Moving clockwise again in the parish project, we go from St James to Trelawny. When I first thought about doing a post on what I’ve learned in Trelawny a feeling of dread came over me because off the top of my head I couldn’t remember anything I’ve done there. But as luck would have it all I had to do was search it on my own friggin blog to figure it out! Apparently I, along with a lot of other people who read this blog, forget there is years of history on it, and a search bar at the top of the page. There’s actually a LOT of things I’ve done and learned in this parish!
What I’ve Learned in Trelawny
- The water lights up and glows at night! And this doesn’t just happen anywhere in the world. As I’ve said a hundred times in the past, Glistening Waters is one of the most amazing spectacles I’ve ever seen in the world – not just Jamaica.
- One of the most recent things that’s happened in the parish is the new cruise ship port that docks the largest cruise ship in the world. This is of little importance to me because I have no desire to cruise (especially with the rash of recent disasters on cruise ships!), but I’ve seen that largest one in the world docked there. I’ve only seen it from the highway and even from that far away it still looks like Mount Everest. Quit a site to behold.
- I found a broke down, but still very real CASTLE! I wish more people were interested in finding the hidden treasures of this island because the signage is so poor that you actually have to LOOK for these things rather than have the obvious pointed out. It’s way easier to find a beach and a rent-a-dread than it is to find an important piece of Jamaica’s heritage.
- The infamously talked-about town of Wait-A-Bit. At least its infamously talked about on my Facebook page because it’s just too cool of a town name to not mention and look for! Good luck finding it unless you’re taking the hard road from Mandeville to the north coast. I suffered acute nausea on those winding mountain roads up there.
-Â Trelawny is a yam parish and if you ever go on a road trip way up the hills to Albert Town you’ll see nothing but yam farms, and you’ll probably get stuck behind a giant yam truck that you can’t pass because the road is too narrow.
- Falmouth, the capital of this parish has it’s own distinct vibe and appearance compared to most other major towns on the island. Driving through it is unlike most places I’ve driven through in Jamaica. The streets are geometrically laid out in straight lines which is peculiar compared to the randomness I seem to find everywhere else on the island. Even the houses look different from all the other houses in Jamaica.
- Usain Bolt is a Trelawny boy. So are Warren Weir and Michael Frater. Okay so pretty much the entire Jamaican track team are Trelawnians (is that a word?) And for the Canadians readers – so is Ben Johnson. Nuff said.
I think that’s it for me and this parish – I haven’t done it all! So….what do YOU know about Trelawny? Share in the comments below!
Comments
22 responses to “Trelawny, Jamaica”
I loved this post Kristi. I haven’t visited that part of the island but now I definitely will. I want to try some of those yams then go for a run…lol. During the Olympics some Jamaicans were saying it was the yams that make Bolt sprint so fast. And of course others were loudly disagreeing with the yam factor. lol.
LOL Carol!! I dunno, if I grew up on yams I’d probably be fat. I’m pretty sure his training has a lot to do with it heehee.
Trelawny is a beautiful parish – but then again EVERY parish is beautiful in its own way. I think Trelawny is underrated….most people drive through it blindly going from Mobay to Ochi.
mmmmmm and the cutest men live in Trelawny…such hunks..you need to to a blog post on the HOT Jamaican Men!!! Don’t see much about them on here????
There’s a reason for that. It’s because 98% of women only go to Jamaica for the men. I don’t. **SMH**
I can’t say much about this parish because it’s one we always seem to drive through and not stop although on my insistence, we did a half hour visit to Falmouth because my husband was scared to stay any longer even though I was quite happy to mingle! But I’m braver than he is!
BIG UP STEWART CASTLE ad the eerie feeling that comes with it. Wonderful place to be.
On the main road from Mobay to Falmouth on the right hand side near Greenwood is TONY’S SCULPTURES/CARVINGS…….WELL WORTH A VISIT SO GO AND STOP BY HIM. You won’t be disappointed.
We’ve only stopped in Trelawney once to visit my friend Jubba in the hills but can’t, off hand, remember the place. We were stopped by the police, searched and escorted to our destination….still not sure why!!!
Here endeth my visit to Trelawney.
That’s funny Janet because I wrote that most people only know it to drive through it lol.
Since you mentioned Greenwood, that’s actually the Greenwood Great House way up on the hill overlooking the sea. I drove up there once with the intention of touring the place but it wasn’t open. However…..I got out my car and took in the UNBELIEVABLE panoramic view from up there. That alone was worth the drive up.
That must mean the majority of your followers go there for the men, right? I just signed up for Jamaica Our Way last week and was so disgusted with the trip report section I had to cancel my account. It was just reports of how many men one foreign girl could “slam” on a 2 week holiday. Lets see some real Jamaica reports about the culture and people!! ONE LOVE ONE LIFE ONE HEART!!!! Bless.
That’s what this blog is for Stanton. 🙂 No man stories here…..never will be.
I used to love that forum until it became apparent that the majority of users weren’t really Jamaica-holics but more Jamaica-man-holics lol. So I sold the forum and it’s no longer my concern.
Anyway…..back onto TRELAWNY.
Yeah where the man dem at them should have them own section Fi real
Read the last comment I made. That’s not what this blog is about. There are plenty of other Stella sites you can go to for man stories.
I seem to mostly pass through Trelawny too except for jazz and blues. Wow with all the men comments lol. I am jamaican maybe that’s why i dont see what the fuss is about. Anyway great post i hope to get to that side over the summer.
I don’t know what all the fuss is either LOL! Thanks for the comment Janeen 🙂
Whats wrong with Jamaican Men? Most of the people on this blog have a Jamaican Man, and keep going back to Jamaica because of the men.
I didn’t say anything is wrong with them. I simply said that is not MY reason for going to that beautiful island full of wonderful things BESIDES men. And I also said this blog is not about Jamaican men and that those people wishing to read about them won’t find it here. That’s all.
In your last post you said you’d like to read about some REAL Jamaica and culture. That’s what the blog is about so here’s 4 years worth of reading for you 🙂
Trelawny – is one of my favorite parishes, especially because of Falmouth :DI do vividly recall the first time I went to Stewart’s Castle! Awesome… sad that its all ruins though.
Yea it’s sad but the ruins part of it is kind of intriguing. Makes you wonder what existed there a long time ago.
i love trelawny too!
Whatever the reason that people go to JA for i feel like is their business! lets get real u may not date the men but the attention you get from the men definatley adds to the trip!! yes you go for the culture-but you have also stayed and lived with many jamaican men and that alone can be judged as well! so i say that to say this…we all travel and experience things differently if im not judging you on the amt of times you go to JA to experience their culture…then i really dont think its appropriate for you to judge others on their want to go for men..
i have to say as a member of the board i have lost alot of respect for you from reading the past comments..for someone who goes to jamaica a lot you would think that you would start to potray the whole “dont worry” and “free-spririted” attitude but you dont.
and quite frankly i dont really understand how you could call yourself embracing their culture-but you bash the music-when reggae is very much apart of their culture!
like i said i just believe that whatever you like to travel to jamaica for be it that you have met a man, or to embrace the culture thats your perrogative! and as someone who was judged for being a white female moving to what some refer to as a 3rd world country with some of the highest poverty and HIV rates and majority black population! you would know what it felt like to be judged for doing what the hell you wanted to do! -and still do! i dont think you traveling to jamaica for their culture is any better than a woman traveling their for a man! get real. -majority of your friends there also appear to be male! i dont think you have any room to pass judgement.
btw yes i have dated men from JA-I no longer do! and i still visit their regardless. save the bs.
btw.
i think this blog is great for those who are genuinely curious! but with you going to JA all of the time i have not read a post-yet! where you are aiming to help JA i cannot call myself loving a place like this (as i do) and lack any urgency to give back or help JA. yes you are embracing the culture but JA has some real issues! specifically education (is where majority of their issues reside as well as gov!-but if you know their history then you know both issues correspond)! i have read many post that discuss the realities of jamaica but you don’t offer ways that could help uplift the country-and when you visit what exactly are you contributing??
im sorry your comments really through me for a loop whole-bc i believe you sit yourself on a pedastoole for visiting for “culture reasons” but you yourself could do better…i mean how many posts do we need on the same bs? lets talk about the real issues here! lets tackle their healthcare issues! or lack there of…if u really loved their country you would discuss-more in depth about this! i always said if i moved there i wouldnt be doing it for the hell of it! i want to be giving back-making it better not for the tourist but for the natives! i dont ever see this coming from you. and like i said i have dated jamaicans!-so that should tell you that just because a woman is going there visit her jamaican bf doesnt mean she isnt as adventourous or as knowledgeabe about jamaica as you. I mean really?
Mo thanks for all your comments. You touch on so many items that I don’t know where to start in response. I’m not sure where you’ve ever seen me bash Jamaican music because I don’t. I love it. And I haven’t judged anyone openly in public for having a Jamaican man. I have simply stated (MORE THAN ONCE) that you won’t find me writing any man stories on this blog. That isn’t the purpose of it. This also isn’t a political blog so I won’t be writing about health care, etc. I don’t know enough to be an authority on those issues so I won’t write about them with the possibility of misinforming people. I only write about personal experience…..then there’s no way I can be wrong.
Also, about living with many Jamaican men – I have never lived with any. I had my own apartment there and paid my own rent. In the last couple years I have had my own room in a best friend’s house when I needed to stay there. That’s all.
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate the dialog and wish more people would comment on the blog. 🙂
Kristi: I agree with your last comment. I don’t think that you should get into the politics of Jamaica. You could also get into a lot of trouble for getting so authoritative about things that you are not qualified to talk about. I never thought that this site was for that purpose. Jamaica is completely different from where I live and the island that I came from and I found the island unique because I have been to other Caribbean islands and they are different from Jamaica but there are a few things that are similar. Your site made me more prepared for my trips to Jamaica and as a result, I did a lot of research on the internet. I spent 2 weeks with a girlfriend of mine in rural Jamaica, something that I would have never done before. I was more prepared for the lifestyle and enjoyed my stay without men buzzing around like at the resorts. I think at times I am a bit of a free-spirited person. A lot of people feel that if you hang out with guys that you sleep with them. I prefer my close male friends because there is no jealously and backstabbing involved that I get from my female friends. I have enjoyed your blogs because they given me a better insight into the country and understanding my Jamaican friends better. I look forward to reading about your new adventures in the other islands. I can guarantee you that they will be different.
Just came across this post. I loved your response to MO. There are great political issues that you shouldn’t jump into. That could make your Jamaican experiences more difficult. I think you are giving something back to Jamaica. I believe that your writings are promoting the off the beaten tracks of Jamaica and bringing more tourist money to locals instead of the big resorts. I especially love this post as it it bout my stomping grounds, Trelawny. I have stayed in many areas of the island but this parish is my favorite, and Duncans is my home when I am there. Keep up the writing and sharing all of your adventures with us please.
Kathleen, thank you so much for your comments and compliments. Trelawny is an area I’d like to explore more but it’s hard with limited time and a whole island to experience. And as you know, once your heart is set on a particular area you’re less inclined to go to other areas. The south coast – Black River area, hijacked my heart years ago so I’ve spent a lot of time down there but in the future I’ll branch back out and hit up Trelawny again.