Common sense prevails.
Negotiate a price with a red plate taxi before you get in the car. If a driver waits for you at the supermarket, you’ll be paying for his time, unless you’ve negotiated that into the price beforehand.
When dealing with beach vendors, a polite No, thank you and a smile is better than saying that’ll you’ll see them on the way back; they’ll expect it.
Carry a pocket calculator and take the time to do the conversion. It’s very easy to get confused in a deal and pay more for something than you should have. Negotiate it down to a reasonable price and take the time to do the math.
Ganja is not legal. If you get too high, eat sugar and it’ll bring you back down. Taking a few tokes off a spliff is not the same as having a few bites of ganja cake. The same goes for mushrooms. That’s a day trip you’ll want to avoid.
Hydrate, sun block, hydrate, sun block, hydrate, sun block, hydrate. Repeat.
Braids hurt; you're better off spending that money on a nice massage.
Don't expect things on your time, especially dinner. Most food is cooked to order with fresh ingredients. Yard food tends to be ready to pick up ‘n go.
Watch for bones when eating fish. Give your extra chicken bones to the dogs.
Not everyone wants their photo taken. Ask first; many will say yes.
Assume nothing. Everything has a price.
Tip your servers and housekeeping well. They earn very little. Feel free to leave things behind for housekeeping that you don’t want to carry back.
Walking barefoot on soil may give you parasites. Be careful of broken glass in the sand.
Carry wipes to use after eating jerk chicken or for places out of toilet paper.
Don’t tell a Jamaican man where you’re staying unless you want him to stop by later to let you buy him a drink. (Always refer back to Rule #1.)
Change your money at The Cambio or bank. Restaurants are notorious for using a much lower rate. You’re better off paying in J’s (Jamaican dollars) to avoid this.
Be careful walking down/crossing the street. Cars drive fast, on the left, and are constantly passing one another. Pedestrians, animals, and bikes lose out.
Don’t fret over the afternoon rain. It’ll cool things off and be finished by sunset. This is a great time to nap, if you can sleep through the THUNDER.
If you smoke cigarettes, pay more for American. There are no regulations on Jamaican cigarettes and they should change the name Craven A to Cracken A. Don’t be surprised if you’re up all night after smoking them.
Restaurants operate by the whim of the owner and the only thing consistent is inconsistency. They may be open (but out of food), closed, no longer in business, or having a bad night. No problem.
No problem is said often, especially when there’s a problem.
Last, but not least, “Never leave a fellow crasher behind.” – Vince Vaughn

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