This is the third and final part of our series on Jamaica
If you missed the previous stories, you can find them here:
Part 1: „Jamaica as they saw it“
Part 2: „Jamaica. The adventures continue – Usain Bolt and Rick’s Cafe“
Every brochure about Jamaica mentions Bob Marley and Ian Fleming as two of the island’s most famous figures. And alongside them, the famous Seven Mile Beach.
We've already "visited" Bob Marley's house.
We had Ian Fleming's house left, the James Bond beach, and, of course, the famous spot where Ursula Andress comes out of the water in the first 007 film.
Ursula Andress and the First James Bond
Ursula Andress is the beauty who in 1962 played Honey Ryder in the film „Dr. No“ with Sean Connery – the first film in the James Bond series.
To this day, the scene in which she emerges from the sea in her white swimsuit is considered one of the most iconic in the history of cinema. It was quite daring for its time, and Ursula Andress became one of the sexiest icons in the early history of Bond.
And here’s a little editor’s note especially for the younger generation: this scene is so famous that, over the years, Ursula Andress’s emergence from the sea has even been compared to Botticelli’s painting „The Birth of Venus.“.
There are also a few curious facts around it.
Ursula Andress has a fake tan for the stage.
Her voice in the film is dubbed by another actress.
For the role, he receives a relatively modest fee by today's standards of 10,000 US dollars.
And her famous white swimsuit later became a true collector's item.
But „Dr. No“ is important not only because of the beautiful Ursula Andress.
It is in this very film that some of the elements which later became a trademark of the James Bond films are shaped – the famous opening sequence with Bond in the gun barrel and the musical theme associated with the franchise.
Ian Fleming—the man behind 007
Jan Fleming was born in London in 1908. His father, Valentin Fleming, was an officer who was killed in World War I. His mother, Evelyn, raised her sons after his death.
Fleming received a prestigious education at Eton and later worked as a journalist for Reuters. In 1939, his life took a completely different turn.
An invitation to lunch changes everything.
Fleming met with Admiral John Henry Godfrey, director of Naval Intelligence, and worked for British naval intelligence during World War II. He was not the typical agent who ran around the world with a gun in his hand. His work was primarily staff-based—planning, intelligence operations, and coordination.
And it was precisely this world that would later provide his imagination with a vast amount of material.
One of the most interesting figures from his military years was Patrick Dalzel-Job—an officer with extraordinary abilities who served under Fleming’s command. He could ski backward, operate a mini-submarine, was an excellent marksman, and often acted on his own initiative, even when that meant disobeying an order.
It's not hard to guess where some of James Bond's personality might have come from.
Dalzel-Job himself, however, never saw himself as the real 007.
And that's how James Bond was born
Fleming loved Jamaica and returned there after the war. In 1946, he bought a plot of land near Oracabessa and named it GoldenEye—a name linked to one of his military operations.
There, amid the tropical vegetation and the sea, he finds the place where he can write.
In 1952, he began writing his first James Bond novel—*Casino Royale*. The book was published in 1953, marking the debut of the literary James Bond, Agent 007. Fleming went on to publish a Bond novel almost every year until his death.
Fleming himself admits that he drew heavily on his experiences in Naval Intelligence, as well as his own interests and knowledge, to create the world of Bond.
And in a sense, 007 is his literary counterpart—only with more women, cars, weapons, and adventures.
Fleming didn't even particularly like the choice of Sean Connery for the role of Bond at first. But after *Dr. No*, the actor impressed him so much that his opinion of him changed.
Even the origins of the literary Bond have gradually become associated with Scotland.
Ian Fleming died in 1964, at the age of just 56.
After his death, other authors continued to write about the adventures of James Bond.
But Jamaica will always remain a part of his world.
On the way home
After everything we'd read and heard, we couldn't wait to see *GoldenEye*.
We reached the village and expected large signposts giving directions to the estate.
Nothing.
We wandered around, looked around, and wondered where this famous place was.
The only thing that reminded of the writer was the signpost to the airport named Ian Fleming.
It was Sunday and the streets were full of Jamaicans returning from church.
We were struck by the fact that a large number of people go to church—just like we've seen in the movies.
Neat, clean, wearing white clothes and suits. Festive.
We decided to ask where we should go.
We pulled up to the curb, rolled down the car window, and asked the question.
And guess what!
Pack - dollars, otherwise no.
We got angry and continued to look on our own.
We finally stopped at the exact address. In fact, we had passed by there before, but nothing had told us that we were in the right place.
There were no signs.
Just an ordinary fence and a lot of greenery.
One of the guards came out and was so kind as to explain to us that visits must be booked in advance and without a prior reservation there is simply no way we can get in.
We had arrived during the indicated working hours, but nothing was mentioned in the brochures about prior reservation.
We hit a dead end for the second time.
We are left with James Bond Beach
"Well, at least James Bond Beach can't be closed," we thought.
A beach like any other. Open space.
There was a large crowd at the entrance.
They directed us where to park.
At first we were scared, thinking about what had happened to Bob Marley, but we gathered our courage and got out of the car.
We had come anyway.
Let's see something from the famous James Bond.
And we found ourselves in the middle of a big „Hallelujah“ celebration.
Music, food, children, and families.
Everyone stared at us like we were aliens.
But no one asked what we were doing there.
We even tried some of their delicacies.
We walked around the area and saw the location associated with Ursula Andress's famous scene.
Still—that's something!
Seven Mile Beach
On the way back to the hotel, we also stopped by the famous Seven Mile Beach – one of Jamaica's most renowned beaches.
Exoticism.
Paradise on Earth.
White, fine sand, crystal-clear water, and that feeling that you never want to get out of the ocean.
We sat down on the beach.
A young man approached us. He introduced himself as our savior.
We were reserved and didn't talk much.
But he was a smooth talker.
And for a full ten minutes, he didn't mention money.
We were just thinking:
Finally! A Yamaec who doesn't want any money!
He showed us the motorcycle he had bought, and he was obviously very proud of it.
My husband gradually relaxed, went to see him, and the two of them started talking quite normally.
We had just thought that this time we'd come across someone who just wanted to chat with tourists.
And then, out of the blue, the question came:
Should we give him some dollars for the motorcycle?
Well, that was just too much.
We packed our bags in a hurry and escaped.
We weren't really able to enjoy the sea and the beach.
You feel like you're being hounded from all sides. You can't stop anywhere in peace without someone popping up with yet another request for dollars.
We are tired.
We didn't want to stop anywhere else.
Direct to the hotel.
Two days later, a day trip organized by the travel agency awaited us.
At least I hope it's not like that there. 🙂
End of Part Three – „Adventures in Jamaica“.
See more about the author Maria Sund here
