Manatees ~

[GongGirl]

Re: Manatees ~

well you may very well find a fourth spot to stay mi friend [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

i have just learned today that our guide from Reich Falls, Bredda Lion, now have his own place, we can't wait to see it ourselves!! you guys know how much i loooooove anything rasta, can't be anymore rasta than this!! we found out via Worlds Together Travel's newsletter...


http://worldstogethertravel.com/jama...ging-reach.htm

wicked!!!!! the photos on the page are gorgeous,

well, here's us with Rasta Lion:




[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/proud_jamaica.gif[/img]

[GongGirl]

Re: Manatees ~

you are welcome!!

absolutely they are all worth checking out for sure, they all have their differences and lots of different cultural things to discover... staying with mokko is more of a rasta thing, Zion is a tranquility, Henry i never been, but only heard good things, maybe it is more homie

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/dance01.gif[/img]

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Manatees ~

Gong girl thank you so much for all of your help. I really appreciate the pictures. (The braids look cute!)

I guess we'll have to see who has room when we are heading up that way. It is likely that we won't know in advance exactly what days we'll leave TB.

Looks like Mokko's, Zion and Henry's are all worth checking out.

[GongGirl]

Re: Manatees ~

zion have 2 cabins, that have 2 rooms each, he rents per room. didn't visit the other cabin when i was there. (they are like side by side duplex lol)

mokko's place is different, bigger beds than zion, and yes all rooms have power, i think only his newer addition didn't have light yet. and the bathroom and shower is just a few steps behind the cabin we stayed in, and the lights were always on all night long. the only thing is, just like zion, you have light, but no plugs, if there are some, don't use them as the way they wire electricity, you might burn what ever you plug in it. ask first, they have plugs for you to use, at mokko, it was in his room, so no problem leaving our laptop to charge all day for example, or batteries etc. not a strong power, but it worked.

at Zion, the only place for us to plug our laptop was at the house they have designated for guests (not the house where Owen's cook, that's the owner's house) and the plug there was behind the fridge, was kinda hard, as we couldn't leave our camera or laptop, out there in the open all day. Guest house is just a balcony with tables and a hut/house that is open, with a fridge and a side window with a cd/radio to play music.

here is Zion's area for guests to hang out...



outside the guest area:



here's one side of one of the cabin, at zion. see the beds are two single foam type of matress, together, to make a bigger bed... [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]



Mokko's cabin, we took this picture in 2006! we have lots of new pictures of his place, they just aren't uploaded on the internet yet... a fourth cabin and the place where he cooks has been added to the cabin you see on the left (that is Mokko's cabin that one on the left), the new shower and bathroom were also built after this was taken and is behind the double cabins you see on the right. both Zion and Mokko's place don't have screens... at Zion there is a fan in the room, as it will prob be hot there. At mokko's long cotton pj pants, socks and a tee shirt, you will still use the blanket, it is cooler there at night. Also, prob due to the beach, there were more lizards and those types of bugs at Zion than at Mokko's place, we rarely seen anything in our cabin, except for mosquito's, and them are all over the island... beach, bush bush, don't matter hehe, you will need lots of Deet.



inside our cabin, small and cozy, nice matress, we slept really well.




shower (bathroom is also beside it) at mokko's -- i was showering in there when the picture was taken. It is really big.



and the shower at Zion... one thing that is at the level of the cabin is the showers... wish he had a bathroom there as well. Maybe in his future plans. the views of the ocean from the shower are incredible!


now about Henry's i haven't stayed there, but Dave and Dianne from the Together World Travel did, and you may want to email them to inquire about the amount of rooms at both Zion and Henry's. their contact page:

http://worldstogethertravel.com/contact.html

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Manatees ~

I guess we'll play it by ear. We hope to rent a car if we can manage it ($$). If we don't rent a car we can probably get a friend to drive us (we buy gas, food, drinks and pay for room)

It will also depend on who is with us as they will have input as to where we stay.

Mokko's rooms have current, right? I think I saw photo's of bathrooms. right? How many rooms or cabins has he got? I don't suppose the windows have screens? (I'm a squito magnet)

Zion looks cool except for the bathroom stairs. How many rooms does Zion have? How about Henry's?

[GongGirl]

Re: Manatees ~

ya maybe add another 30 45 mins from mokko, its a bit further... if you look at our google map on my home page, and download the kmz file to open in google earth, you will see it all and will be able to picture the distance better [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

that's what we did, stayed at mokko and went to portland only as day trips. many beaches in both parishes. zion or henry's also highly recommended if distance is an issue or if you like one place over an other.

there are two roads to go in long bay from mokko the longer road is better as it is less bad, but still pretty mashed up in portland, that is the section closer to Long Road where Zion and Henry's are. or you can take the short cut, which is really really bad, not many ppl will go through that short cut, but we did as we were late coming back from Portland once and wanted to get there sooner, the local who drove us (not a taxi) was ok with going through that road and since Mokko is good at knowing where the roads are, easily told him where to go to find it.

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Manatees ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JitterBug</div><div class="ubbcode-body">an addition to the long bay piece . . . since i started staying with free i at zion country in 1999 he has been saying the same thing, enjoy long bay for the beach (daylight hours) then head to safe ground.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">also, who ever else was wondering about places along long bay, i spoke to mokko this week and he said: 'Me like Long Bay, nice place to relax, have a likkle herb*, haffi Guiness ah chill out, but dat's it, den me a go ah yaad. Me nuh stay ova night inna Long Bay.'

</div></div>

not trying to scare people off long bay but it has had a lot of (coke) related issues . . .

christmas 2006 my two female friends stayed at a guest house across from sea scape, (the name escapes me right now) . . . anyway to make a long story short, they were alone at the guest house, one woman was asleep and had her door closed. the other one was smoking in a dark room and her door faced the bathroom. she was close to falling asleep when she spotted a hand holding a machette INSIDE THE BATHROOM and he just pulled off the shutters . . . my friend took a chair and kept hitting in that direction until he dropped the machette and ran . . . .

my friends were unbelievably freaked out by the incident and there has been a lot more that people are too scared to report. </div></div>

I'm getting the picture now. If I stay in Long Bay I will either stay at Henry's or Zion Country.

It would take less than hour to drive from Mokko's to Long Bay?
Maybe we'll just stay at Mokko's and go to Long Bay for the day.

[Sophie Magoo]

Re: Manatees ~

an addition to the long bay piece . . . since i started staying with free i at zion country in 1999 he has been saying the same thing, enjoy long bay for the beach (daylight hours) then head to safe ground.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">also, who ever else was wondering about places along long bay, i spoke to mokko this week and he said: 'Me like Long Bay, nice place to relax, have a likkle herb*, haffi Guiness ah chill out, but dat's it, den me a go ah yaad. Me nuh stay ova night inna Long Bay.'

</div></div>

not trying to scare people off long bay but it has had a lot of (coke) related issues . . .

christmas 2006 my two female friends stayed at a guest house across from sea scape, (the name escapes me right now) . . . anyway to make a long story short, they were alone at the guest house, one woman was asleep and had her door closed. the other one was smoking in a dark room and her door faced the bathroom. she was close to falling asleep when she spotted a hand holding a machette INSIDE THE BATHROOM and he just pulled off the shutters . . . my friend took a chair and kept hitting in that direction until he dropped the machette and ran . . . .

my friends were unbelievably freaked out by the incident and there has been a lot more that people are too scared to report.

[GongGirl]

Re: Manatees ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Laurel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">everything criss ....

we just have to have a "loosey goosey" itinerary in place ... so we do not spend too much time asking 'what do you want to do today ??? ... I do not know - what do you want to do???'

sister has endless and boundless energy ... me - not so much ~ specially since I have been feeling poorly this week leading up to our reach.

and Mr. is NOT a plan maker at all ... so - we have all had to step up - chat out what is on our 'wish list' .... so we can make the best use of time.

nuff time in between "activity days" will be spent up in the country with the family and up a bush ... so - our "smell JaJa" time is planned as well .... [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img] .... a joke ... not really .... so it goes in Jamaica ... the best laid plans can get mashed up - BUT - the up side to that is .... whatever else happens it always the next best thing - cuz it is happening in JaJa ~
</div></div>

i second that, most of the time that we planned things, they didn't turned out, but something else came pon and made things even better

thats the Jamaican way, gotta survive to live another day.

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/proud_jamaica.gif[/img]

also, who ever else was wondering about places along long bay, i spoke to mokko this week and he said: 'Me like Long Bay, nice place to relax, have a likkle herb*, haffi Guiness ah chill out, but dat's it, den me a go ah yaad. Me nuh stay ova night inna Long Bay.'


I think that sums it up for me. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img] we always felt very safe at Zion as it was private little piece of land, fenced in and lots of tranquility, which is what we are looking for when we go to Ja. (same at mokko's yard) Also, not always that the 'sea cows'/ manatees, will come, but when they do, it's usually around the beginning of rainy season, in May. Sometimes they don't see them at all, depending if they had a hard breeze (hurricane) the season before.


*herb is illegal in ja, just a friendly reminder, fe any new b [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[Laurel]

Re: Manatees ~

everything criss ....

we just have to have a "loosey goosey" itinerary in place ... so we do not spend too much time asking 'what do you want to do today ??? ... I do not know - what do you want to do???'

sister has endless and boundless energy ... me - not so much ~ specially since I have been feeling poorly this week leading up to our reach.

and Mr. is NOT a plan maker at all ... so - we have all had to step up - chat out what is on our 'wish list' .... so we can make the best use of time.

nuff time in between "activity days" will be spent up in the country with the family and up a bush ... so - our "smell JaJa" time is planned as well .... [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img] .... a joke ... not really .... so it goes in Jamaica ... the best laid plans can get mashed up - BUT - the up side to that is .... whatever else happens it always the next best thing - cuz it is happening in JaJa ~

[Grandmother]

Re: Manatees ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">in terms of distance...negril to YS is about 1:20 hr

from YS to mantees[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70402-thinking.gif[/img] another hour 1:20 if i recall correctly..back to alligator pond 30 minutes ..den 2:40 back to negril. callit five an a hal hours of drive time ...long day but doable i think </div></div>

But when do you get the time to smell the roses?????????????????See the Beauty of YS? Enjoy the Manatees, Sit back and enjoy the vibe of Little Ochi, just enjoy being wherever you are without worrying about a time frame? Laurel, this is your sister's first time in Jamaica, are you trying to cram it down her throat so she will love it as much as you, or trying to scare her into never returning?(hope not)

Girl calm down and let it flow, with all the planning you are doing 4 things are going to happen:

She'll do a little
She'll do a lot

She'll Hate it
She'll Love it

Either way you guys get an opportunity to bond in a place that has become a place that you love and want to share with those who you love. Just being in Jamaica at the same time as you and spending an hour or two with you has become My treat. She's going to Love you more for trying. I predict that whatever you show her, she will love.

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Manatees ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Laurel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">no idea really why I have such a facination with them ...

I have read Free-I's page on them as well ... thanks for bringing that up again as well ~ </div></div>

You got me curious! I would really like to see them.

[Laurel]

Re: Manatees ~

no idea really why I have such a facination with them ...

I have read Free-I's page on them as well ... thanks for bringing that up again as well ~

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: Manatees ~

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: immersedtraveler</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Manatee do swim right by Zion Country this time of year. They like brackish waters where the sea and the fresh water mix. They look like "bobbing coconuts" in the water and March/April is their time to visit.

Free-I has a nice information page about them Manatee In Dutch they are called zeekoe. </div></div>

Good to know, thanks.
Do they only come in March/ April?

I'm going in July and may check out Zion country (even if I stay at Henry's I hear that we can eat at Zion Country)

[TheBirney]

Re: Manatees ~

Manatee do swim right by Zion Country this time of year. They like brackish waters where the sea and the fresh water mix. They look like "bobbing coconuts" in the water and March/April is their time to visit.

Free-I has a nice information page about them Manatee In Dutch they are called zeekoe.