Jamaica part 2
Loconut - Coast to Coast (1979)
Now… for the news that we didn’t know about.
As we walked back to the village of Negril, the small shacks along the sides of the road became more numerous as we get closer to the village. The locals are really hustling us at this point, trying to get us to buy their goods. we smiled and repeated no thank you as we get closer it really wasn’t until then that we began to realize there were very few white people, and tourists to be seen. Strikingly, we saw Jamaican men running through the streets, carrying clubs, large sticks, and guns, and climbing into the back of a large industrial size dump truck, once they had assembled, they pulled off, heading towards Kingston. As we looked at the faces of the other locals in the village, the sound of the reggae music felt like a battle cry. We were in their world, and their world was in danger. We both thought it was an odd sight to see, but we didn’t inquire with any of the local folks to find out what it was about.
After going back to our hotel room at the Villas Negril we relaxed and dined by the pool. Again we became suspicious that something strange was going on as we noticed we were the only ones there. We had our own private bartender that had a small tiki-style bar next to the pool who is bringing us drinks. The days are getting shorter than in mid-October, so the night came on quickly. The lights were low and the tiki lamps burning around the pool we decided to go for a swim we were alone. We both took off our bathing suits and swam, relaxing in the pool while looking over the lights of Negril. Suddenly a combat unit of about 10 men started walking in our direction. We quickly put our bathing suits back on. They were dressed in full jackets, and armor, carrying submachine guns. They sat off in a short distance around several large, circular tables, and were talking amongst one another, there was also a man very well dressed, in a suit that they seemed to be protecting.
One of the soldiers finally came up to us and asked us if we would please come over to the table and talk to the gentleman in charge. We got out of the pool and wrapped our towels around us and walked over it. He stood up and gestured with his hand for us to sit down and we did. He then explained that he was the owner of the hotel, that he was also running for office for presidency in Jamaica, and that the election was just a few weeks away. He was very nice and cordial as if we were enjoying ourselves at his hotel, which, of course, we said we were having a wonderful time, and that it was our honeymoon. He congratulated us and then began to explain the situation may become dangerous. He said that he was part of a new movement that was happening, and they were in opposition to the communist socialist party that was presently in power. At that point, I suddenly remembered the dump truck, leaving to go to Kingston, full of armed civilians, and realized that we were probably in the middle of some kind of insurrection.
I wanted an adventure and I got one. He suggested that we leave his hotel and go down to the newly opened Sandals, an all-inclusive resort that was a few miles out of Negril. It was a secured compound where there were many other tourists, and we would be safe there, he agreed to subsidize the payment for the additional payment that was needed. We accepted his offer, obviously, and went back to our room for our last night. The next morning after one last cup of their amazing coffee he had one of his servants drive us over to the all-inclusive resort where we checked in. As we drove out of Negril we saw the big dump truck coming back into town. The front window had been completely damaged and the men looked bloody and beaten.
After we checked in we were given a very nice bungalow that connected to the compound with a beautiful path winding through flowered gardens and palm trees. It was also called Coconut Grove. So we settled into our new digs that had a whole, totally different vibe. It was a full-time party. There was a huge buffet and dining area that included every kind of food, an open bar lots of activities, and lots of other tourists like ourselves. well not really like us… It wasn’t really my cup of tea. I really personally enjoyed the adventurous outskirts and observations that were available that I wouldn’t have in an all-inclusive walled compound resort. However, we had a great time. We did drink too much, which was easy to do because the rum punch just kept being poured into our glass.
Are You Ready - Coast to Coast (1979)
It was almost like having a whole new vacation.
The next day, we woke up to an all-inclusive breakfast, and basically the same opportunities that we had with dinner, and more great coffee. Jamaican coffee is the best! After playing a little volleyball and socializing, we decided to wander down the beach and stray from the compound. The beaches were totally secluded. We came upon, a very friendly Jamaican man who lived there his whole life as a fisherman he had a dugout canoe, literally dug out of a log. I realized that he might be a wonderful tour guide, and I offered him some money if he would take a snorkeling and show us around the water and take us over to a remote island that we could see from the beach. He agreed and introduced himself as Sampson. When he reached out his hand to shake it, I noticed that it felt like rubber and that he almost had webs between his fingers from spending his whole life in the sea, fascinating, I thought. Then he went back to his shack to grab some more goggles, snorkels, and fins for us to use. When he returned he took us in his canoe over towards the island at that point about halfway there we got out of the canoe and stood in water that was about 5 feet deep.
Fall In Love - Coast to Coast (1979)
Put our snorkel gear on and began to swim into a whole other world. It was totally magical. He took us into the reefs where there was an enormous amount of varieties of multicolored multi-shaped fish. It was just breathtaking. Literally if not for the snorkel. We were both in awe of what we were seeing. As we were swimming, he turned and looked at me and he pointed behind me. I turned around and looked into the barracuda about 4 feet away from me, hovering in one spot. I was scared to death, and I pointed to go up and we went up out of the water we could stand because it was only about 5 feet deep right where we were. He said it was OK. He told me that the single barracuda would not bother us and that it was only when they were in groups that you needed to be concerned. That wasn’t all that comforting. I put back on my goggles with my snorkel back in my mouth and went into the water. We swam for hours. Even went over to the island and lay on the beach for a short rest. He took us on to different reefs where there were deep channels, it looked like a valley and in that valley along with all the different fish that was swimming, he would see a large stingray as it swagged its way through the channel. It looked from nose to tail to be about 20 feet long its wingspan seem to be 10 feet, it was a breathtaking sight to see.
turned around and looked into the barracuda about 4 feet away from me, hovering in one spot. I was scared to death, and I pointed to go up and we went up out of the water we could stand because it was only about 5 feet deep right where we were. He said it was OK. He told me that the single barracuda would not bother us and that it was only when they were in groups that you needed to be concerned. That wasn’t all that comforting. I put back on my goggles with my snorkel back in my mouth and went into the water. We swam for hours. Even went over to the island and lay on the beach for a short rest. He took us on to different reefs where there were deep channels, it looked like a valley and in that valley along with all the different fish that was swimming, he would see a large stingray as it swagged its way through the channel. It looked from nose to tail to be about 20 feet long its wingspan seem to be 10 feet, it was a breathtaking sight to see. After a full day of this, we came back to the hotel resort for another evening of an all-inclusive, gourmet buffet and drinks. Another evening of fun meeting new friends. The next day we met with Samson again, and he took us out again and to different reefs, where we actually saw sharks. Again, I was very concerned, but he assured me that they were satisfied and that they weren’t looking to bother us as long as we didn’t bother them. Quite a life lesson Samson shared with us. He was a very special soul living a very unique life.
The next day we wandered into town back to the Square back to the small huts with the merchants. At one point we met a man called Solomon. Solomon had a contagious smile. His jovial presence was so welcoming that we sat with him for hours talking about what it was like for him growing up there in Jamaica. Marijuana was like brain food to them. They smoked as often as they eat. We enjoyed time together, I had inquired about getting some mushroom tea that I had heard was available. He warned me to be very careful where I got it. He explain to me that many of the people would make the tea for tourists who did not have access to the origins of where good mushrooms would grow which would be in the feces of cattle. So they would use mushrooms that would grow in human excrement. He warned me that this would be dangerous to consume and that would probably make us sick. So we stayed clear of any of that. I knew he was a good man, and a friend, to warn us about such things, so from that point on during our adventure, we would come to visit him each day. We bought some of his crafts. He actually made a piece specifically for us that he carved out of a coconut shell that we had for years up until recently. John and Linda and the date 1980 carved into it.
I enjoyed Meeting people like Solomon and Sampson and hearing about their way of life much more than I did the gourmet buffet in and the trappings tourism had to offer. Our honeymoon in Jamaica was one of our life journeys that impressed upon us the importance of the meeting, new friends who live different lives than our own. It helped us to understand the need for love in humanity.
We checked out of our resort hotel, took our luggage sadly across the entrance breezeway, and boarded the bus that would take us back to Montego Bay for our flight home. I was filled with sadness that I would probably never see any of my new friends again. It reminded me of the many years before when I had hitchhiked around North America. I would often meet people and think to myself how beautiful it was to meet them but how sad it was to think that I would never see them again.
“Back in the cities, the morning bells ring. The workers are working to conquer their dreams.”
From the song LESMAMA from the Coast to Coast album.
