Old Capital

Let me start out by saying, with everything in the news recently, I and my fellow peace corps volunteers are safe. If you have any concerns you can reach me over email, but for now I feel the need to write or do something to keep from going stir crazy, so without further ado here is a brief glimpse into life in Spanish Town.

My agency built many houses in the neighborhoods surrounding its office. Eventually the zinc in many of them became rotted, so we hired one of our contractors to replace it. I was helping in the project management and reporting, so here are some photos from the area.

Here is Burton "Johnny Cool", who did an excellent job on the repairs.

The railroad which once linked Jamaica now is mainly just used to move chemicals to the industrial plant here in Spanish Town. It also now serves as a footpath through the communities of Ellerslie Pen and Palls Pen. There's a goat in there too, because there are goats everywhere in Spanish Town.

The Rio Cobre was once a huge river coming through St. Catherine and Spanish Town. Now most of it is diverted to gullies which irrigate farmland. This one travels through Ellerslie Pen and next to the bus park.
Many of the yards here are quite narrow and you have to walk sideways to go through.
I follow my coworker Junior through another narrow corridor of zinc.

A few schools with a grill and dominoes table in front.

A fence built with an old Pepsi billboard
A few of our houses with their new roofs.

A street corner with shop to buy phone credit.

And my ride back to Portmore. The goat waited with me for the taxi to fill up but decided to stay home in Spanish Town. I'm sure I'll see her again.