One Day in My Temporary Life in Negril

I began visiting Negril, Jamaica 30 years ago after being invited by a friend, and I fell in love with the island and the slow pace of life. Now that I am retired from full-time work, I can visit for 4-6 weeks at a time, allowing me to settle in and pretend I live here for a bit. Here is an example of what one day looks like for me, this November 2022, while staying at Negril Treehouse.

6:00 am

Laying in bed, I can hear the tree frogs have ceased their chorus and cars are driving by on Norman Manley Boulevard ("the beach road") behind my little piece of paradise. It must be morning. I open my eyes and see sunlight streaming in through the wooden slats in the windows.

I get out of bed, stretch, wash my face and brush my teeth, then throw on some shorts and a tank top and head out the door, barefoot and with my cell phone (camera) and keys.

When I get to the beach, about one minute walk through manicured gardens, my big decision is which direction to head this morning. I choose left. Sand squishing between my toes, I set off, the waves lapping gently to my right. As I walk along, I encounter both tourists and Jamaicans - the tourists out for their morning walk or run or swim, the Jamaicans mostly raking the sand, putting out beach chairs, setting up their shops with carvings or shells or brightly colored pareos or t-shirts, or roaming the beach trying to sell ganja, bracelets, sex, reflexology, etc. to tourists.

I walk along the waterline, greeting people with a "good morning" and politely fending off the requests to buy ganga, and the questions: "Where is your husband? Where are you from? Where are you staying? First time in Jamaica?" After nearly five weeks in Negril, most of the hustlers have stopped asking me these questions, but a few have short memories and persist.

I walk for about a mile or two, passing multiple small hotels, bars and shops, with the water lapping gently to my right. Occasionally I'll glimpse a stingray in the shallow water, gracefully gliding up the beach, or a pelican diving for fish, or a sea star washed up on the shore, or a tiny translucent crab skittering toward a hole. I look for interesting things to photograph, and I usually find something - a creature, a hand-painted sign, a new or interesting building, or just the incredibly beautiful Caribbean sea. And then I turn around and walk back to my temporary home for breakfast on my balcony, usually coffee, papaya, fresh banana bread, and a hard boiled egg.

Negril Treehouse

10:00 am

After eating, I head back to the beach to enjoy the sea and watch the parade. Being fair skinned, I try to stay in the shade, except when going in the water. Most days, the sea is very calm and clear, with gentle, tiny waves that lift you off your feet and then lower you down. Walking out to the far rope delineating the end of the swimming area (to keep us from getting hit by the many speed boats offering parasailing and rides on blow up ducks, sharks, and sofas) the water is still only chest high. The sand underfoot is velvety soft, fine, and white. I bob in the waves for 30 minutes or an hour - it's hard to tell how much time is passing, while watching the neverending stream of vendors and tourists walking by, or staring out at the deeper water, the boats, paddle boarders, and parasailers. The mornings are fairly quiet, but by noon, things get busier. I spend the morning and early afternoon alternating between floating in the water and sitting on my beach lounger, people-watching, taking photos, reading, or chatting with friends - both new friends and those who I have seen year after year in Negril. Some days, I take a stroll down to another hotel where my frequent traveling companion is staying, and pass the time there with her and others she has met.

Patty from Dru's

1:00 pm

Lunch is usually either a patty on the beach or a salad on my balcony, or occasionally, an escovitch fish sandwich on cocobread from Miss Lily's.

Leighton, baked goods and juices

The daily cast of characters includes Norman, the patty man who wheels a bicycle down the beach with his cardboard box full of Juici patties (pastries filled with curry chicken, beef, or veggies) and cocobread; Anthony, another patty vendor who sells Taystee patties (I like these better);  and Flex, who sells fresh squeezed fruit juices. Leighton sells a variety of baked goods, including banana bread, cinnamon buns, and cakes, and he balances his box of goodies on his head while walking. Dean sells fresh and delicious jerk pork from an insulated box.  Tony sells any number of things - whatever you want or need probably - but also professes to be an expert in reflexology. Women in scrubs walk the beach in pairs, offering massage, hair braiding, and aloe vera for sunburn.  There is a man who sells garlic butter lobster from a metal insulated box, and another who carries a double layer tray of cotton candy on his head, with bags of popcorn hanging from his shoulders.  Several men sell cigars and cigarettes and both men and women sell a variety of fresh fruits, whole or cut up and ready to eat. Each has his or her own unique call, advertising the products or services. This makes up the soundtrack of the beach, along with the sounds of the sea, the lilt of various languages and patois being spoken, and the music drifting from various bars and hotels.

Tony, reflexology

When I first started visiting Negril in the 1990s, that musical soundtrack was always Jamaican - reggae, rock steady, Calypso, and dancehall. Now it is much more varied with more American music. I miss all the Jamaican music and the atmosphere it created.

Storm coming

3:00 pm

At this time of year, the afternoon is frequently punctuated with a brief rain shower or thunderstorm. Usually it lasts no more than an hour or two, and is timed perfectly to go back to my room to shower and get ready for sunset and then dinner.

5:30 pm

The sun sets early in Jamaica, and watching the sunset is a ritual and a passion for me. Because Negril is at the Westernmost tip of the island, the sun sets over the sea, reflecting off the water, lighting up any clouds, and producing amazing colors throughout the sky. Many people come out to the beach to watch and photograph the nightly spectacle, hoping for a glimpse of the elusive "green flash," supposedly seen only on very clear days just as the sun dips below the horizon. I've been watching the sunset here for 30 years, and I've never seen it, but some swear they have, and I've seen photos and even videos. Who knows???

6:30 pm

By now, most of the vendors have gone home, but a few linger, including Tony, the reflexologist now selling ganja. The afterglow of the sunset is sometimes even more splendid and dramatic than the sunset itself, with the light coming from below the horizon and reflecting upward into the clouds. But it is now time to catch my taxi for dinner.

Lobster Chop Suey at Erica's

Dinner tonight is at Erica's Hideaway, a restaurant in the West End of Negril that has been in business continuously since the 1980s. Erica was the original owner and chef. Now her son, DJ, manages the kitchen and garden, where fresh vegetables and herbs are grown for our meals. Vivienne, his wife, manages the front, greeting guests warmly with a huge smile and a hug. It is just the two of them in a small open air hut with seating for about 20-25.

Glass Bottom Boat

My companions for dinner tonight include my frequent traveling companion, a young Italian/Swiss man staying at her hotel, four couples we met on a Negril Facebook group, and a woman I met on my morning beach walk a few days ago. I have a more active social life in Jamaica than I have at home. There is something about sitting on a public beach all day, doing virtually nothing, that makes you reach out and chat with more strangers. Or maybe it is just the vibe here in Jamaica? Whatever it is, I have met and befriended more people in my short visits here than I have at home. I call them my Jamaica family.

10:00 pm

After packing up our leftovers for dinner tomorrow and paying our bills, we take a taxi and drop everyone off at their respective hotels. I settle in to edit and post photos on Facebook before calling it a night. The tree frogs keep me company during this last part of my day, and sing me to sleep.

Sunset at Tensing Pen, on the West End

Some days here are different - maybe a road trip into the interior or to the south coast, a day spent on the cliffs of the West End, or a trip to the grocery store for supplies. The clientele at my hotel also changes over several times each week, with guests staying anywhere from 3 nights to several weeks. There are organized groups that come in for short periods of time with their own events such as white parties, beach weddings and receptions, an anniversary party with live music, and wellness/fitness activities. But most days have the same relaxed and slow pace with attention to conversation and personal connection with strangers that is elusive back in the USA. In Jamaica, we have a name for this conversation. It is called "reasoning."

What do you want to know about Negril or Jamaica? If I don't know, I'll try to find out.