Monday, September 1, 2014

Black Sand Beach and Bee Action

The other day, we went to the beautiful black sand beach. It was a beautiful three mile hike there and was a very informative excursion into the bush. Our guide was a local fisherman named Lion who has so much knowledge about both local flora and fauna. It seemed like every plant we passed he knew its name and all of its medicinal properties. It was very educational and interesting. According to him, bitter foods are an essential part of the diet because it cleanses your blood of potential harmful invaders. I need to balance out all of the sweet stuff I eat! Anyways, he was a really good guide and I enjoyed listening to his constant reggae singing throughout our journey.

The hike took us high in the hills and deep into the jungle. Lion told us that a town used to be in these hills. There was barely any evidence that this place had once been inhabited by humans. One of the left behind ruins of this town was an abandoned church. Nature had gone to work on it though.

Trees rooted in the abandoned church

There was also an old mill which was an interesting structure. 

The mill

It was a stunning reminder of the power of nature. We eventually ended up at the falls which unfortunately were not flowing strongly due to the lack of rain. But they were still beautiful. 

Beautiful falls

We then made our way to black sand beach! Ah, it was wonderful! Unfortunately, I neglected to take any pictures. But we enjoyed a delicious lunch cooked by Lion consisting of fried fish and fried plantain and banana. It was so simple yet so flavorful and satisfying. He built a fire used logs to prop the pan up and cook it. He said cooking with fire gives the food so much more flavor as opposed to gas or any other heat sources. I liked this bare essentials approach to cooking. After eating, we took a swim. The water was nothing short of glorious- the perfect temperature and the waves were calm. 

One of the best parts of this day was the boat ride back! Lion had parked his fishing boat at black sand beach. It was a small skiff painted with fishes on its exterior and was called Sea Lion. We went out into deep water and I don't think I have ever seen ocean water that deep blue color before. It was beautiful and a little frightening! As we rode across the waves, the ocean would pick us up and throw us down and we would land with a resounding thump and a splash of salty water in the face.  Lion put out his lines and had us hold on to two. Ann's line managed to catch us one fish! Lion said he would cook it for us at a later date. It was really cool seeing the island from out in the ocean. You can really see just how lush it is. Anyways, it was a day that was both fun and exhausting. 

Today is the first sunny and clear day we have had in a while. It has been overcast and stormy for the past few days which is great because the local farmers can begin planting again. Lion was telling us that he was happy for the recent rain because he had been unable to grow his own food up until now. Kwao and Agape also started farming again. Yesterday, we helped them plant beets, tomatoes, string beans, bok choy, chives, and peppers. It was good and grueling work. It's really amazing how well plants grow in this land. We had to weed out stuff like papaya trees and taro root! Hopefully the rain continues so that these seeds will start to grow. 

In terms of the bees, we recently completed a full inspection of the home apiary and one of the upper apiaries. Many of the hives are in good condition- especially in the upper apiary. I feel more confident and slightly more adept in the hives. Two days ago, we finished building two two foot hives which we put bees in this morning from hives at the home apiary. These bees will be transported to the upper apiary tonight. Kwao and Agape are also looking to build a new apiary with bees from the home apiary. The forage at the house is limited and there are many hives so to avoid a shortage and unnecessary competition, some bees will be placed in this new location. Agape says she wants to have twenty hives in this new apiary. So a lot of work lies ahead of us as we try to establish this new location. 

I'm more than halfway through my time here and I can safely say that I have learned a great deal both about a new culture and a new field. It has been both exhilarating and awakening in many ways. I feel myself getting stronger and more used to my surroundings as time goes on. I love the warmth and vibrancy of Jamaica and will surely miss it. 






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