(Updated September 8, 2018)

When I was in high school, I read a list of President Kennedy’s favorite books. One of the books on that list was From Russia With Love, a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming.

I decided to read the book and I instantly became a James Bond fan. Fleming wrote 12 Bond novels and 2 short stories. I read all of them, most of them more than once.

Three of the novels, Dr. No, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun took place in Jamaica. The first Bond movie, Dr. No, was filmed in Jamaica. It seemed like a pretty cool place. Ever since I saw that movie, I have wanted to go there.

Well, that “bucket list” item, is about to be realized. I am currently planning a trip to Jamaica on my 73rd birthday, September 1. This will not be a cruise because, on a cruise, you just get to spend a few hours in whatever city the ship docks. I want to spend several days in Jamaica so I can do some real exploring.

Stay tuned.

Day 1 – September 1, 2018
Austin to Kingston

Flew from Austin to Atlanta. 5 hour layover in Atlanta (I hate that. For some reason, when you are stuck in an airport, hours seem like days)

Finally got to Kingston late last night. Too late and too dark to see anything so I just hit the sack. I will start exploring this morning.

I am staying at the Spanish Court Hotel. It is really nice.

Day 2 – September 2, 2018
Kingston, Jamaica

Today is Sunday and there isn’t much going on. (Note to Self : Think about that when you plan the next trip.) I spent the day walking around the neighborhood of the hotel. One thing I noticed (as a person previously involved in the home building business) is that all of the homes here in Kingston are made out of concrete. Than made me curious, so I did some research.

Here is what I discovered:

Prior to 1952, most homes in Jamaica were built out of local and imported woods, much like we do in the U.S. However, this changed after the Caribbean Cement Company started production in 1952, and concrete gradually overtook wood as the most popular construction material.

Replacing wood with concrete has made new construction even safer against natural hazards, such as hurricanes and earthquakes and fires, as well as being more environmentally friendly. (Note to Anna Rose and Joe C. Maybe there is another book on fire prevention here in the Caribbean).

Anyway, here are some pictures I took of homes in this neighborhood:

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A few other things I noticed on this otherwise uneventful day:

In Jamaica they don’t have “Diet Coke”. At least they don’t call it that. They call it “Light Taste” Coke. (Couldn’t find any Pepsi here):

Also, you can feel like a rich person here. I have a pocketful of these:

Too bad it’s only worth $3.66 in American dollars.

Jamaica is one of only 76 countries in the world (about one-third of all countries) that drive on the left side of the road. This can get confusing, and even dangerous, for those of us who are used to driving on the right side.

I won’t be driving here, so that is not a problem, but I still have to be careful. For example, when you are about to step off the curb into the street, you have to make sure you look to the right for traffic instead of the left as you do the in the US.

I learned that lesson a couple of times today as I was walking around Kingston.

Day 3 – September 3, 2018

The pool at my hotel is pretty amazing. I really liked this sign (especially Rule #9):

For most of the time, I was the only person at the pool. That’s fine with me. I think I would do well in a post-Apocalyptic world where I was the last man on earth (with maybe a few Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders).

Day 4 – September 4, 2018
The Food

Before I came to Jamaica, many people told me about the “Jerk” food. I am always interested in trying new food in the places I visit. I did try the “jerk chicken” and the “jerk pork” here in Jamaica. The truth is I loved them both. However, as I have posted here many times, people have to tell me when food is bad. I don’t think I have ever had an meal anywhere that I did not enjoy.

Once, when I was on a winning streak in Las Vegas, I ate in the most expensive restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. I had a rib eye steak dinner that cost almost $100. (no alcohol, of course). The next day I ate at McDonald’s (Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Fries), about $5.00. I enjoyed both meals equally … and I never paid $100 for a meal again.

Having said all that, today I ate in a restaurant here in Jamaica. I ordered the “Escoveitched Fish” and it was really good … much better than the jerk chicken or jerk pork.

The menu described the dish as: “Fried fish topped with a spicy sauce and pickled vegetable medley, including sweet peppers, onion, chayote and carrots are lightly cooked in a vinegar sauce that it’s seasoned with garlic, thyme, Jamaican pimentos and scotch bonnet pepper.”

It was delicious. I still prefer the Famous Fish Dinner at Joe Tess’, but that dinner comes with a side order of South Omaha Nostalgia. Hard to beat that.

Here is what it looked like:’

Day 5 – September 5, 2018
Emancipation Park

On August 1, 1834, slavery was officially abolished in Jamaica. That was 29 years before it was abolished in the United States. In 2002, a park called Emancipation Park was dedicated to commemorate this historic event. It is one of the most popular parks in Jamaica, so I wanted to visit it.

One of the most prominent statues in the park is called Redemption Song. The statue portrays two former slaves, a male and a female standing naked in a pool of water with their eyes looking towards the sky.  It was named after a Bob Marley song (I will get to Mr. Marley later).

Here I am in front of the statue:

Here are some more pictures of the park. The thing that impressed me the most was how clean the park was. No Litter. No cigarette butts. No trash whatsoever. When I was there, there were more people sweeping and cleaning than there were visitors. Nice.

Apparently, if you want your wedding pictures taken in the park, it will cost you $2,000.00.
Not to worry, that translates to only about 14 bucks in American dollars (probably the cheapest wedding expense a couple will experience).

Day 6 – September 6, 2018
Jamaica’s Elvis Presley

Before coming to Jamaica I didn’t know much about the island. That’s one reason I wanted to come here. There were a few  things I did know. I knew that Bob Marley was Jamaica’s version of Elvis Presley. I knew that the music he played was called “Reggae.”

In my lifetime, I have studied most of the major religions and I knew that Marley belonged to the Rastafarian religion which originated in Jamaica in the 1930’s. They believe in the Bible but do not consider themselves to be “Christian.”

The thing most people know about the Rastafarians is that they consider ganja (marijuana) to be sacred and they use it as part of their spiritual rituals.

To say that Marley was the Jamaican Elvis is really an understatement.  Marley  is much more popular in Jamaica than Elvis is in the United States. Everywhere you go, you see his picture. Everywhere you go you hear his music.  They play it on the radio, in the airport, in the hotels, in the shops, on the street and in the restaurants.

When I was searching for places to visit in Jamaica, the Bob Marley Museum came up over and over. When I asked anyone in Jamaica to recommend a place to visit, the first place they mentioned was that museum. Like Elvis’ Graceland, Marley’s home has been turned into a museum. And, like Graceland, they do not allow you to take pictures inside the place, but here are some photos outside the museum.

Here is a place in the backyard of his home where he would sit, smoke pot and write his songs:

As you can tell, I was really fascinated by the story of Bob Marley. I heard so many of his songs wherever I went in Jamaica that I think I have become a fan. I bought one of his CD’s at the museum. I will play it when I get home.

Here are a few more things I found interesting about Marley.

• He smoked ganja every day of his life, but in all other respects, he had a very healthy lifestyle. He played soccer almost at a professional level. He was a vegan who did not eat beef, pork, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy or any other animal products. “My body is not a graveyard for animals” was one of his sayings.
• Reggae music usually relates news, social gossip, and political comment.
• Reggae music is instantly recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat, and the offbeat rhythm section. If you know what the heck that means, you are smarter than I am. Maybe my nephew Josh gets it. He is the only musician that I know.
• While playing soccer one day, Marley injured his foot. At the hospital, doctors discovered he had a cancerous lesion on one of his toes. They wanted to amputate the toe, but Marley refused based on the Rastafarian belief that amputation is sinful. The cancer spread rapidly and he died on May 11, 1981. He was 36 years old.

Day 7 – September 7, 2018
Back to the US of A

It was a great trip and I am glad I made it. I learned a lot about Jamaica and that is always my goal when I travel.

One last thing ….

Whenever I leave my country and return, I see a sign like this, and I am glad to be back Home:

Thanks … and stay tuned for my next trip … probably sometime in the first few months of 2019.