| Jamaica is a small country,
about the size of Connecticut. The road between Kingston and Montego
Bay is a bit bumpy but well-paved and not unlike many county highways
in the U.S. A good place to start learning about Jamaica is at the CIA
World Factbook -- Jamaica. This site summarizes the history,
demographics, and government of Jamaica. |
As you can see from the map
below, our travel in Jamaica will start and end in Montego Bay. The
majority of our time will be spent in Kingston, where we will be
working out of the University of
the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, Chemistry Department. Our return
trip through Ocho Rios, a few days at the Discovery Bay Marine
Laboratory, and one last day in Montego Bay.  |
| All international travel involves risk. Still, by all accounts, Kingston is considered a dangerous city. An exerpt from the U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Sheet, provided below, gives the traveler a sense of the issues. I encourage a careful reading of that entire web page. |
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CRIME: Crime, including violent crime, is a serious problem in Jamaica, particularly in Kingston. While the vast majority of crimes occur in impoverished areas, the violence is not confined. The primary criminal concern of a tourist is being a victim of theft. In several cases, armed robberies of Americans have turned violent when the victims resisted handing over valuables. Crime is exacerbated by the fact that police are understaffed and ineffective. Therefore, tourists should take their own precautions and always pay extra attention to their surroundings when traveling, exercise care when walking outside after dark, and should always avoid areas known for high crime rates. As a general rule, valuables should not be left unattended, including in hotel rooms and on the beach. Care should be taken when carrying high value items such as cameras, or when wearing expensive jewelry on the street. Women's handbags should be zipped and held close to the body. Men should carry wallets in their front pants pocket. Large amounts of cash should always be handled discreetly. The U.S. Embassy advises its staff to avoid inner-city areas of Kingston and other urban centers whenever possible. Particular caution is advised after dark in downtown Kingston. The U.S. Embassy also cautions its staff not to use public buses, which are often overcrowded and are a frequent venue for crime. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1147.html |
In addition, I think it is
interesting to listen to some interviews I made during my visit to
Jamaica in March of 2005. Robert is a recent graduate of University of
the West Indies-Mona and currently an instructor at the University of
Technology, in Kingston. Fiona is graduate of UWI-Mona and currently a
graduate student there. Both grew up in Jamaica and moved to Kingston
when they started college.
As Fiona says, Kingston is a big
city. There is crime, and some of the crime is violent. To a large
extent, one can minimize one's exposure to that crime through
responsible action and an alert mindset. As Robert points out, some
areas of Kingston are quite dangerous, not unlike the southside of
Chicago or related areas in Los Angeles or New York. Students will be
strongly encouraged to avoid these areas, though it is possible that at
times our travels by private transportation will take us through some
of these areas. However, the University is situated in one of the
loveliest areas of the city, Mona Heights, which is considered most
afluent and most safe, a considerable distance from the "downtown" area
(near the harbor) referred to in the U.S. Department of State
information. Arrangements are being made to house students in the
Liguanea area, just a few miles from campus.
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