Jamaica > My introduction to Jamaica

At 6:30, my alarm goes off. I pack the last items into my travel bag and zip it closed. Just over an hour later, I’m on my way to Schiphol Airport for a two-week vacation to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. At the airport, I see long lines. Clearly, more people are traveling today. Luckily, the line at TUIfly is manageable. I place my travel bag in the check-in kiosk and check in. Everything goes smoothly. Customs and baggage control also take relatively little time. This means I arrive at the gate far too early. I use the time to browse the internet and respond to the last emails. My plane departs from gate G15. Judging by the gate, the plane isn’t at a jet bridge; instead, I’m taken by bus to the aircraft.

Jamaica - Departure from Schiphol Airport

I hadn’t realized this was still a thing at Schiphol. Boarding is slow. Lots of waiting, even past the official departure time. The plane still seems unready. Just after eleven, I take the bus to the plane and board. With about an hour delay, TUIfly flight OR343 takes off toward Punta Cana. I try to pass the time with a book, a puzzle, and a little sleep. At 4:00 p.m. local time, the plane lands at Punta Cana Airport in the Dominican Republic. Everyone must disembark, including passengers connecting onward to Jamaica. I am given a special transfer card. By bus, I am taken to the arrivals building. There, I join the line for carry-on baggage control and immediately afterward line up again to board. It feels like an unnecessary process, but this is probably the only way to prepare the plane for cleaning. Two hours later, the wheels touch down again—this time at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. After customs, I meet all the other travelers and our tour guide, Patricia. She lives in Jamaica but is originally from the Netherlands. The group consists of sixteen people, seemingly a nice bunch. In twenty minutes, I’m driven to my hotel. Because there aren’t enough rooms available at this hotel, I am accommodated with other travelers at a nearby hotel. Before heading there, I order a beer and chicken curry. When I arrive at the annex, the owner seems surprised. He only has two rooms left, while five of us are standing in front of him expecting five rooms. A little later, he comes up with a solution: two people can stay with him, and the other three go to a third hotel. I get back in the shuttle. Soon, I arrive at the gate of Flamingo Villas. Four dogs bark fearfully behind the fence. The grounds are well guarded. The owner reassures me it’s safe to get out despite the dogs. In my room, the lights don’t work. I move to another room. It doesn’t look like anyone has been here recently, nor that other tourists will arrive tonight. With all the fuss over the rooms, it’s now ten o’clock. I’ve been on the move for 22 hours. I quickly head to bed.