A Weekend in Kingston

After arriving in Kingston after a long drive from Portland we got situated in the Alpha Convent. I enjoyed fish and chips at the M10 restaurant and had more conversations with locals. The following morning, we were able to tour the Trenchtown area. It was very humbling walking up and down each street seeing the littered neighborhood, but still smiling faces. There is so much culture and history present in the Trenchtown neighborhood and I am lucky to have been able to visit it. Afterwards, I met a seven year old named Sasheil at the Trenchtown Reading Center. We read five or so books together before a traditional Jamaican packed lunch. Meeting Rosslyn was interesting, but seeing her organization was amazing. I love that there is a safe place for children to read and learn after school hours. Next, we went to the Bob Marley Museum which I loved! He is such an iconic musician and I enjoyed seeing the place in which he once lived. Our tour guide was amazing and I liked meeting the crazy Desmond Night outside. For dinner, we enjoyed Usain Bolt’s restaurant, Tracks & Records. Lots of drinks, food, and laughs were shared and it was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the trip with friends thus far. Little did we know, Usain Bolt would be even more relevant just a few hours later. The next morning, I talked with Renee for an hour while the rest of the group attended mass. I loved her outlook on life and enjoyed listening to her experiences with Rastafarianism. She is such a positive and uplifting person. We all drove into the mountains to go to Strawberry Hill. As a big music fan, I loved seeing all of the albums Blackwell contributed on. I took pictures of all of the U2 album awards and enjoyed the beautiful brunch. We then headed to Port Royal to boat out to an island to enjoy some beach time. On the ride there, i must have invested a gallon of saltwater from the dozens of waves that slapped me in the face on the way. The ride was well worth meeting the infamous Usain Bolt on the island. Just twenty feet away from where we set up shop was a big family enjoying some beach time. After a few minutes of second guessing, we realized that Usain Bolt was with us on the tiny island. We enjoyed some pictures with the star and that is a memory I will cherish forever. I am so happy that Renee was able to join us with all of our adventures on that Sunday. After a far more calm ride back, we walked a bit to an outdoor restaurant. I enjoyed some jerk chicken and Smirnoff Ices which are consumed unironically in Jamaica. This was an amazing weekend spent exploring the city of Kingston and surrounding areas.