on holiday - forgot to post

Wed Jan 12

ANd another beach day off to a good start, got all the pics to date uploaded. Got to the beach around 10ish and cracked some cold ones. Hung till around 1 when Ivan, Doc and Brent all showed up about the same time. Had another smoke and a beer. Doc & Brent headed off to play Indiana Jones at the abandoned hotel two resorts down. The whole thing would need to be bulldozed and build new. Apparently the materials they used to begin with were pretty shoddy and it's completely dilapidated now.
Chilled with Ivan for the afternoon, and we went to Lingah for supper - mmmm coco chicken and shrimp - tasty - sitting on the patio overlooking the ocean ... serenity abounds.
Kory's a little toasty today - he and Bren stayed out on the beach longer than I did so they headed for a siesta.
Brent and Doc and Annette came down round 7 or so for some evening cocktails and she & I got into the rum cream. Too hilarious. Went over the shopping list for tomorrow's adventure, bright and early and we'll be heading down the coast to the Savanna La Mar market for baking supplies and fresh fish for supper. Realized I hadn't taken any pictures today except for the tree.
Turned in fair early - round 11ish - all good;)


Thurs Jan 13

After checking with Barry in Regina the day before, we determined that there were not alot of options for cake that you could bake in a 250 degree propane oven besides sponge cake or fruit cake. Annette, however wanted to learn how to make a marble cake so it was off to the drawing board with a little improvise and overcome mixed in for good measure. So I decided to hell with it, marble pound cake it is, made the list of ingredients and baking implements we'd need and after Doc & Brent made a hanging nest for the laying chicken that decided to go back into production the four of us were off on a road trip.
Doc and Annette live in Sheffield a township just outside of Negril in the beginning of the hills and we were going down the south western coast to Savanna La Mar, the biggest town in Westmoreland. Lots of shopping there but only half as far as Montego Bay.The drive is through cottage country with small roadside businesses thrown up beside half million dollar contemporary and traditionally styled manor homes set back from the roadway. The degree of difference between those who have, and the majority of the population, is a study in stark contrast. Tropical forest and cane fields dot the countryside, little tiny houses nestled into the sides of the foothills, the crazy road veering to and from and up and down like a Herbie the Love Bug rally on steroids. Little glimpses of ocean whoosh by on the left and the valley and the mountains hover in the distance on the right.
Like cottage country everywhere the townships sort of melt into one another and if you miss the sign you may not even know you've passed into a new one, unless the schoolkids are out waiting for their buses and root taxis. Most of the schools still use uniforms and every school has its own colours. Clean and pressed, white shirts, skirts and jumpers, short pants and trousers, like flocks of birds swirling down the sides of the roadways.
Once we got to Savanna La Mar, and NOT on a regular market day I was amazed at the people everywhere. We paid the local parking cop for parking - no meters, and headed for the largest covered market on the coast road. Each vendor has their stall and you could find just about anything fresh that could be found. Annette and I wandered, talking to folks as we go, showing what the different produce was and what it was for, what it would be cooked with and how it's prepared. All the while there's the singsong murmur of the merchants vying for customers' attention. Doc and Brent wandering as well. Then it was around and through to the fish market where Doc took the lead looking for fresh fish for supper. We were there a little late for the morning catch and after checking a number of stalls, Doc decided we needed to go elsewhere. Then it was to Bashco where they sell everything from furniture to small appliances - much like Zeller's before the big chains started selling food. I was looking for an electric hand mixer - no go - though they did have a big mix master - it was more than we needed for a cake;) So we grabbed some wooden spoons and a good strong whisk, cake pans and measuring cups etc, and I found a small electric kettle and some enamel mugs for my room at the hotel (Morning coffee).
Then it was down a couple of blocks to the supermarket for the ingredients, Annette decided we she I and should walk it. That was an interesting walk. Annette acted as translator when comments were too fast for me to catch, I'm picking up the patois but there's no way I can catch all of it, that'll take either years or complete immersion, but the comment I heard most was "champion". Apparently a good thing according to Annette.
LOL
We made out like bandits and found everything we needed after some concerted searching, well except for Doc's fish.
We stopped for some fresh coco bread on the way south out of town on the search for fish. We finally found this lovely red snapper at a roadside stand somewhere in Belmont - I think - a few townships past Savanna La Mar and then it was back up the coast to Negril to get home and start the great cake experiment.
Annette and I got work and between us, with a little improvisation - - after all the recipes told us we couldn't do it.