Fast, furious and fascinating,
KINGSTON
is unlike anywhere else in the
Caribbean. Given its troubled
reputation, it's hardly surprising
that few tourists visit, and though
the scare stories are absurdly
exaggerated, Jamaica's capital is
not a place for the faint-hearted.
With a population fast approaching
one million, the city seethes with
life, noise and activity; it's a
side of Jamaica that couldn't be
more different from the resorts. The
live-for-today vitality of the place
is tempered by a cool elegance and a
strong sense of national history. In
addition to being the seat of
government and the island's
administrative centre, Kingston is
Jamaica's cultural heart, the city
that spawned Bob Marley, Buju Banton,
Beenie Man and countless other
reggae stars, and it's
the
place to experience the best of
local art, theatre and dance.
Though undeniable, the crime and
violence in Kingston is largely
confined to the ghettos, and as
these are positively not places for
casual sightseeing, you're actually
no more at risk here than in any
other big city. Take the usual
precautions - don't walk the
downtown streets alone, take cabs
after dark, keep jewellery and
valuables out of sight - and you're
unlikely to run into any problems.
If you do decide to visit, you'll
find that not only is it easy to
steer clear of the troubled areas,
but that there's little of the
persistent harassment that
bedevils parts of the north coast.
A handful of interesting museums,
galleries and churches can easily
fill a couple of days of
sightseeing; the island's best
clubs, theatres and some great
restaurants will take care of the
evenings. In addition to the lovely
Blue Mountains, plenty of other
attractions surround the city. The
area is littered with historic
sites, such as the forts of the
English buccaneers in atmospheric Port
Royal , while white-sand Hellshire
and Lime Cay beaches are the
perfect places for a dip in the
ocean.
The City
Kingston's main sights are divided
between the area known as
"downtown", which
stretches north from the waterfront
to the busy traffic junction of
Cross Roads, and "uptown",
spreading up into the ritzy suburbs
at the base of the...
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