Roaring Rivers

We did our usual boarding on to the shaggin wagon express, our new mascot van, where we would be experiencing our first time at Roaring Rivers. we were crammed into our seats bonding with excitement as we were all enjoying the scenery and our new found love for the reggae music. We finally arrived to this new and unfamiliar destination where we got out and they immediately collected our 500 Jamaican dollars (the tourists usually have to pay more!). We began our journey across the rasta field to a beautiful roaring river. Before we started up the long path of steps we stopped to take it in and saw a gigantic cotton tree, it was magnificent, and something they used to use to make boats and canoes out of. We made our way up the long staircase standing in front of a sketchy cage and a dark tunnel. It's rustic appearance shows us how themselves as a community has preserved this once hide-a-way for the maroons (run-away slaves) which is now a beautiful site. It is one of the few things that a multi-national corporation hasn't been able to make their own profit on something so beautiful, but the profit merely goes to the community. We enter  the dark cave keeping to the right of the staircase filing down one by one. The first thing we saw were the tites and the mites, it is a column like structure that grows slowly over time connecting to the top of the roof to help support it. We walked through the cave witnessing the structures that were simply made by nature, like a lion kissing a monkey, a large fish carved into a crawl space, praying hands, the profile of an old lady, and even the face of Bob Marley with his microphone. He led us into a real mineral water pool where we each waited patiently in the cool water for a sulfur scrub down. Once we each had experienced a exfoliating massage (minus Chuck) we made our way to the bottomless pool. Here those who were able to swim had to walk down a ladder and jumped into the refreshing water and splashed around a little bit until we had to eventually get out. We made our way out of the cave checking on each other making sure we were all okay, and helping one another to get out of the cave. We didn't even realize that this experience that would bond us together for life. It's now 10:30 and we're starting work on a fence, finishing it tomorrow, and we will be on our way to Negril!

YOLO
Steph and Missy