How I got to Jamaica

[captaind]

It was May, 1968. I had just graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point NY.

The placement officer had several choices but Jamaica kind’a caught my attention.........


Next thing I know I’m on a prepaid flight to Kingston.......

[VVHT]

and then......

[captaind]

I'm checked into a very nice hotel hotel and have several meetings with men who were upper management at Wray and Nephew as well as Grace Kennedy. One of whom just recently passed away.

Fast forward a month or so........ I have a flat in Beverley Hills (Kingston) and I'm first mate on a 7,000 GT island freighter with the assurance that I would soon have of my own ship. Shipping dry goods all around the Caribbean.

Cap

[Kuda]

Keep the story going please?

[captaind]

So by November I'm ready to get my ship. She was an old tramper that was one of three we used. I really didn't think she was seaworthy but I soon adapted to situation.Before taking her I got to choose my crew. By now I understand patois (The crew was not going to suddenly stop speaking it and use the Queen's english for me. I was undergoing a considerable amount of scrutiny) but that's another story

Anyway, we had a fortnight (2 weeks) off while she was being prepared for cargo. One of the crew said "Hey boss you want to see the West end of the Island? Sure I did, so we took my company Volkswagen and headed off toward the West.

Cap

[SLP]

Are you going to write a book about your life because it sounds amazing.

[Irine]

He is writing a book and now you're in it.

Are you going to write a book about your life because it sounds amazing.

[captaind]

"Hey boss we got to leave at 0500 if we want to get to Negril before dark" Say what? How big is this Island and what's Negril?

"Nice beach place. We're going to stay with my uncle near the beach" Oh OK.

So we start driving out of Kingston and suddenly Jamaica is totally different. I've been living in Beverly Hills for four months and never left the city when I was on land. I went to diner with what I thought were regular Jamaicans not knowing they were rich people. Servants serving diner, meeting Ministers (What's a Minister?) I had a "helper" who cleaned my place, did my laundry etc.

We drive through what I now know is Spanish Town and I suddenly realize "there people are poor! Culture shock sets in pretty quick

Nicky says we're going to stop in Porus for some great fruit. OK. (What the heck is a Porus?) On the we pass someplace called May Pen. Why pen? "They used to keep the slaves there so it called a pen. Lot's of pens in Jamaica boss"

More culture shock

[Rumlover]

Loving it!! Thanks!!

[captaind]

Well, Porus (pronounced "poor-us" LOL) turns out to be a small town with a million fruit vendors along the road. We stock up and keep rolling.

Nicky says next we're going to the mile high city of Jamaica (like Denver?). Not sure what that is but as we get there I realize we've been climbing and it's really getting cooler.

Mandeville turns out to be a really nice town with what seemed to be a more middle class. Certainly coolest temp I felt outside on the Island. We stop for lunch but have to move on (how big is this Island?...I know it's 144 miles but it seems like we've driving forever)

After lunch Nicky says he has to drive because the road gets "dangerous" because of something called Spur Tree Hill

I wonder what that is?