After all the history and culture of Cuba - of which more another time; I still have to tell you about Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba but it will be better when I can post pictures - it was time for some fun in Jamaica.
And what could be more fun than climbing a waterfall?
Climbing through the water at Dunn's River Falls, just outside Ocho Rios, really is the ultimate in touristy things to do, but it was great fun - much better than I had expected.
You start at the beach, hold hands with the people either side of you, and climb up over boulders through the ranging water. And it really was raging in some places. I had visions of being swept away a couple of times.
Happily you do most of it without holding hands as it's much easier not being pulled by other people. In all, the climb must have taken at least an hour.
Only six people, including me, from Saga Pearl II were adventurous to give it as go - all female, by the way - and two gave up soon after we started, so just four entrepid Saga souls made it to the top. Plus about 20 Brits and Canadians who were in our group.
By the time we finished I was soaked as I had done one of the rock slides and gone right under water, but still Milton, our guide, asked for a tip. Not quite sure where he thought my money was given I was wearing only a bikini and very soggy t-shirt. Luckily someone else from the group was nearby and lent me a few dollars.
But then all started to go wrong. Dragon lady, which was my name for our guide that day, was hassling us to get back to the mini buses as we were late.
Of course we were. It was Jamaica so it took ages for anything to start and the three ladies with me, who must have been in their late 60s/early 70s, were hardly going to sprint up the waterfall. They were brilliant for going up at all.
Dragon lady, who by now had lost all pretence of her "no problem this is Jamaica" attitude, hassled us back to the bus, then got huffy when I said I was going to change out of my wet clothes. The driver said, no problem. Just sit on your towel.
In soaking wet clothes for a two-hour drive back to the ship in Port Antonio? No way.
So I ended up getting changed in the car park, much to the annoyance of dragon lady, who even came to chivvy me along when I was half-dressed.
Not quite what you expect from a Saga cruise.
Or it wouldn't have been had I not endured being hassled the day before in Santiago - and all so we were not a few minutes late getting back for lunch on the ship.
Next stop is Curacao, where I am going on a tour to some caves. Let's hope it doesn't happen there or I really will start to get a complex.
Jane Archer
