Jamaica Vacation

We arrived in Jamaica about two hours after we were scheduled because there had been awful storms here in NYC the morning that we left. It was already dark there because they don't observe daylight savings time, which had the odd affect of causing me to wake up between 6 and 7 am every morning we were there (I know, it was as much of a shock to me as I'm sure it is to all of you, but my mom always thought I was a morning person!) OB's friend Kirk met us at the airport in Kingston so that we could follow him back to the Parish of St. Thomas (where OB grew up, Morant Bay is the Parish's capital and we went about a half hour east of that). And all I have to say is thank God we had him to lead us. It was a treacherous ride not knowing the roads at all and not being able to see. OB thought it was funny that I kept alternately covering my eyes and mouth to prevent myself from distracting him by screaming. Needless to say we laughed a lot on the way to the hotel. We stopped on the way for my first taste of jerk chicken. This was to be the beginning of experiencing a wide array of foods that I have mostly come to love.

The second and third days we spent visiting with all the extended family and long lost friends of OB. It was great to see people figure out who he was. For some it happened slowly and for others it was as obvious to them who OB was as if he had never left. I met a family friend named Sir Knott (not sure of the spelling, OB?) who manages the grounds of the sugar factory and he invited us to his home and let me pick mangoes out of his tree. I LOVE MANGOES!!!! They are the best breakfast that a girl could ask for. There are probably as many varieties of mango as there are of apples. I loved the Julie mango. The easiest way to eat them is to bite off the outside (which you can actually eat- sometimes the skin wasn't very good, but other times it did taste good). Then you peel the mango using your teeth and pulling. It takes some practice, but by the end of our stay I could do it without getting it all over my face, hands, and stomach. The seed is kind of oval shaped and flat so you have to bite around it, but the mangoes were so good I found myself sucking on the seed, hoping that I didn't miss any of the fruit.

Friday afternoon happened to be the "fortnight" which was the day that all the people who work at the factory get paid. And what better way to celebrate payday than to have a party in the streets! And everyone is invited. There were a few DJs that had huge sound systems pumping music in the streets. We grabbed some beer, visited with people and walked through the town where we came upon a bar with a back yard where the music was playing. Yep, you guessed it! I danced all night! I had one man ask me where I was from. I think he was trying to figure out where I got my moves. Mostly, I just watched the people around me and tried to incorporate what they were doing to my own style. I had a blast! There was one man that I swear was channeling James Brown. It was the most fun! On the way home we stopped for some food at a roadside restaurant and I had the best rice and peas I have ever had. I spent the rest of the trip comparing all the rice and peas to the ones we found in St. Thomas.

Saturday we travelled to Montego Bay following behind (thankfully) Kirk, his son Kayim and Kayim's mom. We had to travel a long way back through Kingston and then north to Ocho Rios then west to "Mo Bay." When we arrived we met up with Ty, a friend of OB's that lives in Brooklyn. We went to a reggae concert that night that started at 9pm and ended after 5am. One of the performers was Mary J. Blige. It was so much fun! I think we may have had a contact buzz from the old guys in front of us who smoked the entire concert. These guys also let off fireworks which was really funny to watch.

Sunday we saw Kirk and his family off to head back to St. Thomas while we stayed in Ocho Rios. We went snorkeling and took a boat tour to Dunn's River Falls where we walked up the falls. We ended up waiting at the boat for some of our party to return so we got to swim right off the dock. It was so awesome. After getting off the boat OB and I decided to play some soccer. In reality, OB had been trying to teach me to play soccer. When we had gotten really hot we got in the water to cool down. That's when I was attacked by a jellyfish! I got stung on my thigh and I thought it felt like a bug bite until I felt it wrap itself around my knee. I shook it off and we got out of the water with me crying and asking OB if I was going to die. I know I'm melodramatic, but it really hurt and I could feel it swelling. I had never felt anything like that before and I just imagined that I might die. If it ever happens to you I'm sure you may jump to the same conclusion! OB took good care of me and found the life guard to get some alcohol to put on it. I had heard that you're supposed to pee on it, but I have to say even though I knew that I really can't imagine that ever being okay for me. We laughed the rest of the trip every time he mentioned me asking if I was going to die. The next day we stayed away from the Sea and went to Green Grotto Caves. We had the funniest tour guide. He really could have been a stand-up comic. Then we headed to Nine Mile to see the Bob Marley Mausoleum. The road was only wide enough for one car at a time, but we ended up passing a semi-truck on our way back down to town. Basically, we had to back up and stick ourselves precariously up against the rock wall while the truck miraculously passed without falling off the edge. Once again my hands were over my mouth to prevent screaming. We went back to Dunn's River Falls so that we could walk up the falls unguided. OB had done it as a teenager and remembered that it was far more fun to do it on your own than having to climb in a human chain. We arrived right before they were closing so we were fortunate that there weren't a lot of people. It was absolutely gorgeous. We took pictures with my non- digital camera because it didn't matter as much if it got wet. That night we had dinner in town with Ty and his wife Laura and son who had just arrived in town.

The next morning we headed back to St. Thomas, this time without an escort and I have to say that OB managed the roads like a pro. (I'm sure when you get your Range Rover OB, you'll definitely be prepared for off-roading!!) I spent very little of this trip with my eyes closed or my hand over my mouth. We stopped by a roadside fruit stand for some coconut water. When we finished drinking the water the man cut the coconut open so that we could eat the jelly. When a coconut is young there is a layer of "jelly" that looks and feels like an egg white. Needless to say I didn't particularly like it. When we arrived back in St Thomas we met up with an old family friend, Joyce. She took us through the woods (with a machete) to swim in the Sea at a black sand beach. We were the only people there. It was absolutely amazing. When we arrived back up at the house I had to bathe outside because there was no running water. OB laughed at me. I'm sure it was pretty funny, if not a humbling experience. Joyce's mother cooked us dinner. It was curry chicken and breadfruit. It was delicious. During dinner we watched TV and funny enough it was the episode of Charmed that my friend James O'Neill plays a monster in. I've never seen the show before and it was strange to be in Jamaica seeing a friend on TV. Before we left OB gave a little boy his soccer ball and the pump. In return the boy's father gave us some sugar cane. OB said when he was a kid it was really something to have a ball. This kid was so excited to not only have the ball, but the pump too!

The next day was our last. We ate sugar cane, mango and gnips (which I did not like and I can't find any information on them for you, sorry!) for breakfast on the beach. The water near our hotel was filled with seaweed that morning so we were forced to look for another beach to swim in. After a short walk around the inlet, we found a gorgeous beach. The water was clear and beautiful and we swam by ourselves for a while until we were joined by three little boys who wanted to meet me. They had many ideas about the world that were very interesting. They were disappointed that Odelle and I were together. They were all very cute and sweet and they asked if I could bring them back to America. They didn't have their passports though, so it wouldn't have been a possibility. Later we drove with Kirk to Portland which is on the far eastern coast. The sea is rougher there and just beautiful. Also, Portland has jerk pork which was described to me as the type of food that you'd "eat your arm off for!" It was really good. We met up with an old high school friend of OB and Kirk's, Lisa. She ran a bar and we drank- me a little too much- OOPS!!

The next day we left to return to NYC. I really loved being in Jamaica. It was a fascinating country that I am so blessed to have experienced in ways that other tourists can't. The beauty of it lies not only in the landscape, but in the people. I feel so lucky to have met so many wonderful people in such a short time. I met so many children that reminded me that happiness is simple. I could write for days and not be fully capable of sharing it all with you.