Obama vists Jamaica

 

I’ve met 2 U.S. Presidents in my almost 70 years – JFK in 1962, and last week I met Barack Obama in Kingston, Jamaica.

Peace Corps Jamaica Volunteers and staff

POTUS made a short overnight visit to Jamaica on route to the Summit of the Americas meeting in Panama. U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Luis Moreno arranged a private "meet and greet" just for Peace Corps and Embassy personnel.

Irene and I travelled 6 hours from our home in rural St. James Parish all the way to Kingston. With our colleagues we met at the Peace Corps offices, and then went to the Embassy. There we boarded special buses to travel, escorted by police, to the Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston where  we went through a couple of levels of security and then waited in a meeting room watched over by Secret Service until the President travelled from the airport to our meeting.

Ambassador Moreno is often fond of saying that the "real ambassadors" are the Americans (Peace Corps and his staff) who work daily with Jamaicans for we are connecting point to build relationships with our Jamaican national counterparts.

The President made a few remarks, and then he took the time to shake hands and chat with many of us. As he walked down the line, after shaking hands and chatting with me and Irene, she said, “…and we’re from Colorado!” Obama turned back and gave a very big smile!

The President’s official meetings in Jamaica were well received. The only other sitting President to visit Jamaica was Reagan in 1982. Here are a few more of our pictures and some news pix from the local media.

Steve and Irene on the 'rope line'

(yup, that's Steve's head)

...with the kids!

There is POTUS with both Irene and Steve...

On the bus from the embassy to the hotel

 

Waving goodbye to POTUS