08-21-2014, 11:05 PM
Never got much love on this post...
I still have plenty of love for Jamaica. Not cancelling for November, and just booked for February. Can't miss Bob's Birthday.
I love the people. I have met so many wonderful people here. Yes, there are bad people too, but so many wonderful people here. Many true friends.
I don't live here. I have never tried to be "more Jamaican" than anyone. I'm a fat white guy. Never gonna happen. I'm just a tourist. Often around here it seems like a simply wanting a Red Stripe and a Spliff is wrong. I don't think so. I come to Jamaica for a vacation, and yeah, that is part of it. And there is no place in the world I would rather be. Paradise? No, I know better than that. But a great place to visit.
For me, it's easy as well. Short 3 1/2 hour direct flight. When we visited this summer, we spent 12 nights in Negril. When we returned, we visited my wife's family in Ocean City, Maryland, for two nights and stayed in a crappy motel for those two nights. It cost more for two nights in Ocean City in essentially a closet without hot water than it did for us to stay in Negril for 12 nights. One of the many reasons I still have plenty of love for Negril.
I love the music. My favorite cities in the world revolve around music. In the US, I love Nashville. Not even into country music much, but love when you can bar hop and see a new band in every bar. I love live music. Another reason I love Jamaica, and Negril in particular. We've stayed in Port Antonio, and liked it, but missed that. No where, not even Kingston from what I've seen, beats Negril for live reggae. The talent you will see on an average day on the beach is often amazing.
The news has not been good lately, certainly. But really, with basic precautions, I still feel "safe", at least from major crime. I may be delusional. The health care system is another issue, which is why we have stopped pressuring our elderly parents from visiting. But I'm still willing to take my chances. There is no place i would rather be right now.
I still have plenty of love for Jamaica. Not cancelling for November, and just booked for February. Can't miss Bob's Birthday.
I love the people. I have met so many wonderful people here. Yes, there are bad people too, but so many wonderful people here. Many true friends.
I don't live here. I have never tried to be "more Jamaican" than anyone. I'm a fat white guy. Never gonna happen. I'm just a tourist. Often around here it seems like a simply wanting a Red Stripe and a Spliff is wrong. I don't think so. I come to Jamaica for a vacation, and yeah, that is part of it. And there is no place in the world I would rather be. Paradise? No, I know better than that. But a great place to visit.
For me, it's easy as well. Short 3 1/2 hour direct flight. When we visited this summer, we spent 12 nights in Negril. When we returned, we visited my wife's family in Ocean City, Maryland, for two nights and stayed in a crappy motel for those two nights. It cost more for two nights in Ocean City in essentially a closet without hot water than it did for us to stay in Negril for 12 nights. One of the many reasons I still have plenty of love for Negril.
I love the music. My favorite cities in the world revolve around music. In the US, I love Nashville. Not even into country music much, but love when you can bar hop and see a new band in every bar. I love live music. Another reason I love Jamaica, and Negril in particular. We've stayed in Port Antonio, and liked it, but missed that. No where, not even Kingston from what I've seen, beats Negril for live reggae. The talent you will see on an average day on the beach is often amazing.
The news has not been good lately, certainly. But really, with basic precautions, I still feel "safe", at least from major crime. I may be delusional. The health care system is another issue, which is why we have stopped pressuring our elderly parents from visiting. But I'm still willing to take my chances. There is no place i would rather be right now.