A Guest Post by Cameron Davis

I am running behind the jade green leaves with my grandfather, spying on my parents at the Yaaman Adventure Park in Montego Bay, Jamaica. We are surrounded by green and purplish trees and bushes, and when we turn around, we find ourselves staring at a beautiful navy blue waterfall crashing against grey rocks.
I look up to see my grandfather staring down at me saying, “Isn’t that incredible?”

One of the many gorgeous views of Jamaica


The waterfall is beautiful, but so is spending time with my grandfather.
Traveling with family members can be exciting and fun. On this trip to Jamaica with my brother, parents and grandparents, I talked to my grandfather more than I ever did before. We talked about where he lived and actually got to visit his childhood home.
He showed me fruit trees that grow in Jamaica. I learned facts about where he and my grandmother went to school and the routes they would take to get there.

Family Cooking Classes

At the Yaaman culinary cooking tour, we got to cook together. We made our very own spicy, jerk chicken. Our task was to make festival – a sweet, fried dumpling – in designs that represented ourselves. I made a golden brown, crunchy, fluffy one in the shape of a number four. I did that because my favourite number is four and I wanted my festival to represent me!

Festivals made at Yaaman with Grandfather, Grandpa
The creative festival that we made. The one that looks like a tongue is my grandfathers

My grandmother made the traditional round-shaped festival and my grandpa made his into the shape of a tongue.
Afterwards, my grandfather and I were very eager to explore the “hidden areas” which made me think, “could my grandpa can be as fun as a teenager!?”
That’s when we started to run.

Traveling with grandparents is fun


Grandparents can be as adventurous as you if you let them. I rarely travel with my grandparents but when I do travel with them, we always have a blast. On this trip I saw my grandparents taking the kinds of risks that most teens would take, like jumping into a waterfall at the Irie blue hole situated in the Island Gully Falls.

Family photo Jamaica, Grandfather, Grandpa
My grandparents, parents and brother at Island Gully Falls


They swam in pools that were taller than my dad (and he’s over 6 feet!) even though they weren’t great swimmers.
The difference is that they wore life jackets.

Grandparents family jamaica grandpa grandma
My grandparents swimming at the falls!

Grandparents can also learn new lingo. I know for a fact that my parents over- use the term “lit” but my grandparents know about memes and dabbing.
While my parents are listening to the instructor, Grandpa and I are exploring.
He is keeping a steady pace with me on the cobblestone path.
We glance to our left and right. We see tangerine trees up ahead and Grandpa doesn’t hesitate to reach up and grab a tangerine for each of us. We peel them quickly, bite into them, taste their sourness and burst out laughing.

Jamaica with Grandfather, Grandpa
My grandpa and I at St Jago High school. It’s the high school that he used to go to.

More Information:

Do you want to visit Yaaman Culinary Centre? Here’s all their info: Yaaman Adventure Park
Do you want to visit Island Gully Falls? Here’s all their info:
Island Gully Falls