The airport limo was a warm luxury at 06:30. Of course the airport was not at all luxurious. It is a livestock coral and loading ramp derived system, with human exceptions: We were required to find the correct departure queue, check ourselves in on a kiosk computer, tag our own bags, and endure without complaint the shepherdesses applying vocal prods and prompts.

Beyond that is a large security platoon, all with sergeants' stripes on their uniforms as, I presume, compensation for their low wages. The line up for our body and carry on luggage scans went much more smoothly. Everyone was prepared, complacent, and acceptant. No alarms or flashing red lights were triggered. No one complained.

The long walk
to the dock
was augmented by moving sidewalks, a relief, the first machine unit that we encountered which was created for our personal benefit.

The door to the boarding wait room gate was locked. There was a rumour I overheard among the our nameless Boeing 737 jet's crew that, the gates were locked because of an American arrival... (of prisoners of - Free Trade?)

We took the lock out time to have an expensive, dry, reheated tasteless breakfast and get two 330 ml bottles of six dollar explosive free water.

I don't know how it happened but we eventually found our seats, three in a row, me in the middle, Mary on my left, a British born Jamaican woman to my right. I presumed the woman was bound for a yearly reunion with cousins and perhaps a Grandmother or two. She mumbled something in her British accent and when I said:

"huh?"

She continued to mumble so I presumed she was talking to herself and decided to let her alone for the four hour flight. On either side of us there was a double door escape hatch and two second class heads. The seats were bolted upright. There was no scene out the window, there were no windows. We were in the back of the bus with people standing and waiting to use the toilets and a traveling sales guy chatting up a stewardess.

No foot room especially with my carry on bag between my feet with the 660 litres of explosive free water, my winter gear, smuggled snacks, and electronics. Been practicing with my feet - manipulating day pak.

I read a digital copy of Earnest Hemingway's "To Have and To Have Not" and occasionally woke up with my chin on my chest, luckily without saliva dripped down dark blue on my brilliant blue, synthetic blue wicking tee shirt... had shed The Jack.
Shirt.

At Montego Bay I was amazed by palms, always amazed by palms, and great houses dugout into the sides of jungle mountains.

I was cooled by the colour green and cement architecture with additional rebar poking out for topping the top floors, expanding the family; a Caribbean cultural attribute that I have seen in Mexico, Belize, the Dominican Republic and now; Jamaica. Permanent cement and cinder block houses built for generations of occupation.

Air conditioning, the sunny side of the bus, and a window seat!

An hour's drive westward from Montego Bay...

Our sea view room had a balcony that was large enough for a ramada workshop/studio installation.

Even the furnace breaking down two days before departure and getting an entirely new furnace installed, Sunday, the day before by a break away independent Russian furnace man for only 500 dollars more than the invasive Sears Home furnace cleaner last winter wanted for the upgraded white plastic out vent tube to be made to code... threatening to cut off our gas and lock it with the convenient gas cock lock.

NewsFlash

A young corporate employee gained entry to clean furnace threatened to cut off natural gas to heat the home of a senior citizen and mortally ill wife over a white vs. black plastic tube.

"Can corporations self govern and police their clients too?"
I thought kinda quizical-like.

Said, "That's fine, I will call your office and get that confirmed.
May I see you to the door?"

Even though, through all that...

Icy northern winter anxiety melted into the sunny southern scene.

We were at base camp reserved for seven days. I had read that salt water was good for all that ailed me.

Mary did well, trek pole in her left hand and the smaller, wheeled luggage case in the other like a rolling cane. No complaints, tough as always, tougher than my Olympus Tough Stylus TG-860 15 meter water, and shock proof to 2.1 meter - camera.

Turned the air conditioner off and opened the deck doors.