My husband and I just returned from a vacation in Jamaica and I wanted to tell you what a wonderful experience we had. It is upsetting that the hotels frighten people into thinking they shouldn’t leave the resorts because it isn’t safe. The world isn’t safe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t trust some people. More often than not, if you give respect than you will get respect. My husband and I witnessed fellow Americans being obnoxious while we were on vacation which was embarrassing to us. If people go to Jamaica and don’t appreciate the culture, they are only missing all that this beautiful place has to offer. We became friends with a taxi driver who realized we were interested in seeing the “real” Jamaica outside of the illusion that the resorts create for people. We quickly developed a mutual respect and he took us to see all of his friends, his wife, and we even hung out with a rastafarian on a plantation. It was wonderful to know that he wanted to share all of this with us and we truly appreciated it. In fact, we are planning another trip to Montego Bay in April or May 2001 and we are staying in a village rather than a resort. You have to be careful no matter where you are-it is hard to know when to trust but you have to trust someone. We had a life-changing experience and can’t wait to go back, as we know there is so much we haven’t seen yet.