Jamaica Mon!

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First family vacation with Adam, Jill, Chad, Tina, Jens, & Trudy! Wouldn't have had it any other way!

I know so many people that stop on cruises in Jamaica, but unless you are land bound for more than one day I don't know how you could truly appreciate this amazing country. We went the all-inclusive resort route on this trip (RIU) which can be perfect when traveling with a group of friends. You can eat and drink when you want without really ever having to coordinate anything. After all, you are on vacation and who wants to plan too much? If you are like my husband and can drink over a hundred dollars a day it's definitely worth it! That being said, we really only saw a small portion of this incredible island, but what we did see was amazing!

Ocho Rios is almost two hours from Montego Bay and I saw many reviews that complained about the length of the drive. The roads in Jamaica are not modern highways; however, I found that to be the most entertaining part of our commutes. Your driver will stop (usually quite abruptly) and get you a drink or whatever

you may need. As far as I'm concerned, my vacation starts the second I leave my home and that includes the airport. Embrace that which is different from your everyday life, that's what I say. My group was thrilled with the jaunt to our hotel and we loved stopping at a couple of local bars on the way. Open up a Red Stripe and enjoy the ride. If your goal is to camp at your hotel and never leave the beach, just remember you can do that anywhere. Utilize your transportation to and from your destination as a way to magnify your experience! Talk to your driver and get some info! They are always willing to share stories about their homeland.

The resort was huge, the view was great on the north side of this island, and the rooms were nice. We actually spent a good amount of time there just chilling, rolling dice at the tables in the pool by the bar, and hanging on the beach. When we did venture out we fell in love with the beauty of the island.

On day number two I met a local guy who called himself Don Juan. He wasn't allowed on the resort property because he was not affiliated with the RIU. The hotel is trying to get you to buy your tours, experiences, etc., on their propety, but many locals hang out close to the resorts to try and get you to purchase whatever you may need (or not) from them. What they say about Jamaican agriculture is true and THIS particular traveler was thrilled about that! However, if you are annoyed by the constant banter of people trying to sell you something just remember not to be rude unless they don't take "no" for an answer. Then be firm, but not afraid. Their livlihood depends on tourists. If you keep that in mind you should feel safer knowing that they will not harm their bread and butter. As always, be aware of your surroundings and don't do anything stupid. People are at least as smart as dogs in sensing fear aren't they? Don't make yourself a target! Drunk, stupid, and alone is always a recipe for trouble...wherever you are!

Anyhow, back to Don Juan, a pretty cool local beach roamer that basically had access to anything a tourist might need. Most locals would after all, they do live there. After a couple of conversations with him over a few days he convinced me that he could take us where we wanted to go. I've never been one for the bus tour, go with a group of strangers type of sight seeing. Private tours can be very expensive though and I found out in Jamaica that there is another way. Now let's get this straight right away...Don't EVER take off with someone you just met in a foreign country and trust that they're going to do what they promise! If you don't have gut instincts, stay on the bus tours. If you are afraid of people unlike yourself, pay for a private taxi.

We really wanted to go to Nine Mile village where Bob Marley was born and buried and also to Dunn's River Falls. Don Juan said he could make this happen for 8 of us for $200 in transportation. That's a far cry from what the websites and hotel tours were charging. It was $85 a person just to go to Nine Mile village (which is way up in the mountains) and another $40 a person to Dunns River Falls. Do the math...we saved a bundle and only went with our group. Here was the catch: I wasn't going ANYWHERE up in the mountains of Jamaica with a stranger without some security so I asked Don Juan to bring his kids with him. I figured he would be more likely to make sure we stayed safe that way and we did. His two little girls were adorable and enjoyed a day of touring with us. To my surprise they had not been to the places we went. I don't know why I was surprised. Jamaica is a poor country and they are not on vacation...they live there.

The first leg of our tour was on a glass bottom boat with some rum punch on our way to Dunn's River Falls. It was a fifteen minute trip by water and was a nice change from the crazy roads. Dunn's is definitely a focal point of Ocho Rios and set up for tourists to climb about 600 feet up a waterfall. It was beautiful, steep, and sometimes down right dangerous. Don't attempt it without the ropes, follow a guide or at least the people ahead of you, and be prepared for a work out. It was worth every minute though. You are literally walking up the side of a cliff with a river running down on you. It's a very unique experience if you can handle it. I got a couple of cuts and bruises, but relished them fondly once we finished the climb! There's a bar up there too so you can toast to your conquest. At the top you look down over this river falling into the ocean off this mountain and it's hard not to think about the sheer force of nature...awesome...and you just climbed it!

When we got back to the resort we started the second part of our excursion. I wouldn't recommend doing both of these trips in one day because you might not have the time you want to enjoy both places fully. We did anyhow and there was a pot of gold and the end of the rainbow because of it, but I'll get to that in a minute. Twelve of us hopped in a van and began the most raucus of journeys. The roads that take you up into the mountains of Jamaica are more like paths in a forest than something paved for vehicles. They made the route we took from the airport seem like the Autobahn, but the long and winding roads are definitely part of the adventure. There are some curves in which you absolutely know there is not room for two vehicles to pass by eachother. There's barely room for one and to your left there is a cliff full of jungle that drops hundreds of feet and the other side is solid rock that seems six inches from your window (and subsequesntly your nose). Hold on to your hats, this is the original prototype of what we now call rollercoasters!

We got to Bob Marley's birth (and resting) place almost at closing time. This ended up being perfect because we were nearly the only people there. If you go with the cruiseship tours I'm sure it gets packed. It has quite certainly been revamped from the shack that it once was, though the shack still remains. There are many steps to walk up and then large wooden gates that let you through to his tomb. Before you get there a stage and band are playing great Marley music to get you in the right mood for the occasion. It was a little difficult to discern what this place must have looked like to Marley as a child. It's apparent it has been added to throughout the years in congruence with his success. Trust me though; you must take a moment while you are there, close your eyes, and try to imagine him running all over this mountain as a youngster. Attempt to visualize what it must have been like for this great leader of peace and civil rights when he was only a little guy, playing with bugs, and climbing up and down this vast landscape that was his home. Think of the poverty it entailed and the strength it created within him. It was awe inspiring for me. The Rastafarian guide will point out "Mt. Zion Rock" that Marley often sat on and pondered the ways of the world (and of course later sang about). I strongly recommend that you sit on it yourself and absorb the inspiration that must still be magically engrained in it's pores. Note that many people pay their respects by smoking pot here so just be prepared if you have kids with you or are nervous being around drugs. Marijuana is illegal in Jamaica, however the law is not really enforced and it's definitely not frowned upon at Marley's tomb.

Perhaps it was because it was late afternoon or maybe because I had two local girls with me that HAD to go to the bathroom, but what happened next was nothing short of wondrous. As I walked Kadene and Jordene (Don Juan's daughters) around to the public restroom, the doors were already closed up for the day. Now my next call was to sit on a stump by a tree, but those two little girls didn't seem thrilled about that idea. Right next to the bathroom was a private little shanty that couldn't have been more than 300 square feet. Out on the tiny porch there was a buxom elderly Jamaican woman brewing something in a pot that I supposed was dinner. She looked up at us, saw my girls squirming and called us down. She motioned for them to use her bathroom and then fixed the little ones braids as the older girl went. She asked if they were hungry and they respectfully declined. She spoke so gently to us, quoting Marley lyrics, and I remember thinking how impressed I was that the workers of this landmark were so kind to its visitors. She asked the girls what Parish they were from and they told her where in St. Ann. Then she told them a story of a boy she was once fond of when she was their age and he lived close to where they were from. It was only about 20 miles away, but that was hours of travel for her when she was a child. The relationship didn't work out but she never forgot him. It was a sweet story and I was so grateful that these native girls were getting an extra special experience that other visitors were not privy to. It wasn't until we met back up with our group that I found out how absolutely fortunate we truly were. That gracious woman was not an employee. One of the Rasta guides said to the girls, "So I see ya' met Mutta B." I didn't know what to think at first. Could it actually have been? No way does Bob Marley's mom still live up in these mountains. "No, not usually," the guide told me. She has a mansion in Miami and another large house in Africa, but a few times a year she comes back and stays right here..."wit her son." I can not say much more about that experience...utterly astounding. I was so thrilled that the girls got to come face to face with the matriarch of such a great part of their island's history. I hope they remember it as fondly as I do when they are older. To make things even more mystical, Mother B passed away a few months later in Miami. So often when fate interrupts our intentions we become dicombobulated (no pun intended). This experience reminded me to gratefully appreciate all acts of kindness no matter how small. You never know whose life you are touching and who is touching yours. That was my pot of gold.

On the trip back down the mountain I could tell Don Juan was getting a little nervous. He wanted to go quickly. It was close to dusk and his wish was to be back in Ocho Rios before dark. That was not going to happen. You know you should have an uneasy feeling when a local doesn't feel comfortable with the situation you are in. Without making a spectacle he informed us about some of the mountain culture in that area. There is no law after dark. The police do not go up there. If there is a problem the locals caused it and take care of it themselves.

From my perspective there are basically two types of dwellings you will see in the mountains: Tin shacks are definitely the most predominant (a row of three seems to constitute a village) and the other type is a plantation. It's quite an exemplification of a class system with only two classes. With such dominant poverty draped in the seclusion of most of this terrain it's easy to understand why vigilante justice prevails up there. We were fortunate to see one of the huge plantation homes off in the distance. Don Juan said the owner travels in and out by helicopter. Most of these great estates are sugarcane but many are of another kind. We didn't do it, but folklore says you can go to a marijuana plantation for a small chunk of change and experience it like a winery. Sounds like quite an extraordinary adventure. Note to self: Get back to Jamaica. There's more to see!

There truly are not words to describe the view in the mountains at sunset, but I will try. I thought watching the sun go down over the horizon of an ocean was spectacular, but watching through the mountains and valleys of jungle in Jamaica is nothing short of majestic! You watch in awe as this fire ball turns from bright tangerine to deep crimson. The falling star slowly drops through the curvaceous emerald landscape and nestles perfectly between two tower shaped mountains like it's a mere resting spot for the evening. It seems so close you could touch it. Dusk is the most beautiful hues of pink to violet and then dark purple turns to pitch black. Once the sun is gone in those mountains the only thing to be seen is the fifty feet of headlights in front of the van. From our daylight experience we knew it was only rock and cliff and it was more unnerving without sight. We were over half way down when the sun set but we still had to go through Browns Town and Don Juan wasn't happy about that. As we approached this town it looked like all hell broke loose and a mob had invaded the street. I thought something was wrong, but Don Juan said "the work day is over and they are now just drunk and unruly." As we drove through the village it was like we were in the middle of a bad movie scene. The crowd was slapping their fists on the van and knocking on the doors. The driver kept honking as if the sound was actually making them move. There was a moment when I said "Well, it looks like they want us to join them so let's stop at the bar and have a drink!" Don Juan laughed at me and said he was taking me back to the hotel. My tour was over.

We only had one more full day left in Jamaica after the mountain adventure and we spent it mostly relaxing. We did hop over to the Ocho Rios market which was complete chaos! It is in place primarily for the cruise ship vacationers and when ships are in port, the market is nuts. If you don't like hustling, don't go to the market. I wouldn't say it was a bust though. I found out some fascinating information on local customs and culture. You don't have to be a genius to realize that you are going to sell more at a booth in the front of the bazaar than at one in the far back. I wrongly assumed that a vendor would just have to pay more handsomely for an ideal location (which I'm sure happens), but apparently that's not how it works. How I even made it to the back of the market alive was beyond me. The sellers are not shy about grabbing you, turning you toward their merchandise, and even hissing at you if you walk away without looking. There are hundreds of booths and they all market their products the same way: Yelling and screaming until you look at or buy from them. I did make it to the back though and it was there that a younger Jamaican woman convinced me to shop at her booth. I asked her how the vendors up front got such great spots and she told me that it was a lottery format. What number you draw you have for LIFE! There's no moving until a family dies out and then the open spot is thrown into a new drawing. I didn't want to pity her but she was very sweet. I couldn't help but anguish over her shitty luck of the draw! I didn't want anything, but I bought $20 worth of crap and talked to her about college for another 15 minutes. It seems there's an unwritten rule that if you are talking with one dealer the rest of them don't mess with you. My twenty bucs couldn't buy her a book for a college class, but it did get me 15 minutes of peace in the market. She told me she felt fortunate to have a spot at all. Her Uncle had no heirs when he passed away and she decided to start making crafts rather than sell fruit in Moneague. I suppose when given the option to do something you like a little or something you like even less the choice is not hard. One point always sticks out in my head when I think of that young woman: If I have to be poor (which is definitely relative to where you are at) and do something I dislike...PLEASE let it be 80 degrees the whole time I'm doing it! I told her about Chicago and how cold it gets and she said she'd rather die than live in that. Tit for tat I suppose.

We stopped at a couple bars in Ocho Rios and then headed back to the resort. That's when it started sinking in that we had to leave the next day. This is always the point in my vacation where I start scheming ways to miss my plane and never go home. I wished I could work in the market, become a Rasta tour guide, or comb the beach endlessly finding treasure. I absolutely loved Jamaica and in the infamous words of Arnold: I'll be back!

On a side note: It's been two years since we went on this trip and I still write Kadene and Jordene every few months. They are wonderful young ladies and have made an incredible impact on my life. I call them "My Beautiful Jamaican Babies" and credit them for opening my eyes to the true beauty of travel: It's not about loving the place you go as much as loving who you meet there! You can put that at the end of your rainbow too!

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Photos

Brother Adam & Sister Jill
Down Dunns River Falls...or UP!?

Going up?
Helping Jordene up a steep spot

Waterfall Bath
About half way up

Mountain Drive
Don Juan and Jill on the way to Marley's

In the van
My beautiful Jamaican babies

Brother Adam
I love this picture!
NO SMOKING!!!

First half over
Theres more to go in the background