Panhandle to eastern Florida

Today was a little longer than we expected. It took us almost 6 hours of driving to reach Jacksonville, where we will visit one of E's colleagues who is also Jamaican. Florida is a huge state. Surprisingly, after we left the resort, the rest of the island was almost desolate. People often don't realize how much countryside Florida has. Most visitors do not leave the coasts unless they are going to Disney in Orlando.

We stopped here to see E and his wife and child. E worked with my E as a technical representative, dealing with molding trials, etc. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He has roots in Mandeville and goes there often to see his Mom, who is ailing. His family is nice, too, we learned.

He drove us around for hours, touring the neighborhoods of Orange Park (just south of Jacksonville, Florida) and going to see the Jax beaches. Then we passed through Ponte Vedra on the way back to our hotel. The hotel, as with many down there, was beautifully landscaped.