Ted Meinhover Tedericco

Blue Mountain Part II

Some more pictures from the trip to the Blue Mountains in September.

National Gallery of Jamaica, Downtown Kingston

The National Gallery of Jamaica houses a surprisingly delightful collection of art, with examples of pieces from each tumultuous era of the island's history since about 1000 a.d.

Much of Jamaica's art is influenced by its history of slavery, and rebellion against that oppression

The Edna Manley collection is especially impressive, of course. I have been here almost two months, and already the Bogle image is very recognizable. The meaning and iconography, however, is something I didn't really understand before seeing the well constructed gallery, on display through November, that steps visitors through the history and current discourse surrounding the man turned icon.

I love old maps - they have a great collection of them

Edna Manley's Bogle sculpture, or one of them

Also amazing is the neighborhood that the National Gallery calls home. Downtown Kingston has undergone a good deal of revitalization the past years, but it is still striking to see some of the most prominent state institutions - the Supreme Court, many national agencies - tucked in the midst of stinky market places, hardly legal "wholesale" markets, and wandering goats.

Tropical Storm Nicole

Kingston's transportation and drainage infrastructure was not, unfortunately, planned with the greatest of foresight. It is evident that the valleys and gullies that naturally channeled water down the Blue Mountains and into the sea were systematically filled so that houses and roads could be built to accommodate the ever-expanding city of Kingston.

The result is too few places for too much water to go, and the people and their government are plagued by flooding, often deadly, on a yearly basis.

Tropical Storm Nicole recently made its way across the Caribbean, lingering over Jamaica, resulting in at least 10 deaths across the island and the washing away of multiple roads and bridges.

These shots are from just a few places in Kingston. At the peak of its strength, the flow of water in the gully running across the road was sweeping away volleyball sized rocks, as well as the occasional washing machine, like so many feathers.