Our flights are uneventful and we get into Sangster International Airport ahead of schedule. We pick up our Island Rental Car and take off toward Montego Bay to wander around a little and find some lunch. The same gentleman in a blue striped polo shirt on a green bike keeps passing us and waving to us as we drive around in circles, getting our bearings. We talk to him at one stop light after the next through the window and at one point, he just jumps in to the back seat and introduces himself as Steven. Steven shows us around a little, gives us some local history and takes us to nice out of the way place for lunch. We have jerk chicken with rice and peas. (which, incidentally are really red beans. why do they call them peas?) Steven had a Red Stripe, no doubt on the house for bringing a couple to this restaurant. He says that he often brings tourists here when they want a bite to eat.
After driving around a little while longer we take Steven back to his bicycle, give him a few dollars for his time and information, and try to figure out how to get up to our first stop of this trip: the Robin’s Nest Children’s Home. Not an easy task since our GPS, which is supposed to work in Jamaica doesn’t, and we only have really lousy mapquest directions. Street signs are mostly non-existent here. Landmarks on the directions have changed so “turn at the gas station” or “drive past the tire repair store” means nothing.
We stop at the tourist information center on the main strip to ask for directions or a map, neither of which they can give us. As long as we are here, we walk down to the beach and stick our feet in the bay. There are a whole lot of colorful characters on the beach so we don’t stick around too long. We hop back into our car and head off in the direction that we think might take us to Robin’s Nest.
After what seems like hours of driving, turning around, asking for directions, turning around, going back over our tracks, turning around, and just plain getting lost, we finally somehow find our way to a sign for Robin’s Nest. We drive and drive and drive up the mountain on a curvy, potholed, pitted dirt path that is really not much more than a goat trail that claims to be a road. It’s at least 15 minutes up. Driving in Jamaica is treacherous, at best. Your side of the road, my side of the road, and the middle of the road are all one and the same. Winding up and down the mountain and around all these blind curves, now that’s even more scary. But Bruce is a good driver. And, thank goodness, our horn works.
Eventually, when we think we can’t go any further, we come upon the Robin’s Nest Children’s Home at the top of the mountain. Bruce says that it’s truly a miracle of God that we found our way up here. We wander around a little until we find someone to let us in. The two directors, Katy and Vicki, graciously give us a tour. It’s surprisingly organized and has lots of spaces. It’s amazing to me how many workers they have in addition to the US missionaries that serve as directors, the teacher and the intern who are both on summer break from the states. They tell us that some of the Jamaican ladies live more than an hour away in Negril and have to take a taxi to Montego Bay and then find a ride up to the home for their 12 hour shift 5 or 6 days each week. But, happy to have a job, they never complain.
Robin’s Nest has about 25 kids. There is a main house and a separate boys house, an apartment for the directors, and they are building another small building for a couple who is coming to stay to be co-directors. Katy and Vicki are there around the clock and never get a break, so a new couple is coming to help them as co-directors, as well. Robin’s Nest has two playgrounds, a small swimming pool, a basketball hoop, a large chicken coop, and a big garden. This is some operation they have way up here on the mountain.Katy and Vicki are so gracious to show us all around and kindly answer all our questions. I carry around a sweet little 6 month old girl who falls asleep in my arms. Bruce was befriended by an adorable 2 year old who leads him around by the hand and wants to read him every book that he sees. When we have seen the whole place and asked all the questions that we can think of, we finally leave and wind our way back down the mountain. We find the road toward Negril and start the hour long drive. It pours down rain on our way, but at least this is an actual two-lane road, so driving is a little easier. We are starving so we stop on the side of the road for jerk chicken and mangos.
When we get to Negril we drive through town but do not see our hotel, Sunset on the Cliffs. We think that we must have missed it, so we turn around and head back towards the strip of hotels. We stop at the sister hotel, Sunset on the Beach. They tell us that our hotel is still farther down, but that since the restaurant is closed at the other hotel, that we can stay here tonight. This is actually where we are supposed to meet our friend, Rachel, tomorrow morning, so it seems like a very convenient idea.
We are hungry and tired, so we check in, drop our stuff off in the quaint little beachy room, and head down for dinner. Lloyd is the bartender and server and he takes good care of us. We play a quick hand of our favorite traveling card game, Quiddler, and then head back to the room for a shower and go to bed. It’s only about 8:00 pm, but it’s dark outside, and with no sleep, it feels much later.
Our lesson for the day? When you think that you are lost or have totally missed your mark, just keep going - you probably just haven’t gotten there yet!
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