan Ruinas Honduras-My family life
When you live with a local family, which I have done many times in Latin America, the experiences are always varied–that’s what makes it so fun. The school I was attending, Ixbalanque Spanish School set up the family stay.
Trini, the maid that worked at the house where I was staying, was a very nice person. She had a very cute little girl about 2 years old that stayed with her while she worked. The little girl always seemed to be curious about the stranger(me) that always came to the meals.
Here is a photo of Trini and her daughter:
Trini and her daughter in Copan Ruinas, Honduras
Trini had told me that she only had 4 photos of her little girl, so with Trini’s permission, I spent some time taking photos of her daughter and took them to a little photo store to get developed. Yes, even in the small town of Copan Ruinas, Honduras there is a way to get photos printed.
Here are some cute photos of her daughter.
Trini's daughter in Copan Ruinas, Honduras
Trini's daughter always like to look out the door to see what was going on
Ms. personality always had a cute smile for everyone
I gave Trini 12 different photos, so in the end she had a total of 16 photos of her daughter when I left Honduras.
Copan Ruinas, Honduras-A night at Jim’s Pizza
Normally, I am dedicated to eating only the local food wherever I might be. However, Ron, one of the other students from the school had suggested we break from routine and head to the only pizza joint in the town of Copan Ruinas, Honduras, Jim’s Pizza. Really glad we did. We were the only customers there. Jim is a heavy set ex-pat who drinks beer and watches tv from the restaurant. Here is a photo of he and I. He is the one on the right.
Copan Ruinas Honduras-Jim's and I at Jim's Pizza
Jim is one of those guys that is your immediate friend. He entertained us for two hours and told us everything we wanted to know about Honduras, and then some. He had been here for around 5 years. Turns out his family used to be from Tulsa, so we really hit it off. I got the complete inside scoop about everything going on in town. All the good dirt.
The pizza wasn’t bad, but the conversation was priceless. You could not buy that type of chatter anyplace in the world. It was a great two hours and I was asleep by 9 p.m.
Copan Ruinas-The Mayan Ruins. Honduras Part 3
Not only is it fun and educational to walk around the open ruins with a guide, but also located on the grounds is a museum that has a lot of replicas of different artifacts that have been discovered at the ruins over the years. Don’t make the mistake of just visiting the ruins and leaving. There is also a nice little café and a good souvenir shop on the grounds.
Ok, one more thing: remember what I said about the bi-lingual guides? Even though I was enrolled in Spanish school, I asked for the tour to be in English. I did that because the Mayan history is a little complicated and I didn’t want to miss anything. Just don’t tell my teacher!!Here is a photo of the outside of the museum on the grounds.
Here is the museum building
Now, here are some photos of the inside:
Inside the museum of Copan Ruinas
Another view of inside the museum
some copies of famous works uncovered at the Copan Ruinas
some of my ancestors from Copan Ruinas
lots of displays inside the museum of Copan Ruinas
All in all, the museum is a great place to escape the intense sun and heat. Everything on display is well documented with explanations. Don’t worry if it is a replica or not. The idea is to educate you about the Maya.
When it comes time to go back to town, don’t cop out by grabbing one of the tuk-tuk taxis. Copan Ruinas is not the place for whiners!! Take the time to stroll the mile or so back to town along the tree lined path. You will meet a few vendors along the way that are selling dolls, etc. If you see something interesting that you like, you should buy it.
You might want to take an umbrella if there is any chance of rain. The day I walked back, I did not have an umbrella and got absolutely soaked in a big time downpour. By the time I got back to town, the streets were flooded with calf deep water. It was just like you see on the international news!! I had to dry out while sitting in front of a coffee shop. Good thing I was wearing “quick-dry” travel clothing. I paid a price though and I will mention it in a subsequent post where I will have more comments about Honduras.
Copan Ruinas, Honduras-The Mayan Ruins, Part 2
There were very few tourists the day we visited the Mayan ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras. I went with Kathy and Sharon, 2 other students from the Ixbalanque language school. It is very easy to spend several hours at the ruins.
We hired a guide for $25 for 2 hours. We seemed to be the only ones with a guide. It surprises me that people travel such a long distance to see something so incredible and try to do it without someone qualified to explain what you are seeing.
The entrance into Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas Honduras-The Mayan Ruins
Copan Ruinas-Mayan Ruins
Copan Ruinas-Mayan Ruins
Copan Ruinas-Mayan Ruins
Copan Ruinas-Mayan RuinsCopan Ruinas-Mayan Ruins
Copan Ruinas-Mayan Ruins
Copan Ruinas-Mayan Ruins
Having visited Copan Ruinas (2) two different times, I like the fact that it never seems to be crowded. Occasionally a bus of tourists will roll through Copan Ruinas, Honduras, but it never seems to put much pressure on the ruins. I consider it a very peaceful and tranquil site.
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
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Copan Ruinas, Honduras-The Mayan ruins (Part 1)
The big attraction to the town of Copan Ruinas, Honduras is the Mayan Ruins located only one (1) mile outside of town. It is an easy stroll. Part of it being a tree lined walk. Suggest you go in the morning, because of what can be sometimes be intense heat. Make sure you wear a hat! If your walking partner starts to complain about the heat or the distance, just remind them of all the work the Mayans did while on a corn diet!
The tree lined walk to the Mayan ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras
I have visited the ruins on two (2) different trips to Copan Ruinas. The second time was like being there for the first time, because there is so much to study. I have visited a number of sites in Central America and Mexico. Each time I learn a lot more about the Mayan civilization.
You will need to pay an admission charge to enter the park. Plus, I strongly suggest you get a guide. They can add so many details to the tour that you would never get on your own. There is a little office on your left as you enter the park where the guides hang out. You can make arrangements there. If you are going to spend all the time and money to get to Copan Ruinas, Honduras then let go of a few bucks to do the ruins in the best possible way. The cost of a guide for 2 hours was around $25.
The entrance to the Mayan ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras
There is an open air museum that is very interesting where you will actually buy your tickets to the park. In addition to the open air visitor’s center, there is an enclosed museum building with some very interesting examples of the Mayan work.
The musuem center of the Mayan Ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras
Don’t try to take the easy way out by only visiting the museum. You HAVE TO visit the actual ruins to get the full effect of the Mayan life. Don’t let the Mayans think they did all that work for nothing!
Next-we will go visit the actual ruins!
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
Read about the rest of my travels in Honduras
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The Grab Guard(R)-a really neat travel security device
A really neat travel security device-the Grab Guard(R)
I am always on the lookout for cool travel accessories. Some of them are listed in my travel tips column. I am huge believer in practicing security when I travel. I have heard too many horror stories from other travelers who have had backpacks, purses or bags stolen right in front of their eyes. So, I was particularly intrigued with this easy to use locking device called the “grab guard”
The Grab Guard in black
It is an easy to use two (2) number combination cable lock that is extremely lightweight and serves the purpose of temporarily delaying any thief that is trying to make a “quick getaway” with your stuff. Usually all it takes is a slight deterrent to make a thief choose a different target.
I often travel with a 22 inch roll aboard suitcase and carry a small backpack. The problem is when I am sitting in an airport waiting area and trying to keep both the suitcase and the backpack secure. With the Grab-Guard, I simply put the cable lock through both pieces to keep them secured together.
I recently used it on a trip to New York and it eased a lot of my concerns with keeping my bags secured together. I really liked using it. My next trip was to Chicago, where I forgot and left the Grab-Guard at home. On that trip, I had much more anxiety about my bags when I wasn’t using the Grab Guard.
The grab guard in brown
I wanted to get some other people’s opinions about Grab Guard. I started out with my daughter who travels a lot. Her comments were “Yeah! I can totally see this in the airport. I am always afraid I am going to fall asleep and someone will walk off with my purse” “Now, I can attach my purse to either me or the armrest while waiting for my flight. This would be perfect for travel”!!
When I showed it to my wife, she said, “Wow that is a neat little gadget! It’s cool! It’s small! I wish I would have had that this morning to have secured my purse in the restaurant when we were having breakfast”!
My friend Kim said, “I think it is perfect for securing my purse in the cart at the grocery store.” “I see women all the time that are getting ready to have their purses stolen because they just set them in the grocery cart.” ” I am going to have my husband get me one”!
I then interviewed some random 20-something(ages) young women at Starbucks. Their comments were, “I would use it at the airport or in the grocery store”. “It would be perfect”! “I really like it.” The most shocking comment I got from the younger girls was a shrug when asked if they would use in a restaurant. Several of the younger ones said “I probably wouldn’t use it to secure my purse in a restaurant, because no one in this city would ever steal your purse off a chair” (???) Famous last words of the uninitiated!
Grab guard secures purse to chair
Grab Guard used to secure backpack to chair
Do yourself a favor and check out their website for ordering info. Plus you can see the video on the various uses of the product. www.grabguard.com
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
Read about my travel tips here
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