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The
Maroons
As the aboriginal
indians were killed out centuries ago, we can consider that the Maroons,
these fugitive slaves that founded their own country within Jamaica,
are the persons that know the land the best.
There are a few
communities that live now in peace due to their victory upon the English
that, as they say never knew how to move in the forest, later they signed
their famous treaties. And still today in the villages the stories about
Nanny Town and their dislike for Englishmen are still alive, mainly
within the elders, but mostly in a joking way.
We are in need
of gratitude for their great help and authorization by their Colonel
Sterling for visiting their Maroon Treaty Lands. Many unforgetable days/nights
were spent in their company as in their stories' too, and without their
help I would have surely, as they suggested, found my backbone broken...
special thanks to Arthur, a Cooney (Geocaprynus browni = endemic
mammal rat like) hunter 76 years old who always takes his lovely dog
Finy to hunt wether coonies, or snails for this "browny" (foreigner),
he is specially excited when he finds wild banana for his good looking
pigs, he carries them on his back (20Kg) without further problems the
way down the John Crows meanwhile I can barely stand on my feets looking
forward arriving to the village still alive by terrible not existant
muddy-bamboo leaf covered trails.
It is nice to
know that Maroon culture is still alive, and that internationaly they
are also in contact with other groups of Surinam etc..., stories about
the dislike of Maroons to foreign people and so on are just stories,
I found them acommunity with deep roots in the country they have
been fighting for in the last centuries.
Many
sites were located with their help and knowledge. "Marco Man"
as they called me is in debt with you!.
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Landsnailing
in Jamaica
Out
of the way places in countryside Jamaica are beautiful, the problem arises
when one tries to get to this sites, the roads can be terrible, also the
ones connecting tourist resorts, so a good 4X4 is a must, a good pair
of spare tyres and a lot of patience, as anyway there is a different sense
of time there; many roads doesn't appear on maps and new ones are being
built all the time, not meaning roads covered with a layer of asphalt.
No
doubt the rainy season is the best for finding the species alive, and
lots of insect repelent are needed as the mosquito clouds are going to
be your best friends during your stay. Be careful not to find a colony
of a interesting species in the middle of a bush of "courage"
(plant) you will notice it sooner or later, but it is everywhere, specially
at the snail spots. I just touch it as there is not otherway of snailing,
the same problem with the mosquitos, no repelent has worked against the
Jamaican species so get bitten, or just move, but you can't move all the
time you are snailing!, so....get bitten...
Karstic
areas are dangerous for people that doesn't have field experience, moving
in mountain areas or forests, many of the stones you see are not stable,
just stepping on one that is going to move could be a risk, as it is going
to roll down, may be hiting your friend or car. There are also many chances
to get lost, I knew of a aboriginal Kingston Jamaican that took the wrong
trail and was lost for a day until he was found, the valleys look all
similar and what you think is near could be really far.
Other
animals that are one's best friends during a stay include the small scorpions,
the lovely blue ticks, the colonial wasps, aggressive in their defense
of their hives, the rats that try to eat your samples and the Jamaican
Boa, a beautiful reptile in danger that had the chance to see twice there;
no one of this animals are going to bite or hurt you if you use your common
sense. Of course ticks lack of common sense and will follow you all around
unless you use kerosene, you might find some still alive even when you
are back home, specially attached to your fieldwork trousers, check them
twice after washing them, they need soaking for hours in very hot water
to kill them finally out.
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