Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica
Photos of Nassau, The Bahamas
Photos of Eastern Caribbean Nations
Peculiar Photos of the Eastern Caribbean

MONTEGO BAY & KINGSTON, JAMAICA

NOVEMBER 2008


This brand new monument called "Gone Too Soon" was unveiled in downtown
Kingston on November 20, 2008. It is a tribute to the 400+ children who were
"killed in violent or tragic circumstances in Jamaica over the last five years"
There is a steady stream of tears coming from the eyes. The project cost US$30 million.

My Experience in Jamaica: Here's the main thing I learned. A lot of people go to Jamaica, and most of them arrive on a cruise ship or stay at a resort. Those who arrive on a cruise ship show up in the morning and get bused to the safest, most touristy, overpriced part of Montego Bay. Sometimes, they are taken by bus to an American-style restaurant in Negril. Either way, the cruise ship adventurers wind up wearing balloon art wrapped around their heads, dining at a TGI Friday's knockoff, and clogging souvenir shops where key chains cost five bucks. They shun local craft markets where the variety is better, cost half as much, and the experience is far more cultural.

The resort people are even more insulated. They are zipped from the airport to their comfort zone and locked inside. Then they are lectured about how dangerous it is to exit the fortification. Exploring, they are warned, will result in entering a very unpleasant world where evil is guaranteed to bestow upon them in the form of armed robbery. "Stay here in comfort," the resort staff admonishes, "and while you're at it, don't forget to spend all your dollars on our overpriced liquor and souvenirs."

Then there is the last type of visitor, and I met plenty of them. These are the folks who actually fly to Jamaica independently. Most of them plant themselves in the most comfy part of town, drink at the nicest bars, and talk about how terribly dangerous it is to be here. Go downtown? F*** no! Walk around at night? OMG you're joking!

One man I met had been working in Jamaica as a chemical engineer for about ten years. He was involved with the process of converting bauxite ore to aluminum metal. He wove me a tale of how his car once broke down in the mountains, and some "gang members" spent a great deal of time and trouble solving his problem. He told this story as if he were really living on the edge. I asked him if he had ever been robbed in all the time he's been here. "No," he replied.

Another man I met had just flown into Jamaica and planned to ride his bicycle around the perimeter of the island. He didn't bring anything with him except for a small backpack and his bicycle. He told me story after story about how he'd been robbed, scammed, and confused nearly everywhere he'd been in the world. This included that very day when he wanted to buy a pair of sandals and was deliberately disoriented by a local. He had to spend all his money to get someone to take him back to familiar territory. Then there was his story about how two Chinese girls in Beijing lured him into a restaurant where nobody would let him leave until he paid about US$1300. Then there was another story how he took his family to Sri Lanka, and various taxi drivers drove him around until there was nothing left in his wallet. It went on and on. He went to the Jamaican tourist office in Montego Bay, and they told him under no circumstances should he ride his bicycle around the country. Why didn't he look into this before he hauled himself and his bicycle all the way from Vancouver? I know you are reading this, Mr. G., so I am going to give you the advice I was too polite to give you when I met you. Find another hobby.

Look, I know I'm overly critical of other world travelers, and I'm not going to apologize for it. My point is simple. If you travel overseas, there is no point in doing so unless you make at least a small effort to remove yourself from your comfort zone and experience the day-to-day life of the country and its people. And if you are someone who is a magnet for trouble or lacks basic common sense, then please do us all a favor and limit your travels to your local shopping mall.

Small convenience store on Mt Salem Rd. in Montego Bay

Sign near the entrance to Gloucester St. (Montego Bay)
which is more commonly known as "The Hip Strip"

Los Angeles has the Hollywood sign; Montego Bay has the "Red Stripe" sign.
Red Stripe is Jamaica's extremely popular, locally produced beer.

The Bob Marley Museum is at 56 Hope St. in Kingston. On the (US$20) guided
tour of his house, you see the room where he was nearly assassinated,
as well as some of his most prized possesions, and his bedroom.

Looking north on Constant Spring Road, near Half Way Tree in uptown Kingston

And hopefully, it will be a long, action-packed show with a great plot and climax.

Hi. Table for two, please. I'd like non-smoking in a booth by the window if you have it.

Ummm, I don't know, cause I needed to charge my laptop. I promise, I'll give it back!

Jerk pork being sold amidst the mayhem of West Parade in downtown Kingston

A young man selling basic supplies on West Parade in downtown Kingston

"Redemption Song" is located at the entrance to Emancipation Park in uptown Kingston.
The statue cost US$4.5 million and depicts slaves gazing toward the heavens. The exposure of
their enormous private parts is a source of controversy and amusement. And the price tag isn't?

Mural near Falmouth on the road to Martha Brae. One part of it says
"The killing of black people in sight is sin" The rest of it I can't quite sort out.

Street musicians on King St. in Downtown Kingston

Plate on display at the Greenwood Great House near Montego Bay

In downtown Kingston, "Negro Aroused" was installed
on the 30th anniversary of Jamaica's independence to commemorate
the nation's workers and the Workers Movement which began in 1938.

At Rockland's Bird Sanctuary, you can feed the hummingbirds by hand
while other birds will dine on seeds placed on your pants.

Signs from Jamaica's safe driving campaign...
(note: the blurry photos were taken from a moving vehicle)

More random signs...