When I traveled to Jamaica, I thought about how much forest and water there is on this island. Xaymaca, the first name given here by the Arawaks, the island’s natives, means “land of trees and water”. Over time, it became known as Jamaica.
Our first stop in Jamaica was Montego Bay, a two-hour flight from Miami. A friend of mine, a professional tour guide who loves traveling very much, had come to visit me in Miami. With her sudden decision, we bought the ticket and found ourselves on this Caribbean island without doing much research.
Since planned trips reminded us a little bit of our profession, traveling with such last-minute unplanned tours seemed like a real vacation and adventure to us. First, we intended to rent a car, but the traffic was on the opposite side like in England, so we gave up and decided to take a minibus from the airport and go to the hotel we had arranged online.
It was the most uncomfortable journey of my life. The driver watched TV the whole way through. He did not obey any traffic rules, but worse the car had no empty seat. Some passengers were sitting on stools placed in the aisles and if anyone wanted to get off during the cramped journey, they got off gave way, and got back on. We were on top of each other so much that, God forbid, if there was an accident, nothing would happen to those in the middle and the bodies would protect them. Luckily the hotel turned out to be good, but on the secluded street we accidentally entered on our way back from dinner, there were such strange people that we were terrified. My advice to you is not to go to unfamiliar places. Be more careful, especially in the dark.
As you know, the capital of Jamaica is Kingston. Montego Bay, which has a high tourist importance, is the capital of St. James one of the 13 regions that make up Jamaica. Thanks to the port where large cruise ships dock, tourism is the biggest source of income.
We visited the sights of this city with the tour we received from the hotel. I was startled when I sat on the left side of the taxi. I felt like I was driving the car because I was sitting where the driver’s seat is in a normal car, I had a tense journey by pretending to press my feet on the gas and brake. Our driver, who also acted as a guide, took us to the sugarcane fields and we continued the trip by nibbling the sugar cane we bought from there. On the way, we saw small wooden houses without maintenance. The houses were only for sleeping and had only one room. There was no kitchen or bathroom. Poverty was noticeable. It was possible to hear the songs of Bob Marley, the world-famous singer raised in this country, everywhere you went.
We also witnessed the interesting show of the tour guide when we took a Black River boat tour. He fed the crocodiles with his hand. We spent a beautiful day in this natural wonder called the Black River because of its dark color.
The next morning, we took a taxi to the famous resort town of Ocho Rios, which means 8 rivers in Spanish. Again, we had one of the most dangerous journeys of our lives. This was because the driver did not obey traffic rules, did not use a seat belt, and was over-speeding. Along the way
On the signs, we saw the number of people who had died in accidents that year. The numbers were quite high for such a small island. The taxi drivers had developed a system where they would signal each other with a horn or light if there was a police checkpoint ahead. Our driver, who explained this to us while putting on his seat belt and slowing down his speed, continued his old habit after passing the checkpoint. So, my advice to those who plan to go to Jamaica is to be careful when taking a taxi.
We finally arrived in Ocho Rios in the evening. This time we chose not a hotel but an apartment where we could watch the passing ships and the harbor from the windows and balcony. Since we had a kitchen, we shopped at the market and had dinner on the balcony with an ocean view. In the evening, while walking around the park and the bazaar in front of the house, we were disturbed by the looks of young men. It turned out this was where lonely women, especially from America, found temporary boyfriends. Young Jamaican men have turned this into an industry where they earn money. Of course, we were disturbed by this situation and had to return home.
The next morning, after visiting the park where the statue of Bob Marley is located, we agreed with a taxi driver to go to Nine Miles, where his house and grave are located. Listening to his songs on the way, we drove through beautiful wooded roads and up a lush green hill. We arrived in Nine Miles, where we visited the Bob Marley museum with other tourists and listened to the story of his home and his life. Since the sale of marijuana is free in this area, some tourists walk around smoking marijuana cigarettes bought from small children. The guide who looks like Bob Marley, lays his head on a rock and sings the song (Rockstone was My Pillow) that he composed on the same rock. This rock was also his famous rock pillow where he rested his head smoked marijuana and wrote music. Three little birds, is this love, jamming, one love, no woman no cry, I shot the sheriff played in the background as we continued our tour and saw his famous mausoleum. In 1981, when he died of cancer in Miami at the age of 36, the artist’s body was brought here, a state funeral was held and his body was placed in this mausoleum where his house was located. It was not a tomb but a kind of mausoleum.
As we walked through his bedroom, his small narrow bed surprised us where two people could hardly sleep. In this humble environment, he wrote his famous songs that are still listened to today. Although he died young, he had 11 children.
When our driver Ricardo brought us back home, we asked him to accompany us for the evening, so that we could see Jamaica’s nightlife without being bothered by the men of the entertainment industry, as I call them, who only bother women. The bar we went to was decent and we had a good time without being disturbed because we had our driver with us.
The next day we went to Dunn’s River Falls, visited and swam in the waterfalls. We liked the waterfalls where there were also wedding venues.
On the last day, we went swimming. The beach was close to our hotel. The ocean was very clean and beautiful. While I was wearing fake hair dreadlocks underneath a wool hat with the colors of the Jamaican flag, my friend paid a woman who braids hair professionally while walking on the beach to braid her hair in a dreadlocks style. In the evening we ate jerk chicken, which is a Jamaican specialty, we bought from a street vendor. This chicken dish prepared with a special spice was very delicious. This is now considered quite natural because since 2015 it has been free to smoke marijuana up to a certain amount in Jamaica. For members of the Rastafari religion, there is no limit. They can smoke as much as they want and not be punished.
We left Jamaica with good memories. With its pros and cons, I can say that Jamaica is a place, you can put on your list of places to see because you will love its nature, culture, and music. Although it is a little difficult for ladies traveling alone due to the entertainment sector (!), there is no problem as long as you stay in tourist areas and do not go to deserted and undeveloped places. Another problem in the country is traffic. There are many accidents due to careless and dangerous drivers. The people are friendly and very nice. They speak English with their unique accents. There is no problem and you will often hear the word Ya mon which they use instead of saying okay (yeah man=ya man) and you will witness that they use the word without any difference between men and women Wah gwaan is a word they use when they want to say what’s up. You can add Root, the tonic drink they use for health purposes, Blue Mountain coffee, Jamaican rum, and wood-carved souvenirs to your shopping list.
The best time to visit the island frequently visited by hurricanes, is between December and April. It is 13 hours away from Turkey by plane and does not require a visa from Turkish citizens. Although we have an honorary consulate in Kingston, we do not have an ambassador in the country. Since it is under the Cuban embassy, you need to call Havana in case of any problems. The local people speak mixed languages English, French, and Spanish called Patois (Patwa). The official language of the country is English. You may have difficulty understanding due to the difference in accent and the currency is the Jamaican dollar.
Let’s talk a little bit about its history. Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot on the island after discovering it on his voyage to the New World, and on May 5, 1494, he called Santiago “the most beautiful island eyes have ever seen”. After many years of Spanish rule, the island was captured by the British in 1655 and became a British colony for many years. Slaves brought from Africa were employed in sugar production. In 1962 the country became independent and is still a member of the British Commonwealth. The islanders currently call their country Rock, which means rock.
Kamaika’s national motto is ‘One People from Many’, based on the multiracial roots of the population. This motto is represented on the Coat of Arms, which shows a male and female member of the Taino tribe standing on either side of a shield bearing a red cross with five golden pineapples. When you think of Jamaica, it is not only reggae music or Bob Marley that comes to mind, but also the world-famous athlete Usain Bolt is now on this list.
Jamaica is one of my favorite countries to visit and attracts attention with its Caribbean lifestyle.
So, it is a place where life is slow and pleasant…
They have adopted the words of Bob Marley’s song 3 Little Birds as their philosophy of life;
Don’t worry about anything
Because everything will be all right
And don’t forget the Bob Marley quote;
Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.
If we find happiness in small things, it shouldn’t be hard to catch. Don’t forget to enjoy the little things while chasing the big ones, we feel this the most while traveling. I wish you many trips where you will forget the troubles of daily life.
Your travel-loving friend Canan
