Our next leg of the day trip is to Occo Rios ? a region located on Jamaica?s northern coastline famous for its waterfalls. We bundle back into the bus and ready ourselves for another hour-long drive. Fortunately, a friend brought along our green merchandise and we feel it would be ceremonial to smoke it after being in such close proximity to the King of Reggae.

"Would you mind if we smoke?" we ask the driver.
"No Maan."
"Do you know the kind of smoke we mean?"
"Ya maan, marijuana!" Our good driver even procures us Rizzla papers from a real-life Rastafarian on the side of the road: "Hey Rasta, you gat sum skins?"

I don?t know why, but I didn?t expect local Jamaicans refer to Rastas as, well, Rastas. It all seemed so ?Jamaican!

We?re very stoned again and reggae is playing on the bus. We?re silent, staring out the widows at the lush, mountainous scenery float by. This is the moment that sums up Jamaica: Bob Marley, reggae, marijuana, a Garden of Eden and a feeling of complete relaxation that everyting? is gonna be alright.

Then we start pretending we?re on a roller coaster and taking fake ?hands up in the air? pictures.

Dunns River Falls ? the road less travelled

The group activity at Dunn?s River Falls is to form a human chain and slowly be led up a gushing multi-tired waterfall by a local guide. This seemed rather dull for adventure-seeking guys so we went up the action route, solo ? climbing up sheer walls of rock and water. OK, slight exaggeration, but a friend climbing above me did lose his footing and as I laughed as he zoomed past me.

After finishing our refreshing ascent I lie on a bench and look up at the forest canopy. Shards of white light pierce the foliage and between the gaps I see massive hawks circling in the sky. I listen to the waterfall gushing and gurgling in the background and I get the sense that this is so good it has to be fake.

I curse Sun City, the Lost City and Monte Casino for tarnishing my appreciation of this beautiful place. Relaxation overpowers me and shopping malls, busy tubes, hooting and human congestion are carried away by the waterfall and into the warm Caribbean Sea.

I do

I?m here for a wedding though and the ceremony is picturesque with a handsome couple uniting in front of a resplendent backdrop. The wedding party was also very special except for the moment when, mid-conversation with a relative, I took a bite on a nut which shattered my tooth.

We also went back to Margaretville with a few American girls the single lads hooked up with who were terrified at the thought of leaving the resort. They also weren?t told that they would have to dance with large Jamaican men and work their booty like employees at a Nike sweat shop.

One had to be ?talked into? Margaretville.

I don?t (want to go)

Sadly, I?m about to check out of the hotel and head off to the tourist shop for some trinkets to take home. We?ve unsuccessfully attempted to finish of the remainders of the weed, but in the process of trying I?ve become rather fuzzy headed. I fumble around for my wallet and apologise to the woman at the till for being so slow.

"That?s ok," she says. "Sometimes we?re a bit like that too." I laugh and say that this is a good place to be. "Ya, maan," she replies. "You?re in Jamaica Maan." Yes, she is right.