one-way flightiness
Rookie mistake. I suspected this might be an issue, in fact I read it would be. Still, I couldn’t escape the allure of buying a “one-way ticket” for the first time in my life. It will probably also be the last.
Many countries won’t let you in unless you have an out. That is to say, your departure must be booked in advance of your arrival. Fair enough, they don’t want to get stuck with you.
I had planned to visit Cuba directly following Jamaica, but I hadn’t purchased my flight yet. I was hoping that I could find a better deal last-minute from the airport than I could online. More on that in another post, the myth of flying standby (in progress).
But that didn’t fly well for Jamaican customs. They were not amused by my lack of travel planning (aka my sense of adventure!). So I was hauled into an office for an hour while I pulled out my laptop and fervently researched my escape plan. I already had a rough idea of the flight I was going to take, so that saved my some time. FlightConnections was my friend here.
Luckily, I was able to quickly purchase an InterCaribbean Airlines from KIN to SCU for 100USD+taxes. Problem solved, right?
“Where you going from Cuba then?” he asked, not so patiently. “What’s it to you?”, I politely rephrased. I didn’t think it made any difference once I was out of here. But he explained that if I didn’t have an exit flight from Cuba also, I would get tossed back to Kingston and become his problem again.
Once he saw my receipt for the ticket to Cuba, he was reasonably satisfied I wasn’t just a hobo looking to take up residence in his tropical paradise, and let me go before buying the Cuba exit ticket, “But make sure you buy your ticket before you leave.” I promised I would, and was on my way.
Now… after being delayed in the airport for two hours, it’s dark, and all the busses have gone. How do I safely get to Negril, 1.5 hours drive from Montego Bay?