It was time to have some Jamaican experience.The itinerary included A horse ride along the countryside and horse ride swim in the Caribbean sea.I booked the tour with Chukka Caribbean Adventure Tour operator. The process was smooth.The last time when I had a horse ride, I was eight or ten years old. Frankly, I also did not expect much from there. But just a trip along the countryside. But the things got real the moment we signed up the forms. We got a helmet and gear. Then the entire group was standing in a circle. The professional guides helped us one by one to ride a horse and give us instructions about handling a horse. The next step was the orientation. To stop the horse, we were supposed to pull the rein. A kick on the belly of the horse on either side indicated the horse to turn into that direction. My horse kept getting attracted to the grass, and I faced my first challenge to keep him on the track. Then the ultimate ride started. All of us formed a sort of beeline.

Time for the real ride

We were encouraged to use the skills which we learned during the orientation. I tried to increase the pace and direct my horse, which ended up with a rescue by the guide. At that point, How I realized how things differ in reality from the movies. My guide chuckled at me. “Sachin Tendulkar ” he chuckled. I replied, “Brian Lara.” Both of us discussed the West Indies, Cricket, and how Football has become more popular than cricket. The ride had its highs and lows. The journey transformed into a trip back into the time, once we hit the forest trails. It felt like nothing much has changed since the Spanish invasion of Jamaica. The rustic path with its ups and downs and our horses taking their own time to bring us to the destination, the mind was at peace. A Caribbean Landlord is passing through the forest with his entourage. Then we had a glimpse of the Caribbean Sea, and we knew that the trip is coming to an end. The next was a Horse ride swim. That was unique Though I wished I had a better physique to flaunt during those pictures.

The experience left me spellbound by the time I hang up my shoes. That was going to be a great takeaway from the trip to Montego Bay.

Night at the Hip Strip

By the time I reached the Hip strip, the beach was closing down. I was tired. But I could not help myself to try some street food, a cold wrap. It was unique. As an Indian, I have got a tendency for hot food, served out of the oven. The cold wrap was a bit different. Full of the jerk seasoning and the flavors, but it was cold. By that time, the food stalls opened up along the road. By this time, I had made myself accustomed to Red Stripe Beer and Appleby Rum.

A trip to Montego bay would not have been complete without the visit to Coral Cliff Casino. Though the prices were a bit higher than the other bars, the place offered great food and the cocktails. The live band started at 9 p.m. I found there were many managers in the casino. The entertainment manager visited each customer at their seat and checked if there was something to make things better. The live band played great tunes, including the reggae music as well as Western songs. I spent a couple of hours there every night for the rest of my stay. Life was slow, and I was enjoying it. At one point, I thought the place had got its vibes to intoxicate anybody, no weed needed. Now I had two more days, and I thought I was going to miss the Caribbean.

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