3-18-16
We left Roanoke early in the morning, meeting before the sun was up. We had lots of fun at the airport since there were a lot of us, but we got through it.
That said, to quote my Jamaica Journal, "Today was infinitely more exhausting than I could ever anticipated."
I think as travelers we tend to forget, much in the way we forget pain, about the long lines, the terrible airport food, and the anxiety of the potential for a missed flight. I won't go into the details of the flight -- why would I? That'd be boring. But suffice to say, when we landed, the view out of my window was *awesome* and I was thrilled by all the water.
After more travel related hassle and waiting (traveling with a group is always an interesting experience. There are pros and cons), we got into our bus and headed to Lucea. After intense heat of the day, the air conditioning of the bus was fantastic. I was trying to take in the scenery more than take pictures, but I did grab one shot.
My first impression of Jamaica was that it was a cross between Iquitos, Peru, and LA, but as I have come to learn, no place is exactly like another. You just have to take it as it comes. There will always be similarities, but each place is unique.
Since I'm low on pictures for day 1, I'm including (most) of my journal entry for day 1, with hindsight commentary attached when needed.
Journal Entry
It was amazing. I'm always trying to compare [everything] to what I've seen before but this was a really different feel. Not the Amazon or Home but definitely not Roanoke either . . . The traffic was madness, even for me. There weren't any road . . . lines like here. Drivers communicated by the touch of the horn and sheer aggression. It was fun. I did find it unnerving, the sheer amount of people who would come up to the car though -- mid traffic and everything! But you know, if you gotta make money, you do what you have to.
Commentary:
The determined salespeople were common in Peru and are more obvious in non-first world countries, but to say they only exist in third-world countries and the like is a huge mistake. There were plenty of that style of selling in both Paris and London, not to mention it's present in the US too! Similarly, while the road rules seem less strict somewhere like where we were in Jamaica, the drivers always seem to have their own rules and regulations and with conditions like that, you'd have to be a pretty amazing driver!
The scenery was beautiful though. From the air, it had looked turquoise and copper. From the ground, it was more LA based: palms, water all the way on one side of the road, and green. The most notable thing was stopping off for coco bread and patties and water. I didn't like the coco bread much, which was whole wheat, but the patties were really excellent. It reminded me of Cornish Pasty in Cornwall or London. Only, more meat (I had beef) and it was warm.
Commentary:
Cornish Pasties are generally warm. I'm not sure where my brain was at.
After this, we drove into Lucea and got dropped off at our respective houses. It had started to rain.
Commentary: It was almost poetic. It was pouring, the plants were getting soaked, the road was turning to mush, and right in front of us was this beautiful orange house with a white metal gate. We grabbed our suitcases from the guys in the pickup truck -- my roommate (whom we shall call C) had to dig for hers -- and rush in.
C and I were introduced to Miss H and her niece(?) A. The girl was fascinated by C and I. ONce we got inside, both C and I collapsed into our beds. I just laid there while C asked A questions. Eventually, I asked A if she liked to draw. She said yes*. So, I pulled some paper and we started drawing. C made (A) a fortune teller and I doodled A and C. A loved it and C was intrigued and impressed. We drew a little more and then it was dinner time.
*After this, (C) read Stephen King and I wrote in my journal. It was a nice silence.
Commentary:
C read Stephen King to herself, not to A, and it was the Shining.
When A first showed up, she lingered out in the hallway, (she had just turned 8, on leap day! :) ) very shyly hiding whenever we looked, until she became bolder and bolder, until C finally asked her questions and invited her in. A was so adorable and sweet and smart!
Miss H -- must not call her "N" -- bought fried chicken and gave us some excellent juice and some water. There was also bread. She had to boil the water, which made me really think about water usage, distribution, and things I take for granted.
Commentary:
In Jamaica, the respect for the elders is very important, and I have a habit of calling adults by their first name, something that's gotten me in trouble all over the world, but would have been especially problematic here.
In regards to the water issue, Jamaica has water, but most of their resources are, as I understand it, given to the tourists/resorts/hotels first, because that is what drives their economy. The people in the smaller towns, like Lucea, get less resources later.
After, we watched tv/news and Zika, the new election party, and water were brought up by Miss H. It was tremendously interesting. She talked about the rain, the garbage (the constant rain made the outdoor garbage turn toxic and slushy, and run into the streets, which made a mess), and how the citizens tried but the government did not.
Commentary:
Miss H thought Trump was crazy too. She's right!
After dinner, and our thank yous, C and I went back to our room and talked about fears and such -- - . . . -- all good.
Now C is asleep, so I'm going to take a quick shower -- it's soo humid! -- and head to bed too. Early start. Again. Sigh.
End Day One
Commentary: Journal has been edited for clarity, removal of personal details (it is a diary, after all), and boring side notes. I have noted things with (. . .) where the journal has been edited.
Will continue to add entries with photos and journal when possible. Also working on a comic.
Until next time, hope you've enjoyed!
~Emery
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