Jamaica Reflections

The first four days provided quick, powerful rains. I wish I had savored them even more. I was in a routine of assuming this was a daily event, and spent the rest of the vacation hoping for more. The rains in Washington, DC are ever lacking, so I relish when a good rain presents itself--no matter where in the world I find myself. I still miss the Lesotho rains on the tin roof of my school, nothing will compete with those! I briefly mentioned the Jamaican rains resulting in rainbows. I'm unsure if this was just the coincidence in the rains I saw, but how's that for every rain providing a follow up rainbow. I certainly won't forget the spectacular-ity of such events.

There are crabs all over Jamaica. I've never visited a place where the crabs roam as freely. In Jamaica, I had to watch where I stepped to avoid crushing them. The land is their land, clearly And boy are the crabs shy! They're not apt to photography; I tried my level best, but routinely came up shy.

Typical of most foreign nations, the signage is intriguing. There is not a sign in Jamaica I wouldn't stop to read. I shot more than 100 photographs of various signs along the way. While I recognize I could use some schooling in grammar and punctuation, there is certainly a lack of editing prior to printing throughout Jamaica.

There are feral and stray dogs galore. While those mutts were harmless, there were unfriendly guard dogs everywhere. I did manage three runs in Treasure Beach, though I often felt unsafe. The dogs lining property fences pop out of nowhere. There were several "guard" dogs (along with strays) that seemingly just wanted to follow me, whether walking or running, but the unpredictable snarls were enough to keep me at unease and allow my mind to wander. What would I do if I was attacked while venturing around? I've never really been a risk taker, I'm less so in my late 20s.

The Jamaican tide is unchanging. There is no low or high tide. There is a shoreline (or retaining wall) that remains constant throughout the day and night. This was a first to me. I'm curious as to why the tide doesn't change, or if there are places in Jamaica where it does.

The colors - both painted and natural - made the entire country radiate energy.

There were abandoned house everywhere. If you're looking for a water-front, fixer-upper, Jamaica is the place for you and yours. While some of these houses look as though they were loved and cherished at one point, others look at those the builder/developer was distracted mid-task. The whole of it is quite bizarre.

The fish of is so, so bony. And while yummy, it's a whole lot of work, unless you're local and you know exactly what you're doing. For those of us travelers, it's a welcomed slower pace.

And despite starting the trip by vomiting my guts out after a treacherous ride and beginning the second day by ruining the sheets with a bloody nose, I hope that won't be the last of my travels with the B family.