Jamaica Vacation, Nov 28 to Dec 6, 2001
Instead, we were flown to Los Angeles, and then had a nonstop flight from there to Miami, due to arrive 30 minutes after our connecting flight to Montego Bay was due to leave. I thought that our overnight stay in Miami should have been paid for by American Airlines, but they didn't see it that way. I was ready to spend the night at the airport, but Diana found a reasonably priced motel with a free shuttle, so we went there instead.
We were lucky that we didn't have a resort already paid for that first night in Jamaica, as we then would have been out alot more money. Another plus was that instead of arriving in the evening, after it was already dark, we would now be arriving in Jamaica at noon, thereby making the long drive to Leasa's house better for seeing the sights along the way.
The next day, our Miami to Montego Bay flight went smoothly. Going through customs and then immigration was no problem either. We exited the building to meet our friend Leasa, but no Leasa. We had no backup plan, and so we waited. And waited, and waited.
Leasa knew about the change in arrival day and time, and so we were starting to wonder where she was and what might have happened to her. We were getting lots of help and suggestions from the waiting taxi drivers, etc. One called Leasa's home for us, but no answer. One offered to take us to a great local resort. They couldn't take us to Leasa's house because it was a 3 hour drive and we didn't have her address anyway. We also didn't plan to leave the airport without Leasa, as this was our first time in Jamaica and so we didn't know anything.
After waiting an hour and a half I went again to the Information office at the airport and told him my problem. He called Leasa's home also and was in the middle of leaving a message, when I felt someone come up and give me a hug from behind. Without bothering to look who it was, I just told the man helping me that I thought that I had just located Leasa, and that everything was ok now. I was right.
Now that Leasa was found, all of our worries dissappeared. It turned
out that Leasa's driver had been delayed, and so they got a late start
on the long drive into Montego Bay. Leasa introduced us to Mr.Bomb,
who then loaded our bags into the back of his station wagon. Leasa got
in back with Diana and I got in front with Mr.Bomb.
What happened next took a few days before I finally started getting used to. I was very glad that I was not driving. I didn't realize it before, but in Jamaica, they drive on the left. That put me sitting in the front seat where I would normally be driving the car. They also drive very fast over narrow windy roads lined with cows, goats, pedestrians, bicycles, and parked cars. We were often passing people walking along the side of the road while going 80 km (50 mph) with just about one foot of distance between us. Because of the narrow roads, it was just one line of traffic in each direction, and wherever possible, cars were either passing or being passed, sometimes safely and sometimes not.
This method of driving only works if everyone knows the rules. People walking along the road know that they need to get out of the way and so they do. The cars expect the people to move, and so they don't slow down. The horn is used as often as the brake. Drivers learn to react very quickly, as often a car just in front will decide to stop or turn without any advance indication. Oh, and I forgot to mention the potholes. They need to watch out for them also. Mr.Bomb said that tires and springs need to be replaced alot. I could see why.
There is basicly one main road which circles Jamaica, plus a few main roads which cut across from north to south. From Montego Bay, on the north-west side of the island, we traveled east along the northern shore. About at the halfway point we stopped in Ocho Rios for lunch. Ocho Rios has alot of big resorts, and there was a large cruise ship docked when we arrived. We went to a small fish market for lunch, and had a good meal of rice and fish. No tourists where we ate, but we could plainly see the ship and resorts across the small bay.
After lunch we continued on to Port Maria, the capital of the parish of St.Mary. Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, and Leasa lives in St.Mary. From Port Maria, we left the main road and took a side road up to the town of Highgate, about 1000 feet up above the ocean. Another 2 km above Highgate we finally pulled in at Leasa's father's house. Leasa is building her own house in the back yard.
Leasa's house is probably about 80% finished. It is built on a slope, such that it is one story at one end and two stories at the other. Downstairs is the laundry room plus a shower and toilet. A circular staircase leads upstairs to the living room, kitchen, a second bathroom, and the bedroom. The roof is a solid concrete slab, suitable for the addition of further rooms in the future.
While we were there, Leasa's workmen, led by Mr.Terraphyte, installed the doors, and most of the electrical wiring. The walls still need finishing on the outside, and all of the grillwork needs to be built and installed.
I had told Leasa before we came that she should not be too stressed out about getting things ready for our arrival. That we knew her house was a work-in-progress, and that we were going to Jamaica mainly to visit with her. We were willing to put up with whatever condition we found her house to be in. We ended up staying with Leasa in her one bedroom, which was a bit cozy, but it worked out ok.
Leasa has bananas, coconuts, mangos, breadfruit, and lots of other tropical fruit and vegtables growing around her house. Diana loved this, as it was all just like back home in Sierra Leone.
Leasa's house is being built in the back yard of her father's house, so in the evenings we would all go up there to watch TV and to visit. Leasa comes from a large family and has 7 brothers, one sister, and 43 nieces and nephews. We managed to see alot of them. We became friends with brother Peter, sister-in-law Sandra, niece Simone, niece Sasha, brother Clem, baby Renaldo, and aunt Myrtle.
Diana loves to cook, and so she went and bought some fish, etc at the market and came back to demonstrate how she does smoked fish. We took an old truck wheel rim to use for a fire holder. Then we got some wire mesh from Leasa's construction to use for the grating. We collected and cut up some firewood and coconut husks.
To pass the time while cooking, we would sit on the bench and play our electric poker games.
Aunt Myrtle is 85 years old and lives in her house a short distance down the road from Leasa's house. Aunt Myrtle adopted Diana and I immediately, and we ended up staying 2 nights in her house to give Leasa some space in her room. Aunt Myrtle's house is made of wood, and is almost as old as she is, as it was her father who built the house when she was just a child.
One day, we all went down to the beach, at a place called Sunrise Resort on Robin's Bay. It was a very nicely developed area with little cabins and a small beach situated in a small cove surrounded by lots of rocks.
There was a horse out grazing on the grass near the picnic tables, so I assumed that it must be friendly. I went over and offered it a few slices of an orange, but they dropped to the ground. When I stooped to pick them up, the horse decided to see what my hair tasted like. Later, I was supposedly helping to lead the horse up the hill when it then decided to see what my shoulder tasted like. Diana said that the horse liked me and was just playing. I wasn't so sure. Anyway, the owner finally grabbed the horse and was able to lead it away.
Leasa's office is in Kingston, about 2 hours away. She had to go there, so Diana and I decided to come along. While Leasa went to work we stayed with Leasa's sister Kathy. After work, Leasa took us to check out a hot springs which was another hour drive away on the far side of Kingston, in the parish of St.Thomas.
At the hot springs we were met by about 6 men waiting in the parking lot for the next tourist to come along. I was glad that Mr.Bomb and Leasa were with us, so I just put my safety in their hands. Mr.Bomb stayed to watch the car, while 3 of the men escorted the 3 of us along a trail up the creek to the hot springs. I didn't know what to expect.
I felt uncomfortable the whole time, but nothing bad ever happened. The 3 men turned out to be along so that they could give each of us a personal massage in the hot water. This was the first massage in my life, and I could have done without it, but I let them do their work and was happy when he finally said that he was finished.
It was 12:30 when we finally got started. It took us about 3 hours for Mr.Bomb to drive to Montego Bay and then ended up being another 2 hours on to Negril. I knew that it was going to be a very long drive, but Diana did not know what she was in for, so she wanted to complain. I assured her that once she arrived she would be ok. She was.
The one and only main road between Montego Bay and Negril is currently under construction, with major rebuilding to take out the hills and the curves and to add a wide shoulder the whole way. Many sections were completed, but then they would end and we would be on one detour after another. Each time Leasa would ask Mr.Bomb if that was the last one, and Mr. Bomb would answer that he was sure that it would now be a good road all the way to Negril. It never was.
The Firefly has about 20 units, spaced along a piece of land stretching a few hundred yards between the road and the beach, with a width of only about 50 feet. We had a one bedroom apartment with an additional bed in where the living room should be. It also had a small kitchen and its own bathroom.
As advertised, the Firefly turned out to be a nice laid-back resort. We liked to just hang out at the beach-side bar with Velma and Dornette. While Leasa and Diana were happy to just do this, I spent alot of my time a few yards further out, laying on the lawn chairs or swimming in the ocean. We basicly did this for most of our 3 days there and never grew tired of it. Instead we all felt that we actually needed more time for the beach next trip.
We had a 8:00 AM plane to catch in Montego Bay, so we arranged to wake up at 3:30 AM and to have transport pick us up at 4:00 AM. Our driver, Billy, got us to the airport in good time, and we were almost the first ones in line at the ticket counter. Good thing, too, as they ended up searching everyone's bags prior to check-in, looking mostly for drugs. We didn't have any.
It was hard to have to say goodbye to Leasa. This had been, for all of us, a very good time together, and none of us wanted it to have to end.
Our plane ride to Miami went smoothly, including passing through immigration and customs on the other end.
On the plane headed for Dallas, things finally went bad. They put us on the plane and we were ready to pull out from the gate. Then they informed us that they had a transponder that needed replacing and so it would be a few minutes delay. A full 2 hours later and we were on our way.
In Dallas, were had a chance to catch the next flight to San Jose, but they were boarding at that moment and were due to take off in 20 minutes. We ran probably a full half mile to get to the gate, and were able to get seats on the plane, but they were going to put us seperate from each other, as they were almost full.
I complained, stating something like, "you better seat us together, or else.", so I ended up being searched for weapons before I was allowed onto the plane. Luckily, one man was willing to switch seats, so Diana and I were able to sit together. We arrived in San Jose just 2 hours later than planned, much better than the one day late as on the trip out. Next time, though, I think I'd rather fly with Air Jamaica, which flies nonstop from Los Angeles.
I think I was glad to finally be home, but mentally I was still trying to stay in Jamaica. Even though it was cold outside, I insisted in wearing my shorts and tanktop.