Jamaica- write up and a lot of pix

[BMW F22]

Ah, Jamaica- one love! If there’s one country in the Caribbean where one could spend their time, it should be Jamaica. It is the land where natural beauty is scattered throughout, where jerk bbq and red stripe are favorites and the people are very laid back and down to earth. After a week there, I wish I could go back very soon. For Jamaica is the only vacation spot that I would consider “paradise.”

From the moment we stepped off the plane, it was evident that Jamaicans are very down to earth people. Though their living standards are not as high as other Caribbean nations, they do enjoy life and take everything in stride. We stayed at the Rose Hall Hilton Resort & Spa in Montego Bay (Mobay) for our duration. Many people in our group at first was a little disappointed because, compared to Atlantis a few years before, this resort was a little on the small size. I, however, thought it was a perfect place as it wasn’t too crowded and the upkeep was excellent. There were a few non-motorize water sports that you can enjoy at no extra charge (kayaking, sailing, etc.). The night life entertainment was more than adequate- magic shows, live bands, and contests for the audience, etc. There’s even a kids’ club where they can play Wii’s and PS2 games and even watch movies on the projector screen. While some would say that it’s not a very hip hotel, it was, IMO, the perfect place to unwind. After all, the hip strip is only a 5-10 minute ride and anyone can go nuts there.

The driving style over there is quite an experience. People cutting in, passing while closely trying to avoid oncoming cars, and honking/flashing lights to greet each other were the norms. What we would think of as “close calls” was normal to them. At times when we would gasp in fear of a crash, they would say “no problem mon” and leisurely brush pass other cars. On one of our tours, the van had a flat tire and other drivers stopped by to help. Even the cops dropped by and offered assistance. They let us take pictures with them and even allowed us to wear their hats.

We also went to Kingston to see what it’s like there. Boy that was an experience!! Everything was far more hectic than the more touristy towns like Mobay and Negril. I don’t know where this “New Kingston” that I’ve read about was but at downtown Kingston, we didn’t dare step foot outside the van. It’s not that we were afraid of being shot or mugged. It was more of not wanting to deal with the hustlers as there were street vendors everywhere and they seemed more aggressive (to sell their products I mean) than in other cities. Would I go there again? You bet- but with caution. It’s probably not any more dangerous than Oakland or Detroit but since you’re in someone’s backyard, it pays to be cautious. On the way back we stopped by a road side stand for some fruit- it was great!! Other places we went to were the Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, 7 mile beach, Rick’s Café in Negril (where the cliff jumpers are), and Port Royal where they filmed "Pirates of the Caribbean". There was an isolated thunder storm the day we climbed the Dunn’s River Falls but it didn’t stop anyone from having fun. It was pretty wild for me to carry my camera gear (with a tripod) while climbing it. Everyone thought I was crazy because only water proof cameras were recommended. Good thing I was prepared for it and my gear came out perfectly dry and I got away with some good shots.

All in all I had a blast!! At first I was worried that it would be boring because like other Caribbean nations, there really isn’t much to see or do (aside from the usual stuff like beaches, pools, and drinking). Jamaica, however, turned out to be the best vacation I’ve ever been on!!

Note: pix are in no particular order. I backed up everything and ended up with duplicates. It was just a PITA to sort through so I didn't bother.

[BMW F22]

more pix...

[BMW F22]

last set.

[BMW F22]

This is how they roll over there BTW. It was obvious but I asked a cop why they carry such high caliber weapons and was told that the criminals are heavily armed so they need such fire power to combat them.

The first pix is when our driver got pulled over for running a red light. He was let go and a few minutes later ran another one. Like I said, they drive pretty crazy over there...

[shim]

great pictures!

[HiYo2o]

holy crap, those are some nice scenery's

[Scorpion]

Damn crazy shots man, looks really fun. And don't want to pick a fight with those guards haha.

[ArmyBimmerDude]

Very cool pics. Getting married on that island next year.

[drift90]

You took a drive down to mo bay??

[montreal_bimmer]

awesome pics dude... thanks for sharing

[ejazbmw]

that looks like a fun place to visit I gotta put it down on my must see list , and those cops are no joke lol

[BMW F22]

Thanks for the compliments guys! Hope you enjoyed the pix!

Originally Posted by HiYo2o

holy crap, those are some nice scenery's

Originally Posted by ejazbmw

that looks like a fun place to visit I gotta put it down on my must see list , and those cops are no joke lol

For sure- with those kinds of firearms I wouldn’t dare running away from them (i.e. traffic stop, etc.).

It’s such an awesome place to visit. If you’re in Miami or near that vicinity, it’s only a 1.5 hour flight to Jamaica!

Originally Posted by ArmyBimmerDude

Very cool pics. Getting married on that island next year.

Congrats man!! It’s a very nice place to get married. We saw one or two weddings in just that one day we decided to go swimming on the beach. I’ve just realized that I don’t hear talks about people getting married on any other Caribbean island than Jamaica. 

Originally Posted by drift90

You took a drive down to mo bay??

Yeah we stayed in the area so we went every. At first we thought that Kingston was a 6 hour drive (according to the estimates online) so we didn’t want to go. When we found out that most things are just a 1.5 (negril, ocho rios) to 3 hour drive (Kingston) we just hired a tour guide and went everywhere. There’s still so much to see though so I’m planning a trip back there- hopefully sometime soon!

[slalomfever]

nice pics...I actually went there last year and had body guards escort us while we were playing golf - late afternoon. Nice place for a vacation

[Kensta335]

Great pics. Looks like an awesome trip.

[AW335TT]

I've climbed that waterfall in Ocho Rios.. memoriess. I agree with everything you said except for the people being laid back. I went on a cruise and when your with a big tourist group the people are crazyy. All they want to do is sell you shit and they want a tip for everythingg. If you ask them a question and they answer they ask for a tip. Also I think the Cayman Islands had nicer beachs, great place nevertheless!

[drift90]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

Thanks for the compliments guys! Hope you enjoyed the pix!




For sure- with those kinds of firearms I wouldn’t dare running away from them (i.e. traffic stop, etc.).

It’s such an awesome place to visit. If you’re in Miami or near that vicinity, it’s only a 1.5 hour flight to Jamaica!



Congrats man!! It’s a very nice place to get married. We saw one or two weddings in just that one day we decided to go swimming on the beach. I’ve just realized that I don’t hear talks about people getting married on any other Caribbean island than Jamaica. 



Yeah we stayed in the area so we went every. At first we thought that Kingston was a 6 hour drive (according to the estimates online) so we didn’t want to go. When we found out that most things are just a 1.5 (negril, ocho rios) to 3 hour drive (Kingston) we just hired a tour guide and went everywhere. There’s still so much to see though so I’m planning a trip back there- hopefully sometime soon!

if you go back down, make sure you to go to kingston, there is place known as helsha beach... nice water, you car park your car along the sand, and go enjoy some fish and festival, when i go ill bring back some pictures for sure!

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by slalomfever

nice pics...I actually went there last year and had body guards escort us while we were playing golf - late afternoon. Nice place for a vacation

lol why the body guards? where did you guys play- kingston?? But I agree, it's a very nice place to go relax.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by AW335TT

I've climbed that waterfall in Ocho Rios.. memoriess. I agree with everything you said except for the people being laid back. I went on a cruise and when your with a big tourist group the people are crazyy. All they want to do is sell you shit and they want a tip for everythingg. If you ask them a question and they answer they ask for a tip. Also I think the Cayman Islands had nicer beachs, great place nevertheless!

Yeah the port where cruise ships dock are filled with vendors/hustlers. It's how they earn their living. Fortunately for us we had our own tour guides so they just lead us straight to the falls. We were in a big group too (150 people or so) but no one was bothered by the hustlers. Some of us were offered ganja when we went to downtown though. At Negril there were beach hustlers that offered me stuff. I just told them "no thank you- I don't have money on me" and after a few tries they would say "no problem mon- respect mon" and fist bumped me. I was just being friendly while being firm and they respected that. I just love the Jamaican people!!

I also agree that Jamaica doesn't have the best beaches. I mean Cancun and Bahamas have way better beaches. However, the energy just wasn't the same. I personally don't care much for the beach so Jamaica's beaches and the hotel's pools were fine.

[AW335TT]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

Yeah the port where cruise ships dock are filled with vendors/hustlers. It's how they earn their living. Fortunately for us we had our own tour guides so they just lead us straight to the falls. We were in a big group too (150 people or so) but no one was bothered by the hustlers. Some of us were offered ganja when we went to downtown though. At Negril there were beach hustlers that offered me stuff. I just told them "no thank you- I don't have money on me" and after a few tries they would say "no problem mon- respect mon" and fist bumped me. I was just being friendly while being firm and they respected that. I just love the Jamaican people!!

I also agree that Jamaica doesn't have the best beaches. I mean Cancun and Bahamas have way better beaches. However, the energy just wasn't the same. I personally don't care much for the beach so Jamaica's beaches and the hotel's pools were fine.

haha, so many people braught weed back onto the ship. I got asked a lot also, we were renting jet skies and this guy pops out out of no where his like "they call me the weed mon, cmon lets smoke it" and he opens up this broken jet ski takes out a bag of weed and a bag of cocaine.. I was like na im good and we just left. All the workers on the cruise were like "oh when we get to jamacia keep and eye on your kids blah blah blah.." I guess they tripped us out about the place before we even go there. First sign I saw when i got off was "Drugs are illegal in Jamacia" even before the "Welcome to Jamacia" sign loll. It was fun tho id go back again.