On tour. First stop: Blue Mountains

last Sunday we started our tour to Blue Mountains.

We booked a night in Prince Valley, which is a beautiful village, nestled into the steep mountains. It is north od Kingston, above Irish Town and Redlight. The last part of the road was for the adventurers and Uli was cool enough to drive it. The owner of Prince Valley Guesthouse is a very friendly Rasta named Bobby. He is a coffee farmer. He let us taste some of his excellent Ital food and gave us a lot of information. The room was very basic and just what you would expect on a coffee farm. The place is situated in a breathtaking location

The time we spend on his terrace that evening was so awesome. All the neihgbours of the village seemed to be far away and yet, so near. Talking and laughter, bikes, TVs, dogs, and a donkey that made the most archaic noise I've ever heared. Mountain village life at it's best.

We were sitting outside until late at night. It was cool and even Uli had to wear long sleeves, which tells a story. (15 *C) . quite a difference to the 29*C on the southcoast. The nights in the mountains are so very humid that one of our books that we had used outside, got completely soaked the next morning.

Bobby told us that the coffee plants need the night dew and that the pickers are wearing raincoats in the early morning hours. Each valley has differnt coffee and it ripens at different times, since the climate in one valley differs a lot from the one in another valley. Most coffee farmers bring their coffee to Jablum Mavis Bank coffee factory but do not get much money for it.

We left Bobby early in the morning and were headed for Gordon Town and Mavis Bank to the coffee factory. We were dreaming of a wonderful cup of Cappuchino in Irish Town at the Cafe Blue, but... with most things in Jamaica... you cannot rely on them. Closed on a Monday. Had the coffee in Mavis Bank, at the Jablum Factory, some time later....