Now I don’t want to be pinickety but I am going to be. Roaring river is hardly roaring. And that’s even after a few months of rain. I’d say it’s gushing laudably. The fast-paced flow spins through small bridges and mangroves, along fields and eventually down into the small colourfully-wooden-housed-village below. There was a deep green-blue hue to the water when I visited and this cooling sight along with the occasional spray were a refreshing treat as we walked up the hot forrest steps towards the caves. It was hard to resist the temptation to throw myself back down into the beckoning stream – especially as a few people were already sploshing around in the current. Nature lovers get ready – this is an idilic setting.

A garlic leaf. Identical in aroma to clove garlic:

OK, so the river didn’t roar – but the caves are definitely cavenous. Our friendly guide had spent the past decade or so taking people deep into the mouth of these rocks and he was well versed in explaining how boiling volcanic lava had met with the icy water to produce such intricate and windy passageways into the earth below. Our luck was in as on the day we arrived an almost omnipotent ray of sun streaked through the opening of the caves and onto the cave floor. I’ll say no more and let you see for yourselves:

I don’t know what it is about caves that bring out people’s imaginations, but in each of the caves I have been in I have always baffled to learn that “this 4000 year old stalactite in India looks like Ghandi” or that “These ancient granite formations in Nottingham resemble Robin Hood” and so on and so forth. It’s as if the natural beauty of geology and ‘the science bit’ that explains the uncanny creation of rocks and air pockets under the ground, from molten liquid at a temperature of 1000 degrees centigrade, isn’t enough. So I wasn’t surprised to see Bob Marley and The Lion of Judah appear like a mirage on almost every wall. Let me share the excitement with you:

I even started to get good at the apparition thing myself – and proudly pointed out this mangrove.

After a good half an hour under the earth I was kind-of missing the beating rays of the sun and the tropical heat above. On our way back we rushed up and down and even had to crouch limbo style (well, it is a national dance of Jamaica after all!) to get back through the passages we had blindly followed our guide along…and as we surfaced once more into the light we were welcomed with this rather apt shrine to the sun from the caged exit:

Enquiries and directions, call:(+1) 876-979-7987 OR 876-979-7988 for more information.
Please take note: There are lots of tour touts at the entrance. Make sure you get an official guide from the office.

The journey there:

Make sure you get your tickets & tour guide from the official complex…or bargain extremely hard! The official grounds look like this:

This place is enchanted. As the name of the beach suggests – it’s a treasure find. Sunsets from the pool as the waves crash just feet away. Your very own private Morrocan haveli perched on silver sand. Homemade delights from the gardenside, barside, poolside, terraceside restaurant. Rum punch to knock you out. Massages to pick you up. Genuinely welcoming staff, smiles and…an Apple Mac with web access! Did I mention the hand-crafted ceramics that bedeck the terrace floors and garden walls. Oh and wooden four poster beds? Self-catering kitchens. That you can help yourself to world music CDs. The list goes on and time stands still. Just go there.

Price range: A room at Jake’s will start at approximately US$ 95 for a room with garden…going up to US$ 800 for a private four bedroom cottage. Take me to the full price list…
Official website: Click here…
Guest photos: Let me see ‘em!
And don’t miss their partner restaurant opposite “Jack Spratt” – that is, if you can tear youself away from Jake’s ambience once you arrive. I must return one day….