Jamaica

 I feel polarized more so about Jamaica than any place we have visited.  On our trip contained some of the most memorable experiences, I left feeling like I didn’t get to know the country or its people.  Each destination was like a ride in Disneyland. Any venturing off the course, was met by concerned, and kind helpful locals, wondering if you needed help or were lost.  When we asked about nightlife, or “fun places”, we were directed to dreadful tourist traps like Senor Frogs (check place).  

We flew in for Thanksgiving weekend.   Not a participant in family tradition, I was hell bent on getting out of dodge.  Since Yassine’s green card came unexpectedly, we selected our destination based on affordability of airfare.  $450 per ticket later, we were booked RT destined for Kingston. We planned for our home base to be in Ocho Rios, which was about 1.5 hours from Kingston and was located near to the adventures we wanted to embark on.

We landed in the morning and with time to kill, we took a taxi to the Bob Marley museum. Yassine is a longtime fan and sang all of the hits in the weeks leading up to our trip.  The hot sun was a welcome break from the early NYC winter. The museum called us a cab and we were on our way to the Bus. ______ bus will take you to most places on the island. Its nice, its clean, its cheap.  Take the bus. The road was paved and easy driving through the main highway up to Ocho Rios.

I pause here to discuss “to drive or not to drive”.  Our original plan was rent a car in Ocho Rios to give us freedom and flexibility.  There are many drivers on hand to take you where you need to go, but we found the prices to be offensive and opted to drive despite the horror stories of potholed and narrow roads.  As bad luck or planning would have it, Yassine left his driver’s license at home, so it was up to me. Once we got there, I saw WHY there were such stories and the roads combined with the left side driving, were going to be too much for me.  Car cancelled, wrench in plans. This would lead us to endless adventures and great memories.

I digress and we must return to our adventure.  We arrived at the bus depot and searched for our ride to the Airbnb.  We were in tourist town and the shakedown was on. Now, Morocco is a bargaining culture and I have many times witnessed Yassine walking out of a shop with an item more than half the original price.  But these transactions have all occurred in a language not my own and I was blissfully ignorant of the tricks and tactics used by both parties to come out on top. In Jamaica, with the language field leveled, the curtain was pulled back to the inner workings of getting the best deal.  And Jamaica was not ready for this Moroccan. The driver was happy to take us 5 minutes to the Airbnb for a hefty sum of $15. I watched in discomfort and admiration as Yassine played his hand, his tone shifting from friendly to defiant, finally leading me and our luggage away from the helpless cabbie, declaring that “this wasn’t his first time here”.  $5 and 5 minutes later, we were dropped off at our Airbnb, which was a 1 bedroom house on the edge of the sea. We were finally at our home away from home.

It was early evening, so we opted to keep things chill.  Tropical rain started to pour down from the sky and we decided to take a swim in the warm waters.  The proprietor built out a deck overlooking the sea where one might enjoy coffee, meditation, snorkeling and kayaking.  We laughed and kissed in the heavy rain and relished in the warm air and water. 

Adventure 1 was our trek to the Bob Marley house.  With our driving plans set to the wayside, we enlisted the services of our host’s neighbor, to drive us to the top of the mountain.  The journey from Ocho is about 1.5 hours up a winding road to the top of the mountain. Do this and hire a local familiar with the road to take you up there.  You can do this yourself, but the roads are not maintained and there are potholes three feet across. Trust me, you just want to enjoy the scenery. Along the way, you can stop by roadside bars for Red Stripes and joints.  The drive is half the journey, winding your way up the mountain while the mantel of trees stretch as far as the eyes can see. Be sure to stop and enjoy the sights, sounds of nature and the fresh air (maybe a joint if that’s your thing?).  Finally, we arrived.  

The museum is set up to take groups on semi-timed tours.  The Jamaican people are very proud of Bob and told his story reverently and with great pride.  We were taken through the various buildings – where he grew up, where he lived with his wife, saw the famous “single bed” he shared with his wife.  Yassine sat on the spot Bob would meditate looking over the valley below. We enjoyed live music, strong rum drinks and took a fat joint for the days ahead (not our thing, but when in Rome….errr, Jamaica).

Day 2 – After deciding that our neighbor’s rates for a day tour were too hefty, I put Yassine in charge of getting us around.  Shared taxis are not a “thing” in the US (not talking about Via, folks), but they are a cheap way to get around in many countries.  For $1-3 from a central meeting point, we could go anywhere we pleased. First stop was the green grotto to explore the underground caves.  These caves provided an escape route from/for Spanish soldiers. Without light, they would have to find their way through the labyrinthine caverns.  Drinking water provided a dangerous trip to the source….bringing a light would ignite the methane from the bats, creating an explosion. So the thirsty adventurer would have to feel their way through the dark. Our guide killed the lights to show us the effects of the total darkness.  At one point this cave was a nightclub and people would come dance the night away. Time to eat, so we scurried across the busy highway, to the roadside stand across the street. Feasting on fish and vegetables, we discussed our next adventure. With plenty of time to kill,