Entries this day: AM_Jamaica About_Montego_Bay Camera_fixed Dunn's_River_Falls Jamaican_salesmen grrr

AM Jamaica

6:45am EDT Monday 25 July 2005

Jamaica day. Captain Costas invited me to the bridge 30 minutes before arrival, which I thought was at 7, but we are basically here now.

7:05am EDT Monday 25 July 2005

I could feel the vibration of the watertight doors opening during breakfast, indicating that we had arrived in Jamaica.

About Montego Bay

(written 12:01am JST Tuesday 26 April 2005)

It seems that Montego Bay is a mishmash of cultures, mostly financed via tourism, with probably a decent amount via drug trade. (I glean this last bit from a site whose Hot Tip about the area was to remember that drug posession and use is illegal)

I am warned to beware of pickpockets while I'm encouraged to bask in the glorious sun on any of the fine beaches. On one map a railway across the country is marked with Out Of Service written along it.

Camera fixed

7:57am EDT Monday 25 July 2005

Yesterday after my camera shutter button escaped my camera, I decided I *must* fix it before today. I was going to bend a paperclip, but then realize a thumbtack was already in a more perfect shape. Got a thumbtack and Shawn suggested clipping it to the right length with nail clippers. It worked perfectly!

I heard a rumor that Angie's camera shutter button also vanished. She was really happy when I fixed a thumbtack for her camera!

Dunn's River Falls

11:30am EDT Monday 25 July 2005

Fuck. 2.5 hour bumpy ass bus ride here. That means 2.5 bumpy ass hours back. This place better be fuckin' *money*.

12:59pm EDT Monday 25 July 2005

Dunn's River Falls was pretty cool.

Next time: don't rent shoes.

I saw that Owen, our guide, wasn't wearing any, so I knew *I* wouldn't need any.

I climbed alone; people were originally climbing as a human chain. I was like, "ainno way I'm doing this human chain; I *need* my hands to balance." I am quite thankful that no one forced me into line; I woulda been pissed. Some parts were slippery as shit, so I was careful around those parts and didn't climb if it didn't seem safe.

I *loved* having my waterproof camera there. I would climb up all fast, then wait and maybe go back down and go up a different way.. like a dog running fast around its owner like a comet doing crazy loops around its sun.

The rocks were all really smooth; I don't know if they were naturally formed or what. Mold/moss grew all over them, but I could see where they had been scraped clean, and therefore knew with 90% certainty those rocks wouldn't be slipperly.

- - - -

Holy cow!!:

From: Amanda G
Date: August 10
Subj: We were in the same place at the same time once again

I just wanted to drop you note, I have checked your site from time to
time, and it always amazes me that you and I always seem to be in the
same country at the same time.

I was in Jamacia climbing the falls on the same day you did. I got
married the day before.

Jamaican salesmen

At the top of the falls, all the Jamaican knicknack shops are definitely overpriced.

One cat was like, "hey mon; what's your name?"

I'm like, "Rob. What's your name?"

He goes "John," and carved my name into some little wooden carved face, and said it was mine, but I needed to pay for the girl version for my girl. He goes, "what's your girl's name?"

I was like, "I ain't got a girl,"

He totally ignored me and goes, "no, what's your girl's name?"

I'm like, "uh, Katt,"

John carved her name in the other.

He put the heads side by side, "this way means friendship,"
facing each other, "this was means sex,"
on top of each other, "this way means respect."

He said they take about a month to make etc etc blah blah, and I shelled out $20 for them cause "it's not about the price, it's about the respect."

THEN, I met another cat who did the exact same spiel, including saying his name was John. Good thing for him: he didn't carve my name into the face; I was definitely not going to buy another set.

The new John put the heads side by side, "this way means love,"
facing each other, "this was means respect,"
on top of each other, "this way means sex. The woman always goes on top."

So basically the positions don't mean shit and these guys just make it up as they go.

Then I talked to a third cat. This guy was way old and had dreads down to his butt. He assured me his work was the best because he only used cured wood. "Those wooden faces are not cured; they are green, and if you put them in the sun, they will crack. Feel how light this is," and he handed me a piece that was bigger but lighter than the heads I had. Hmmm.

"How long does it take to make one of these?" I asked, showing him the carved heads.

"Those are easy, just wack wack wack four hours."

Damn.

grrr

5:13pm EDT Monday 25 July 2005

I'll grant that I was in an anxious mood to get my phonecall made to the HIV test results center. I was like, "I need to buy a phone card," and a woman was like, "just use my cellphone and pay me a dollar," and I was like, "aight," and gave her the phone number.

Dialed and it said, "this phone number is not a free call outside the United States." And I was like, "this phone number is not a free call outside the United States," and then five hundred motherfuckers were all, "c'mon use *my* cellphone," and trying all sorts of combinations like, "001" and "0100" and every fucking binary number between 0 and 15 and I'm like, "It's not going to work; where can I buy a phone card??" and walked away, leaving them with the phone number, which by that point I had memorized.

Finally found a shop run by a middle eastern looking guy who was not into the shady swindles. He sold me a phone card, let me use his phone (on which I got good news), and I gave him the card back with its remaining minutes.