Jamaica 2013-2014 - Two Weeks on a Wild Tropical Island
This post covers my 2 week trip to the island and country of
Jamaica during the holidays
of 2013-2014. The trip spanned Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Kingston and Negril.
Map of Jamaica
Jamaica has a population of about 3 million people. Politically it is a parliamentary
democracy and became independent from the United Kingdom in 1962. The official
language is English but many people a unique dialect called Jamaican Patois. The
small island nation in the Caribbean Sea is well known for inventing reggae
music and producing some of the world’s fastest sprinters. I went with my bud
Jahan and we flew into Montego Bay, which is a vacation destination with the
population of about 100,000 inhabitants. There is a small touristy area called
Hip Strip that is brimming with pricey restaurants, bars and tourist shops.
Beach in Montego Bay
The
area is surprisingly run down with the exception of the hotels and a nice white
sand private beach. We happened to be at Club Margaretville when a famous
Jamaican dance hall singer came through. Possibly a couple thousand locals quickly
descended on the place. The place transformed from a sleepy tourist club into a
raucous dance floor. The new breed of Jamaican dance hall is fast paced, choppy
and filled with bass. DJs jump from song to song every 30-60 seconds and interrupt
the music with commentary. There is a short attention span feel to the music.
Jamaica definitely has a unique music scene. The previous generation created
reggae while the younger generation seems to gyrate to raw beats and bass. The
next day we took a taxi through downtown Montego Bay. The streets of downtown were
bustling, intense and probably not very safe for tourists. Official taxis in general
are pricey and charge visitors much more than locals. It’s basically a tourist
tax that is abundant all over the country on a wide range of services.
From Montego Bay we took the nice Knutsford Express bus to the
small town of Ocho Rios. The Knutsford Express is an excellent bus line. We
took it for all of our longer travel rides. It was well organized, inexpensive,
and included air conditioning, Wi-Fi and videos. Our rock star bud Harrison
Stafford (of the band Groundation)
picked us up in Ocho Rios. On the way through town he took us to some interesting
spots. We had some tasty “Juicy Patties”, which are similar to empanadas. I
enjoyed the soy patty. It’s made of a flavorful soy filling and crispy breaded
exterior. We stocked up on food and beverage supplies at a massive, modern
Jamaican grocery store. Interestingly the store was run by Chinese Jamaicans
that make up about 1-2 percent of the population. After navigating the hectic
roadways, dangerous street traffic, and squeezing his car through some narrow
alleys, Harrison then guided us to a Rastafarian Ital store. The Ital food is vegetarian
and healthy. The Rastafari movement is a way of life or religion that started in Jamaica in the 1930s.
The Rastas are typically known for having dreadlocks and using cannabis. We
grabbed some interesting smoothie drinks at the Ital store and headed to the
villa.
A street vendor in Ocho Rios, Jamaica
We stayed with his family at a nice, scenic beach side villa
for a couple of days. It was a short drive east of Ocho Rios and very isolated
from the hustle and bustle of downtown Ocho Rios. “Ochi” is set up for shopping
during the day when cruise ship passengers stroll through. However, at night,
Ochi is dark, a bit sketchy and not so tourist friendly. There was a large
labyrinth of a local outdoor shopping market across the street from the
well-groomed and overstocked tourist market. I picked up some artistic masks
after dealing with some feisty vendors.
We took a fun day trip to Dunn's River
Falls. It’s a must do waterfall hike that lived up to the hype! One starts at
the bottom of the waterfalls and hikes up until you get up to the top. The
falls can be powerful at times so it’s important to hold on to other people.
The tide pools are relaxing and there are even nature built slides to go down.
At Dunn's River Falls near Ocho Rios
The next day we experienced a Jamaican Christmas complete with local food and
drinks. Harrison’s wife’s Jamaican family was very welcoming and friendly.
Harrison, Oki, Eli and relatives at the Villa on Christmas
I personally enjoyed the various juices, fruit
and porridge. I’m sure the jerk chicken and meat options were good but I missed
out due to being vegetarian. My bud and I left the villa and set up at a hotel
on the beach near downtown.
View from the Villa
From Ochi we took a day trip and harrowing ride through the
mountains to Nine Mile, the birth and resting place of the King of Reggae, Bob Marley. He created
amazing, timeless songs and albums and basically invented a new genre of music
called reggae. The windy ride to Nine Mile was balanced out by picturesque
views of the oceans, hills, mountains, villages, and fruit plantations.
View from the hills of Ocho Rios
The
taxi driver zoomed around blind corners and honked to warn traffic headed the
opposite way. I just hoped that no cars or buses were coming around the corner
at high speeds. All the while the car
hung on to the edge of the cliffs while a light rain came down and reggae music
bumped. There were a few close calls but we made it safely. The tour at Nine
Mile includes a small museum full of Bob Marley’s records and memorabilia such
as instruments. An old reggae band belts out a few Bob tunes for tips. Finally
you enter the gates and see his childhood home and room. He lived there until
the age of 12 when he moved to the ghetto of Trenchtown in Kingston. The room contains
his belongings including the small bed he slept in. There is also an outdoor
kitchen intact. The resting place of Bob is in a very nice structure fit for a
legend. It is mind boggling to think that one of the biggest rock legends came
from that remote, dirt poor location, deep in the Jamaican hills. It was a true
rag to riches tale. He kept it real by giving back to his people and staying in
Jamaica.
Bob Marley's Resting Place
The adventure continued to Kingston. We stayed
in the nice part of Kingston called New Kingston. The hotel we stayed at was
called the Knutsford – a nice place with pool and excellent breakfast. New
Kingston has some tourist friendly restaurants and bars. We were fortunate to
link up with our friend’s Jamaican family. He took us to the raucous Kingston
clubs – thumping and loud late into the night. The music was a mix of dance
hall, rap and a little reggae. We went to Quad, which has 4 levels of various dancing
although only 2 were open when we went. Of course we went to Bob Marley's
famous house on Hope Road.
The King of Reggae, Bob Marley
Eye-popping murals and images of Bob Marley line the
walls of the grounds. There was a good tour complete with a viewing of his
studio, awards, bedroom, kitchen and place where he was shot. The tour ends
with an inspirational video that touches on the life of Bob. The grounds carry
on the legacy of the legendary reggae musician who created some of the best
songs of all time. The tour of the house on Hope Road was one of the highlights
of the entire trip.
Bob Marley's House on Hope Road in Kingston
The last day in Kingston we explored Port Royal, founded in 1518,
it was the original wicked "Pirates of the Caribbean". The area was
known for lawlessness, debauchery, and the trade of gold, silver, spices and
slaves. The Port was later a naval fort for the Spanish and then the English.
Major earthquakes devastated the thin stretch of land. One can view many
artifacts such as wine bottles, grenades, coins and monstrous cannons.
Cannon balls and a dagger from the original Pirates of the Caribbean
Although
somewhat run down and out of the way, the venture was unique and fittingly
rustic. Port Royal would surely look like Disneyland or an amusement park if
the US got ahold of the location.
One of the many cannons at Port Royal
We traversed the country and went to the touristy beach town
of Negril. There was live reggae music, a happening bar, and a mammoth bon fire
at Bourbon Beach.
Beach in Negril
Tourists packed the beaches and bars for New Year’s Eve. Many
people lit sky lanterns and sent them upward into the darkness.
The beaches
were fantastic and later in the week some locals took us to Jungle, the jumping
club in central Negril. My cousin Lee from Colorado (the same one that I linked
up with in Sweden) coincidentally was in the area so we went to Rick's Cafe,
the infamous cliff diving party spot.
We hung out with his family and had a
blast jumping and taking in the wild scene. The 35 foot jump was fun but a bit
much. One of the hired locals climbs up on a wood contraption that is much
higher than the standard diving spot and wows the crowd by diving head first. We all took in the sun and witnessed an epic sunset of the sun melting on the
sea. Rick’s Café is another must visit for the tourist thrill seeker.
Rick's Cafe in Negril
The journey ended back in Montego Bay where we met up with another
buddy. We enjoyed the beach, bars and had another fun night at Margaretville .This
trip was different from the "all inclusive hotel" experience that
most people have in Jamaica. We saw a lot of the country and witnessed the
nicer areas but also the ubiquitous poverty and lack of opportunity among many
Jamaicans. Like most places, Jamaica has many friendly, welcoming, peace loving
and beautiful people. However, it's also a dangerous and sketchy place
(especially at night) where desperate people will hassle you for money in a
sometimes threatening way. Understand that Jamaica is a rugged, hardcore place
that has a gangster vibe and the 6th highest murder rate in the world. You
should be fine is you’re careful and stay in groups. You have to watch out if
you leave the tourist zones though. That said, one learns a lot about the
country and the people when you venture out and interact. The people have a
very unique culture and way of life. I really enjoyed the trip. Ya mon. Rispec!
Jamaica, thanks for the 2 week whirlwind adventure!
