Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 223

Mix it up with the locals in the
cariBBean

Away from its sun-drenched beaches, palm-adorned resorts and colourful reefs, the real
pulse of the Caribbean is found in the homes of the locals, and on the sometimes sleepy,
sometimes vibrant streets. The following five experiences will give you a little taster of
Caribbean life.

290 Get an
“overstanding” of Rasta,
Jamaica
One of the most common phrases
you'll hear a Rasta say is “I and
I”. Often used in place of “You” or
“I”, it refers to the union of man
and Jah (the Rasta word for God),
and expresses their belief in the
importance of community. A great
place to learn about the Rasta way
of life is at the mellow Riverside
Cool Cottages, run by Ras Solomon
Jackson (known as Mokko), Doret
and their four children. You'll
enjoy delicious vegetarian food
- what the Rastas call ital - go

walking into the surrounding forests, or hang
out with the family and their friends. Staying in
the rural community of Sunning Hill gives you
the chance to move from a limited understanding
of Rastafarian culture to an “overstanding”
- their particular term for an enlightenment
that raises one's consciousness.

Need to know Sunning Hill is a 1hr drive east of
Kingston. Mokko will happily arrange a cab for you.
For more information, and to find out about other
homestays, see W www.worldstogethertravel.com.

291 Root veg and culture, Jamaica
There are carnivals and festivals of all shapes
and sizes all across the Caribbean, but
few so wholly local as Jamaica's week-long
Trelawny Yam Festival. First held in Albert
Town in 1997, it's a celebration of all things
to do with Jamaica's favourite vegetable - the
unprepossessing, potato-like yam. The festival
aims to promote the consumption of the
vegetable and to thereby boost the local economy.
Along with singing and dancing recitals by eager
schoolchildren, there's the obligatory “biggest
yam” competition, and the more unusual “most
congenial man” - all played out against a
constant backdrop of dub and reggae.

Need to know Albert Town is 100km northwest
of Kingston. There's no public bus but private
minibuses leave from the bus station. For
information about the festival and nature tours in
the area see W www.stea.net; T [phone].

Jamaican rastafarian sporting typical headwear; Yams are the central attraction at the week-long
Trelawny Yam Festival