The entrainment is amazing here. We went for a meal at the hotel over the road from the Centre, the same evening as the karaoke. Some of the staff from the hotel had their turn and they could have passed as professional singers. Full vocals swaying bodies and ‘Booty Shakin’. Well this is Jamaica so what do you expect?… There was also a guy from Kingston, who called himself ‘The Fire King’. Swallowing flames and then a contortionist routine using Ashtanga Yoga Postures as a theme. Very good. After his performance he went round with a hat. We were very happy to put something in, he gave a great performance.

Regarding the yoga we have spent the first three days on hip opening postures and the last three days developing the standing and balancing series of postures. The energy levels of everyone are very good and it’s important to pace oneself in this temperature as fatigue can seriously affect ones ability to do classes. So we have to be sensible in this area. After all yoga is what we came all this way for.

When we venture out to the town it feels like being a celebrity or so the locals would have you believe. It’s like so many other countries who rely so heavily on tourism, we are their major source of income and as most products are imported, forget about buying cheap goods. The prices are equivalent to English prices and in some cases more expensive. This is by no means a cheap holiday destination and one of the shopkeepers informed us that takings were 80% down on last season, so the world recession is biting everyone’s rear end on a global scale.

Only yesterday evening we met up with two young guys of 10 years old who said they hadn’t been to school that day because they had no money. Apparently they pay for lessons. Well that is what they told us. Great company and full of street wisdom. Christina, one of the girls from my group, and myself bought these guys some food and candy. They appreciated it but we got loads from these guys as well…… Need to abandon the beach now as, believe it or not, it’s raining bucket fulls, and we are setting off on a big trip tomorrow to Kingston. The city where my father was born….