Posted ByNegrilClub on March 29, 2003 at 17:10:15:
WALK GOOD – Review on Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com)
A nifty (and funny!) travelogue set in Negril on the western tip of Jamaica, known as the ‘Capital of Cool’. Walk Good is an affectionate look at the people and places of Negril by one Roland "Thomas" Reimer, self styled expert on Bob Marley lyrics and questor for the perfect conch shell. Reimer's semi-fictional account of his journey to the fabled seven-mile-beach town -- ostensibly to get married -- is packed with humorous adventures and encounters with characters of both the local and tourist varieties.
The first part of the book deals with Reimer's final bachelor days in Negril. It's a convenient foil for his vignettes of scuba diving, fishing and partying with various Negrillites. These stories have no doubt been gathered from his various trips to the area over the years. Meet Danny, whose lack of the latest in scuba equipment doesn't stop him diving to scary depths; the ‘Jerks’, obnoxious but essentially naive "good ole boys" from Toronto; and a cast of hustlers and survivors making a living on the beach yet not too busy to stop and exchange pleasantries with a inquiring and laid back white man.
The second part of the book goes into Thomas's wedding, where he's transformed from beachcomber to prospective groom and protective father of teenaged daughters. After the nuptials, the scene switches to the all-inclusive Negril experience, and Reimer provides a funny look at the goings on at the wacky Hedonism II. (Note to the queasy: reports on hot tub activities are not for the faint of hygiene.) There's also an account of the infamous nude mass wedding, which, with Reimer's keen and cynical eye, is seen as for the publicity stunt it was (attended by no less than the head of Superclubs- though, it must be said, fully dressed). Underlying all this is a rather sweet story of a guy getting hitched to the love of his life, and introducing her to the paradise that is Negril.
The Thomas in the book is one step beyond the usual repeat tourist: he's the guy who goes outside the comfort zones and gets behind the facades of the huts and shops to see and understand what life is like for locals. His account of his ‘Pilgrimage’ to the resting place of the great reggae star ‘Bob Marley, is both captivating and moving. The book is refreshingly short on the sentimentalized (and therefore patronizing) view of Jamaicans that some Jamaica lovers can develop.
Overall, Reimer has an easy style that makes the book a quick and absorbing read. There is a healthy sprinkling of Jamaican proverbs throughout the book, which are helpfully translated in a section on Jamaican patois at the end ("Mi come yah fe drink milk, me no come yah fe count cow" – ‘More action! Less talk! Let’s get down to business!’)
Walk Good is a nifty travelogue and handbook for those who want to take a little more of Negril on its own terms.