Yesterday was a nice relaxing day - after about noon or so we got ourselves up and headed to a nearby beach called Frenchman's Cove. On the way a police officer waved us off the road. It looked like they were pulling off every car. Paul opened his window to have a chat. The police officer explained that he was allowed to pull over anyone anytime because that was a law in Jamaica. We said it was no problem. Here is a summary of our exchange:
Officer: Can I see your car's papers and your driver's license?
Paul: Here are the car's papers. (Turning to Liz) Where is my driver's license?
Liz: I think it's in the back, I'll look for it (Liz gets out and rummages)
Officer: Is this your first time to Jamaica?
Paul: Yes
Officer: Do you like it here?
Paul: It is very nice, but very hot.
Officer: I would guess by your accent that you like it the hot.
Paul: No, A little bit of heat is okay, but not too much. At least I don't have to dress up in this heat.
Officer: (laughs) Ya mon.
Liz: (from the backseat) Paul, I think we left your wallet with your DL in the safe.
Officer: Where are you two staying?
Paul: Great Huts
Liz: You can follow us back there if you need his DL.
Officer: (laughs)No, no, no problem. I'm not going to follow you home. I'll just give you some advice. Have you been to Somerset Falls?
Liz: Apparently it's under construction.
Officer: How about Winifred Beach?
Liz: Yes we love it there!
Officer: Where are you going today?
Liz: Frenchman's Cove. Is it nice there?
Officer: Beautiful beach! Great place to go!
Liz: Good snorkeling?
Officer: Great snorkeling. You have a great day now! No worries mon!
Nicest police officer I ever met! So without a driver's license we continued to Frenchman's Cove. There is a fee to get in which means there is no one on the beach selling you anything. I got a few mixed drinks and read for a while before Paul and I tried to snorkel. I guess if you went out deep enough there was some good stuff to see, but the water was a mix of salt and fresh water and hard to see through. We eventually swam against the strong waves and put our snorkel masks aside. We decided to spend some time in the water just together.
The cove itself was surrounded by hundreds of different plants. It was a small beach, much smaller than Winifred, but had a pretty stream that joined the beach on one side. On either side of the beach there were cliffs covered in greenery. I forgot my digital camera, but it is absolutely beautiful, just like most of Jamaica. By 7pm we had finished dinner and the mosquitoes were arriving in full force. We packed up and head to the car.
Now I have talked about the terrible condition of the roads before, but for the first time we were driving in the dark on this pot-holed road. After many sharp turns, bouncing, and the headlights shining towards a cliff or wall of green, I felt like I was on the ride, "Indiana Jones" at Disneyland. Not the best feeling in the world. Luckily Paul is a great driver, and with my occasional yell of "pothole!" we made it home with no flat tires. Only two more days of crazy driving before we are on our way home!
No comments:
Post a Comment