Cinchona Botanical Garden, Saint Andrew

Nestled in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, this beautiful botanical garden is named for its cinchona trees which were first planted in 1868. Cinchona trees are used to make quinine, a medicine used in the treatment of malaria, the serious mosquito-borne illness which has been eradicated from Jamaica since 1965. Located at between 4500 and 5500 feet above sea level, Cinchona Botanical Gardens boasts the record of Highest Botanical Garden in the Western Hemisphere. For these reasons, Cinchona has long been on my Jamaican bucket list but visits require either a 4×4 or hiking with an experienced guide. As such, I finally accomplished the trek with the illustrious company of Trekkers Adventures JA. Here’s how this adventure went + why you should visit!

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle23 Comments
Girl jumping with Jamaican flag at Sacsayhuaman

Why Hiking Is My Favourite Form of Exercise

I’m not as active as I once was, but if there’s a hike or long nature walk involved– sign me up! This is my favourite form of exercise because it does not feel like exercise. I love the smells, sights and sounds of nature so much that I hardly notice my aching feet, thighs and calves until the walk is over. And by then, I would’ve met my 10,000+ step count for the day. Sounds like a win-win to me.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

30 Things That Make Me Happy

I’m a day late for this WordPress prompt but I’ve been meaning to write a post outside of my usual Friday series which I’m proud to announce has been running for 62 consecutive weeks. This prompt is perfect as I try to remain optimistic despite life’s challenges. Most days will not be extraordinary so it’s important to find joy in one’s daily routine. Ordinary days make it easier to appreciate the extraordinary ones, so here are 30 regular things which make me happy + a mid-year check-in post.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Cold Weather: A Caribbean Girl’s Perspective

Today’s WordPress prompt caught my eye and it’s been ages since I’ve replied to one. My simple answer is no, but nothing in life is ever black or white. I experienced my first taste of cold weather a few weeks ago– my first time seeing or walking through snow or having to check the temperature before heading outside so I could know how layered I needed to dress. I cheated a little by visiting Ontario in spring, so the weather wasn’t as miserably cold as it can get but I experienced mostly single digit and subzero weather– a shock to the senses for a Caribbean girl who has never left the tropics. I was happy to return to the warmth and familiarity of Jamaica where the weather is either wet or dry, but here are the things I appreciated about the cold.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle42 Comments

Embracing A Cottagecore Lifestyle in Jamaica

Cottagecore is a term I first heard late last year, and I instantly fell in love. I realize I was already living by and gravitating towards several of its principles for years; I just didn’t know about the terminology. For starters, cottagecore is an aesthetic and lifestyle movement of the 2010s which celebrates rural living and places an emphasis on nature, traditional skills, and a slower pace of life. In Jamaica, our version of cottagecore is ital– the lifestyle Rastas have been promoting since the 1930s which prompted them to move out the city, establish off-grid villages with their own schools and live off the land. Here’s what cottagecore is all about + how to embrace this lifestyle in Jamaica.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle12 Comments

What’s One Question You Hate to Be Asked?

Caribbean culture is quite intrusive and nosy so you’re bound to get uncomfortable questions and receive unsolicited comments and advice a lot. I suppose it’s the same in many other cultures too, but it’s a part of my culture which I can’t stand. For the most part, I’ve grown used to it but it still manages to catch me off guard sometimes. Relationships, marriage prospects, your fertility, weight, health, dress, hairstyle, skin, career, politics, religion, you name it– it’s not off limits in casual conversation at family get togethers or with coworkers, acquaintances or even complete strangers and my patients! In answer of today’s WordPress prompt, here’s why questions about career are the ones I hate to be asked about the most.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle42 Comments
Girl jumping with Jamaican flag at Sacsayhuaman

Do You Have A Favourite Place Visited? Here’s Mine.

Today’s WordPress prompt asks: do you have a favourite place that you’ve visited? I love my island home of Kingston, Jamaica very much as it’s warm and vibrant and filled with lots of spots for great food, live reggae music, mountain views and even has nearby beaches, rivers and waterfalls: all of my favourite things! Kingston is fast becoming a melting pot of cultures too, with influences from China, India, Latin America, the Middle East and more. Tourism drives the physical development and entertainment options available in the city too, which is great. While Jamaica will always hold the spot in my heart, and I haven’t been outside the country a lot (yet), here’s why Peru is the favourite place I’ve visited (so far). Note: I visited in May 2022.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle34 Comments

Why Chronology Is My Favourite Album

For a Jamaican, I have quintessential music taste. Sure, I do listen to lots of other things but reggae is my favourite music genre by far, as I’ve already written about with a previous WordPress prompt. In fact, I feel very happy to live in the birthplace of reggae and I’m very proud of the artistes who spread our music culture across the globe. We celebrate reggae music every week with numerous live music events across Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston, and each February is designated as Reggae Month in Jamaica.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

What Do You Love About Where You Live?

I live in Kingston, Jamaica. Considering I mostly write about my island home on here, it’s clear that I love many things about Jamaica. We have a lot of issues here too like every where else, but I’d say the good outweighs the bad for me. In answer of today’s prompt, here is the number one reason why I love living in Jamaica. In fact, my answer is one of the reasons why I say Kingston is worth visiting.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle16 Comments

What Would You Change About Modern Society?

I often find myself pondering about modern society. Even as a Millennial, I think I’m objective enough to say that there are a lot of problems with modern society. For starters, the “Get Rich Quick” mentality has taken over where many young people don’t want to work hard and make short term sacrifices for long term gain. This culture is further cemented by the fact that we see so many young people doing seemingly minimal work with maximal return e.g. the Tiktokers and social media influencers who sometimes make six figure incomes without much talent or qualifications. I’d love to see people get proportionally rewarded for their effort, talent and qualifications, as opposed to how risqué they’re willing to act on social media to secure the bag.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle77 Comments