E-mail me: discordia AT thedarktower.net
AIM: Rule Discordia
A tropical paradise. A third-world country. A tourists' playground. A poor woman's hell. Hot and humid with daily downpours, but capable of dazzling sunshine and cool, refreshing moonlight. Clear blue waters and polluted streets. This is Jamaica, and it changed my life.
Share the Shelter is the result of my two weeks with a study-abroad program in Jamaica, where I studied religion with nine other people. Unlike many tourists, we traveled away from most of the hotspots, back into the mountains and villages of "real" Jamaica. Thus we saw more than the gorgeous beaches and the fabulous shopping; we spoke to real Jamaicans and saw where they lived, how they worshipped, and how they played.
How, you might ask, did two weeks in a country not all that far from my own home in Mississippi, U.S., manage to change my life? Well, although I had been all over the South by car and tractor-trailer, I had never been on an airplane or out of the United States before May 2004. I was also right in the midst of dealing with social phobia. Spending two weeks in the Caribbean, with people whose friendliness and openness are rightfully famous, helped to loosen me up, make me more comfortable with people, relax expectations of myself, and leave heavy makeup and socks behind me for good (hey, you spend every day sopping wet and see if you ever wear another sock!).
My goal for this site is to familiarize readers with some of the sights, sounds, and tastes of this fascinating country, and hopefully encourage them to visit it themselves. I also want to elicit readers' input about Jamaica in the form of traveler's tips, recommended restaurants, etc. Of course two weeks in one city in Jamaica does not make me an expert on the place; I would never claim to be one. I just want to share my own experience. I hope you enjoy your stay here!
Credits and Disclaimers: The photo above was taken by me (Discordia) from my hotel room in Ocho Rios, JA, and manipulated by me in Photoshop. Layout was coded by me in CoffeeCup HTML Editor. Don't steal my layout. Content (C) Discordia 2005 unless otherwise noted.