It all happens in the morning...

I have gotten so much done these last few days between 6 am and 11 am.  Then usually from 1 to 5 nothing happens. Because of the heat, Jamaicans really like to do appointments or running around in the early mornings. It has not been unusual to meet the realtor between 7:30 and 8 am.  (It is kind of funny because in Toronto I talked to my realtor most often between 9:30 and 10 pm.) I was chatting to a random man on the street (this happens frequently these days...) and he was saying that business people often go down to the beach and go swimming between 5 and 6 in the morning, before they go to work!

Conversely, not much happens in the evening.  The sun sets at around 7 now and then it's dark and most people are inside.  Also, there is tropical forest right outside my hotel window because we are on a hill ("bush" would be what it is called at home, but it is definitely not the same plants) and the frogs and bugs and other things make a crazy racket that has convinced me to stay inside when it is dark.

The last few days have been focused on getting orientated.  Shawn left to go back to Kingston early Monday morning, but Kim (another volunteer) came that evening and spent the night with me.  She caught the plane on Tuesday to go back to Canada and pick up her 8 year old daughter, now that Kim has arranged an apartment, school, etc. here in Jamaica.  (Knowing that she is doing this year overseas with a kid certainly makes my own challenges pale in comparison.) We went to the beach on Tuesday morning before her flight and I have now officially swam in the Caribbean Sea.

This morning (you guessed it) I signed a lease so my house hunting is over.  I am now the proud resident of 'Villa 1A' in a nice apartment complex here in Mobay. The landlord and his son are very nice, both having travelled extensively, including Canada.  The son is a graduate of York University in Toronto. Many, many Jamaicans that I have met in Montego Bay have friends and family in Canada, and have often gone to visit or lived there for a period of time. So now when they ask me where I am from, I don't bother to say "Canada" anymore - I just say "Toronto" and then sometimes they ask me, "What part?"

And the answer to the burning question I know you were thinking - yes, I do have a spare room, so you can come and visit.  Reservations start at $1000 Jamaican dollars, about $8.50 CND. ;)

Here are some more Mobay scenery pics.  I haven't taken too many in the city itself because I'm still too focused on not getting lost.  I will also take some apartment pictures soon.

Is this good enough to qualify as 'artsy', Erika?

The pool at my hotel

If you look closely you can see they are para sailing behind a jet boat. The cruise ship stopped here today, so I guess this is one of the activities they can do.