12-22-2018, 07:38 AM
It was 1965..I had a chance to go and work in Jamaica , where ever that was , for a company from Puerto Rico . It was working for the bauxite co . re-building a boiler in Linstead ,about 1/2 way between Ochi and Kingston . What a culture shock !!! coming from a french fishing town to a jungle bauxite mine . We , the white guys from away ,working with locals that didn't come to work alot . We are out of boats where you work everyday you can , as hard as you can , making the same money but we came to work . On the weekends we went exploring . Drove every back road possible , called whitey a million times and loved every minute of it . Along comes Negril . What the hell is Negril . A long beach with a few things on it and fishing canoes . We're home I figure , boats !!!! Moving right along we went ( time gap here ) up into Redground to find a place to stay . Gramma Porters it was . Just like out of a movie , SAFE !!!!!! rooms with no locks , the smell of ganja in the air , music all over the place and beer joints that were like a gift from Jah . Places like One Love Bar , Rest Easy , Faith Luck , Hilltop Cottages , Tudor , etc . We use to drive a bit up there but a car VW can only hold like 7 people so we would walk , excuse me , stroll. My friend and I met 2 beautiful young ladies named Sweetie Arthurs and her cousin Jullette Arthurs ( who now has a place on the beach doing hair and selling orange juice ).Almost every weekend we would make the 5 hour treck from the hills between Ochi and Kingston to Negril ( many stops on the way ) and head up into Redground . They would come with us and we would go exploring down the south coast across the interior to Cockpit Country , through The Alps and come out at Duncans . The girls would then get on a bus and go back to Negril and we would go back to Linstead to work again , Redground was just so beautiful , safe and mind resting . Sorry about the ramble but I just become carried away with myself . It was coke that brought Redground to her knees . Brother against brother , mother against son and prostition (sp) for others It makes me want to cry . So many people wouldn't even go to the road at night up in Redground . When I go up there now , lots still call my name , but lots just want money . Learned begging , hoping for a job at a resort from owners from away .