In 89, I took a motorcycle trip into "the bush" with my Jamaican friend to see where he grew up. It was only 4 days but seemed like much longer. Beautiful ride up the mountains into Mandeville. Gas strike was in full force at the time. We had to sit in a long line at the gas station, I recall. But no one seemed concerned. We ate chicken while waiting and soon the strike was over, everyone cheered and we all got moving again. LOL.
We spent a night in a guest house in May Pen - met two very interesting ladies there. Then the next morning drove along the gorge and across Flat Bridge into Bog Walk. That's the part of the trip that will always stay with me. Early morning down in the gorge and it was pure fog - or mist, maybe. Completely socked in. It was very silent and still. We had to stop there and wait for it to lift before we could continue on. We had tea in a bar there - I was the only female, which was of some concern to my companion, but turned out to be just fine. Once the fog lifted, we took a little cruise around Bog Walk - took some pictures of the train station - wish I knew how to scan and post them. Awesome place, just loved it so much.
Around noon, we left and continued on to Linstead, where we stayed a few more nights in a really quaint inn. I witnessed the most beautiful sunrises over the sugar cane fields from there. Went into the country every day to hang with my companion's friends at their little house in the country. Took long walks with their 3-year-old son for miles along the country roads and maybe encountered one car on our walks. It was so beautiful that sometimes I'd just get choked up - couldn't even put it into words.
Had to go into Linstead one day for some pain pills (cramps on a motorcycle - not fun.) I was the focus of a lot of attention that day - not many Whiteys in Linstead back then, I guess. The pharmacist brought me a glass of water to take my pill and offered me a chair to rest a bit. Kind, kind people.
It was an experience I still talk about with my same companion (who I will be marrying in two weeks!) I wish we could do it again, but he says there's too much traffic on the roads now to safely take a bike trip like that. The little rum bars along the way... the kids waving and hollering at us as we'd drive through a village. I loved every single minute of it.