محفوظ لسبتمبر - أيلول, 2007

تسهيلات طبيّة في وحول [نغريل] جامايكا

سيذهب كثير من نا إلى أطوال عظيمة أن يخطّط الكاملة جامايكا عطلة و [إين موست كسس] هو يأتي على الأقلّ قريبا. لن يخطّط كثير من نا بشكل صحيح ل [إمرجنسس] طبيّة. هو يمكن يتلقّى شيء أن يتمّ مع نا لا يريد أن يواجه الحقائق أنّ شيء يمكن حدثت إلى أنت أو أحد ما أنت تهتمّ ل بينما على عطلة. هو يمكن كنت [سمثينغ لس] كلّ معا, [نو متّر وهت] يتلقّى سبب أنت ل لا يخطّط ل [مديكل كر] أو [إمرجنسس] هو ليس جيّدة واحدة. هناك ليس واحدة.

أنا أحضرت على طول اثنان طارئ عدد طبيّة أنّ أنا حمّلت مع حصص الزيادات. نحن نتلقّى حصص من ضمادات, غرز وإمداد تموين لثانويّة قطعات أو قطعات. نحن نتلقّى مضادات, [أنتسد], [أتك] ألم منجدات, برن وسعال علاجات وأكثر. نحن أحضرنا [ا لوت] المادّة خام مع نا وأنا سعيدة نحن أتمّ. أنا أبدا توقّعت استعمل نحن [ألّ وف ث] مادّة خام نحن أحضرنا غير أنّ أنا عرفت هو كلّف [ا لوت مور] هنا ل ال نفسه أشياء وأنا كنت يصحّ. ليس فحسب قد تلقّى أنّ غير أنّ نحن يستعصي وقت يجد أشياء أن يستكمل ماذا نحن قد استعملنا مثل مضادّ للجراثيم ثلاثيّة وسب ضمادات ل يرتدي القطعة مقرفة على ساقي. أنا كنت أخيرا يمكن أن يجد أنابيب في [فونتنا] صيدليّة في [سف] لا [مر.]. أنا استطاع لم يجد أيّ في [نغريل], [موبي] [أر فن] كنغستون رغم أنّ أنا فقط نظرت في 10 أو 20 من ال 100 أو لذلك صيدليّات أنا قد رأيت في جامايكا.

ماذا يمرّ لصيدليّة هنا سوفت أكثر غالبا كنت صنّفت كحلية متجر. لا يحمل كثير من هم حتّى إمداد تموين أساسيّة طبيّة. أنا توقّفت داخل على اثنا عشر متاجر يسأل للف من شريط طبيّة. لا وحيد تلقّى واحدة أيّ إلى أن أنا بلغت واحدة في كنغستون أنّ تلقّى بعض. [فونتنا] يتلقّى صيدليّة في [سف] لا مارس - آذار بعض غير أنّ [نغريل] صيدليّة ومفتاح صيدليّة غربيّة على مقربة يتلقّى لا شيء. أنت يستطيع اشتريت كلّ أنواع من أخرى [كرب] غير أنّ لا لف من شريط طبيّة في [نغريل]. The bite on my leg was serious and it hurt like hell. I was in some very serious pain and walking around Kingston to handle some business on the morning it hit me. I went into 4 or 5 different pharmacies in Uptown and Downtown Kingston and most told me that the strongest they had was over the counter and I knew that would do me little good. I was finally able to find one that had Panadiem in stock and he was willing to give me 10 pills to get me back to Negril on the next day. Those worked pretty good and did not make me very drowsy as many medications do for me.

#2 pencil size open wound in my leg

I left Kingston and returned to Negril where my leg drained for 5 days after swelling up so large I could not walk on it. It was over a week of hobbling around on it and not a single doctor or pharmacist I showed it too would do more than an OTC pain reliever. My wife was not so lucky. She got bit by whatever got me also (we still assume they are bites with no real proof). She got two bites on her butt and they were pretty bad. They begin to swell from deep inside and there is only a tiny head on the boil as it forms. I lanced mine as soon as I saw the swelling take off, my wife held off on lancing and she regrets that now I bet. In her case after about 3 days the lumps got hot and hard, they were in such bad shape we knew she needed medical attention and soon but this was actually the day Hurricane Dean was to land and of course we had other things going on. We were deep into moving our stuff and dealing with the weather.

The day Dean hit she was in some pretty intense pain and we decided we needed to do something just afterwards. She contacted a few places but no one was open on the day after the storm. No one was interested in helping me with mine anyway so we felt we’d get much the same for hers. She contacted the hospital in Sav La Mar and they said they could deal with it right away and that they were not even that busy. We decided to drop her off the 2nd day after Dean struck and I left her there alone that morning. I honestly thought it was no more than a local anesthesia for the pain and then they would lance them open and drain them. I was wrong, they admitted her and said she would need surgery to deal with it. She spent the whole first day in the lobby and then waiting in a room with a woman who was apparently dying. The woman kept calling for Jah to come and save her. She said this went on for hours and it drove her nuts. When they came to do the surgery she was relived to get away from that woman. She was not fine for long though as she found out that they were not administering a local anesthesia but would in fact be putting her to sleep for the procedure. Now she was very scared, she just did not trust things to go well and they didn’t go so smoothly. My wife is not a religious person and the anesthesiologist seems to have been. She recited some prayers and even had out some beads and a cross as she administered the drugs to her. She told her that she had had a problem in the past with people underestimating her tolerance and she wanted to make sure the doctor gave her enough to knock her out fully. The doctor kept praying as she fell asleep. Sometime into the procedure she woke up and had to be re-drugged.

She woke the next morning still groggy from surgery but ready to leave the hospital. So it’s been a hectic ew days and we just had a Hurricane. Power was out for much of the island and every ATM we knew of was out of order. We had some cash but who knew how long we would need it. When she called the hospital my wife asked about payment and terms and she says they told her they could not refuse her services and she did not have to pay at time of service. We could pay later or make payment arrangements. We chose the hospital because we were worried about cash flow in the coming days and did not want to lay out a bunch of cash. Heck I had no idea what it would cost but with the way things cost here I expected the worst. I was sure it would cost us a thousand in US dollars or like 60 to 70 thousand Jamaican dollars. We’re not rich but I can normally pull that kind of cash from the bank but I would never have that much money on me for any reason. So anyway I went to the hospital to pick her up with no cash, no credit cards and only my drivers license on me plus about $2500 JA or about $40 US. I thought we’d grab some food in Sav and head back home. No need to carry around all my stuff and it’s safer in the room safe.

We get to the hospital to check my wife out and as soon as we arrive its static. First they won’t let her leave until she is seen by the surgical team to check the work from the night before. Trouble is the surgical team is busy and they may take a long time to come around. According to the girl in the bed next to my wife a lady sat there for two days waiting for them to come around and check her before she could be released. I was not waiting two hours much less two days to get her out of that place. I was there for 10 minutes and I felt dirty. The mosquitoes were thick and the thought of them biting some patient and then me or my children was too much. I tracked down the surgical team myself and informed them they needed to clear my wife as we were leaving. They agreed and about an hour later they came around and did their thing. It took about another hour for them to run the paperwork and so forth before we were handed a receipt and told to go. Since my arrival that morning I was very clear we were leaving and leaving soon. I wanted to be sure we left properly and were discharged in case we ever needed to return. If you leave without being properly checked out they can and will refuse service to you next time. So we waited until they discharged her.

The Sav La Mar hospital is like all other government buildings in Jamaica, covered in steel bars and security guards. The recovery rooms are actually in a multi story building behind admittance and under heavy security. All entrance and exits are locked or guarded by live security officers and each time we came or went it was through one main gate. There are I’m sure other ways in and out but we kept using the one with two guards that carried handheld metal detectors and police batons. As we approached the guards on the way out I was still carrying the bill in my hand and one of them told me that my wife would have to remain at the gate while I went up front to pay the bill. I told them I did not have the cash to pay it but I would gladly make arrangements to pay it soon. The guard told me that was not good enough, I was going to have to pay the bill in full or my wife was not allowed to leave. I told him he was wrong and he needed to check with the hospital because we were told over the phone we did not have to pay for services at that time. We went there for that very reason and did not carry the means to get the money with us. The guards were both pretty nasty with us and honestly I was just over it. I told the guard that I was walking through that gate with my kids in hand and I did not want any trouble. The male guard braced himself between me and the gate and refused us exit. I told them to go find and Administrator to discuss this with but they insisted on pushing me back instead.

I was becoming angry, which is never a pretty scene, and my kids were scared which made me angrier. I moved away from the gate and proceeded through the hospital looking for another way out. I walked through the maternity ward and found a rear exit but as we approached the same guard came running around the corner and slammed me back inside the building. Thats when I lost it. This man tackled me football style and dropped me on my ass. I jumped up and grabbed him. I pushed him and the big female guard bulldog style out the door and into a railing facing the parking lot. I slung my wife and kids out the door and over the railing into the courtyard as the guards regained their footing and starting whooping my butt with their metal detector and baton. The big girl grabbed my hair from behind and dropped to her knees yanking me backwards by the neck until I fell on my head and shoulders. The guy jumped over me and spun us all around as he dragged me back inside and and then placed a knee in my throat as be mashed me into a corner on the floor. The big girl sat on my chest and held my legs wrapped backwards as if to hogtie me. I sat there for a minute to collect my thoughts and figure out how this had happened to me and what to do next. My wife and kids were free. My wife was yelling for me and I told her to just leave, call the embassy and get me the heck out of there. I told her to call the cops because they were beating me and I was scared of what might happen to me. At least the cops wouldn’t kill me right?

The gash and lump on my elbow after the altercation with guards at Sav La Mar Hospital

So I sat for a minute to catch my breath but I could not breathe because this jerk had my throat blocked. I squeezed out a “I can’t breathe. Please get off my throat” before the jerk ground his knee in deeper and with more force. He actually totally blocked my windpipe and forced me to react. I grabbed him by the balls and yanked as hard as I could. I squeezed him hard and he yelled until the big girl grabbed and choked me. I let go of him and he grabbed his metal detector and proceeded to slam my elbow at least 10 times with some long full swings. I was sure it was broken but xrays reveal they are trained pros. He hit me on the tip of the elbow so it made it seem as if I fell on it but it was not broken. After he whacked me really good I was scared again because I had no idea how serious these people were and if they intended to really hurt me. So big girl starts talking smack and says some things like this is my fault and I’m crazy. She leaned over into my face as she held her arm against my throat and she looked into my eyes. I grabbed her by the ears and jammed my thumbs into her eyes. I actually had my thumbs down alongside her eyeballs at one point and contemplated scooping them out of the sockets but I knew that was over the top and I was going to jail for that. I still had hopes of avoiding jail and just walking away from this all and it would be hard to do so if I blinded one of them. I was still right and I was only defending myself so far. Gouging out eyes is beyond self defense in some peoples view, not mine but some people. Anyway I caused her enough pain to jump up off me and I started wrestling with him again on the ground when I was told the police had arrived. I laid down and waited for them to show.

The cops tried the same crap all pigs try. They start blaming you for everything right away and raise there voices. The lead cop got in my face and told me I was going to jail. I spun around and placed my hands behind my back and said lets go. I can’t wait to see a judge. I can’t wait to call the Gleaner and I can’t wait to meet your boss and the police attorneys when we got to court. Please take me to jail for defending my wife and kids from being kidnapped and held without our will. The cop was surprised to see that I was honestly not scared to go to jail in Jamaica if thats what it came to and I’m not. A jail in Jamaica has Jamaican men in it and I fear no man. So the cop sat me down and told me I was going to jail for damaging government property. I bent some aluminum shutters on a window trying to get out and I was to be charged with the crime. I told him that was fair, I did bend the shutters and it was a crime against the people of Jamaica. I needed to be punished and so did the two guards for kidnapping my family and assaulting me, in front of my children I might add. I would gladly pay for my crimes but I was expecting they would as well. I asked the police officers for the names of my attackers and they told me I was not entitled to them. I asked for a pen and I was told I could not have one. I was told to wait, they were discussing the situation with administration. I said that was great because I was trying to speak with them earlier. I think someone needs to clear up whats really going on. After about 15 minutes the lead police officer walked up to me and waived at the door. He said, “You can go. They can’t hold you and you don’t have to pay”.

I asked about the guards and the cops told me to leave. I told them I wanted to file a complaint and they told me to leave. What else could I do? I left. I got in my van and drove to the Sav La Mar police department where I filed a complaint on the male guard who’s name I was able to retrieve from his badge and Jane Doe accomplice, the big girl guard. I was given a slip and told to report to a hospital for a medical examination. I laughed and went home.

My wife needed to have her wounds redressed every day and the holes they cut into her needed to be packed. We returned to Negril and were advised to go to the Negril Medical Center on Norman Manley Blvd (Beach Road). Not only did they do a great job on her dressings but they had an x-ray machine to look at my elbow which passed inspection after being sent away to a specialist in Mobay. They looked over my arm and the cut I got in my leg and patched me up really nice.

I so wish we had simply waited and gone to see them instead of traveling to Sav La Mar and having the experience we did. If you are in Negril and have a minor medical emergency go to Negril Medical Center. If you have a major emergency and need a hospital go to Montego Bay Hospital and avoid the Sav La Mar hospital unless you’re dying and you want Jah to come and get you.


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A day trip to YS Falls down South Coast Jamaica

YS Falls Nature Attraction Main Gate

YS Fall sign indoors

We decided to take a day trip down the South Coast of Jamaica from here in Negril and visit the YS Falls Nature Attraction and the surrounding area. We have taken numerous tours down the South Coast of Jamaica from Negril since we bought the van and have seen a number of places we would like to stop in but YS Falls comes highly recommended as one of the nicer waterfalls in Jamaica and we thought it would be nice to see the difference between this and Mayfield Falls.

We took a long drive and stopped a few places so it took almost 2 hours to get there when it should be more like 1 1/2 I would think. It did seem a bit farther than Mayfield but if waterfalls are your thing then it’s well worth the trip. YS Falls has a total of 7 much larger and more majestic looking waterfalls when compared to Mayfield. The height of some of the waterfalls must be over 30 feet or more and the water moves with much more force here than it did at Mayfield. The YS Falls trip was more for the kids and they were very excited about spending time in the river again like we did at Mayfield but YS Falls is a little different. There are only but a few places to actually get off the trail and into the river. There is no riverwalk like at Mayfield and the only time spent will be in the few large pools and swimming holes. I also found that most of these pools were more tailored to adults as the water was turbulent and too deep in many places and the rocks were precarious and no fun to stand on in the two pools we did try out.

YS Falls swimming hole

Waterfalls at YS Falls in Jamaica

Tall waterfall at YS Falls in St Elizabeth Parish Jamaica

There was one pool with the rope swing that seemed the more popular swimming hole but this spot is definitely not cut for young ones as the water moves to swiftly and the drop off from the next waterfall is right there. They actually keep a guide posted to watch no one slips over but he’s got a lot of people to watch and a lot of ground to cover if one does slip. I wasn’t very excited about having the kids in this pool alone and we ended up taking a trip further up to see how those were. Of course the water is pretty cold at all the spring fed rivers but there is a much denser treetop canopy at YS Falls and little to no sunlight in many places. The damp dark feeling is nice but very cold for young ones and they could not handle the water for more than 10 minutes without need for a sun break which was hard to come by.

In the end all of the pools were nice but not exactly what we were looking for. We truly enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the waterfalls are much nicer but for a day swimming in the mineral waters from Negril I think Mayfield is a better choice. The fact you can easily rest in many arts of the river and truly enjoy the rushing waters plus the ability to walk directly up the river to the top is much nicer a day overall. We ended up spending most of our time in the man made pool with water recirculated in from the river. It’s very nice to sit in the calm mineral waters under the lush vegetation but I think we would have much preferred actually being in the river.

YS Falls also offers a unique “Canopy Tour” of the area with zip lines tied high up in the trees. You can ride the zip line from the top of the falls down to the bottom for what must be an exhilarating tide. The cost was a bit more than dad was willing to spend for himself and the kids of course are too young. I would say that YS Falls is much better suited to adults and older kids interested in swinging from the ropes and zip lines available. If you’re looking for a relaxing day in the mineral springs I would suggest you try Mayfield Falls instead.

Click here for more pictures of our YS Falls Adventures


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Long term apartment rental in Negril Jamaica

It’s worth mentioning that we’re staying at the Heartbeat Resort here in Negril Jamaica for long term. We were able to negotiate a very fair monthly rate and we’ll most likely stay right here at least until December anyway and most likely well into next year also. I’m hopeful that we’ll find our own place sometime next year but for now it’s nice to have a stable place and Heartbeat seems like a great choice to us. It’s great having a place to call home and being able to actually unpack and live in a place is better for us as a family I’m certain. The kids are very comfortable here and they have a nice group of local children to play with. It’s been a lot of fun for the kids and parents as well as we have enjoyed having them over to share and play with.

We’re located at the beginning of the cliffs basically and have the advantage of not only the cliffs to enjoy but easy sea access from the small nearby beach. Finding long term apartment rentals in Jamaica is actually fairly easy. All I had to do was ask around and I found that places like TheLTU and Westport Cottages offer great monthly rates for not only summer but even during season as well. You’ll need to contact a few places to determine what you like or you can Contact Us and we’ll be glad to ask around or take a look at any place in the area for you. Need some pics of a place? Hey why not? I’ll be glad to drop in and shoot some shots of any resort or vacation accommodation in Negril. Either way finding an affordable long term rental unit in Negril or Jamaica in general is very easy if you have time to hunt them down and do the research.


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Buying and registering a motor vehicle in Jamaica

Nissan Vanette Driver Side

We decided we wanted a vehicle and began looking for one over a month ago now. A new car was out of the question and the used car market here is pretty poor but I found that you can get a car here for as low as $1000 US and I figured what better way for us to get around than our own vehicle. As we started looking it became more apparent that what we really wanted was a van so we could go on our own tours and so we decided to spend the money and find a van for sale in Jamaica. Well there are loads of vans and buses for sale using the Gleaner Classifieds but as you can see the average price is above $500,000 Jamaican dollars or about $8000 US which was quite a bit more than we had to spend.

Nissan Vanette Passenger Side

Nissan Vanette Front End

I found that you could find used cars for sale in Jamaica at lower prices but they go fast. There are used car dealerships in Jamaica in major cities such as Kingston, Montego Bay and even Mandeville but the market is more for newer cars in the 2003 and newer model years. I wanted to spend less than $200,000 or about $3000 US on a vehicle and I felt we should be able to buy a decent running vehicle at that price. You can forget finding anything like that at a dealership in Jamaica. It simply does not exist and most won’t even have a car on the lot under $350,000JA. I was however lucky to find a 1996 Nissan Vanette for sale in the Gleaner one morning at $220,000 and I jumped in a bus and ran to Kingston to buy it. It took me two weeks to do so but I finally bought a van for less than $200,000 and got it insured and registered in my name. Dealing with the motor vehicle transfer was much fun also. I had to have insurance on the car in my own name before I could register it. I was lucky that i bought the car from a nice Jamaica family and they had already taken care of much of the paperwork necessary. You will have to have the Title signed by someone form the Tax Collectorate, a Certificate of Fitness which seems to be like a vehicle inspection and Insurance which set me back $28,000JA. I bought a new set of tires for it just because I feel safer on them but we’re on the road finally.

Nissan Vanette Rear Hatch

I’ve had the van for about two weeks now and I have put over 2500 KM on it thus far in trips to Kingston, Sav La Mar and all over the South Coast and Westmoreland Parish. Buying a car in Jamaica is pretty easy actually and a great way to see the country. Learning how to drive a right hand drive stick shift van on the left hand side of the road was a whole different story and I was involved in a minor accident on my first drive home from Kingston. Some guy clipped the side of the van pulled the rear tail light off but I already had it fixed and I even went to court over my traffic ticket but pled guilty when the cop who pulled us was sitting next to the juge all buddy buddy like. I knew there was no reason to even argue the case and I accepted a fine of $4000JA for “Careless Driving” as I was blamed for being on the wrong side of the road on a road with no sides. Thats the way things go in Jamaica and I knew there was no sense in fighting it. I left the courthouse and drive to Roaring Rivers with the kids and had a blast. I love our van and so do the kids, maybe one day you’ll come for a ride with us here in Jamaica.


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Getting a TRN (Taxpayers Registration Number) and bank account in Jamaica

In order to conduct any sort of business in Jamaica you must first register to get a TRN or Taxpayers Registration Number. I knew we would need a TRN for things like opening up a bank account, buying a car and opening a business so I decided to get one while in Kingston. I was in pursuit of a bank account in Jamaica so I can move some money here and avoid the ridiculous fees charged to withdraw some cash here in Negril. Opening up a bank account turned out to be a little more difficult then expected but I found a way around things for us and maybe someone else can appreciate the information but first back to the TRN.

The TRN application is pretty simple and straight forward and forms can be downloaded from the Jamaica Tax Administration in advance so you’re prepared once you arrive. Any government office in Jamaica is going to be busy but the Tax Collectors Office must be the worst. I was actually very lucky on my first trip through and getting the TRN was pretty fast, subsequent trips for the motor vehicle transfer would prove much more difficult. After filling out the forms and submitting them I was given a slip with my TRN number and told I could pick up my TRN card at the Sav La Mar office in about one months time. I have not yet done so but the month is almost up.

Opening a bank account in Jamaica was quite a bit trickier but there is a solution for those of us without strong connections to the island already. Commercial banks in Jamaica such as NCB, ScotiaBank and RBTT are required to secure quite a bit of paperwork on you before they can open an account for you. I was told by managers of each bank that they simply could not open a bank account for me without a reference from an existing account holder and a letter from a Priest, Police Captain or Justice of the Peace in Jamaica who has known me for more than 6 months. After talking with each bank it seemed I would have to cheat the system and bribe someone to vouch for me but then I went into the Jamaica National Builders Society and things changed. As a Builders Society and not a Commercial Bank they have their own rules and within 30 minutes I had not only a bank account but a listing of homes for sale in any Parish I wanted was printed for me to review and in the future it will be easy enough to secure a home loan or financing of some sort for our own slice of heaven here in Jamaica. It’s not a checking account, it;s a savings only with debit card available but thats exactly what I need here in Jamaica and it’s a lot easier then tracking down two references.


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A Tour of the Original Mayfields Falls and Mineral Springs

Mayfield Falls Sign

We had the chance to take a trip to Mayfield Falls with a group of local children and some guest from Heartbeat Resort courtesy of one of the guests named John. It was his last full day in Jamaica after 4 beautiful weeks and he wanted to give something back to some of the neighborhood children that had brought him so much joy in his last days here.

The kids at Mayfield Falls

With a little planning we decided that it would be 5 adults and 5 children piling into our van for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Mayfield Falls via Sav La Mar. We booked a tour guide and lunch package with the Original Mayfield Falls and headed off for the park early that morning. We were given directions to Mayfield Falls by the office staff when we purchased our tour package but we missed a turn and ended up taking an alternative route which ended up being a pretty bad road. There are some potholes on most of the roads in Jamaica but on this trip much of the road was gone and I certainly advise you to take this trip with an experienced guide of some sort because getting stuck or lost out there would be no fun. Eventually our bad road meets up with the road we missed or the good road but then both f them get horrible, the entry road to Mayfield Falls is in horrible condition and extreme caution is advised. I could not understand how they could let the road deteriorate to such poor conditions for one of the nicer natural attractions in the Negril area but things became a bit more clear once we arrived on scene.

Smiling Faces at Mayfield Falls

There are now two attractions on the Mayfield River. The Original Mayfield Falls is where we chose to go based on local advice that the falls and river are much nicer here. The newer attraction is named Riverwalk at Mayfield Falls and they have strategically placed themselves on the roadway before Mayfield and overwhelmed the place with signage to make it seem they are they one and only attraction and the one everyone has come to see. You can see this is having an effect on the Original Mayfield Falls and is certainly costing them a lot in lost business and revenue. I have not decided whether we’ll stop by the other one next time or not. I think it’s kinda wrong whats being done and its apparent to me anyway that they are stealing their business by being somewhat deceptive in using the name Mayfield Falls instead of Mayfield Riverwalk or something and the signs are misleading.I think the staff and management needs to clear things up by creating some nice new signage of their own letting everyone know there are two places to see. I understand that Riverwalk is a newer and nicer facility but somewhat overpriced when compared to the Original. I cannot of course confirm this yet so I guess I should then huh? Settled then, I’ll go to Riverwalk next and compare them for you. Hows that?

The whole crew poses

Anyway the Original Mayfield Falls has some very beautiful scenery and we ended up having an incredible day hiking up the river to the main falls. I have to say here that without the wonderful services of Gary the Wonder Guide who with three kids hanging from his arms and neck was still able to skip up the river like a stone over the water it would not have been so nice a trip. If you go you simply must have a guide to help you navigate your way to the top or you’ll simply never make. The trip up is about an hour hike over some pretty tough terrain but well worth the effort. It’s an awesome nature walk through towering forests up the river with tons of great spots to swim in the cool mineral waters. You can drink the water direct from the river and it’s like drinking bottled water before they bottle it. It’s very refreshing and cold. The kids were good in the water but a few of us adults took a minute getting used to it. It’s definitely invigorating and according to many locals the mineral waters have healing powers and can aid in all sorts of ailments.

Main Waterfall at Mayfield Falls

The goal of our hike was to reach the largest waterfalls at the top of the trail where we were able to slide behind the waterfall for a cool pic with Mathis, one of the local youths we took for the trip. It was a great accomplishment for us as a family to make it up there together and we all had a great time hiking the river. Both my kids and the local kids had fun and a new experience and there have been almost daily requests to return ever since we got back. We’ll certainly be taking more trips to Mayfield and for sure we’ll got to Riverwalk at Mayfield next so we can compare.

Mathis behind Mayfield Falls

Our tour package included lunch at the on site restaurant and we were served a delicious meal of Jerk Chicken, Rice and Peas and Veggies along with a cool glass of fresh squeezed mango juice which was perfect. You certainly have the option of bringing your own lunch if you prefer but it’s not worth it. For the price paid the local food was awesome and not having to worry about was even better. We enjoyed our time at the river and left the work up to the very capable and friendly staff for the day. If you’re interested in more information on tours to Mayfield Falls please contact us for more details.

More pics from Mayfield Falls in the Jamaica photo gallery


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