Stories, Poems, Photos Of Negril: Hippie Days

[johng]

Hi Jim,

Man you write well!!! Nice to hear all your stories. Am not familiar with monkey hill in the Red Ground District but I did not spend too much time there although my friend Mortimer Johnson lived in Red Ground and I did visit him whenever I was in Negril. My first visit to Jamaica was in April 1975 and probably a few years after you first landed there. Although there was always Ganja available in Negril I understood clearly the danger involved in using and possessing it and although I had no objection to it I recognized that to be jailed or deported would be pretty counter productive to my goals of rest and relaxation while in Negril. I had pondered buying some Negril beachfront property at the time but in those day the Manley Government was in power and the word was that he would be confiscating foreign owned properties so I never did. I also had the idea to import Blue Mountain Coffee to the US in the 70's and 80's way before the coffee boom here that drove the price of Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and boutique coffee sales through the roof here. Was gonna call it Pirate Coffee Company, another idea left on the table unfortunately. I too have many stories from my trips to Jamaica mostly happy some sad and a few tragic. To think of all the trips I took to JA and the traveling around the island that I did brings happiness to my heart. Most importantly are the many Jamaicans that have helped me or come to my rescue in one way or other during my times there. I never felt threatened or was victimized, even walking alone through Kingston, at night no less, and most often felt safer than many places in America. Last year while visiting Kingston many old friends warned me about how dangerous both Kingston and Jamaica as a whole had become and although I didn't disbelieve them I still couldn't fear something that I had never seen. I was in Kingston and MoBay in November 1980 during the time that both the US and Jamaican elections were being held. Jamaicans couldn't believe that I a white American tourist would be stupid / crazy enough to be in Jamaica during what was practically a civil war between the JLP & PNP supporters. Gun fire, death was everywhere. Yet I can honestly say other than my disbelief of the madness of the moment I was never afraid or scared. If I wrote of my experiences in a book nobody would believe them so for now they remain as memories and pictures.