Tuesday, September 29th

We decided to take the route taxis and visit YS falls not far from Black River. We stopped in Negril for ackee and salt fish and caliloo which is a green vegetable that looks like spinach but has almost a sweet taste.

Getting to the falls was half the experience. We were offered a taxi ride for $60 but decided it was time to try coasters and route taxies. Joseph told us how to get around and we set off at about 9:30. First phase was easy- a route taxi to Savannah de Mars which everyone calls just Sav. Then we were handed off to the driver of a coaster, though there they called them buses-16 seat minibuses. Then you wait until there are enough passengers for the trip. Four to six coasters are lined up and the drivers try to entice people to ride in their vehicle. Two hours later, we were on our way at 60mph along winding narrow roads. We finally arrived at the turn off for YS falls where we transferred to a taxi for the drive to the entrance. After buying tickets ($14 each) you load onto a tram and a tractor pulls the tram up the road to the falls.

The falls are spectacular. We would call them cascades though many are fairly tall. These are very wide falls that come down the mountain at different angles. Due to the limestone the water is milky and the visual images are breathtaking. You can swim in several areas of the falls, including a natural swimming pool and there is a boardwalk along the river for access. Near the top is a rope swing that guests are allowed to use. (No we passed that up.) When we got back down the hill a ways, Dick went for a swim and I sat on the edge of the stairs with my feet in the cold water.(I admit to being a wimp when it comes to cold water).

The trip home started with a gratuitous ride to the little town on the A2 highway, then we were able to get a cab ride all the way to Negril. A little way down the road, the passenger in the left front seat asked if we minded if he smoked- we told him to go ahead but imagine our surprise when we realized he and the driver were sharing and it was not tobacco they were smoking. It did slow the driver down a bit which made the trip a bit less hair-raising, though he did have some problems avoiding the huge potholes even with the passenger pointing them out.