Day 5: Ghosts and Great Houses - Zoey
Today was Saturday so, after our first two days of working in the field, we got to take a little break and head west to Montego Bay! We began the day at Greenwood, one of the many Great Houses. We had a very passionate tour guide who walked us through the house and gave us an extensive history of the house and all of the artifacts inside. The one part of the tour that really stood out to me was the balcony that spanned the length of the house. The view was absolutely breathtaking, you could see the coast of the island and the gorgeous ocean gleaming in the sunlight. If you stood against the wall at the back of the balcony and looked from end to end, you could see the curve of the Earth. This is when the true beauty of the island really set in.
The next stop was at a local park in Montego Bay, where we ate lunch. At the edge of the park, behind some trees, there was a cliff-like structure of rocks, overlooking the ocean. We sat and ate our lunch, taking in the astonishing view and taking in the sun. After lunch, of course we headed to the grocery store to get more food! We all found things iconic and unique to Jamaica to bring home. We bought sugar, coffee and tea that is only available here.
Next on the list was the Montego Bay Cultural Centre. We visited a beautiful art exhibit called, "Spiritual Yard." The exhibit displayed the artworks of many self-taught artists who base a lot of their work off of their spiritual beliefs. These art pieces, prior to being displayed in the museum, were located in the spiritual yards of the artists. These "yards" were not just the ordinary backyard, a yard was referred to as a space for the artist to express their spirituality in their own ways through their art.
The final stop of the night was a surprise that Dr. Lee and Dr. Q have been organizing for a long time now. We went to Rose Hall, one of Jamaica's most famous Great Houses. We pulled up to the house and were extremely confused because the house was lit up in all red and it was pitch black outside, so we were very confused what we were doing there at night. It turned out we were going on a ghost tour! We got a tour of the house along with hearing the terrifying stories of the people that lived there. Legend tells that Annie, the mistress of the house, killed three of her husbands in the house and her slave lover, Takoo, finally caught her in the act and killed Annie. The tour was accompanied by the ghosts of Annie, Takoo and many other slaves popping out from every desk, table and bed in the house and scaring us to death! It was a great, (and slightly terrifying) end to an eventful and fulfilling day!
Today was the day where I felt most immersed into Jamaican culture. We got to really see the sites and experience the culture that makes Jamaica truly unique. From learning about the amazing history of an important great house, to being terrorized by ghosts, we all became closer to Jamaica and closer to each other as a group.
The next stop was at a local park in Montego Bay, where we ate lunch. At the edge of the park, behind some trees, there was a cliff-like structure of rocks, overlooking the ocean. We sat and ate our lunch, taking in the astonishing view and taking in the sun. After lunch, of course we headed to the grocery store to get more food! We all found things iconic and unique to Jamaica to bring home. We bought sugar, coffee and tea that is only available here.
Next on the list was the Montego Bay Cultural Centre. We visited a beautiful art exhibit called, "Spiritual Yard." The exhibit displayed the artworks of many self-taught artists who base a lot of their work off of their spiritual beliefs. These art pieces, prior to being displayed in the museum, were located in the spiritual yards of the artists. These "yards" were not just the ordinary backyard, a yard was referred to as a space for the artist to express their spirituality in their own ways through their art.
The final stop of the night was a surprise that Dr. Lee and Dr. Q have been organizing for a long time now. We went to Rose Hall, one of Jamaica's most famous Great Houses. We pulled up to the house and were extremely confused because the house was lit up in all red and it was pitch black outside, so we were very confused what we were doing there at night. It turned out we were going on a ghost tour! We got a tour of the house along with hearing the terrifying stories of the people that lived there. Legend tells that Annie, the mistress of the house, killed three of her husbands in the house and her slave lover, Takoo, finally caught her in the act and killed Annie. The tour was accompanied by the ghosts of Annie, Takoo and many other slaves popping out from every desk, table and bed in the house and scaring us to death! It was a great, (and slightly terrifying) end to an eventful and fulfilling day!
Today was the day where I felt most immersed into Jamaican culture. We got to really see the sites and experience the culture that makes Jamaica truly unique. From learning about the amazing history of an important great house, to being terrorized by ghosts, we all became closer to Jamaica and closer to each other as a group.
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