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Downtown
MoBay announces itself with its very own stretch of
undeveloped shoreline opposite the dividing roundabout.
Dump-Up Beach looks pretty enough, particularly from a
distance, but this is one of the dirtiest parts of the bay.
Shooting off from the roundabout, the main route into the
centre of town is Fort Street, a clamorous
thoroughfare with dancehall flooding out from storefronts
and all manner of pushcarts and vehicles jostling for space
with the thick human traffic. Past here, over the bridge
across North Gully, you enter town proper. The lively
covered fruit and vegetable market to the left is popularly
known as the Gully (the correct name, William Street
Market, is seldom used).
St James Street
comes to an abrupt end at Sam Sharpe Square, the
heart of downtown, with a central fountain and seemingly
permanent stream of traffic. The square is bordered by a
jumble of old and new architecture, including TheCage,
built in 1806 as a lock-up for disorderly seamen and runaway
slaves. Just outside is a bronze statue of national
hero Sam Sharpe by Jamaican sculptor Kay Sullivan.
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Charles Street
waves toward the sea from Sam Sharpe Square, passing the
brand-new Georgian-style Town Hall and weaving its
way toward MoBay's main craft market. With 200-odd
brightly-painted stalls selling a colossal variety of craft
items, it's a good place to pick up some souvenirs and is
surprisingly hassle-free. Otherwise, there's little to see
downtown, and given the prevalence of pickpockets, it's not
a great area for a wander. |
Jamaica
Travel Guide
Montego Bay, Kingston, Ocho Rios, Negril, Blue Mountains, Portland
Caribbean Travel Guide
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