Ocho Rios, Jamaica was one of the ports of call while on the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise. we had an amazing and very non-tourist-y day there! we got off the ship and found some guy who hooked us up with his son Duane who drove us to the Blue Hole - a swimming spot in the mountains that mostly only locals frequent. we were the only ones there! Tony, our Blue Hole guide, led us up and in to the gorgeous freshwater pools with waterfalls and rope swings. we dove and swam and climbed and drank Red Stripe and it was so fun! i highly recommend going to the Blue Hole if you're ever in Ocho Rios over the crowded Dunn's River Falls.
the stereotype is true and everyone does say 'yeah mon'. they also say 'don't worry' a lot, which makes them seem laid back but after an in depth conversation with Duane, i got a sense of how tough life is in the small parishes of Jamaica. a lot of large tour companies have come in and monopolized the tourist industry, pushing out the locals. i gathered that the repetition of 'don't worry' acts more as a reminder and comfort for the people of Ocho Rios. so if you ever go, dig in deep and find someone local to give you a tour! i bet it's waaay better than the big guys! yeah mon!
i will update this post with a video of the Blue Hole soon...
