I chose the Croydon Plantation tour because I once lived near Croydon in England where the original owner of Croydon, Jamaica came from. There are three counties on the island of Jamaica: Cornwall, Surrey and Middlesex. Croydon is in the County of Cornwall which is confusing because Croydon in England is in the county of Surrey. At one time there were over 700 plantations in Jamaica but many of them were burned during the 1831 slave rebellion. The tour took us along a road where lemons grow as big as grapefruit and bread fruit and jack fruit grow in abundance. Banana plants grow taller than the coffee bushes and protect them from direct sunlight. There are over 15 varieties of pineapple grown at the Croydon Plantation and fruit was set out on tables for us to sample. We also tasted a pineapple drink made from pineapple skin that had been washed and boiled in water then sugar and ginger added. The plantation is secluded and peaceful with beautiful vistas of the hills and Camel Back Mountains giving us quiet respite from the outside world while we ate lunch under a covered patio and enjoyed the strong blue mountain coffee before heading back through the hills of Jamaica toward Montego Bay. At our ship, a brass band played as we boarded the Conquest and before long we were on our way toward Grand Cayman, our next stop.
