Halloween & Pirates

Its that time of year. Halloween. Our Atlanta neighborhood goes all out and most homes share in the spirit and decorate on some level... from standard pumpkins ready for carving to blow-up spiders and twinkling orange lights. Atlanta also practices another tradition that was new to me when I moved here, it is called "Ghosting". Your doorbell will ring around 8 or 9 at night in early October. You rush to see who could possibly be arriving unannounced at this hour, because let's face it, people just don't "drop in" these days. No one is there, so you glance down and see a little bundle of joy in the festive form of a trick-or-treat bag or nylon pumpkin overflowing with Halloween goodies. A note accompanies the treats announcing the "ghosting" and instructing you to hang the little ghost picture on your door to let the rest of the 'hood know you have already been hit and then asking you to "ghost" another house. This is a really neat tradition that my daughter loves. (This display is not my own - but I sure wish it was!)Halloween is a special time in our house and never comes and goes without one or two discussions on the infamous pirates of the Caribbean. No, not Johnny Depp, but the REAL pirates that inhabited many of the islands and most notably, my husband's native Jamaica. One of our favorite stories to retell is that of Sir Henry Morgan. Having lived a pirates life, Morgan was acting-governor of Jamaica and enjoyed the heyday that made Port Royal famous. Port Royal is located on a spit of land in the middle of Kingston Harbour and it is here that you can find the hotel and marina that bears Sir Henry's name . We stopped by the Morgan's Harbour Hotel for lunch a few months ago... here are my best shots...

Sunbathing area for guests:
Boats in the marina:
Certainly not the most entertaining photos, but if you look closely you might see the duppies that call this part of the island home.

If you want to learn more about Sir Henry Morgan and the time in which Port Royal was at is prime - as the wealthiest city in the Western Hemisphere - watch Captain Blood. In it, Errol Flynn portrays Dr. Blood, a character we all assume is tightly based on Sir Henry.