JTB Bloggers Linkup: Day Two

Live band at Secrets

On Thursday night the staff of Secrets Resorts Wild Orchid, treated us to a nicely presented buffet style dinner on the beach and serenaded us with music from a live band. This gave us a chance to replenish ourselves and start the process of mingling and meeting the other bloggers who we would be exploring the North Coast with for the next few days. After the short mingle and food I was beat from the travel down to Montego Bay and retreated to the comforts of my luxurious room to recharge my batteries for the next day. But what would the day have in store for this eager set?

Buffet style dinner

Guests mingling

It seems everyone suffered from a bit of jet lag or was way to comfortable in their rooms as on Friday morning as we got off to a really late start. It seems I too was one of the guilty parties as I did not have breakfast until almost 10:00am due to the fact that I got up late. The breakfast buffet was made for champions as it offered a wide variety of international breakfast items as well as local breakfast combinations to start our day off right. Our late start to the day however negatively impacted us as we encountered a time constraint which forced the abandonment of the Chukka Caribbean Adventures ATV Tour and our trip to Mystic Mountain. Both of these events I was eagerly looking forward to, so you can just imagine my disappointment when I heard I would not get to enjoy those two activities. Nevertheless I was still determined to make the best of it. Now what was there to do apart from these two activities?

Breakfast buffet

Omelets being prepared

My breakfast!

We still made our first stop at Chuckka Caribbean Adventures, but not for the ATV tour, it was a new activity that they are now offering, a Dog Sled ride! Yes you read right, a Dog Sled ride! This was something I have only seen on TV and in the northern snow covered regions, not in the warm tropical island of Jamaica! This was something I had to see and at least try. The Chukka Caribbean Adventures team gave us a brief introduction to how this activity got started and its background, which led into a full interaction with the guests and the dogs. Next it was time to see what this ride was all about and after a brief demonstration on a single rider sled the guests as well as the dogs were eager to go! I gave the ride a try and made it on the second leg of the ride which was indeed a unique and new experience for me. The ATV tour may have been more exciting to me, but this ride sure did offer me a short thrill and fun. Five of us huddled together in the cart led by several dogs running to the command of the driver along the path. For a first hand view of the ride check out my little video below!

Gordon meets a new friend

Dogs are ready for the Dog Sled ride

Chukka staff prepping the dogs

The Dog Sled Ride!

First person video of the ride!

We later departed from Chukka Caribbean Adventures to get some fuel for our bodies and the place of choice was Scotichies, a local Jerk centre in St. Ann near to Ocho Rios. We all indulged in a mixture of jerked chicken, jerked port, festivals, roasted sweet potato and corn accompanied by our drink of choice... which in my case was a cold Red Stripe. The meal seemed to had score a hit with some of the guests who were having this kind of Jamaican food for the first time.

Pork being jerked at Scotchies

Lunch

My lunch!

Our final stop of the day was at the famous Dunn's River Falls, where the majority of the bloggers on the trip had a ball climbing the falls. They started from the bottom and worked their way up, climbing the face of the slippery rocks, resisting the forces of the powerful cascading waters while still finding the time to pose for photos along the way. After a victorious climb our tired travelers were ready to head back to our rooms at Secrets Resorts Wild Orchid for some food and rest, as there was more to come!

Bloggers climbing Dunn's River

Tim and Frances

Stopping for a break

The climb continues

By 11:00 pm the bus was ready to leave and so were the eager party animals! It was time to hit the Hip Strip in the Montego Bay city centre to sample the clubs it had to offer. The first stop was at Blue Beat where Latin music reigned supreme. Several guests tried moved or at least tried to move their bodies to the music, myself included, as I did a brief attempt at dancing the Merengue with the aid of my partner Frances. Next we hopped over to the famous Margaritaville which was playing a serious mix of early 2000 Dancehall hits and kept the crowd moving to to the groove. The club hopping ended at Pier One which was in full swing upon our arrival.

Bloggers enjoying the music

Dancing the night away

After our club hopping most of us went back to the resort to rest up for another promising fun filled day ahead, while a few remained and partied until the sun came up. But little did we know how much fun was still to come...

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JTB Bloggers Linkup: The Beginning

Our Travel Bus to Montego Bay

On Thursday June 15 Over 25 bloggers and travel writers converged on on the second city, Montego Bay, to explore what the Jamaican well known resort areas has to offer. This is not the first Bloggers Linkup ever to be held in Jamaica as several Caribbean Bloggers have has such an event twice before in  Kingston Jamaica. However the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Bloggers Linkup is the first of its kind, a corporate sponsored Bloggers Linkup, and definitely the first of such a magnitude. The Bloggers Linkup is an initiative by the JTB to use the information highway, the internet, and its fast growing social media such as blogs, travel websites and twitter to not only introduce, but promote what Jamaica has to offer. This medium allows independent writers to have a Jamaican experience which they can share to their readers without the promotional skewing needed by an agency such as the JTB. Such bloggers and travel writers would be in a position to describe Jamaica based on what they have experienced and in their own way of writing, a reality marketing you may call it.

Secrets Resorts Wild Orchid

Included in this contingency of travel and writing interests, are Jamaican bloggers who were invited to participate in this project, yours truly included. We all departed from the JTB head office in Kingston at approximately 11:00 am destined for our accommodation in the country;s second city, Montego Bay. They JTB certainly knows how to choose a resort, as they chose one that certainly would impress even the most avid luxury hotel traveler! What hotel could be so impressive? Well, it is a relatively new resort in the Jamaica resort market, but it certainly not new to impressing! "Welcome home", is how they greet you to this splendid resort called Secrets Resort and Spa Wild Orchid. From the warm welcome, friendly staff and cold damp towel accompanied by bubbling champaign the guest is wooed without even a second thought! But that was just the beginning of what the hotel has to offer!

The Resort lobby

I was escorted to my room, but as I left the beautiful lobby I couldn't help wondering what my room would look like. This though was put to rest instantly when I opened my door and saw the luxurious room that I will be spending my 5 day 4 night stay at the Secrets Resort and Spa Wild Orchid! I would attempt to describe my accommodations, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so the pictures below will give you a more vivid idea of the splendour of my room.

For more information on Secrets Resorts you may visit there website secretsresorts.com and you may also follow them on their Facbook Page and Twitter @secretsresorts. The rest of the property is amazing and I will endevour to explore as much of what it has to offer over the next few days despite the busy schedule I have. Yes, I just said busy schedule! We will be touring the north coast for the next few days ranging from St. Ann to Negril in Westomoreland. So stay tuned for my adventures on this extensive North Coast JTB Bloggers Linkup. You may also follow me during my entire stay on this trip by following me on twitter @Stunnerj as well as the experiences or the other bloggers by viewing the hash tag #oneloveja.

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Saint International Fashion Block 2010

A Saint International model wearing one of the designs

Sunday July 12 was the climax of the Saint International Style Week, The Fashion Block. The Saint International Fashion Block is held on the biggest catwalk in the Jamaican fashion scene right in the heart of New Kingston. It is held on Knutsford Boulevard right in the middle of the dual carriageway on a runway elevated some 5 ft above the street level surrounded by a huge crowd. On the night of Fashion Block Knutsford Boulevard is partially shut down as it becomes the stage for the Dewight Peters inspired free fashion show, which displays the craft of both local and international designers modeled by the Saint International models.

Another Saint model in a hot polka dot piece

I have been to Fashion Block once before, but at that time I had just bought my DSLR and only had my 18-55mm kit lens and as such had no real zoom power or even an external flash to capture a decent image. So this year since I have accumulated some more gears, I decided that this free fashion show could not miss me. Fashion Block is known for the display of creative designs, but it is also notorious for its very late start. It was scheduled to begin at 8:00pm, so I deliberately decided to arrive at some time after 9:00pm with this in mind. However, despite my best effort to keep in sync with the organizers, they still managed to "outlate" me and the show did not start until approximately 10:00pm! They also managed to outsmart me by relocating the stage from the top of Knutsford Boulevard to further down the road just in front of the restaurant area where Burger King and Pizza Hut are located, so my usual vantage point was no more.

Model and Photographer Edward Masias

I was not in the mood to put myself and my gears in danger while I concentrate on shooting by going into the crowd to shoot, even though there was a strong police presence I the area. I wanted to get on the inside to get some good photos. However, security was tight and there was no way of getting in, but just when all seemed lost, I gained entrance by means of some links. I got the prime position that I wanted, yes the media stage right at the end of the runway! However, that would not make it all a walk in the park as the lighting was  definitely not conducive to photographers! It was so bad that at one point the bar with the lights was blocking the stage and even after that was fixed there was a light pointed directly at the media stage! That too was later rectified, but the lighting still offered a challenge. So I had to contend with the poor lighting and just do my best in the face of the obstacles.

A pretty scary piece by local designer Dexter Pottinger

Despite the hiccups and the late start, I did get to see the creativity of some of our local designers as well as overseas designers who were invited to display their work. The MC Jerry D, kept the show going as he introduced the various collections that kept the crowd's focus fixed to the runway. Dexter Pottinger certainly outdid himself with his freakishly... downright scary, yet creative, piece which he used to introduce his collection. Certified Divas Tami Chyn and Tifa provided the musical entertainment with a very brief performance to punctuate the the struts of the models.

Tami Chyn and Tifa

Dewight Peters poses with his models and one of the designers

Overall, I did enjoy the experience as this was the first time I was shooting at a fashion show from the media stage. I am not too pleased with the photos I got though, but I viewed it as a learning experience and I am sure I will do better next time. To view all the photos click here. Note: All images are under the copyright of Joel Finnigen and should not be used or modified without my permission.

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World Cup 2010, Who Will Claim Victory?

A great Disappointment occurred today, yes Germany failed miserably and went down 1 - 0 to worthy opponents Spain. However, as expressed in my previous post I was supporting Germany and as such was hoping they would have beat Spain and moved on to conquer the Netherlands team. this was not to be though, as the German team went down, and not even with much of a good fight as far as I see it. They played a lousy game, even though Spain only managed to pull of one goal for the victory. But if you watched the game today, the Spain team more than dominated the German half, the practically played the entire game there! There were only a few, no scarce moments when the German team managed to get the ball over the centre line! Nevertheless, The German team, despite being a young team, did make it a as far as the semi-finals, which even though disappointing, is a very good achievement for them.

The stage is now set for the finals, yes the grand finale of the 2010 World Cup, with Spain and the Netherlands poised to do battle for the football glory! Spain the reigning European champions have been pitched against the 'upsetter' of the World Cup, the Netherlands. Both teams have fought their way to the top and both have their minds set on achieving ultimate victory in the world of football. This World Cup finals is a momentous one for both team as whichever team wins, it will be the first for that team to ever win the World Cup since its inception in 1930. So both teams must have a hunger for victory, as they both have the potential to create history in the World Cup and also for their countries.

With so much at stake, who will win, yes who will be victorious? Here is your chance to predict the outcome of this epic battle in the making. Who do you feel will win the 2010 World Cup? And what will the final score be when the dust settles?

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Update: Spain beat Netherlands 1 - 0. Congratulations Spain
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Germany or Spain, Which Team For World Cup Finals?

In just a few hours, one of the biggest match in the 2010 World Cup will be facing off in the final semi-final for a change to play the finals qualifier, the Netherlands team. This game will see the European champions Spain face off with the strong German team to get to the final stage of the World Cup.

I have been supporting both Brazil and Germany for this World Cup and now with Brazil being sent home in a major upset, my only hope is now in Germany. However, it will not be a easy victory for Germany as their opponent Spain is a very strong team. However, despite the absence of one of their star players Thomas Muller, I am still backing Germany and I predict a 2-1 victory against Spain!

I know there are a lot of German and Spain fans out there, so let me know which team you think will win the anticipated semi-final and what the score will be!!!

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Disappointing Update: Spain beat Germany 1 - 0.
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A Photo Trip to St. Mary

Cool Blue Hole St. Mary

Last week Sunday I went on yet another of my monthly photograph trips which took me to the garden parish of St. Mary. The LOP/JWI Flickr Group trip explored just two locations in the parish, Cool Blue Hole and Rio Nuevo.

Large water pipe at Cool Blue Hole (This portion is reportedly wood)

The first stop of the trip was a small water fall with a very deep hole at its base, called Cool Blue Hole. The journey to the falls was really off the beaten path as the road leading to this little known attraction was barely wide enough to hole th bus that we were in, but after a few minutes a s bumpy ride we arrived at the location. Before reaching the river though, we encountered a strange looking, yet huge water pipe, which I heard was partially made from wood, reinforced by metal braces. A close look at the pipe did look almost like it was wood, but I didn't venture too close as I saw a small fountain of water spewing from the side of the pipe.

One of the models on the trip shot at Cool Blue Hole

On approach of Cool Blue Hole, I could see why it was called by that name! At the base of the falls there was a pool of water with a deep turquoise colour, a signal of not just pristine beauty, but of depth! The water was nice and cool, even though it was only my feet that felt the pleasure of it's caress since I declined to swim in the deep section. I however spent my time there capturing its beauty as well as the beauties that went into the water for their photo closeups! A sudden downpour came from the skies which forced everyone to scramble to the shelter of the bus and with that we were on our way again.

Rio Nuevo St. Mary

After leaving Cool Blue Hole, the next stop was where Rio Nuevo emptied its contents into the treacherous sea. An treacherous the sea was, as we were advised that there should be no swimming in the sea as it churned with very strong currents. But one look at the rough dark waters was enough to deter even the most adventurous of us. Despite the mean looking skies and the intermittent light rain which tried to call our bluff, we spent the rest of the day shooting the abundance of models that we had on our trip against the sceneic backdrop of the area. Time certainly flies when you are having fun, because before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head back home to Kingston.

Another model on the trip shot at Rio Nuevo

On our way back home, we stopped at one of our usual food stops, Lyming, in the hills of Walker's Wood to refuel, refresh and relieve ourselves. I had myself some jerk chicken and festival while a few other photographers on the trip participated in the live entertainment. After that final stop, it was time to head home, the end of yet another trip of not only photography, but good times, great socializing and the exploration on my country, Jamaica.

See more photos on my flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stunnerj/

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