"I had a few places on my list that I wanted to visit, places like Cane River, Rockers International, and the Freedom Skate Park. And I was definitely hoping for waves to surf as much as possible. Otherwise, I was more than content with just cruising each day with whatever was happening around the surf camp of Jamnesia.

There are some really special and talented people over in Bull Bay and beyond, the area where the the surf camp of Jamnesia is situated. Ivah Wilmot, one of the Jamnesia hosts and my connection to Jamaica, introduced me to the island and his social circle, and all the people I met during this trip stand out the most to me in terms of memories. The day trip around the eastern point of Jamaica to river swim and then surf at Boston Bay on the north coast was magical. The mythical energy of Cane River Falls was profound. Another definite highlight was the chance to visit the holy grail of Jamaican record shops, Rockers International and do some crate digging here. I left the record shop with only a fraction of what I wish I could bring home, but more importantly, with a full heart that I was able to experience this musical institution.

What I noticed during my few days on the island relates back to the people I have met and the quality of conversations we had. The folks I spent time with spoke with purpose; Conversations had meaning and words carried power. There was very little, if any filler conversation. The art of conversation is not a thing of the past in Jamaica, it's thriving.

To commemorate my experiences in Jamaica I made an oil painting that draws inspiration from our road trip up north to surf Boston Bay. From atop the bluff, a path leads down through thick forest, opening up to a small palm fronted beach with bright turquoise water. A left breaking on one side of the bay and a right breaking on the other side. Sharing that surf with Ivah, Shama and the few Boston locals that paddled out was a another amazing highlight of the trip.

Monday, April 16, 2024

After an overnight flight from San Francisco, I arrived in Kingston, Jamaica and was met at the airport by Ivah Wilmot and his father, Billy Wilmot. It’s a short drive along the sea to Eight Mile, Bull Bay to Jamnesia surf camp where I would stay for the duration of my trip. Upon arrival in Bull Bay we unloaded my bags and I was provided a room on the central courtyard at Jamnesia, just steps from the beach.

People are always passing through Jamnesia and it was lovely to chill for a bit and chat up each person who entered. Luckily, Imani Wilmot stopped by and spoke upon the work she is doing in Jamaica with her non-profit Surf Girls Jamaica. Truly inspirational work. Soon after we all hopped into the truck and headed up Cane River to the falls for a swim and birthday celebration.

On the drive up Cane River Billy provided me some history of the falls where freedom fighter Jack Mansong hid out, escaping slavery and colonial authority in the late 1700s. It’s also a place that Bob Marley wrote about washing his dreads in the river in the 1983 song, “Trench Town”. The path down to the falls passes through a large cave system with steep stairs dropping down to the river, a miraculous sight. Once there we enjoyed swimming in the refreshing water and shared many laughs jumping off the large boulders and trying to climb back up them.

The late afternoon/evening hours were spent at Jamnesia meeting more family and friends of the community while immersed in many deep conversations. The highlight of the afternoon was an impromptu duet of soul tunes with Leroy “Lion” Edwards, original bassist for Jamaica’s own Mystic Revealers. His positive energy is infectious and filled my soul with joy. As day transitioned to night, I wandered out back to the beach and caught a stellar sunset over the Caribbean Sea. It was a great first day in Jamaica.

Tuesday, April 17, 2024

Usually my favorite sound to wake up to is bird song but this morning I was awakened by the beautiful voice of Maggie Wilmot singing just outside my window. Shortly after entering the courtyard I was invited to join a super welcoming crew heading north to Portland Parish for a day of river swimming and surfing at Boston Bay. After a short stop for a breakfast of salt fish, ackee, cabbage, dumpling and potato we were on the road North (via East) towards Portland. The potholes in Jamaica are notorious and Donald, who was driving, navigated them with expert precision.

Our first stop was for a river swim complete with a full body river clay body scrub. After the river clay scrub my skin had never felt softer. Ivah and his friends Shama and Balla put on a backflip clinic while the rest of us jumped and swam without going upside down. This friend group has a long history and I feel so fortunate to be welcomed into it.

After a couple of hours at the river we continued North to Boston Bay for a visit to the Boston Jerk Center for a quick meal of jerk chicken, festival, sweet potato, conch stew and coconut water. Once lunch was complete it was straight to the beach for a surf at Boston Bay. This was one of the most amazing experiences of the trip. Paddling out in crystal clear 85 degree water with Ivah and Shama, two of the most accomplished surfers to come out of Jamaica, sharing lefts in the bay with nobody else around. Eventually a few locals paddled out, who also shred, and it’s positive vibes all around. This is as good as it gets.

After a reverse pothole ridden ride back to Bull Bay it was a mellow evening at Jamnesia engrossed in conversation with fellow travelers and the local crew. Many spliffs are rolled and discussions run deep. Eventually everyone retreats to their place of rest and basks in the cool evening air until the sun shines again.

Wednesday, April 18, 2024

The sun rises early in Jamaica and I tend to rise with it, so another early start to the day. This morning I headed to the beach to take in the early morning light and was greeted by Azeela, a friend of Jamnesia, shortly after. We sat in discussion for a while until he brought my attention to an elder running with his dog. He explained that he runs the beach daily and how fit he is for a man well into his seventies. I was inspired to run and Azeela graciously offered to join me. We ran along the coastline towards Bob Marley Beach and stopped every so often for a quick chat with fishermen along the way. When we stopped for a short break in the shade, Azeela would do sit ups. Health is wealth.

After our run I quickly jumped into the water for a swim in the warm but refreshing sea. Following the swim there was some downtime at Jamnesia chatting with the crew before heading into Kingston with Billy and Ivah to visit the holy grail of Jamaican vinyl at Rockers International Record Shop. Visiting Rockers International was a bucket list check and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do so. While digging vinyl, Mitchie, who now runs the record shop founded by Augustus Pablo, told me that Big Youth would be celebrating his birthday at the shop the very next day while I was on a flight back to San Francisco. Definitely a stab in the heart but also a feeling of pure joy knowing such legends still grace Orange Street in Kingston. I left the record shop with only a fraction of what I wish I could bring home, but more importantly, with a full heart that I was able to experience this musical institution.

We returned to Jamnesia and the local crew was in full swing for the remainder of the afternoon. I sat with Leroy “Lion” Edwards for a discussion that became one of my most memorable experiences of the trip. As we were chatting about the potential and shortcomings of humanity he broke into song and proceeded to sing multiple Mystic Revealers tracks in story form. I sat in awe as the discussion flowed between talk and song. There were moments when I had a big smile on my face. There were moments when I had tears in my eyes. My arms had goosebumps over and over again. A forever memory.

Azeela's son, Corey, is a youth who has found a passion in skateboarding. There is a big crew of amazing skateboarders in Bull Bay and Corey is one of the best. Azeela invited me to the local skatepark to watch Corey skate and shoot some photos. Corey was doing massive airs over sections of the park and out of the bowl that were blowing my mind. This kid has a bright future and a father who really cares. Seeing the local kids with endless smiles on their faces and experiencing the joy of play at the skatepark was a beautiful sight. On the walk back to Jamnesia, Azeela introduced me to his brother who has been making jerk chicken in a roadside drum for decades. Later that night, for my final meal in Jamaica, we walked to his brother's stand and I had the most delicious chicken I've ever tasted. It's hard to leave this island so soon. The land and sea were both super inspiring during my stay but what will keep bringing me back are the people. I am so honored to feel welcomed into this community and I'm forever grateful for each person I had an opportunity to spend time with.