May 29

Fridays are free days, meaning there is no work or class. This was our first Friday free, so Alex and I decided to explore Morant Bay. Morant Bay is about thirty minutes east of Yallahs. It is always the hub of activity with an open market, a two story plaza, two grocery stores and streets packed with vendors. First we walked the main street and ate Juici Patty for lunch, then we explored the burnt down court house. A huge statue of Paul Bogle stands in front of the burned courthouse. This is the site where the rebellion occurred and later where Bogle was hanged. The burned court house was strangely beautiful and so was the sea peeking in through the windows.

Alex and I made a lot of acquaintance in Morant Bay that Friday. Some were cool and others were creepy, but it is always nice to have new friends to talk to. These men offered to take us to Reach Falls in the neighboring town. We really wanted to take them up on their offer, but we didn't have enough time in Jamaica to do everything we wanted.
Taking 10,000 dollars out of an ATM can be quite intimidating. I don't think I was comfortable doing this even by the end of the trip. I kept picturing bank statements waiting at my Philadelphia house telling me all the charges and fees that would be applied for overdrawing my account. As we wandered down the street from stand to stand we munched on our Otaheites and soaked up the sun. We also spotted a Chicken eating take-out, which also happened to be chicken. I really enjoyed seeing little bungalows completely surrounded by greens and flowers. One day I'll have a house that is framed by lush vegetation and wildflowers. Sometimes Morant Bay was a little hectic, but now that I'm sitting in my Philadelphia three story, I wish I was back there.