Esquire Magazine: The Ricky Williams Story

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[Saulbadguy]

I PITY THE FOO!

[NewChief]

Which one of you homos has an Esquire subscription so we can get the rest?

It's only $2.95 to get the rest of the story. Kitty up, End.

[NewChief]

The funniest part about this is that Ricky Williams is going through just about the exact same phase that I went through....when I was 22.

[Bob Dole]

The funniest part about this is that Ricky Williams is going through just about the exact same phase that I went through....when I was 22.

Damn.

How could you walk away from all that money?

[NewChief]

Damn.

How could you walk away from all that money?

It was hard, damned hard. Then I laid back in my sleeping bag, zipped up my tent flap, and lit up another spliff.

[nmt1]

I've been to Nine Mile. It ain't all that.
They try to play it up as some kind of religious experience but I didn't see it. A couple of small buildings, Marley's tomb, a gift shop with wildly overpriced merchandise and 50 people either begging for money or trying to sell you pot. The tomb was the most interesting part with all the memorabilia and stuff but the tour lasted about 20 minutes. I didn't find it that interesting.

[NewChief]

I've been to Nine Mile. It ain't all that.
They try to play it up as some kind of religious experience but I didn't see it. A couple of small buildings, Marley's tomb, a gift shop with wildly overpriced merchandise and 50 people either begging for money or trying to sell you pot. The tomb was the most interesting part with all the memorabilia and stuff but the tour lasted about 20 minutes. I didn't find it that interesting.

I love Marley, but I didn't even go to Nine Mile when I was in Jamaica, for that very reason. A friend of mine went and did sit down with Bob's mom and share a cup of herbal tea with her. She said she was a very nice lady.

[nmt1]

I love Marley, but I didn't even go to Nine Mile when I was in Jamaica, for that very reason. A friend of mine went and did sit down with Bob's mom and share a cup of herbal tea with her. She said she was a very nice lady.

That's cool. I'm sure she is a nice lady.
I'm not a Marley fan so I guess it's part of the reason I didn't get much from it. What kind of bothered me about it and really all of Jamaica is how all the natives assumed that all Americans were down there to smoke pot. I had more people acost me to try to sell me pot than I care to remember. I know they're poor down there but, jeeze, if I said no 10 minutes ago what makes you think I'll say yes 10 minutes later?
If I ever go back to Jamaica, I'll stay on the resort exclusively.

[nmt1]

Well...

Oh, don't take me for a fool. I realize that probably 90% of Americans are there to smoke pot. I guess I didn't enjoy the persistance with which they pursued their potential customers, particularly the one, me, who said no over and over again.

[NewChief]

I know they're poor down there but, jeeze, if I said no 10 minutes ago what makes you think I'll say yes 10 minutes later?
If I ever go back to Jamaica, I'll stay on the resort exclusively.

Lots of people feel that way about Jamaica, and it's a shame really. The Jamaican people are absolutely amazing, awesome people. The problem is that their economy sucks, and by selling a joint to a tourist, they can make more money with that one joint than by working for a week. So, it's not hard to figure out why they do it and why they're so persistent.

The best advice I can give to people about Jamaica is to get off the beaten path. If you go mainly to the tourist destinations, you're going to encounter all the hassle of vendors because they've learned to prey on the tourists that frequent those areas. If you get off the beaten path, you encounter the real Jamaica where the people are honest and friendly and, frankly, embarassed by the way their countrymen harass tourists.

I highly recommend a little community called Treasure Beach (www.treasurebeach.net) for anyone going to Jamaica. It's goal is sustainable, hassle-free, community-sponsored tourism, and it's doing a very nice job of it. Of course, the all-inclusive resorts are nice, but you're not really "seeing" Jamaica if you never leave them.

[nmt1]

Lots of people feel that way about Jamaica, and it's a shame really. The Jamaican people are absolutely amazing, awesome people. The problem is that their economy sucks, and by selling a joint to a tourist, they can make more money with that one joint than by working for a week. So, it's not hard to figure out why they do it and why they're so persistent.

The best advice I can give to people about Jamaica is to get off the beaten path. If you go mainly to the tourist destinations, you're going to encounter all the hassle of vendors because they've learned to prey on the tourists that frequent those areas. If you get off the beaten path, you encounter the real Jamaica where the people are honest and friendly and, frankly, embarassed by the way their countrymen harass tourists.

I highly recommend a little community called Treasure Beach (www.treasurebeach.net) for anyone going to Jamaica. It's goal is sustainable, hassle-free, community-sponsored tourism, and it's doing a very nice job of it. Of course, the all-inclusive resorts are nice, but you're not really "seeing" Jamaica if you never leave them.

We got off the beaten path a little. The trip up to and back from Nine Mile was actually pretty enjoyable. I agree that the Jamaican people are great. The gentleman who drove us to and from Nine Mile grew up on a farm near Ocho Rios and was very knowledgable about the local agriculture as well as the plant life and customs. I asked him tons of questions and he had lots of answers. It was the best part of the excursion. He didn't seem to be part of the "soak the tourists" crowd. Plus, he showed me how to pop the cap off a Red Stripe with a water bottle, bonus!
The other trips off the resort were solely attempts to funnel tourists and their money into areas where they could be taken advantage of. Well, that's a little harsh but they were designed to separate us from our money. I'd like to go back one day but don't know if I'll ever have the means.