May 19, 2024 - Week 17

This was a fun week - starting Friday.

Due to the heat, I asked my neighbour in the condo next to me for a sunset swim at their rooftop pool to cool down. It was surreal to be in an infinity pool, with a glass of wine chilling as the sun set over Kingston. Add in the occasional palm tree rustling and I think for a moment I forgot I was previously melting under the Jamaican sun.

On Saturday, I went up the Blue Mountains to escape the heat, embrace nature, and enjoy a cup of good coffee (of course with Blue Mountains coffee beans). Luck was on my side - I sat next to a nectar lantern where a greedy Hummingbird kept visiting every few minutes. So I spent a good hour there trying to get the perfect picture of this national bird of Jamaica that has an average speed of 30km/h and can flap their wings 80 times a second.

To wrap up the weekend, I visited a beach with my friend and his mum (who were locals). I learned during this trip that in Jamaica, there is always another option as long as you hold your ground and negotiate. Not only did we not have to pay to enter the beach, where last time I paid JMD 1,000 for entry, but you also did not have to park at designated parking spots where the hustlers try to direct you to (costing another JMD 500) and finally we also did not have to pay JMD 100 per head to enter Hellshire Beach where the hustlers set up an entry gate requesting everyone pay this entry fee to a public beach.

I was extremely glad I went with locals to Hellshire Beach as the 'beach' was more of a village filled with huts of seafood, fish shops, small bars, and stray dogs - one of which took a liking to me and kept following me the whole time! My friend's mum enjoyed a full body massage by the beach (for JMD 500) and I'm pretty sure she fell into a short nap with the sounds of waves crashing amidst the soft beach breeze.