A USA Tourist’s Perspective: Jamaica Nice!
The majestic Blue Mountains were dizzyingly resplendent, bathed in the bright early morning Jamaican sun.
Clarissa imbibed every bit of the refreshing beauty of the towering, 7000-feet-high, east Jamaican mountains. Carefree, she gazed through the spacious, brightly lit windows of the cosy Airbnb where she was staying. She pondered how one country could be bestowed with such extravagant opulent beauty.
“I wonder if the locals are in as much awe of this amazing country as I am,” she surprised herself by saying this out quite loudly.
As her multitude of thoughts quickly raced through her mind, she questioned, “Would permanently residing here dull this deep sense of appreciation for the peace and gratitude these surroundings evoke?”
Just then, a saturated deep blue, gold-green, and deep purple hummingbird honed in on a brilliant yellow flower nearby, its wings vibrating a million times per minute.
“Wow, it’s like this enchanting beauty is endless, I feel like, yes, I truly am in paradise,” Clarissa chimed.
The long green leaves of multiple tall coconut trees waved gently in the light, early morning breeze.
“Good morning,” Clarissa thought she heard someone say in a soft, melodious, gentle voice.
But so lost was she in her thoughts she paid no attention.
“It is your cook, here to make your delicious Jamaican breakfast,” Cheree said softly.
“Is it breakfast time already?” Clarissa asked, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, Ms. Clarissa, it is already 9:30, and I am required to have breakfast prepared for our guest no later than 10:30 AM.”
“If you like, I can prepare Jamaican ackee and saltfish, fried plantains, callaloo, and fried dumplings with banana porridge. This will only take about 25 to 30 minutes,” Cheree continued.
“Please go ahead,” Clarissa responded. “In a few minutes, I will be there for the sumptuous meal. I can already taste the rich, stunning Jamaican flavours.”
Clarissa was born in Chicago. She moved to Nashville-Murfreesboro, Tennessee, after completing high school. At Middle Tennessee State University, she completed her undergraduate degree in Healthcare Management. Her parents were delighted to find a Seventh-day Adventist family in Smyrna who volunteered to be her surrogate parents while she attended college and remained in the Nashville area.
These surrogate parents were committed to Clarissa’s success, not only in college but in life. They treated her like their own children. They mentored her, shared their home and meals, and provided transport to church, and if she needed, to run special errands. After completing university, she was immediately employed by the top American healthcare company in Nashville.
While working, she pursued and successfully completed her Masters in Business Administration at Vanderbilt University. Soon Clarissa was obsessed with investing in real estate and other types of businesses and is doing extremely well. Now, 34 years old, she is contemplating retirement.
Meanwhile, her siblings, a brother and sister, who joined her in the Nashville area, are also experiencing their own burgeoning successful career paths. They too were mentored by her “adopted” Smyrna surrogate parents.
As she sat down for breakfast, Clarissa met Michael. He is a local Portlander. After a quick introduction, Michael explained he lived all his life in Hope Bay. He attended the famed Titchfield High School.
“So, what are you doing here at this Airbnb?” Clarissa asked.
“Well, it’s a long story,” Michael started. “The owner was looking for a trustworthy 40-year-old male to manage the business.”
“You are certainly not 40 years old, male yes, but nowhere near 40,” Clarissa blurted in disbelief. “Even though I am not from here, I know you are not older than 20 to 21 years old!”
“Excuse me, Ms. Clarissa and Mr. Michael,” Cheree said in her soft, musical voice. “Your breakfast is ready; can I deliver it now?”
“Thank you so much, Cheree,” Clarissa responded. Her mouth began to experience a sudden, uncontrolled, excessive flow of saliva at the sight and smell of the delicious offering.
A devout Seventh-day Adventist Christian young woman, Clarissa asked Michael’s permission to be excused as she said a prayer of thanksgiving for her inviting meal. Michael excused himself to assist an employee who needed help registering a new guest.
As she slowly ate the decadent breakfast, Clarissa remembered when she first visited Jamaica five years ago to attend her friend’s destination wedding. The afternoon wedding was held outside on the expansive, beautifully manicured hotel lawn. Her memory was vivid, almost as though it happened yesterday.
The bright, pink-coloured buildings were the perfect backdrop to the exquisite wedding decorations. She enjoyed that visit but wanted more of Jamaica. Her appetite had been whetted. She had an irresistible desire to return to see more, much more of Jamaica.
Now that she could take three weeks of vacation, Clarissa decided a true Jamaica vacation was fully deserved.
“I think I’ll go to Negril, Mo-Bay, Port Antonio, St. Thomas, and Kingston on this trip.” Quickly, the contours of her plan for a rich Jamaican vacation were fashioned and filled in.
Clarissa spent a week at one of the all-inclusive high-end hotels in Negril. She enjoyed seeing the majestic Negril sunsets. The turquoise, inviting, calm waters of the Negril beaches provided a stress-free playground to frolic, sunbathe, and exorcise some unwanted calories. The abundant, tasty island food served up at the hotel made the latter an absolute necessity. Clarissa did not want to return home with any extra baggage distorting her petite, fine, African American figure.
She was determined not to have to change her wardrobe after her island escape. Some of the attractions and activities she experienced included the Negril craft market, Rick’s Café, the Flowers and Hummingbird Garden, the Negril Cliffs, the Kool Runnings Water Park, Bloody Bay, Blue Hole Mineral Spring, and the Mayfield Falls. But she wanted to be more immersed in the Jamaica culture at “yard level”. So, on the fly, Clarissa changed her plans.
“How was the breakfast, Ms. Clarissa?” Michael asked. Having completed his managerial responsibility of ensuring the guests were availed of the ultimate Jamaican hospitality, he had returned as Clarissa completed the last of her breakfast.
“Sumptuous, just amazing,” Clarissa replied.
“You know, I am extremely happy I decided to explore the community aspect of Jamaica tourism,” Clarissa continued. “While in Negril, I decided a two-week vacation was inadequate to truly enjoy the best of what Jamaica had to offer.”
“Hmm, so how did you enjoy Negril?” Michael asked, “I have never been to Negril. In fact, I have never ever been to Montego Bay.”
Clarissa tried unsuccessfully to contain her surprise at Michael’s comment.
“Initially, I had planned to spend only two weeks in Jamaica. After meeting up with a group of inquisitive tourists who wanted to explore Jamaica, I abandoned those earlier plans.”
She related to Michael how she developed a connection with these visitors to Jamaica while in Negril. She had never met them before coming to Jamaica.
She explained to Michael how excited she was at the opportunity to see Jamaica at the ground level. Spontaneously extending her stay to three weeks allowed her to do more exploring. In addition, she warmed up to exploring Jamaica through the eyes of the Airbnb’s.
“And I am so happy I did,” Clarissa confessed to Michael.
“We commit to delivering the very best Jamaican experience to our guests at our facility,” Michael responded.
“We are very deliberate about the quality of our cuisine and pay enormous attention to cleanliness. Being respectful, detail-oriented, consummate professionals. We consider ourselves to have failed, we believe, if all our guests do not render a five-star rating of their experience with us.”
Clarissa was stunned. She was careful not to verbalise what she was thinking. “Surely at his young age, I was nowhere near this responsible, and not at all as professional.”
Instead, Clarissa said, “You know Michael, you remind me of my surrogate parents in Smyrna, Tennessee. They are amazing Christians, caring professionals, dedicated to family, and phenomenal mentors.
I recall how the dad in that surrogate family helped me to inculcate principles like being on time, detail-oriented, caring, and principled. And how to develop and manage professional relationships in the workplace while being determined to be the best I could be.”
“Do you have a mentor, Michael?” Clarissa asked. Michael smiled.
“Yes, yes, there is a private physician in Highgate, St. Mary, who offered to mentor me.”
“When was that?” Clarissa asked.
“While I was attending Titchfield, he came to the hospital here in Port Antonio to do autopsies. I cannot recall how we met. But unsolicited, he agreed to assist with my tuition and school supplies. He also invested in me just as your mentors did in Smyrna.
He has five children. They are also physicians. His wife supported him and me in every way as they both helped me to be where I am today.”
“Wow,” Clarissa exclaimed. “I bet these families are related.”
“Why do you say that with such confidence?” Michael queried.
“Well, my mentors in Smyrna frequently spoke about a family member who lives in Highgate, St. Mary, in Jamaica.”
“Clarissa, Clarissa,” the high-pitched female voice got louder as the person approached. “Are you going rafting on the Rio Grande with us today as you promised?”
“Oh, it’s you, Suzanne,” Clarissa blurted, “I am so sorry I lost track of time. I will be there in a minute.”
“As you see, Michael, I’ve got to go. As good as I am, I can’t be in two places at the same time.” And with that, Clarissa hurried away.
That Saturday, Clarissa’s sister, Pauline, ran into her sister’s surrogate parents at church. Pauline explained that Clarissa was having an exhilarating time exploring Jamaica.
She also mentioned that Clarissa had reported meeting a young man working at an Airbnb in Port Antonio who claimed to know her surrogate Jamaican family well.
That Sunday, Clarissa’s and Pauline’s brother was with his National Basketball Association (NBA) client at a meeting in Los Angeles, California when they met a professor from a large Southern California University.
During their conversation, Usain Bolt, the enigmatic, indomitable Jamaican sprinting superstar, was mentioned. The professor informed them he grew up in Jamaica. Clarissa’s brother immediately mentioned his oldest sibling was currently frolicking in Jamaica.
“Where in Jamaica is she?” asked the university professor.
“She described meeting a young man in Port Antonio at the Airbnb where she is staying. The young man informed her his physician mentor is from Highgate, St. Mary and has five children, all physicians.” The NBA star seemed surprised and confused.
“Did you say there are six physicians in this one Jamaican family?” he questioned.
“Yes, and my sister Clarissa says this physician has a sibling physician brother in Smyrna, Tennessee whose three children are also all physicians or dentists.”
“I bet you a million dollars I know that family,” the professor declared. As soon as he said this, his phone rang, and he excused himself to answer the call.
Rafting on the Rio Grande was like nothing Clarissa had experienced before. Her group had opted for the four-hour-long trip on the Rio Grande River from the deep, innermost parts of the Blue Mountains. Their eyes feasted on lush, pleasant greenery.
The raftsmen nimbly and skilfully guided the bamboo rafts past the occasional rapid. Elsewhere, when the flow of the water slowed, these master raftsmen easily coaxed the rafts to keep moving and provided the sublime gentle feel as they approached the distant emerald Caribbean Sea. Clarissa was having the time of her life.
The Jamaican cassava bammy and fish lunch provided as part of the rafting experience was rich with the pimento flavour for which Portland is known. She slowly, very deliberately, washed the food down with the fresh, cool, Jamaican coconut water whose nut was still not removed from the husk.
The rich, vibrant music emanating from the Rastafarians beating their cone-shaped drums welcomed them to a seaside arrival. This is where the rafting ended. Local dance groups added spice to their welcome. It was a rich day, filled with peaceful delight.
Michael wondered if Clarissa’s account regarding his and her mentors being related was true. As he dozed off to sleep, he thanked God for faithfully guiding his life. He dreamed of being a physician one day. Michael marvelled at how his life had been changed because of the caring physician who invested in his success. He would become a physician much sooner than he ever imagined.
Back home, Clarissa basked in the experiences of her magical Jamaican vacation. She loved the rich history of St. Thomas. Climbing Dunn’s River Falls was an exhilarating thrill. Ocho Rios was a bustling town where attractions, in addition to Dunn’s River Falls, included Mystic Mountains, the Blue Hole, Konoko Falls and Park, White River Rafting, and swimming with the dolphins.
Montego Bay was what she considered to be a tourist heaven and haven, awash with every culinary delight. Though feeling fulfilled and deeply satisfied, Clarissa wondered what the Jamaican experience would have been like if she had time to visit the attractions in St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. Catherine, and Manchester.
Overcome by post-vacation exhaustion, Clarissa lay still, supine, re-evaluating her vacation and life’s journey. As she did, in her mind she wondered, “What would my life have been like without that kind, dedicated, upright, caring Christian surrogate mentoring family that welcomed me into their home in Smyrna?”
She smiled, muttering, “Jamaica nice. The culture, the expansive, delightful cuisine, the abundant juicy, flavorful fruits, the music—reggae is good—the people, the sweetest people in the whole wide world; and oh my gosh, the unending natural beauty of the place. Wow, wow! Jamaica nice-bad!”
Guest Author: Adam Zapel
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