Jamaican Me Crazy

For as far back as I can remember, I have always dreamed of going to Jamaica. I’m not sure where I learned about Jamaica, but that was always a place I knew I wanted to go. My mother even says she remembers me talking about Jamaica as a little girl.

A friend of mine invited me on my first cruise in 2014 for the following spring. I said yes before she even told me where we were going. I was a cruise agent at the time, but still hadn’t experienced that for myself. She laughed, and told me the cruise would be stopping in Jamaica and Haiti.

I asked when and to whom I needed to send my deposit. (I wasn’t allowed to book my own cruise.) She laughed some more.

I had already done tons of research on the ports and excursions for my clients, so I had a long list of desired activities. I had to narrow them down due to the time restraints of visiting the island via a cruise ship.

I chose to take a combined shark and waterfall tour. I was beyond excited, as that combination covered so many of my desires and interests. When the ship pulled into the port in Falmouth, I felt the excitement in every single nerve ending in my body. It was literally a dream come true.

My friend wasn’t as adventurous as me, so I found another woman in our group of travelers to hang out with for the day. I set out on the island with my disposable, water-proof cameras and the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning.

I took pictures of everything. The little colorful flowers, all of the creatures, signs, and anything else that grabbed my attention. I was like a little kid being let loose in a candy store.

We went for the “shark show” in Ochos Rios, which ended up being one of my favorite experiences thus far. The men at the Dolphin Cove put on a cute, funny, and educational display with a “pirate” who actually had a peg leg and a parrot on his shoulder.

After the show, we were able to get in the water with the nurse sharks and stingrays, swim with them, and feed them. I didn’t expect that. Somehow, I overlooked that part of the experience when doing my research. It was a pleasant surprise. I never ventured over to the dolphin area, though. Many people are fascinated by the creatures, but I prefer the sharks.

Not only did I get to feed, touch, and swim with sharks, but I also got to snorkel for the first time. I am a lover of the water. I enjoy looking at it, and being in it. Water brings me a great sense of peace. To share the space with these beautiful creatures was an amazing honor.

The only drawback was that I was sick all night on the ship the night before. I’m not sure if I ate something that didn’t agree with me or if I was just dehydrated, but I woke up on the ship with tummy issues. I was a bit shaky and weak all day, but I wasn’t willing to let that stop me. I also couldn’t eat, which ruined my plans to try authentic jerked chicken.

After exploring the Dolphin Cove grounds and all of the birds and reptiles there, we got on a small coach to head to Dunn’s River Falls. I had spent all of my cash on local, hand-crafted souvenirs so I didn’t have any left to pay a guide. I wasn’t ready to abandon my plan to hike the waterfall, though.

I put my cell phone and souvenirs in a locker and started the trek up the slippery rocks. I was watching the groups with tour guides to get a better idea of a path I could take with minimal resistance. I felt like I was going to pass out, but refused to move over the steep stairs that were parallel to the waterfall.

The water was the perfect temperature to feel good and refreshing. I stopped to take several photos with my disposable waterproof camera. My friend decided to move to the stairs halfway up the falls. She had knee issues, so she didn’t want to push too hard and injure herself.

Due to me not feeling well, I had to stop and rest a few times. I was determined, though. I didn’t come all this way to not accomplish what I set out to do. I fell a few times, but didn’t even care. The rocks were much slippier than I expected, as some of them were completely smoothed out by the constant flow of water.

I fell into a dip one time that perfectly cupped my derriere. I decided to sit there for a few minutes to catch my breath and rest. I really didn’t feel well. By the time I made it to the top, I was ready to fall out. I was so proud of myself for making it, and the view and experience was worth every second.

When I got home, one of the first things I did was take the two disposable cameras to be developed. Not a single picture came out. I wanted to cry. After being sad for a few minutes, I decided that was a sign that I needed to return to Jamaica to snorkel with the nurse sharks, hold a stingray, and hike the Dunn’s River Falls again. This time, I’ll spend a few days there.