Submitted by Elam
Try to look beyond the constant bad press. If you use common sense, respect and the same street wise attitude you would in any major city, Kingston can be one of the most rewarding visits to be had in Jamaica.
The ‘Blue Mountains’ are another real experience. Take a public bus from Papine, be prepared for a long wait…. sometimes a long, long wait until the bus is full. Lots of little rum shacks, Friday night town square sound systems, dead yard parties (a wake or celebration to honor the life of a deceased member of community usually with a live band and make shift bar).
Best way to get the most out of visiting the Blue Mountains is local home-stays or even get involved with a registered charity, that way you get to know people with local knowledge. I feel the only way to really get the most out of both the city and the mountain villages is to live the way locals do. Take a crowded community bus and be prepared to do it rough. For most it may take some getting used to but falling asleep to throbbing rhythms while watching fire flies dart around the room and waking up to the sound of roosters or gospel church singers on a Sunday morning, isn’t something you’ll experience in a fancy hotel.
My first time in the Mountains was kind of spur of the moment and I unknowingly chose the Hurricane season. Being rained in for a couple of days with the power cut off, a little local produce some rain water and a bottle of Wray & Nephew wasn’t a bad way to reflect on life while waiting for the worst of the storm to subside. Using an old car gear box as a home made outdoor BBQ under a make shift tarp and boiling bread fruit all added to the experience.
My next visit will be more city based. I loved having the rural mountain experience but i am a city person at heart and will be spending more time in Kingston town again.
Some may prefer the comfort of tourist towns and resorts and if that’s your thing that’s fine, but that’s a side of this island I’ve never experienced.
Comments
7 responses to “Keeping It Real In Kingston”
Wonderful nicely-written post, Elam! And I love the photos too. The “country” of Portland Jamaica is where I spend nearly all of my time when there and I love it. I live in Los Angeles (hard to get more big-city than that) and love it here, but there’s a wonderful spirit in the rural parts of Jamaica that just can’t be captured in a resort. I’d never describe myself as a country girl, but I’ve found that’s where my heart is. The morning rooster-crowing is one of those sounds I especially miss when I get home! Loved the post. Bless!
Yes thats it, its the spirit of rural Jamaica that really stands out.
Thanks for your positive comment. :~)
My FAV picture in this whole post is the last one. I love the bright colors in the paint on that building. That’s exactly the kinds of things I think are worth seeing in the communities.
Little rum shacks like these are dotted along to main road as you head for the mountain top.
If your on foot they make a nice pit stop when you need to grab a red stripe or a shot of rum for energy.
Yea it’s sure not like back home where everything is so heavily regulated!! You could NEVER pick up a beer on the roadside and keep driving here! In Jamaica it’s all so convenient and laid back.
Now this is what I call a Jamaican vacation! I bought a little car and did the rural thing for 2 years in Jamaica.
I love this kind of stuff. It’s really what the whole thing is about….seeing a world that most people don’t look at.