Caribbean diaries (4) - Jamaica (Negril, Kingston and around)

Caribbean diaries (1) - Haiti, Trinidad, Martinique
Caribbean diaries (2) - Panama City, El Salvador
Caribbean diaries (3) - Ocho Rios, Port Antonio (Jamaica)

Negril

The warm Caribbean waters

The Negril resort area is supposed to have the best beaches in Jamaica among all the resort towns. And during my first two months in Kingston, I was unable to go there as it was a 3-4 hour drive away. But finally, on my recent trip back to Jamaica, I made it there. And I was impressed. The 7-mile beach is definitely worth all the hype around it.

Negril is located on the north western edge of the island. Again, while going we took one route and while coming back a different one. So all in all, I have ended up driving all around the island of Jamaica 😊 (Route map at the bottom).

Our drive to Negril was through the interiors of the island. We stopped at the town of Mandeville on the way for a snack break and walked to the local Burger King for a quick burger and to the local mall to buy food for the trip. It was an interesting stop, especially as everyone warns you that Jamaica is unsafe. But walking to a random town did not feel unsafe at all.

Bamboo pathway

On the way, we passed through a lot of small towns and villages, and as usual, there were loads of churches and colourful houses on the way. And we noticed many locals just sitting on the side of the roads and chilling. We also saw lot of hawkers on the roadside selling different local fruits. We should have stopped and bought some of the healthy stuff, but Jamaica is made out to be so unsafe, that we resisted. We also noticed that lot of the towns had grand and huge luxurious houses up on the hills. I am guessing, these are all holiday homes of the rich. On the way, we also came across a pathway of bamboo on both sides of the road which was quite a fascinating sight. We were brave enough to get out and take a few photos there 😜.

The drive was beautiful - through foggy mountains and green forests, valleys and next to the sea, bamboo covered roads and narrow roads through the jungles. We saw loads of picturesque vistas and a striking sunset on the way. Everything was so fresh after the rain and very very green. We kept the windows open and loud music at times. It was an amazing drive. People were driving very badly on the single lane roads though. And we had to be extremely careful and focussed all the time.

Also right before our coastal drive to Negril, we ran into a huge accident on the road. This was on a one way road, and we ended up wasting an hour in the traffic jam there. So the whole drive took us 6.5 hours instead of 4! As when we had started, we had got lost in Kingston too and drove around in circles. So we landed at our resort pretty late at night.

Negril is famous for its 7-mile beach and most of the resorts are located on the beach itself. We however stayed a bit far at the Spa Boutique hotel. It is a popular resort known for providing a nice private experience to its residents, away from the crowds and noise of the 7-mile beach. And we all totally loved our stay there. And in keeping with my tradition of not leaving my Jamaican resorts much, it was pretty much the same for me in Negril also 😋.

Sunrise from the terrace

The resort is located on a cliff, with lot of rocks along the water. And inside, it was all very green, with the bungalows hiding in between them the trees. Most of the bungalows were two storeys and we got the terrace rooms which had a heavenly view of the sea especially during sunrise. I was planning to sleep in but when I saw the view outside at 6 am, I had to give up on my sleep and come out and read a book, enjoying the freshness around. The sea, the sunrise, the greenery and the water. It felt like heaven. And given how far the resort was from the crowds and there was so much greenery, it was able to give you the feel that you were all alone there, which I totally loved.

Pool during sunset

The resort had a small artificial beach on the cliff, a nice outside pool overlooking the sea and lots of sunbeds and hammocks next to it. Just outside on the rocks next to the sea, there were loads of crabs, and pelicans were coming and swooping to find prey. You could also see fishes in the water if you walked on the rocks.

They also had great snorkelling right next to the cliff which was fun. I saw crabs, sea urchins, star fish, a small ray, long bottlenose fish, dead corals and loads of blue, yellow and other coloured fishes while snorkelling there. Snorkelling was definitely better in the afternoon than the morning though. The water was so warm, it felt perfect. Not just for snorkelling, but for swimming too.

They also had a nice spa in the resort, though please note that the massage tents were near the sea but pretty much in the open. So you need to be careful who is around. They also had a nice in-house terrace restaurant right next to the sea where we had a few tasty meals. It had a very picturesque setting, with chairs right next to the sea. And looked stunning, especially at night when it was all lighted up and you could see the faraway lights of the 7-mile beach. But the restaurant closed at 10, so you always had to hurry 😁.

The staff in the resort was cheerful and helpful always. And they made you feel like you were there alone. You can stay at a place like this forever and not do anything, which is what most of us did except the youngest in our group who went to 7-mile beach both the days 😁.

On the Saturday, we finally went out of the resort for dinner to the Island Lux beach park which was on the 7-mile beach and had a very nice ambience to it. We ate at the seafood restaurant, which was a nice place, well lighted with a good lively ambience, right next to the beach and had good seafood too. So we liked it. It was a bit empty though given this was not tourist season in Jamaica.

The 7 mile beach

The next day I finally did go to the 7-mile beach - it is actually a sandy beach for 7 whole miles! The drive till there felt luxurious, with green palms on both sides and huge resorts lining the road. The beach was fantastic, with blue waters, blue skies, white sand and warm waters. But the beach wasn't nice to just hangout as all the resorts are all-inclusive and you can't just go and eat anywhere. Also they are a bit rude and even though the beaches are public, they treat them as their private ones. And stop anyone walking along. So it was a bit annoying.

Relaxation

Otherwise, there were lot of water sports, some nice sea food places including one place on the boardwalk where you decide the lobster you eat and so on. It was too hot and humid though and staying in the shade felt welcome. I spent some time on the beach and just alternated between relaxing and swimming.

Overall, the weather was quite perfect. It rained every afternoon while we were there, and the sunsets were pretty given there were clouds and they played games with the light. It was much hotter in the day and cooler in the evening. But overall, it was very comfortable the whole day.

The drive back to Kingston though was very different and more comfortable than on our way to Negril. We took the highway along the north of the island, to Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and then Highway 2000 all the way to Kingston. Given these were the most touristy areas and the highway connected all the major resort towns, the road was amazing and better quality than the inland one we had taken earlier. The road from Negril to Montego Bay was more open and green. And from there to Ocho Rios was a lot more crowded and less pretty. We ran into multiple military checkpoints here which was as surprise. Maybe because this is the most tourist heavy area?

On the way, it was raining initially and then suddenly became sunny, which felt refreshing given all the greenery around. On the north coast route, we passed by many bays with bright blue, light blue and green waters, and the waves lashing on the shores and beaches. They were all quite stunning views all the way and you can see expensive resorts, the usual coloured houses and the houses on the hills on the sides. We also passed through some towns looking like english seaside towns.

Montego bay was huge and posh. Part of it is built on the mountains overlooking the bay. There were multiple huge resorts all along the road. Also the roads were lined with palm trees everywhere. It definitely felt more luxurious. We stopped at Smockies there for lunch, it was a small little shack but had one of most awesome jerk chicken we ever ate. The rest of the drive was quite fast and uneventful, and we were very soon on time in Kingston. Google maps had suggested the other route through the island as the shorter one but it was wrong. This road was a lot better and prettier. Even though it was longer, given the quality of the road, it ended up taking much less time.

Once in Kingston though, we had another interesting experience. We ended up missing a few turns and landed in a not so great area at night where it was pretty obvious that the place was shady. It is called Whitfield and gave us a few quiet moments when we did not know what to do. When we read about the place later it turned out that it was actually unsafe. And to be honest, even a second there was enough to make you feel so. Anyways we got out of there safe and sound and were back to work soon enough.

Kingston

I stayed in Kingston for some 8-9 weeks in total and even though on weekends I left the city, I did explore it a bit for dining during the time I was there. Kingston is the capital of Jamaica, and a huge spread out city. With mountains on one side and the sea on the other. You can see the mountains surrounding the city and half the time they were covered with clouds, providing stunning views almost daily. The sunsets here are also one of the most alluring ones I have seen. Kingston had a waterfront, but no beaches. So the sea views are mostly of the deep blue waters but there isn't much to do in the water.

In fact it feels like a very industrial city. It has one of the few deep sea ports in the Caribbean and has a huge harbour. But it all looks very boring. Most of the downtown is quite rundown, with many old dirty looking buildings. In fact, most of the city I saw wasn't very pretty. They say that the houses up in the mountains were grander and better. And there are some nicer areas around. I did see one of them and got a sense of what people mean, but my impression of Kingston remains of a poor town. I was barely able to find any good areas to explore or malls to go to buy anything in the downtown areas. There was lot of graffiti on the street. And lot of colourful houses. I also saw children would be playing football all the time outside. But overall, I didn't see too many people outside and I don't think the city is too safe either.

Apparently, the US has a huge part to play in the current state of the city. In the 1900s, Jamaica was modernising very fast and doing well, but then it started leaning towards communism. And the Americans then came in, gave them guns and it all went down. Crime increased, development slowed down and Kingston became more and more like a ghetto. I don't know how true this anecdotal story told by a taxi driver was, but definitely worth reading up on.

Landing at Kingston

Landing in Kingston was always a treat. The airport is on a narrow strip of land jutting into the sea. And the views from the top were always magnificent. The drive to the airport was also exhilarating, driving through a narrow strip of land into the sea with waves crashing into the rocks on both sides. And the water was so blue on both sides. It was my favourite drive in Kingston always.

I must say one thing about Kingston airport though. Its one of the most rude airports I have even been to. The staff treats you as if all you care about is entering the country illegally. One, they don't let you get on the flight if you don't have return tickets! Second, no one in the airport smiles or speaks politely. Even small things like if you walk towards a lounge, or by mistake open your phone while in the luggage area or take the trolley further than you should have - someone will rudely shout and point it out to you. And thats saying a lot given I have travelled a lot in US also. And third, they have health warnings for people who have travelled to any of South America, Central America, Africa or Asia in the previous weeks! Its like they are the most vulnerable nation in the world! The number of checks they do, you would think they are the US!

Anyways, irrespective of the airport, I always loved coming back to Kingston. Most of which was because of its weather, which was always amazing. It was always sunny and warm, though it rained a bit during afternoons. And the clouds would make the daily sunsets very pretty, with lot of shades of pinks and oranges lining the sky. After being there, I also realised how much I miss staying in warm places.

People

We didn't interact a lot with the local people but my perception is the ones in the city are not too friendly, especially at the airport. But they were always happy. Everyone seems to be in their own happy land all the time. Service is very slow and everyone takes so much time, everything moves at its own relaxed pace. Especially in restaurants, a takeaway would take forever. A lot of people greet each other with YoMon which is so cute. Also I noticed that there are not many Indians on this island like some of the other Caribbean islands.

There is no Uber here, so you have to take local taxi services. Its always advisable to take one from the hotel for safety issues. I used to drive when I was here, and it was fun. The roads are good but the locals drive like in India. So I felt like I was home 😊.

Food

We explored a lot of the eating places in town but most of them were not good. The food was just not tasty enough. My favourites though were Uncorked, Courtleigh hotel restaurant, Tamarind for Indian food, and the Jerk Chicken shack near our hotel. These were the only ones of the 10-12 places we went to which we actually liked. And we went to a lot - Terra Nova hotel restaurant, Usain Bolt's Tracks and Records, Devon House's Opa, South Avenue Grill and so on.

Uncorked was a nice little cosy place with eclectic food choices and a nice menu. Tamarind food was awesome, especially the Kashmiri coconut naan. And the Jerk Chicken shack was one of the best jerk chicken places in town, because of which our hotel did not have jerk chicken on its menu! Opa at Devon House had a great outdoor ambience and a paintings gallery within the restaurant. And South Avenue Grill had a nice outside ambience too except it must have been one of the slowest services I have experienced ever.

Hotels

View of Kingston from hotel

We were staying at the Marriort Courtyard, which was in the central part of town where all the hotels were located. Kingston hotels are overall not great - there are no high end brands in town at all. And the rates are very high, in fact almost European rates, with less facilities. I always thought the Marriott hotel was average. But my colleagues who had stayed at some of the other options nearby swear that this was the best 😜. The food at Marriott was better than a lot of other food we ate but it got boring very soon. I loved its outside seating area though, enjoying the sun and warmth always. The mosquitos there were not too welcoming though.

Things to do

Honestly, there is not much touristy stuff to do in Kingston. Right in front our hotel was the Emancipation park which was a popular place to go to for the locals. It was always full of people - running, exercising, dancing, doing yoga et al. And even at night, it was always full. It felt like one of the few safe places in the city. I ran a lot there and it helped that it had a 500m running track all around. It always felt great to be out in the warmer temperatures there. Also, quite often, there was some events happening in park, as we could hear the sound of concerts there quite often at night.

The Bob Marley museum is one of the major things to see in the city, though I never made it. And a visit to Port Real which was a pirate city is also quite popular. Maybe for some other time. We went to Devon House which felt like a nice place and had multiple restaurants. I never figured out the shopping areas in Kingston though. I tried going to a few malls and shops on a holiday but they were all closed!

View from Strawberry Hill

Strawberry Hill: We did not get to explore much of Kingston outside as we were always working. But one place we did go to one evening (and can be a nice weekend place) was Strawberry Hill. The resort is on Strawberry Hill and also known as the same. It has a narrow winding way to get up all the way which can be a bit difficult to drive. But the view from the top is totally worth it. You can get a view of all of Kingston, which is actually quite spread out. And they have nice bungalows to stay in, up the hill. All of which are spread out in a nice green area with lot of local trees and flowers. The dinner there was also good. A pretty good option for a weekend getaway from Kingston.

Overall though, I think Kingston as a city is not much to write about. Most of Jamaica that people like to visit are the resorts on the north side. Kingston is just the capital city, the engine driving the island. But not pretty at all.


Map of Jamaican drives

Caribbean diaries (3) - Jamaica (Ocho Rios and Port Antonio)

Caribbean diaries (1) - Haiti, Trinidad, Martinique
Caribbean diaries (2) - Panama City, El Salvador

Blue Lagoon

This summer I spent a couple of months in Jamaica on work. My weekdays were spent in the capital city of Kingston and weekends were spent exploring the beach resorts nearby. During this time, I visited Ocho Rios (twice), Port Antonio and Negril along the northern coast of the island. And I loved my time there. All the resorts and the beaches felt like they were in a different timezone altogether. With the crystal blue and tranquil waters around, the warm and relaxed air and the chilled people everywhere. Where time came to a standstill, and all you wanted to do was float in its timelessness...

Ocho Rios

My experience in Ocho Rios was more about the resort I stayed at than the town actually. It was such an amazing experience to be at Jamaica Inn, that I went to the same resort twice and both the times did not leave it at all over the weekend!

Getting there

Getting from Kingston to Ocho Rios is quite easy and convenient. Its about an hour drive mostly on the newly opened highway 2000 which cuts through the centre of the island and takes you through some beautiful mountaineous landscapes. Its quite a high quality freeway where you can drive fast while enjoying the jungle views around. Its all green everywhere with tropical forests. The route goes up and down through the mountains and is a pleasure to drive through. And there are loads of villages on the sides of the roads too, though they are mostly hidden in the forests.

Sometimes when it is rainy, the whole drive becomes even more green and fresh then ever. And you get to see some majestic sunset views in the evening, with the clouds and sunlight playing games with each other. A part of the route also passes through a valley which is always foggy and filled with clouds, as if in a bowl. I drove through the highway some 5-6 times and enjoyed each of those experiences. And as soon as you are off the highway, you reach Ocho Rios within 10 mins.

Jamaica Inn - the resort

Jamaica Inn is one of the resorts you come to as you drive past the town. I am still very surprised that the first time I entered the gates at Jamaica Inn, my first impression of the place wasn't great. In fact, I actually questioned myself whether I had landed at the right place or not! It had a very rustic feel to it, like the old British bungalows. And lot of open spaces and gardens within the premises. It was definitely not at all like the swanky posh new age hotels that we all frequent nowadays. And so I wasn't sure if it was worth the high price it charged. But that was just my first impression, as everything else after that was heavenly. And I fell in love with the place within an hour of being there.

The first time I visited, I got one of the Balcony suite rooms which are the simplest ones available. They are located on the first floor and have a sea view. The interior decor of the rooms was very comfortable and it had an outside balcony where you could sit with a view of the garden below and the sea beyond. As I had reached at night, I didn't get to see the resort much.

I had dinner at their open air restaurant where there was live local Jamaican music playing. The food was average but there was already a very relaxing feeling all around which I had already started enjoying. Everyone in the resort was very friendly and always smiling. Service was personal and relaxed, and they took their time to do anything. It was overall a very friendly place, where even the guests spoke to each other and chatted for long 😊.

After dinner, I sat outside in my room's balcony, just enjoying the music from the restaurant, listening to the waves splashing along the beach and enjoying the twinkling lights far away. It was already so relaxing to be here, far away from all the troubles of the world. But even all this hadn't prepared me for my experience over the next two days.

Morning view from my room

And when I woke up in the morning was when I fully awakened to the bliss that was Jamaica Inn. The view right in front of my room was of a garden next to a white sand beach. And it was heavenly. It was so blissful being in the resort that I ended up not leaving it for the next two days at all.

Clearwater villa

Its a huge resort with bungalows spread in a huge green area. They have many different kind of rooms - balcony rooms, verandah suites, huge luxury villas with private pools and their own private entrance to the sea, cottages and so on. All of them are painted in a soothing shade of white and blue, have a lot of privacy and offer the perfect place to unwind. There was something of the old British world charm in the bungalows which was very attractive and calming. And of course, having food on the beach, the spa and all the activities made it easier to just chill inside.

Clearwater Villa

On my second visit to Jamaica Inn, I stayed in Clearwater Villa which was a huge suite and pure luxury. We had our own pool, own sunbeds, a personal garden and our own private entrance to the sea. And I enjoyed it totally. I think Jamaica Inn has ruined me for life regarding luxurious beach vacations 😊. There was a very private feeling about the resort, where it feels you have all the place to yourself, given how its been setup. And that is something I will always appreciate about this place.

Things to do in the resort

Breakfast view

Food: The resort has a breakfast area and the breakfast is included in the room rates. It also has a restaurant for lunch and dinner as well as bar food on the beach all day. The breakfast area has one of the most fabulous views I have ever seen - its located right next to the green and blue waters, with a view of the sea and the surrounding areas. Its the best way to start a good day. And the spread is also good, especially all the Jamaican fruits in the menu. Every morning, I ended up staying there longer than I initially planned, just lost in the views around more than the food.

Terrace restaurant

Every night, dinner again was in the open terrace, with a great background setting. The waves would be hitting the shore, the palm trees would be swaying in the background, the stars twinkling above and the lights of the town calling out from far. Every day, there was live music in the restaurant, with mostly local artists performing. One day it was reggae, another day Jamaican songs and popular pop songs at another dinner. It was always amazing to eat there, almost surreal every time.

And after dinner, I would just sit outside in my balcony, read a book or enjoy the sunset views with the sound of the music still playing. It always felt so surreal, as if I was in heaven with not a care in the world. And thinking to myself, this is the life and it doesn't get better than this. There is something about this place that is amazing - you forget all your troubles when you come here. I loved those relaxed stress free evenings there and they were definitely the high point.

Resort beach

Activities: There is a beach in the resort itself of white sand and dotted with palm trees plus almond trees serving as natural shades. They have a beach bar serving food and drinks, including complimentary ones. The water there is sparkling clean and had a variety of shades, from green to dark blue hues. And when its sunny, the water sparkles light green. I swam a bit in the warm waters and it was lovely, especially during the day when the weather was a bit warm. I also went a couple of times for snorkelling and saw all the typical coloured fishes - orange, yellow, blue et al and sea urchins, all very near the resort. You can very easily chill there the whole day, going into the water, waving to all the boats passing by, reading, eating and also trying out some of the water activities offered by the resort.

The resort has free gear for the residents for lots of water based activities like sailing, paddle surfing, kayaking and snorkelling. In addition, they also have a croquet lawn, the usual gym and a oceanview pool. They also have their own spa which has a fantastic location overlooking the sea, and is totally worth experiencing. They also have a library stocked with many books to pass time, especially during the day when its a bit hot to get out. I ended up reading a book on both my trips there. They also have a snack hour when they offer free snacks near the terrace restaurant. Everything there is setup in such a way that you don't feel like doing much or leaving the property either.

They had a few other activities in the resort, like going to a turtle hatching location, going for a nature walk and so on. I couldn't go for the turtle hatching as it wasn't the season. I did however go for one of their nature walks where they take you around the resort and show you different kind of tropical trees and flowers, and I think that was the maximum activity I did that weekend 😜.

Ocho Rios is part of the garden parish of Jamaica and hence there is a lot of focus on different types of trees and plants. It was quite an interesting walk, especially some of the flowers that the gardener showed. We started with tasting and smelling the leaves of some local spices like rosemary, lemon grass, garlic wine and blue mountain coffee. Then he showed us the ganja plant, which was a first for me. Among the fruit trees, they had the bread fruit, avocado, roseapple, cotton tree (used for making boats), royal palm, desert palm (which stores water inside it), soursap and almond trees (which provided natural covering like an umbrella on the beach).

And they also had a lot of the local flowering varieties within the resort - orchids, gulmohar (knows as pride of Barbados), lobster claw, frangipani, gingerlily flower (bright red), boostail (long tail), flame of the forest (bright orange on the tree), red shrimp flowers and so on. The gardener showed us each of these plants adding a bit of history or other detail to make it more interesting. Like he showed us the common touch-me-nots grass which were apparently brought to Jamaica and were planted on large farms to allow the owners to find where the slaves had run away.

Perfect with a book in the evening

But honestly, as I said, we didn't do many activities there as we ended up lazing and chilling a lot more than doing anything. The weather was quite hot and humid during the day, and cooler at night. It felt better when it was cloudy though and sometimes rained in the afternoon. Also you had to watch out for mosquitos and we had to use anti-repellant cream if we wanted to sit outside at night. I also noticed was that there was always loud sound of crickets in the background all the time which is so different than being in a city.

Outside the resort

There are loads of things to do around Ocho Rios actually. There is a dolphin cove where you can go and play with the dolphins. And then there is the famous River Dunn waterfall where you can walk along a waterfall all the way down to the sea and beach. It is supposed to be an amazing experience, and both weekends I was there, I had planned on going to the waterfall but never managed to make it 😁.

I once went for a scuba dive which is offered by the diving guys at the neighbouring resort. It was a nice dive at a ship wreck, where we spotted some sting rays, sponges, typical fishes and the usual reef. The ride back in the boat when they were dropping me was amazing. We got a very good view of the resort from afar. And it looked even better than being in it 😜.

I did go into the Ocho Rios town once and found it to be very average, quite in contrast to the resorts which are luxurious. It felt safe though which helps. I found things overall quite expensive though which I wouldn't expect in such a small town. I also bought a mango from a local stall, and the shopkeeper was surprised that I wanted to buy just one. The mangoes there taste almost as good as the ones we eat in India!!

One of the evenings, we went out for dinner to Oceans 11, a nearby happening restaurant. There were loads of local people enjoying being outside and eating and drinking. The location and ambience was good, being right next to the sea. But the quality of service was below par. The area also had a lot of nice apartments around, I am guessing they were all local holiday homes.

Sunset at the resort

One of the weekends, I also spoke to the owner of the place who is an American. His family has owned the place for generations and he mentioned that their aim is to make it a place which residents visit regularly, and dont want to leave. And they've made it just like that 😜. I also realised once there that this place was frequented by loads of celebrities, like Marilyn Monroe for her honeymoon and Winston Churchill for his breaks. I can see why. Once there, you don't want to leave. It was like being in a bubble, faraway from the world. Jamaica Inn has become one of my favourite hotels in the world now. And a tip - residents of Jamaica get a massive discount in rates, so definitely ask for them if you are.

Port Antonio

Another weekend in Jamaica, we went to the town of Port Antonio. It is located on the north-western part of the island and was a very different experience than Ocho Rios. The resort experience was the same - like other places in Jamaica, you don't want to leave any resort you are in! But the activities we did there were definitely different. And the drives were more spectacular too.

Port Antonio is almost a 3-4 hour drive from Kingston, in the parish of Portland. While going there, I took a route through the centre of the island (which is all mountains and jungles) and then along the north side of the island (which is a coastal route). And a different route while coming back through the west and south coast of the island. And both the drivers were quite a different experience.

Stony Hill drive

While driving to Port Antonio, the first part of the drive of about 30 kms was through the Blue mountains (called the Stony Hill drive). It was a narrow road most of the way, with too many ditches and bumps. The last 10 kms was especially bad, with loads of potholes. But the views were magnificent. All around were beautiful tropical forests, with hanging roots, and a river running all along, down in the valley. It was all so green and fresh. I drove through very small villages and settlements. Every village had its own church. And everyone seemed happy and chilled, just like Jamaicans are supposed to be. Loads of them were just sitting next to the road and staring at nothing. And many were wearing funky dresses. I mostly drove with the windows open and the fresh air felt amazing, so surreal and liberating.

At one of the bays on the way

Once through the mountains, I drove through the northern part of the island, which had a nice coastal road. It passed through many villages, all next to the sea with bays and beaches at every turn. It was picturesque all the way, through Orange Bay, Buff Bay, Margarets Bay, Hope Bay and so on. All the villages were small and not really touristy. The villages had small shops and lot of colourful houses. It felt a lot like South Africa sometimes. And the bays were picturesque, with waves lashing on the shore the whole time. A lot of these bays were overlooked by nice houses on the hills on the other side, definitely of the rich from Jamaica and US:). The last stretch from Port Antonio to my resort, the Goblin Hill villas, was a bad road with lot of potholes. And I had to drive very carefully. But the local cars of course drove much faster than me throughout.

Luxurious rooms

The resort was amazing. It had a huge area, all green, with lots of activities to do - a pool, tennis, gardens and so on. It had a huge reception with a restaurant and bar. And had a few villas overlooking the sea. I took one of the terrace ones and settled in soon. The villas were huge and luxurious - with a kitchen and a local cook who would come and cook for you in your own kitchen. And the rooms were well stocked, with mosquito nets and mosquito repellants (liquid) and so on.

View from the room

And the view from there was out of this world. It overlooked the bay, with the forests surrounding the bay. The first evening I landed, I just missed the sunset. But still sat outside, just enjoying the warm temperature and the sound of the waves. It was a bit humid but still fun. All around there were ambient insect sounds. And the stars above were beautiful. It felt so easy and amazing to just lie outside like this.

Monkey Beach

Morning of course brought an even better view. I had breakfast sitting on my terrace, eating what my cook cooked. And chilled in the resort for most of the day, walking, reading and just enjoy being there. There were loads of greenery in the resort, lot of trees, flowering ones like gulmohar and lobster claw, as well as fruit trees like almond and mango too and so many touch-me-nots which I have seen after a very long time. And of course brilliant views of the bay, including the view of Monkey island. I could even see people swimming there. In the afternoon, it rained a bit. And it was felt awesome to take an afternoon nap, with a cold wind blowing and the windows being open. I also went for a run around the property and down to the local beach which felt tiring given the villas were on a hill.

I did go out of the resort a bit though. First I went to Frenchman's cove which was a beach near the Frenchman cove hotel. To be honest, I was not impressed by it and would give it a miss anyday. The beach was too small and overcrowded. The cafe barely had some good food. It was too humid, and there were too many insects there. In the evening, I went to Woodys Burgers which is supposed to have one of the best burgers in town. It is a very small place which seemed empty when I went. I almost missed it too. But it did have one of the best burgers I have eaten.

Houses of the rich and famous

The next day, we had a more active day. We finally went to Blue Lagoon which is what Port Antonio is famous for. You can rent a boat, which first takes you to Monkey island which is breathtaking. It is a small island which I saw from my resort too. And it has this pristine white sand beach with shallow waters. It was amazing just swimming and chilling there for a while. And there was a swing there to take typical photos. You also pass by the houses of the rich and famous on the bay, and they sure did look luxurious and expensive.

Blue lagoon

Then we went to the Blue Lagoon in the boat. This place was quite ethereal in its beauty. The water was of different shades of dark blue, and at different temperatures, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. It was very deep and fun to swim in. There was also a small spring on one side where we experienced more warmer waters. This place really had exquisite beauty all around and we spent lovely 3 hours there.

Blue lagoon

I finally also managed to go to Geejams hotel for lunch at the Bush bar. The hotel is a nice place to stay but was a bit too expensive. The restaurant though wasn't as expensive, It has a nice view, in the middle of tropical forests, with roots and creepers all around and totally worth stopping for a nice relaxed lunch. And very soon the weekend was over.

Another bay on the way

On the drive back, I took a longer route through the other side of the island. And loved it. It was so exhilarating to drive along the coast through these fascinating drives with huge bays next to me. Through towns like Boston Bay, Long Bay, Morant and so on. All the roads next to the bay had magnificent views, of the beaches and the blue sea waves hitting the shore hard. I also saw crabs crossing the street many times. There wasnt much other animal life otherwise, other than a few goat here and there

Sunday football matches

As on the drive there, I noticed loads of churches, and huge and colourful houses in every village on the way. And there were tons of bars playing loud music too. People in those villages were mostly chilling. I noticed a lot of Jamaican wear very bright colours and have exotic hairstyles. And the villages we passed by had lot of people playing football (maybe because it was Sunday). Part of the route was also through expansive fields and plains which looked pretty during sunset. The road wasn't great though and the potholes were deep! But I loved the driving experience there and the views, especially the sunset time. And soon was back in Kingston...

Caribbean diaries (4) - Negril and Kingston (Jamaica)

Caribbean diaries (2) - Miami, Panama City and San Salvador

Caribbean diaries (1) - Haiti, Trinidad, Martinique

Miami

Fort Lauderdale from the air

Miami was a base for us when I was in the Caribbean and I flew in and out from there many times (6 times at last count). So I got to see it lot more from the top than on the ground 😁. And it looked just like I had imagined. The skyline while landing in Miami was always enchanting. A mix of the high rises in the city, with sun and waves all around it. And while landing at places nearby, like Fort Lauderdale, you can see the retirement houses lining the coast, with their huge houses, swimming pools and palm trees all around. The whole coast is densely populated, with lots of buildings and palm trees lining it for tens of kilometres. Also once when I was landing, we also flew over a long stretch of swamps all the way to Miami, which made for pretty pictures. So from the top, it was definitely a different experience every time.

Miami downtown from the air

The airport experience though was never great. There were always long queues for immigration, lot of confusion and very rude staff every time. There was a lack of clear directions in the airport, especially when taking connecting flights between terminals. Immigration took forever, with the attendants very rude to you if you do anything out of the ordinary, like take out your phone! And the US flights are quite low in service anyways. The whole experience just leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. And it made me decide to avoid connecting through US airports as much as I can.

During my stay in the Caribbean, I twice stayed there for a night between flights (once in Fort Lauderdale and once in Miami), and once spent a whole weekend in Miami. My first night there was spent in Hyatt House hotel in Fort Lauderdale which was quite a disappointment. The hotel was very downmarket and full of very random and scary people. It barely had any facilities or eating options. I tried walking to the nearby mall but the sidewalk was closed. So I decided to order in the food and what came was so American - a lot of food! Overall my experience wasn't great and I would never recommend the hotel to anyone. But the drive there from Miami had been quite refreshing, with palm trees and holiday homes everywhere, and a nice relaxed vibe to the air. So clearly, there was something better in the offing in Miami.

Retirement communities

So I turned up there again, for a weekend, when we stayed in Miami and ended up doing nothing much really 😀. We were staying in a huge airbnb in one of the gated communities in the city and it was an amazing experience. Staying in a 7-8 bedroom house with multiple living places and its own pool was definitely a unique experience. We walked around the area a bit and got to see some of the huge luxurious houses around which were interesting.

The whole vibe of the city was so relaxed and it was raining the whole weekend. So we ended up just doing indoor stuff at a slow Floridan pace. Our first outing was a brunch in the warm weather at Morgans which was a nice start to the day. And we spent the rest of the day shopping at the Sawgrass shopping mall.  We spent some time walking in the Design District and Birknell, both of which seemed fun to explore. They were full of graffiti and street paintings everywhere. The city felt spotlessly clean, well lighted and quite posh. In the evening we went for dinner to Beaker and Gray and called it an early night.

The next day also, the weather wasn't too great. So we spent the rest of the day lounging in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, with a view of the waterfront. And so the weekend was done, without having done anything much. As expected, the ubers as is everything in the US were huge. But surprisingly, most of the drivers did not speak English which felt a bit of a surprise as we were in the US! But I guess, Miami is a lot more spanish as compared to the rest of the country.

Swamplands?

My last night in Miami was when I had missed a flight and ended up staying 24 hours in the city. I stayed at the W hotel in the city centre with a beautiful view outside of a river and a nice park. But the world cup was going on at that time and I ended up spending the whole day inside itself. So inspite of having spent so much time in Miami, I still haven't explored much of what it has to offer outdoors. And even after having been to Miami 4 times, I haven't managed to visit the South Beach yet! Maybe I need to go on another trip to Miami then?


Panama City

Boats moving towards Panama Canal

I barely spent 24 hours in Panama City but it somehow left an impression on me. A good one, one which makes me want to visit it again. The first view I have of Panama is of flying in and seeing the country from the air. When land slowly comes into view, and you can see hundreds of ships making its way into the Panama Canal. And then, we saw lot of beaches with high rises and resorts next to it, followed by vast lands of rainforests and then we landed in Panama City. As soon as we started driving through the city, I experienced a kind of richness which was missing in all the other places I had visited in the Caribbean.

The waterfront

And it turned out to be exactly that. Panama is quite rich and well developed as compared to most of its neighbouring countries. Most of it comes from the Panama Canal and its consistent stream of revenue, but over the years Panama has developed into a successful South American hub. A lot of the well educated people from around Central and South America come and work there, and its a nice melting pot of immigrants from across the continent.

A view of Panama city

The city felt very modern and lot safer than some of its neighbours. Again, I spent most of my time in the office and the hotel in the city centre which looked fab. The waterfront was full of people enjoying walks. There were malls, offices and apartments in highrises all next to the waterfront. And hills nearby behind the highrises. They all made for fascinating shots at sunset. There was the typical beach-ey feeling about the city, which felt relaxed and luxurious. And somehow I came back with the feeling that I want to spend more time there for sure one day.

My biggest surprise on the visit: Panama is a rich and well developed country, and a popular place for expats in Central and South America to come and work.


San Salvador

I spent two days in San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador but again spent most of my time in the hotel and the office. I did get a good sense of the country though, based on the small visits I had outside and time I spent with some locals. The people in ELS are Mestizos and I could easily merge with them. In fact, many people spoke to me in Spanish when I was there 😀.

ELS is a poorer country as compared to Panama and very unsafe. We again had strict instructions to not go anywhere without security. I noticed lot of guards outside buildings walking around with armed guns, which clearly indicated that we hadn't got the wrong advice!

A view of San Salvador

There were lots of malls around. And the nice areas felt very nice. I went out to two malls for lunch and dinner and liked the vibe I noticed there. Good restaurants and people out in the warm weather enjoying the nice meals. Also the country felt a lot more conservative than what I had imagined all of Latin America to be like. In fact, there was something there which made it feel a lot like India - with its so many potholes and the difference between the rich and the poor.

As I said, I did not get to see much of the country. I had the option to go and see a volcano which was very near. However, I debated going there and decided against it after hearing how unsafe the city is. So I decided to leave instead for the airport, which again was a nice drive. I passed through lot of hills and green dense forests on the way to the airport. I did feel sad leaving without exploring the country, but maybe thats for another time 😀.

My biggest surprise on the visit: There was a volcano within 30 mins from the city of San Salvador.

Caribbean diaries (3) - Ocho Rios, Port Antonio (Jamaica)
Caribbean diaries (4) - Negril and Kingston (Jamaica)

Impressions of Japan (3/3)

Part 1 - Tokyo and Nagano
Part 2 - Kyoto and Koyasan

In the 10 days we spent in Japan, we mostly stayed in the central part of the Honshu island. And even though we stayed in major touristy places, we still got to get a good feel of the country. And this time was enough for us to realise that Japan is an island within itself (geographically and philosophically speaking). Even though it has integrated with the world now, it is still isolated in its mind, and happy with it...


The country

The overwhelming feeling about Japan is of a comfortable mix of the old and the new. As much as it still embraces its deep culture, it has taken modernity and perfection to a new level. The country presents a very nice picture of the country of today, ahead in technology and running itself in perfection. The number of machines and devices everywhere, the bullet train running to the second, and all of this in a spotless country make it seem perfect. It also makes it easy for tourists to feel at home and comfortable very soon (as we did too).

You can see advanced technology and modern infrastructure everywhere. The most famous of that is of course the Japanese toilet seat which is present everywhere, even on the trains. With 5-15 different buttons, all with very specific functions, they are a pleasure to use. And I always wonder why no one else uses them across the world.

The Japanese have a fascination for vending machines and you can see them everywhere, dispensing all kind of unimaginable wares. We even found a machine inside our temple in Koyasan! The train network both within the cities as well as across the country is very good. The Shinkansen of course tops it all. The smaller villages we passed on the way during our trains seemed to all have all the infrastructure that you would need. They felt well connected and comfortable to live in. So all in all, the country seems to be as modern as we have always imagined it to be.

There are very small other things all around which make tourists feel welcome very soon. All the hotels (at least the ones we stayed in) gave phones in the rooms, with local data and minutes all for free! All restaurants have plastic copies of food kept in the window to make it easier to order what they want. And everything is safe. You can even leave your wallet unattended for hours and still find it where you left it.

All these things as much as they make tourists feel comfortable things, stand alongside a lot more which wouldn't make it as fun to stay in Japan as an immigrant. And that is the different and lack of openness in the culture and the people. Most of the shops and boards everywhere are written in Japanese, with very few things described in English which would make it mandatory for people to learn Japanese to be able to live in the country. And the people also felt happy to be polite and helpful, but still very distant and aloof. Happy within themselves.


The cities

We visited a few cities, and passed through a few while on the bullet train. And they all looked quite the same. Very modern, with lots of high-rises, lights, malls on every corner and full of shopping. There are loads of cartoon displays and ads everywhere. And lots of gaming shops too. This is something definitely found lot more in Japan than other places I have visited. And shopping is huge everywhere too, especially beauty products.

Tokyo felt like a cross between Hong Kong and London somehow. At times, it felt like a normal city, quiet and residential, with single storey houses and lots of machiya houses peeping through the new constructions. But at times, it felt like a mad-house, with its high rises and flashing lights everywhere, and people always running somewhere.

The metro in Tokyo was very very dense with too many lines everywhere. The linking of the metro wasn't very convenient though, with sometimes long walks required to change lines at the same station. You even had to swipe the card again, as the lines were owned by different companies. Some of the lines had cushioned seats but most weren't as comfortable. There was also a lot of haze everywhere, I think the air is more polluted than London. Tokyo felt like a good mixture of the fast and the slow, but somehow not a city I would like to live in for the long term.

Kyoto felt very different though. It felt slower paced, as if it was in a different century all together. There were more canals and open spaces there, less high rises and lights, people walking around in their kimonos, and it definitely felt warmer and more liveable as compared to its faster capital.


The people

The Japanese people have lots of articles written about them, how some of their qualities are very deeply entrenched in their culture and in them. And its so true. You can see it in all their interactions, and its very cute and interesting to see it.

Some of the terms which are commonly used to describe them are diligent, polite, respectful, stoic and punctual. And you can see it in a lot of things. For example, we saw one of the guys in the airport putting luggage tags. And he was doing it with so much dedication and diligence, we couldn't have seen that anywhere (least of all in India). The ticket checker in the Shinkansen would bow every time he or she entered a coach and left a coach. Even if no one noticed them doing it!

They all love following rules, and we never spotted anyone doing anything which is not allowed. Sometimes they followed the rules too much, carrying out each of the steps required and I thought some of them were very slow in their jobs because of that. But I guess doing a job well is quite important in their culture.

Politeness and friendliness is everywhere. We all know how the Japanese like to speak respectfully with everyone, adding 'san' at the end of the name. And bow while speaking with everyone. During our visit, we also noticed that they take the effort to help you, with shopkeepers sometimes even coming out of their shops to give you directions. Which is quite unlike say, the US or even some parts of Europe. And even if they don't speak a lot of English (which a lot actually don't), they will still make a lot of effort to help you. Also, you can notice that many times they are frustrated with tourists and their manners or lack of respect for rules. But still, they contain their frustration and are nothing but polite to everyone.

The Japanese are generally very hardworking, disciplined and quiet. You can always seen them standing in a queue, especially while getting on the Shinkansen. And they would get on with no delays, within the stop time. Working late is quite the norm, which we noticed seeing the heavy office traffic (all in black suits) in the metro at 10 pm on a Friday. Most of them also wore masks, which I heard was because cleanliness and civic duty is high in priority for them. Some wear masks not to get sick, while other wear it not to make others sick 😇.

We also found them quite serious most of the time. All the people travelling in the metro were quiet. They didn't talk much or loudly, didn't even laugh much. And most of them were looking at their phone all the time. I think we were the loudest group at most of the places we went 😊.

While all this is very positive, I honestly did think that the people there lacked openness and laughter. It's good to be hardworking and diligent and disciplined. But sometimes too much of that can make you lose your ability to loosen up, relax and have a good time. Just a laugh here and seeing some lightness there was something I missed a lot in the country, like we have in India (too much of it I would say).


The culture

I don't think I can write a lot about the culture of Japan here, as that needs its own books. I will however write about some things I noticed.

The first of course was about the two main religions of Japan - Shintoism and Buddhism. Apparently both of them exist together, with each having its own use. A lot of the temples and shrines that we went to were one of the two. The Shinto shrines would have a Tori entrance gate, a place to wash hands and a place to worship but without idols. You can also get married in a Shinto shrine, as it is not as much as a place of worship as a place to get together. Their names always have ji next to them. Buddhism on the other hand had temples, with statues of Buddha inside and incense burners. And people went there to pray more than anything else.

I think the Japanese have mixed western ideals with their own values very well and co-exists\ with the traditional and the modern next to each other. You can see enough people in western wear as in Kimonos, and in some ways, I found that quite similar to India. They are quite a self sufficient country and do not encourage immigration much. In fact they have made it very tough and so its not a surprise that we did not encounter too many people from outside Japan living there other than the tourists.

The Japanese gardens are very specific to their culture and they love them. Their gardens have rock landscapes, flowing water, small wooden structures, wooden bridges and a mix of many types of plants. Which even if similar to other gardens has its own uniqueness. The Japanese also love food and that is obvious with the quality of food they have. We did not have much of sushi (!!!) but all the Japanese food and the Indian food we ate was all very tasty. And I think that signifies how much importance they give to good tasty food.


Few tips for travel

- In Tokyo, it makes sense to buy the daily metro pass. Depending on how much you travel, it will probably be cheaper than buying a pay as you go ticket
- Buy the JR pass for travel on the Shinkansen. It allows travel for a longer time, say a week but only for foreigners. So you need to buy it beforehand and they are delivered only outside the country
- If you travel in large groups, you can turn around the seats in the Shinkansen to sit facing each other 😊
- Book restaurants in advance as they get booked out very quickly, especially in the cherry blossom season
- If you are vegetarian, you can find amazing Indian food to eat. Just search for the good restaurants
- Buy Japanese cosmetics, especially Shiseido but even some of the local brands. Their quality is better than other cosmetics
- For each of the cities, especially Tokyo, choose a few things to do rather than trying to do everything. It can get too hectic and boring after a while if you try to do everything

The exquisite town of Sintra, Portugal

This summer, I spent a few days in Portugal in the town of Sintra near Lisbon. It was a work trip but somehow, I made time to make two short trips to town and I was glad I did. It turned out to be a tourists delight with beautiful vistas of sun-kissed Portugal dotted with palaces and parks. A true paradise on earth and worth returning to some day.

View from Sintra

This is how Sintra is described on one of the websites and it was exactly that - 'With its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichen, exotic gardens and glittering palaces, Sintra is like a page torn from a fairy tale. Its Unesco World Heritage–listed centre, Sintra-Vila, is dotted with pastel-hued manors folded into luxuriant hills that roll down to the blue Atlantic.'

Lisbon from the air

While landing in Lisbon, I got some breathtaking views of the city and around - of the sea, estuary, bridges, the city filled with orange coloured roofs and white buildings, and of green hills far off. It all felt very sunny, bright and warm even when landing. And once out of the airport, of course it was the same feel, the typical relaxed atmosphere that I always sense in Portugal. It had been the same even on my last trip to Faro in Algarve.

I took a cab to take me to my resort in Sintra. The driver did not speak English, so we had a quiet journey but the views on both sides were quiet captivating. With all the picturesque sun-kissed houses on both sides, shining in the sun, with baroque churches dotting them sometimes. The drive also made me realise that Portugal is a little less developed than a lot of Western Europe. People drove all over the place and didn't really follow the rules. Also the road wasn't perfect and at times we encountered water standing on the road!!

Penha Longa resort

I was staying at the Penha Longa Resort and it was awesome (at least what I got to see in between work). It was a huge open property with golf courses, running tracks, old historical structures and an old monastery on its premises, all located within a huge green belt. The monastery had been converted into a meeting convention centre but still retained all its beautiful paintings and tiles, plus the church.

Inside the monastery

The hotel had infinity pools and gardens all around, tons of eating places and all its rooms had a beautiful balcony with a green view outside. I didn't get a chance to explore the resort at all actually but I can see how it would be a fun place to stay on a weekend. While checking-in, I also ran into a big Indian group at the resort who were there for a wedding. Clearly destination weddings have become very very huge in the sub-continent, all the way till Portugal!

When I had realised I was going to Portugal for the conference, I had assumed our resort would be near the sea and I will get a chance to relax on the beach. It turned out that it was actually far away from the beach. Thankfully, a friend of mine told me that I should definitely visit the town of Sintra as it was culturally very rich. Given I hadn't read or heard about it earlier, I wasn't expecting a lot but was pleasantly surprised. It turned out that Sintra was the summer holiday location for the Portuguese kings as it was cooler, and so had a lot of things to do and explore.

It was quite spread out and was essentially a suburb of Lisbon, about 30 mins from the national capital. Even though it was a small little town, it had a few palaces, some monasteries, a few gardens, a Moorish fort on the hill, forested hills and a few beaches around. The town is located on a side of a hill and is reachable through narrow winding roads passing through picturesque colourful buildings, with a mix of Portuguese and Arabic architectural influences. All in all, offering a lot to tourists to explore for a day or two.

Pena Palace

I made a couple of short trips to town and got to visit the Pena palace, the National Palace and the town centre. At the Pena palace, you walk through the Pena Gardens which surround the Palace and have a few things to visit, like the fern gardens, a few statues, a huge cross on top of a hill, a valley of lakes, the stables and so on. You need to walk up about 800m from the gate to get to the Palace or you can take the bus inside the park complex, to go from one place to another.

Cathedral

The icing on the cake though is the Pena Palace. It is a luxurious fantasy palace built on top of a hill, integrating architectural designs from across the world and painted in bright colours - yellow, red, blue and grey providing a majestic sight. It started out as a monastery and then was renovated to convert it into a palace. The current structure was designed by a German architect, and its ownership has passed through many of the Portuguese royal families over the years.

View from the Queens Terrace

The whole palace is painted in bright colours, with multiple structures taken from different forts and palaces. They have Moorish tiles decorating some of the walls, with archways looking into the horizon, towers from typical castles and so on. Its a photographer's delight with its colours, and various architectural shapes ranging from Baroque to Arabic to Rajasthani. The Queen's terrace next to the queens room was one of the places where you can get a good view of the Palace, the park and the sea beyond. And I sat there for a while taking in the view and doing some work on my phone 😀.

Inside the palace, you can walk through many of its rooms and it is pure luxury. It felt like a country house with grand rooms filled with exquisite furniture, gorgeous paintings and other wall decorations which was unique to each of the room, plus with panoramic views of the country outside up to the sea.

View of Moorish castle

Then I walked to Tritons terrace leading to the the cathedral, along the side of the palace through the watch towers to where you can see the Moorish Castle glistening on top of the hill. You can even visit the castle remains from the 5th century when the Moors ruled Portugal but I had ditched that. Every turn in the castle felt like a photo point and I enjoyed every moment of the couple of hours I spent there.

View from the gardens

After the palace, I strolled through its forests and the fern valleys and other gardens, stopped at some of the sites but essentially just explored the area lazily. It was a refreshing walk and I passed through the Queen's chalet on my way out. I also got some majestic views of the palace from the garden on my way out. You can easily spend hours there in the complex if you want. It had turned out to be a very sunny and warm day which I had loved. And maybe was the reason for such a huge crowd turning up there on a Wednesday. Anyways I had a nice time in my short break there and would definitely recommend a visit.

Vintage cars

I made another trip to the National Palace for dinner one of the evenings, which was located in the city centre. It was apparently the summer home of the King and so very lavish and luxurious in its decor. We were driven there in vintage cars through the small streets of Sintra which felt awesome with the cool breeze blowing on your face.

Outside National Palace

We first took a tour of the palace and saw its richly painted rooms, with decorated ceilings, murano glass chandeliers and lot of other such displays of wealth and art. We also got to see attractive views of the city and the sea beyond during sunset from one of its windows, as well as an enchanting shining view of the Moorish castle on top of the hill in front. There was clearly a lot of money in Portugal which was spent lavishly across their palaces, looking at the luxurious feel of the two palaces in Sintra itself.

Random painted buildings in town

The last day I again went to the city centre but ended up not doing much as I had my luggage with me. So I walked up one of the roads and found a small church with an open area to sit. It had a fascinating view of the houses below and the sea beyond. There was a wedding happening in the church at the time. And a person was playing a musical instrument in the open area behind the church.

And I just sat there for a couple of hours, just enjoying the view and ambience with the musical background. It was pure bliss. And I loved it. There is something about warmer countries which I love. A relaxed feel which makes you forget all your worries. It was so nice to just be in a small village like this in the middle of nowhere, and enjoying the moment. This is the picture that I took away with me about Portugal and Sintra, and will always remember with fond memories. It was perfect.

Quinta Palace

After my stop there I walked around the town a bit and realised that it had many amazingly beautiful buildings. I passed by a few which were exquisitely painted and decorated with tiles, and looked beautiful. As I kept walking, I also ran into the Quinta da Regaleira palace which looked magnificent from outside. It looked so intricate from the outside, with its own gardens and is definitely something for the next time. Sintra is a place so simple, and offering so much, I can see myself coming here again...