“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” ~ Socrates.

Time, they say, is relative.  The vacation that stretched ahead of me a few weeks ago is rapidly coming to an end and we will soon leave Jamaica.  I have to remind myself that there was a time when coming to Jamaica for a long weekend was a treat, I would find much to do and enjoy in those seemingly few days. The secret of course lies in being mindful, of enjoying each moment in the present time, rather than looking back or counting forward.

There is much to enjoy in Jamaica, but there are also caveats.  Yesterday we drove up into the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park in Holywell (one of several places to access the park) and were up in the clouds.  I hiked a mountain loop (over 4000 feet above sea level) with a group of strangers, and we came down the other side as companions, as we navigated slippery slopes and breathless climbs together.  Due to the clouds and impending rain, we did not see the expansive sights outlined on the notice board, however glimpses of distant towns reminded us how far away from civilization we were. One of those companions was a kid of maybe seven or eight, and his delight in the adventure of being somewhere that no one has ever been before (his description, not accurate, but the feeling was understandable) made our trek even more enjoyable.

The loop itself may have been a bit challenging (although it was advertised for senior citizens and children) but the ride to the park is even more so.  In the mountains, a journey of nine miles (or as signposted in Jamaica: fifteen kilometers – a difficult adjustment for our minds to grapple with) may take thirty minutes or more.  The roads switch back and forth to accommodate climbing 2,000 feet (610 meters), with many twists and turns along the way.  The road is not wide, vehicles meeting on the way drive slowly to ensure there is sufficient width to pass each other, or wait in a wider spot until they pass.  And yet tanker trucks of water drive up and down that road to the St. Catherine’s Peak water facility.  Horns are used on those roads to warn other vehicles of your approach.  But the bigger challenge (apart from pot-holes) is the fact that rocks and or soil may have slipped down the sheer mountainside and partially block the road.

But the views, (when you can lift your eyes from the road) the are breathtaking.  Folds of green mountains, ridges and peaks in layers beyond, occasional glimpses all the way down to the Caribbean Sea keep you oohing and aahing, breathing in the variety and beauty.  In the park, despite the clouds, we saw many varieties of ferns, huge trees and dainty leaf along with other trees, and birds calling though staying hidden from view. They describe this National Park (a UNESCO world heritage site) as the lungs of eastern Jamaica, with all of the vegetation pumping out oxygen for our survival.

But what about those who don’t have a vehicle fit to traverse the scary road?  And how about if you are disabled?  Unlike the US, with its Americans with Disabilities Act, Jamaica does not do a good job of taking care of those citizens who may not be able-bodied, or who may be blind, or hearing-impaired.  My time spent with the eight-year-old girl who is hearing impaired, made me realize how harsh the world can be for those who are less abled.  Many years ago, an older friend (she lived to be over 100, and was still traveling and even driving herself in the decade before her death) complained about the word ‘invalid’ (with the emphasis on the first syllable). She was flying and using the assistance of wheelchair, and mused on the word used to describe someone with a disability. ‘But I am not invalid!’ she declared, emphasis on the second syllable.  How could they say she had no value! 

But how does it feel to have to be dependent on others? I heard of a situation where a college student, who is confined to a wheelchair because of a congenital disorder, had to be carried upstairs by a fellow student, in order to take an exam.  How would that feel, when your life is already restricted, to have to be carried like a baby? 

So a visit to Jamaica, like all love stories, is complicated.  There are moments of sheer awe and beauty, tempered with frustrations in dealing with bureaucracy (slow and tedious).  There are interactions which make you go hmmm.  On my first day in the country, I wandered into a bookstore and found a book to buy.  At the counter I saw the card reader, so after handing the book to the young man behind the counter, and learning the price, I began to swipe my card.  I had chosen the ‘US dollars’ option in error, and asked what the price was in US.  After checking with his co-worker, the young man said ‘The CSR will do that’.  OK, I thought, not knowing what a CSR was, but perhaps he meant that the conversion would be done after the fact.  Again he said, ‘The CSR will do that’.  Again, blankly, I said OK, but in the pause I managed to deduce that he was referring to himself (Customer Service Representative I later surmised), meaning that he was the one who should swipe my card for the transaction.  Not exactly strong on the ‘service’ piece of the title!

But while you may have encounters with such CSRs, who appear unwilling to give information, or service, you may also walk into a restaurant that is not due to open for another hour, and the young man will offer to cook you a made-to-order breakfast anyway.  Or go to an establishment that is not open, and then have the chef (who happened to be in the area) scramble up a tasty dinner for you. Or have a friend of a friend send you to a man who can fix your car’s air conditioning for you at almost five o’clock and closing time.  Jamaica, land of contrasts.

So, on this last Friday morning in Jamaica (for now!), I am grateful for all of the experiences and encounters of this trip.  I am appreciative of the fact that my senses all work (lets not talk about the tinnitus that is so noticeable when I am in those quiet, remote parts of the island) and that I am physically able to walk, climb and enjoy the possibilities.  I am fortunate enough to have the means to afford this trip.  But this is not true for everyone.  And everyone in Jamaica does not have the same opportunities.  So there is plenty of work to be done.

Have a wonderful weekend, Family! May you appreciate all of your functioning body parts and systems, and have a thought for those who are less abled, but valid human beings.

One Love!

Namaste.