Memories of my Jamaica trip

by Wendy Lechner
(St. Kitts)

One of my most delightful memories of Jamaica was asking a couple of ladies where to have lunch one day.

They indicated a little shack nestled into the trees that looked as if it balanced precariously over a creek. We went inside and asked for a chicken sandwich (just like clueless tourists would).

However, we were treated to the best Brown Stew Chicken, coconut milk rice and peas, and salad that I've ever had -before or since. And of course, our first Red Strip beer and Ting. A most memorable day!

Another favorite memory was a trip we took down the Rio Grande River with a very young man named Jason. Sitting on a narrow bamboo raft, Jason expertly guided us downriver where we enjoyed the beautiful scenery a lot, but what was most remarkable was the ladies doing their laundry and laying their clothes on the river rocks to dry.

Their clothes were so clean they literally glowed in the sun; cleaner than anything coming out of a machine!

The other fascinating thing was the impromptu "bars" along the way, where you could pull in next to a man with a cooler for the iciest beer or rum punch one could hope to enjoy. What an amazing day!