Falmouth, Jamaica

6 things I learned from staying with locals in Jamaica:

1. Jamaicans are really friendly, pushy, but friendly. In Falmouth, the cruise port, if you remotely resemble someone that got off the ship they will ask you a ton of questions. Including if you want weed. It is legal and the smell can sometimes be overwhelming. I found that if you tell them you are local, even if you are not, they are more likely to leave you alone. If you ask someone where something is, they will walk you there and expect a tip. They hustle for their money.

2. If you would like to smoke a joint, don't pay more than $.50 or 500 Jamaican dollars for it. The stuff grows on trees here!

3. The market is a great experience on Saturdays. Falmouth market is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and the best day to go for the best prices and selection is Saturday. You can expect to find bananas, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, eggs, eggplant, lettuce, bok choy, okra, oranges, coconut, pineapple, mangos,  and many other local goodies. Most items are 100JMB per lb. I was unable to find any meats, but locals told me that if you track down a fisherman he will bring you any local fish you want the next day.

Hole in the wall Jerk Chicken place

4. The jerk chicken and rice is very tasty. At a hole in the wall place I got 2 pieces of chicken with rice and slaw for $3. Give it a try, it's likely you'll go back for another helping. I did...

5. It's likely you may not understand the Jamaicans when they speak. In the hills they speak Potio, Jamaican broken English. Many of the workers in the tourist areas you will be able to understand. And if you speak it, you'll get the local prices at the market.

Jamaican Beach Bar

6. Red Stripe is called 'beer' here. It's one of 3 beers I found here and red stripe is obviously the beer of choice here (It's the Jamaican beer, if you didn't know). Other choices are Heineken and Guinness, but I did not find them to be served at restaurants. Don't pay more than $4 or 400 JD for a beer.