Big up Kingston – Welcome to the real Jamaica

by Jeremy Kressmann on

In Jamaican slang they like to use the phrase big up. It’s a term intended to bestow respect, giving a shout-out to its recipient in recognition of specific talent or excellence. In Kingston, Jamaica’s capital and largest city, “big up” is a phrase that rings particularly true. Kingston is very much a city on the brink, a renowned capital of reggae, Caribbean culture and stories of rum and pirates from ages past, all dying to be explored. It’s also a city with a fiercely defined identity – unlike the “tourist Jamaica” of Negril, Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, Kingston is very much a town that exists for Jamaicans: built and defined by its proud local residents.

Kingston is a city striving to define itself in the modern day – picking and choosing among the influences of eras past. Founded in the the late 17th Century, Kingston was birthed by the destruction of the infamous Port Royal, Caribbean capital of English pirates and their legendary violence and hedonism. Over the next 200 years, Kingston would thrive as a central trading port of the colonial Caribbean, ground zero for giant sugar cane plantations and the slave trade

By the 20th Century, Kingston was among the largest cities in the Caribbean, playing a central role in one of the era’s most influential and prolific musical movements: reggae. Yet this flowering of Jamaican culture was not without its flaws: by the the 1970’s economic decline and gang violence contributed to steep decline in tourism. Visitors began to steer clear of the lively capital in favor of safer resort towns on the island’s northern and western coasts.

Kingston in 2009 looks more ready than ever to re-assume its eminent position as a central Jamaican tourist destination. Idyllic beach visit Kingston is not – but with an outgrowth of new accommodations, myriad cultural activities and a wealth of overlooked attractions, Kingston is ripe for exploration and worthy of a second look. Over the next few days, Gadling will be sharing a surprising look at Jamaica’s overlooked capital. Big up Kingston, you’ve earned our respect!

Gadling was recently invited by the Spanish Court Hotel to take a look at Kingston’s newest resort and see all this fascinating city has to offer. Though the trip was paid, all opinions remain our own. You can read all future Big up Kingston posts HERE.

Canadian hostages in Jamaican airport

by Tom Johansmeyer on

One man with a gun can do a lot of damage. A weapon-wielding nut-job held around 180 hostages on a Canadian plane in Jamaica yesterday. He chose the landing in Jamaica as his time to act. All passengers were eventually released unharmed, but five of the original seven crew members were still held hostage in the CanJet plane at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. (CNN reports that he’s holding six crew members.)

Only one shot has been fired, but nobody was hurt.

According to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald, “It’s likely that two of the crew members may be locked up in the cockpit.”

CanJet says in a statement on its website, “A full security operation is underway and CanJet is cooperating fully with the local authorities.”

At approximately 11:30 PM local time yesterday, a man found his way onto chartered Flight 918, thanks to the effectiveness of fake identification cards at the airport’s employee entrance.

The latest development is that police are negotiating with the hostage-taker. He has asked for passage to Cuba.

Bob Marley Day and a charming version of Three Little Birds

by Jamie Rhein on

Today is Bob Marley Day. Marley, born February 6, 1945 is the musical genius who put Jamaica and reggae in range of the world’s radar. Starting today through Sunday, there are various festivals and celebrations occuring around the globe as a way to honor Marley and enjoy his music. Here’s a link that lists several events. Five of them are in the United States. The United Kingdom, Finland and Russia are among the others.

When I lived in The Gambia, I remember dancing to “Three Little Birds” one night at a tourist hotel in Fajara. It was a real sanity saver. Difficulties and upset fell away with each note and word. As you’re heading towards the weekend, stand up, close your eyes, listen and move. Except, if you close your eyes, you will miss this charming animated video where Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and Marley sing the song in a duet. In that case, play this twice–once to watch the video. The second time, close your eyes.

Party naked with accountants

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you are headed to Hedonism II with visions of tight bodies and loose morals, you’ll certainly find the latter. Greg Boose, of Blackbook, stepped into this nudist resort only to realize what any sane traveler would expect: accountants are looking for easy sex with anyone they can find. Basically, this spot in Negril, Jamaica just makes it easier for you to shack up with the same people you’d find back in the real world.

To lift your sagging spirits, as you realize you won’t get a stripper-style thrashing the woman of your dreams at Hedonism II, stop by “the cave”: the island’s hot spot for that famous alternative to sex (unless you prefer to do it on the grass for the benefit of spectators … and the recipient). Before you head into the mouth (of the cave, sicko), though, it’s probably best to bring your own partner. After all, you don’t want to be pinned down by an accountant in aviator glasses (no offense to our resident aviator).

I was going to file this under “paddling,” but I guess that’s up to you.

[Via Blackbook, photo thanks to Katsuni]

What is a “dangerous” travel destination?

by Brenda Yun on

I’ve been thinking long and hard about what it means to travel to a “dangerous” destination lately because I’m in the process of planning a 2-month trip to Cuba. While Cuba is not considered “dangerous” to citizens of other countries, it does send a little shiver up an American’s spine when thinking about the potential consequences of traveling there without a visa, which I might end up doing. I guess sneaking into Cuba through Mexico or Canada may classify more as “risky” rather than “dangerous,” but I am always willing to take risks so long as I know I will not inevitably put myself in danger. A possible $10,000 fine is quite a price to pay for a visit to a country closed to Americans, however, so I know it’s important to tread lightly.

So I proceeded to do some research on how to estimate a “dangerous” place in the world, and I found the results quite startling. According to Fabiola Hernandez over at Associated Content, the 5 most dangerous countries in the world are Colombia, South Africa, Jamaica, Venezuela, and Russia. Hernandez goes so far to say that, “You wouldn’t want to be caught dead living there, literally.” But do I trust her opinion? Not at all.
This list was generated from a kind-of-handy statistical website called NationMaster.com that spits out national information ranging from Agriculture to Terrorism. Hernandez seemed quick to compile her list by searching for “Crime — Murder per capita.” The “most recent” results of my search are the same as the results Hernandez found nearly two years ago, which leads me to believe NationMaster.com is not at all up-to-date and, therefore, its information is misleading.

I could not disagree more with Hernandez’s list. First, it is completely void of volatile countries in the Middle East. Secondly, I traveled in Colombia, the country at the top of her list, for three months during the spring of 2008 and never felt safer there. Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city that Pablo Escobar made famous, is largely misunderstood. While it may have been the “Murder Capital of the World” five short years ago, this city is quite safe, quite lovely, and quite a tourist hotspot.

I have never been to the other four nations on the list. While I’ve heard that these countries do indeed have their dangerous regions and cities, I know for a fact that there are also some really wonderful, worthwhile places within their borders that it would be a pity if fear prevented a traveler from going there.

I find Hernandez’s estimation of “danger” quite askew, and I feel lists like this are harmful and largely misinterpreted. Sure, the percentage of murders in a country is one thing that could make a place dangerous, but what about terrorism, civil war, theft, and rape? More importantly, fear is the thing that prevents so many travelers from leaving the “safety” of their home. I believe, with proper precautions, even the most dangerous place is just as safe as sitting on your couch. Additionally, you are seeing the world and experiencing life for real, in its rawest, most natural form.