TravelStream™ news feed for member oom3r on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/oom3r en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:26:50 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206321600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206321600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206321600/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:26:50 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

Spendings Total:

Budget: $3500
Ticket: -$618
7 Nights in Hostel: -$105
Day 1: -$40
Day 2: -$52
Day 3: -$88
Day 4: -$82
Day 5: -$47
Day 6-7: -$195
_______________
$2,273 Left Over

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206314220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206314220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206314220/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:13:51 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Forecast for 22nd: High 84 F, Low 75 F
Forecast for 23rd: High 82 F, Low 76 F

For the last two days left for my vacation, I decided to stick close to my hostel and see some sights around the area. I went to the famous Crafts Market so I could buy some souvenirs for friends and world history teachers. I found a specially useful gift for my most favorite teacher Mr. Chipman and I got this for him because he means so much to me and I wouldn't think of not getting him a gift on a vacation. That gift was a pair of nail clippers that saw "I <3 Jamaica" on them, I thought this was the perfect gift. I also bought him a home karaoke set so that if he ever feels like taking up singing then he could use this tool to get him started. I also bought some Jamaican clothes and watched some reggae performers do their thing on the curb. It was pretty good I must admit and I joined in with them. I also went to the Hope Botanical gardens and bought some special magical flowers for some of my special friends :D. These flowers are rumored to never die in even the most extreme circumstances and they protect you from earthquakes and tornadoes. I thought they were amazing. On March 23rd, my flight was set for 6:45 am, I hadn't notified my hostel owners as to what specific time I was leaving. As I was leaving my hostel, I heard a few men yelling at each other about letting "that one guy" leave and how they needed to get rid of the "others". I wonder what they could have meant by that? I guess they wanted to throw me a party because I had been such a polite guest, I thought about going back but I would have missed my flight so I left in hopes of returning some day. The flight back to Chicago was very depressing because I missed Jamaica already but I knew that once I got back to school, I would be learning history again. Man I love history :).

Departure Location: Norman Manley Airport/Kingston, Jamiaca
Departure Time: 6:45 am

Arrival Location: O'Hare Airport/Chicago, Illinois
Arrival Time: 10:30 am

Spending:
-$60 for gifts for Mr. Chipman
-$80 for Jamaican clothes
-$5 for curbside performance
-$15 for magical flowers
-$35 for food (6 meals)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205881860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205881860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205881860/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:13:11 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Departure Time: 8:10 pm
Departure Location: O'Hare Airport/Chicago, Illinois

Arrival Time: 12:00 am
Arrival Location: Norman Manley Airport/Kingston, Jamiaca

My Budget: A whopping $3500
-$619 for plane ticket
-$105 for 7 nights in the hostel ($15 per night)

I got on the plane to Kingston and I already knew this was going to be a great trip. I was excited on the whole plane ride there because this trip was planned to be so historical (history is the driving force in my life). Upon arriving there, I felt a great rush of enthusiasm as I hailed a taxi and got driven to my lovely hostel.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206140160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206140160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206140160/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:08:11 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Forecast: High 86 F, Low 74 F

Today was the first day I actually realized that my trip was coming to an end in a few day. I couldn't believe it because I had been having so much fun with these historical trips, I didn't even notice the time. At least there was still one more fun historical activity I had planned for this day. Breakfast was the usual salty cockroaches, which have really grown on me, I wonder if I can find these back home? When I woke up I thought I saw someone looking at me through the tiny little hostel window but I guess it was just something in my eye or my wild imagination. I quickly got up because I was so thrilled to go to Fort Charles today. This is one of the forts used by the United Kingdom, built back in 1650. This fort was also convenient for me because it was only about 15 minutes away, as it is located in Kingston. I took a taxi to the fort because I don't know the Jamaican streets as well as the Jamaicans do. I was amazed when I saw the fort however. It is seems like a huge wall and it is almost completely surrounded by water. I had to buy an admission ticket to get it but it gave me access to the Fort Charles Maritime Museum and offices of the commanders that used to live here. Inside the museum there are many old relics and ruins of what used to be here. Some of the old guns are still in place inside the fort, as the fort was used to protect the trade routes overlooking the sea. After I was done with my museum visit I decided that I was satisfied with my visit to Jamaica and all I really needed to do know was to relax and enjoy the beautiful tropics of Jamaica. I had lunch at my hostel and I went and walked around a bit. However I did find something peculiar, I found a bottle filled with strange smelling liquid next to my bed that I know I didn't bring in. I wonder who could have put that there?

Spending:
-$12 for taxi
-$15 for admission ticket
-$20 for 3 meals
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206071340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206071340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1206071340/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:07:12 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Forecast: High 82 F, Low 75 F

On this day, I finally realized I needed to calm down with all the fun I was having. History is a really exciting matter for me and I think that it was about time I took a day trip, to get out of the city and have a little less fun. For today, I had ATV Safari planned which will keep me busy for the majority of the day. I took public transportation all the way to Montego Bay, Jamaica. This bus ride was excruciatingly long because Kingston is in the south eastern part of Jamaica and Montego Bay is all the way in the north western part of Jamaica and Jamaica is roughly the size of Nebraska. It took about 3 hours and on top of all that the bus had no air conditioning and two people threw up on the seats because they got carsick. By the time I reached Montpelier, I felt like going back to my hostel already. However, when I looked at the safari and the awesome looking ATVs, my mood took a U turn. First the guide briefed us on how to drive ATVs (I already knew how because Halo has taught me so much, who said video games are not educational)? After that we set off, revving our little bikes through what was planned to be a tour. We first went to Rose Hall and the guide explained the history of the place and how banana plantations used to be run here. We stopped there for lunch in which I had Jamaican Jerk Chicken and then we zoomed around other places of beauty. The tour was about 5 hours long but I had so much fun. At one point we went near a river and a crocodile ate one of the participants to which we all agreed never to even the acknowledge the existence of the event ever occurring. I took the same bus back to my hostel and I was so tired that I grabbed a beer (the root kind :D) and drank myself to sleep.

Spending:
-$25 for food (3 meals)
-$50 for ATV Safari
-$5 for crate of bananas
-$2 for root beer
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205983860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205983860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205983860/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:06:19 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Forecast: High 82 F, Low 75 F

I was suddenly awaken by the sound of birds chirping and the sunshine streaming through the tiny window in my room. It felt good to be in Jamaica and I was surprised at how much I have already learned. Who knew history could be so fun and fascinating, its almost like a fairy tale come true. Today, I planned to go to Harmony Hall, a museum of beautiful art and fine dining with a mix of Methodist manse.
After I grabbed some breakfast from the fridge in my hostel room that looked like moldy bread a few weeks old, I decided to head towards the museum. It is only a few miles away from my hostel so I decided to walk there for a change because I have already gained 13 pounds since I have been here. There is also beautiful scenery and the weather is great so I did not even realize how long it took to reach the museum. I immediately spotted the museum from a distance because its amazing look stands out from all the trees and bushes around the area. I spent most of my time looking at the amazing art done by artists from around the world. Many of the artists are also from Jamaica which adds an interesting touch to their art. I found the fine dining restaurant food also tremendous and I decided the I should buy some paintings for certain friends back home. I eventually walked back home and found that I was the only person left in the entire hostel, except for the manager, who also looked a little banged up. The "Safe" sign had also been removed. I wondered where that could have went, maybe they had just taken it down because everyone knew this hostel is 100% safe. What could possibly go wrong?

Spending:
-$20 for weighing scale that I weighed myself with
-$3 for Tums
-$25 for fine dining
-$40 for painting from Harmony Hall
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205896620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205896620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205896620/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:05:26 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Forecast: High 86 F, Low 77 F

I woke up in the morning feeling extremely rejuvenated because I paid the bed bugs to massage my back while I slept. I also felt very giddy at the fact that I was going to go see Discovery Bay in the northern cost of Jamaica today. I had to take public transportation, which is not very easy to find in Jamaica. I took the local bus for $2 but the bus ride was a good way to take in the feel of Jamaica. The bus took me all the way to Columbus Park and I was amazed at all the history behind this place. I could just smell it.
This was the place that Christopher Columbus is rumored to have first docked in 1494. Columbus originally named it Puerto Seco, which stands for Dry Harbor. The majority of the estimated 2700 people that live here are of African descent which meant that I could find myself a decent African meal around here. I went to a restaurant called the Coconut Tree and bought myself a delicacy from the magical city of Zoo Baba, Niger.

<---- YUM YUM!

After my incredible lunch, I went to go see the Grotto Caves which are filled with old relics and paintings of the native Taino Arawak people that used to live here. My heart was beating faster than ever because history makes my blood pressure go to dangerous levels. If history could be a meal, then I would order a history burger with some history fries and a diet history soda. I hitch hiked myself a ride on the back of a segway but the kind gentleman made me pay $20 for gas. On my way up to my shoe closet i remembered that segways don't need gas, they run on AA batteries. I felt slightly frustrated at this but thought of my historical trips made everything better. When I got back to my hostel I noticed something very strange. There was nobody anywhere in sight and I could hear a distant screaming. I did not think much of it because it could just be a monkey howling outside in the jungle. Another thing I noticed was that this hostel is in a very peculiar place and particularly dangerous to get to because it is up a mountain. I don't mind however because there's a sign that says "Safe". The sign wouldn't lie would it? Sometime that night I also heard loud bangs but I doubt anything can go wrong in Jamaica because its so amazingly historical and educational and paradise-like.

Spending:
-$2 for bus
-$30 for food (3 meals)
-$20 for segway gas
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205884740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205884740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oom3r/1/1205884740/tpod.html Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:04:18 -0400 To the magical fairy tale land of Jamaica

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Kingston, Jamaica

Forecast: Hi 84 F, Low 73 F

I arrived at my hostel and was amazed at how incredibly spacious it was. My room was almost as big as a shoe closet and there was even a bar downstairs for extra curricular activities. The place was pretty clean overall but I found a few cockroaches which I was delighted to see. I had heard that Jamaican cockroaches tasted like fried chicken with hot sauce so I picked one up and sprinkled some salt on it. My taste buds screamed with delight because that was probably the best thing I have ever tasted. I had also befriended of few of these fellow roommates of mine.
I am super excited about where I am going to be heading today. I will be taking a ferry boat to the amazing Port Royal. The boat ride cost me about $25 but it was well worth it. When I got there, I immediately realized that there was much history behind this scene. This port used to be a busy place because of the pirates that used the port to bring the booty into the land, but it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1692. I took a stroll around the town and looked at the fascinating ruins of a historical port that used to be and heard stories of how famous pirates such as Blackbeard and Henry Morgan and once docked here. These pirates used this port to bring in loot from the Spanish vessels that used to travel through the Caribbean. There was one specific museum I visited there and that was the Museum of Historical Archeology because it contains many of the relics from the towns past. Finally, after I was done exploring the town I decided to head back to my stupendous hostel and enjoy the great scenery that was at my disposal. This hostel was really locating in a paradise because there was greenery everywhere and the wildlife was also a sight to see.

Spending:
-$25 on boat ride
-$15 for three meals
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