Day 4 - Wow what a day

Trip Start Mar 30, 2007

Trip End Apr 28, 2007

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Flag of Jamaica Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Monday, April 2, 2007

We disembarked at Ocho Rios ( 8 rivers), Jamaica to utter mayhem, total tourbus gridlock in the port. Eventually after many hairaising near misses we got on our tour to go horseriding - IN THE SEA ! I was so excited. The tour was run from an old plantation house, that had displays of Jamaicas heritage, from the original native indians to the spanish and english invasions and slavery. After looking at this it was time to get on our horses. Neither me nor H had ridden before and the steep uneven road going down to the sea was a bit nerve wracking. On the way our guide showed us the native medicinal plants. Once on the beach we had tastings of local food - Plantain, sweet potato, some sort of fish and some lime ade. Then it was time to go into the sea. I would have been happy just paddling on the waters edge, but we went right in ( about 4 ft ) and then gallopped! Miraculously none of us fell off, despite the guides best efforts- making the horses do some sort of wierd lipizana trot definately designed to unseat you !

After the sea ride a leisurely trot back

! It was SO exilerating. One of the most amazing things I have ever done.
After the horseriding we went to Dunns River Falls, which is a 600 ft waterfall that cascades into the sea - and you climb up it - for fun! It made me cry, and not from the sheer beauty of it ( and it was truely beautiful, with lush tropical rainforest and ferns all around ) but from abject fear. The water was running so fast it could easily take your legs away. I got 3/4 of the way up,then bailed out. I had got over the most difficult bit, but had severe waterfall stress and decided to call it a day. Toby scrambled up like some waterborne spiderman, Joe was fine, H was fine, Dilly was a little teary like me, but then just got over itand went all the way up. By the time we got back to the ship I really deserved my pizza and chips. It was a truely awesome day.

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