We stayed one night at the De Montevin Lodge in Port Antonio on January 5th 2003. It was clean and secure but it's not a resort, just a very nice guesthouse in an old, beautifully restored Victorian mansion. It sits out on the rocky Titchfield peninsula in a small neighborhood of old homes that, like most of the rest of Port Antonio, are rather run down. Some, are guesthouses that are frequented by foreign teachers who volunteer at the school at the end of the road.

The first floor of the Lodge is the lobby and dining room area. The 2nd floor has several large guestrooms. Some have complete bathrooms and some have only a sink. It's very basic. There are no amenities. I took some pictures while I was there and you can see them on my website at www.jamesasbury.com.

The diningroom, while large, was closed, and so was the cocktail bar. I think we were the only guests. Every room had a small TV and there was a big one in the lobby. I think it's a waste.

We walked around the neighborhood and into town where we quickly found the bank and two cash machines. Everyone was very friendly and we didn't get hassled at all.

We hired a cab to take us up to Hotel Mocking Bird Hill where we had dinner. You will need to hire a cab to take you into the mountains. Bird watching or hiking or just touring by auto seem to be the major attractions in this area, like the rest of Jamaica, it's stunningly beautiful but very spread out.

You won't get hassled as much here as in other places, tourism is a new thing. I felt very safe. I've never had a problem with a Jamaican in my five Jamaican vacations. I'd love to live there.

Most of the places to stay at Port Antonio are former plantation homes converted into small hotels with private beaches. Some are up in the hills and have breath taking views.

The evening air was a bit damp and cooler than I expected and I didn't get bit by mosquitos. :)

The next day we decided that Port Antonio was too expensive for us. We missed the laid back attitude of Negril and the next morning we hired two cabs to take our party of six back to our beloved Home Sweet Home in Negril.

Our trip to Port Antonio wasn't a waste, we saw some greate scenery and as usual, met some very nice Jamaicans. Excuse me, I have to go out and shovel snow now.