Having Fun in Jamaica

    The next stop on my journey turned out to be Kingston, Jamaica. I had been there before with my family, but this time I wanted to be closer to the city and really immerse myself in the culture. I flew in on September 8th and headed to my hotel, the Labrish Guest House in Kingston before doing anything else. The first place I visited within Jamaica was Devon House, the former residence of Jamaica's first black millionaire. I soaked in some of the Jamaican history and culture represented by the house and also grabbed a cone of devon stout ice cream from the famous I Scream shop.

A board with all the unique flavors offered at I Scream

    Other than Devon House, I also visited Port Royal to give me more insight into Jamaican history. It used to be known as "the wickedest city in the world" for being the pirate and shipping capital of the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries. While in Port Royal, I was also able to catch a ferry ride out to Lime Cay, a small little islet off the coast of Jamaica. The beaches and the clear blue water were beautiful there.

    I also spent a few days away from Kingston hiking through Blue Mountain National Park, which was very serene and a nice experience. I love hiking so it was great to get out there once again and explore Jamaica's natural environment. Another thing I did a couple nights to meet some friends was bar hopping. Kingston had a pretty lively nightlife and it was fun just going around meeting and hanging out with different people.

Entrance gate to the Bob Marley Museum

    The best part in Jamaica, however, was definitely the Bob Marley Museum, located at Marley's very own home. I don't think I expected to enjoy it as much as I did, but it was very charming and fun. Bob Marley is revered in Jamaica as a national hero for spreading Jamaica's culture, specifically reggae music, to the rest of the world. It was very interesting to me how important he is to the people living there as well as his importance in the general history of music.