On the way back, I spotted Marko at Hi-Lo and, as previously mentioned, helped him tote his groceries. We made one stop together at the local fish market, where Marko got into a 15-minute argument with the store clerk, who claimed he was underpaid because of a mistake pricing out everything. After bringing packages into Marko’s little apartment on Ella Lane, we made plans to meet later at Seastar, where Marko likes to order diet cokes and soak in the pool, sometimes for hours; all the folks at Seastar Inn love the guy.

There in the pool, Marko told me his whole life story including some wild ups and downs. He has had an incredible life, and no one and I mean no one does a better job of doing things right in Negril than him. He lives life to the fullest in Jamaica on his own terms. He’s got a great personality and a great sense of humor, and we sometimes we laugh so hard together that it hurts.

Everything I’ve done in Negril, good and bad, Marko has done at least twice.

We ate heartily, feasting on lobsters and pasta and dumplings and french fries, in that order.