Jamaica Villas Blog. Jamaica Villas from Villas Sur Mer at West End, Negril in Jamaica. Villas Sur Mer is a boutique resort for Jamaica holidays, weddings, honeymoons and special events.
"My brain hurts!" screamed the Gumbys and no wonder. There are so many places to go on vacation these days and so many websites offering you places to stay that enough to..er..make your brain hurt!
Now then, there is a company, you may or may not be aware of, who are specialists at providing luxury villas for vacations in such far flung places as Bali, Mexico, Thailand, Jamaica, Wigan..er..no! Sorry, not Wigan. This wonderful company, Jamaican Treasures has also made it very easy for even a Gumby to find the best holiday villa and in the best locations by producing specialised websites. One such website is http://www.myluxuryvillas.com/
My Luxury Villas has vacation rentals listed by country, by area and by property name, and it could not be easier to use this website, it's wonderful. Also, they have listed the top 20 villas, Villa Specials (Villas suitable, for example, for large weddings in Jamaica or Mexico etc) and also "Staff Picks" these are the villas that the staff of Jamaican Treasures actually like staying at themselves.
There is also an interactive map. You click on the location, say "Caribbean" and then this opens another map of all the locations in the Caribbean that Jamaican Treasures have properties for rent, like the CaymanIslands, Mexico, Dominicana and so on, you click on one of them and Viola! you see photos of the villas for rent and all the information. It's great fun, have a go. http://www.myluxuryvillas.com/
Usain Bolt was sensationally disqualifed for a false start in the World Championships 100m final in Daegu. No worries though, his fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake made sure that the gold medal stayed with Jamaica and he ran in a good time of 9.93sec.
Walter Dix (USA) won silver in 10.08, and 35-year-old Kim Collins, from St Kitts and Nevis (You know that's in the Caribbean, don't you? and no doubt you know that Jamaican Treasures, the best villas rentals company in the Caribbean, so we are told, have villas for rent in St Kitts!), taking bronze in 10.09.
Getting back to "Bernie the Bolt" getting disqualified, this is all down to a new ruing introduced in 2010 that disqualifies the first person who makes a false start. Poor old Usain Bolt, he was most annoyed and ripped his shirt off in frustration. To be fair, a few high profile names have gone the same way this week.
I like reading the Guardian website as it often throws up words that I don´t normally hear or see day to day. One waord used to describe Usain Bolt after being disqualified was "sanguine" used in context "Despite the reaction to his disqualification, Bolt was sanguine" this word "Sanguine" means to be cheerful, upbeat, hopeful, optimistic, in other words, although he considered being chucked out of the race a bit of a downer, Bolt was not going to let this ruin his day. Great stuff, that's the spirit.
So, you should expect the word "sanguine! to appear in my postings from now on.
There is a cracking website that has a load of photographs from London's Notting Hill Carnival. The Guardian Newspapers own website has some amazing photographs of the first day. I like this one of a couple of people all mucked up with paint. Why? (Why wot?) Why do they cover themselves in gunk? Well, let me tell you.
J'our Ouvert comes from the French "Jour Ouvert" which means dawn or daybreak, the start of the day if you like or in the case of the Notting Hill Carnival, the start of the first day. As for the paint, theory says that this stems back to the civil disturbances in Port of Spain, Trinidad when the breatheren smeared themselves in oil or paint or anything else that was available, in order not to be recognised.
"Mi a tek two o dese tings, please sah!"
Judging by the state of most of the partygoers, they seem to be having a great time. The young chap pictured above seems to have everything sorted. Take a look at the Guardians Pages and you'll get a feel for the carnival.
The Notting Hill Carnival in London is one of the biggest Carnivals outside of the Caribbean and has become a worldwide attraction. Notting Hill Carnival organised by West Indian bretheran living in London began it's life from very modest beginnings and has grown into one of the most popular culture attractions in the world.
The fun would normally start on the Saturday (this years that is 27th of August) with the steel band's competition, Sunday is the kids day and Bank holidays Monday sees the big parade with all the fantastic costumes, bright colours, steel bands, music and of course, FOOD!
On the Notting hill Carnival Website there is a page dedicated to Jerk Chicken! Yum-Yum! Curried Goat and Chic Peas. The website offers you lots of advice on what to do, where to go, the timetable of events and lots more useful information for the festival. There is a cracking photo of a steel band (ladies!) on the site, do take a peek Notting Hill Carnival 2011.
Oh dear me! I did mention, did I not, in my last post about keeping an eye on the weather because Hurricane season is June to November? I did also mention that wearing your best Nike football shorts was not advisable in a force 10 hurricane. Hey-ho! Whatd'ya know, here comes a hurricane, slap down the middle of the Caribbean.
This little cutie is called "Irene" Hurrican Irene to be exact and she is a bitch!!! Not satisfied with throwing an hissy fit all over the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, this stroppy little madam is off to New York to throw a tantrum and she has all the American bretheran boarding up windows and doors, filling up sandbags, nailing the cat to the roof in case it gets blown away, there is a right old panic.
As I type she is off the coast near North Carolina and heading north to take a large bite out of the Big Apple (That's New York to you) and then blow herself out after that.
There are flights grounded at Jamaica Sangster JMB airport so make sure to check flight's in and out. I hope Irene didn´t spoil your stay at your luxury villas in Jamaica (Most likely supplied by Jamaican Treasures, the best villas rentals company in the world, so I´m told.)
OK, there is a downside to everything in life and I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't point out a few things you need to watch out for when you travel around Jamaica.
Hurricanes! the hurricane season runs from June til November so you need to keep an eye on the weather situation. No need to be wearing your best Nike shorts if it's going to be lashing down, is there?
There are areas where you need to be vigilent, these are mainly the areas of West Kingston, Grants Pen, August Town, typical inner city areas. See more details
There is a very low risk of terrorism, you'll be happy to know.
Smoking Ganja is ILLEGAL! don't do it, you'll get into real trouble.
The attitude to Gay and Lesbian people is hostile in general.
British residents do not require a visa but if you overstay your visit, your in trouble.
Personal imports of foodstuffs like meat and dairy products are banned, if your caught with a leg of lamb that's been marinated in Yoghurt, dressed with some rosemary and garlic and roasted on a medium heat for 3 hourts, the customs man will confiscate it. Don't bring foodstuff into Jamaica.
Dengue fever; Dengue fever is common in the Caribbean areas. Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that can cause a feverish illness associated with headache, muscle aches and pains, and rash. Some cases of dengue are severe. The way to avoid Dengue fever is to persuade the mosquitos not to bite you See more on Dengue
You should be as fit as a butchers dog if your going to travel so make sure you have all your jabs up to date. To see which jabs you need see this link
Travel insurance. It's a good idea to make sure you are fully insured, see this link for details
"Connect damn you!!"Effin Computers!(I know what your thinking...)
I will take it as read that you clicked on the link above and are now shaking your head. I also know that you are thinking "What is this plonker on about now? and what has some madman screaming at his laptop got to do with renting a luxury villa in Jamaica from Jamaican Treasures? the best luxury villas rental company in the world, so we are told!"
Well, I´ll tell you. I, like many people, love the Internet and would not consider taking a holiday anywhere in the world where I could not get online for my daily fix. Nope! So, it's important for people who are considering renting a villa from..need I mention them? OK, Jamaican Treasures, the best holiday rentals company in the world, so I´m told, to know what the techno situation is at their chosen destination. I think you would agree with me on that point, the very fact you are reading this little blog means you are on the Internet as well! (This is not rocket science this mind reading stuff)
Well, first I´ll bore you with the stats. In the year 2000 2.3% of the population of Jamaica (2,597,100) were using the Internet for one reason or another. In 2010 this shot up to 55.5% of the population (2,847,32). What does that mean to you, the layman? (not that I am in anyway insinuating you are as thick as a Whale sandwich!) it means that in the year 2000, 60,000 of the breatheren were online in Jamaica and in 2010 there were 1,581,100 users. Wow! How do I know this? I rummage around the Internet for information that will impress you, that's how.
There are search engines, other than Google, Yahoo!, Bing, MSN etc etc that service the Caribbean and Jamaica, portals like Caribseek will keep you entertained for hours. Some websites that I love are Jamaicans.com and theJamaican Treasures website (Really!)
"What sort of connection can I expect in Jamaica?" I hear you say. Well, according to KasNet online Communications, they have been offering fast, reliable, Internet connections for over 6 years as well as high speed wireless connections. I don't know Mr Kasnet but I´m sure he's not waffling.
So, dear readers, when you book one of Jamaican Treasures fantastic villas in Jamaica (or, indeed, Bali, Mexico, Thailand and many other places, so I´m told) you can rest assured that you will be able to access the Internet and continue to read this wonderful Blog. Bliss!!
I have a large female cat called Grandita ("Little Big cat", named by the little girl next door when she was a kitten as she was the biggest of the litter, the Cat that is, not the little girl) and she, like other moggies, brings me presents now and again. last night it was a 3ft ratsnake!
Ratsnake throwing an "Hissy Fit" on my patio.
It was cute, I don't mind snakes, as long as they don't suprise me by dropping from the Olive trees onto my head and so I took it out of harms way and put him by some rocks in the countryside where I live. What has this got to do with Jamaica Villas and Jamaican Treasures in particular (The best Jamaica Villas rentals company in the world, I may have mentioned this before?) Nothing! Nothing at all, it's just that my little snake friend got me asking the question "Are there many snakes in Jamaica?"
There are snakes in Jamaica but they are as rare a rocking horse manure because some dozy Europeans brought Mongoose to the Islands to get rid of the rats, the trouble is, Mongoose have a rare taste for snakes...any snakes!!
Also, pigs and domestic cats helped to further reduce the snake population in Jamaica.
An Article I read mentioned that the population of Jamaica have a paranoia about snakes and often kill them on site, even the Yellow Snake who is harmless to humans and helps to keep the rats down.
Anyway, the Yellow Snake is part of the Boa family and can grow to a length of 8ft!! not to worry though, most only get to about 6.5ft. They are indigenous to Jamaica and completely harmless to you and me. Also, anyone with Ophidiophobia (fear of Snakes) will be happy to note that Jamaica has no venemous snakes, the odd grass snake and 8ft Boa, yes but no nasty snakes at all.
Andalucian hippie takes delivery of Blue Mountain Coffee & Jamaica T-Shirts
I went to our local Correos or Post Office this morning to be greeted by a smiling Maria (All Spanish woman are called "Maria") who is happy to tell me that there is a parcel for me and that it's not from "Inglaterra" that's England to us non Spaniards..
Her friend and colleague Maria (Told you...) handed me the parcel in question and then asked me to sign for it. No problemo. Maria and Maria then stood and looked at me with that "Open the bloody thing then!" look. I, in turn, gave them that "Nah! maybe later" look and left.
I was indeed expecting a parcel "not from Inglaterre" as I had been promised by Lisa of Jamaican Treasures (The best Holiday villas in Jamaica, Mexico, Bali..I have mentioned the company before? 'Scuse me then!) a bag of that Jamaican liquid gold called Blue Mountain Coffee and some T-Shirts from the very same place.
Before rushing home to open my parcel, I whipped down to La Plaza Bar, a café cum restaurant cum gossip stop for the local expats, for cup of Santa Christina decaf and a quick yap with my friends from the band I used to play in.
Francesca, the waitress (All Spanish woman NOT called Maria are called Francesca) asked what was in the parcel?
Me: "Coffee"
Francesca: "We haff coffee?"
Me: "This is different coffee"
Francesca: "Why is eet different coffee?"
Me: "This is the best coffee in the world!"
Francesca: "Say who?"
Me: "Say Lisa"
Francesca: "Who ees Lisa"
Me: "Lisa is the lady who sent me the coffee"
Francesca:"Wot coffee?"
Me:"The coffee in the parcel!"
Francesca: "We haff coffee?"
Me: "Blue Mountain coffee is the best in the world and Lisa, the lady who sent me the coffee from Jamaica, told me so, she has sent me some so I can try for myself!"
Francesca:"You say yor cafe ees betta thana Santa Christina? Mebbee yoo should go and sit in Jamaica then!"
I didn´t mention the T-Shirts as she was wearing her "I love Spain"red on white special. All Spanish woman called Francesca are very touchy.
No matter! Off home I went and opened my parcel of joy and "Viola!" inside was 1 x bag of Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica and (here is the big suprise) 5 x T-shirts not 4 as was wriiten on the parcel. Brilliant.
As in all stories, there is a moral. I was made a promise by Lisa of Jamaican Treasures (The best luxury villas rentals in Jamaica, Mexico, Bali..er..I mentioned this a bit further up the posting? OK!") and the promise is kept. That's not the moral of the story, the moral of the story is never have a conversation with a Spanish woman about coffee, they get the hump very easy!.
I shall enjoy my cup of Blue Mountain Coffee with a glass or five of Rum tonight whilst watching the Sopranos on the telly. I will also be wearing a "Yeah Mon!" T-shirt. Bliss!
OK, Jerk! No, I don´t mean OK, Jerk? I mean OK...Jerk. I´m not being rude I am merely addressing the topic of authentic Jamaican cuisine called "Jerk". I know, it's a bit of a dodgey name but hey! get some culture into your life.
The name "Jerk" comes from the Quechua native American language word, "charqui", as does "Jerky", the stuff John Wayne used to eat in them western films. The name "charqui" or "Jerky" means "dried meat" or meat that has been preserved by cutting it into thin strips and smoking it (No! not in a pipe! over a fire! God help me, this Blog entry is going to take all day.)
Nowadays though, "Jerk" means some plonker who is a complete idiot or the method of cooking used in Jamaica either over charcoal or in the kitchen but prepared using spices.
So, Jerk recipes, what makes them so different to other cuisines, like Indian, Thai or Chinese who all use spices in their food?.
The four key ingredients in Jerk cooking are Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice berries, scallions and thyme. "Scallions" are also known as Spring Onions, just in case you had never heard them called Scallions before.
Scotch Bonnet peppers are as hot as hell!!! ScotchBonnet peppers are among the most intensely hot of all peppers, with a Scoville rating that starts out around 150,000 and can climb as high as 300,000 in some rare specimens.
If you want to know how hot that feels, consider this; The Jalepeño pepper that you have stuffed with cheese at every Tex-Mex food outlet ranks between 2,500 and 8000 on the Scovillescale, so, if you think that has a kick, imagine what 150 - 300,000 rating tastes like?
If you don´t like a burning hot mouth, stay clear of Jerk food, really, stay clear!!!
You can use whatever spices you like to make your Jerk recipe a bit different but the spices I mentioned are the four bedrocks of Jerk.
The meat of choice (Goat or Pork are firm favourites in Jamaica) is marinated for any length of time but 24hrs is a minimum, you need to get all those flaours into the meat.
Then cook the meat, if your using an oven, cook on a low heat and for a long time, this will make the meat fall off the bone. Otherwise, cook over a charcole BBQ, again, really slow and maybe add some wood chippings to give that extra flavour. Bob's your uncle!
That's it! Not rocket science now, is it? I´ve added a video for you to see how the professionals do it.
Dat! by Pluto Shervington
I couldn´t really rap on about Jamaican food without reference to one of the greatest influences on my youth; Music. OK, what's music got to do with eating food? Well, let me pull your coat on this one.Dat! (Yep, that's right, Dat!)
Now, in years passed (many, in my case) I had a little disco and used to play all sorts of music, mostly Pop music, for the punters but also Reggea and Trojan (Trojan was not a style or genre of music but a label) records in particular. There were many great tunes knocking about, such as Desmond Dekker's "The Israelites" but my favourite reggae tune of the time was a silly song by a guy called Pluto Shervington called "Dat"
"Dat" is a song about a Rastafarian called Ozzy who can´t decide if he want's to buy some Ganja (weed, pot, happy grass etc) or something nice to eat with his limited resources. Having decided he would like to fill his belly, he consults the butcher on the possibilities of his forthcoming meal.
Now, Ozzy, being a good Rasta, he doesn't want to go against his faith and eat Pork or shellfish, spies something called "Dat" and asks what it is?
"Dat" is actually Pork but to save everyones blushes, they change the name to "dat" Here are the full lyrics in Patois. (If you listen to the song you´ll understand the weird spelling, it's not me on the happy grass ;-)
Rasta Ozzy from up the hill
Decide to check on him grocery bill
And when him add up the things him need
He don't why him see if he buy little weed
Him hand upon his jaw, Lord
Reading I am just mediate
This time it's so hard Lord
I might not think about emigrate
I make up my mind Lord
I might as well go against my own faith
So I follow the market
I sight the butcher boy by the gate
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Try beef now?)
I no check if no grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Mashed fish?)
Got children on that range
(How about the steak?)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(Try tripe boss?)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Alright what about the pork?)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Then the butcher pull up a stool
Begin to question Ozzy how him so fool
What kind of something cook in a pot
From him born did never hear about that
Well what ya know master
Give I time make try explain
It's just like a flim show
To protect the humble we change the name
I would have feel so cute
If come and ask for some animal fat
I and I feel safer if we change the subject and call it Dat
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Take the beef then)
I no check if no grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Take fish then)
Got children on that range
(Make good steak you know)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(Take the tripe then boss)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Force down the pork then)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Ozzy pay off the butcher bill
Take him parcel and trode up the hill
Like a spy who do you think him meet?
Rasta Jeremiah from down the street
For guidance me brethren
Is what you have in that there bag?
Him kind of get frightened
And begin to hide it beneath him rag
That man no fear high Lord
If we go and begone here and take us off
Meanwhile light a fire
And where we eat us upon a DAT
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Take the beef then)
I no deal with grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Eat Fish then)
Got children on that range
(The steak's good enough)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(What about the tripe then?)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Well take the pork man)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there.
