http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Jamaica en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:59:17 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:59:17 BST Got up Wednesday and went down to breakfast.Ate 2 plantain pieces one piece of yam my fruit and toast. The woman that runs the guesthouse commented that I must not like Okra which is mixed with fish. NO I do not like Okra. And NO I do not like fish. Put it together and what have you got The breakfast of champions. We ended up having a short conversation about how I don't like fish she wasn http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-304169.html Got up Monday and had breakfast. Went into work and talked with our supervisor he is going to be out of the office as is his assistant for the remainder of the week. We continue working on project proposals I use the term working loosely as there have been countless setbacks and frustrations...its to the point where we joke about it due to the level of confusion surrounding the assignment. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-303368.html Wednesday night I remember sitting at dinner with Keith talking about how much I wished it would rain. I went to bed that night and couldnrsquot fall asleep. Sometime around 2am I realized it was raining. I finally fell asleep smiling.Thursday morning I wake up get ready for work and eat breakfast. Itrsquos overcast which means that it feels at least 10 degrees cooler Keith and I are thank http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-302518.html Things I did Today1. Woke up2. Ate everything on my plate at breakfast that did not contain fish 3. Went to work4. Sat at my desk on the computer for 4 hours without getting up5. Walked down to KFC to get a 'Famous BBQ Chicken Bowl' Combo for lunch6. Thought about how nice it would be to have a lot of money7. Went home8. Did laundry in my sink9. Walked to the market10. Ate an 'ORION' candy bar11. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-300778.html I have reached a new phase in my journey as of this morning.I sat at breakfast and did not even try one bite of fish. I briefly thought about it and then realized...Who am I kidding I don't like it. I haven't liked it. I'm not going to like it. Moving on.Went into work today and had our rescheduled meeting...and that was about all that was accomplished today.It was a big day and not everyone c http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-300295.html Disclaimer I spent about an hour writing this entry and just as I was finishing up the last sentence the whole thing dissapeared. This version is likely to be the less witty although probably more sarcastic rundown of the last three days.So after the raging bloodfest that was the Friday night Cricket game Keith and I decided to lay low on Saturday. I had detailed fantasies of sleeping in until http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-299848.html If you ever spent your spare time sitting around wondering if I could possibly ever make it big as a professional Cricket player wait no longerI am officially the worst Cricket player that ever lived. And Keith isn't too far behind The game makes very little sense to me. Think bowling mixed with golf and add a touch of baseball...yeah the confused look on your face is probably something like t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-298625.html One day on the drive into work a few weeks ago Rocky told Keith and I that he was a diabetic. He told us how he has a problem with gas and that some times he can't control it. Then he didn't say anything else for the rest of the drive to work. I was wondering if that was a story to prepare us for a belch but nothing. Hrm. Weird.Yesterday morning we get up eat breakfast and start heading int http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-298149.html I went to bed early last night in hopes of sleeping for an extra few hours to make up for the night before.Although I got more sleep it still didn't prove to be too restful.Got up and had breakfast something with fish so disapointed.Went to work.Met with one of the women that runs the child abuse investigation program and found out that this Friday Keith and I are meeting with one of the Polic http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-297207.html I couldn't fall asleep last night.I finally did around 2am and I had horrible dreams.Keith and I got up early to walk down to the ATM and as we were leaving the guesthouse I realized I'd locked my keys inside my room.So this was the kind of day it was going to be...We ran into Rocky our driver parked on the side of the road we stoped and said goodmorning and continued on our way to the ATM.Ca http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-297011.html This weekend we decided not to travel.I slept in late.I finished my Africa book.I sat outside on the rooftop patio and got some sun.I watched tv.We walked to the market and bought ice cream. They didn't have Drumsticks sadly.We got fake drumstick ice cream cones. They were not good. And soggy.We walked to Indies across the street for dinner. Our server wasn't there sadly.We ordered pizza and we http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-296243.html So today is the 4th of July. American Independence Day. That means just as much here as the 19th of October or the 23rd of May. How did Keith and I celebrate We ate breakfast went to work Keith had a shake out of a can for lunch and I didn't put enough water in my Easy Mac before microwaving it so I was left with a dried out solid clump of noodle. I say noodle singular because all of the noo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295465.html Get up.Turn on the shower. No water pressure. Call ask them to turn on the pump.Shower and get ready.Walk with Keith down to the ATM.Come back and have breakfast.Steamed veggies with...fish What a surprise.I used to love the veggies but last Friday at dinner I was happily eating the veggies when all of the sudden my mouth caught on fire i couldn't breath or talk and my eyes started watering. K http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295075.html So just to catch up on the last few days...Keith and I spoke to the woman at our guesthouse and told her what happened when we tried to buy bus tickets to Ocho Rios and she flipped out. Turns out she knows the guy who runs the bus company she called him immediately and told him what happened. We were assured that we would get on the bus Saturday morning without any problems. We get up bright http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Ocho-Rios/blog-295074.html Get up this morning. Turn on the shower. No water pressure. Don't slip. Ask to turn on the water pump.Get down to breakfast. Pour myself a cup of coffee pick up the cream container and accidently drop it all over my plate of pineapple the table myself and the floor. I'm too tired and hot to react. I sit there dumbfounded. I did this in front of Jeff 2 other guests and one of the staff. I pathe http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295072.html I get up early this morning the earliest I've had to wake up yet. 530am.Start showering.No water pressure.Get out only slip once. Ask for them to turn on the water pump.Get downstairs at 630am and our taxi is already waiting. Rocky couldn't meet us this morning so he sent Double Zero. We start heading to Spanishtown bypass where we were instructed to head to meet the woman from the Minist http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Black-River/blog-295071.html Get up this morning.Eat breakfast get excited because we think its the vegetarian meal my favorite so far turns out there is fish hiding amidst the veggies. BOOSo dissapointed. Jeff the other guest joins us for breakfast he announces that he is moving to Houston TX. I share how much I hate Houston...I got stuck there last summer.Rocky arrives early.Go to work.Go downstairs to meet w http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295069.html Get up early this morning to shower which I normally do the night before bc the water pressure is better at night. The water pressure is FANTASTIC The best I've seen it since we've arrivedPut shampoo in my hair.NO WATA.I remember that I'm suppose to call 0 to tell them to turn the water pump on.Get out of the shower dripping every where nearly slip and break my neck twice walking out http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295068.html Got up this morning and had breakfast Keith and I decided that it is ground up corned beef and cabbage it most closely resembles raw ground beef which I am a HUGE fan of this is actually the second time we have had this meal and its one of my top two favorites for breakfast I try to focus on the flavor not what it looks like.We eat breakfast with the other guest we have become friend http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295066.html So Keith and I decided that living in Kingston isn't enough of an adventure for us...we decided Saturday afternoon to rent a car and just drive east. Now mind you in Jamaica they drive on the left side of the road which I have done in Scotland...so we decide that I'll drive and Keith will navigate using this brilliant 5 map from the rental car place.In an effort to stay out of the reeeaallly http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/blog-295065.html Get up early Clifton will be here between 730 and 745am to pick us to to be at the office at 8am. He arrives at 735am. The woman that runs the guesthouse asks if she can speak with our driver because when he picks us up so early we miss breakfast. We tell her no.Go into work at 8am as we were told to and NO ONE is there. Get locked out of the PAHOWHO office bc our security badge only gets http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295061.html Let me preface this all by saying It's been a long day. Got up early and rushed to breakfast to try to eat before our 830am pickup time. Breakfast is running late and the driver is running early. See a car accident.Get to the office go to the Children's Hospital for meetings all day to determine what projects we can work with the Ministry of Health on. Try to figure out where all of the pie http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295060.html Wake up in the morning to take a shower I get to sleep in 45 minutes later than usual because we are not getting picked up until 930 by Clifton. Turn on the shower and hope for good water pressure this has been a slight issue since we arrived but I have thus far faired better than Keith decent water pressure GREAT I still have conditioner in my hair water pressure drops to a TRICKLE http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295059.html Wake up early in the morning to get ready for the internship we are told Clifton will arrive at 8am to pick us up it's a big morning down at the MOHPAHO because it's World Blood Donor Day and it's lots of festivities down at the office. In an attempt to eat breakfast before our ride I make a soy drink from powder I bought at the market the other day Bannana and Pineapple flavor looks like http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295058.html Got up this morning to get ready for the first day at the internship. Ate breakfast and made bets with Keith about breakfast and if it would be Ackee and Saltfish again thank GOD it's not. I hate fish and Keith isn't a fan either. Breakfast is some sort of flavorless hotdogsausage bits. Hrm. Clifton the driver arrives a little after 10am and takes us to the PAHOMinistry of Health building http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295056.html I made it to Jamaica but not without adventure...Keith my travel buddy and fellow Intern nearly missed our flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Kingston I was planning on stalling the plane as long as possible. Then we are waiting to depart and are told that our plane has mechanical difficulties It's okay though we're still going to fly ComfortingWe land in Kingston and are clearly directed http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Kingston/blog-295055.html I arrived in Jamaica after flying through Barbados and Antigua meaning in a five hour period that morning I was in fact on four different Caribbean islands. The Norman Manley airport in Kingston is at the end of a long strip of land jutting out into the sea with which it is level. This basically means that when the water rises the sole road to the airport is usually washed out with flights canc http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/blog-294208.html