The next decade....what's in store?
Musings of a yamfooted traveller still trying to shake off those last 20 pounds as she treks across the Caribbean
I'm on the move again. Leaving Sugar City on Sunday for Grenada, then Bimshire, then back here briefly before going back to 'The Rock'.
I got plenty to do before I leave here Sunday, so oonuh nuh look fi nuh post till me get down south. Zeen....
Why I getting all these questions today I ent know.
Just came back from the drive. As I got out of the car, a young boy about 11 years old approached me and asked me for money. I did the lecture thing. Hhe had earlier gone to the security guard so I asked the guard what their conversation was about.
Same basic thing. Mother gone to work in the country. Father gone to work. The cupboard and fridge locked. He hungry.
In parting I said to the guard "why these parents won't look after their kids?". His reply was "yuh have kids?"
A loud NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo. That I don't see in my future either.
Spent this afternoon driving around the perimeter of St Kitts. Afterall, I did it to Nevis. You remember from Maths, everything you do on one side of the equation, you have to do to the other? So off I went.
First stop was The Golden Lemon. It was featured in Conde Naste Johanssen's guide. I dont think it should be there. The rooms are not bad, not but up to the quality of other hotels in that guide.
Next stop. Ottley's Plantation Inn. First a 'cuppa' then a look at two rooms. Nice enough. Very spacious. One of the highlights of the property are the lawns. Very well manicured and the landscaping is attractive. Lovely view of the ocean as well.
After the room tour, I went back to Reception for a brochure. The young speaky-spoky lady who took me around explained that they were re-doing the brochures so rate sheets were not available. One of her seniors who had earlier found out that I was Jamaican, said "lemme get one of the proper ones as you're a yardie".
When she came to give me the stuff at the counter, she said "yuh married yet?". Nooooooooooooooooooooo, I said. She hand me a brochure which reads...
'Have a dream wedding'.
Picture your wedding.... the brochure starts. Then...
Can you see it? A Caribbean island, swaying palms, lush foliage, a tropical breeze. You are standing at the top of old stone steps. Behind you is a gorgeous, restored great house set against a backdrop of rainforests and mountains.
The view, as you look down the plantation's wide lawn and across feathery palms, is of brilliantly coloured vegetation, the sea beyond, and blue sky dotted with clouds. As a soft breeze catches your dress, you walk towards a beautiful garden growing in the ruins of the raised, round base of an ancient sugar mill. There you fiance awaits, with a ring and a promise, to complete this magical moment and mark the beginning of your new life.
To the question "can you see it?", I answer a very loud NO. If the unthinkable should happen, it won't be no grand affair. In a magistrate's office is just fine with me. Then I'll....oh sorry, it should be 'we' nuh!....we'll throw a fete for our friends.
I just can't picture it. Honestly I can't. Somebody told me the other day that he has to find somebody for me, because I am too lovely to be alone!
I wish him luck in finding someone who would want to marry/hump a whale?
Am thinking of going there next weekend for shopping.
Those of you who have been there, give me some advice please...
1. Is the shopping good at that time of year? (early December)
2. What's a nice moderately priced hotel that's near to the shopping areas?
3. Is it safe for a single girl to be there alone?
4. What is the means of transportation? What are the prices like?
5. What are the nicer shopping malls, that have good prices and a variety of items (clothes and so)
6. Is the TARGET store there any good?
I have an airline booking which I have to pay for by tomorrow in order to get the special fare (US$155), so y'all gotta be quick.
Check out the link below for the Nevis pictures. Nevis is lovely. The views are lovely, the people are lovely lovely lovely. Just dont do there when it rains though......unless you are staying in a hotel like The Hermitage where you can wrap up with company.....which we hope won't be a lizard!
I went in the gym this morning as promised.....gosh it was hell to get up. I was tempted to roll back over and go back to sleep. But I did the self talk thing and lo and behold I struggled out of bed.
Didn't really work out too vigorously. But went on the scale. The bloody thing tell me that I have lost about 8 pounds and I know that is not true. I've known my body for thirty-buff years and I know I ent 8 pounds lighter.
So for now, I will stick with the 4 pounds loss. When I get home I will go on the gym scale there and that will tell me the truth!
Or thereabouts.
I have to get up early and go to the gym at the hotel (in St Kitts now, remember) to weigh on that scale to see if the weight on the airport scale in Nevis and the one at Sir Alex's restaurant are correct!
I hope they are. If they are then I would only be about 4 pounds more than when I left Jamaica for Grenada in summer, which would be a good thing.
Then when I get back to Jamaica in December, I have to work out extra hard at the gym so that I can lose some more weight. Am longing for yoga too, oh, and those reggae classes.
So because I have to get up early, I can't upload the 29 pictures I have of my day out today in Nevis.
Tomorrow is another day.
As I sit in the living room of my hotel (am back in St Kitts remember) topless, I am watching Sex and the City. In this episode, Samantha is trying to deal with her breast cancer (first stage) and she is traumatized that her hair has started to fall out.
I look down on my pair and I wonder.....is cancer inside any one (or two) of them?
I guess I should have a mammogram or ultra sound or whatever they recommend a thirty-buff year old has. And no, I don't do the Breast Self Exam they recommend women do on a monthly basis.
If the Big C is inside any one of these boobs, it would be entirely my fault wouldn't it?
Oh by the way, Blair is out of the show now because silly Miranda decided to go back to her ex husband Steve, or separated husband Steve. Silly woman. So no more Blair except in LAX on a Wednesday, with that awful slick back hair.
After the Planters Breakfast (the oatmeal pancake was nice) drove to Montpelier Inn which has been rated very highly. Sorry I dont concur. Why? Cause the rooms at the Inn have ceramic floor tiles and windows have glass louvres. Totally out of character with the entrance which has a grand ficus tree, and the great room which is nice stone cut etc etc. They didn't get the rooms right at all.
Next it was to the Old Manor Hotel. Very nice. Tranquil. Lobster coloured with forest green trims. Rooms very very spacious.
Then on to Golden Rock Plantation Inn. Very very rustic. Rooms not spectacular, but I saw monkeys! And goats too.
Left there and drove along a ravine and went house spotting. Lovely lovely houses. One of the lanes I took ended up at a gate. Oops. Behind me was the owner for the house the gate was guarding. An American chap. He let me drive into the house driveway to turn around.
Went as close to Mt Nevis, or Nevis Peak or whatever they called it. Then drove north east to the touristy side of the island. The side with the nice beach. Stopped at the airport to check on some employees.
Now, I was hungry. So it became a food finding mission. Stopped at a Pizza place but it was closed. That was near the airport. Then to the Gallipot Waterfront restaurant where the waitress didnt look like she wanted my business so I left. Drove into The Inn at Cades Bay. Couldnt find the restaurant so I left.
What the heck? Four Seasons here I come. So had lunch there, didn't spot any celebs. Had lentil soup and a fruit plate. Light lunch necessary after the Planters' Breakfast!
Then hightailed it back here to The Hermitage. This hotel wins the award for best hotel stayed in so far on Nevis.
Now it's time to hightail it to the ferry dock!
Pictures will be posted some other time.
I decided to order Room Service after all...had been toying with going up to the restaurant but decided not to.
Ordered at 7:57am. The cook wasn't there when I ordered but the person who took the order said once she came, it would only take 10 minutes. I told here I'd give her 20 minutes. It's now 8:57, an hour later, and no breakfast.
You think maybe the cook don't come yet?????
Update.
Just after hitting 'Save' on this blog entry, there was a knock on the door and not one, but two waitresses had my breakfast. No, it's not that I ordered SO much food! So off am I to enjoy my Planters Breakfast.
Absolutely lovely....breathtaking. As I stepped in, it reminded me of Aunt Lydie and Uncle Sydney's house on Lyssons Road in Morant Bay, eastern Jamaica, where we spent many many many happy days.
The room is done up in the old colonial style, complete with red stained wooden floors, four poster bed, wooden shutters for windows and so on. But let me not describe it for. Instead, here are some pictures.
I was greeted with this view as I walked towards the cottage. Just like it looked on the website.
This is the name of the house I stayed in.
Inside the living room. Notice the love seat.
A view of the living room from the opposite angle, looking towards the entrance door.
Le bed.
Behind the nets....the mattress was very firm. I slept alone. Not even a little lizard would come and keep my company. Must change that!
The bathroom.
Another view of the bathroom.
The red stained wooden floors. In St Thomas, we used to help to polish these with a coconut brush. At least I think it was coconut.
One of the many lush lawns.
And now for my favourite part of the cottage.
I could lie on the patio sans appareil and no one would be able to see me (I think!). Princess P will know that I was delighted to see the hammock.
Here is a pledge that I am making....
Not to travel to these lovely hotels ever again, without male company! I guess I have to put out an ad eh? How else will I find un hombre?
On the occasion of Yamfoot's visit to Nevis, the gods arranged a celebration in the form of an earthquake this morning at approximately 7:42.
As I lay in my four poster canopy bed (alone, I might add!), the wooden floors shook for a good 30 seconds or so. Did I rush to stand under a door jam? Of course not!
There was no danger to Yamfoot. This was in her honour.
What bliss.
Lemme give you a picture, to get your mouth salivating.....
Much thanks to a Nevisian colleague for arranging this at an extra special rate. The only thing left now is for the bl@!%dy rain to stop falling. Cho man! (Steups)
What luck!
I switch from watching the Biggest Loser to UPN where the Vibe Awards was being shown, only to catch the end of Kevin Lyttle's "Turn me on" and then....
....and then....
There comes the King of the Dancehall, Beenie Man. My favourite-est dancehall artist from I saw him perform at Pulse's Superjam one long time ago. He was immaculately dressed then and was a great performer. He is still immaculately dressed and is a superb performer.
After him it was Elephant Man, don't know the name of the song he 'sung', but I like that one too. Those are the sorts of songs we exercise to at the Reggae Aerobics at the gym. Must go when I get back on 'The Rock'.
Ooh la la. It's so lovely to see Jamaica being accepted so, in fact The Caribbean, since Kevin is from St Vincent.
The biggest weight loser that is.
I've seen Star Jones, the lawyer turned TV host of ABC's The View who lost weight for her wedding and sorry....I prefer her with the weight on. Her face looks gaunt, and now her shoulders too narrow for her boobs.
She gotta lift weights to broaden them shoulders.
Yeah, I know I should be happy that she lost weight. Nah, I not jealous. I konw that I don't look so when I lose weight.
When is that, you might ask. When will that EVER be???????
Butch Stewart really large for true. He is now the subject of an ABC show. Lifestyles of the Rich and famous perhaps? Oh, see it here. Life of Luxury.
Wow. His house looks fabulous.
Guess who is following Butch on the show? Serena Williams. He keeping good company man. Wow. Go Jamaica. Go Butch.
Yup, Patch will be arriving in Sugar City this evening. Short trip. He's attending some meeting organized by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. Something to do with Governance. The Chairman of the company I am associated with here will also be at that meeting. In fact my brother met the Chairman before I did, cause there was a first meeting earlier this year.
So we will more than likely have dinner tonight in the hotel's restaurant, then go over to Serendipity...a new lounge bar and restaurant operated by my friends Sir Alex and Lady Pauline....for drinks, before coming back over to watch the American Music Awards on ABC starting at 9pm St Kitts time.
That means I have to go finish writing this report for the Chairman that I want to submit tomorrow. So bye.
Dr D, did you get washed away in Tobago? I just read they had floods there.
Lemme go sip the rest of the Passionfruit and Mango Daiquiri. Virginal, like me!
I wish I could find out why my bones hurting me so? And the left side of my back is totally screwed. I long to feel normal again. Couldn't tell the last time I wasn't in some sort of pain.
And I don't even know what kind of doctor to go to. Hopefully one that won't say "nothing wrong with you".
This cannot be a normal feeling, so I'll just keep enjoying life until I get the diagnosis. Could be something curable, as well as it could not. Who knows. People should be able to self diagnose. Then they would know whether to worry or not.
Don't think I'm depressed or anything like that, cause I'm not. Whatever will be will be. I had a biopsy the other day and that's the approach I took to it. Nothing I do can stop whatever has taken over my body from taking over my body!
I know when I get home, I'll have to do the yoga, cause I felt better when I was doing that.
I've done Guyana Karaoke, Grenada Karaoke, Jamaica Karaoke and tonight it was the introduction to Karaoke in St Kitts. Went with some of the people from work. Before that we stopped at a place, dunno how you term it, you have benches outside and you can sit there or inside and have food or drink. Geee, I guess that's a restaurant nuh?
At Karaoke, I sang.....
1. Saving all my love for you (Whitney Houston)
2. Tell Him (Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand)
and believe you me I can't remember which other one. There was one other.
The above are all songs that I would belt out at home whenever I heard them on the radio. The second one I have on a CD.
I was thinking that maybe I should buy a Karaoke CD that I can play on my computer, get a microphone and I can do Karaoke then anytime I want!
Saw a clip from LAX which airs tonight, and every Wednesday at 8pm Jamaica time. Blair nuh di star along with Heather Lockear. Lemme see if he looks as good in this show as he does in S e x and the City.
Last Sunday, they showed that S.A.T.C. episode where Miranda's ex husband walks into the house to find Blair humping Miranda. Ooooooh, that chocolate covered skin, smooth as Belgian Chocolate. I am drooling.
So I look forward to 27 minutes from now. I will be hooked every Wednesday.
How would you feel being called that? Well when you find out it relates to weight loss, anybody who is overweight like me, would like being called that.
That's the name of an NBC show. It airs Tuesdays at 8pm Jamaica time. It started out with 12 persons, 6 on each team. Each week they have a weigh in, after undergoing some serious workouts and eating modification. The team which loses the most weight combined is the winner that week. The team that loses has to eliminate one of their members.
I'd like to be in something like that. It's a controlled environment where the gym is right there, and you get food prepared for you.
One of my problems here is that I can't get a meal before 7pm. So I end up eating way later than I used to do in Jamaica. In Jamaica I eat at around 5pm or so. Latest 6pm.
I think, since I have met the chef, I going to ask him if I can eat earlier, so my food can digest earlier so I can go to bed earlier, so I can wake up earlier.
All to try and be the Biggest Loser.
It's amazing how our minds can wander. There I was, sitting at the computer writing some recommendations based on my observations in Nevis, and my mind all of a sudden jumped to the future, with me thinking about the job I was going to have, which island I was going to be living in, and to whom I would be married.
Married? Yamfoot? Nah. That will have to be one special dude who will make this year woman give up her independence. I suppose for a start he could let me keep my independence....no questions asked?
Any of you know any men around this planet like that? I say to people, when they exclaim surprise that I am not married (I don't know why cause is not as if I'm a slim ting with great looks), which man they know would let them wife go to another island to work for two months? Or let them wife go travel following cricket? They tell me that those men exist. I don't for one moment believe them.
But it doesn't hurt to dream. It's veeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrry far from reality.
Repost, for those who may be new to this site which is now in its 15th month.
It's simple really. You just have to look at my feet to know. Then you'd see it's a size 11...and not a narrow width either. OK, so I haven't reached the stage where I have to get shoes custom made, but you know those slinky slender Italian shoes? They just wouldn't be able to go near my feet.
Mum says it's because when I was a kid, the first thing I did was kicked off the shoes, so my feet spread whey! So all you who have young kids, make sure they keep their shoes on.
Now, during my stories, I made reference several times to my yamfeet. Click below for a picture, and more on the yamfeet.
(Them don't look too too bad?)
Then when I was looking for a name for this website, I asked my friends to suggest names for the site that they'd quickly associate with me. Adwoa (Miss Shanti) suggested this....and quickly clarified that it wasn't because she thought my feet were yamish, but that I had used it several times in my stories.
In particular, there was one where I had left her flat in South London to walk back to the tube station and I referred to the shoes being tight and them squeezing my yamfeet as I walked on the cobble stone (bad thing to walk on when your feet hurt!)
So there you have it. No disease, just size 11 yamfoot feet!
After I finished what I had to do today, the plan was to go driving around the part of the island I have not yet seen...the Atlantic side. Just as I was wrapping up at the office, a piece ah rain no buss mah!
Thinking that it was going to be a typical Caribbean shower...short, sharp bursts...ah seh when a done eat mi lunch back at the hotel, it woulda stop. Stop what! The rain fall, it fall, it fall.
When it finally abated somewhat, I ventured down to the ferry dock, driving veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrry slowly cause mi did fraid. Lots of lightening, zig zag lightening, and of course thunder. Guess who shreaked each time the lightening struck? You bet.
The drainage I dare say is not very good, so there was piles and piles of water on the road.
I also passed lots of goats who I guess were rained out from their pasture. You should have seen them scampering across the road.
All I could do is park the car back at the car rental lot, turn up the volume and shake my skin.
Gosh, I realize I'm itching for a dance with somebody who can dance! You don't know how badly I want to dance. Music gives me a high. While jigging in the car waiting for the ferry to come, I was thinking how when I go back to Jamaica, I must go back to those reggae dance aerobic classes at the gym.
Well I must go back to the gym period. In fact I'll probably go to the gym tomorrow. Rain can't spoil that.
Woke up this morning after a blissful night's sleep. This was 6:15. Made my Lipton cuppa, toasted the bread, spread it with jam and went to sit out on the balcony (yes, in my night dress!) and sipped tea to the sounds of chirping birds, one of whom came and kept me company on the chair beside me.
The views were of manicured lawns, blue ocean and the mountains of St Kitts in the backdrop.
You can't ask for a better start to a day than that!
I am now heading back there to see if I can catch sunset. This hotel is definitely a winner too. Both the owner and the manager came over and spoke with me at dinner last night. And guess what? The waitress is Jamaican.....been here for 9 years. I asked her if she was ever going back. No way.
With these views, the people, the calm and serenity, I don't know if Jamaica is a place I will readily run back to. I am enjoying the tranquility.
Came over yesterday on the nice comfortable ferry. Air conditioned, clean, smooth ride. Fell asleep too!
Got here, got the car, got escorted to the hotel, feet got wet because imagine the hotel don't have no paved walk ways!
So guess what? I checked out this morning. I'm in Nevis until Saturday so I got booked into another hotel to which I am headed now. It's a bit 'further' than the first one, but of course you know this is tiny Nevis...no where not far!
More anon.
Just before leaving the room to come to type this, I was channel surfing and saw a very young Blair on an episode of the Cosby's. One that had Denise in it. You know that was old.
All I can say is Blair has definitely, like wine, got better with age. I still drooling. Must remember to watch it next week Sunday.
The trouble though is that there is no TV guide printed. I guess I could go on the internet and get it, but it would be easier if it was printed. With this new time now in the States, all my times are screwed up. The lovely thing though is I found Oprah! And now with the clocks back an hour, I can get to watch it at 5pm after I finish work. Before it was from 4pm so would miss it.
Lovely jubbly, time to go shelter from the rain and eat my food so I can take my medicine after I will fall asleep *buff* and dream of Blair!
I'm sat here in the computer room, well the Business Centre, typing this for allyu, and a piece of rain is falling outside. I have to go and collect my dinner from the restaurant down by the sea. Is a bloody good thing that I decided to walk with the umbrella, although it wasn't raining when I left the room.
With my coffirumble (coughing etc) I sure can't afford to get wet. Courtesy of a doctor friend of a doctor friend of mine, I picked up a prescription this morning for some antibiotics etc. Three things which should wack this cough and sniffles good and proper. I am going to Nevis on Wednesday to return on Saturday and I can't afford to be down and out.
Ok, ah gwine shelter under dis here umbrella (which belongs to the hotel by the way) and see if I can make my way down to the restaurant by the see.