Negril - Hello White People

Rock House, Negril

During the first couple of weeks in Jamaica we saw very few tourists. In fact, in Kingston kids would greet us with “Hello White People!” As we approached the west coast of the island this quickly started to change. At the small town of Whitehouse, we encountered the controversial new Sandals South Coast resort, oddly marketed as a series of European villages on the beach, in Jamaica. You can take a room in the French, Italian, or Dutch quarters and eat at restaurants serving that style of food. There is also the newly opened suites on stilts over the water where you can have an outdoor bath or shower after your swim in the sea. As this was a very posh all-inclusive it was all off-limits to us. Mum was disappointed we couldn’t just go and buy a pastry from the French bakery! We were allowed to use the beach as all Jamaican beaches are public property. But as soon as we neared the hotel area the bored security guards sprang into action and started radioing each other “dirty sailors approaching the French Quarter”. We chose a private area far from the hotel for beach haircuts. Needless to say the American couple that ventured down to the far end were a bit caught off guard. 

Taking Advantage of Calm Winds to Fix the Sail

Loving Negril

The resort town of Negril is home to some of the largest all-inclusives in the country. It appears to have grown a bit since our Lonely Planet was published as adjectives like charming, unique, and quiet no longer seem to apply. The long white beaches and crystal clear water are incredible though and are enough to see past the hordes of drunk, sunburned vacationers. We anchored in the calm clear waters of Bloody Bay, so named for the whalers that would return with their catch and turn the waters red - not sure what is worse. It is also where the famous pirate “Black Jack” Rackam was captured by the British and taken back to Port Royal to be hung. 

Jamaican Breakfast: Ackee and Saltfish with Calaloo and all the trimmings

West End Negril

After a couple of days of swimming, strolling on the beach, and listening to Bob Marley tribute bands playing at the resorts in the evening, Mum’s trip came to an end and I flew** with her to England for a visit with my 103-year-old great aunt for a few weeks. James would be staying in Negril with the boat during that time. The following is his account of that time:

Negril was a lovely place to spend a few weeks relaxing in the sun and getting a few boat jobs done. It was flat and usually calm or with just a gentle breeze while the tradewinds were howling across the rest of the Caribbean. The boat and I quickly blended into the background in the eyes of the Jamaicans working in the area and people soon stopped asking me if I wanted to buy weed or lobster. The other tourists were very curious and would often drop by in a kayak or paddleboat to ask where I was from and what I was doing there. It was rare to see other cruisers but I befriended a lovely Kiwi family on a trawler and we got together a few times for drinks and dinner. They even gave me a huge bag of ice to go with my ginger beer, patties, and coco bread! It was enough to get me by until my co-captain returned.

Curious Negril Dolphins

Crystal Clear and Dead Calm

** Note: Flying did involve a trip to the airport in Montego Bay which has recently issued a state of emergency and travel advisories put in place by Canada and the UK. The inside story is that St. James Parish where Montego Bay is located has been suffering from an increased rate of crime for several years now and the state of emergency was necessary in order for the government to allocate more resources for dealing with this crime. The criminals are mostly well-known to the government and members of gangs operating in very specific neighbourhoods. Montego Bay and Jamaica in general are very safe for tourists with tourist crime usually limited to petty theft or harassment by street vendors. Most Jamaicans we spoke with were very supportive of the state of emergency so that the known criminals could finally be apprehended. Strangely, and sadly, a lot of the money funding the criminals is reported to come from their operation of fake lottery scams targeting North American seniors (“you have won $1,000,000, we just need a wire transfer of $10,000 so you can claim your prize”). Maybe this is the story that should be on the front pages instead!