Paradox in Paradise

[Guirigay]

Conversation rolls, it is easy and enjoyable. It comes out very late in the evening that Johnny is a musician, I’m not surprised. Dinner shows and is delicious. Johnny is happy with his steak, Amber likes the conch burger and Sweetie Pie and I are in heaven for another brief visit. It is a glorious night, more joy to go around than we can hold, spilling over to anyone near us with an open heart. We have made best friends for a day and what a day it’s been. I’ve been in the depths of a subterranean Jamaican death pit and scaled the heights of the West end. I’ve seen people with their hand out asking and people with their hand out helping. I’ve watched folks move through the landscape disconnected and others who walk through a community completely connected. I have engaged in great excess in the direct presence of great poverty. I have had a lifetime moment again in a place I was afraid was relegated to the dusty back bins of my history. Dichotomies run deep in this place. I am so attracted to it.

We decide the legs are finished, then we decide we are too. “I don’t think anyone’s still at Pee Wees,” we all say. We pay our respects to the bartender, he goes and gets Conch God. A lot of mutual respect goes around. I am blissing. Me and Conch God, we ain’t done. Mi an im, wi godda ting.

We walk out to the street and are asked if we need a taxi. “700 to drop us off at Home Sweet Home and take them to Fun Holiday.” He thinks for a moment, “OK.” We talk about staying in touch on the taxi ride, I tell them about negril.com. “I’ll probably be Johnny Fast on there,” he says. We never exchange last names even. As we exit the taxi at Home Sweet Home there is consensus again – Great Night! Lots of Fun. Thanks Johnny and Amber…

We sidle on up to our room and momentarily are laid out on the bed. Sweetie Pie’s eyes are closed, a faint smile on her lips. “Did you have fun, sweetie?” I ask. “Fun!...fun, fun, fun…” comes the drifting reply. I kiss her cheek and revisit a thought I’d had earlier sitting on the deck at Xtabi. This place can be mine, again. This place can be ours, too. It doesn’t have to compete, it doesn’t have to conflict, it just has to be. And it is, in spades…

[booger]

Really great read man. I try to get to Xtabi every night while in town as the place is just super chill. As far as Debbie Lightheart, do you have contact info for her and also do you know if she is there full time? We just missed another group who is coming into Ochi right after our next reach in April, and Sandie would love to volunteer her time doing some spays and neuters in Negril.

[Aimbri]

Very cool Guirigay, it was nice hangin with you guys.

[negrilaholic]

wow, I just loved reading this! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.

[brasi]

"My biggest frustrations on this trip have to do with getting money and getting money exchanged. The banking and financial services systems in Jamaica ARE antiquated and do seem to run at cross purposes sometimes. The money exchange is its own issue worthy of much discussion. I want to be clear, though, that me ending up in the bowels of a Jamaican bank flush mostly comes down to me not being prepared appropriately. Be prepared, or else…"

I hear ya. Between ATMS and bank lines, I lost half a day last trip...I blame myself, too. Cash is king.

Love your report. So many feelings you write about are commonly shared by many, and eloquently played out in your writing style, love this Trip Report. You are really nailing it...you are a really good writer. Of course my opinion is worth less than 50J...


The partying vs poverty contrast? Amazing.

You set the bar high bro!

[rastagal]

I agree with the cash issue...I never remember it being a big deal before but this last trip it seemed like I was always having to go to the ATM. I got lucky and the Scotia Bank at the round about was always working but it is still kind of inconvenient. Next time I'm bringing plenty of cash and exchanging it at the Cambio first thing! I was cracking up at the bank fiasco...it is SO true!

[Clarity]

Guirigay – Wow! This is hands down one of the best trip reports I've ever read!I devoured it during my lunchbreak today. I couldn't stop reading and I was late returning to the office!! I was completely sucked in and felt like I was experiencing Jamaica vicariously through your words. I loved all the details you shared, all the dialogues, observations, every moment described perfectly and your words are beautiful. The love you and Sweetiepie share really shines through your prose. She's a lucky lady and you're a lucky man.

I can't wait to read more. Please keep it coming!! I'm really looking forward to your next installment.

[Guirigay]

Thanks for all the positive feedback everyone, I really appreciate it.

Booger - I'm not done yet with Xtabi, it draws me like a magnet I believe Debbie lives in Negril full-time. I have contact info but there is a little bit left to that story. When are you guys going again? I can PM you the contact info if you would like it in the next couple of days. Is Sandie a vet? That would be super helpful. Neutering can be handled by less qualified individuals but spaying really requires a fully trained vet. Sandie will make Sweetie Pie very happy.

AimBri - I'm not kidding, those pictures take me RIGHT BACK. What a great time. And the parrot, invisible in the real world, right? Please tell me you had a hard time seeing it too

negrilaholic - You are very welcome. It makes me happy to know that you find it of value. I am enjoying this experience from a lot of different avenues. So again we visit paradox. Can one thing be both altruistic and selfish at the same time? Is it really sharing if I see so many advantages for myself? Hmmm.... Okay, slap me! Just freakin' slap me!!

Brasi - Thank you. I think I have a 50 left from the last K note I dropped, it's all yours.

RastaGal - Your last trip report was one of the first things I read here when I started prepping for the trip. I liked it! Thanks for planting the seed.

Clarity - and hopefully Hubby-Man and Jamiroquai - So glad to see you back! Your semi-spiritual recounting of Mayfield Falls was a big factor in the decision to go there on our road trip. No matter how much you read or how many pictures you see, though...

I'm not sure how quick the next installment will be out. I've been working it in my head but haven't written anything yet. It was an incredible day. There's a lot I want to say and I want to give it my best.

Peace and Understanding

[Aimbri]

Guirigay... I didn't see a thing buddy... good times for sure.

[Guirigay]

Thursday

With surprisingly little effort we are up this morning and out to our sunrise spot. It is a gorgeous morning and a beautiful sunrise, a long series of changing beams of light and slowly shifting colors.



We turn around and look out to sea; the moon is much higher on the horizon today as its cycle begins to wane.



It stands as tangible evidence of our ride on this orbiting rock, hurtling through the infinite expanse of the celestial. It highlights for me one of the central paradoxes of a conscious existence – I am but a speck in this universe but I am always everything. I and I. Today it’s I and I and Sweetie Pie. I am glad that I stand here with her in my arms.

We head down for Tai Chi on the cliffs again this morning then off to Easy Rock for coffee. Biscuit treats are distributed and Scar joins us for his daily jaunt, waiting outside again. Max and Sweetie Pie greet each other like old friends. She orders an orange juice after we get our first cup, she needs vitamins and hydration. Max says OK and pulls out a big basket of oranges! “Just a couple of minutes,” he says. We wander and drink and when we come back there is a very tall glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Did I mention how sweet Jamaican oranges are? Juiced, they are out of this world! Sweetie Pie, who is physically incapable of gulping, finishes it very quickly. I think she is worried about me gulping it. Her fears are well founded.

Having managed to shuffle some dollars this morning with Charlie’s assistance (Sorry Max, I won’t access financial accounts from ANY kiosk or café) we head into town confident we can get a much needed infusion of capital. We go into the shopping center where I’ve been told numerous times there is an ATM out front. We walk around and still can’t find it. I ask a shopkeeper setting up for the day and they say “Yah, mon, just out front.” We start walking back toward the road. No, mon, out front,” says the shopkeeper and he points to a walkway that heads AWAY from the road. We walk back and it opens onto a large parking lot and there on the left, boom, the ATM. Then I look over and, BAM, there’s the Hi Lo!! Damn, we’ve been looking for that place all week! I have to laugh. Out front? Out back? There IS a big parking lot back there A brief wait puts some cash back in our pockets and we’re under way.

As we are headed back I see a young boy, I’d say somewhere between 7 and 9, milling around by the road and an older man back off the road a ways kind of picking his fingers. The kid sees us, shoots a look at the old man and does a little pull together, only sort of in reverse. He starts a bit of a mopey shuffle toward us. I look at the kid for a moment and then stare at the old man. Just before the kid is to us and starts to open his mouth the old man says something I don’t quite catch and the kid peels off.

I am angry, disgusted and sad. I remember GerryG talking about how frustrated he was with people teaching young children to beg. I think my awareness of that probably short circuits the pinch here but not until we see the full mechanics play out. What to do? I want to help this child, things are obviously difficult for him but I’m pretty damn sure giving him anything in this situation will not be beneficial. What I really want to do is go punch Fagin in the mouth. Small failure on the peace and understanding front. Not a single word passes between any of us. Sweetie Pie doesn’t really pick up on all of this but a little ways up the road she says, “Sweetie, you’re making your face…”