Downtown Montego Bay

Maybe I hadn’t been clear on what I meant by the “real Jamaica” or perhaps Alton knew what I meant and didn’t want to be responsible for the additional headache of carting around uninitiated foreigners. Perhaps that’s why we ended up at a souvenir shop that had all the trappings of your typical American ones. There were overpriced ashtrays, t-shirts, and, dildos colored like the Jamaican flag. After we got situated, Alton made his way over to the shade of a nearby tree and chatted with other locals while my folks let themselves be had for a bit by the overzealous clerks. Not feeling the store and shooing off their complementary Wray & Nephew Overproof rum shots, I strolled out to a rocky expanse that overlooked the bay for which Montego Bay is named. While not the panoramic mountain views I was expecting, the bay was objectively breathtaking. I set up my camera and took a few shots. In the distance, I could see a storm raging on another part of the island that would end up missing us entirely. A few of the locals stopped by check out my shots as well try to sell me various crafts and candy. Like the water before me, my nausea continued in waves. Fighting it, I set off in the area to do some street shooting. After about 30 minutes of wandering about and deflecting the advances of eager shop promoters, I realized that I was back on the same street, in nearly the same spot where I was at Margaritaville the night before. All I go do was laugh.