Return to Mo'Bay

View from my beach towel, at Doctor's Cave Beach, Montego Bay. Six hours ago I was watching the rain pouring down in Baltimore!
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It's been years since I first arrived in Montego Bay for the annual Jamaican Independence Celebration in August of 1973.  Independence was only 11 years new then for Jamaica, which had been a British Crown Colony for nearly 100 years, and under British rule since the 1600's.

I ended up living in MoBay for a couple years, and learned the town well.  I remember the hustle bustle of the Christmas markets downtown, and sipping a cool drink after that hectic shopping was complete.  The straw market was a favorite place to take visitors, and I always made sure they met my favorite friendly vendor.

No problem!

Some things have changed but the genuine friendliness of the Jamaican people remains constant.  The airport calypso band welcome is legend, and makes that line to the immigration desk just a little less tiresome.  And should I mention the complimentary rum punch while one waits in line?  (We'll see if they serve it when I arrive mid-morning.)

A mid-morning arrival will give me plenty of time to hit the beach for a couple hours, buy a Jamaican patty for lunch, and shop a little before buzzing back to the airport to meet Colin and Heather when they arrive at 4.

Then it's off to Negril, and to the Negril Treehouse, where we'll stay for the week.  We will hope to make it by sunset at 6:30, but if not, well, as they say in Jamaica, "No problem!"

Mo Bay update:

Well, the calypso band and the complimentary rum punch are both gone from  Sangster International Airport, casualties of increased airport security. But the immigration lines moved quickly and within 30 minutes I was outside the airport.

My brother-in-law Len picked me up and we had lunch at the Pelican. When I first lived here, I looked to the Pelican as the only place in MoBay where I could get a good hamburger; today, though, I was looking for Jamaican food so I settled in with “stew peas with beef and pig’s tail” and a side order of callaloo. Both were delicious. And, as the song goes, “The rum is fine any time of year.” I don’t usually drink 3 rum and cokes at lunch, but then this was a special occasion.

Doctor’s Cave Beach was my next stop, and I spent a lovely hour swimming across from beach to diving platform and back.

Another drink, then Len and I went to the airport to meet Colin and Heather.  We had already arranged a ride to Negril and out hotel, but first spent another hour or so up at Len's  -- guess what -- drinking more rum.

Not surprisingly, I turned in early that night, and slept very soundly.  Yes, the rum IS fine any time of year.