Life in Jamaica

We have now been in Jamaica for 7 weeks!

So far, things have been pretty good. We are still adjusting to life in Kingston (as well as life with a baby). There are definitely some challenges to living here, but that is always the case when you move to a new location and are adjusting to the differences from where you were living before.

In terms of the fabulous...

1. The weather has been super pleasant (this is the dry season, so I know that humidity will be coming soon, but I am enjoying the pleasantness as much as I can). The weather is nice enough that we often will have breakfast out on the porch! Sunshine, the occasional rain, cooler evenings...can't complain!!

Betty enjoying her breakfast in our backyard

2. Pools and beaches. It is true that I cannot swim, so pools/beaches are not my absolute favorites (mountains, parks, and libraries rank higher on the list), but it's not so bad sitting by them, especially over the past month when many parts of the US were hit with snowmaggedon and thundersnows (I think that's what people were calling them!)

Pool at our housing complex

Pool at Strawberry Hill overlooking Kingston (with a rainstorm coming in)

Boardwalk Beach in Kingston

Another photo at Boardwalk Beach- Olivia looks so squishy and content here!

Betty napping by our pool

Ocho Rios Bay Beach

San San Beach in Portland Parish

San San Beach where Olivia is napping in the shade

3. The people that we have met have been very friendly and welcoming- both those from the Embassy as well as people we encounter when we are out and about. Our social sponsors, our neighbors, the security guards (their post is right in front of our kitchen window, so we see them often), and Adam's coworkers have all been helpful in our transition.

4. We have space to have a garden! We have planted tomatoes, basil, and strawberries. We also have cucumber, hot peppers, green onions, and tomato seedlings sprouting 

Some plum tomatoes slowly coming in

Betty spreading coffee grounds and egg shells in hopes of deterring the slugs that are getting into the garden

Cucumber plants are growing fast!

5. We are close to the US- which means that we are much more likely to have visitors come see us since the prices aren't too bad (Betty is already here, and her plane ticket from LAX to Kingston was a little over $400). I'm also able to order things online and it gets here in a reasonable amount of time (my Amazon orders take about 5-7 days, versus 2-days when we lived in the US). I've already ordered a specialty cloth diaper butt cream for Olivia (CJ's BUTTer, haha), and we've already done a few other online orders for certain food items and toiletries we haven't found here or that are significantly cheaper online than in the stores. 

The challenges or things that I don't enjoy so much...

1. Driving. I am not fan of driving. I drive when I need to, but it's not something that I volunteer to do. If I'm with someone else (i.e. Adam), I will gladly let them drive. I have driven across the country, on windy roads, in icy and stormy weather, and through horrible LA traffic...but learning to drive on the opposite side of the road while dodging goats, pedestrians, potholes, and following Garmin is a new experience (and Garmin isn't always correct- it sometimes misses the fact that a road is a one-way street. Adam discovered this driving in Ocho Rios down a one way street in the wrong direction as people on the street hollered "One way mon! One way!!"). Still trying to find my way around!

Hands gripped tightly as I make my way around!

2. Limited places to take Olivia out on a walk. So far I haven't heard about any good places to take Olivia out on walks in the stroller, unlike Boulder where there is the creek path and many other places to stroller about. We have taken a few short walks around our neighborhood since there are some sidewalks (that people sometimes park their cars on), but I don't take the stroller. Instead, I wear her in a baby carrier.

On one of the larger streets near our house where there actually is a sidewalk

3. Getting charged higher prices at a public market or fruit/veggie stand because of how I look/where I'm from. Buying produce from the street or at the outdoor markets is supposedly the way to get the best prices, but because I stand out, I get quoted a higher price (often 2 to 3 times more than the going rate and definitely more than the supermarket). Super frustrating when I just want to buy some tomatoes and not get ripped off.

As a result, I am now reluctant to stop at a stand on the roadside. We recently found out about a farm that will deliver organic produce directly to our home. Their prices are reasonable, so we decided to give them a try- we received our first delivery today and everything looked fresh and I'm buying directly from a family farm, which I like. Also, it's been impossible to find lemons at the store and the lemons I received were picked this morning. I am thinking we will continue to order from them (but next time I'll see if they can deliver without the plastic bags- no reason that the cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, lemons, etc. can't be loose unless it is a pain for them when delivering. 

4. Knowing where to go shopping (and where to go in general!). The stores that we have been shopping at so far seem to be on the pricey side, but we aren't sure if it is because Jamaica is an island and things are imported so it makes everything pricey, or if we are just going to the stores that are more expensive. 

We've been going to the supermarkets/stores that have been recommended to us as having better stocked shelves, non-expired foods, and that keep their fridges/freezers running. We've been going to a supermarket near our house called Loshusan (I've noticed a lot of foreigners/expats shop here. I've heard it is on the more expensive side for some things, but there is a large selection and it's just around the corner from us), a store called Megamart (sort of like a Walmart but mostly food) that has a lot of asian food items (including locally made bbq pork buns...and jerk chicken buns too), and PriceSmart (a spin off from Price Club/Costco). Some things seem outrageously expensive, but then other things are quite reasonable. 

Some imported fruits at Megamart- you'll notice that nectarines are over $1200 Jamaican per kilo, or a little less than $6 USD per pound! Yikes!

The cakes at PriceSmart don't look as good as the cakes at Costco :)

Some of the local, non-imported stuff that we have bought

5. It's hard to find a free beach. Coming from California, where the beaches are public use and free, it was surprising to find out that most of the beaches here are privately owned and many are restricted to guests of hotels/resorts/villas (with big signs that tell you so). There are some public beaches (many that charge fees for entrance) and I have heard of a handful of free beaches around the island, however the three that we have been to so far charged fees ($200 Jamaican per person for Boardwalk Beach and Ocho Rios Bay Beach, and $600 Jamaican per person for San San Beach). Sadly, paying a fee does not mean that the beaches are litter free- there was quite a bit of trash strewn about at all three.

Obviously, we have been here for less than 2 months. I am sure that my perspective will change as I talk to more people and make more discoveries. Driving will become second nature (as much as it can be for me), I'll know what I should be paying for certain things (but hopefully this farm delivery will continue to work for us), and I'll have my go-to places for the freshest bread, most flavorful jerk chicken, tastiest Chinese food, and best place to take a baby.

Next up...updates on Baby Olivia, who celebrated 3 months today!!