While vacationing in Jamaica, I had the opportunity to go to the village of Nine Mile, in the heart of the country. The village of Nine Mile is the final resting place of Bob Marley, the man who changed the world through his music, vision, and his message of peace and love. In my younger, more quick-tempered days, Bob Marley's music was a source of therapy, as it would put me in a state of calmness and tranquility. It was only right for me that whenever I would go to Jamaica for whatever reason, I would make a trip to his resting place and pay my respects.
Leaving our hotel in Runaway Bay, our taxi took us up the winding, mountainous roads leading into the interior of Jamaica. The roads did not look safe at all, and although the mountainside provided some spectacular views of the faraway coast, there were no barriers between the road and the cliff side, so the trek did feel slightly dangerous. We passed through some local towns, where we purchased some drinks and snacks for the continuing voyage. After some time, we arrived at the village of Nine Mile, Bob Marley's hometown and resting place.
The taxi dropped us off at the bottom of a hill where Bob Marley's home was, and immediately, a man approached us, wanting to sell us some marijuana (of course). After we perused his selection of buds and pre-rolled spliffs, we walked up the hill to the compound, which contained the childhood home of Bob Marley. As we were walking, there were a few souvenir shops. All of them sold the same overpriced, tacky goods that all souvenir shops would have.
We went up to an elevated dwelling where there was a bar and a lookout spot where we can gaze at the mountainous terrain of the heart of Jamaica. Our tour guide met us at the bar, and he took us down to the house of Bob Marley's grandparents, all while he explained the history of the Marley family. The house of Bob Marley's grandparents was predictably small, though not as small as you may not think. Various home pictures, posters, and artwork covered the home. There was also a large amount of figurines, sewed together by Bob Marley's mother, Cedella, which was what made her a living.
Our tour guide took us to a room where there were a selection of gold and platinum record plaques for Bob Marley's albums, as well as other posters and artwork. After another man approached me to ask if I wanted some weed, I went outside where there was a small stage. A band was playing all of Bob Marley's greatest hits, including "Concrete Jungle" and "One Love", where everyone was singing and dancing along. A stall was set up across from the stage where you can try some of the local spices and sauces that were cultivated locally in the Nine Mile area.
We went up a hill to the area that housed Bob Marley's childhood home, as well as the mausoleums of Bob Marley and his mother. We were required to remove our shoes in order to enter the mausoleums, and we could not take pictures or videos inside, as a show of respect. As I was walking around inside the mausoleums, and in particular, the mausoleum of Bob Marley, I felt a feeling of reverence. Bob Marley is one of my musical idols, and for me to be there in the flesh to pay my respects to someone so revered throughout the world is an incredibly humbling feeling.
We also toured the childhood home of Bob Marley, which was a tiny, two-room abode where he and his mother lived. I was barely short enough to enter inside the home without hitting my head on the ceiling. The home also had various pictures, flags, and other trinkets that Bob Marley and his family held dear. My favorite stop on the tour was when our tour guide took us to Bob Marley's meditation rock just outside his home. In his day, Bob Marley would lay his head on the rock, using it as his pillow. He would write his music, while smoking his spliff, and occasionally he would take naps on that very rock. I could not help but lay my head on that very rock like Bob Marley did, and I felt more comfortable than I thought it would be. I felt at peace, and all I was missing was a big spliff on the side of my mouth. Luckily, there was yet another man who was selling weed on the side of the rock. I will admit that the quality of the marijuana was not the best, as I am sure that the tourists that come here would just smoke for the hell of it.
Overall, the tour was incredible, and if you are any sort of a fan of Bob Marley's music, you owe it to yourself to experience this tour if you happen to be in Jamaica. The history around the mausoleums and the childhood home is rich and detailed, and the tour guide made you experience the life of Bob Marley as a child and a music icon. I feel so blessed to partake on the pilgrimage to Bob Marley's resting place and appreciate in person what he has done for the world. I will never forget this experience.
See my video and more pictures below:
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