We decide to travel to Kingston by bus with Knutsford Express. In the end, it takes about the same time as the regular bus taking the southern route via Savanah-la-Mar and Mandeville, but with our suitcases full of books, we opt for air conditioning, space, and seating comfort. Even if it means heading back to Montego Bay first (with a stop in Lucea), transferring at Sangster Airport, and then taking the northern coastal road. After a brief pause in Falmouth, we drive past St. Ann’s Bay via the still scarcely used toll road towards the capital. The promised onboard Wi-Fi doesn’t work, and there are no snacks or drinks, despite what the menus suggest. Instead, a movie plays on the screens: ‘Bringing Down The House’, a comedy starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah. There’s no escaping it as the sound blares through the bus speakers.
The hustle and bustle in Kingston are equally unavoidable, and the relentless sun rays aren’t tempered by a refreshing sea breeze. Commander isn’t a fan of car air conditioning; he prefers driving with the windows open. When we later find ourselves stuck in one of the many traffic jams, the heat envelops us like a leaden blanket. But the street life compensates for it all. While there are many new cars and buildings, Kingston still brims and bubbles with life. I’ve never known the city any other way: busy, raw, and seemingly chaotic, but above all, authentic and lively.
Porridge and pancakes
We check into
The Prestige, the tatty family hotel where I first stayed over a quarter of a century ago. Once bustling, with the large terrace overlooking Kingston, filled all day, often with a band on stage, the hotel is now definitively dilapidated. We’re practically the only guests, and there’s no sign of any digitalization yet. All income and expenditure, from drinks to rooms, is patiently recorded by hand. Behind the reception desk someone is usually asleep. Meals must be ordered several hours in advance, but then you get freshly prepared food, shielded with a tight plastic cover; a long-standing habit of the cook who has worked here for years. I’m also a fan of her porridge and pancakes for breakfast.
The rooms haven’t been renovated since the last century, but for this price (82 euros), apparently, you can’t expect much more in Kingston. According to my companion, a room at the posh Pegasus costs around 230 euros. Not that I’d ever want to stay there, but it gives an idea of the high rates in this city.
Visiting Belgians in Kingston Reggae Garden
Perhaps next time, we should just stay with
Davy Janssen and
Cindy Reliszko, the Belgian couple who run a guesthouse with a café and restaurant in the suburb of Golden Spring, called
Kingston Reggae Garden. Located along the old road to the north coast, just past Stony Hill, this might be the ideal base for a trip to Kingston. A chef prepares delicious veggie and vegan dishes, and a mighty sound system stands in the large garden. Today,
I Yaad Radio is broadcasting live from this special place, including our book presentation.
Breadlocks from I Yaad turns out to be a conscious Rastafarian with a rich historical background. The planned interview quickly turns into a profound conversation.
We delve even deeper later on with two young ladies who have come specifically from Ocho Rios to talk to us. Their grandfather was the great King Edwards, one of the pioneers of the sound system culture in the 1950s-1960s. But the conversation mostly revolves around Rastafari and black history, with much mutual inspiration and recognition.
Belgian Rastaman
Bramma Shanti also shows up. I have great respect for people from home who manage to survive and even thrive in Jamaica, not exactly the easiest country to build a new life in. Bramma earns his living as a local guide and also designs unique bracelets and necklaces, which are now sold at
Cooyah, a trendy boutique in Kingston, on Hope Road. Hopefully, we’ll get there because they’re said to have some cool T-shirts too.
To be continued…
