Pure Vibration in the Albion Mountains of Jamaica

I was huffing air into my lungs around mile 10 of the Reggae half marathon when I read the man's shirt in front of me " We get there when we get there." My face regained its smile and the breathing came a little easier. Even though I was running this race again, it wasn't for a record or for the satisfaction of finishing. I love running through the streets of Jamaica while the locals blast Bob Marley music from their cars. The reality for me is that the vibration isn't coming out of their car speakers but from of the plants, trees and space between. The story, the tone, the sound all coming to life.

This year I explored more of the island - up north to Port Maria in St Mary parish. It took 5 hours in a passengar bus from Negril which sits at the south-western tip of Jamaica. Along the main highway you see different communities. First, leaving the resort areas of Negril to then more local bases of Green Island and Orange Bay. Then you pass through the hustling village of Lucy where school kids fill the streets. The vegitation is similar along the way and you might come to think that regular domestic pet is a goat rather than a dog or cat like in America.

No photo of a goat, but a couple chickens

After passing the more commercial cities of Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, the road became windy and narrow. The Albion Mountains snug the sea on the north side, so Port Maria's main drag is at sea level and the homes rest above. My meeting spot for the Airbnb hosts Anna & Winston to scoop me up was the KFC. It was pretty easy to spot me a tall light skin girl in a Hawaiian shirt and backpack.  The locals were dressed to impress to their potential customers. The one gentelman actually selling consistently had CDs. 

Soon another European woman caught my eye as she gave me the acknowledging nod that she was Anna. She took me to her mini SUV where Winston, full on Rasta, welcomed me with a hand touch and hug that I will never forget. It think he was feeling out my energy by placing his thumb and finger on the skin between my thumb and pointer finger knuckle. The interaction gave me a little bit of a rush and I knew this was one of those moments where life tells you that you are exactly where you are suppose to be.

Fresh Sugar Cane

They drove me up the mountain and we navigated over flooded waterways to a grassy inlet that I wouldn't guess for a driveway if the two tire trails were not present. 

Three dogs waited for us to arrive (Nip- the middle male child, Whiskey- the pregnant queen, and Boy- the blind old man). Once I got past the initiation sniff, I was welcomed to my home for the next couple of days. I was happy to be away from the party that Negril can be and into the secluded mountains. Hiking, cooking, reading, writing, doing yoga, and listening to the neighbor's conversations echo through the trees.

Come to find out Winston and Anna were surrounded by a family who had just lost a loved one. Supposedly in the middle of the night, one of the women in the family would sing out to the spirit. She would then soothe her pain by loudly playing Mariah Carey and Boys 2 Men. Anna would ask me how I slept and I suprised her with a pleasant answer and that I missed the whole episode. There is something lucid about my sleep in Jamaica. Whether its the herb and tea that knocks me out or the fludity of sounds that integrate seamlessly with my dream waves, I felt very held.

My head hits the pillow with ease, my feet feel firmly planted in the ground and my vision has clarity and connectivity in Jamaica. My body, spirit and mind syncs better here than most places I have traveled to. I never feel rushed. A Jamaican once asked my friend who was running to their car to get back to their cruise ship "Why are you rushing? You're in Jamaica." My friends answer that they were running late. The man then replied, "You are never late, time is just an illusion."  

At the airport, I sit outside watching the sunset,  stretching the moments I have before boarding this plane. Some tears fall stream down my face as I smile. There is still simple and pure living left in this world and even though that can change, mi sue cum back.