USAIN BOLT & SWIMMING WITH HORSES IN JAMAICA

About two weeks ago I was in Jamaica for the day. I'd heard that the exclusive Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay (whose concierge let slip that a certain Usain Bolt had been there just two days earlier) has an equestrian centre which offers something to the public which nowhere else (apparently) in the world does. And that activity is: swimming with horses.

My daughter and I snapped up the chance to have a go and booked up the Surf and Turf experience. First we rode the horses through fields towards the beach.

Then we stripped down to our bikinis. 

Saddles were removed from the horses (big yikes - riding a horse bareback is petrifying!) and then we rode the horses out in the sea. When they got out of their depth and started swimming it was scary, exhilarating, surreal and darn hard to keep holding onto our horse by the mane. Eventually we were told to shimmy down the horse's back until we were holding onto their tails (they promised it didn't hurt) and they were tugging us along. It was amazing, unlike ANYTHING I'VE EVER DONE BEFORE! Yes, utterly memorable. 

We came back, drank coconuts which had been picked straight from the trees and even did some acrobatics on the horses. I don't look at all scared, do I?!

Anyway, here's a video of the adventure, in case you can't quite believe what you are reading!

https://youtu.be/kzTIq0aNWR4

Happy viewing and if you ever go swimming with horses, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And I hope you get to see Usain Bolt at the Half Moon Hotel too - he lives not too far from Montego Bay. In fact, we passed his secondary school and the track he used to train on there en route to the hotel...

If you want to return to Jo's website then please click on the link below:

www.jokessel.com

24 HOURS IN MIAMI - I FOUND A GREAT NEW FABULOUS AND CHEAP HOTEL!

I travel so much for work, but this time I tagged a 24 hour stay in Miami onto the end of a working trip just for me and my pleasure/leisure!

And was I disappointed? NO! In fact, it's a resounding 'no'! I found a great new hotel - the Atton Brickell in a great up-and-coming neighbourhood - Brickell. The hotel was a steal - I only paid £120 (which is $150) for a fabulous double room for the night. Everything was brand new and the bed was DIVINE. It was the best night's sleep I'd had in ages.

The hotel doesn't look much from the outside:

But on the inside it's fabulous. And best of all, on the 12th floor there's a rooftop pool to die for: 

Not only is there a huge (and nice) Publix supermarket literally opposite (to stock up on provisions for breakfast if you don't want to have it at the hotel etc) the hotel is also brilliantly situated for seeing Miami. It's close to the beach, to shopping, to Little Havana (famous for it's Cuban culture) and it's so much cheaper than its much pricier neighbour, Miami Beach. And no less vibrant for it. 

I was so excited by this find that I had to share it with you - and if you want to see more about my trip then check out this short and colourful video: https://youtu.be/HXRIaHKISpI

Happy viewing and if you go to Miami then happy travelling too!

To return to Jo's website please click on the link below:

www.jokessel.com