Jamaica 2013 notes #2
May 24, 2013. It is exactly 3 months to the day since my return from Negril, Jamaica. I fell while doing yoga, coming down from shoulderstand, ignoring my own sage advice to go into and come out of a pose slowly. I hurt my upper back, ignored it -- kept on with the yoga which was probably a mistake -- and when I got home my back was worse. Two or three days after my return I woke up with excrutiating pain, and tingling down my left arm. I went to the doctor and without going into all the medics, it was discovered I have a pinched nerve. Now, 3 months and much physical therapy, massage and chiropractic adjustments later, I am about 80% good.
I am learning lessons all the time. The above is just one. I share with you the following about the beginning days of probably my 17th Jamaica experience. Pre yoga, I spent 3 days at another hotel on the beach "resting up" from a grueling trip from Los Angeles to Jamaica in anticipation of the yoga work ahead.
Day two Jamaica hot sunny perfect weather.
Sitting on a broken down plastic lounge chair covered with an ageing beach towel, I am under a small straw hut that has no sides, the only respite from the very hot sun is the thatchings above. I inch my chair into position -- upper body, head and arms in shade, legs and feet in sun. I have plenty of space to locate the chaise any which way.
The view is almost perfect. My friend too is in a chaise. She is oiled up and basted. She is in full sun and is blocking my panoramic view of the sea, some 20 or 30 feet in front of me. The black heads bopping up and down in the water look like giant marbles, they seem so far away and my friend is so nearby.
I don't mind this -- I look up at the sky and it is an Expressionist painting by Monet -- the moving cotton ball clouds are thin here, thick there, and one can see the blue sky through the thin ones. It grows a bit chilly and so even though I can't see it, I know the sun is in shadow momentarily. Just momentarily.
Once more, in an instant, all is bright and white and blue skies. The sea is decidedly green. Pale water color green at the shore and quickly growing in intensity until a few feet deep the sea is black, then dark green. Watching the sea change colors is mesmerizing.
Sitting on the lounge I can feel myself dozing off. I had a beer at lunch and took a benadryl earlier. It feels very good to be sleepy but I don't want to sleep now so to shake it off I rise, and jerkily wnd my way towards the water. Tiny waves greet me and say welcome, come on in, the water's fine! And indeed it is. I can swim and splash around-- it is almost like having my own private ocean. After a few minutes I come out, wrap a beach towel around myself, gather my things and head for my room. Time for a shower -- hopefully the water is finally hot -- a little writing, a little rest before going out at 6 pm to dinner. There aren't many people in the water or on the beach. Tourism is down, and there are so many tiny hotels dotting the beach you can have your pick.
Jamaica is a wonderland. I've been here so many times and it never ceases to amaze and capture. Certainly some of the glitter of newness has worn off; I've seen and done almost everything one can do on this part of he island. I am content now, for a few days, to just relax and let go. Sleeping, eating, sun and sea fills all my daily requirements just now. Unwinding sounds easy enough but for me it isn't. The tension of travelling is like a large ball of wool, slow to unravel with many knots impeding progress. The mind is difficult to turn off. But here I am and will take it as it comes.
The party tonight, Saturday, is for those who did the first week of the yoga retreat; I always do the second, however, I do attend the party, with some trepidation. How will I be greeted, if, indeed at all? I arrive, always, after the dinner is served and mostly eaten. I don't really need to worry, someone will always buy me a drink, several people will get up from their meals to greet me, and those I don't know will just wonder who this gatecrasher is.
I traditionally go to The Rock House for dinner ,my favorite restaurant in Negril, a few hours before. All year long I dream of The Rock House. It is a gorgeous outdoors and indoors restaurant, part of a hotel. It sits on and overlooks a body of water and several huts where people stay. Watching the sun set from the patio of The Rock House is sublime. I've taken dozens of pictures of this but none of them does the experience justice.
The party is just a few hundred feet down the road and so I walk from there. This time I will have my friend with me, the first time ever I am traveling with a friend; generally I am alone.
More anon.
May 24, 2013. It is exactly 3 months to the day since my return from Negril, Jamaica. I fell while doing yoga, coming down from shoulderstand, ignoring my own sage advice to go into and come out of a pose slowly. I hurt my upper back, ignored it -- kept on with the yoga which was probably a mistake -- and when I got home my back was worse. Two or three days after my return I woke up with excrutiating pain, and tingling down my left arm. I went to the doctor and without going into all the medics, it was discovered I have a pinched nerve. Now, 3 months and much physical therapy, massage and chiropractic adjustments later, I am about 80% good.
I am learning lessons all the time. The above is just one. I share with you the following about the beginning days of probably my 17th Jamaica experience. Pre yoga, I spent 3 days at another hotel on the beach "resting up" from a grueling trip from Los Angeles to Jamaica in anticipation of the yoga work ahead.
Day two Jamaica hot sunny perfect weather.
Sitting on a broken down plastic lounge chair covered with an ageing beach towel, I am under a small straw hut that has no sides, the only respite from the very hot sun is the thatchings above. I inch my chair into position -- upper body, head and arms in shade, legs and feet in sun. I have plenty of space to locate the chaise any which way.
The view is almost perfect. My friend too is in a chaise. She is oiled up and basted. She is in full sun and is blocking my panoramic view of the sea, some 20 or 30 feet in front of me. The black heads bopping up and down in the water look like giant marbles, they seem so far away and my friend is so nearby.
I don't mind this -- I look up at the sky and it is an Expressionist painting by Monet -- the moving cotton ball clouds are thin here, thick there, and one can see the blue sky through the thin ones. It grows a bit chilly and so even though I can't see it, I know the sun is in shadow momentarily. Just momentarily.
Once more, in an instant, all is bright and white and blue skies. The sea is decidedly green. Pale water color green at the shore and quickly growing in intensity until a few feet deep the sea is black, then dark green. Watching the sea change colors is mesmerizing.
Sitting on the lounge I can feel myself dozing off. I had a beer at lunch and took a benadryl earlier. It feels very good to be sleepy but I don't want to sleep now so to shake it off I rise, and jerkily wnd my way towards the water. Tiny waves greet me and say welcome, come on in, the water's fine! And indeed it is. I can swim and splash around-- it is almost like having my own private ocean. After a few minutes I come out, wrap a beach towel around myself, gather my things and head for my room. Time for a shower -- hopefully the water is finally hot -- a little writing, a little rest before going out at 6 pm to dinner. There aren't many people in the water or on the beach. Tourism is down, and there are so many tiny hotels dotting the beach you can have your pick.
Jamaica is a wonderland. I've been here so many times and it never ceases to amaze and capture. Certainly some of the glitter of newness has worn off; I've seen and done almost everything one can do on this part of he island. I am content now, for a few days, to just relax and let go. Sleeping, eating, sun and sea fills all my daily requirements just now. Unwinding sounds easy enough but for me it isn't. The tension of travelling is like a large ball of wool, slow to unravel with many knots impeding progress. The mind is difficult to turn off. But here I am and will take it as it comes.
The party tonight, Saturday, is for those who did the first week of the yoga retreat; I always do the second, however, I do attend the party, with some trepidation. How will I be greeted, if, indeed at all? I arrive, always, after the dinner is served and mostly eaten. I don't really need to worry, someone will always buy me a drink, several people will get up from their meals to greet me, and those I don't know will just wonder who this gatecrasher is.
I traditionally go to The Rock House for dinner ,my favorite restaurant in Negril, a few hours before. All year long I dream of The Rock House. It is a gorgeous outdoors and indoors restaurant, part of a hotel. It sits on and overlooks a body of water and several huts where people stay. Watching the sun set from the patio of The Rock House is sublime. I've taken dozens of pictures of this but none of them does the experience justice.
The party is just a few hundred feet down the road and so I walk from there. This time I will have my friend with me, the first time ever I am traveling with a friend; generally I am alone.
More anon.