Jamaica is an amazing country. I flew to Montego Bay where I rented a car and stayed for 2 nights. I didn’t realize that in Jamaica the steering wheel is on the right side of the car and that they drive on the left side of the road, so I had to learn quick. The natives of Jamaica from my experience were very welcoming and helpful in that they were eager to show me where to go and what to do. Of course, they wanted a little money here and there for the help but because the US dollar is worth more than Jamaican money it wasn’t a lot to give. A Jamaican I befriended, Mike, brought me to a marijuana farm out in the mountains where I met local farmers and was privileged to watch their harvesting process. Was a blessing to feel there love of the land. Most Jamaicans from what I saw, do not cure there weed completely so the bud feels moist to touch but is less harsh on the throat. Later I went to the Montego Bay market which was bustling with vendors, fruit stands and open car trunks, all looking to sell some merchandise for the night (Note there was a 10pm curfew in affect for the whole island). In regards to the beach, it seemed like most of the beaches were owned by private resorts and hotels so access to clean sand didn’t seem as readily available to the natives.
After my time in Montego I decided to drive to Kingston and stay for 2 nights as well. Note that during my time driving in Jamaica I managed to catch a flat tire, get pulled over for speeding, scratch the rear bumper and almost have to beg for money at a toll stop. Needless to say it was an adventure. I brought Mike with me from Montego Bay just in case Kingston proved to be rougher than I could handle. I stayed in New Kingston and while there I visited the Bob Marley Museum for his birthday. I didn’t realize that Bob was basically another version of the Messiah until then. One man single handedly did so much for his country and not only that he’s responsible for spreading a “vibe” across the whole world. Wow! I stumbled upon an outdoor concert later that evening and got to hang with a Rasta I met earlier named 5star. Was interesting how the universe was placing people in my path. We also visited Portmore which is close to Kingston where I met up with a homie named Omar who showed me around his hood for awhile. Portmore had some areas that appeared like older neighborhoods in Atlanta.
After Kingston I drove to Negril to see the 7 mile beach everyone was talking about. The beach
ended up not really catching my attention so I went to Ricks Cafe because people were telling me to go jump off the cliff. The jump was so exhilarating and frightening that I ended up dreaming about it that night. I wanted to do another jump so the next day I drove to “The Blue Hole” which is a mineral lake located in the country on the side of a mountain. While over that way I stumbled upon another marijuana operation, this time indoor! The weed quality here was legit and he had many different strains to show me. Hash, mushrooms, and weed are plentiful and easy to find on this island so don’t be afraid to ask. After the jump I drove back to Montego Bay where I missed my flight and had to wait another 2 hours for the next lol. I didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted but I had a great time.
