Jamaica Day One

After arriving safely in the capital city of Kingston, I was immediately greeted by the friendly locals who worked at the terminals and the customs office. After picking up my luggage from the baggage claim, I walked outside the airport to meet this fascinating country. Quickly I was bombarded by souvenir sellers who had set up shop outside the airport to entice naive tourists. After getting past the salesmen, I realized that I was fairly hungry. Thankfully, I arrived on a Sunday because it is custom for Jamaicans to have a large and hearty lunch on this day. Soon I sat down at a local restaurant that was bustling with people. This fine establishment was world renowned for its jerk chicken.  This style of chicken heavily spiced and grilled to perfection, making it very delicious. I also had a side of kidney beans, rice, and fried plantains.

After being sufficiently stuffed, I went looking for one of Jamaica’s most famous beaches, Doctors Cave. With its crystal clear turquoise water, white sand beaches, and it’s friendly atmosphere, Doctor’s Cave has been one of Jamaica’s most popular beaches for over a century. I walked along its beaches and eventually hopped in and began to snorkel around the beautiful coral reefs. After getting out and drying off, I began to watch the sunset and relaxed.

Soon I meandered towards the soothing sounds of Bob Marley, the most infamous icon in Jamaican history. With his release of the album “Exodus,” he became one of the top five best - selling artists of all time. Bob Marley made the religion “Rastafarianism” extremely famous even though only a small percent of Jamaica’s population is Rastafarian. This religion’s policies follow Haile Selassie I who was the Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930.The music was being played at the Bob Marley museum, a must see for Kingston. After going in, and looking around, I gained some insight on Jamaica’s pride for their history and culture. I then retired to my hotel room in the Terra Nova, an extremely famous hotel in the heart of Kingston.

Some of the delicious Jerk Chicken

Street Vendor in Kingston

Sunset from Doctors Cave Beach

Bob Marley