Jamaica Day 4 - Portland

Okay - here's a map, so you can see where I've been going. For those who have been to Hawaii, I gather (no research - I'm on vacation) Jamaica is about 3 times bigger than the island of Oahu; Moloka'i is 40 miles long and 10 miles wide. Jamaica is 120-some miles long and 40 miles at its widest point. It has a population of about 3.5 million, I'm told, and the city of Kingston houses 1 million.

Yesterday Peter drove me from Kingston around the eastern end of the island, through Bull Bay, Yallahs, Green Wall, White Horses, Morant Bay, Port Morant, Golden Grove, Manchioneal, Priestman's River, to Boston, where we had Jamaica's world-famous jerk for lunch. On the way, we discovered his battery was dying, and at one stop we had to ask for a passing taxi to help jump-start us - no problem, man!

Continuing, we drove through a winter storm over roads badly damaged by the last hurricane through beautiful country to the Folly, Port Antonio, St. Margaret's Bay, Hope Bay, and Orange Bay, past the Rio Grande (which is where everyone goes Rafting) and the Blue Lagoon to Buff Bay and Anotto Bay. Then we turned south and returned along the route we took the other day, through Castleton, past Temple Hall, etc. I remembered that my previous visits here had been in July and August, when it is very hot and sticky. Although it has been rainy, the rain is warm.

When we reached Kingston, we branched east and went to Peter's house in May Pen to sleep. Peter's wife, Velia, fixed us a late dinner, and we listened to music until very late. This morning, we had sausage and ackee with dumplings (biscuits), a lovely chat, and then I was returned to Fee's house in Kingston, where we are preparing a large family get-together this evening.