If you’re a “true” Bob Marley fan (who isn’t?), then you have to check out the Bob Marley Museum in 9 mile, St. Ann, Jamaica.
It’s a hell of a ride through the hills, on some of the worst roads you’ll ever see. But once you get there, you’ll enjoy how crisp and fresh the air is.
It’s also crazy to think that such a great man could come from such a remote, humble place.
I’m sure the place isn’t quite like it was when Mr. Marley was coming up, but they did their best to preserve the original look.
For example, you’ll get a chance to see the house that he was born and raised in.
According to the tour guide, all the furnishings are original and have only been “touched-up” for preservation.
They were very strict about me not taking pictures of the inside, so the one below is the only one I got.
Just outside the house, there’s a rock that’s painted in Rasta colors. This rock had a specific name but I cant remember it now. If you know what it is, please leave it in the comment section below.
But this rock was apparently Bob Marley’s favorite place to sit and “hol a meds”. I imagine him sitting here with a big ganja spliff and looking out at the view (which you cant see from the picture).
The tour guides will also be able to tell you specific songs that he wrote while sitting here.
Not too far away, is where Bob Marley and his mother was actually buried.
Actually, they weren’t buried so maybe I should’ve said “laid to rest”. Inside these buildings are marble structures that hold the remains of Bob Marley and his mother, 6 feet above the ground rather than the traditional 6 feet below.
Once again, they were very strict about carrying camera’s inside so I couldn’t get any photos.
What I can tell you though is that you can walk in and take a look, but you have to leave your shoes outside.
People also leave little souvenirs all over the inside so if you want to, remember to take something with you.
The tour then continues on to a kind of trophy room. I’m pretty sure that this building was added after but here you’ll see all kinds of plaques that represent his various musical accomplishments.
They have a restaurant on the property that wasn’t open the day I went so I didn’t get to taste the food. But I imagine they have all kinds of fish meals and “ital food”.
There’s also a bar close by if you want to chill out and light one up with a cool drink. Seeing that I was at the Bob Marley museum, I had to try some Marley Coffee which btw was very good.
And I think looking out over the view that Bob Marley must have enjoyed thousands of times only added to the experience.
After that the tour get’s really commercialized. There are multiple stores that sell all kinds of Bob Marley products.
But I must admit, the quality of everything was on point. When buying from here, you know that everything is authentic and not some cheap knock-off. And I got the impression that they take care in making sure that everything with the Bob Marley brand is made with quality.
All in all, this was a pretty decent experience. I saw many people walking around blowing the sweet aroma of Ganja into the air so if you’re into that, you’ll be able to partake.