Quote Originally Posted by marley9808 View Post
LOL....let me tell you this. On my very first trip to Jamaica (January 1999) I went with my college roommate, we were 22. We didn't even think twice, we rented a car ahead of time because we just assumed we needed a car to get around. We landed in MoBay around 8 or 9pm and got our rental car from Avis or whoever it was. They took us out to our car and I walked up to the passenger side and tried to get in. This was the first time I had ever been in a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side. This is the first time I had ever driven on the wrong side of the road. This was my first time in Jamaica. It was the "old road" It was about 10pm and I asked the guy "So how do we get to Negril?" He laughed and said maybe you should stay here tonight. I said no, we have to go, our room is waiting. He tried to give me directions but all I could understand was "Kentucky" so after his frustration he asked a Juta driver that was taking some folks to Negril to let us follow him.
So we did. It was dark. There were LOTs of potholes....we had to stop several times for cows in the road. There were times I was screaming...maybe even crying, I think I white nuckled it the whole way, but we made it. And the entire week in Negril the only problems we had were a missing hubcap (from hitting a pothole) and someone backed into our car (while it was parked) one night at Alfreds and left a scratch on the bumper. By the time I was driving us back to the airport I felt like a pro and the guy at the rental car place circled the car a few times, looked at me, looked at the car and said "You must be a really good driver"
My friend and I laughed....hard! I will never forget that week. Do any of you remember the roads in Negril around 1999....there were a million potholes....do you remember the road up to the West End? And we were staying at Samsara! It was like playing a video game while driving trying to maneuver around all of those holes and bad roads!

If I can do that.....I feel like just about anyone can rent a car in Jamaica!

LOL
GOOD FOR YOU Marley9808!! I never really felt the absolute need to drive when I was staying down in Negril proper...when you are a couple hundred feet from the water, who needs a car? But I finally did get up the nerve to rent. I felt like the longer I waited, the harder it would be for me to get behind the wheel. The first time I drove, I was following a friend about - we went thru Hanover to Blue Hole, back down thru Sheffield - all kinds of back roads. I enjoyed it. However, when driving alone on some back roads, I had to remind myself to stay left when another vehicle approached. I was in the middle of little road having just avoided some mega potholes and suddenly a vehicle was facing me having made the same moves coming from the other direction. We both stopped and it took a brief moment for both of us - it was an American behind the wheel too! We corrected ourselves. laughed & waved each other past.

Last time I was down in December, I rented a car from Elvis Bike Rental (next to Mary Gate of Heaven) and drove up to Mandeville. Had I known what a trip that was, I might not have done it as the only driver. 3 hours each way and I am told that the road is much better than what it used to be. Despite the potholes, we made there & back - shaken, stirred but still in one piece. No reqrets. The lady I went to see was a patient of mine when she was in the US and she was so happy that I made the trip from Negril to see her. She had her family bake Jamaican Rum Fruit cakes for me to take back to the hospital to share with all of the doctors and nurses who had taken care of her. It wasn't easy but I managed. It was 1 week after my return when I finally gave out the last of it and again told the story of how she wanted to express her gratitude to everyone for her care. That morning as I was on my way home, I received a phone call telling me that my lady had just passed. I was so glad I did not let caution prevent me from making that drive!!

PEACE & BLESSINGS