Travel
The
rhythm
of Life in
Jamaica
To this day, Jamaica remains as one
of my favourite Caribbean islands, so
I would like to dispel straight away
the popular, but misguided myth
that it is a volatile and dangerous
destination for holidaymakers.
On the contrary, Jamaica is
stunningly beautiful and full of
friendly people with a vibrant
culture and rich history. Like any
other country, of course it has areas
that you’d be advised to avoid and
where local disturbances have
been known to break out from time
to time - but Jamaica is different;
it has an ability to offer up unique
experiences every time you visit.
It is the home of the legendary
Bob Marley and athlete Usain Bolt
as well as being a haven for food
lovers with its classic spiced dishes
such as jerk chicken. From the
moment you step off the plane, the
Island greets you with a uniquely
warm welcome, and its distinctive
music, which was developed in the
Sixties out of earlier genres such as
American jazz, Rhythm and Blues
and traditional Jamaican manta
music influenced by Reggae, and
is still going strong to this day.
Bob Marley and such other dance
hall icons such as Peter Tosh,
Bunny Wailer, Desmond Dekker,
By Terry Willey
Ken Boothe and Prince Buster are
listed among some of the pioneers.
The Island also takes great pride
in its success in athletics, and
today is especially proud of the
boy from Martha Bray – Usain
Bolt. I was fortunate to visit his
village to see where Usain grew
up and was informed by our
taxi driver, who went to school
with Usain, that he always
had a reputation for running
everywhere rather than walking.
The Island scenery is simply
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