[12/15/2015 Tuesday]
The first night in the new accommodation is much better in terms of insects, the fan is unfortunately very loud, but overall it is more restful. Due to the time change we are always awake very early around 6:30.
Together with the family from the States we eat breakfast and enjoy the beautiful weather.
At 10 o’clock Harry and I start to the small town of Port Antonio, which has very beautiful white sandy beaches and little mass tourism to offer.
After a short photo stop at the water our car does not start anymore! Harry does not drive the car in front but stops one;) From this tuned car drones loud reggae music and the young Jamaican with very conspicuous chain around the neck reminds of a gang member. He is extremely helpful, pulls two cables out of his trunk and tinkers a jumper cable, this looks very adventurous and would have made in Germany no one so. As luck would have it, he is an electrician and measures the car battery before the jump start, then the two cables are disconnected with the pliers and the battery is measured again. He gives us the tip not to turn off the car and we should absolutely change the battery, then he drives on. The people here are all very friendly and helpful, everyone greets us nicely or honks at us in greeting.
Harry and I think about whether we should go to the accommodation to call the phone number of the car rental, but we doubt that they drive the car to us and exchange. Independently exchange the battery and pay we also do not want and so we drive 11 o’clock back to Montego Bay, always careful not to turn off the engine, fortunately we have an automatic transmission. On the way, which is about 120 km long, we see a cruise liner in Ocho Rios.
After 3 h we finally arrived in Montego Bay and have to do some convincing, then we get a new car. But there is no goodwill for the lost vacation day, the technician would actually like to tip us because Christmas is coming soon!
We stop at Burger King and quickly eat a burger after this stressful drive.
In Ocho Rios we go to the local big supermarket at 18:30, there are many American products, we buy cookies, water, shampoo and Pepsi. By now it is dark, driving in the dark is really not recommended to anyone on the island. The Jamaicans race like crazy and like to flash high beams, the people on the side of the road are hardly recognizable. The drive is very exhausting, and so we stop again at the “Fanso Beach” and drink at the bar still Rum Cola. In front of our accommodation we also drink something, listen to music and chat and go to bed around 11 pm.