10 Interesting Jamaican Place Names

Jamaicans are very matter-of-fact when naming towns and communities. If the community is on the side of a hill, it may be called Hillside such as in St. Thomas– the community with the beautiful Reggae Falls. There are several districts across Jamaica named Lookout, all providing panoramic views of the valleys below. Cooperage is so-called because it was the workshop of coopers in the 1800s, and these Irish coopers lived further up the road in– you guessed it– Irish Town. Many of the towns and rivers in Jamaica bear Spanish names because the Spanish were the first Europeans to colonize Jamaica: Ocho Rios, Port Maria, Port Antonio, Rio Grande and Santa Cruz, to name a few. Other towns got their names from British people and places such as Mandeville, Roxborough, Blenheim, Warsop, Devon and Maidstone. However, some Jamaican place names are much more interesting. Here are ten funny and interesting Jamaican place names which I’m sure you won’t hear anywhere else across the world. Check out part 2 here.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments

Here’s Why You Should Donate Blood

Did you know that the Father of Modern Blood Banking is Black? The first successful human to human blood transfusion took place in 1818 by a British obstetrician James Blundell on a patient suffering from postpartum haemorrhage. At the time, transfusion reactions were high because it wasn’t until the 1900s that blood groups and the Rhesus antigen were discovered. Charles Richard Drew, born in 1904, was an African-American surgeon and medical researcher. He improved the techniques of blood storage which enabled the development of large-scale blood banks in World War II, saving the lives of thousands of wounded soldiers.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle29 Comments

Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast?

Athletics is Jamaica’s favourite sport. Our love for athletics is inculcated from the primary school championship level to watching international meets on TV while banging pot covers to support, to watching the races at the corner shop bar or even in the middle of Half-Way-Tree. You can’t not love athletics as a Jamaican. Track and field is an immeasurable source of national pride at every major meet and we have produced the world’s fastest man and woman alive. For that reason, people often wonder why do Jamaicans run so fast. Ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships, here are five secrets behind Jamaica’s global excellence in athletics.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle31 Comments

Seven Annoying Things Bloggers Do

A lot takes place behind the scenes when creating a blog, vlog or even an Instagram post which non-creators may never fully appreciate. Thus, there can be a bit of friction and eye-rolling from non-creators when they are around creators in their element. Over the years, I’ve met and interacted with dozens of different personality types that coexist in the blogosphere and some interactions are better than others. Also, since I often travel with non-creators, this means I’ve probably been the annoying blogger to someone else too, ha! A bit of introspection is good for the soul. Here are the seven annoying things which bloggers do.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle26 Comments

8 Easter Traditions in Jamaica You Should Know

Easter is here! Easter is a Christian holiday and over 60% of Jamaicans identify as practicing Christians. As a result, Good Friday is a solemn national holiday in Jamaica where all businesses are closed. Good Friday commemorates Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and devout Christians observe the day by fasting, re-enacting Christ’s last hours and attending church. On the other hand, Easter Sunday is a joyous day commemorating Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the grave. The day after Christ’s resurrection, Easter Monday, is a national holiday in Jamaica as well. Jamaicans eagerly look forward to this four-day Easter weekend each year, and there has been an increase in secular Easter weekend events too. That being said, here are eight ways in which Jamaicans celebrate Easter holidays– past and present.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle28 Comments

What does ‘Green’ mean to you?

WordPress has introduced a new blog challenge called WordPrompts designed to encourage hobby bloggers to publish one post per month surrounding a theme. The WordPrompt for April is ‘green’. As a happy WordPress-er I couldn’t be happier to participate in this challenge. I’ve had blogs before in the past which never amounted to anything, so I’m glad that I’ve managed to be more or less consistent on this platform for the past five years. When I found WordPress, the rest became history. WordPress feels like home. I began travel blogging in Jamaica long before it became trendy to do so, and unlike most Jamaican ‘travel bloggers’ I actually blog. I enjoy writing as my means of self-expression. I don’t travel just to make content. I travel and write because I genuinely love both activities. These are my main source of happiness. As I write this post now, I feel my mood significantly improve. I get lost in my own little world and forget all my troubles when I write and when I’m outdoors. The trees, mountains, rivers and beach make me happy.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle31 Comments

‘Cyaa Stall’: A Jamaican Dancehall Art Exhibit

Kingston is the capital city of Jamaica, located on the island’s south-eastern coast on one of the world’s largest natural harbours. This vibrant city is home to the most recording studios per capita in the world, and gave rise to six distinct musical genres– namely ska, mento, rocksteady, dub, reggae and dancehall. For this reason, Kingston was awarded UNESCO Creative City status in 2015. Kingston has famous museums which immortalize the origins of our musical genres but our music does not stop there. The Rastafari religion, reggae music and its raunchier cousin dancehall are intimately tied to the fabric of the Jamaican culture and its people. Named for the lyric in artiste Vybz Kartel’s song Dancehall (2015), Cyah Stall is an exhibit which narrates Jamaican dancehall as a musical genre, aesthetic, language and resistance. Here’s why you should catch it if you can.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

SIGHTSEE JAMAICA: My Debut Book

Happy New Year! I’ve been alluding to exciting stuff on the horizon for my blog and brand, and I’m excited to finally share the first one with you. The title gives it away– I’m publishing my first book this month on January 23! SIGHTSEE JAMAICA is a brief travel guide and gigantic checklist to every place worth seeing in Jamaica to the best of my knowledge. Some of the places I’ve included have never been published in a Jamaican travel guide before, because this guide is 100% local written. We’re now accepting preorders so go ahead and secure your copy.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

Turn Your Adventures Into Beautiful Wall Art

As we ring in a new year, many of us are looking for ways to renovate our spaces and create more meaningful experiences and memories in 2022. A simple way to do that is investing in fine wall art! There’s nothing quite like seeing a portrait of your most recent adventure hanging on your wall as décor while also adding elegance to your home. When you turn travel photos into wall art, you’re making memories that will last a lifetime. Displaying photos from your excursion is a fantastic way to keep the experience fresh in your mind. Decorating your room with adventurous photos adds dimension to your space and soothes your senses with the beauty of nature. In its simplest form, adventure is an exciting or unexpected encounter undertaken to fulfill one’s curiosity. Beautiful wall art is an excellent way to immortalize that memory and prevent it from fading.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

Chatting with Creative Jamaican Medics (Part 3)

Last Christmas (#blogmas2020) I had the idea to feature health care workers doing great things outside of their careers in health care, and my first article was well-received. My follow-up article also did well so this month I’m back with part three. The pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many, especially health care workers, so it’s great to see that there are many who still make time for their passions which lie outside of medicine, nursing and physiotherapy. Here are their stories.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments