With the dew still on the lush greenery of Jamaica’s rural countryside and the sun rising slowly, warming the Tuesday morning skyline, the Go-Jamaica team, Kerry-Ann Bercher and Peter Abrikian, began a very fulfilling and eventful day going Roun’ St. Ann.

Our first stop was the famous Faith’s Pen, one of the main stops in St. Ann for tasty traditional fast food. You can get four ‘festivals’ for $100, a hot cup of soup for $100 and tasty fried fish for $350.

We had not even parked yet when several male vendors rushed to the car shouting, “Good morning! Good morning! Any roast yam? Any fry fish? Any jerk chicken?” We looked at each other in surprise and then laughed. “We’re from the Gleaner and we just want to feature some vendors here and learn a little about Faiths Pen.” Their expressions changed immediately. Disappointed, they went back to their stalls. One man lingered saying, “So you really naah buy nothing from me? No breadfruit? No ackee and saltfish?… ai sah.”

We made our way to our first stall – ‘John Bull Cow Cod Soup’. There we were met by a ‘drum pan’ grill with mouthwatering fried breadfruit, fried fish and jerk chicken. ‘Miss Toots’ was more than willing to talk to us about how long she had been selling in Faith’s Pen. She also told us about the late John Bull and his legendary Cow Cod Soup.

While stirring and adding the ingredients to a huge pot of Cow Cod Soup, she expressed concern on behalf of herself and fellow vendors about the Government’s decision three years ago to relocate them and the negative effect it has on their livelihood.

“A Gleaner unu come from?!” exclaimed ‘Number 1’, the chef at Cherry’s One Stop. He approached us with his cook fork and apron on. He laid the fork on the table and greeted us warmly. “So unu come feature we today? We open from 4 a.m. straight back till we say whenA me cook the best jerk chicken, fry fish and bammy, curry goat, tripe and bean, corn soup…roun’ here you know?!” he said smiling.

A woman could be seen thoroughly enjoying a mean plate of roast breadfruit and ackee and saltfish – piping hot, straight from the pot at Cherry’s One Stop After finishing her scrumptious meal, she told us a little about ‘Cherry’, her aunt, who had been selling there for a number of years.

Before ending our visit to Faith’s Pen, we met a very unusual man. He had piercings in his eyebrows, lips and ears – 14 of which were of copper wire. There was evidence of other piercings too as there we holes in his nose bridge and nostrils. In all, he had 26 visible piercings in his face which he did himself.

“Good day sir! You look like a very interesting character. Would you mind if we talk with you and take a few pictures?” said Peter. The strange man just sat and looked at us blankly. After a minute or two passed, he said “You can gwaan take your pictures dem, but I can’t talk about it”, he said. “Ok. Thanks”, said Peter.

With a look of bewilderment on our faces, we made our way out and continued going ‘Roun’ Jamaica’.

Waterproof camera? Check. Life-jacket? Check. Sunglasses (for looking like Miami Vice)? Check. Safety procedure. Check? Ignition key? Check. Snorkle mask, flippers and breathing tube? WHAT?! Yes, yet again, Chukka puts the icing on the cake and adds under-water excavation to what would already be a fun-and-fuel-packed half day out. Our safari team zooped and swashplooshed (soon to be in the dictionary, or on Wikipedia if nothing else) up and down it’s own white-watery-wake, burning past tropical forrest and then way out towards the horizon.

My waterproof camera (these are great – get one by clicking here) is still a little fuzzy from the aftermath of the watery foam from the swashploosh – so please forgive the slightly blurry photo-report below while you enjoy the sights and smiles – and the Miami Vice style showing-off!

After whizzing along the coast and getting the hang of the speedboats, you are taken way out to sea for the snorkling. There is a multitude of fish, shell fish and marine vegetables to be viewed during the underwater tour but unfortunately we had to miss this part of the adventure – so we could squeeze in some all terrain vehicling and horsing around! I’d love to go back to do the whole sea safari one day – and I hope to see y’all there. On a practical note, you should aim to do a maximum of two of Chukka’s tours in one day – and make it a long one so you can enjoy their Jerk burger, chicken and pork feasts for lunch and supper.

For full information on each of the Chukka Tours please visit their official website by clicking here
All local hotels, as well as Sandals, have a Chukka rep – so rest assured you won’t be able to miss-out.
Contact info:
Phone: (876) 953-5619
Fax: (876) 953-5740
Email: montegobay@chukkacaribbean.com

Make sure you come back to www.go-jamaica.com/roundjamaica to catch Jermaine’s amazing video reviews!

Text and Photography by Oliver Wright.

Yummy yummy fish in my tummy. I can’t remember the rest of the song, but if you know it, you’ll know that it’s a jolly one. And songs are apt at this appetizing restaurant. For not only have the likes of The Rolling Stones (much, much better songs!) and Michael Bolton eaten here, but on Friday and Saturday they have live Salsa dancing at Evitas, with a red-hot Jamaican twist. Built in an old ginger-bread house, this Italian restaurant is perched half-way up a hill, overlooking the twinkling views of Ocho Rios. It’s full of Italian nick-nacks, antiques and colourful local wood carvings. Beautiful as you can see:

But anyway, back to the food. Lipsmackingly good. There’s a massive range of Italian treats and many have a Jamaican twist (why not try the veggie ‘Lasagne for Rastafari’ – with aki and calaloo). Feast your eyes on Red Snapper Escoveitch and Mango Cheesecake below. No more words:

Ok, a few more words actually – my only complaint would be that the night we went they played that cheesy keyboard music ‘that tourists like’ (although I have rarely met any that do). (I wondered what Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones would have made of it?!). Still, the food, the ambient soft red and yellow lighting, and THE FOOD was distraction enough and I soon forgot all about it. The evening was topped-off with a flaming rum coffee – topped with cream. And Evita’s warm hospitality as she wandered tirelessly from table to table making sure that the whole house had a tasty time.

Evita came to Jamaica from Venice – and set-up her restaurant in the hills of Ocho Rios over 20 years ago. In the thick of the tourist season you are probably best to give her a call in advance and make a reservation before you climb the hill – as I’m sure they’ll be packed to the brim for dinner. Especially if these guys are eating here again:

Weekend salsa starts at around 11.30pm, it’s open to all and in true flamboyant Mediterranean style is open to all very late. Other famous guests from abroad (there is a proud gallery on one wall) include Anthony Hopkins and Princess Margaret. But go to Evita’s above all for the star studded food.

Easy to find: Look out for this sign below, pointing up the leafy hill, as you drive along the main road through Ocho Rios.
Evita’s Telephone Number: 876-974-2333
Evita’s Email: info@evitasjamaica.com
Evita’s restaurant official website: http://www.evitasjamaica.com/

Review and Photographs by Oliver Wright / digitoli.com

‘All terrain’ doesn’t just describe the type of four wheel drive quad bikes and ‘moon-buggies’ that this trip has on offer. A 2-3 hour adventure takes you and up to a dozen friends through the mud flats, field and jungle and way up into the hills, to terrain 2000 feet above sea level (other than the blue-mountains, this is pretty high for the island). Proving spectacular views down to the coast, you see it and ride it all. On the afternoon that we went a farmer was making a huge fire in the fields – and smoke billowed and blew, forming a blue-grey belt around the horizon of jungle.

The quad bikes are pretty easy to drive and have a suitably forgiving suspension as you bounce across rocks and down surprisingly steep hillocks. They are fast too – reaching speeds of around 60km per hour – so for petrol heads and adrenaline junkies alike, this is a trip that you will like. This wasn’t the first time that I heard the words “man, just wait until we tell the people that chose to go ‘horse riding’ instead!!! (Having said that – horse riding was to come, and like most things at Chukka, is full of surpassing surprises).

Visit the official Chukka Jamaica website, where you can also make advance bookings: Click here

Chukka resorts are all over the Carribean (Belize, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands). Checkout their global website

Oh, and in case you were wondering…you won’t ever go hungry at Chukka…

Text and photography by Oliver Wright