We have been out of town, and right down at the western tip of the island, in Negril. We were “dry lan’ tourists” (an expression Jamaicans use to suggest that they are locals, but playing the role of tourists). It’s almost a pretence - but why shouldn’t we enjoy hotels, and beaches, and having someone wait on us, just a little bit? I was getting tired of the washing up, a little stressed by a rather horrid health issue - which I won’t go into - and we both just needed to have a few days where we get up and say “Let’s go to breakfast” or “What are we going to do today? Beach, or…?” In other words, with a blank slate, wrapped in a white towelling bathrobe.
Actually, we are not beach people, but my sister and husband, who joined us for ten blue-and-golden days, adore the sun, sea, and sand. After all, they live in gloomy old England, so who can blame them? We are not just blasé about the beach, though; I truly do not enjoy being very hot, and unlike my dear sis, I have always disliked roasting myself in the sun.
The sea itself, in Negril, is quite blissful. It is transparently blue, with a calm and shining surface and a silver-white bottom. Later in the day, as my brother-in-law pointed out, it gets “all sparkly” in the sun. Then comes the sunset, and people gather on the beach to take a photograph. Perhaps because it is our westernmost point, sunset is invariably blazing - sometimes with dramatic rays shooting out behind clouds, at other times a fiery red and gold. After the sun has set, the afterglow, several shades of deep rose, is glorious.
On our last day at the beach, I spotted a black fin in the water, right in the shallows. On each side of it, a gracefully flapping “wing” appeared. It was an Eagle Ray, and it patrolled the waters for quite a while before moving off out to sea. After watching it flying close to the surface, it then returned to comb the sea floor, a dark, flowing shape with a very long tail. Local people were familiar with him, but we “tourists” became very excited, taking (rather poor) videos of our visitor.
So much for the beach part of our stay; there was much more, besides.
Makes me hungry for the tropics- so beautiful!
Beautiful travelogue! Great to see you back on Substack!