Sampling the Varied Worlds of Jamaica

My first wife’s mother gave her married children a second honeymoon on their 10th wedding anniversary. We were married in 1974. I’ve been a New York Times junkie since the JFK assassination. One of my most cherished rituals was going to the local news stand and picking up a copy of the Sunday NYTimes, a gigantic compilation of news, reviews and lengthy features.

January 1st, 1984 also landed on a Sunday and the cover story of the travel section was “Sampling the Varied Worlds of Jamaica.” My wife and I eagerly read the Jamaican travel feature and quickly agreed to make Negril our 2nd honeymoon destination.

We booked a week at Twater for March, ignoring the soothsayer’s warning, “Beware the Ides of March!” On the flight from JFK, I started sneezing and my nose started to gush. I was coming down with a cold and descending into MBJ was an intensely painful sinus experience. My wife followed suit a day or two later with her own cold.

Needless to say, we had a grand time in spite of being sick. Much has changed over the years, but Negril has always remained a nearly yearly destination. Thirty-three years later, that article is still an inspiration.

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/01/tr...f-jamaica.html

Interesting!!!!!

Thanks for this, Marblehead!
It's always amazing how much can change in a short period of time...but...it's even more amazing how much has not changed here in 33 years.

One thing we have realized from traveling to various parts of Jamaica is...different regions cook up their rice and peas differently. I very much enjoyed the dish in Portland parish...not so much elsewhere. I guess it could be the individual cook...though maybe not.

Marblehead we had a similar experience , read a Boston Globe article in 1981 about Negril and how secluded it was and where the hippies went in the 60's and 70's
so I convinced my soon to be bride that is where we should go 1983 for our honeymoon . We rented a car arrived to Negril in the dark after a 3 hour ride , we weren't sure we did the right thing but when we woke in the morning it was so magical and have been going back almost every year since then. Same owner of the villa's we stay in now . Interesting note the owner told us a couple years ago our villa is where Bob Dylan stayed for two years in the 60's ! Still magical to the wife and I 33 years later but now we stay for the winter . Got to love Negril even with it's growng pains .
Farmer

Lol!

Quote:

---

the Charela is a stylish 10-room inn.

---

Times have changed, indeed.

Welcome back, Farmer. I got my med evacuees insurance! Maximum respect --Marblehead

interesting article. 150 hotels in 1984 I wonder how many there is today?

Thanks Marblehead, enjoyable reading!!!

Great article - thanks for sharing... no wonder we all keep coming back!

That's wonderful :)

My first trip was in 1986 or so (Sandals MoBay!), returned in 1991 to a villa outside of MoBay that was owned by my brand new in-laws and never limited myself to a resort again. Took me 12 more years after that to get to Portland and Treasure Beach, another couple of years until I visited Kingston.

There is truly so much to experience in Jamaica. I have great affection for places I've been many times, like Negril, since I have history and familiarity there, but also love to find places I have never been.

yup dat the year in `84 that mi landed in Negril........after a previous trip to Ochie in '82
was at Ricks for mi first Cliffs sunset and was hooked for life......yah mon

Cool Runnings, Marko

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Papa Georgie

One thing we have realized from traveling to various parts of Jamaica is...different regions cook up their rice and peas differently. I very much enjoyed the dish in Portland parish...not so much elsewhere. I guess it could be the individual cook...though maybe not.

---

It really does depend on the hand of the cook!! Two people in the same home, I can tell the flavor of one's dumplings from the other, and both are good ;)

Rice and peas in a restaurant or 'on the street' is never cooked with the same love as in a home that relishes cooking.