Day 5: Walking through History (by Leon)

Today was a pretty relaxed day, at least compared to the days prior. Since today is a weekend, we decided to take a break off of our usual projects, such as restoration, and we went for many meaningful tours. First off to start our day, after a long drive, we arrived at the Greenwood Great House. A great house was the home of the owner of a plantation. As we were led through the very well preserved house, I marveled at how well it was maintained throughout the years. There was a map there that had lasted from the 1600s, almost 400 years! Our tour guide was very focused and engaging and explained objects of importance as well as areas very well. And the view, it was magnificent! When we looked around us, because we were situated so high up, we could see the water curving down, showing how the earth is circular. The sparkling blue ocean and the calm breeze made me question why I wasn't living at this beautiful place. 

After lunch, we headed to the Montego Bay Cultural Centre where we were shown several exhibits.  In the Rastafari exhibit, I learned that Rastafari was a culture that valued things like being self-employed. They were all vegetarians because they believed that killing is wrong. In the Jamaican History exhibit, I focused on the topic of 'banana boats', boats that would carry passengers as well as bananas to expand the tourist population in Jamaica. I was also interested by the Freedom Monument, a memoir that had all the names of the slaves that stood up against slavery in the Great Slave Rebellion of 1831. There were punishments for these people that ranged from lashes, to stripes, to death. In this center, I learned much more of Jamaican history that occurred after the abolition of slavery. 

We had a quick dinner on the beach and headed to the most interesting great house of the trip. At about eight, when it was already dark, we arrived at the Rose Hall Great House, and I witnessed a tour that was both frightening and amazing at the same time. With the constant jump scares, which were all historically relevant, it was quite hard to concentrate on the history but I managed. The story was quite gruesome, but it highlighted how life back then was for people under slavery. I thought it was clever for them to act out what happened back then so it was easier to understand.  

I think today was a very important day, because I learned many things that I have never even considered before. I think that this trip has been so helpful in opening me up to the real world and reflecting about the past.