Chapter 9
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
― Mark Twain

Wednesday started with sunshine inside and out. I was becoming addicted to the OJ from Shamrocks. It is just so good.

It was pub crawl day and we had though perhaps to get on board, but when we called the bus was already full. Oh well, something to save for next time (pick up is already booked for November 30th).

We talked it over and decided to make this our 'fancy' dinner day. Normally when we go on vacation, we aim to head out for one really nice dinner along the way. We decided on Rockhouse and called to arrange our pickup for that evening.

The sand gravity had a strong hold on us that day. With our dinner plans made, we got our swim suits on and headed down to the beach.
Breakfast came entirely from the vendors along the beach. I got caught with my guard down and discovered myself holding a bag of coconut along with the pineapple I thought I was buying. Now it is in my hands, so the negotiating gets more one-sided. Ah, whatever might as well give it a try. I decided afterwards that it was meant to be. I have never really liked fresh coconut, but this stuff was addicting. I kind of wished that I had more. Patty man came by and then the ice cream man; you really never need to get out of your lounger if you don't want to. Sunnyside was keeping the Red Stripes cold and Sunshine was an excellent server, never letting us run dry. Life was really good.

When Sunshine and I vacation, we always seem to get to a point in trip when we start to talk about how the reality of the trip has been lining up with our expectations going in. The first of these conversations I recall was while we were bobbing around in waves that day. We certainly shared some laughs at our own expense. If you can't laugh at yourself, what is the point?

One of the things that we were finding most remarkable was the people. We were making our way around Negril with all the grace of a bull in a China shop and I was not especially proud of that. What was most amazing to us was that every time we had stepped wrong on this trip, there was a Jamaican there pointing us back onto the right path. Some were nicer about it than others, but wasn't the important part; what did matter was that without fail someone had always helped. I have been in tough spots in strange places where I certainly wouldn't have said the same. We are not so naïve as to think that in this summer paradise all people are good people, but they certainly seemed in the majority.

So how was the trip comparing to expectations? In the end, I think our smiles kind of sum it up best.


This is literally the only picture I have of the two of us in Jamaica.