KINDLE - My Christmas wish list

"Watcha wan fe Chrissmus mon?"

I was ordering a Christmas present for Mrs Blogspot the other day, one of those Kindle reader things. In case you are not au fait with a Kindle, it is a hand held reading device that stores thousands of books for you to read, anywhere, anytime, anyplace, in the dark, in bright sunlight, in the bath, it’s your call.

I went onto Amazon to order one and after some cursing and swearing, I got it ordered and it will be here in Spain within my lifetime, maybe. While I was going through the process of ordering this Kindle, the Amazon site asked me for items for my wish list.

What is a wish list? Well, the Amazon wish list lets you write down all the things you want for Xmas, your friends and family can do the same and then you can click on each other’s wish list and see what they really want for Christmas.

Living Doll or Living Hell?

Needless to say, no one has soap-on-a-rope, socks, underpants, cheapo aftershave, K-Tel Hits of the 60’s, NOW 109 (Now That’s What I Call Music, compilation of 30 years of crap pop songs, first started off as “Now That’s What I Call Music” some fools bought it and this started the rot, NTWICM 2 followed by 3 and so on) or Cliff Richard sings holy songs album.

Now then...Did you ever get any of this?

No! these wish lists contain stuff like 60” 3D Plasma HD TV, XBOX with Need for Speed XXI, Nike Trainers with matching tracksuit and Bling accessories, Sony Vaio laptop, cars, skateboards and more. I remember when Xmas meant waking up to a Xmas tree with parcels underneath from Santa, watching Mary Poppins, Scrooge, waiting for Brenda to give the Xmas speech to the nation and then Xmas lunch. Boxing day was Bubble-and-squeek and that was that.

Of course, I completely lost the plot with this wish list, I didn’t want to be seen as greedy or shallow, or uncaring and so for my wish list I have put “peace on earth and goodwill to all men” No doubt I will have no need to purchase underpants, soap-on-a-rope, Armanipit aftershave or music by Sir Cliff.

Never mind. Why not put “Jamaica holiday” on your wish list and point your friends to the Jamaican Treasures website and pick up a great winter holiday deal. You can even take your Sir Cliff records with you as all of the villas have DVD players. Jamaican Treasures Luxury Villas for your wishlist link.

Have you ever had any of the naff presents listed above? or have you had worse? lets see who gets what this Christmas!

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
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The Sopranos - Who discovered America

Tony Soprano, on of Christopher Columbus' ancestors

I don’t know if you ever watch the TV series on one of the SKY channels called “The Sopranos” but my wife and I watch it every week, we love it. We are so taken with this story about a dysfunctional family of Mafia Godfather Tony Soprano, his real family that is, as well as his Mafia “family” that we now start every Wednesday in “Mafia mode”

“Wha dis mafia mode yer tak abowt?” I hear you ask. Well, our Wednesday starts off with the normal greeting “Good morning darling, you mother*******” to which the charming reply is often “Yeah! You too you slimeball!” and we then have coffee and watch the news.

Soprano day, Wednesday, every Wednesday, we have Italian food for our evening meal, last night, for example, we had Sicilian grilled chicken in pesto sauce with Ciabatta bread, unfortunately, we can’t get Italian wine in the Andalucía mountains so we make do with Rioja.

As usual, one of us cooks the meal while the other chirps that line from the Mafia film Goodfellows “don’t put in too many f****** onions!” to which the reply is always “I never use too many f******* onions!”

If this seems sad to you, that two sane (?) adults should behave in this way, you are most likely right, so, why am I telling something you could hold against me, should I ever achieve prominence in the political world? I’ll tell you. Christopher Columbus.

Hello? Christopher Columbus, the great explorer? What would he have to do with a modern day mafia family and a couple of marginally sane people who live in Spain? The answer is America. Who discovered America? Who discovered Jamaica as well, while we are at it?

Last night’s episode saw Tony Sopranos cohorts getting upset because Columbus Day had been hijacked by some radical Native Americans who blamed Columbus for all the woes that have befallen the Native Americans, since he discovered America.

Hello? Christopher Columbus discovered America? I don’t think so! Were there no people living on that continent at the time? Aztecs for instance, the plains Indians (not called Indians at the time but called so later because soft-lad Columbus thought he had landed in India), the Taíno peoples of the Caribbean and South America, Eskimos and a host of other peoples who lived in all parts of the American continent, so how does Christopher Columbus get the credit for discovering the place? Did the first Jamaica to land in the UK write home and tell everyone that he has discovered a strange land full of very pale people who like rain? No!

Take Captain Cook, credited with “discovering” Australia and a load of other places, the fact he was killed by natives should give us a hint that he was not the first to put foot down on Australian soil.

Explorers have taken credit for work that was not theirs and I want to point this out. If you are going to discover somewhere, then make sure there is no one there when you do (Virgin Islands, for example) otherwise, people like me and some ancestors will write about you on their blogs!

What happened to the Sopranos and the Native Americans in last night’s episode? They beat the snot out of each other and all got arrested. That’s culture for you..

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
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Highland House - Highland House, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Highland House, Montego Bay

 

You know when something has attracted a lot of attention, someone writes about it in the New York Times. Now, you may ask, why is a Jamaica villa being written about in such an august publication as the New York Times?  This is after is the largest local metropolitan newspaper in the United States. Highland House also featured in Island Home magazine.

If you look at villa Highland House which sits proudly in Montego Bay which is of course in the north of Jamaica. Highland House has a bit of history of attracting attention, because, according to the New York Times, Oscar Hammerstein, that genius (?) who gave us the delightful, if somewhat irritating  “Sound of Music” could very easy have written that “The hills are alive with the sound of Music” about Highland house and it’s delightful location.

To be honest with you, I wish he had of done, could you imagine Julie Andrews wearing  Rasta plats, Nike trainers, cut down Livi’s and a “Yeah Mon” Jamaica T-shirt with holes in it singing “Do, a Deer, a female Deer….” In Reaggae form. I would have gone to watch that.

It was at Highland house that Oscar Hammerstein wrote that music whilst his wife Dorothy entertained such luminaries as Noël Coward and Richard Burton, to name just a few.

Nowadays, Highland House has a new owner, Brenda Isaacs and Brenda has taken the time and effort to restore this beautiful house, retaining something of Oscar and Dorothy Hammerstein period furniture and touches whilst giving the place a new age touch, right down to the great Saphire coloured Bhudda that dominates the terrace and the luxury Zen bedroom to name but a few things.

 Video presentation of Highland House

Highland House, Montego Bay has 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, all the amenties and facilities you would expect from a luxury villa of this calibre, including a dedicated staff that includes a cook, housekeeper, laundress and gardener. Just looking at Highland House makes you wish that you were there, the pool is an absolute delight and the views are to die for.

The other benefits of staying at Highland House are the close proximity to the Montego Bay airport and of course, Montego Bay itself, with all of the nightlife, tourist and historical attractions as well as sporting and cultural activities. The beach is a mere 5 minutes away and the airport 8 minutes.

There is so much to say about this culturally (as far as modern music is concerned) important villa that a visit to the main website at Jamaican Treasures will give you all the details and photographs you will need to show you just what an absolute delight Highland house is.

Please follow this link Highland House, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com/
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
Have you been to Jamaica or do you live on Jamaica? Add a comment about your favourite place

Villa Calabash, Tryall Club, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Villa Calabash, Tryall Villas, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Here is a great villa for those who love sun, sea and sand (As well as grass, sky, sky, grass!) an absolute waterfront villa at Tryall in Montego bay. This great 3 bedroom luxury villas sits on Country Club Drive, the road the snuggles up to the ocean frontage at Tryall.

Villa Calabash is a beautiful 3 bedroom luxury villa that comes with a staff of four, cook, housekeeper, gardiner and laundress and is filled and fitted with all the amenities and home comforts we come to rely on, such as TV, DVD, Internet, BBQ, sun loungers, a community swimming pool and lots more.

Villa Calabash is ideal for the golfer, perfect for a wedding or honeymoon and great for a well earned vacation. Take a look at the Villa Calabash page on Tryall Villas Jamaica website and see for yourself what you will get for your money.

You also get one thing for free and that's the great quality of service  the clients of Jamaican Treasures always get. Villa Calabash Link

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com/
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
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Tryall Club Jamaica

 

Map of Jamaica

I keep getting asked questions by people who would like to go to Jamaica but are too lazy to Google the questions for themselves. One question is "What and where is Tryall?"

Tryall, is a beautiful luxury gated villa resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Tryall villas are slap bang in the middle of the Tryall Golf course, which also has it´s own private beach.

The Tryall gated community is about 12 miles to the west of Montego Bay, which it'self is in the north west of the Island, between Lucea and Clark's Town. Tryall has the Flint river running through it, this in turn is fed from the mountain springs.

Can I rent a villa in Tryall, Montego Bay?

Yes, you can indeed rent a villa at the Tryall community. Tryall Villas Jamaica a sister website to My Luxury Villas and Jamaican Treasures has plenty of luxury villas for rent in Tryall, Montego Bay and here is the link

What facilities and amenities are available at Tryall

The following amenities and facilities are available to people who rent Tryall villas, Montego Bay.

Facilities & Amenities Tryall Club, a unique Caribbean retreat set on 2,200-acres of beautiful Jamaican landscape.
• 18-hole championship golf course
• 9-court tennis centre                        
• Beauty salon and spa centre                    
• Children’s programme                    
• 2 Restaurants and 4 Bars                    
• Afternoon tea at the Great House                
• Great House and pool                        
• Walking and jogging trails                    
• Horseback riding and polo                    
• Island Tours
• Croquet lawn
• Aquasize
• Beach and water sports centre
• Snorkeling and scuba diving
• Sailing, Deep sea fishing, water-skiing and tubing
For more information you can visit the main Tryallvillasjamaica.com site or contact the beautiful Stephanie and she will be as happy as a Parrot to help you. Stephanie@tryallvillasjamaica.com 


http://www.jamaicantreasures.com
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
Have you been to Jamaica or do you live on Jamaica? Add a comment about your favourite place

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Gloucester Avenue Montego bay, Jamaica





Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

"Now then!" as the late Sir Jimmy Savile would have said, my attenstion has been brought to another fantastic place for entertainment on the exotic island that is Jamaica. According to a site Go Visit The Caribbean, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville is by far the trendiest place in the Caribbean.

This webmaster (Jimmy's webmaster, not me) is another one that reckons that they are the baddest place to be and that is in Montego Bay’s “Hip Strip,” Gloucester Avenue. Himself tells you that this place is cool for kids and adults and points out that there is a 120ft waterslide! How you keep your G&T from becoming a bit diluted whilst getting dumped at the end of a 120ft shute is a mystery to me.

The guy really is full of himself and drops names like like Bart Simpson drops his pants. P Diddy (How does a cool guy end up with the name of one of Ked Dodd's Puppets? ) other names dropped are Nelly, Run DMC, Tiger Woods, Dennis Hopper..clang! clang! clang!

He really is at it "At night, Club Ville comes alive as the Hottest Nightclub in Western Jamaica" I hope he can live up to "Margaritaville is the most fun this side of Paradise!"

If you have ever been to Margaritaville, send us a note and even some happy snaps, it will be nice to see if this guy was telling the truth or not. In true Blogspot tradition, heres the Link

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com/
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
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Island Black Pearl Jamaica Nightclub

Island Black Pearl Nightclub

http://www.islandblackpearlnightclub.com/index.html

I was asked by a friend to find some nightclubs to go on this Jamaica Holidays Blog and so I set about finding some. There is a nightclub called The Island Black Pearl that looks pretty cool I would have ripped some off for you but they have them nailed on. The website has lots of happy snaps of beautiful girls and macho looking guys all out enjoying themselves.

Wish yu wuz ya?

If you read the "About Us" page you will be told the Island Black Pearl is a firm favourite with the tourists in and around Montego Bay, one of the main reasons is that the music is pretty cool, amd with a selection of the following Reggae, Dance music, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop music and Top 100 sounds, you are going to be dancing to at least some of the great sounds you like (Unless of course you are one of those very strange people that's into those two grottypopübermeisters Black Lace! in which case I don't think Jamaicans would stoop so low, even to please the tourists!)

Some very nice ladies having a great time at the Island Black Pearl

Now, the guys who run Island Black Pearl are boasting that this is the best nightclub in Jamaica and with it's three dance floors, including a roof top dance floor, it knocks every other place into a cocked hat.

Not just that, but there is some dude called DJ Laz from the radio station Power 96 who will be performing at least once each month. Island Black Pearl needs to be checked out then, and if anyone has any feedback for me, happy snaps etc, I will post them on here, nothing to raunchy though, someone might be reading this.

Island Black Pearl Nightclub is opened Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00pm to 3:00 am, and Happy Hour is every Thursdays and Fridays from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Heres the website link again but I must warn you that there is some banging music going down so turn the speakers down!!! http://www.islandblackpearlnightclub.com/index.html

Island Black Pearl can be found at Ironshore in Montego Bay, just cup your ears and listen for the sounds and hopefully you won't hear this couple od Super Mulleted music monsters. BLACK LACE!!!





"Aaaagh! Aaaaagh! Ga-doo-doo-doo!"

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com/

Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com

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Jamaica Nightlife



Roaming Donkey - A guide to the best places to play in Jamaica

Well, I seem to have done it again, I have found another site with a strange name, one you would not associate with the subject matter.

I was scouring Google for information on the best nightclubs and bars in Jamaica, after all, you want people to know where they should and should not go and where they can find the sort of entetainment they are looking for.

OK, I'm not Albert Einstien but I am not as thick as a Whale sandwhich either. I typed into the Google search bar "Nightlife in Jamaica" and was presented with a list of suitable sites, one of which was aptley named "Nightlife Jamaica" so, click on the link and I see a website with flashing lights, naughty ladies and people enjoying themselves, or one would think that is what I saw.

Nope! I saw a cartoon donkey that was grinning like a WWII Japanese Zero Pilot! A donkey, y'know, "hee-haw, hee-haw!" with a back pack and Jamaica flag.

As it transpires the great and the good at the appropiatley named http://www.nightlifejamaica.com/ have decided to change the name of their website to http://www.roamingdonkey.com/

No matter! It's a great website with oodles of information on it about Jamaica, Jamaica nightlife, where to eat, what to see, what are the top rated bars, clubs etc. This website is a must to anyone who wants to hit the ground running and get into their holiday mood the second they get off the plane.

You can join this site and get first hand information from other site users.

Take a look at the Roaming Donkey website and let me know what you think.

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
Have you been to Jamaica or do you live on Jamaica? Add a comment about your favourite place

Things Jamaicans Love



Things Jamaicans Love: Music

I have found another fantastic website called Things Jamaicans Love. The site is very funny and you will love it. I do. The site does what it say's on the tin, TJL as we shall know by, is all about those things that Jamaicans do or think of doing, things Jamaicans love to eat, things Jamaicans love to say and lots more.

You are hard pressed to find anything on this Things Jamaican Love website that is not funny or interesting.

The Definitive Guide to Jamaican Table Manners is hilarious. The following is a little extract:
3. Grill your waiter on the menu items and their accompaniments. E.g.“Is local goat or imported mutton? Mi only eat local rammy yuh know.”
“What yuh serve wid di tripe? Rice an peas? Plain rice? Food?
“ Is nuff food yuh get?”
“So I can get curry goat gravy wid di the fry chicken?”
“Is why yuh face screw up so? Yuh work inna restaurant, so mi know seh yuh nuh hungry.”

Take a look at this great site. http://www.thingsjamaicanslove.com/ramblings_2.html


http://www.jamaicantreasures.com
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
Have you been to Jamaica or do you live on Jamaica? Add a comment about your favourite place

Definitive Guide to Jamaica

The Definitive Guide to Jamaica video presentation

Everyone who reads this Blog (both of you) will know by now that I pillage the Internet for material that will be helpful for anyone thinking of renting a Jamaica Villa or coming to Jamaica for a holiday or a wedding or a family reunion.

Youtube has some great videos, it also has some bad videos but I have found one that is really good. There is a website called the Definitive Caribbean http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/ and they have their own Youtube chanel which has great videos of Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands. The video of Jamaica posted in this Blog is a great representation of Jamaica ina 9 minute video.

If you have a spare 9 minutes, please watch this Jamaica presentation, you will really enjoy it. The lady doing the voice over sounds very nice.

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com/
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
Have you been to Jamaica or do you live on Jamaica? Add a comment about your favourite place