# Negril.com Message Board Forums > Negril Message Board >  Marley and Ninja: Having Their Cake And Drinking It Too! Trip Report - April 2012

## marley9808

Well by now it should come as no surprise to anyone on this message board, that a whole bunch of us went to Negril at the end of April, or that we had an *EPIC* time, or that we all fell in love with each other, or that we laughed til we cried or partied til we dropped, or that Tizzy had a great time with Jon, lol. In fact, this should all be so well documented by now that I actually just thought my trip report would be that I would write “Yep, what they said” on everyone else’s report and just call it done! LOL But then I started reading everyone else’s reports and I realized how fun it was re-living everything just by reading theirs and so now I am in. If you are tired of hearing our stories, sorry, and it is probably best you stop reading this now. However, if you want to see yet one more view of this trip, then please join me in my report.

*Marley’s disclaimer:*

What I can promise you this report will *NOT* have- writing skills like that of Clarity and Markus or Guirigay, photography skills like Sweetie Pie and Katho or Sweetness, so I cannot promise it will be as entertaining or as beautiful as theirs, sorry!

What I can promise you this report *WILL* have- a completely accurate account of each day’s activities, I remember every day, where we went and what we did (that might not be such a good thing for some LOL), photos, grammatical errors and misspelled words (whenever Ninja posts) lol, edits made shortly after by Marley, lol

What I would like to ask of all who were involved: If you were there and interacted during any of this report, I urge you to chime in and add your account of the day, activities, or events as I and Ninja describe them, also if you have photos to add, please do so as well….I figured this could serve as a group or team effort, might be fun!

So if you are ready, I will get started  :Smile:

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## marley9808

*Day 1: Saturday April 22, 2012*

The day started for us around 7am, after what was probably only about 3 hours sleep, we awoke, showered, got last minute things packed, and headed to Orlando for our direct flight to MoBay..oh but first things first..we had to be sure that we had packed ALL of the necessities for our trip. Lets see, sunscreen-check, bathing suits-check, flip flops-check, clothes, passports, money-check, check, check.WAIT!!!!!!!!! We CANT forget the most important thing..thats right, the CAKE VODKA.never leave home without it! 



Ok, NOW we are all set! So off to Orlando, about an hour drive and we park our car and get on the bus to take us to the airport. As I take my seat on the bus, I look up and see a sign that says Your drivers name is




Thats rightLUCIANO..our bus driver just happens to have the same name as the Reggae Artist we will be seeing that very night in Negril at Seastar Inn.how cool is that? So Luciano drops us at the airport and we breeze through check in and security and soon we are off.one hour and 27 minutes later we are in paradise.but as soon as we get off the plane we are greeted by the longest line at customs and immigration that I have ever seen, it took us a little over an hour to get through it (almost the same amount of time it took us to fly there). Well we finally make it outside and I scan the crowd for Chicken, he is usually hard to miss, tall guy, usually front and center with a BIG smile.I dont see him, I scan the crowd some more and a guy says Who are you looking for and I say Chicken and then this young boy gets all excited and starts waving the familiar sign at me that says Chickens Magic Bus Hi Im Ricky he says, Chickens son, and your friends are this way He points to Groovy Grouper and I immediately recognize Guirigay who is seated facing me with his familiar straw hat. Sweetie Pie and Tizzy cannot see me as their backs are to me. At first I felt Guirigay was looking straight at me so I waved, but when he didnt respond I realized he has not seen me yet, so I walked over to the side, right up next to them, by the railing where they were sitting and I didnt say a word and then just like that all 3 of them look over at me and in unison SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so loud and shocking that I jumped back a bit and everyone in a large radius was looking our way. I bet they were all thinking What is going on over there.why are they screaming at her And then in a blink they all jumped up and came running for a hug. I think the first was Tizzyor maybe Guirigay that part I am not sure of but what I am sure of is that with all 3 hugs, I remember thinking that these were not hugs that you give strangers who you have never met..these were real quality hugs, the kind you give your family that you havent seen in years but have been dying to see and HUG!

And with that enormous and unforgettable greeting, Chicken brought the Magic Bus around, loaded our stuff and we were off.Chicken driving, Ricky playing bartender, Tizzy, Guirigay and Sweetie Pie, and Marley and Ninja, on our way to Negril..the trip we had all been counting down to, messaging about, posting about, dreaming about..it was finally here!  And we were offoh, well that is with one short stop. We needed to hit up Digicel so Guirigay and Tizzy could get some Jamaican cell phones.and I needed some minutes for mine, so we made a quick stop at the Digicel store on the Hip Stripwell, it was SUPPOSED to be a QUICK stop..and so this begins what I now refer to as the LONGEST but MOST fun trip to Negril ever Just for reference, our flight landed at 2:42pm, we arrived in Negril at Seastar a little after 7:30pm!
LMAO

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## wpyogi

> What I can promise you this report *WILL* have- a completely accurate account of each days activities, I remember every day, where we went and what we did (that might not be such a good thing for some LOL), photos, grammatical errors and misspelled words (whenever Ninja posts) lol, edits made shortly after by Marley, lol


HAHAHAHAHAHA, bring it, girl!  At least someone has a clear memory of the maddness!

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## booger

> HAHAHAHAHAHA, bring it, girl!  At least someone has a clear memory of the maddness!


SO she claims. I have Tizzy on stand by for all fact checking......

I'm really looking forward to this one.  :Cool:

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## garysteph1018

Absolutely excited to read your report! YAY!!!

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## Jim-Donna

And so it begins~~ YIPPIE!

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## TizzyATX

> SO she claims. I have Tizzy on stand by for all fact checking......
> 
> I'm really looking forward to this one.


Yeah cause MY memory of these events is just clear as day. LOL  

Marley, my sista, this is gonna be so good....I love thinking about that day.  :Wink:

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## Guirigay

All spokes can now link to the hub...  :Smile:

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## gerryg123

This should be good ....

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## drummerboy13

I can't wait to read this.  Some great times!!!

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## Luvsdaislands

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Disclaimer!!!

Got my olive oil chips and red stripe and ready!!!!

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## Aud-A-Sea

That was a tease.  Need more info and pics please.

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## ralonzo29

*Day1: Saturday April 22, 2012*
*NINJA's 2Cents*

_I can tell you what you will get from me. Miss spelling and bad grammer, hardly any punctuation, sarcasm, comedic relief and well come colorfulness._

As usual I tend to pack my stuff at a time that could be best address as the we hours of the night/morning. So sleep isnt one of my forte's when heading into a travel day. Surprisingly I had packed a lot of my stuff in the week (something I never do, maybe Marley's rubbing off on me). We had spent the night watching the Marley movie and getting all our shi... stuff together. Being mid level veterans of trips to Jamaica we had lists to check (twice) and luggage to weigh. Note to the many who will be reading this (I say many cuz my goal is to get ALOT OF VIEWS - dig) a good idea while traveling is to purchase a portable scale to weigh the bags. Though some bags come with overweight detectors they cant tell you how over weight. Just so happens Marley and Ninja are so in tune they had an exact weight amount (and yes I referred to myself in the 3rd person it happens). So needles to say (why say that if it is needless) we got NO sleep. 

Bright eyed and bushy tailed we headed to Otown as Marley has said and the trip was pretty uneventful (we did make one stop at 711 to get 5 hour energy drink because we knew when we hit JA it would be *ON*). Now Marley has skipped a rather delight bit of information that we both had to FB when we got on the plane. Our stewardess' name was wait for it... POPCORN. Let me tell you something I love my parents with all my heart, and neigh do I ever wish them harm (yes i said neigh thats how I roll). But if they had ever named me POPCORN I think I would have Menedezed them along time ago. The lovely, oops Im sorry I said stewardess that was my mistake, FLIGHT ATTENDANT Popcorn was rather nice. She seemed competent to handle the this flight with the exception of one thing I'll get too right after this commercial break. NOTE: If you are traveling to a foreign country be sure to grab yourself a pen so you h ave it handy to fill out customs forms cuz no ones apt to lend you theirs, FYI Popcorn was nice enough to inform us one form per last name. I made some side joke as we walked in to be seated that me and the lady in front of me had the same last name. We werent related but how luck was that. Popcorn laughed. But I think that was a courtesy laugh but I'll take it. Of course I tell you this thing about the forms to then tell you that she was wrong we needed one per person thus making our wait in the line longer because as I was filling out my form it seemed like 3 more plans landed and extended our line. 

As we waited in line Marley found herself looking in line to see if our fellow boardies, Guirigay, Tizzy and Sweetie Pie were unlucky to be stuck too, alas no but this facilitate time for Guirigay to have a couple drinks  :Wink: . Now we made it through, B-lined it as fast as we can out and looked for Chicken. I'm a tad bit more observant than my lovely lovely wife so I was able to see Chickens sons sign before anyone had to point him out but was to slow to say there it is before my wife answered someone asking who we were looking for. Ricky pointed us towards the other boardies and Marley and I made dash for them. Now I will be honest here, 2 things: 1) as you know I'm not that prevalent on the board as my better half is so I am less involved with the people on the board but I generally like most people or at least can stomach them and B) at times in my life I can be shy, stand offish, quiet/subdued and some might say like a prickly german (sorry inside joke).  So once all 3 people screamed at seeing Marley I made a quiet retreat to the bathroom. I did have to though so I wasnt leaving just cuz. I had to prepare my self mentally to not be what I described above. Marley had been anticipating meeting everyone and though I was too, She's spends alot of time on the board helping people, reading things and generally conversing so she really kinda knows everyone. I spend less time so I generally kinda stay in the back ground. However when I emerged from the HEAD, I was now ready to say hi and did thus that and was happy to find I wouldnt need to be my usual shadow self. Everyone was generally happy to see us and rearing to get our asses to NEGRIL. Marley kinda covered the trip in (the longest trip to negril ever), but it was so much fun. Between Digicel (and losing tizzy to the craft market), Biggas (yum biggas) we caught our first sunset of the vacation (7 more of those to see) anticipated meeting everyone else. 

There is that moment when you feel what if you hate these people or even so what if they hate you. Let me tell you after the first night I didnt have to worry about that the rest of the trip. Next we wait to see if I get the red pen treatment.  :Wink:

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## ralonzo29

Some in bound trip images

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## TizzyATX

NIIIIIN JA..... in the house! That's whats up!!!

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## Guirigay

Bring it, Ninja-san...

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## Clarity

Woo hoo!!! Marley _AND_ Ninja reporting!! Tag teaming it, I love it!! :Big Grin: 
Loved the disclaimer in the beginning! lol
I'm so excited that someone remembers the order of the events that unfolded! It's getting all muddled in my head already! 
Your trip report will become the April 2012 boardie week *bible* for everyone to refer to for accuracy. haha

Can't wait to read more!!
Miss you guys!!! :Embarrassment:

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## marley9808

Ha! Yeah well......we learned that tag-team style from the best!

Miss you guys too!
I did the Cinderella yesterday and thought of you both! LMAO

I will post more tonight! 
Speaking of posting more...........

 :Wink:

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## spottycatz

Love ya all!

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## booger

Ninja,
 Are you speaking into a mic on your computer and using transcribing software to write your report? Because reading it feels like I am standing next to you having a conversation. Too cool...... :Cool:

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## Sweetie pie

Good, you hear it too Booger!  :Smile:

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## marley9808

Nope....that is his writing style  :Wink:

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## marley9808

Now lets see, there were five total stops before we made it to our resort that evening, and like I previously said it was the LONGEST ride to Negril I have ever been on (even back when the road was so bad and it took longer than it does now), but I never complainednot once, nor did Chicken or anyone else for that matter, we had a blast. Our first stop, like I already mentioned, was at Digicel on the Hip Strip. But instead of us just popping in and grabbing some phones, this experience was much more like a first stop on a pub crawl. Chicken pulled the bus up to the store and everyone got off except Ninja, he remained on the bus (probably because he did not need anything from Digicel and didnt expect the trip inside would take that long). Everyone else, with their Red Stripes in hand, entered the store like a whirlwind..of course you have to know that Guirigay and SweetiPie had already been at the bar waiting for us for over 2 hours and Tizzy, maybe 1, so they had already had a few, so to speak. So, in this group walks, beers in hand, still all talking a mile a minute about how happy we were to be there, how we couldnt believe it all, how cold it is in Michigan, how some of us hate the cold, how cold weather is fine if you have proper clothing lol.all sorts of discussions. There were probably only 2 other customers in the store but yet we still spent AT LEAST 45 minutes in there getting phones and minutes.Jamaica time for sure, but honestly not once did I feel I was in a store buying anything, it straight up felt like we were socializing at a barand so it begins. They get their phones and I was the first to call them both, from then on I became the official phone- number haver! Marley, whats my phone number again was a phrase I heard a lot. 

Tizzy mentions that she needs a cambio and one just happened to be right next door so I pointed her in that direction. Soon after, Guirigay, SweetiePie and I get back on the bus, poor Ninja had been there all the while waiting on us.  So we are waiting and Chicken says Where is Tizzy? I said She is in the cambio and right then I look and see, she is not there. He says I think she went down that alley with those ladies, you should probably go get her Well Guirigay offered to go get her and soon she was back in the bus safe and sound (With most of her souvenir shopping already complete LOL)..And we were off! (again). A mere 10-15 minutes later we hear a distress call from somewhere in the bus.you know the one.Bathroom break needed! But can you blame them really?!?!? Afterall, they had already consumed probably a case of red stripe by this point, so we made the next pitstop down the road. And it happened to be at a rum bar, so what do you get while stopping at a rum bar to use the restroom.well RUM, of course! And Guirigay did..but not only did he get rum, he got some Stones Ginger wine to share with his new family..US! Yum!  So that stop lasted only about 15-20 minutes, which was an improvement from the hour we spent on the Hip Strip.but hey, at least we were out of MoBay by this point! So now on the road again! Talking, laughing, drinking, occasionally pausing to look out the windows and determine where we were. LUCEA! At that point I realized it was time to shout out to Chicken that we definitely needed a stop at Biggas, and of course he agreed! So the next stop, Green Island, for Biggas. Unfortunately Bigga was not there, and Guirigay was mighty disappointed by that, but we did get to meet MRS. Bigga and she was delightful. We got the jerk pork for a change and it was delicious, I finished mine before we even got back in the bus and I was sad, but then again, I knew we would be at the SeaStar Inn buffet not long from then so it was the perfect snack. Back on the bus and off we go, now we are in the home stretch.pass Orange Bay and then that familiar sign! Welcome to Negril! We all cheered loudly and just about that time we noticed it was sunset time, it was like we all spotted it at the same moment and let out an Oooooooooooooooh So with that, Chicken pulled over right where there was a clearing and we watched our first Negril Sunset of the trip, the five of us together.and it surely did not disappoint. Once we were satisfied, we were back on the road. As we passed all of the familiar places we shouted them outMargaritaville! Seasplash! CoCo La Palm! Grand Pineapple! Alfreds! Canoe! Mi Yard! Blue Cave! Xtabi!

Now we were on the best end...the west end! We dropped off Guirigay and SweetiePie at their place and told them to get settled in and then catch a ride up to Seastar and join us at the party, they agreed and so we said a quick, bye for now!  Later I told most people I would be surprised if they made it to Seastar because when we dropped them off I was REALLY seeing the effects of all that Red Stripe and traveling on Guirigay!

Next stop was for Miss Tizzy, she was staying at Catcha! I was so happy to see my home, but I didnt get out, we would not be checking into Catcha until tomorrow, so we let her out and told her to get checked in and freshened up and then head up to Seastar.  See you soon!

Then the bus turns down that familiar lane and we head up to Seastar. By this time the party was in full effect and the place was PACKED. It was 7:30pm or maybe even a bit later. We got out and Chicken and Ricky took our bags to the front desk for check in. Chris, the owner, greeted us even though they were in full gear for the show, buffet, and party! He quickly checked us in and took us to our room. I actually saw some of our boardie friends when we walked in but they all had their backs to us and missed us coming in completely so we snuck off to get checked into our room. We had originally booked Room 5 which I was excited about because Daisy had told me it was a good room and right across from their favorite room, which was #3. But I guess there was some mix up, maybe because we had only booked one night in room 5 and had done so probably 6 months previouslyso anyways, Chris put us in Room 6. I noticed the mistake and said We were supposed to be in Room 5 but then I realized, you know whatno big deal, it had two beds instead of one but we were only there one night and probably would not be doing much sleeping anyways! I was right! So we checked in and I could not wait to get back out there and hug some of my long lost family (you know, the ones I had never officially met) 

**Now I am going to pause here and take a second to talk about the first family members we met on this trip, the ones we shared this monumental and unforgetable trip to Negril with! It has been described before but cannot fully be understood until you live it. I said almost immediately that never in my life before had I met people who I felt like I knew before I ever even had met them. It was almost like (as Sweetie Pie had described) a blind date - with over 100 people. I recognized them from photos, I knew their likes/dislikes, their traveling histories, where they were from and other small or large details of their lives.....the only thing I didn't know was what it was like to be in their actual presence.....well guess what? It was JUST as great as I thought it would be! It was truly like being reunited with long lost family members, and Guirigay, SweetiePie and Tizzy were my first taste of this!

Tizzy - Imagine a small little package with a HUGE personality and an even larger Excitement for life and just having a good time...and that is Tizzy.....it is IMPOSSIBLE to not smile, laugh or have a good time when you are around this woman. And the funny thing is, you might originally think she is just the average typical, good body, nice rack party girl without a brain. But she is not! She is smart, funny, sweet, caring and so very loveable. She is nothing you expect her to be and everything you could want her to be. And the funny thing is, I knew this all almost instantly after meeting her, when she jumped up and gave me that great big old hug I knew I liked her, and I knew I always would!

Sweetie Pie- The first thing you will notice about Sweetie Pie is her eyes....they are beautiful, mesmerizing, gorgeous....much like she is. The second thing you will notice, very soon after, is why her man calls her Sweetie Pie...because she truly is. You might at first think she is shy or quiet but when you get to know her you can have some pretty amazing talks about just about everything. She is so sweet and kind and very knowledgeable, though you may miss some of the things she says if you are looking at her, because those eyes.....oh Guirigay, you are in trouble man...just surrender now...but I can see, you already have! Sweetie Pie...I REALLY enjoyed our talks, and I also really enjoyed getting to know you and building our friendship, I also loved talking and thinking about your future with Guirigay....you two make me smile every time I think of you.

Guirigay- What can I say about Guiri, so many things really. His excitement and enthusiasm overshadowed most everything else at the beginning of this trip, and it was so hard not to get sucked into it....but why wouldn't you want to be? There was a calm and relaxed smile he seemed to ALWAYS have on his face no matter what was going on, and his eyes are so welcoming. He makes you feel like he loves you the moment he meets you. In fact, because of that I think that was why I felt so instantly connected to this group from the moment we arrived. He just has this way about him that makes you feel as if you have known him your whole entire life. And it is such a comforting feeling. You just can't help but love this guy.....pretty much instantly!

Photos from our stop at Biggas (the photo with Guirigay, Marley and Ninja AND Mrs Bigga is courtesy of SweetiePie)

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## booger

I wondered what happened to my balcony mates... Room 3 is killer and I'm sure room 5 is more of the same.......

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## marley9808

Yeah....I am not really sure what happened....but there was no real reason to sweat it....room #6 is a fine room too!

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## indybob

You kids crack me up.............. keep the laughs a comin :Smile:  yall have such a good memory! Ican bearly recall some things until i read what you  and the gang  have wrote in your reports and im like . O yeah we were there, now i remember!!!!!!!!!!!:   Thanks for saving some brain cells to remember with :Smile: lol.....xxooIndy Cindy

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## marley9808

So when I got out of the room and walked out, by that time they were all sitting around a table. I looked and I immediately saw Patty and Kopper, Daisy and Markus, and Dawn and +1and so I just ran up to the table and did a sort of Tah-dah, I am here motion.  And then there was a similar reaction to the one at the airport. Yells and laughs and hugs and greetings. I was dressed in head to toe Marley gear just so everyone would know who I was! Again, this time the hugs were all great and genuine. I felt at home with family instantly. But I also felt it was time to go back and freshen up and get dressed for the party. So I excused myself and Ninja and I returned to the room to get dressed. We were back in a flash because I was super eager and excited to spend more time with everyone. When I came back to the table I was instantly greeted by Joe and Manda.I was so happy to see them!



After the warm welcome from those two party animals I realized that Ninja and I hadn't paid for the buffet yet so we headed over to the table to pay and get our wristbands. While there I looked over and noticed Rob and Lisa and I waved. As I was paying for us I heard some obnoxiously loud guy talking to Ninja. I turned around and there was some dude talking and laughing. I did not know who he was. I had never seen him before, he was not familiar looking at all. So I just sort of stared at him. That is when Ninja says to me "It's Booger" Now honestly, that is probably the last person I expected this guy to be. But I said "Hey Booger" and I gave him a hug and at that moment he spilled his Red Stripe all down the side of my dress......I just laughed and thought to myself, I could think of no better way to meet Booger for the first time! He was nothing like I had expected him to be but everything like I had expected him to be, if that makes sense!

After such a greeting I returned to our table. Booger and his wife and friend were over by the bar, I believe, and our table was closer to the entrance and nearest the webcast table. I found out later that there was another table closer to the bar where Rasta Stan and Betty, and the SpottyCatz and IndyBob and Cindy were, but at this moment I just knew about our table.

We decided to head to get some food. About the time we returned to our table Tizzy had joined the party and was received just as happily and easily as we were. Introductions all around again. Then moments later...Guirigay and SweetiePie! And I was so happy to see them, as I had mentioned before, I was a little worried they would not make it to the party after all of the Red Stripes set in! But they were there! And now it was a party! 

We did a WHOLE LOT of this..



And as we sat there eating, drinking, talking, laughing....more boardies came by. We met Sandie, Booger's wife...then Jon (there will be plenty more on that meeting later from others....ahem), Indy Bob and Cindy who came over to our table and informed us all that she was a "LURKER" We met Mr SpottyCatz who was not hard to spot in his fabulous Hippy Pants...and later Mrs. Spottycatz who is just as cool, hippy pants or not! Rasta Stan and Betty...Babalew! And probably even some more....it was like being in the perfect storm of boardies and fun and excitement and I am thrilled to death that I was a part of it too!

Markus seemed to share my excitement as well  :Smile:

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## Lady Jane

Woooohoooo, this is fantastic. Keep it coming < insert popcorn eating emoticon here>  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## booger

"It's Booger" Now honestly, that is probably the last person I expected this guy to be. But I said "Hey Booger" and I gave him a hug and at that moment he spilled his Red Stripe all down the side of my dress......"

Glad you do not put to much weight in first impressions.......... :Embarrassment:

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## Guirigay

I have never laughed so hard at a boardie post. Tears running down my face. Sweetie Pie just tested me for dampness.

As I was paying for us I heard some obnoxiously loud guy talking to Ninja...

You're a good sport, Boogs, thanks for playing  :Smile: 

On the other end of the tear spectrum, Marley, thank you. Sweetie Pie loves you too.

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## marley9808

Lol

Kisses to Sweetie Pie!

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## Coco

Love this...keep it coming! Dennis and I wondered what happened before we arrived...wow! Lol

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## Clarity

Lol!!!  Love it!!:d

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## garysteph1018

I wish we had a "like/love" button! I will admit that I am a little green though! Maybe I should get another Red Stripe!

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## spottycatz

:Big Grin:  Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahahahahhahahah  ahahahahahhahahha............................snort  ......................hahahahahahahahahahahahhahah

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## Patty Sather

MARLEY!!!!! Hahahahahahhaha.....Gosh it was like i was back there ....the excitment is still there ...what a night of Magic!!!!!!!! It is so fun reading everyones discription of each other! LOL!!!!! and sometimes the events seem to change depending whos telling it and the state of consciousness :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Katho

This is great!! Were you keeping notes? lol! Amazing detail  :Wink: 

Also LOVE the thread title, lol!!

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## booger

Ninja/Marley,
 What are you waiting on? Seriously I need more. Carry on please............

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## ralonzo29

Day1: Saturday April 22, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
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My wife is gonna laugh at my next statement but she'll understand what I mean in a minute. I'm a guy who at times is reserved (insert laugh track by Marley). What I mean by this is when I meet new people especially a large group, and especially if my wife knows them better I turn down the NINJA a bit. I can be sarcastic, digging and I never forget anything you do that I find amusing and I will bring it back up over and over in a dry one liner or an elaborate story just to sting you. I mean nothing by it. I simply like to laugh and I can take it as much as I give it, but like everyone I have sensitive subjects. SO when I meet people I don't know I try not to be THAT guy just yet. Let them like me first then you can hate me in that I like him but he's got the sarcasm dripping off of him.

I say all this to start with our trip to Digicel. See chicken was nice enough to get Marley what she needed for her phone well because that's the man he is, however we discovered as we waited to get on the CB that others in the group needed to get phones. Chicken without a care in the world save making us happy made was happy to takes us to Digicel.

OK quick back story that terribly unnecessary but as my wife will confirm I like to talk. Last year for our one year I NEEDED to surprise my wife with something or rather someone. Anyone who has read last year's TR they know what it was. I wanted to get a phone last year so I could converse with this person without having to let my wife in on the little secret. Well needless to say I didn't get the phone but still manage to pull off the surprise. OK back to our regularly scheduled EPIC story.

So as we stopped to go into the Digicel store. I went in to the store with everyone decided if I wasn't need here I would excuse myself. I asked my wife if she wanted me to get a phone she said no (hindsight had I had a phone she could have called me when the incident happened on sunday { story to come}). Anyway, (drawn out anyway followed by long pause) I opted to remove one unnecessary person from the group in the small store. Honestly I was still in that observation mode. This is the mode where I engage less with people. I don't initiate conversations if I do they are quick. I don't get directly into the group discussion unless I need to and I gather as much information as possible before I decide whether the person I'm talking to is someone I want to have a long conversation with (for note sake this mode didn't stay long). I sat in the bus just observing mostly and drinking. Waiting for my fellow bus mates, just taking it all in.


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I will take this moment to do what my lovely wife did and give first impressions.

Tizzy is a bundle of pure energy ( even later when she lost her iPhone she never seemed to miss a beat). If you allow yourself to get past the fact that she is from TEXAS, just kidding Tz, you'll find that the statement everything's bigger in Texas is a direct statement about her person and less about her stature. She's like what 5'2 in heels ( again kidding it probably more like 5') but her aura, personality, chi or what ever you want to call it is 7' tall. She got a charisma of  20+5, thats for you nerds out there. But if you get past all of bigger than life Tz you'll find she simply a great mom, a good listener and all about being the best Tizzy she can be.

Sweetie Pie is quiet but not in the way you may think. Everything with her is never loud. Which make it easier to engage her because you really have to listen. As anyone can tell you I have a voice you can hear if I was buried alive 6' under and under a concrete slab. Sweetie Pie would be the antithesis to me. Her tone and conversation quality  is rather calming. She like my wife when it comes to being a focal point. Someone to focus a person when they are trying to multitask but failing epically. Which well Guirigay needed a couple times this trip  :Smile: . I wont comment on her eyes because I can't do them any more justice than Marley did.

Guirigay, what to say about my flop competitor. If anyone one engaged me the most on the trip in it was him, at least initially. His energy funny enough is a little between the whirlwind that Tizzy is and the cool breeze that Sweetie Pie is. He seemed drunk first off but I would never hold that against him. He had that sliver eyed look people get when they are what my mom calls sweet (I call tipsy). I have to say it was our fault since they all were waiting for us. Guirigay has that intellectual quality you might mistake for a feeling of superiority if you didn't take a second to LISTEN to him. For the most part he's a smart ass much like myself but has a very kind heart. He's one of those guys that has always been a nice guy but realized they tend to finish last but instead of letting that deter him he just became a smart ass nice guy ( i know the type all to well, I look at that type every time I shave). Once you get past his disarming charm and fun you get to talk soup with him and well genuinely learn something.

Marley - I know you're thinking why in gods name does he need to write about his wife. My wife hates people. I say this because people need to be hated. They are obnoxious, self centered and genuinely in their own world and inconsiderate. If I have no patience for people she has -100. However when she gets in Negril and around people she really likes she lights up like a firefly and I can’t help but love her more if thats possible. She always has everyone's best interest at heart and even when she makes a mistake she only wants to remedy the problem. She’s really the opposite of the majority of people. Anyone who comes down on her, insults her or talks about her behind her back will eventually have to deal with me and even though I'm nice, I really am not that nice.

Watching her on the bus ride was like watching a thousand million fireflies. I could see she really loved these people and if they're okay with her then they'll be okay with me. She's so beautiful isn't she...
----------

Ok now that I said that I will admit that none of this was immediately discerned so as far as the trip to Negril was concerned I was with the Big Boobed Texan energizer bunny, the quiet yet stunning photojournalist, the drunk guy and the Queen of Negril. I say this with all the love I have for each and everyone of you.

After Guirgay had to rescued Tizzy from spending every dime of the moneys she converted in the cambio we piled on the bus and headed out of MoBay.
Quick note Guirigay makes the hat story seem way cooler than I thought it was so I thank him for that. When we stopped at Biggas the fact that they didn't have chicken ready but had pork made it the best stop on the way. Chowing down on Jerk pork with a little red stripe and the random sip of stone wine was like heaven.

I’m going to fast fwd to Sea Star Inn mainly because I want my wife to start writing her next part and really she covered the ride in. For my part let’s just say by the time we reached Sea Star I was out of observation mode at least for now.

When we reached Sea Star it was already dark and the party had started. Marley and I bought two 5 hour energy drinks anticipating the amount of tired we would be when we got to the party. So we got signed in and decided to head to say hi to everyone we just snuck by on our way in. The mix up with the rooms really wasn’t that big a deal as it was for one night and we just really needed a place to lay our heads. It probably wouldn’t be that long of a head resting anyway. The room was fine, but the only thing I noticed was that the mach 5 fan was awfully close to normal people arm reach (this will be important somewhere around 4 in the morning. Marley wanted to say hi to everyone in her Marley gear so we postponed changing to go say hi.

I have to admit meeting everyone was like a whirlwind there was a Patty, Kopper, Beachgirl, Clarity and Hubby man, a Spotty Kat and on and on. As my wife points out the funniest intro was still Boogers not so much because he was drunk but more because I only slight knew who he was and I think I gave him the so what face when he said I’m Booger. Luckily for me he was halfway in the bottle and can’t quite remember that. In my defense I was back in observation mode and there were way too many people to meet. But I recovered as I introduced him to Marley and he christened her dress.

Ok I’m posting this now because I need to get my woman some food but I haven't spell, grammar or general sense making checked it yet so, You were pre warned by my wife who will tell me to correct it later  :Wink:

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## Coco

Love it!!

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## Jbizek

:EEK!:  :EEK!: 

 It _really_ does taste like a birthday cake. *EVIL*.

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## marley9808

Told you!!!!!!!!!!!

Even if you just open it up and smell it....Oh MA...GAH! lol

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## marley9808

After we finished eating, we did a lot more laughingAND drinking.and then soon, the moment we had been waiting for since we stepped on that bus in Orlando..LUCIANO! He took the stage and the crowd went wild.all of us included! Now, I have been to MANY MANY reggae concerts in my life, and funny enough the only real major reggae artist I had yet to see was this man, believe it or not. All of the Marleysyes, MANY times, Capelton, Elephant Man, Beenie Man, Buju, Sean Paul, Steel Pulse, Third World, Beres Hammond, Toots Hibbert, the list goes on and onbut not Luciano.until tonight! And he surely did not disappoint.  I love Reggae music, I love Reggae artists, and I love Reggae shows..but a Reggae show in Jamaica, in a small, intimate venue.there just couldnt be anything greater!  I was in HEAVEN! We got up from the table where we had all been chatting and moved to the dance floor to get closer to the stage and enjoy the show. Ninja and I danced and sang and had a great time. Luciano put on one heck of a show, as I knew he would! Thanks to Seastar Inn and to Chris for bringing him here while I was here.I can no longer say that every time I come to Negril a good concert has either JUST happened, or is scheduled right after we leaveI finally saw one. I also want to say thanks to Daisy and Markus, when they booked the same week as us, I secretly knew that Luciano would be playing at Seastar, because Daisy and Markus have actually NEVER been to Seastar when Luciano WASNT playing there..in fact, they might even think he is just a part of the house band at Seastar! LMAO! Thanks to all! It was a GREAT show!











After the show was over (not even sure what time that was) most everyone had either already left to go back to their hotels or were now leaving. So we said goodbye and gave out hugs to many of our new family members and made plans to see some of them the next day or what have you, afterall this was our first night of the trip so we knew we had many more nights of fun ahead of us. I am sure it was late but the beauty of this was that we were staying at Seastar so we had nowhere to go but back to our room..so no real need to end the party, right? We joined Daisy and Markus back at our table and had another round and a good chat..we must have been chatting for some time because I remember the staff was cleaning up, the music had stopped and basically they were asking us if we could get up so they could move the tables LOL


(Even Joe joined us for some of the fun--LOL This is one of my very favorite pictures from that night...it cracks me up every time I look at it)

At that point Daisy had informed me that they would be leaving in the morning to go to Mandeville to visit her family and that they needed to wake up at 6am for their ride. I think that is about the first time I looked at the time and I think it was around 4am! She suggested to Markus that they get a shot of rum to help them go to sleep..so we thought we would be good and supportive new friends and join them. Markus ordered 4 shots of Appleton.I cant even remember if I tasted it when I drank it! LOL But we were all still wide awake, probably from the first night excitement(OH, or it could have been that 5 hour energy shot we took when we arrived lol) I have no idea what Daisy and Markus excuse was but we decided we would go back to our room to continue visiting..I mean why not? So we showed them around Room #6 and invited them in for a pineapple upside down cake shot (there will be many more of these to come in the future but Markus and Daisy got the first ones, and I think it is safe to say that they were fans)

As we stood inside our room enjoying the cake vodka and all 4 of us being just like teenage girls on a phone call, having so much to say and not ever wanting to hang up, we suddenly realized the time and that the two of them literally had only a couple of hours before they were to be awake to catch their ride to the country, so we decided we better call it a night. But before they left, Markus was telling us some story or something, and when you meet him you will understand what I mean by this, but he is very animated during his story telling, he also gets very excited and with that, and his story, he threw his arms and hands up into the air and made direct contact with the ceiling fan (which was at Mach 5 speed)! I think I screamed, Ninja gasped..I cant even remember what Daisy or Markus did, but we literally expected that he lost at least one finger. Shockingly, they were all still there but he did have a very bad gash on 2 of them..I am sure they will tell this tale with great detail so I will leave it at this. He seemed ok, there was a gash, and maybe some swelling but he was fine (and of course also really drunk). I just kept thinking, he might have broken something, or at the very least that it was going to be extremely painful in the morning when he woke up. But he ensured us he was ok, they gave us parting hugs and as they walked away I have to admit I was already sad that I would be missing them for the next day and a half while they were in the country!


Sweetness put it best when she said I was in love with you guys before I had ever even met you I think I felt the same way about this couple. They are every bit as great as you think they are..and in a lot of other ways, they are even better!

Daisy  I connected with her early on during her posts and reports, and we had chats and discussions long before ever meeting, so I already considered her a friend and I knew that we were going to get along well, and I was right. Sometimes there are people in life that you just have a lot in common with, sometimes you can relate to people on such a deep level that you already feel such a closeness like you would with someone you have known your whole life, and that is how I feel about Daisy. But funny enough, I can almost guarantee that just about everyone would say the exact same thing about her! Daisy has such a way of talking to people so honestly and openly about life that she can literally find some deep connection with just about everyone. It is an amazing quality, and just one of the reasons she is so loved by us all. She is so bubbly, so engaging, so funny, so sweet, so scared about everything, so beautiful, so caring, I could go on and on but to sum it all up, she is just so loveable!

Markus  Now prior to this trip, I had only really conversed with him once so most of what I knew about him was either from his posts on the board or from what Daisy had told me about him. I knew he was knowledgeable about a lot of things, I knew he loved Daisy, I knew he was very kind.but what I did not know was how incredibly funny he is. EXTREMELY funny. Honestly between him and Booger and Sandie, that is why I could barely get out of bed in the morning because I woke up everyday feeling like I had been doing Abs of Steel all day! I laugh just thinking about Markus now.this guy is hilarious. And as funny as he is, he is still all of the other things I mentioned. Extremely knowledgeable, passionate, caring and his amazing excitement and passion for things makes it impossible not to get excited about whatever he is talking about (whether you understand it or not). Daisy, I am secretly in love with your husbandok, maybe not so secretly.but I think it is ok, since I love you just as much. 
Yes folks it is true, Negril.coms most loveable couple is every bit as loveable as you think they are.possibly even more! We love and miss you both so much!

Patty Sather -  Patty and I also had connected a little prior to this trip. We both had to endure some unfortunate and unnecessary drama, but like drama sometimes does, it helps you learn who are your friends and who arent. I feel we connected on another level too because of it. She comforted me, before I had ever even met herand if/when you meet Patty, you will know almost instantly that that is her nature. She is the MOST caring, loving, supportive, beautiful person you will ever meet. I was so excited to give her a great big hug when I first met her. Patty, I cannot say enough good things about you, lady! You have already been there for me and done or said such comforting things, more so than many other people I have known for years. For that I thank youand I love you! Oh and P.S. She is every bit as gorgeous as she looks in her photos.whatever you are drinking, eating or usingcan you share it?  Oh and Kopper, Pattys awesome husband.what a guy! They are as perfect for each other as two people can be..even proven by the matching outfits they were wearing when we first met them.just love them to pieces!
(This photo is actually courtesy of Beachgirl66 but I just thought it so perfect for this part of the report)  :Smile: 



Beachgirl66  She has a smile that could blind you! I am serious! And she is gorgeous too..dont let her try and fool you, Beachgirl is amazingly beautiful inside and out. And if that werent enough, she is just as sweet and loveable as she is beautiful. And get this.she says she is a grandma? No way! She looks AND sounds like she is in her 20s..I am NOT lying.between her and Patty, I am SURE that Negril MUST be the fountain of youth. Oh and she also gives the best hugs!


Stay tuned..tomorrow, we check into Catcha Falling Star (aka HOME)!

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## Jim-Donna

Pure Niceness~~

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## Eden

Really enjoying your report, Marley!! You and your hubby have such beautiful smiles, and I can see your lovely spirits truly shine thru this screen.  You guys are making me really want to try this cake flavored vodka!  :Smile:

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## marley9808

Awww, thanks Eden. It's hard not to smile in Jamaica....and also with a husband as sweet as mine is! I am truly blessed  :Smile: 

And YES! You need to try it, you will either thank me or curse me later.....I should really be collecting money from them as I have turned so many people on to this drink now! lol

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## marley9808

> I wish we had a "like/love" button! I will admit that I am a little green though! Maybe I should get another Red Stripe!


It's ok...I will be the green one come July!  :Wink:

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## marley9808

> This is great!! Were you keeping notes? lol! Amazing detail 
> 
> Also LOVE the thread title, lol!!


Hahahaha no actually wasn't taking notes, only mental notes......oh and the fact that I don't eat sub sandwhiches might play a part too! LMAO  :Smile: 
Yes the title just seemed to be perfect, don't you think? lol

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## TizzyATX

I'm actually glad you are on a no sub diet...it's nice for one of us to actually remember in accuracy what happened. LOL  Loving ya'lls report, it makes me feel closer to you....that's probably what I'm enjoying the most about all these trip reports.  Missing everybody is a little easier when we all sit around and talk about the good times we shared.

First time I heard about your introductions to Booger....pretty great...sounds about right. LOL

...and to answer your question Ninja....YES, she is so very beautiful....all the way around.  :Smile:

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## marley9808

> Missing everybody is a little easier when we all sit around and talk about the good times we shared.


I agree!







> ...and to answer your question Ninja....YES, she is so very beautiful....all the way around.


And awwwwww...well, takes one to know one!
Miss you lots!

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## spottycatz

> Hahahaha no actually wasn't taking notes, only mental notes......oh and the fact that I don't eat sub sandwhiches might play a part too! LMAO


Thank you Thank you Thank You Thank You......................... :Confused:

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## wpyogi

Marley - i absolutely love your descriptions of everyone!

Ninja - hilarious stuff!

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## Patty Sather

> Patty Sather -  Patty and I also had connected a little prior to this trip. We both had to endure some unfortunate and unnecessary drama, but like drama sometimes does, it helps you learn who are your friends and who arent. I feel we connected on another level too because of it. She comforted me, before I had ever even met herand if/when you meet Patty, you will know almost instantly that that is her nature. She is the MOST caring, loving, supportive, beautiful person you will ever meet. I was so excited to give her a great big hug when I first met her. Patty, I cannot say enough good things about you, lady! You have already been there for me and done or said such comforting things, more so than many other people I have known for years. For that I thank youand I love you! Oh and P.S. She is every bit as gorgeous as she looks in her photos.whatever you are drinking, eating or usingcan you share it?  Oh and Kopper, Pattys awesome husband.what a guy! They are as perfect for each other as two people can be..even proven by the matching outfits they were wearing when we first met them.just love them to pieces!
> (This photo is actually courtesy of Beachgirl66 but I just thought it so perfect for this part of the report) 
> 
> Attachment 14477!



OH my goodness Marley....you took my breath away! I want this on my grave! You are easy to love my sister ......We seriously shared tears and Knowing our super powers can heal the world ....
I thank you from the bottom and top of my heart for these words ....My heart is FULL! 
I am in panic mode trying to get computer time to catch up with everyones report..Thats why I have to do mine on the fly during vaca because my nursing duties consist of not being able to get on here as much as I want or like ...I love and miss you guys so much! DECEMBER my peeps! I want to shake what my mama gave me!  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## rastagal

Ok I was so laughing out loud at the "Fan" incident! And have now decided to bring Cake, Espresso, Cherry, AND Chocolate vodka with me...damn that 3 olives website!

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## marley9808

Yes! And did you click on the recipe book! Yum!

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## ralonzo29

Rastagal if you're gonna bring so much maybe make it Pinnacle brand it comes in a plastic bottles and may weigh less

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## rastagal

> Rastagal if you're gonna bring so much maybe make it Pinnacle brand it comes in a plastic bottles and may weigh less


I've seen that brand but never tried it..might have to give it a whirl when I get to Orlando this weekend.  I was wondering how the weight issue was going to work out..unless I can get it at the airport and bring it on the plane...hmmmm? I'm going to have to put some thought into this...

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## marley9808

We carried the 1.75 ml of three olives cake and it was very heavy.

But this weekend when went to get more they were out so we got the Pinnacle brand instead and it was cheaper, in a plastic bottle (lighter) and tasted just as good. We thought immediately that next trip we would take the pinnacle version.

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## yetta

Pinnacle version is quite tasty at a great price. If you're mixing, even less of a problem. Great also with orange juice...tastes like a dreamsicle!

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## Jim-Donna

Man after hearing all this Vodka talk I need a DRINK~~! LOL Now I will have to try it soon.

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## ralonzo29

Day1: Saturday April 22, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

So there we were in the midst of all these people that I have to admit my wife new way more than I did. In fact besides one or 2 back and forth comments between me Mr SpotyKatz, Brasi and/or Dawn on facebook Id only really talked to Markus in length. My wife was alive chatting here and there, I like when she is in this mode means shes having a good time. I excused myself to get some food and on the way I stopped to say hi to Rob and Lisa (and inadvertently rub Lisas sunburn shoulder SORRY). Id only really been to Sea Star once, back for our rehearsal dinner so I was excited to see the changes and have some of the buffet. Food was still very good. While I was waiting in the line for food I took some time to look around. They have done some great work since last I was there.	

Ok so Im going to FFW mainly because thats how the night felt like it went. The drummers and dancers were amazing. Rasta Stan sang at it was pretty cool. I have a video of it somewhere. And to make it even better Stan decided to call me Hootie which I thank him for because lately Ive been getting Ceelo and Im much rather get Hootie (though my wife would leave me if I started singing country). I use to get Hootie a lot years ago but since he decided to sing country no one knows him anymore  :Smile: . The Hootie thing would last the rest of the week. At some point Luciano came on and the crowd moved to be on the dance floor to at least be in front of the stage and close up to Luciano. As you can see I got some really good shots (Marley posted them) and a good shot of my wife meeting him. 

At some point a few of us moved to the tables again and Markus and I started to talk more. Mostly geek speak (alot of 1s and 0s) but still great conversation. I like that he has a passion in almost everything he talks about, whether its life, or work or ESPECIALLY HIS WIFE. We were so engrossed in our conversation that at least I at some point forgot that one of the great Reggae singers was performing. Id say we missed about 30 minutes of Luciano simply lost in conversation. I would say this is about the time that observer part of me left and never came back. About 15 minutes into our conversation I looked over and Clarity and Marley were looking and laughing at us. In a good way. Then at some point we realized Luciano was still on stage, probably back for his 8th encore. We got up one last time to enjoy Luciano and I think Markus needed a food refill. Finally he came off stage and we found ourself back at the table, Me Marley, Clarity, Hubby-man and Joe (always the fifth wheel). At some point everyone had retired or left and I remember Sandy being out there still ( I hadn't really gotten to know her yet, love this woman we share a bond youll learn of later). She had put good old (young) Booger to sleep a while ago due to his inebriation but like a Shaun of the Dead zombie he had returned. They eventually too retired and it was the five of us. Chris looked at us and made some comment about the bus and it would be the last one and I remarked Thats Ok, were staying here so we are your problem now. He gave a slight laugh (good man cant sing his praises enough) and we began to realize how late it was. Clarity and Markus were heading to Mandeville and they needed to get EARLY, like 3 or 4 hours from that moment.

SIDE NOTE: I remember thinking when Clarity offered Guirigay and Sweetie Pie the room for the next night, How sweet of them to even think of it. I also remember thinking GG/SWP are pretty much out of it ( one probably due to tired the other well a bit of tired and booze), they will never remember to come up here or that the offer was made. I stand corrected they did.

We decided to move the meeting of the minds to our room real quick ( is say quick but yeah right) to have a cake vodka night cap. This coming on the heels of a rum shot. So lets clarify this, 2 of the 5 of us (and I am mistaken cuz Manda was traveling to Mandaville with C&M so there were six of us. Sorry about the fifth wheel comment Joe I rescind it) have to get up in less than 4 hours and we are going to have another drink to make sure they don't get up in the next 4 hours. Sounds like a plan. We were outside for awhile then thought we might be too loud so then inside, thats when the fan incident happened (Ill speak of this in a minute), then outside again still talking like no one had to get to sleep. Finally greater minds prevailed and we said our adieus. It was weird we wouldn't see them again till Monday but all we had say would keep. The missus and I turned in, but I cant remember if we I love Lucyd  it and slept in the separate beds or the same one. I think the same (my memories of this trip are better than most but not as good as Marleys). Then we blissfully slept and looked to tomorrow when we checked into our home.

Now I just want to say this about the fan incident. When I first came to JA with my lovely wife we stayed at Xtabi. The fans in there are 10 feet above you and far out of reach. They are also metal (or at least looked so) and can sub for a C130 propeller if youre in a pinch. I even think if you put them on a C130 it would make the plane fly faster than a jet. So when we entered the bedroom after checking in my brain noted the Mach 5 fan and it close proximity to my head and arm reach. But I think I envisioned the metal bladed Xtabi super fast fan (Im pretty sure this one isnt metal, Markus still has fingers so...).  So with that in mind let me set the scene briefly. Marley and I were facing Clarity and Markus somewhere around the table we had the booze on and C&M (or Clubby-man - thats a work in progress other choices are Clarkus, Marity, Hubity-man or the German and his Heinz 57 wife) had their backs to the door. I was the closest to Markus as he reached up in the air and it went something like this Ich denke, Ninja ist der beste Mensch, den ich je in meinem ganzen Leben erfllt -WHACK SMACK (the actual conversation was immediately erased from my memory at this point so I just adlibd in german). Never in my life have I ever thought I would need to make a tourniquet, (not true I saw a guy fall off a ladder with a chainsaw in his hands - hes fine) but I did believe that Markus was gonna pull back a numbed hand. So much so I refused to look at him for like 20 seconds. Still he was fine, in the sense that he had all 5 fingers still on that hand save maybe a little skin on at least 3 of them. We all (with the exception of the victim) believed he had at least broken, fractured or bruised the first finger that got hit (right on the knuckle, OUCH) even Joe and Manda wanted to put ice on it.  Alas I say all this to say it was a small drop in the bucket incident that I think we made more than it was. I think he has all mobility in his fingers. Markus? And it wouldn't be the last minor injury that plagued (but didn't ruin) our trip. NEXT STOP CATCHA

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## Jim-Donna

Oh pooh, you tall people have to watch out! Really nice read! Keep it coming~~

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## Sweetness

Hi from Canada.....not much time to post but I am following along w/everyone's reports and loving every minute.  Thank you my friends.  ONE LOVE
 :Cool:

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## TizzyATX

Safe travels Sweetness!!!!!  Give me a holler when you get back to town. BLESS!
!

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## ralonzo29



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## spottycatz

You are doing a great job Raul!  Can you please explain to us Brits, what exactly is Cake Vodka??!!

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## marley9808

Spottycatz......Cake Vodka is why we kept trying to get you to Catcha at nights! LOL

It is vodka....that smells AND tastes EXACTLY like cake! And it is gooooooooooooooooooood! Dangerously good!

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## spottycatz

Next time Marley, most definitely.   I will savour my imaginery taste until 04/14?  Miss you. (Mrs Catz!)

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## marley9808

Ok, it's a date! I will bring a whole bottle just for you guys!

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## booger

Nice c130 reference. Not sure if you know but Pooper worked on c130's for 9 years, or depending on how much she had drank it might have been 12. Lol! Yep that's right, my wife can turn a wrench better than most dudes. When I say she likes power tools most people misunderstand me.....

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## billndonna

Wow,what an awesome party time this April vacation is,we may have to change from November to April!!! Keep those posts coming and thanks for sharing!!!

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## marley9808

*Day 2: Sunday April 22, 2012*

We awoke, not sure what time it was.in fact, probably not even sure exactly where we were.you know that first morning in Jamaica feelingand then mix that with lots of liquor and very little sleep in the last few days and you get the idea. I tried looking at my watch but got confused because of the time change, so I picked up my Jamaican cell phone and I think it was around 9am or so.so yay, another 4 hours sleepwho needs more, really? I got up, though I DEFINITELY could have slept more (and yes, those beds at Seastar are very comfortable, I think that was Daisy who had told me about them). I headed out in my pajamas to see if anyone else was stirring about. The free breakfast was out but it looked as if they were about to put it away (so it must have been close to 10am) so I walked over quickly and Ninja and I got some cereal and fruit and sat down at a nearby table. No one was really out and about except for the staff. I started to wonder / worry if Daisy and Markus had made it up in time to catch their ride.I was worried because we went to bed at the same time and waking up when we did was hard enough. I know that no amount of alarm clock or anything probably would have woken me up! Just as I was thinking that I logged on to my iPad and saw a bunch of messages from Patty. She was trying to wake up Daisy and couldnt reach her. You see, Daisy had made a deal with Patty the night before and Patty was to be Daisys wakeup call at 6am, I will let her tell that story but for now it had seemed as if the plan might not have been successful and so I had NO idea whether they had woken up in time and caught their ride, or if they were even still up in their room asleep. I messaged Patty back asking her if she had reached Daisy but did not hear back. Just about that time my mind switched gears because I saw Tizzy walk through the gate and head up to the front desk. She hadnt seen us sitting there so she was heading back out when I called over to her. She came to our table and told us that she had lost her iPhone, so she had stopped by to see if perhaps she had left it here at the party last night but they told her no.  So of course my hubby being the high-tech nerd, problem-solving, and overall caring guy he is, immediately tried to use his computer to see if he could track down her missing iPhone using GPS. Tizzy and I chatted a bit and then she said she was heading back to Catcha. I let her know we would be checking in shortly and I would see her soon. I left Ninja at the table, as he was still in full-computer-saves-the-day mode and I returned to our room to shower, pack and get ready to move HOME! As I was finishing up, Ninja returned to the room and told me that he had just seen Booger, Sandie and Jon check out and head down to Catcha. Now I was excited, it had only been 6 months since we were last at Catcha, but I honestly miss that place the MINUTE I walk off the property so I was super excited to get over there. I nearly left Ninja in the shower to get over there but luckily he takes like 5 minutes to get ready, so like a flash we were checking out, thanking the lovely Seastar staff and getting in a car for the quick ride down Seastar Lane. Forty-five seconds later, and with a beep beep, the gates opened and we were home.  I opened the car door, grabbed my bag, looked around and then heard a voice coming from the office Hi Shauna! My smile instantly got bigger.I knew that voice. I turned and nearly jogged to the office, I saw Ben (resident doggy mascot) and smiled. I entered the office and gave Mauvette a big hug. I just love seeing her smile because it means I am home and I always smile when I am home.



We chatted a bit and she pointed out our Christmas Card that they had posted on the board. I told her that the boardies were taking over Catcha for the week and to watch out. She laughed and said I see and told us that Booger and Sandie were down by the bar (of course, I said). She told us that Sagi was not yet ready but we could put our bags in the office and head to Ivans and they would let us know once it was ready. No worries we said and we headed down to the bar. When we got to the bar, only Sandie was there, but I did see Carol and Ardia, the day staff and their eyes got big when they saw us and they gave us big hugs.just love those two! We sat down at the bar with Sandie to visit and also chatted with Carol and Ardia. I decided to go ahead and order my first drink at Ivans and Carol made me a Purple Rain.it was delicious, as always



Oh and we had taken over babysitting duties of Joe the previous night so he piped up and said he wanted a drink too, so we obliged.



Soon after Booger joined us (I think he had been swimming or something) and we chatted with he and his lovely wife at the bar for a while. This was the first time we were able to have a real and memorable conversation with the two of them (By memorable I mean no one was too drunk to remember the conversation this time LOL). We had a really nice time getting to know each other and I knew, just like I had assumed based on messageboard interactions, that I liked them both a whole lot. Not too long after that, Jon showed up and so did Tizzy. I had not really had the chance to officially meet Jon at the party because there were just so many people and so much going on, so the setting at Ivans was much better to really chat with what would come to be our little gang of fun folks for the week.  I bonded with my fellow Libra, Sandie, immediately (Libras tend to do that) and I laughed at just about everything Booger said (which is exactly what I do when he posts on the board), I thought Jon was a really nice guy and of course Tizzy, well we go way back (from yesterday lol).  We all decided to order a little lunch at the bar and I enjoyed my favorite lunch dish (which is actually just an appetizer), the Calypso Trio



Around that time I looked over and witnessed a very familiar face coming towards the bar. I yelled out SWEETNESS! and she yelled back Yes lol. It still cracks me up to be in a place and yell a greeting to someone who you have never met in your life, yet you know what she looks like, her name, and she knows the same about you. She comes over to the bar and I jumped up off the big bar stool and gave her a great big hug, something I had long been waiting to do. Sweetness was also staying at Catcha for the week and I was thrilled about that.  During the week, at one time or another Catcha would be home to, Marley and Ninja (duh), Booger and Sandie, Jon, Tizzy, Sweetness, Markus and Daisy, Guirigay and Sweetie Pie and even at the very end, Coco! The boardies are taking over! Lol I visited with Sweetness and she mentioned that she had wanted to go to the comedy show up at Moondance Cliffs later that night. I said Oh yes, that sounds like fun, I want to go too but we had all already planned to go to the webcast down on the beach at Seasplash. I thought well, what if we all go to the webcast at 5, stay a bit and then head up the cliffs to the comedy show. She said she was in, and the rest of the gang was onboard as well.its a deal! So Sweetness parted and went back to her room and we told her we would meet up when the bus comes to get us. About then, my Jamaican cell phone rings and it is Guirigay and SweetiePie. They told me they were up at Seastar because they had taken Daisy up on her offer and they were going to use their room for the next 2 nights. They wanted to know what we were up to and I told them the plan, they were game so I suggested they walk down the lane and come join us at the bar at Ivans as it was probably around 3-4pm or so. They agreed and soon they were there joining us at the bar. They chatted with us for a bit and even ordered something to eat. We all left for a bit to go get ready and shortly after we all met back up ready to head down to the webcast. 

Here is Ninja and Joe, waiting on all of the girls to get ready so we could head out to the webcast. LOL (Notice the camera in his hand-more on that in a bit)



 I called Chicken to come pick us up in the Magic Bus and he was in MoBay (I think) but he sent his brother, Pelle, with the bus to come get us. So we loaded up onto the Magic Bus and headed down to the beach to Seasplash. Pelle dropped us off and told us Chicken would be back around 6:30 or so to get us and take us to the comedy show up on the cliffs.

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## marley9808

Booger- A lot has already been said about Booger in other posts and all of it is true! LOL He did not look like I had pictured him in my head but everything else about him was just as expected. The guy is funny I mean seriously a comedian. He has the perfect sarcastic humor that I love. He says what everyone is thinking and gets away with it, because it is funny. He has a fun-loving spirit that makes you think the guy is never serious about anything, which might just be true. But on the other hand, the part of him that you might not immediately expect is that he is a real sweetheart, I mean a softy for real(Now he will NEVER admit to that, of course) but this is a man who cares A LOT about his wife, his child, and his friends and he does A LOT to see that they are always happy and having fun. You truly are a great guy, booger, and I am glad we got to know you! In fact the only complaint I have about the man is that he makes it IMPOSSIBLE for others to treat him on ANYTHING! Damn you, booger! We tried....and failed, every time!

Sandie (aka Pooper) - I fell in love with pooper instantly, in fact, I think it might just be impossible for anyone not to. She has a heart that is a mile wide and she will do anything to help you whether she knows you or not. You can instantly determine, much like Patty, that she is in a care-giving profession because she takes care of everyone she meets and you always know she is going to make it all better. I can only imagine what a great mother she is, because throughout the week I honestly saw her take care of just about everyone in that way that your mom does when you are a little kid, myself included which you will hear about shortly. Not only is she the best care-giver but she is also the social butterfly. Sandie never met a stranger in her whole life, humans and animals included. One of my favorite things about her is that no matter where we would go, at some point I would look over and she would be hugging someone, or talking to someone that I didn't recognize, sometimes they were staff members, some times other guests or tourists at places we had stopped. I would walk over and ask if she knew them, because she would look so close to the person and just about everytime the answer would be "Yes, I just met them, this is so and so and they are from......" My second favorite thing would be what I will call the "Sandie Look" She gives you this look with her big eyes and you just melt. (Booger, I can only imagine this must be your kryptonite-Ninja will be so excited I used a comic book reference there) I saw that look so many times this week and I just loved it every single time. She would give the look when something upset her, or if she wanted something, or if she didn't approve of something (like eating goat...that one was for you Sweetie Pie) but whatever the reason she was given the look, the results (at least for me) was that it just made me love her even more, every single time I saw it! Sandie, girlfriend, you are amazing, I heart you, I miss you, and I am so glad we met! Smooches!

Jon (aka "Rumspringa" LOL) - When I first met Jon, Sandie introduced him as her brother, which I believed hahahaha. Later I found out that he was actually Booger's childhood friend and that they had been in each others lives for many many years. That already made me believe that he must be a pretty decent guy. At first, much like with Booger, you might judge the book by it's cover and think ok here is some surfer frat boy dude from California, he is probably pretty shallow and just about partying. But actually, Jon put that stereotype to rest almost instantly. He was nothing like that. A father who loves his kids, a very sincere guy, who really needed a fun week of vacation and he was finally going to have it. After hearing some of his back story I, along with just about everyone else, was on board with Booger and Sandie in making sure he had a great vacation, an awesome birthday and just an overall rocking good time.....I think one person in this group went above and beyond to make sure that plan happened for him! And it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! lol

Sweetness - It's been said before and I am going to say it again, she truly lives up to her name. Sweetness is, in fact, one of the sweetest women you will ever meet! Her smile can light up a room and you almost immediately know that once you are her friend, she will do anything for you. I think just about all of us got that treatment at some point in the week and I am beyond blessed to now be able to say I am on that friend list! Even more so, for some reason, I almost felt as instantly as I gave her that first hug, that she was more like a sister than a friend. I instantly trusted her and just felt so unbelievably comforted whenever in her presence, I can't really describe it, I guess you just have to experience it. She had told me that she wasn't an overly social person but I never saw that part of her. She was there with all of us and she was having a blast just like everyone else. I never saw her not smiling (well except maybe in that one picture that Spottycatz just posted lol). And she was in Jamaica with all of us at a time she would have been with her sweetie, but instead he was called to work just before she got there. For some that might have been really depressing and sad, but instead she was in the moment with all of us and having fun, and I am sooooooooooo glad she was there! Love you lots, sister Sweetness, thanks for putting aside your "antisocial" tendancies as you put it and being a part of our fun all week!

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## ralonzo29

I actually did know that we spoke of this over some peanut butter

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## Coco

Great story - great picture of Carol! More, more more...

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## marley9808

Thanks Coco!
Your PNS is getting bad, isn't it?????
Have you booked your next reach yet?  :Wink:

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## Patty Sather

You are such a precious gem girl friend!

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## marley9808

> You are such a precious gem girl friend!


I know you are, but what am I ?!?!?!? LOL
 :Smile:

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## wpyogi

Ninja - the Xtabi ceiling fan description had me rolling.  I remember one morning waking up in cottage #4 and laughing about how amazingly LOUD the fan was all night...like it kept waking us up, LOUD.  Of course we were too incapacitated to get up and turn it off.

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## Coco

Yes Marley - we've booked again for October :-)

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## marley9808

What?!?!?! Woo Hoo! That is our typical time to go too (for our anniversary/my bday)....that is awesome! Congrats!
We do not yet have other plans for this year but trying HARD to manifest some  :Smile:  We have, however, booked some for next year, but ugh, that sounds like FOREVER from now! lol

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## Coco

We couldn't help it - booked it last week...Got a great deal.
Will be celebrating our late October/ early November birthdays. Need to change our ticker.

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## marley9808

That's awesome! yeah I need to update my ticker as well

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## booger

Wow Marley! I knew you were a Sweetheart, but your words were incredibly sweet and I thank you for that. What can I really say after that? We love you guys too.......





> I actually did know that we spoke of this over some peanut butter


LOL! Boogs has of late been on a mission to steal Pooper's peanut butter. The crisis in the middle of the night robs me of my good sleep.......

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## Hubby-man

> As my wife points out the funniest intro was still Boogers not so much because he was drunk, but more because I only slight knew who he was *and I think I gave him the so what face when he said Im Booger.*


Man this had me cracking up & pissing!!! I was wondering how put that type-a-situation in words. Ninja showed the way. Too bad it isn't ActionScript, because then I could reuse it!
(PS: I know I am way behind in the reading, so please excuse my out of sequence comment, had to say that,... eck, ....someone probably already made that comment...mmh...(insecure forum mumble))

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## Hubby-man

Man i have so much to comment on, it would take longer than a trip report! Really amazing how you guys remember the details. And of course you are way toooooooo kind! but you already now that. Love You Guys!!! I will comment some more, when I finally have the time to read more (It takes me about 1 hour per paragraph = 2 years for a 60-page book, therefore about 3 years for your trip-report).

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## JnJLuv2Travel

1. How the hell have I never had cake vodka? 

2. If you go in October what would the dates be? Everybody flaked for your 30th and mine BUT October might be worth waiting 2 more months for!

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## marley9808

1) I don't know!!! Let's rectify that...like now!
2) we usually go to celebrate our anniversary (10th) and my birthday (13th) but not sure if we will get there this year or not.......

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## beccajean_ca

More coming ? Its awesome.More..More..More :Wink:

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## TizzyATX

> LOL! Boogs has of late been on a mission to steal Pooper's peanut butter. The crisis in the middle of the night robs me of my good sleep.......


HAHAHAHA...I seen proof!!!  Pooper texted me a picture of the open (now only half full) jars she found in her backpack(?)!!!!!  Good luck with all that Booger. LMAO

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## marley9808

LMAO......oh pooper....at least she isn't texting you photos of Bears sitting on her lap! LOL

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## Guirigay

> LOL! Boogs has of late been on a mission to steal Pooper's peanut butter. The crisis in the middle of the night robs me of my good sleep.......


Nice to know Pooper has found a way around her internet aversion. Just want to ask, though, How can you be certain it was Booger, Pooper? Ninja is, after all, a NINJA! He does his best work in the deep of the night...

Also, do you have ANY idea how much fun I have typing Booger, Pooper? I'm freaking six years old again...

And Marley! I can't tell you how happy I am to make a factual correction to your story. Of course the shine is somewhat dulled by the fact that your inaccuracy has to do with our itinerary not your own and there is an event coming up that will correlate with your recollection, but still... We only stayed at Seastar the one night at this point. I will say, though, your infallibility approaches Popeness...  :Smile:

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## marley9808

Well done, Guiri....that was a test, you passed! HA!

However, funny enough when I typed that I actually second guessed myself, and then realized I was wrong because I remember clearly where we picked you up Tuesday morning, so that means you couldn't have stayed at Seastar Monday night!

Well done, sir!

I too like using Booger and Pooper...I was actually telling a story the other day about our trip and I mentioned Booger and someone stopped me and said...."Wait a minute...did you just say BOOGER?!?!?!"
LMAO

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## TizzyATX

Booger is what they call their daughter LOL....she's been swiping the peanut butter

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## rastagal

Cheers to Libra's! I should have known you were a fellow Libra...you know, great taste in Vodka and all!

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## booger

> Booger is what they call their daughter LOL....she's been swiping the peanut butter



​Would you believe I have a peanut allergy?

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## marley9808

Rastagal......I knew I liked you.....cheers!  :Wink: 


Booger!!! That can't be possible! Lol

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## ralonzo29

Day2: Sunday April 23, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

You ever have that moment where you are slowly coming out of sleep and as you do you begin to realize something's wrong. Not wrong as in bad just hinky if you will. Something sounds out of place, smells out of place or simply feels out of place.

I hadn’t quite got my bearings before I got my eyes open but then it all came flooding to me. 1. We are in Negril. 2. We are at Sea Star Inn. C. Markus almost lost a finger(s) last night. D. ****e, did Markus and Clarity get up. V. (sub-section 1) we kept them up way too late V. (sub-section 2) is it gonna hurt when I actually move. Surprisingly I would come to find that no It didnt hurt when I moved and yes they did get on their way (but I wouldn't know the latter till much later). As we rose from our slumber Marley and I began to formulate a plan of attack for the morning. I stepped outside while she got ready. I had decided that if anything I would do yoga in the mornings to get some exercise in this week and to help my back issues. Lets just note that only happened about 3 days. But a point made by Clarity the beds at SSI are very very comfortable. SO with that, my back wasnt in dire straits as of yet, but yoga would still limit the massive weight gain that the next week would impose on me. I found that it was SOOOOOOO bright outside. A thing that was good and bad. Good because it let me really enjoy the beauty of it all and bad because my eyes hadnt adjusted yet. Finishing up the downward dogs, the pigeons and my personal favorites the warriors I ran inside and got ready so we could get what ever breakfast was left. Marley informed me that she had no idea whether Markus and Clarity had made it up for their ride to Mandeville but that she had some frantic messages from Patty about the situation. My brain went into slight crisis mode, but being that I didnt see them frantically running out of their room now I actual simmered myself down. What could I really do about it now it was almost 11 I think and really I was limited in how I could help them besides to wake them up and confirm to them they missed their family ride. And who wants to be THAT GUY, thanks for not only waking me but stating the obvious. After having breakfast Shauna went into the get ready and pack up what had been unpacked we were moving to Catcha AKA Home and couldn't wait. I as Shauna expressed was trying to solve Tizzy’s problem. She had lost her iPhone and (just incase no one knows this) there is an app that allows one iOS device to locate another. In other words I could use our iPad to locate her iPhone. One thing you have to know about me is I’m and out of the box thinker, which I think makes me a great or at least a good problem solver. But once I’ve got the a friend's problem on my radar I’m like a Top Gun pilot. I’m not done till I have tone and the problem is solved. I also live by a simple philosophy on doing things “Work smarter not harder” ( I learned that from Scrooge McDuck). So as I proceeded to try and locate the iPhone with no success I was interrupted by a Jamaican gentleman who was trying to sell a laptop to someone and figured i looked like someone who might be able to tell him if the laptop was viable and working. Feeling like I was kind of stuck at least acting like I was helping I looked at his computer found online a fair offering price and then sent him on his way trying as fast as I could to get back to the room before he asked again for some help. I saw this possible becoming a drawn out thing and well Home called.

Note: I want to say one thing to the naysayers you know who you are :Smile: . Being that she found her phone in the end, I would have found if I had kept at it but, I do want to thank you for distracting me enough or I would have obsessed about it. I get that way with problems.

We packed up and headed out to check out. We ran into Pooper (Sandie) and Booger, the latters recollection of the previous night was as tattered as a piece of Swiss cheese. It seems he didn't quite remember the raising of the dead and coming back out. They headed before us to Catcha and we said we’d see them in a bit. After checking out we headed to the short trip down the lane to our home away from reality. It being the weekend we didnt see Louis who I was eager to say hi to. He was the security guard who always looked after us when we stayed last year. Forgetting it was Sunday I thought at first maybe he wasnt working there anymore,  but the slight fog in my head cleared and I realized why he wasnt there.

I’m going to shorten the entrance part of Catcha because well Marley spoke to it. I will say this the greetings we received upon seeing Andrea and then Ardia and Carol was like seeing old friends who were happy to see us. We took in the return as we waited for our room to be ready. I got a drink for the Missus and put the idea of eating something in her head.

We spent the couple of hours we had at Catcha getting to know Pooper and Booger more. Then we were joined by Sweetness and I had a chance to met her too.

I will say this then turn this trip report back over to my better half.

Luckily for Booger I didnt/dont interact too much on the board so he didnt seem any younger nor older than he was at that moment. I found him to be alot like me, out to have good time and full of nothing but sarcasm.  As I would learn as the week went on he has a good heart, a quick wit and a pension for good drink and good friends. However as Marley pointed it out he makes it incredibly hard to show your gratitude for his friendship, but he doesnt know me very well and I WILL TREAT HIM NEXT TIME. I like people who want to have fun and be fun even in the serious moments. I have found one thing to be true there isn't anything a little laughter can’t alleviate if only for a moment. Booger seems like the kinda guy that could make me laugh even if I had taken a religious vow to always be serious.

If Booger is the caring comic his wife Pooper well she the energetic carer as we would find out later that day. She’s the MOM if you know what I mean. I came to learn there isnt any animal she wouldnt try and save. You’d know this if you’d ever heard the Bear story. She says funny ****e with out even trying too and provided a definite ab workout for my wife every time we were together.

Sweetness reminds me of  alot of my Burning man friends (if you dont know what burning man is look it up). Almost every response she gives is full of love and well meaning and she truly wants Jah to bless you. When she says things of a spiritual nature you really feel the love she means towards you. I’ll admit in life I tend to sometimes roll my eyes at people who need to punctuate almost every statement with something religious or spiritual (mostly religious) but when Sweetness says it you know she means it matter of factly and regardless if you are a bad person, a good person or you were just snide or annoying to her. I love that, cuz I need more people like that around me it can only make me more tolerant of annoying people. Thanks Sweetness LOVE YOU.

I also briefly met Jon but we got to talk more the next day so I will converse on that then. And now we return you to our regularly scheduled Marley post  :Wink:

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## wpyogi

Ninja's a yogi, too?  How did I miss this???!!!!!

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## Clarity

> Marley informed me that she had no idea whether Markus and Clarity had made it up for their ride to Mandeville but that she had some frantic messages from Patty about the situation. My brain went into slight crisis mode, but being that I didnt see them frantically running out of their room now I actual simmered myself down. What could I really do about it now it was almost 11 I think and really I was limited in how I could help them besides to wake them up and confirm to them they missed their family ride. And who wants to be THAT GUY, thanks for not only waking me but stating the obvious.


LOL!!! I'm reading this post out loud to Markus right now and the two of us are cracking up!!

Love your description of booger as the "caring comic" and you're so right about Sweetness. She is all love. :Smile: 

Truly Loving this TR and seeing both perspectives!

We're looking forward to the next installment from Marley!  :Big Grin:

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## marley9808

Wow....that is an even better description of Sweetness than the one I did.....and you nailed it...so very true...Heck, they don't call that beautful lady with a smile that shines like the sun, Sweetnes...for nothing!

Ok....Now I can get on with my report....I will start writing it now LOL....stay tuned  :Smile:

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## marley9808

Day Two, cont.

 We arrived and the whole group got off the bus and started heading through the property towards the beach. The party was already started and well underway so most of the group made a beeline through to the bar. This was my first time at Seasplash so I took a more leisurely walk through the property which was a beautiful little tropical oasis with what appeared to be very nice rooms, that then opened up into a wooden deck and bridge with fountains and koi pondsit was beautiful. This is a really nice place! 

(I have to add this part here.unfortunately I have no pictures to share from the rest of this Day 2- because the only camera we took with us on this day was my camera, Raul has the fancy cannon and I just carry the Olympus tough waterproof camera, and since that camera was lost at the Boardie Bash, so were all of the pictures that were on it.we were too busy all week to ever download them so all of those pictures are lost forever.so sad about that! And this night was on that camera.sorry, but I know the others have pictures from this webcast and also the events and stops that follow so hopefully they will post those)

The first person I saw was Rob and then Lisahe had the camera set up and the webcast was in full swing. Raul and I walked up to the bar (of course) and I immediately saw a familiar facebut someone I had yet to meet, though I had been dying to, officially. It was BRASI!!!!!!! Brasi had already been in town and most everyone else had met him, but he had headed to the country on Saturday and so I had yet to meet him as he was not at the Seastar party like most everyone else was and so I yelled out BRASI and gave him a big hug. I had talked to him many times through emails and pms, etc. before this trip so I was so happy to finally see him in person. We chatted for a bit and ordered our drinks. I took a seat at first with Sweetness because I wanted to catch the live band. I am very familiar with Benjy Myaz and I wanted to catch his set, amazing performer! But as I quickly learned would be the case this week.there are just SO many people in town and it is impossible to sit in one place with one person for more than probably 15 minutes.there is just so much to see and do and so many to talk to, it is amazing! So I look around and I realize I see a couple of familiar faces and even some unfamiliar. To my immediate right was Indy Bob and Cindy, they were chilling with Spottycatz and I waved and smiled. I saw Rasta Stan and Betty. I saw Muzikdoc, and then who I later found out was drummerboy13, I even saw Boombastic who at that point I had not officially met but only recognized from photos. As I was looking around I saw so many familiar and recognizable folks.however there was ONE person who I did not see.NINJA! My husband! 

Where was he? I asked Sweetness, she didnt see him either. We had walked in together he hit the bar and got us 2 drinks and that was the last I had seen of him. Now I will admit that I am a severe worrier, I try to control it, but I cannot. So I thought about it for a second. Lets look at the facts: 1) There are tons of people here, everyone is mingling and chatting and getting to know each other better, it is a bar, people are having fun 2) Ninja LOVES to talkhe also loves to drink 3)There were a lot of folks who had gone down on the beach, he could be down there(even though I was sure he had not passed me and gone that way) 4) Ninja does have a habit of quickly disappearing where I cannot easily find or spot him but he NEVER goes somewhere too long without telling me, if he knows he will be gone for some time he just says Hey, I am going here, be back soon!  5) Sometimes when he disappears without telling me it is because he is doing something to surprise me.awwww, yes I know, I have the sweetest husband around!

SO I quickly calmed my nerves and figured wherever he was he wouldnt be there for too long, afterall he would need a refill soon.like I did! A little while later Sandie joined us. She said to me Have you seen Booger? I cant find him And of course I said No, I havent seen him but if he is missing too, then he must be wherever Ninja is, because I cant seem to find him either! So now I felt a little better. I am not sure why I felt relieved that Booger was missing as well, but I did. I guess I figured they were probably somewhere together and that they were ok and would be back soon, because of course Booger would need another beer soon too. LOL Well about 15 minutes later Booger comes up to us at the table and kisses Sandie on the cheek. She says Where were you? and he says I took a walk on the beach with Jon and Tizzy I said Where is Raul? He says I dont know, I havent seen him, why? OH NO! Now I am worried. We told Booger that Ninja was missing and since Sandie couldnt find him we thought they must have been together. But they werent. So where was Ninja? Booger said he hadnt seen him since we got here. NOW I was worried! It had been probably a good 45 minutes. So I got up and asked aroundno one had seen him. Lisa answered that he had told her to watch his drink I think, but that was however long ago. Ok, so now, yes, I was officially worried. I guess earlier I was trying not to let my worrier tendencies get to me, but now as I was going through all of the facts and ideas.none of them added up to why he would be gone this long without telling me. And no one had seen him. So Sandie and Booger took one look at me and must have sensed my worry. Sandie offered to go up towards the front of the property and look for him while Booger went down towards the beach. Sandie and I reached the front desk and asked if they had seen anyone fitting the description walk by towards the street. The receptionist said no, but they both at the front desk could sense the worry so asked us what happened. We explained the situation and one of them got on the phone to security. Yes, it was now a full blown Ninja man-hunt! There were descriptions given, places to check. Get Boombastic on the line one said. Sandie grabbed my hand and comforted me, Shauna, it is going to be ok, we will find him, dont worry I wont leave you We will find him The mother was out and she was taking care of me, and the situation. I was trying to remain calm and not worry. It wasnt like I thought he had gotten abducted by aliens or kidnapped to be sold into the sex trade or something LMAO.but I know that right before we left Catcha he had been laying down like he wasnt feeling good and he had been really quiet the whole ride down to the webcast which is unlike him, so I was worried that maybe he was not feeling welland maybe he had wandered off somewhere to sit down or somethingwhat if he was somewhere and needed medical attention or somethingthat was honestly the bulk of my worry. So while all of this is going through my head I hear Booger say Hey, look who I found? and I turned around to see my smiling husband, flashing that smile that makes it impossible to be upset with him. But of course I was not upset, I was relieved! Where were you?!?!?!?!?!?! I said in that Do-you-know-how-worried-I-was tone. He looks at me and hands me a bag. I say again Where were you? and he shakes the bag at me as if it is his answer. I took one look inside that bag and just shook my head with a smile. What else could I do? See # 5 above.

Earlier back at Catcha before we left I told him that we should have walked over to the store to grab some rum cream because I would NEED it in the morning with my coffee and I knew we would probably be out partying with this bunch all night and not have the opportunity to pick some up. Well, my hubby, the sweet guy he is, always thinking of me, he decided right when we got to Seasplash that he would take it upon himself to walk to a store and get me some. He was not sure really where a store was in proximity to where we are but he figured one couldnt be far so off he went. I will let him explain in his version of this event why he was gone so long, but once he was back and I knew he was ok, all was forgiven. Plus now I had rum cream, but I did make him promise not to wander off like that again for so long without telling SOMEONEso that I would not have to worry about him like that again! LOL

----------


## marley9808

Ok, so now that the drama was over it was time to return to the party, and that we did. This time we headed down to the beach where a lot of folks had now gathered.  There was a full blown beach party happening. Tizzy and Jon, Booger and Sandie, Sweetie Pie and Guirigay, Brasi, Muzikdoc, Patty and Andy had walked down by now and they were there, and someone else was with them! The infamous Bella Bea!!!!!!! I smiled immediately when I saw her, how can you not? She smiled and came over and gave me a hug, oh my goodness I just love her. I had never met her before but felt (like I have said this already about so many others) like I knew her. She was just as bubbly and fun and pretty as she is in all of the stories and photos.but what I had never imagined or even considered before was her voice! She spoke to me and had that amazing accent; I can still hear her talking if I try hard enoughand it just adds to her personality. She just kept saying I am from Puerto RicoIm Puerto Rican and I just laughed and laughed. This was the best beach party I have ever been to.and I have lived at the beach pretty much my whole life! We laughed and danced and drank and partied and everyone had so much fun. Soon I looked over to another familiar face, my friend Chicken! He was there to pick us up and take us to the comedy show, it was time to goand we were having so much fun we probably could have stayed there with the rest of the group partying but we also were all really excited to see the comedy showsuch a tough life when you have too many fun things to choose from, right? 

So we herded the turtles and slowly made our way out to the bus to head back up to the cliffs. I think the show was to start at 7:30 and it was being held at Moondance Cliffs. I looked at my watch and at this point I knew we would not be on time.but its Jamaicatime doesnt matter, right? I was having fun and so was everyone else and thats all that counts. Then someone mentions something about barrel chicken. And with that, I knew our comedy plans were over LOL.because the whole gang pretty much agreed and chimed in..Yes! Food! Chicken! I could eat! Sounds good! Yes, lets stop! I laughed and thought it did sound like something we should do. I felt bad though because the comedy show was Sweetness original plan for the evening and I knew she had already called ahead and asked to reserve tickets for the event, so I thought, we cant just not go. Hmmmmm what to do? Well, what if we just get some chicken to go and eat it on the ride up the cliffs, that would work, right? Everyone agreed and I looked at Sweetness with the Is this ok? question in my eyes and she smiled. So we stopped.at Eddies, of course! And soon after our hunger pains were killed..and so was any notion of attending that comedy show, unfortunately. But not one of us complainednot even Sweetness!

I had some of the most fun that night at Eddies. I think it was this night alone that truly solidified the friendship and bond and overall love that began to grow amongst this group of great people. As we sat at those tables waiting for our chicken, we talked and laughed and learned a lot about each other. It was Guirigay and Sweetie Pie, Sweetness, Ninja and me, Booger and Sandie (Pooper), and Jon and Tizzy. I learned that Sandie Poops good but her brother is not as blessed in the pooping department LMAOI also learned that she Never goes on the internet but she only mentioned that once or twice LOL. As she and Booger put on our very own comedy show, I laughed til it hurt. And then Sandie (Now forever and always referred to as Pooperbecause she poops good, and she is proud of that) bonded on a much deeper level with Ninja. She found out that they both shared a common love of something.PEANUT BUTTER..for the rest of the evening we heard her ode to her love of the great substance and she and Ninja discussed the heavenly food at great length! LMAO.

Our chicken was finally ready and almost as fast as it was set down in front of us all, it was finished. That was probably the only 2 minutes of silence throughout the whole evening. And it was good.it is always good, Eddies chicken rocks! Chicken (our friend) was of course still there hanging with us and laughing at us all laughing, he enjoyed the fish because he is vegetarian. I on the other hand dont eat fish, but he assured us all that it was good. We laughed and drank some more and just had a really great time. It was probably around 10pm or so and Booger suggested since we clearly have missed the comedy show that we just take our party on the road and make our own pub crawl. He suggests the next stop should be LTU and we can get some pumpkin soup. So we head over there (of course as already mentioned, we stopped briefly at Catcha to drop Sweetness off and Guirigay and Sweetie Pie decided they would be calling it a night at that point as well so they got off to head back to their room at Seastar for the evening).but much to our surprise, LTU was dead, and pretty much closed. We sat at the cliff side for a moment just looking out at the water and chatting but we decided we were not going to get much here since it was closing so on to the next stop. However, while in the bus we all just sort of decided instead to head back to Catcha and have our own party, maybe hit up the Jacuzzi and just chill, so we did. Chicken dropped us off and we headed to our rooms to freshen upof course I made the classic mistake of sitting down on the bed for a minute.and that was all she wrote for us, that is where or night ends.

Stay tunedtomorrow: Brasis Bellyflop Challenge!!

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## irieworld

Nice, Marley! Thanks for soldiering on with the report and party--best made plans in Negril go by the wayside! I can't tell you how many shows, road trips and plans have gone by the wayside when I am there. Sand gravity, Cliff gravity and rum gravity change things up. Sounds like an excellent night though--and I cannot believe in all of my trips I have never made it to DeBars for some chicken--next time!

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## booger

"Luckily for Booger I didnt/dont interact too much on the board so he didnt seem any younger nor older than he was at that moment. I found him to be alot like me, out to have good time and full of nothing but sarcasm. As I would learn as the week went on he has a good heart, a quick wit and a pension for good drink and good friends. However as Marley pointed it out he makes it incredibly hard to show your gratitude for his friendship, but he doesnt know me very well and I WILL TREAT HIM NEXT TIME. I like people who want to have fun and be fun even in the serious moments. I have found one thing to be true there isn't anything a little laughter can’t alleviate if only for a moment. Booger seems like the kinda guy that could make me laugh even if I had taken a religious vow to always be serious."

Thanks for being so nice.... I do have to admit that you have the best $hit eating grin out there. It makes me want to be funny........ Can't wait to kick it with you guys again... Good times soon come..........

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## booger

> Nice, Marley! Thanks for soldiering on with the report and party--best made plans in Negril go by the wayside! I can't tell you how many shows, road trips and plans have gone by the wayside when I am there. Sand gravity, Cliff gravity and rum gravity change things up. Sounds like an excellent night though--and I cannot believe in all of my trips I have never made it to DeBars for some chicken--next time!



Unacceptable!!!!! Eddie's place is up there with Floyd's Pelican bar as the coolest bar in the world. The more time spent there the more you enjoy it. It just keeps getting better and better.....

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## irieworld

yep gotta go fi sure! There and Presley's as well and shame on me, I have never had Bentley's crab cakes! So much to look forward to.

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## ralonzo29

> Ninja's a yogi, too?  How did I miss this???!!!!!


I dont know if I'd call myself a yogi but do to an unfortunate  spinal disc issue at L4 and L5 I've taken up yoga to keep me nicely stretched and injury free. It also keep me flexible for my Ninja-ing

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## booger

> I dont know if I'd call myself a yogi but do to an unfortunate  spinal disc issue at L4 and L5 I've taken up yoga to keep me nicely stretched and injury free. It also keep me flexible for my Ninja-ing



Wpyogi, You can pay for your trip treating Rahoooooool and me.

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## Clarity

Awww! Pooper and her peanut butter lol! Miss her so much!
and Bella "It's because I'm from Puerto Rico" Bea - I Love her! 

I really enjoyed this entry, I was in Mandeville that night but now I feel like I _was_ there in Negril w/ you all too.
Thank you for taking us all along!

Looking forward to the bellyflop!
I think at that point our trip reports will completely merge because we spent pretty much every day together after that! It will be all the same pictures just slightly different angles lol! :Big Grin:

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## marley9808

Ha! That is so true Clarity! I think Sunday was the ONLY day we didn't spend together....so funny!
We were so in sync we even wore *almost* matching shirts the day at the falls, hahaha that made me laugh....LOVE it!

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## Coco

Can't wait! More, more, more...

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## wpyogi

> I dont know if I'd call myself a yogi but do to an unfortunate  spinal disc issue at L4 and L5 I've taken up yoga to keep me nicely stretched and injury free. It also keep me flexible for my Ninja-ing


Yes, you have seen the light...yoga makes everything better...maaaadddddd ninja skills included.

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## wpyogi

> Wpyogi, You can pay for your trip treating Rahoooooool and me.



Booger, you are on!!!  Daily classes cliff side at Catcha...

Marley, thanks girl.  Really enjoying the play by play :Smile:

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## TizzyATX

I'll watch y'all

my ninja skills already on point

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## TizzyATX

Fun day that was hanging with _everybody_.

yeah you sleepy heads missed the party in the Jacuzzi....actually it was just me, Jonny, and Booger....but it was cool cause the wata was so rough and crashing up on the cliffs spraying us....pretty sweet.

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## ralonzo29

Day2 cont: Sunday April 23, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

Ok a precursory note before I start. I was gonna tell the Bear story somewhere in this TR but couldnt remember when it was told to me. So last night Shauna and I were hashing out when and where it had been told to us and I realized it was sometime when we were in Ivans before we left to go to Sea Splash. I also decided its not my story to tell. So if you want to know the Bear story youll need to book a flight to Jamaica for December and ask Booger yourself   :Smile:  .

Okay so before we left the cliffs and Catcha to head to the Sea Splash webcast I made the mistake of laying down in the hammock while we waited for the ladies to get ready. It was one of those afternoon naps that you wake from feeling more tired than you did when you laid down. Worse mistake. As I was woken up to head out I realized it would take a bit of motivation to get me in party gear, right now I was in lazy gear. I realize why I cant really remember the bus ride down I was considerably out of it and remained pretty much quiet for the trip. My brain was too shut off for me to engage anyone and I was hoping that if I gave it time the doldrums would release my brain and Id be ready to have fun. I do remember meeting Chickens brother and him making a joke about them calling him rooster when some asked if they called him little chicken.

As we stepped off the bus and headed into Sea Splash I had come around a bit, well enough to take in the view of the property. I havent stayed at any beach properties but one and Ive only really been on less than a handful, but I really loved the ambiance that Sea Splash had to offer. The beautiful greenery and buildings really made me make a mental note. If I wanted to stay on the beach this might be in the running.

We made a beeline to the bar area and greeted some fellow boardies and said our hellos to Rob and Lisa. I remember briefly having a discussion about the video camera Rob was using but my mind was still full of cobwebs. I went to the bar to get Shauna and I a drink (yeah a drink was gonna help me) and ran into a familiar face. Brasi said hi and I think i gave him the same so what face I gave Booger. I have to admit this was because I was half out of it. So i hoped hed taken no offense as I reached the bar and ordered a RSL and some rum punch for Shauna. 

Right after I handed the drink to Shauna I walked back to the bar and I believe someone ordered a rum cream drink. I immediately realized that all I had to do was hit Time Square and Shauna wouldn't have to go without RC in her coffee tomorrow. 

Note: Ive just done the calculations and its about a mile away from where we were to Time Square.

So I started to walk out put my beer on the bar and asked Lisa to watch it. About 10 steps pasted that I hesitated and decided against the walk then turned around and in that instant changed my mind again. I mean it was still daylight and I shouldnt have a problem getting there. If it isnt open well Im sure Ill find someplace on the way there to oblige me. 

Note, yes:
1) I should have told Shauna I was going for the walk, but she doesn't no how to let something go if I wont tell her why.

B) Im a man of action I dont have time worry about incidentals like checking, Im the Smooth Headed International Travelers President for christ sake (ok yes I know this could have all be avoided if I just told her)

3) How far can it be where on the beach strip, its gotta be just around the bend.

You ever start something and then halfway into it it's like youre Captain Ahab and what ever you were doing is your white whale. By 15 minutes into my walk I already knew Shauna had missed me and that I was in for it when I got back but hell I was already this far out what I wanted couldnt be that far and if I stopped now and then saw later it was just 20 more feet Idve been pissed. So needless to say I didnt make it to Time Square but 20 minutes into my walk I found another store. I wanted Time Square because I knew they had flavored RC but Id have to settle for regular. She wouldnt mind. Hell Id be lucky she didn't hit me over the head with it when I got back. I seriously contemplated grabbing a car and getting a lift back, but when Im a man on a mission I do it my way. I have to admit by now I had worked up a nice sweat and was totally out my funk, WINNING. So I covered the walk in half the time it took me to get there (or at least it seemed that way; doesnt it always). As I entered Sea Splash I steeled myself to get where were yous and looks of annoyance from at least my wife. I even entertained the idea that maybe she was too caught up with all the boardies to even notice my absence. NO LUCK. As I entered the bar area Rob gave me the you're in the ****e house look and I cocked my head and smiled my ****e eating grin (thanks Booger) and said oh well or something Han Soloish. Booger found me on his way to the beach and said Shauna and Sandie where up in the front putting out an APB for me. We hatched a plan where I would say something smart like I was in the bathroom or I was in the bar the whole time. Yeah, I internally advised myself against that idea. So when we reached the lobby Booger goes look who i found. All I could do was smile. When asked where I was I didnt immediately answer, well I couldn't because thanks to Sandie I had to apologies to the lobby people for my inconsideration. You know Sandie Im your elder next time you shame me in front of other people Im taking your peanut butter away. Hell what could I do she was right I had caused undue concern and Im grown enough (not much but enough) to take my lumps when they come. After apologizing to the staff, my wife asked again where I was I simply handed her the bottle and bade her to look in the bag with a nod. All said and done she forgave me and I promised to let her know where I was going from now on (demanding isnt she). The rest of the night there was a blur of meeting boardies and sitting by the water watching the sun slowly move towards the horizon. I talked with Brasi more sans the so what face. We met Bella with her thick sexy accent. 50% of my family has this accent, 25% sound Jamaican and well the other 25 are what my mom calls YANKEES. And its not the same as what a southerner from the States would call a Yankee she means us all, North, South, East and West. If you need a good impression of what Bella  sounds like just ask Indy Cindy shes got it spot on  :Big Grin: . Im not sure if Shauna mentioned that Boombastic was nice enough to serenade everyone in the bar (or atleast I think it was that night my brains losing some of the memories) while helping a newlywed couple sing a song for us. It was good.


-----

Well it was time to roll, there was a comedy show to get to (or not to get to). We hit the road headed up the cliff and some yelled food. I have to admit I was starving but we had a deadline didnt we. I remember thinking how we were inconveniencing the only person who had tickets to the show [Sweetness] but, food sounded real good. We stopped at Eddies to grab a quick bite and well as you know it didn't quite go the way we planned. I was a bit on edge because I felt like we were keeping Sweetness from her night of comedy so I kept trying to figure out 1. if the food was done and B. if getting there late would be an issue. Shauna asked Sweetness if she minded the delay and once she said she didn't care being here was just as fun I let that go and sat down for some red stripes, fries and friendship. Somehow we got on the topic of poop more than once, as well as the midnight habits of the rare and elusive Sandie Bird. This is where we bonded on the enjoyment of peanut butter. 

NOTE:
1) We have both been on low carb diets, so we have no bread in the house.
2) My wife likes to have a night snack of sliced apple, honey and a smear of PB.
3) I love peanut butter and once I smell it I kinda want it, but not on an apple on bread.
D) see one WE HAVE NO BREAD
E) I settle for big heaping spoonfulls of it, cuz thats how I roll.

This night was one of those night where there are like 15 conversations going on and some much fun happening you just dont want to stop laughing and talking. Alas Eddies had to come to an end but the party train needed to truck on. Unfortunately we lost some companions and LTU being almost closed was slowing the locomotive down. Once we hit good ole home base the party was over for the Marley/Ninja contingency and the bed calleth. I had a cigar to put me to bed and called it a night. Best part of the night is getting to curl up next to my hot wife  :Wink:

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## marley9808

You see what I mean? It's pretty impossible to be mad at this guy, right?

And yes honey, this was the same night that our friend Boombastic and the cute newlywed couple (who just happened to look like Malibu Ken and Barbie) sang a few songs for the crowd.

I can't believe you put the "bear story" teaser out there like that LMAO

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## Eden

Marley,  Your hubby is very sweet and clearly went on that rum cream adventure only because he wanted to do something special for his beautiful wife.  After reading your report, I can just feel how panicked you were that night when you couldn't find him.  I am SO glad that he was found safe and sound, and also that you got your beloved rum cream! :-)

.


> You see what I mean? It's pretty impossible to be mad at this guy, right?
> 
> And yes honey, this was the same night that our friend Boombastic and the cute newlywed couple (who just happened to look like Malibu Ken and Barbie) sang a few songs for the crowd.
> 
> I can't believe you put the "bear story" teaser out there like that LMAO

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## booger

> Day2 con’t: Sunday April 23, 2012
> NINJA's 2Cents
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Ok a precursory note before I start. I was gonna tell the Bear story somewhere in this TR but couldn’t remember when it was told to me. So last night Shauna and I were hashing out when and where it had been told to us and I realized it was sometime when we were in Ivans before we left to go to Sea Splash. I also decided its not my story to tell. So if you want to know the Bear story you’ll need to book a flight to Jamaica for December and ask Booger yourself   .
> 
> Okay so before we left the cliffs and Catcha to head to the Sea Splash webcast I made the mistake of laying down in the hammock while we waited for the ladies to get ready. It was one of those afternoon naps that you wake from feeling more tired than you did when you laid down. Worse mistake. As I was woken up to head out I realized it would take a bit of motivation to get me in party gear, right now I was in lazy gear. I realize why I cant really remember the bus ride down I was considerably out of it and remained pretty much quiet for the trip. My brain was too shut off for me to engage anyone and I was hoping that if I gave it time the doldrums would release my brain and I’d be ready to have fun. I do remember meeting Chickens brother and him making a joke about them calling him rooster when some asked if they called him little chicken.
> 
> As we stepped off the bus and headed into Sea Splash I had come around a bit, well enough to take in the view of the property. I havent stayed at any beach properties but one and I’ve only really been on less than a handful, but I really loved the ambiance that Sea Splash had to offer. The beautiful greenery and buildings really made me make a mental note. If I wanted to stay on the beach this might be in the running.
> ...



I couldn't agree more.  :Stick Out Tongue: 
The bear story will definitely have to wait till December, way too long to type out...

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## marley9808

Booger....unless of course she doesn't realize it is you who is curled up next to her! HAHAHAHAHA
Have I mentioned (today) how much I love your wife! LOL..you guys crack me up!

And Eden, thanks, he definitely is a sweetheart...I think I'll keep him! lol
But yes, the worrier sure got the best of me for a brief moment....but soon the rum cream made me forget all of that! Ha!

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## luvmylabs

In my best Sophia Grace (from the Ellen show) voice, "So good, so good".

Thanks for letting us all follow along on your EPIC trip.

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## marley9808

*Day 3: April 23, 2012*

I awoke to a sound so familiar, because it is a sound I hear frequently in my dreams. I knew this morning EXACTLY where I was..I was HOME! And that sound was the sound of the waves crashing up on the cliffs outside our door at good ole Sagi cottage at Catcha. Gosh I am so happy to be home! I remember thinking the very first time we stayed here how loud the sound of the waves crashing was, and if it would keep me up at night, and then I remember crying the last day of that trip because I wondered if I would ever be able to go to sleep again without hearing that sound..sigh, there is just nothing like it, and you have to just experience it to really understand what I mean! So anyways, back to waking up. It was probably around 7 or 8, I usually still wake up early when in Jamaica and typically before Ninja, so I try to be quiet to not disturb him, but this morning I just couldnt wait to bust out those doors and get outside. I love this place so much I just want to soak it all up as much as I can. I told Raul I was heading to breakfast and I grabbed my rum cream (we all remember that, dont we) and off I went, he said he would be there soon. As I rounded the bar to the restaurant area I saw Sweetness sitting at a table and I asked if I could join her and of course she said yes.  So I sat down and I tried to fill her in on what happened last night after we dropped her off.  It was at that moment that we both realized that I am of no use in the morning without first getting a cup of coffee.I will not make that mistake again. And after the second elementary and completely common word I tried to speak to her and could not manage to come up with (tablecloth?), we both decided to continue the conversation after I went for my coffee. So I went and filled up my large mug with half coffee and half rum cream, yep thats how we do it, and I took a sweet sip! Aahhhh, ok now I think I can make sense. I told her how we really didnt do much more after we left her and she said yes, she had heard us come back in not too long after, as she is in the Gatehouse cottage and can pretty much here when everyone comes and goes.no sneaking in on Sweetness, no sah! So we sat and talked and laughed as we recalled the events from last night. 

Soon after Booger emerged from Libra and came out for what I can only guess was Sandies much needed mug of smart juice, and possibly his own as well. About that time Ninja came out and joined us at the table. I think we have discussed at great length that my all-time favorite breakfast in the whole world is Xtabis French Toast (I am almost positive they put crack in it), but I will have to say that a close second is Catchas Jumbo Johnny Cakes breakfast. And it is possibly Ninjas all-time favorite, so this being our first breakfast at Ivans we both ordered it. Yum!

Jumbo Johnny Cakes stuffed with egg, bacon and cheese from Ivans 



After breakfast we decided to go back to the room and get into our suits. Unfortunately the sea was pretty rough today but it was a gorgeous day and we decided to spend it in and by the pool at Catcha. 

Rough seas at Catcha



Beautiful day at the pool



Oh and we decided to take Joe with us.however once we got ready and were headed to the pool Joe was nowhere to be found, I looked everywhere and then realized I hadnt checked the obvious placethe outdoor shower! You know those shower shows are legendary! LOL

Joe and his shower show in the outdoor shower at Sagi



We sat by the cliffs for a while taking it all in 



and then soon after we heard Jon and Tizzy come up. It was such a beautiful day and the pool was calling.Joe wanted in too so Tizzy and I let him join us on the floatie.rough life he has, right?



We stayed at Catcha the whole morning to midday just chilling, swimming, lounging, relaxing..it was afterall, the big day, the day of the Bellyflop Challenge and we had been told to get there by 2pm, it was probably 1:30 by then so we grabbed a drink, dried off and got ready to head up the lane to Seastar Inn

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## marley9808

Day 3, cont.

Now I am not going to spend too terribly much time on the Bellyflop challenge, for two reasons mainly. 1) You have already heard it, seen it, talked about it a million times already so what more can I add? And 2) This is/was Ninjas big day so I am going to let him take the bulk of this description so stay tuned for that, and also for the debut of the now famous Bellyflop Remix video that he has made and will share with you all in his post..get ready for it.it is truly EPIC!

So we arrived at the gates at Seastar and made our way to the pool, already on hand were Brasi, of course, Guirigay, Gerryg and Muzikdoc, maybe a couple of others also. We got situated and I and Brasi discussed the fundamentals of how we were going to handle the voting, the scorekeeping, and the entry fees, etc. As we were working out the logistics Ninja was busy trying to make contact with our Man-in-the-box Joe via our ipad. And simultaneously Chris, the owner of Seastar, had his staff setting up tables for the judges and making sure everyone had plenty to drink, etc. Wow, I cant say enough about Chris and the staff at Seastar. For an event that was probably mostly just adlibbed and thrown together last minute, they made it look like a whole team had been planning for it for months! Amazing! And lets not forget Brasi he had come fully equipped with everything he could think of as well. There were score cards and master score sheets and props and so on.

Then Patty arrived along with Kopper and Beachgirl66 and plus 1 and Beccajean. Patty also had put quite the effort into this event. She had made sashes for all of the judges to wear and they were blingy and fabulous as you would expect.  After sashing us all she gave kopper specific instructions on how he would be documenting the event. You are to take pictures of everyones flop You should also be videoing every moment, make sure you capture everything LOL Kopper was walking around the place like a one-man newspaper reporter and photographer. It was so funny and perfect! Everywhere you looked there was a camera or video camera on you. If it wasnt Kopper, it was Sweetie Pie equipped with her fancy camera, then later I spotted Negril Bill snapping photos, and towards the end I even saw a familiar (but yet to have met) face from the board, Katho, armed with her camera as well. This made me feel good because as the official scorekeeper and with Ninja as a flooper, I wasnt able to take but very few pictures of the event!

Now the time had come, the place was starting to actually fill with people, some I knew and others I didnt, but all spectators. It was awesome, even the staff had gathered, and some locals too, and even the guys who were busy building the new rooms off of the pool stopped to watch the crazy festivities. But how could you not? It was quite the event! Brasi made an announcement to the crowd and then offered up the very first Flop to get the show going. Everyone cheered. The judges gathered and I explained the scoring as Brasi and I had just agreed on and then he introduced the judging panel to the crowd. Then the event began. There were 3 rounds of flopping followed by the final Flop Off between the top 2 floppers. The 1st and 2nd round featured all of the floppers, Muzikdoc, drummerboy13, Gerryg123, Ninja, Booger, Sandie (aka Pooper), Guirigay and Jon. After 2 rounds, the top 4 (based on scores) moved on to the third round. The 3rd round consisted of Muzikdoc, Ninja, Booger and Guirigay. After the last round, the top 2 floppers with the overall highest scores moved on to the final round, they were Ninja and Guirigay. They both made one last final flop and the winner was then determined by audience applause. The winner was crowned (or should I say, sashed) and I am so proud to say that the title went to my husband, Ninja.I couldnt be any prouder! And I will also say that every single flopper did a fabulous job. If I was to give my opinion I would have crowned Muzikdoc with the best form, drummerboy13 with the most unconventional flop, Gerryg with the scariest (I thought for sure he was going to hit his head on that first one), Ninja with the most creative and highest level of difficulty, Booger with the most X rated, Pooper with the funniest lead up, Guirigay with the best style and costume and overall most hilarious, and Jon with the most height. It was a GREAT time, and like I said before probably the most fun I have ever had in Negril! The winner was sashed, the runner up was too. We posed for photos and the prizes were awarded. Brasi had donated a $20 bar tab to the winner and Chris from Seastar had donated $100 gift certificate to Seastar Inn! WOW! Ninja decided to give the $20 bar tab to Guirigay for being such a great opponent and runner up and I took off toward the gift shop to spend my husbands winnings (oh come on, you know that is the way it works LOL) But seriously, we did get the one thing I had been dying to get from Seastar, the famous hammock that Francine makes!!! 

Thanks Brasi, and Chris and Seastar Inn, it was so much fun..oh and with the entry fees from all who participated and the donations made by the spectators, etc. we raised $9100 Js to donate to the N.E.E.T. buy a brick program at Travelers! What an event! And so of course we decided to round up the crew and head down to Travelers to deliver the donation. We made some calls and paid some tabs and soon folks were piling into the vans and cars to head down to the beach..

Some photos from the event, along with a video of the 1st round of the BBC 2012!

----------


## marley9808

> In my best Sophia Grace (from the Ellen show) voice, "So good, so good".
> 
> Thanks for letting us all follow along on your EPIC trip.



Awwww, thanks! My pleasure!

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## booger

X rated? LOL! That was PG all the way.......  :Stick Out Tongue: 
And those Johnny cakes look killer. I had their breakfast burrito a couple of mornings and they were killer too. Does Ivan's serve anything that sucks?

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## Clarity

I really enjoyed reading both side of the "Ninja is missing" incident.  I completely understood your concern, Marley and could totally relate. I would have reacted the same way. Ninja's side of the story had me laughing. It's so sweet how he went all that way to get your Rum cream!!
The bellyflop was so much fun! Loved the pictures!
Please keep it coming! :Big Grin:

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## marley9808

> X rated? LOL! That was PG all the way....... 
> And those Johnny cakes look killer. I had their breakfast burrito a couple of mornings and they were killer too. Does Ivan's serve anything that sucks?



Hahaha, yeah PG I guess, considering some of the things I saw later in the week, I guess you are right!

And yes, you are correct....Ivan's food is to date the best I have ever had...the only exception is that I still think Xtabi's French Toast dominates in that category, but omg, Ivan's! Everything there is delicious! yummmmmmm

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## deanna

> It _really_ does taste like a birthday cake. *EVIL*.


OMG- THIS I'VE GOT TO TRY! Do you mix it with anything? _Is it LOW CARB?????_ 

Btw..LOVE the trip report :Big Grin:

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## ralonzo29

Day3 con’t: Monday April 23, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------


OK this first part is gonna brief (and for me thats a miracle). Sleep YES. It was probably the longest sleep we had had so far while in Negril. Which isnt really saying much cuz we hadn’t caught up yet. I showered headed to breakfast, got to talk to Sweetness more. And of course [I’m gonna call Carol out here] had to help her pronounce my name again. I told her just add an ‘H’ Rahul its how my Mom (the woman I love and the originator of my name) says it. Or at least everyone says she does. 2 years ago when we got married and we were on Negril Escape, Natasha our wedding planner also pronounced it with an ‘H’ in it so I realized it has to be a Jamaican thing. My parents were not born there, but my grandparents where (Kingston) and I’m sure my mom has some of the accent traits. Anyhooo, Carol took my order YAY Johnny cakes mmmmmmm. We lounged I got to chat up Tizzy and Jon, Booger and Sandy more. Really got to know them more. Had my heart set on cliff jumping but oh well the rough seas wouldn't allow it. Well time to go flop.

Well since i’ve done this for everyone so far lets get Jon out of the way.
Again if you consider Booger and Him a comic duo, he’s what my parents would call the straight man (and no not that kind of straight man though I’m sure the week would prove he was). You can understand it if you go here . Not sarcastic like Boog but funny in his own respect. Alway ready to ask questions. We talked tattoos and life and I came to realize like many many of the comic straight men out there [Dean Martin, Lou Costello, George Burns, Dan Rowan, Daffy Duck to name a few] he is an entity on his own with his own brand of humor and life realizations. Oh yeah a surfer dude, TOTALLY. But generally a guy you really want to know and talk to.

--------

Alright for the moment you’ve really been waiting for. The look in the mind of a flopper. Its like watching HBO’s 24/7 Road to Pacquiao/Bradley. So here is my own 24/7 Road to Belly Flop 2012 - Ninja edition. But to understand we have to back up a bit before the trip.

Somewhere in the months leading up to the Flop, momentary pause to rewind back even further - polF eht ot pu gindael shtnom eht ni erehwemoS - . My wonderful wife volunteered me for this (I try and heed the acronym NAVY - Never again volunteer yourself but I guess I didnt she did) and I just went along ok back forward now. Somewhere in the months leading up to our trip the flop had been discussed a couple of times and then somewhere Brasi said Chris was donating the 100 gift certificate. This is when I decided I’d be a smart ass and say something like tell him to make it out to me. I like to talk trash alot, but I’m never really afraid to try and back it up. So fast forward to the day of the trip in, the flop came up a couple of times between me and Shauna and Guirigay. There was the mention of props and costumes and I’ll admit what once was just a bunch of guys (and one awesome girl) basically hurting themselves for the pleasure of the masses now in my mind was something I didn’t really prepare for. I didn’t have a costume I had no props, I had a couple times thought about what I would do flop wise but never actually practiced. I found myself just keeping quiet, its better to convince your opponents that you carry secret weapons than to open your mouth and given them any advantage.

Between saturday and monday, other things had come up. Like the talk of flopping from the roof. Something I’m glad didnt happen simply for safety reasons alone. Now I was I have to admit a bit nervous. I mean I did [as my friend Angela would say] sell wolf tickets as to who was gonna win. My only hope was that no one was listening to me. I kept going over the only two ideas I had for a flop in mind. I’m great at visualization (oh and modest).

So here we were the day of reckoning.

On a side note I do have to bring a conversation with Sandie where she informs us she has recently had shoulder surgery (I believe) and in her last conversation with her Dr she informs that she is going to take part in a flop and was concerned about the shoulder. How do you as a Dr look your patient in the face with out A) suprise or 2) laughter and without batting an eye respond “make sure you tuck the arm”. Which Sandie you did not, I’m telling.

I sized up the competition. With flopping of the roof not an option Thank Jah, I felt I had an even chance with drummerboy, Jon and Booger. They were smaller maybe more athletic but I felt I had them on girth and innovation. Musicdoc and Gerry were my front runners, they at least had the mass to produce a good splash so I felt I had 3rd locked at least. Pooper and Guriguy were the wild cards. He’s sly enough and well she’s crazy enough to take it.  :Wink:  Now in all seriousness this was a purely fun event but I’m a competitor inside and even if its fun I’m gonna try. As long as you never become a sore winner or a sore loser its all good, but I HATE LOSING.

Time to start the flopping - Musicdoc was up next and though you know he didn’t win, at the time I was like he’s got it. Great form, good style and great splash.

Drummerboy followed him and well Beachgirl called him out on the fact that it wasnt a bellyflop but I almost thought he was gonna steal one of my 2 moves. He got some good air but called on the technicality of no belly and small splash.

Gerry G brought up the 3rd position and you’d think he’d have learned from drummer boy. The jump and subsequent splash were great but again all back no belly. Beachgirl called him too. I have to agree looking back at the video I thought OMG how did he not split his wig.

I found myself 4th in this group so Brasi called Ninja and up until this moment I had been trying to visualize my first flop. Not knowing how many we had to do I didnt know when to bring out my show stopper. I only had two so...

Thoughts that went through my head as I made my way to the jump point. ‘You're not winning this’, ‘Hey but doesn't mean you can’t try’. I found myself believing myself to be a Sean White or a Tony Hawk. I had to go for the only 3 things I had in my arsenal. Medium Girth(good splashability), Style in the way of posing or positioning and Like ability. I mean I’m me who wouldn’t like me.  :Smile: 

I went for what I now call the dhanurasana flop (Bow Flop), WPYOGI will know what that is. I jumped attempted to grab both ankles and release before I touched down. I almost had it but it was enough to get me a high score.

Booger flopped 5th and he went for mass effect and length of his body. It was good enough to get him into the second round.

Next was pooper and she definitely brought out the crazy style, gotta love her. if it wasn't for Jon Guirigay would have pulled up the rear at 6th. Guirigays flop was.....
What I can say about it is if you know him you shouldn't have been surprised. What he may have lacked in size for splash he made up for in style BIG TIME.

I called it done. No way can I beat him, but I’m gonna try.

Jon definitely went for height and air and pulled off an impressive flop.

I don’t quite remember the second round flops with the exception of my 360. I really wasn't sure I was gonna pull off a full 360 and still be able to land the flop. god forbid I don’t land front wise Beachgirl gonna dock me points. Once I left the pool side it was anyone's game if i’d land it but I pulled it off. Of course that was it I was done with the only 2 I had in my arsenal. After the tally We were down to 4 and I had a chance, but no idea what I was gonna do.

My 3rd flop was what I can only call a kickstand flop and it was good enough to propel me to finals. NINJA vs GUIRIGUY the thrill in Negril. We roshambo’d for it which I lost, and as Guirigay said I should have know what he was gonna throw [out of rock, paper or scissor] cuz HE ROCKS.

He chose to go second as I would have, and I set off to go for mass, splash and distance.
I will say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. The couples splash that Sweetie Pie and Guirigay, while cute was no match for my power house. I told you, I’d win.  :Wink: 

Oh and don’t let Shauna fool you I told her she could get anything she wanted with my winnings. I know that all sound all serious but trust me I didnt take THAT seriously we are just having fun.

 

My favorite pic and the video to boot

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## marley9808

> OMG- THIS I'VE GOT TO TRY! Do you mix it with anything? _Is it LOW CARB?????_ 
> 
> Btw..LOVE the trip report


It is so delicious, so I doubt it is low carb! LOL
We mix it with pineapple juice and a splash of cherry juice or grenadine, and that makes you a drink that tastes EXACTLY like a pineapple upside down cake. (Stay tuned, they will make an appearance, or several, in this report)  :Smile:

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## deanna

Thanks for the info! I'm going to try it this weekend and  will stayed tuned.... :Cool:

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## Eden

Marley,
Do you mix equal amounts of pineapple juice with the vodka?   Can't wait to try it this coming weekend!



> It is so delicious, so I doubt it is low carb! LOL
> We mix it with pineapple juice and a splash of cherry juice or grenadine, and that makes you a drink that tastes EXACTLY like a pineapple upside down cake. (Stay tuned, they will make an appearance, or several, in this report)

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## marley9808

Eden,
It's probably more like 2 to 1 (2 juice, 1 vodka) 
You are going to LOVE it!

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## Coco

Just don't set it on fire :-)...

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## booger

> Eden,
> It's probably more like 2 to 1 (2 juice, 1 vodka) 
> You are going to LOVE it!


At least that's how the mixture starts. I'm sure it's more vodka as the day goes on.

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## marley9808

Day 3, cont.

I was busy spending all of Ninjas winnings in the gift shop so we actually were part of the group that headed out in the last bus, but funny enough we were the first group to arrive to Travelers Beach Resort..uh, how did that happen? LOL! So we walked in and headed to the front desk. We told them we had a donation to make to the Buy A Brick program and asked if we could speak to someone. They called for someone to come talk to us and about that time the next group arrived.where were you guys?!?!?! Haha So we had several representatives of the program come out and speak to us. We told them about the event we just had and about how we decided to donate all of the money collected to N.E.E.T. They were very appreciative and they took some time to explain the program and also talked to us all about the new Hospital being built. We all were so thrilled that we had raised $9100 Js to donate, and since each brick is only $100 Js we pretty much knew that we could all paint a brick (and then some) so we decided we each would get a brick to paint but that we would also paint some for those who were there with us in spirit, etc. I have said before that the Bellyflop was one of the most fun things I have ever done in Negril, but this moment painting the bricks was probably one of the coolest things I have done. We had all just been laughing and having a ball and then once we got here and starting painting you could just feel the vibe change, and you could sense that everyone there was equally aware of just how special this moment was, it was amazing! I painted my brick and then one for Clarity too as they had gone to check in to their next place and didnt make it to Travelers with us. Tizzy painted hers and then one for Markus. Patty painted one for her and one for Joe, and Kopper covered his and one for Manda. I also painted a brick each for Sweetie Pie and Guirigay who had not joined us down to Travelers.everyone had a brick and when we were all done it was such a site to see everyones name on those bricks. I took a moment to take a few pictures and then just looked at them all and thought about the school or library or whatever they would all one day build! What a great program!

Painting a brick for SweetiePie and Guirigay


Everyone painting their bricks



Group Photo



Crazy Group photo



Everyone's bricks all together...what a masterpiece!



After we finished taking the group photos I paused to take it all in and then I walked over to wash up a bit, when I looked up EVERYONE was gone. There had been a big group of folks and now all that remained was Ninja and I and Indy Bob and Cindy.where did everyone go? And how did they move so fast? This group NEVER moves fast. So I said, well I can only assume that Booger and gang are at the bar, so we headed towards the beach where the bar was. We walked up and no one was there.weird! So we walked back towards the lobby area, however Bob and Cindy appeared to be happy with staying at the bar so we waved and kept walking. No one was in the lobby. We walked out front and saw Patty, Kopper, Beachgirl,+1 and Beccajean. They didnt know where everyone else was but they were waiting on their ride to take them back to their hotel. So I said to Ninja well we are down at the beach, we might as well hang out, so I called Daisy and Markus to see what they were up to. They had just checked into Seasplash and suggested we stop by for a drink at the bar. So we got in the van with the FH crew and then had the driver carry us down to Seasplash.

(p.s. I only recently found out that Booger did indeed leave us, but apparently we also left Jon and Tizzy, mistakenly of course, as they were out swimming in the ocean....LOL)

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## marley9808

When we arrived we saw Daisy, Markus, Muzikdoc, drummerboy13 and Boombastic all chilling at the bar. So we bellied up and ordered a round of Dirty Bananas, yum! We chatted for a while about the fun of the day and we filled Daisy and Markus in on painting the bricks. I showed them the photo of the bricks we had painted for them. The day was coming to an end and the sun was setting so beautifully on the beach











About that time, up walked Brasi. He came up and joined us for a moment at the bar and then mentioned the idea of heading next door for some jerk chicken. We all agreed that sounded like a plan and off we went. Right next door to Seasplash (sorry, forgot the name of the place) was a little jerk barrel and shack. We placed our order and then grabbed a seat at the table. We all talked and had a nice visit. Then our attention soon after went to the moon. It was AMAZING. We all had a different description of what we were seeing. Someone said it looked like devil horns, someone else thought it looked like a jack-o-lantern, but whatever you thought, we all agreed it was amazing. So of course this meant that Markus and Ninja would have to make it their goal to capture the perfect photo of it. I believe they literally spent 30 minutes or more trying to find the correct setting on the camera coupled with the right angle and the perfect object for a tripod, I am sure there were wind measurements and barometric pressure considerations and possible use of the Pythagorean theorem as well. I spent about the same amount of time trying to take a photo of them trying to take a picture of the moon, it was comedy (of course that too was on the camera I lost, so this photo is courtesy of Muzikdoc, thanks so much) It was too funny of a moment not to have captured on film.





And here is the best image from all of their hard work



After we ate some pretty delicious jerk chicken Brasi mentioned he was going to be heading out to a beach bar and we thought it sounded like a good idea. It was Monday and someone mentioned Alfreds….but Alfreds is not the spot on Monday. Our driver, a friend of Brasi’s mentioned it was Bourbon Beach but then he also mentioned Roots Bamboo and said there was no cover….well, that was an easy decision, so off to Roots we headed. Muzik decided to stay and hang back at Seasplash but Brasi, Daisy, Markus, drummerboy, Ninja and I were off. We arrived mighty early to Roots Bamboo but that was fine by us. We hit up the bar and Daisy and I decided to pay homage to Breanna and so we ordered our first Apple Ting and Vodka…..but it surely would not be our last! Yum! Thanks again for the tip Bre!

Cheers to good times with good friends.



We found a nice table on the beach and we took a seat while we talked and listened to the music. Fireman, our waiter, walked with the speed of someone who might be heading to put out a fire. We later found out that he is a real fireman!  Daisy headed off to the bar and came back with a new friend. She tried her hand at matchmaking for our friend Brasi, lol. I realized that when Markus leaned over and said to me, “This will soon end with Brasi mouthing the words ‘HELP ME’” that clearly Daisy had not learned her lesson from that last incident on the beach with Jamar! LOL 
About that time I am chatting with Daisy at the table and I hear Markus talking loudly and excitedly behind me to someone. I look back briefly and I could only tell it was a local but no one that I recognized so I just figured Markus was being Markus. He tends to get excited about just about everything he discusses, and that is one of the things I like most about hanging out with him. So I continued back to whatever Daisy and I had been discussing, and then Markus comes closer and he says to Daisy “Look, Daisy, look who it is” She looks up at him and he smiles real big at her and says “Hi Daisy, do you remember me?” And she smiles with a sort of ‘Not really, but I am too nice to say no’ look….and then he says “It’s me…..Shamma Lamma Ding Dong!!!” I burst out with laughter, and I turned to Ninja and said “Ninja….did you hear that….did you hear who he is?!?!?!?! He is Shamma Lamma Ding Dong” OMG I laughed so hard. So they chatted a bit and got caught up on everything since they had last seen each other……still at this moment I laugh just remembering that entire interaction on the beach…..only in Jamaica!

Now the crowd is getting larger and the music is getting louder. I look around and all of a sudden I see another familiar face….it’s Beachgirl66! So I walk over to her and invite her back to our table. Beachgirl is just so bubbly and beautiful it is hard not to be drawn to her….and the Jamaican men are definitely not immune to that either. Shortly after sitting down an admirer of hers shows up and decides to serenade her with a special song. He sings it to her loud and with purpose….”DELILAH! You left an ice box where (his) heart used to be” HAHAHAHAHA You heartbreaker, you!
We were all having a good time but it was getting late and I knew that we had to get up REALLY early the next day and would be spending most of the day in a bus traveling around Jamaica so I told Ninja it would be a good idea for us to head home to Catcha…..of course not everyone followed our lead on that good idea as we were the only ones that left (probably midnight). But Brasi walked us out to his friend the cabby and he took us back up to Catcha. We never met up with Booger, Sandie, Jon and Tizzy that night but we did hear lots about their adventures later. We went into our room and basically passed out on the bed, luckily we were smart enough to set our alarm before doing that. Another amazing day in Negril……..

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## marley9808

Ode to some of our most eligible bachelors:

Brasi- What can I say about our sweet Brasi…what a guy! I have to admit I already knew I liked him as we had long before started a friendship online. At first we just talked about plans to eat at Bentleys then it switched to our love of music and common backgrounds, then maybe on to discussions of the world’s greatest football team. Whatever it was, I knew I liked him and so I was so excited to see him in person and spend time with him. I have to admit though that I actually did not spend as much time with him during this trip that I would have liked to, but when we did spend time it was surely enough to know that he is a wonderful and very caring guy. His love of his kids and for those he cares about is apparent. He truly is a real sweetheart…uh, er..I mean, he is a real bad ass! Lock up your daughters and watch out! LOL He is a master event planner and hype man and just an overall sweety. Some woman needs to snatch him up quickly before the long line of female fans gets too long, and whatever woman does that, will be a lucky one indeed!

Muzikdoc – OMG I love this guy, how can you not? Muzikdoc is a great big old teddy bear and everyone knows it. He is a guy that loves life and people and having fun and that is pretty much what he lives by. He likes everyone and has never met a person he couldn’t have a drink with. At first glance you may think who is this mean ole burly biker guy, but within about a second your answer would be…Well he is Muzikdoc, and he is my new friend! Really wish we had more time to hang with you, but I know we definitely will in the future and we sure enjoyed the times we did spend with you…Also, as I have added before…he was the king of the perfect form during the Bellyflop Challenge…..oh and also, I feel that any woman that wins over this teddy bear’s heart would be truly treated like a princess…ladies, line up! Oh and I also heard he has some pretty sweet dance moves!  :Wink: 

Drummerboy13 – We only had a brief amount of time with him on this trip, but it doesn’t take long to know he is a genuinely good guy. We talked to him about music and where he is from and relationships and life. My heart went out to him listening to his story of his recent relationship and just from that alone I was able to tell what a stand-up guy he is with a really great head on his shoulders and definitely the right priorities. I loved listening to him talk about his son and how he is the most important thing in his life. Drummerboy, we think you are pretty great and surely there will be a very lucky woman to come along soon who will also agree!

So listen up ladies of the world….here are 3 prime examples of some REALLY GREAT GUYS…stamped with my seal of approval, and I should know…I married one (A really great guy, that is). So put on your best dress, fix your hair, and come at them with the best you have, because they deserve it….and they have a lot of female friends now that you will have to impress as well!


Stay tuned, up next the day trip to YS Falls and the Pelican Bar

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## beccajean_ca

Awesome.I so love everyone's take on the people they meet. Although I have met some its still amazing to me...what a wonderful family we have created :-)

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## Eden

Marley,  Thanks!!  Will report back! Making my list now for our Memorial Day BBQ. 
Oh, and you had me laughing so hard as I read your story about meeting Shamma Lamma Ding Dong that I woke up poor Anthony!!.  You are right, only in Jamaica!  And, omg, your description of Ninja and Markus' determination to get THE perfect moon shot!  hahaha.  I just love the way you write, it's as if we are all there with you.  Keep it coming! :-)




> Eden,
> It's probably more like 2 to 1 (2 juice, 1 vodka) 
> You are going to LOVE it!

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## Eden

hahah Marley!  You definitely missed your calling.  You should have been a matchmaker.:-) Love the way you described these wonderful bachelors.  So sweet and I really hope some single boardie women will go for it!




> Ode to some of our most eligible bachelors:
> 
> Brasi- What can I say about our sweet Brasi…what a guy! I have to admit I already knew I liked him as we had long before started a friendship online. At first we just talked about plans to eat at Bentleys then it switched to our love of music and common backgrounds, then maybe on to discussions of the world’s greatest football team. Whatever it was, I knew I liked him and so I was so excited to see him in person and spend time with him. I have to admit though that I actually did not spend as much time with him during this trip that I would have liked to, but when we did spend time it was surely enough to know that he is a wonderful and very caring guy. His love of his kids and for those he cares about is apparent. He truly is a real sweetheart…uh, er..I mean, he is a real bad ass! Lock up your daughters and watch out! LOL He is a master event planner and hype man and just an overall sweety. Some woman needs to snatch him up quickly before the long line of female fans gets too long, and whatever woman does that, will be a lucky one indeed!
> 
> Muzikdoc – OMG I love this guy, how can you not? Muzikdoc is a great big old teddy bear and everyone knows it. He is a guy that loves life and people and having fun and that is pretty much what he lives by. He likes everyone and has never met a person he couldn’t have a drink with. At first glance you may think who is this mean ole burly biker guy, but within about a second your answer would be…Well he is Muzikdoc, and he is my new friend! Really wish we had more time to hang with you, but I know we definitely will in the future and we sure enjoyed the times we did spend with you…Also, as I have added before…he was the king of the perfect form during the Bellyflop Challenge…..oh and also, I feel that any woman that wins over this teddy bear’s heart would be truly treated like a princess…ladies, line up! Oh and I also heard he has some pretty sweet dance moves! 
> 
> Drummerboy13 – We only had a brief amount of time with him on this trip, but it doesn’t take long to know he is a genuinely good guy. We talked to him about music and where he is from and relationships and life. My heart went out to him listening to his story of his recent relationship and just from that alone I was able to tell what a stand-up guy he is with a really great head on his shoulders and definitely the right priorities. I loved listening to him talk about his son and how he is the most important thing in his life. Drummerboy, we think you are pretty great and surely there will be a very lucky woman to come along soon who will also agree!
> 
> So listen up ladies of the world….here are 3 prime examples of some REALLY GREAT GUYS…stamped with my seal of approval, and I should know…I married one (A really great guy, that is). So put on your best dress, fix your hair, and come at them with the best you have, because they deserve it….and they have a lot of female friends now that you will have to impress as well!
> ...

----------


## wpyogi

> I went for what I now call the dhanurasana flop (Bow Flop), WPYOGI will know what that is. I jumped attempted to grab both ankles and release before I touched down. I almost had it but it was enough to get me a high score.


And I will say it again, (I think these were the first words i spoke to you at the Swordfish bar) that dhanurasana flop was MONEY!!!

LMAO!

----------


## drummerboy13

YOU ARE WAY TOO KIND!!!!  I am def a work in progress!!  I love you guys and enjoyed my time with you!!  Watching you, as a couple, was very inspiring to me!!  I am continuing my rebuliding process, so I will be ready for the perfect lady that comes along after she reads  your super nice advertisement for me!!  LOL!!  I wanna be a couple like you guys or Clarity and Markus!  Thats the dream anyway.....

----------


## Guirigay

Don't know how I missed your flop report Ninja! Been super busy, I'm working on the flop now, will try to have it up soon. Wish the 360 had been taped, I was purposely NOT watching your flops...  :Smile:  I gave it my best, really my all, and you BEAT me!  :Smile:

----------


## Clarity

Love that pic of Markus & Ninja trying to get the perfect shot of the Devil horn Moon. I remember Markus running back to the room to get his good camera and the mini tripod. They were both so serious about it too. This was no joking matter, the perfect shot _must_ be achieved. lol! :Big Grin: 

As for Roots, I was just trying to be a good "wingwoman" and yeah, I've accepted the fact that suck at it. I hope Brasi forgives me for my sad attempt.
Well at least she wasn't 30 years older than him w/ bad make up job and crazy wig. Jamar still wont let me live that one down...

Looking forward to the next update. YS falls/Pelican bar! woo hoo!
If you're going to post a picture of the switchblade toe operation, I preferred Spottycatz angle of the traumatic event over that one Booger posted. just sayin' LOL!

----------


## marley9808

LOL Clarity, you crack me up...yes they were serious! As always! HA!

And it's ok, you know we were only teasing about your match-making attempts...we know your heart is in the right place.....and no one was hurt (at least I don't think....Jamar? Can you answer that? You weren't hurt when that older lady grinded up on you, were you? LOL)

Hmmm, picture of the switchblade operation?!?!?!?! I have NO IDEA what you are speaking of.....LOL

----------


## marley9808

> YOU ARE WAY TOO KIND!!!!  I am def a work in progress!!  I love you guys and enjoyed my time with you!!  Watching you, as a couple, was very inspiring to me!!  I am continuing my rebuliding process, so I will be ready for the perfect lady that comes along after she reads  your super nice advertisement for me!!  LOL!!  I wanna be a couple like you guys or Clarity and Markus!  Thats the dream anyway.....


We loved you too and I meant every word. Hope the advertisement works.....we can always hold auditions next April  :Smile: 
I am pretty sure I can say that you WILL be one of those couples one day, and that will be a very lucky lady....don't give up on the dream!  :Smile:

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## rastagal

I was cracking up over here with the Pythagorean Theorem comment! This is good stuff chickadee!

----------


## ralonzo29

WPYOGI - Thanks its all my yoga and p90x

GUIRIGAY- You did give me a run...


Day3 con’t: Monday April 23, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

OKay so we all know I won WHAT WHAT.

So we went down to buy the bricks at Travelers Beach Resort. I have to admit to give back to a place that has given me and my wife so much was and incredible experience. In 2010 I brought my dad and mom down to Negril for our wedding. They had never been to Jamaica even though that is where their parents grew up. My father had commented that his experience with the people and the area made him eager to give back and so for me this moment was like giving to a place that is part of my family. Knowing that these bricks would go and be part of a school or a hospital or any building that would be constructed to give back to Negril made me happy. Seeing so many names and so many people donating made this fun event work every stinging flop moment. We rounded our brick painting with a couple group shots and then poof like a magic trick everyone vanished. We swore booger, pooper, jon and tizzy were down by the beach but uhm NO (so we thought).

We headed to the front and took a ride with the fun holiday group. Thanks Kopper for covering our ride to Sea Splash to meet up with Clarity and Markus.

Okay so this time at Sea Splash I got to meet Boombastic (who I didnt realize owned SS at the time of the webcast on Sunday) we had nice talk about some different subjects but this is my favorite boombastic story. SO Boombastic drinks smirnoff vodka martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives and pearl onions but about the time we got there he needed a refill and they were out of smirnoff. So he had his guy bringing some but in the interim what would he drink. His lovely bartender offered up so bottom shelf vodka and Boombastic mad that UHM NO look but it was that classic dilemma to drink second rate booze or to go dry. It can be a hard choice but Boombastic went for the second rate vodka, but wait his bartender comes to the rescue with Apple flavored Smirnoff. So with the choice of boris vodka or apple smirnoff he opted for the apple. Something in the back of my head said uhm maybe he should have gone for the Boris vodka. Boombastic finished his second vodka martini and promptly proclaimed “Dont ever give that to me again!” You see in the back of my head I was thinking Apple Martinis with blue cheese filled olives and pearl onions cant possibly taste good. Boombastic confirmed I was right.

As the day wound down we watched another stunning sunset in Negril and Markus and I tried to capture the moment, I tried to capture Markus capturing the moment.



So back at the bar Musicdoc, drummerboy, Clarity and Markus were chilling when Brasi came along and someone said food. Jerk Chicken it is. Despite Clarity and my lovely wifes need to make fun of Markus and I for trying to take and awesome picture the time we spent eating and chatting was some of the most fun we had this trip. And the moon was killer.



While heading over to roots bamboo I realized 2 things. Carrying my damn computer in this bag all day was getting to me and my shoulders were sun burn. So lesson people of dark pigment dont think the carribean sun wont cook your ass. I knew this but usually doesn't get this bad. Roots Bamboo was dead right at the moment we got there but OMG the music was LOUD (I feel old saying that). We found some seats on the beach and I tried hear anything. Once more people came in their bodies absorbed alot of the sound and talking became a little easier. I had a great chat with drummerboy and brasi about life in general and women. After beachgirl, beccajean and plus1 showed up I was getting a bit tired. Luckily I can always count on my wife to be way tired before me. We had a big day and it was time to listen to my better judgment (I never do that when it comes to hanging out). Brasi walked us out and we headed home for the night.

Little late night incident. More like a short comedy skit. We laid in bed getting ready to turn in and I was setting my alarm on my phone to wake me up. Setting the alarm on the phone take what 30 seconds. 5 minutes later I finally got the phone set. As I laid there I kept nodding off and dropping the phone on my chest. This lasted a while so much so I was actually catching the phone mid nod. I have to admit at the end of every day of this trip I was genuinely beat and ready for bed. YAY tomorrow ROAD TRIP

----------


## SweetSue

Marley, Ninja...  I enjoy your reports.  Now I really am sorry that I did not take more time to hook up with your group.  I was supposed to at the Belly Flop but life got in the way.  My trip was too short (aren't they always?) to do all I wanted and/or needed to do.  It is a schizophrenic existence, 'mi Jamaica Life' in the country side, my beach/cliff tourist adventures and then coming back to yet another reality in NY....  I really hope our paths do cross, as I am sure they eventually will.  In the meantime, Happy Travels and keep those trip reports coming!

----------


## monk

> Day 3, cont.
> 
> I was busy spending all of Ninjas winnings in the gift shop so we actually were part of the group that headed out in the last bus, but funny enough we were the first group to arrive to Travelers Beach Resort..uh, how did that happen? LOL! So we walked in and headed to the front desk. We told them we had a donation to make to the Buy A Brick program and asked if we could speak to someone. They called for someone to come talk to us and about that time the next group arrived.where were you guys?!?!?! Haha So we had several representatives of the program come out and speak to us. We told them about the event we just had and about how we decided to donate all of the money collected to N.E.E.T. They were very appreciative and they took some time to explain the program and also talked to us all about the new Hospital being built. We all were so thrilled that we had raised $9100 Js to donate, and since each brick is only $100 Js we pretty much knew that we could all paint a brick (and then some) so we decided we each would get a brick to paint but that we would also paint some for those who were there with us in spirit, etc. I have said before that the Bellyflop was one of the most fun things I have ever done in Negril, but this moment painting the bricks was probably one of the coolest things I have done. We had all just been laughing and having a ball and then once we got here and starting painting you could just feel the vibe change, and you could sense that everyone there was equally aware of just how special this moment was, it was amazing! I painted my brick and then one for Clarity too as they had gone to check in to their next place and didnt make it to Travelers with us. Tizzy painted hers and then one for Markus. Patty painted one for her and one for Joe, and Kopper covered his and one for Manda. I also painted a brick each for Sweetie Pie and Guirigay who had not joined us down to Travelers.everyone had a brick and when we were all done it was such a site to see everyones name on those bricks. I took a moment to take a few pictures and then just looked at them all and thought about the school or library or whatever they would all one day build! What a great program!
> 
> Painting a brick for SweetiePie and Guirigay
> Attachment 14704
> 
> Everyone painting their bricks
> 
> ...



wow, you guys knocked it out of the park!

all respect due.

----------


## Muzikdoc

Marley...thanks so much for the Compliments..You all are treasures to me..thanks again for including me in this group of wonderfull people. I can't wait to meet up again!

----------


## marley9808

Right back at ya Muzikdoc!

Ok, folks.....so sorry for the delay. I plan to continue the update tonight...stay tuned!

----------


## TizzyATX

....tonight....you're such a tease  :Wink:

----------


## marley9808

:Wink: 

I try....

----------


## spottycatz

Harruummmph!!! Tonight for you is tomrrow for us!  :Confused:

----------


## marley9808

*Day 4: April 24, 2012*

What on earth is that noise?!?!?! Oh..wait.its the alarm. But surely it cant be the alarm already.we JUST laid down, right? Well, sadly, it was the alarm. I think it was set for 6:30am, so we could get up, shower, get ready, have breakfast and then be ready for the bus. After all, we had told everyone that the bus would arrive promptly at 8am and that everyone MUST be ready..this was something I was not about to hold my breath on..not with this group!
So we were both tired (something we would grow quite accustom to on this trip) but we were also excited, so we got up. I had been waiting for this trip for a while and I was so ready to go! I showered and got my stuff together and headed out to Ivans..my normal breakfast partner, Sweetness was there at our table, she had just ordered. Raul was still showering and gathering his stuff. I looked at my watch and it was 7:30 but Kaniesha assured me that I had enough time for breakfast, so I ordered. Moments later booger emerged from his room, and I have to say I was somewhat amazed.he came out ordered a light breakfast and then soon after Tizzy and Jon emerged, I think Tizzy ordered something too.wow..was everyone here at Catcha awake.I was so proud, honestly I was.proudAND shocked! So we had me, Ninja, Sweetness, Booger, Sandie, Tizzy and Jon.the first pick up obviously was at Catcha. It was 8am and I knew the bus would be there.it is always on time. So we headed to the front gate and sure enough the bus was there. We waved to wait though because we decided we would head over to Wise Choise and get some more ice and drinks/snacks for the trip, so a few of us crossed the road and headed out..of course we werent used to being up and about that early so we did not even think that the store was not open, oh well, we can stop somewhere in town, we thought. So with that, the first bus stop was made, we loaded up and were on our way..Next stopMiYard!

It was 8am but you would have never guessed that by the loud, cheerful gang on the bus already laughing and talking. We pulled up to Mi Yard and saw our next passengers, Sweetie Pie and Guirigay, they boarded to some pretty impressive applause. Then right after they sat down, Guirigay pulled out some banana rum cream to share with everyone, and there was, of course, more applause! The bus headed down the cliffs and past the roundabout and on to the beach road, next stop, Fun Holiday! We arrived to pick up Beccajean and guess who we saw there? Another one of the Fun Holiday gang, Patty! She came on the bus briefly to say hi to everyone and wish us a fun day, then Becca boarded and we were on to the next stop. We arrived at White Sands and the bus pulled in to the long drive across from the beach..no Brasi to be seen. So I picked up my phone and called his number..no answer. Uh oh, this is what I was fearing and we had already been so successful so far which was surprising. I thought for a second, what do I do? I dont want to leave anyone.so I called again, and this time he answered! (Oh thank goodness) Of course I will admit he sounded asleep or sick or something but he told me he was standing by the front. How did we miss him, I thought. But the bus pulled back out to the street and sure enough, there he was, only he was over on the beach side. I waved to him and he crossed the street and boarded the bus! Phew! He was extremely quiet and didnt look so good but he made his way to the back and sat down.
Next stop was Rayon hotel. We pulled up and again no one was around. This stop was to pick up luvsdaislands, but no one was outside. Luckily I had her number as well so I dialed it and she answered. I said Hey, this is Marley, the bus is here And she said rather surprised Oh no, that is today? I thought it was tomorrow and I already have plans today! Oh no! Oh my gosh! We were all so sad, but hey it is Negril and it is Jamaica, we all know what it is like to lose track of the time or the day.no worries.hopefully next time luvs!!

The bus headed further down the road and this time the stop was at Seasplash. We were there to pick up Daisy and Markus and they were ready. However, I forgot to mention that on the previous night, we had convinced another passenger to come with us (well maybe not convinced so much as he volunteered to go!) When we were at Seasplash last night we had a nice chat with the owner Boombastic. We mentioned that all of us were heading to YS falls and Pelican bar and he said I want to go, I LOVE the Pelican Bar! So I told him we could probably make room since 1 or 2 folks had decided not to go. So he said he was in. I told him when we were going to be picking him up and he said ok. So there we were at Seasplash, Daisy and Markus had boarded but no Boombastic..he was nowhere to be seen. We asked the front desk to call him and they did. A few moments later he wandered up and stepped on the bus. He greeted everyone and then told us all how his extreme fun from the previous evening would be preventing him from joining us all for the day LOL!

And that brings us to our last stop, Idle Awhile, to pick up none other than.SPOTTYCATZ!  :Smile:  What was failed to mention though is that we actually passed right by them on our way to Seasplash (oops) but no worries, they were still there waiting when we came back by, and so they got on the bus said there hellos and we were on our way.

So there we go, one crazy bus loaded with some crazy folks about to have a crazy good time. On the bus were Marley, Ninja, Booger, Pooper(Sandie), Tizzy, Jon, Sweetness, Guirigay, Sweetie Pie, Beccajean, Brasi, Clarity, Hubby-man, Spottycatz (Mr. and Mrs)
We had 3 coolers and we needed to fill them for the pretty long trip ahead of us. Some folks needed to hit the ATM as well so we headed back to town and stopped at Scotia Bank first. The bus unloaded and everyone went to get some cash. Some folks even took the time to go across to the Chinaman store to get some beverages. While we were parked there we saw the infamous Gerryg123 on his scooter along with his lovely sidekick SuzieQ. We all got back on the bus after Becca and Markus returned from apparently being stuck in the ATM (I am guessing.because they were in there forever! Lol) and we were off, but then we realized some of us still needed snacks and drinks so we stopped at the little grocery store near Juici Patty. All of us in the store buying snacks and drinks and everything we could think of, lol. And none of the group was moving very fast doing anything. Every stop we made took forever with this group, and it was this stop when trying to get everyone back on the bus that the infamous phrase was first spoken by our Becca "It's like herding turtles" So after that good laugh back in the bus we went. About a second down the road and we realized we still needed ice, so we headed up the road and stopped at the Gas Station on the way to Sav. As you can imagine.by now it was probably after 9am maybe even close to 10 and we hadnt even left Negril yet! About that time was when we realized there was an issue with the bus, something with the shocks in the back and so the wheel was hitting the frame over the back wheel. Uh oh! But never fear, we are in Jamaica were there are No Problems! Only situations! So Chickens friends brought another bus and met us at the gas station. And while they were pouring the ice in the coolers and arranging the drinks we all got off the first bus and onto the next oneno big deal, right? Of course not.we have snacks, we have booze, and we have happy people.right everyone? 

Its never too early for a Red Stripe, right?




And if you dont drink beer, you can always partake in some REALLY strong rum punch! (Thanks to my lovely bartender hubby!) And since we passed it around to everyone, they all can comment on how strong it was. WOW!



Are we all ready?
CHEERS!!!




*TIZZY:* Pay attention to this part, this is where I am going to explain the wedding song.  :Smile: 
Ok so everyone knows I put this trip together. I planned to take this day trip to YS Falls and the Pelican Bar and I asked if anyone wanted to join us and in the end we had quite a bit of people who said yes and seemed just as excited about the day as I was. But there was a reason that this day was so important to me, and I told that story this morning on the bus as we were heading out (clearly Tizzy did not hear it, but in her defense she was far in the back, and also with Jon LOL) The story was that this was the trip that had originally been planned as the day trip we were going to go on with all of our wedding guests when we got married in 2010. We had long planned to take all of our friends and family on this day trip to YS and Pelican because it was our favorite trip to take and we wanted to share it with all of them. But as you know, Tropical Storm Nicole ruined A LOT of our wedding plans that year, and one of them was this day trip. We were unable to go because YS was flooded and no one was at the Pelican Bar, so we had to cancel and we did not get to take all of our guests. Not only had we wanted to share that with all of them, but both Raul and I had agreed that taking a big group of folks to the Pelican Bar would be awesome, and of course I think YS is so amazingly beautiful I just love sharing it with people. So I told everyone on the bus that morning that they were all now my friends and family and that this trip I would finally be taking our wedding guests on the trip we had planned, so I told everyone to pretend that Raul and I were newlyweds and this was our wedding trip..and with that..he put on the wedding march music, and we laughed. Though I do think it played several other times throughout the day LOL

And *NOW* we are *FINALLY* on our way!

----------


## Sweetness

Oh I love this day so much......it will live in infamy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## booger

Nice update and you covered the events PERFECTLY.  Did you film the trip? LOL! And as Tizzy, I had no idea why the wedding music was playing. So cool and you just put the day in a whole new perspective.... I cannot freaking wait for the rest of this story as the day was EPIC! 

 And nice work calling out JIM. Brasi was in worse shape and manned up. Big ups to Brasi. If there is one day that I look back on with this trip it's this day. There was so much joy and good times in the air and it was great to be able to spend some amazing time with such a great group.

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## spottycatz

Yay, here we go.

----------


## TizzyATX

Hahaha...it all makes sense now! LOLOL   This is why I love your trip report! hahahaha

Ditto to everything Booger said....my favorite day with all my favorite peeps. SIGH <3

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## marley9808

> Marley, Ninja...  I enjoy your reports.  Now I really am sorry that I did not take more time to hook up with your group.  I was supposed to at the Belly Flop but life got in the way.  My trip was too short (aren't they always?) to do all I wanted and/or needed to do.  It is a schizophrenic existence, 'mi Jamaica Life' in the country side, my beach/cliff tourist adventures and then coming back to yet another reality in NY....  I really hope our paths do cross, as I am sure they eventually will.  In the meantime, Happy Travels and keep those trip reports coming!


Sweetsue, thanks!
We are sorry you didn't make it out too...we all had so much fun, you will have to be sure to come to the next one...boardie meetups and webcasts and parties and what not are ALWAYS fun! Hope to meet you at one some day for sure!

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## marley9808

> wow, you guys knocked it out of the park!
> 
> all respect due.


Thanks so much!!!  :Smile: 
Happy to do it!

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## marley9808

> Oh I love this day so much......it will live in infamy!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I know! Pretty much one of my all time favorite days.....I like to now use this day to replace the memories of our wedding day disasters...this day was all I had always hoped it would have been back in 2010.
Thanks to my new family and friends for making it so!

----------


## marley9808

> Nice update and you covered the events PERFECTLY.  Did you film the trip? LOL! And as Tizzy, I had no idea why the wedding music was playing. So cool and you just put the day in a whole new perspective.... I cannot freaking wait for the rest of this story as the day was EPIC! 
> 
>  And nice work calling out JIM. Brasi was in worse shape and manned up. Big ups to Brasi. If there is one day that I look back on with this trip it's this day. There was so much joy and good times in the air and it was great to be able to spend some amazing time with such a great group.



Hahaha, no...did not film it but I surely remember it because I think I still dream about this day often, and in fact, this whole trip. Glad you are enjoying it sir.
Yes, I guess maybe the dj was the only one that heard my story that morning! HAHAHAH...I think though that Guirigay heard it....maybe Sweetness too....guess that was all that heard it LOL....so I am glad you are now hearing it and now the wedding theme is making sense! LOL too funny

Yeah, big ups to Brasi for sure, though I am not sure he talked until sometime in the afternoon, I sure didn't hear him until after lunch I think! LOL
But I also have to say props to Jim for getting up out of bed and walking out to talk to us....on days like that for me, I can't even manage to be upright! LOL

I agree....this day was pretty special for so many reasons.....thanks to all who made it that way!

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## Guirigay

My ploy has worked, you are helping me out a lot here...  :Smile:  Sweetie Pie and Mrs. SpottyCatz heard the story as well, I believe...

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## marley9808

Thank you Guirigay!!!! I was beginning to wonder if I actually had told the story or not?!?!?!?! LOL

----------


## marley9808

Day 4 (cont.)

So the bus is finally on the road..we pass through towns like Sheffield and Little London. Chicken points out sights along the way but of course the rowdy turtles are having too much fun laughing and singing to hear him. I just laugh. On down the road we go, now through Savanna-la-mar. We notice there seems to be a bit of a short or something with the radio.one minute it is on, the next minute it is BLARING LOUDthe next minute, no music. It ends up being quite the comical occurrence throughout the trip. Nothing a little BANG on the dash cant fix, right? The cd player begins to play Bob Marley and the music comes out through the speakersit is the first time everyone focuses their attention on one single thing and then the turtle chorus begins in unison Dont worry about a thing, cuz every little thing is gonna be alright then the music stopsbut the turtles do not.we all kept singing.and the sound was so sweet. I still remember that moment so vividly! We were all singing and then the stereo kicked back in and we were right on target with the song..everyone cheered and then we kept singing..who needs a stereo anyways?!?!?!

By this point there had already been an impressive amount of red stripes consumed, so the classic I need a restroom break call comes from the back of the bus and with that we stop at a gas station in the town of White House. Everyone gets off the bus and we head to the bathroom.Tizzy was first of course as it was apparent she was the one in the most need. So as we stood there waiting, the men all plotted for their nearest bush technique and the women sadly waited. After the much needed potty break, there was an ice and beer restock and a smoke break for some and then back on the bus. 

Next we passed through the town of Belmont, Brasis country spot. As we approached Bluefields I told Sweetness (well I tried to tell everyone, but Sweetness was close to me so she heard most of my attempts of bus announcements) how every single time I come through this area the water is always the most spectacular color, it is literally breath taking. And this time was no different. It surely did not disappoint. I had tried to make the announcement for everyone to hear so they could be sure to check out the water, but soon Mother Nature made the announcement for me. Because as you round that road and first see that water, it is so unbelievably memorizing that it immediately captures all attention. Soon you hear the ooooohs and aaaaahs all throughout the bus. Cameras come out and pictures are taken. Oh, that water!



The water at Bluefields

Not too terribly long after that we made that very familiar slight left turn and headed up into the beautiful area that leads to YS Falls. We passed by Howies cook shop (where we ALWAYS stop for lunch) and I pointed it out to the turtles letting them all know we would be back here for lunch after the falls. About this time there was a lot of fuss and chatter about another bathroom break and then a rather weird and unusual discussion on asses, even cows asses and an appreciation of them! Ha, does anyone remember that? But I assured that person that in mere moments we would be at the falls..but I dont think that bumpy road helped too much! But sure enough, just as I said, we entered the parking lot and saw the familiar YS Falls sign. Everyone got off the bus and headed in to get our tickets and/or use the restroom LOL. Once you purchase your ticket you head to the deck area to board the tractor that carries you down to the falls. And the ride is very pleasant as you see the green pastures with the cattle (and their asses) and then into the wooded areas with shade and the river surrounding the road, it is simply beautiful! I believe that only a few of us had been here before so I was beyond excited to see the gangs reaction to seeing the falls for the first time. Though it has been many years, I still remember the very first time I laid eyes on YS Falls and how it actually took my breath away.and funny enough, it still does.



Tractor ride to the falls



headed up the path (that is the tree and deck area where the zipline tour starts)



walking towards the falls, this is the moment when you first get a glimpse



YS Falls  :Smile: 

Gosh this place is beautiful. YS Falls is a series of several different levels of falls and pools of water. It starts way up top there and then spills into the first level, the next level is where the rope swing is and the largest swim area. The next level is usually where the guides will take folks out and lead them over the rocks to pose for photos. I highly recommend this. If you are interested, any guide will take you out there. They will hold your hand, lead you out, and show you exactly where to step. They will also carry your camera for you and then they will tell you certain places to pose and they will use your camera to take photos of you. They are amazing, and so are the photos. You just give them a tip when it is all overand the whole experience is well worth it. The next level down is usually the one you first walk up to, which is also where most people stop and pose for a photo. There are several other pools of water to swim in, all very cool and refreshing. Down at the bottom there is a makeshift pool that is filled with the actually water from the falls, and it has a deck around it and tubes to float in, very nice chill area. They also have just recently built another similar pool just as you enter into the YS area on the tractor, just before the gift shop. There is a large gift shop that also has some snacks and drinks and there are restrooms and changing rooms. 



Rope swing and swim area




Guides leading folks out along the falls

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## marley9808

Another thing YS Falls has is a zip line. Raul and I have been trying to do this zipline since the very first time we visited YS. The first time we were on a tour that had stops also at Appleton and Black River, so we were only allotted a short time at the falls and therefore we ran out of time and could not do the zipline. The next time we were here the zip line was closed. The last time we were here was after the storm and a big tree had fallen and knocked down the zipline and it had not yet been prepared..every single time it was a no go. But this time..this time when we arrived, I asked at the front when we were buying our tickets Is the zip line open today? and I was told yes! This was it, this was finally going to be our chance to do the zipline. So Raul went in the gift shop, paid the money and we both signed the waiver. Next thing you know we were heading off to the tree where the tour starts. We met our guides there and they started putting our harnesses on.what a fashion statement. We gave Rauls good camera to Sandie as she offered to be our professional photographer for the event. We took my small point and shoot and gave it to our guide. We got all suited up, listened to the instructions which were pretty much Dont die and posed for some photos for Sandie..check out how cool we look!



Zipline fashion superstars!


Well theres nothing left now but to head on up and get to zipping, so off we go




There are a total of 5 zip lines. The first one starts just above the highest part you can walk up to along the side of the falls and it goes across the falls. The next one goes parallel the falls on the other side (the side you cannot walk up along). The third zip is BY FAR the best of them all. It starts at the very top of the falls and goes all the way down the falls..this is SO MUCH FUN!!! The 4th line is from the top of the tree (at the bottom of the falls where we first got our harnesses) and goes across the walkway into the trees and the very last zip is a vertical line that brings you back down to the ground and right out near the changing rooms. This was so much fun and totally worth the wait! I am so glad we finally got to do it. My only regret is that the guide took photos of us as we were ziplining with our camera..of course it was the same camera I later lost so I never got any of those photos (so sad) but thanks to Sandie with Rauls camera we at least got a few of us on the big zip line. Thanks Sandie! So I guess that just means we need to go back and do it again! Gladly!



This is me going down zip 3, the biggest and best


After the zipline all of the turtles looked like they were all pretty much ready to go, so we herded them all up, got on the tractor, and headed out to the front. Chicken was there waiting for us and so we got on the bus and headed back down the road. Thank goodness it was just a short ride back to Howies Cook shop because we had all worked up quite a hunger. Howies is a great place to stop for lunch. The food is excellent and the prices are even better. The cook shop is an open air area with a series of pots over wood. There is a menu but much like most places in Jamaica you just ask what they have that day. There are probably about 10 pots and they will tell you what each contains. Todays menu included such items as fried chicken, curry goat, stew beef, oxtail, brown stew chicken, and several different soups (I know conch was one of them but there were several others) They also had rice and peas, callaloo and festival. 



The turtles waiting to order


These next photos are courtesy of Sweetie Pie but they were some of the most amazing photos I have ever seen, truly captured the heart and soul of Howiesexcellent SP!





Everyone placed their orders and we walked to the seating/eating area right next door and DEVOURED our food.oh my goodness was it good.and by the silence you could tell everyone was hungry and enjoying their lunch. There began then a discussion of the conch soup and just how delicious it was.probably the best ever, there were even talks of ordering more to gobut soon after we were all heading back to the bus. After all, it was midday or even early afternoon and we had an appointment with a little bar out in the middle of the ocean. So back on the bus we went! Oh but wait! I had told everyone earlier that we just HAD to stop at Middle Quarters and get some Pepper Shrimp (you cant pass by Middle Quarters without stopping for pepper shrimp.that should be illegal!) So Chicken took us to his friends The Sisters and we got out and eyed the amazing shrimp.



Mmmmm Pepper Shrimp!


Markus quickly made friends as he normally does and bought some fruit



Markus and his new friend

Then the head sister in charge made the greatest move in her marketing ploy. She convinced Daisy to buy a cup of her pepper shrimp soup.I mean its only $1, who could resist? And with that, it was all over..all it takes is one person to try itthen say Oh my gosh, this is the best soup ever She was a marketing genius because it worked..next thing you know just about everyone on the bus had a cup of that soup..and my only regret is that I didnt buy 5 more cups.that is HANDS DOWN the BEST soup I have EVER had in my entire life.oh my gosh my mouth is watering now just thinking about it!



Me enjoying the Worlds Best Soup! Yum!


As I sat there licking my lips and enjoying the worlds greatest soup, I looked back on everyone in the bus. The bus was full of smiles and happiness. I took a moment to just take it all in. Here I was in Jamaica, I had just FINALLY done the zipline at YS, my belly was full and happyI was having the greatest day with some of the greatest people..there was just one thing left to do
Have a drink and toast to us all out in a bar in the middle of the ocean!!!! Pelican Bar or bust!

(Ninja's up next)

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## beccajean_ca

Well 1st off I need to say excellent account of the events! 
2nd..need to say I do have a bit of video from the trip but ummmm there is a lot of smoke in the bus
3rd .I'm glad we made your post wedding day great and you made ours spectacular
4th..I still owe everyone money for beer as they were all empty when I tried to buy some so I was drinking everyone else's...so next trip remind me I need to. Buy at lease 24 I'm sure I drank that in the day
5th...that rum punch kicked ya in the ass...thank god when it was my time we hit a bump and I only got a taste on my lips wow....burning...but Raul was nice enough to let me take home a bit for Gregory as he's into that rum...and even he said "Holly F**k! Is this why your so drunk?" LOL.I said no I wasn't drinking that battery acid!
6th..I remember the talk about the cows asses but not sure how it came about...
7th...I wondered where everyone took off to at the falls but when couldn't find you met up with Brasi in the lower part and so we went swimming where he lost his room key.It was awesome..cold ,refreshing,and not salty...was very nice
8th...Tizzy and  her needing to go pee now I think may have started the cow talk if I remember correctly I think she  seen one peeing...but her standing in the back of the bus with her legs crosses telling everyone that she is going to pee herself was priceless.
9th...I have never heard Brasi being as quiet as he was when he first came on the bus and cracked the first beer with booger....he was one hurting guy....not that I really knew him at that point but after seeming him a few times I stand by my word....he was I'll....but he still showed up and that's the main thing :-) 
10th....this is all in no order all all but it was a fantastic time for everyone and us turtles will have this memory for years to come....we we able to connect with people we may never have been able to before...we were able to laugh at whatever we wanted to and everyone else laughed with us.It was a fantastic trip thanks to Marley and Ninja for pulling it all together and keeping the turtles together.
11th...The reason markus and I were stuck in the ATM was because I had no clue what I was doing and when I went to get help he was the only familiar face I seen so I made him come in and help me take out thousands of JA dollars...what a shock that is..if I had that in Canadian money I would be rich ! LOL
12...I just gotta say I love you guys and I truly hope we can do it all again one day soon:-) 
Thanks everyone :-) 
OK I'm done now. :Wink:

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## booger

Another great spot on update. You had to of filmed this! I agree, the pic that Sweetness took is front cover magazine ready. 

And that soup is better than Ivan's pumpkin soup when you are nice and saucy? That's some great soup! 

Also, you wearing that harness looks kinda dirty.....

 Lol

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## marley9808

> Well 1st off I need to say excellent account of the events! 
> 2nd..need to say I do have a bit of video from the trip but ummmm there is a lot of smoke in the bus
> 3rd .I'm glad we made your post wedding day great and you made ours spectacular
> 4th..I still owe everyone money for beer as they were all empty when I tried to buy some so I was drinking everyone else's...so next trip remind me I need to. Buy at lease 24 I'm sure I drank that in the day
> 5th...that rum punch kicked ya in the ass...thank god when it was my time we hit a bump and I only got a taste on my lips wow....burning...but Raul was nice enough to let me take home a bit for Gregory as he's into that rum...and even he said "Holly F**k! Is this why your so drunk?" LOL.I said no I wasn't drinking that battery acid!
> 6th..I remember the talk about the cows asses but not sure how it came about...
> 7th...I wondered where everyone took off to at the falls but when couldn't find you met up with Brasi in the lower part and so we went swimming where he lost his room key.It was awesome..cold ,refreshing,and not salty...was very nice
> 8th...Tizzy and  her needing to go pee now I think may have started the cow talk if I remember correctly I think she  seen one peeing...but her standing in the back of the bus with her legs crosses telling everyone that she is going to pee herself was priceless.
> 9th...I have never heard Brasi being as quiet as he was when he first came on the bus and cracked the first beer with booger....he was one hurting guy....not that I really knew him at that point but after seeming him a few times I stand by my word....he was I'll....but he still showed up and that's the main thing :-) 
> ...



Becca, this whole post makes me laugh.....thanks for being a part of the day with us too.....it was the perfect day! Loved every single second of it

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## marley9808

> Another great spot on update. You had to of filmed this! I agree, the pic that Sweetness took is front cover magazine ready. 
> 
> And that soup is better than Ivan's pumpkin soup when you are nice and saucy? That's some great soup! 
> 
> Also, you wearing that harness looks kinda dirty.....
> 
>  Lol


Booger your last statement cracked me up.....you are crazy! But yeah.....it felt kinda dirty too. Ha.....you should have seen Raul's.....I was wondering later if we would be able to have kids ever
LMAO

And yes, Ivan's pumpkin soup is the best I have had, but that pepper shrimp soup is still reigning the supreme title of all soups EVER! Yum!

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## beccajean_ca

I could have went on as I didn't even get to the pelican Bar yet but I figured I better stop rambling.....thanks for allowing me to be part of it :-)  I'm very glad I went :-)  :Cool:

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## spottycatz

Lovely lovely lovely. This is so good, the delayed remembering of stuff. It was a great day and everyone on that bus played a part in it and on it. It's great getting different versions of the trip. Almost Woody Allen like!!  :Big Grin:

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## Katho

Yeah! All caught up  :Smile:  _Great_ report so far, keep it coming!!

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## ralonzo29

Day4: Tuesday April 24, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------
*ROAD TRIP*


“What’s is that annoying sound” Oh wait i think its the my alarm. Sure enough it is. Oh wait today is the trip YAY. Still it was a bear to get up. We had limited amounts of sleep the night before so...

Short time to Shower, Shave and get my stuff together. Shauna jumped in first and she had already headed out to get some breakfast when I went to get ready. Normally I would use the out door shower but have decided that Banana Shout and the Staff at Rick’s didn’t need a private show. Man it was early well not really but compared to the amount of sleep we had (a recurring trend) it seemed early.

Once the Catcha crew had jumped on the bus (I was greatly surprised that we were all present and accounted for and on time) we drove down the all too familiar road headed to get GuiriPie [from now own I’m going to amalgamize couples names, well except spotykatz, cuz thats how I roll]. The bus load was just Sweetness, Jizzy, Minja and Booper but we we’re already alive and having fun.  After we picked up GuiriPie we headed down to the beach to get our beach dwellers. After rustling up the remainder of our crew it was time to get this party started. Wait pump your brakes we need to get money and drinks (drinks being the more important of the 2). After grabbing some cash I stayed back for a while to help Markus help Becca get her money it seems the machine wouldn't take her card at first.

NOTE: to everyone make sure when you are traveling international call your bank to let them know. Some banks halt international usage unless you let them know.

Seeing that I couldn't really be any use I skipped back to the bus [ yes I skipped ]. The bus trip was ramping back up and we still needed to get supplies. Shauna being a non beer drinker needed something to keep her nice and bubbly so I set forth to make what I have now called roadside Rum Punch. Limited by the supplies I had in the store I grabbed some overproof rum, orange pineapple juice and a water bottle to mix it all up. Oh yeah and some cherry syrup. The Over proof had a limiter on the top of it so making the punch would have taken all day, so I whipped out my Knife (I’m like freaking Macgyver) and tour through the top. After making the Rum Punch in the water bottle I realized I had a lot of Overproof left over. Problem is when I tore off the limiter I also tore off the threads for the cap. All I had left was an open bottle and no where to place it. In fear that it would spill and 1) eat through the bus floor like Alien blood and B) spill and waste alcohol (cuz even overproof deserves to be drunk) I poured the remainder of the over proof in the only bottle I had left the very very very little amount of juice I had left with a hint of the cherry syrup. So two things occurred at this point. First I decided it was a good idea to drink this concoction in between sips of my Red Stripe. Secondly Guiriguy wanted a swig. He’s holding the bottle in the photo. Everyoen thought it was my road side rum punch but really it was battery acid with color. Seriously this stuff was just colored over proof. The rum punch was in a water bottle that Shauna had a couple drinks out of. That stuff in the juice bottle was OMG strong. Sorry that everyone thought it was rum punch hey but who am I to halt progress.  :Smile: 



By now everyone was feeling good the Red stripe was flowing and the music was rocking. We had a great sing along before the radio decided it was Christine's cousin and had a mind of it’s own. I swear it seems the only thing that ever has issue in a Jamaican car is the radio and I contribute this to the ****e roads causing a short. I always say I’m buying Chicken an iPod and some kind of dock with loud enough speakers. Well besides the constant wedding march or random spike in volume everyone seemed to be having a blast (well maybe Brasi wasn’t I can only imagine a hangover on the bus was probably something to work through) and in an all around good vibe. Chicken tried his hardest to point out point of interest and ask if we wanted to stop but to no avail the fun level was way too high. However everyone calm down just long enough to ooh and aww as we passed Blue Fields and well they should and we mad plans to stop back buy at sunset (yeah that didnt happen). Shauna was in front of me and Sweetness directly behind me so most of my conversation was with them as we drove on. Sweetness and I resumed our conversation on cameras and how she wanted so much to get the Rebel that I had. Despite the older point and click camera she has she takes some of the loveliest pics. Goes to show you it isnt always the camera its the person behind it.

I’ll take this moment to make a quick note. I dont think I’ve ever heard Sweetness’ voice get louder than the calm tones she has normally. Its always so soothing and fills you with a feeling of calm spirituality. A lot like Sweetie Pie their voices could stop a stampede of elephants just by softly saying stop.


By now I had drank probably way too much of my roadside battery acid so I was feeling what my mom would call happy. I think my food intake had been limited so it was hitting me pretty hard. We stopped to use the bathroom and get another bag of ice which in my attempt to break it up I thrust the bag on the floor only to break it open. So If Mohammad can't go to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammad and drag the cooler out to the ice. Some of us took the time to smoke and conversate before hopping back on the bus and heading for YS. When we reached YS I was a tad bit out of it. WAY TO MUCH RSBA.



The last time we went to YS they were working on a new pool off to the side to add to the park. First thing I noticed was that it was done and it looked cool. I think the best part of this trip to YS for me was watching everyone who had never been really enjoying being in awe of the power and majesty of the mighty falls. It truly is a wonder to see in person. Everyone seem to be having a blast swinging on the rope swing and enjoying the water. I lost track of a bunch of people but I’m sure they were off having fun fun fun. I have a bunch of video of our zipline adventure but unless you want to get motion sickness and throw up I will keep them off youtube.

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## Sweetness

laughing my arse off over here Ninj (didn't forget the "a" - since we are friends I got i like that ha) - first the "Sweetness, Jizzy, Minja and Booper ....... After we picked up GuiriPie ..........."  Dude you and Markus need to go on tour with a comedy show - its a gift - thanks for sharing it lol.

Great description of the bus ride - I remember I kept saying "I can see this as a cartoon, the Magic Bus".   Thanks for the sweet words about my voice....maybe I should look into voice overs or hypnotherapy tapes???? but I digress......a day that will live in infamy.......more please!@N&M

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## Clarity

Okay it's been 4 days, I'm going through Marley & Ninja trip report withdrawal! lol!
I've been enjoying this trip report too much for it to stop!
more PLEASE! :Big Grin:

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## marley9808

Ninja?
 :Wink:

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## garysteph1018

Y'all's (I'm sure you get that word Marley, being a Carolina girl & all) tag team trip reports are so funny & good. I hope, if we move to SA, we'll be able to hook up before next year!  :Smile:

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## marley9808

Garysteph! It will surely happen....thats only 3 hours away....or we could meet in Orlando and hit up the Bob Marley cafe....got other boardies in Orlando now too! Group outing!

Can't wait to meet all y'alls! LOL
Yep...this southern girl knows all about y'alls (its the plural of the plural) LMAO

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## Lorax2

Ok, so I've been reading all this stuff about turtles in your trip reports and I thought I'd add my two cents...  I did a little research on the Native Americans and the Turtle legend which is pervasive in many northeastern and midwestern tribal stories...basically earth was placed on the turtles back as a place for humans to live...sounds like an island to me :-)  Each story is a little different, but it goes something like this...

The Great Spirit, in a time not known to us looked about and saw nothing. No colors, no beauty. Time was silent in darkness. There was no sound. Nothing could be seen or felt. The Great Spirit decided to fill this space with light and life.

From his great power he commanded the sparks of creation. He ordered Tlba, the Great Turtle to come from the waters and become the land. The Great Spirit molded the mountains and the valleys on turtle's back. He put white clouds into the blue skies. He was very happy.He said, "Everything is ready now. I will fill this place with the happy movement of life."He thought and thought about what kind of creatures he would make.

Where would they live? What would they do? What would their purpose be? He wanted a perfect plan. He thought so hard that he became very tired and fell asleep.

His sleep was filled with dreams of his creation. He saw strange things in his dream. He saw animals crawling on four legs, some on two. Some creatures flew with wings, some swam with fins. There were plants of all colors, covering the ground everywhere. Insects buzzed around, dogs barked, birds sang, and human beings called to each other. Everything seemed out of place. The Great Spirit thought he was having a bad dream. He thought, nothing could be this imperfect.

When the Great Spirit awakened, he saw a beaver nibbling on a branch. He realized the world of his dream became his creation. Everything he dreamed about came true. When he saw the beaver make his home, and a dam to provide a pond for his family to swim in, he then knew every thing has it's place, and purpose in the time to come.

It has been told among our people from generation to generation. We must not question our dreams. They are our creation.

-----NICE----

I feel like the turtle that missed the boat...supposed to travel with the other turtles but I was busy, or distracted, or something...
Like...Hey! where did everybody go? 



When I came back from Jamaica this year the pond near where I work was filled with turtles...dozens of them :-)   Does this couple look familiar?

When we were IN Jamaica we went to Catcha a few time and one night at Ivans I took this picture...what do these look like ?



What's with all these turtles ?!  :-)

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## marley9808

Lorax- that is AWESOME!!!!!
Thanks for sharing all of that...and yeah hahaha those two turtles kinda DO look familiar LMAO

The way I see it since all of this talk about turtles started is......turtles are not just those of us who went in April. 
I think turtles is a perfect representation of ALL of us negrilaholics. We all, just like turtles, were called back to this beach at some point in our life. We didn't necessarily know why but we made our way there for that instinctual reason or need. Once we got there, we immediately felt at home, it was familiar, it was happy and we knew we would have to continue to make this journey back here every year of our lives. When we are there we slow to a relaxed pace and we interact and bond with any and all other turtles we recognize.

It sounds like the perfect description of all of us to me.
I just love this realization of all of us turtles....such meaning....it is perfect! I love it!

I love ALL of the turtles!

And I know of another turtle who has recently or will very soon realize her own turtle-ness. She told me of a story about how her birthday was on the day of the boardie bash and how for her gift her husband gave her a turtle pendant. And pretty soon she will be wearing that pendant on her very first calling to the island.

Happy turtle trails to all of you!

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## wpyogi

Another beautiful example of that spiritual awakening, that magical Negril feeling that we all know.  :Cool:

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## Lorax2

Cool... :-)

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## ralonzo29

Day4: con’t Tuesday April 24, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

BOTTLENECK ALERT, BOTTLENECK ALERT, BOTTLENECK ALERT. Seems I’ve been holding this train up.


So after the zippy zipline we found our people and went down to the shop area of YS Falls, but soon it would be time to bounce and see the amazing Pelican bar. We as usual herded the turtles on our way to the tractor back to the bus.

I took a moment to look out over the falls and listen to the incredible sound that water makes. That white noise that washes over you can be so calming. No one had taken part in wandering across the falls with a guide and plopping down in the water for a great photo op. Well that just means they’ll come a time for another road trip. Since we lost our camera all the good zipline shots are gone, so you know we’ll be going back.



Making it back to the bus we all piled on and headed for some lunch which is good because that road jamaican moonshine I made was still making me feel a bit off. Every Time we’ve come here we’ve stopped at Howies Cook shop  so why should this be any different. Every time we stop the food hits the right spot. You knew we were being satisfied cuz well not even one person was saying anything. A food hush fell over the group and the low murmurs of satisfied travels was wall you  heard. An occasional yum, or special mouth filled acknowledgement was all around. A wash of comfort filled my body and I pretty much inhaled my food. The clouded groggy moonshine feeling was slowly replaced by a want for more and more food. To say the food was delicious would be an understatement. Soon after we finished we headed to Middle Quater to get some shrimp. I remained on the bus because I was fighting back the food groggies and the booze groggies. Shauna wandered onto the bus and offered me some soup. I hadn’t been part of the soup virus that had seem to attack my fellow turtles. First Daisy succumbed and then like dominos one after one they all had these little white cups of soup. Have you ever seen invasion of body snatchers when they say just go to bed. This was like that but in a totally pleasing way. I had one spoonful of soup and I think I would’ve have sold my mom for more. That small cup wouldn't have satiated the smallest of appetite , in fact i think it would/did make me hungrier but I wasn’t about to rip that cup out of Shauna’s hands I mean people were watching  :Smile: . Well a wash of warm fuzzy came over us all and soon we were ready to take the next leg of our trip.

We sat content blissful and intoxicated with food and company. The bus was a hum with laughter and the music of life being lived. In simplest form it was harmony.

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## marley9808

And for the record....I basically begged him to get a cup of that soup the way I was offering it to him. I asked him no less than 3 times if he wanted me to get him a cup because once I tasted it I KNEW he would like it and therefore want some....but he said no, so I only got one. But of course....I shared the whole cup with him, like the good little wife that I am.  :Smile: 

Ok, I will continue on tonight folks.....stay tuned

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## Sweetness

.....I have dreams about that soup......still haven't attempted the recreation but I am GONNA.  Lips were numb in the most delicious way!!!

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## marley9808

Day 4 (cont.)
The bus continued on down the road towards the Black river, and after a few more songs, laughs and of course, Red Stripes, we arrived. We unloaded the bus and quickly boarded our next mode of transportation, two boats that would take us out to the Pelican Bar. 



The first boat loaded up with Spottycatz, Booger, Sandie, Sweetness, Brasi, Guirigay and Sweetiepie and headed out. The second boat had Jon and Tizzy, me and Ninja, Clarity and Hubbyman, and Beccajean and we headed out right behind them. It was a nice ride out to the bar, probably about 20 minutes or so. I love the ride out to the bar because when you leave from Black River and get out into the ocean the bar appears only as a spec way off in the distanceit is so small you think how could I possibly be going out to that spec? But then as you get closer and closer the excitement builds. I pointed the spec out to everyone who was visiting the Pelican Bar for the first time, and then I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.







We arrive to the bar and watch as the first boat disembarks. 





Next it is our turn. I have been to the Pelican bar before but it doesnt matter, this place is so cool when you first step in you cant help but get excited. It always makes me feel like I am standing in the club house I built with my friends when I was a kidand that we are playing Goonies or something.but then I realize I am actually in the middle of the oceanin Jamaica..AND its a BAR! Man this place is awesome



I looked around and tried to find where Raul and I wrote our names on the boards last time we were here. We wrote our names several places but couldnt manage to find not one of them so I was a little sad about that. Brasi and Guirigay had brought some offerings of their Scottish heritage to hang up in the bar and Spottycatz brought a flag to hang as well. I walked around and sort of just took it all in and enjoyed watching the others experience the bar as well. Many of the turtles headed out to explore more in the water around the bar.
Here is Markus showing Becky his latest finding, a sea urchin



Speaking of sea urchins.(sorry Daisy)
As the gang headed out to explore the ocean, there were several warnings to shuffle your feet to avoid stingrays and what not. So Clarity shuffled away and shuffled her foot RIGHT into a sea urchin! Ouch! It actually punctured through her water shoes and pierced her toe, poor Daisy, its a wonder she still gets in the ocean with all of her animal encounters and mishaps!
If you look closely at this photo you can see that I actually captured the moment RIGHT after the Sea Urchin incident occurred. 



Now in pain she retreated back to the bar, while Ninja, Markus, Guirigay and Sweetiepie continued out to explore the great wide ocean. She removed her water shoe to take a better look at the damage, and with that she gained the attention of several, including our sweet Sandie. What are you doing? What happened? Are you hurt? Sandie said. Daisy then proceeded to explain what happened and before she could even finish, Sandie was demanding her foot. Give me your foot, right nowprop it up here she said. Daisy sat on the floor of the bar and Sandie took her foot and examined the damage. Sure enough there were several visible spines in Daisys big toe. These HAVE to come out, right now! Sandie exclaimed. And with that Booger walked over to his bag and came back with a knifethats right folksa knife! I took one look at it and gasped. I thought back to one of my favorite lines from Crocodile DundeeThats not a knife, THIS is a knife



I saw the look on Daisys face and I instantly felt her pain. Sandie got to work immediately and Daisy let out a rather loud scream. I felt so bad for her and I didnt know what to do or how to help. But it looked and sounded so painful and I hated to see my friend in pain so I did the only thing I could think of, I went to the bar and asked for a shot of rum. The bartended showed me the rum and asked Appleton or overproof?  woah I said Definitely the Appleton! Then I looked back and saw Daisy and then heard her and I turned back to the bartender and quickly proclaimed Make that overproof! So he poured a cup of overproof and I took it to Daisy immediately. I handed it to her and simply said, Drink this as fast as you can And without question, she did just that, god bless her. Poor thing, she nearly choked after that rather large glass of gasoline I just made her drink but I like to think that maybe, at least for a short moment, it took her mind off the pain. I then handed her a Red Stripe as a much needed chaser. I am not going to lie, nothing about this minor surgery taking place in a bar made of sticks in the middle of the ocean in Jamaica, was pretty, that is for sure. But Sandie was a rockstar with that knife and serious surgeon like technique.and Daisy, was a trooper for sure! And soon, Sandie completed the serious procedure and all of the excitement died down a little, well for maybe everyone but Daisy. About that time the explorers had returned from the ocean and they got to hear all about the event they had just missed. What a day! There were some more drinks had by all and we wandered out to the deck to take in more of the fabulous views and snap some group photos.

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## marley9808

It was getting later and the sun was about to set so we knew it was time to get back on the boat and head to the shore, though I doubt any of us were all that ready to leave. We said our goodbyes to the bar and boarded the boats. We waved as the first group boarded and headed off



Next was our turn, boat 2 boarded and after a little bit of rocking and screams (LOL) we were off as well. I looked back on the bar and said goodbye silently, though I know I will be back again. 



As the boats headed back to shore we were mostly side by side for the ride and so of course we took this as a race. Some points our boat was ahead and sometimes theirs was. There was waving and shouting and laughing and perhaps even some moon sightings as we raced back to shore. I am pretty sure I laughed the whole way (but this was something I did most of the week so my body was now used to it). There was so much fun and laughter this day by everyone (well, everyone except our boat captain.he was VERY serious lol).



 Can you imagine having this much fun while surrounded by this kind of beauty?



And as we headed in that afternoon, we all witnessed what I considered one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen! And definitely hands down the best one of this trip!



Soon after we returned to the doc and most everyone headed to the restroom, which as Booger stated in his report, had a small fee.but was worth every penny, lol. When I returned from the bathroom I remember witnessing one of my favorite Sandie moments of the trip.
There was a little shop right where we were that had drinks and snacks and what not. The owners of the shop had a couple of dogs. If you know Sandie, you know she loves all animals, but especially dogs.  So she walks up to them, and as she is approaching the owners yell out to her No, no and then they make this hand gesture like a dog biting. They tell her the dogs bite and not to come near them. And so what does Sandie (aka dog whisperer) do?

This:





You just have to love this womanand I do! Love you, pooper!
And with that, we all get back on the bus and head out to start our journey back to Negril.

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## Sweetness

oh thank you for this great report....what a joy to relive that day.  Seems like yesterday.  OK need a tissue - thank you Marley and Raul - I am so loving this.

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## spottycatz

No words Marley.  These memories will never, ever leave us all! x

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## TizzyATX

You're so good MINJA (aka Narley). I was going to post earlier but I couldn't....this _really_ got me, along with the post from Lorax, btw thank you so much for sharing that with all of us, sooo cool!! 

This really was just one of the BEST days I can remember...wouldn't trade that day, that experience for anything, and as Spottycatz said....none will ever forget!  Treasured memories, and cherished friendships. <3 yall

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## tfw73

So how long did it take y'all to get back to Negril from the Pelican bar?

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## Guirigay

Longer than it should have TFW! we weren't back in town until after 10pm... I remember several beer and bio stops and they were NEVER quick...  :Smile:

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## bjritz

Great job on this report! How fun, you took me right out there on the boat with you today, Thanks! Those are great pictures and I'm impressed at how well Clarity remains in the witness protection program. So sorry about her foot. Ouch.
What a fun bunch.

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## marley9808

I know what all of you mean......it took me a while to sit down and write this trip report because I had no idea how to write about this day. It truly was a magical day.....one of those unspoken, no real way to describe, but all who were a part of it get it, kind of days. So I had no idea how to really represent it in words....as to me, it is really just more of a feeling...a feeling I get when I think back on that day, one I know I will have forever, and a moment in time that I believe has solidified our bond, all of us. There was so much love and happiness and joy in that day, and to me it meant so much. Not only was it just a fun day, but like I said before, the trip had meaning to me from early on because I viewed it as my "re-do" for a trip I had planned so long for to take all of my friends and family on, so I thank all of you as well!
But I don't want to get ahead of myself here.....I will be writing more (tonight, hopefully) to wrap up the day and the ride back home

But for now I will just leave you with this (this will surely make you smile)

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## TizzyATX

Between that video and the group shot at Pelican....yes girl....ear to ear....and a few tears to boot  :Wink:

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## marley9808

Around here, Tiz, we call that Cryling  (crying and smiling at once)

 :Smile:

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## spottycatz

Wonderful stuff Marley, mixed emotions all the time. x

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## TizzyATX

Cryling....of course! I've been doing a lot of that since the bale came into my life. LOL  And I'm not much of a cryler. hahaha

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## Daydreamer

Loving all the turtle references! I know I feel the need to return again and again ...

Enjoy reading all your trip reports, it helps with the Post Negril Syndrome. Keep em coming
Looking forward to returning to that beach in December and maybe meet some other turtles.

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## Clarity

Love it!!! Your pictures and words brought me right back to Negril for a while. Miss you guys so much!

Oh noooo theres that dreadful shot of the switchblade operation again. You know when Booger posted that same picture;  I threatened to throw a sea urchin at him. Youre lucky that youre my sister. Lol!  :Wink: 

Man, you guys are moving through your trip report at record speed compared to us! You are tag teaming superstars! Were still on Day 2 Were not even at the Luciano concert yet I feel like well NEVER make it to the Magic bus trip.. 

Thanks Bjritz, for the sympathy. I healed up wellIts a good thing Sandie was there!

Daydreamer - I LOVE that picture! :Smile:

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## marley9808

Clarity, ha...I know I know.....I didn't want to post that picture but I felt it was necessary to the content of the story.....lol.....how else would everyone feel your pain without seeing the surgery and the KNIFE! lol
You are a good sport....and WAY better than I would have been in that situation...I am a BIG baby when it comes to pain (ask Ninja)
Thanks for not throwing a sea urchin at me, sis!  hehehe
If it helps, I will help you throw one at Booger though....just for fun  :Smile: 

Speeding? It's almost 2 months since the trip and we are on day 4.....I wouldn't necessarily call it speeding LMAO

And yes...Daydreamer- awesome photo....I am really loving all of the turtle references and hidden meanings that just keep popping up! It's awesome!

Ok, I am going to eat dinner and then hopefully finish off Day 4...stay tuned!  :Wink:

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## marley9808

*Day 4 (cont).*

So we have herded all of the turtles back on the bus and we are on our way home to Negril. Now typically when you go on a long and adventurous day trip, the ride back home is usually pretty quiet or uneventful as most people usually fall asleep or are just plain worn out from all of the fun..well not THIS group, No Suh! If anything, they were MORE rowdy and loud and fun and playful on the ride back home. 
The bus pulls out on the road from Black River and we take one last look at that amazing sunset.



Then we crank up the tunes and the party bus moves down the road filled with happy turtles singing and laughing. Due to the roads, it is nearly impossible to play a cd so Chicken switches to the radio and we get a little dancehall going in the bus. It seems the turtles approve as everyone is singing and dancing along. But just about the time everyone got really into the music the radio just cuts off.and then of course there is a big AWWWWWWWWWWW that rings throughout the bus. Thats ok, as Chicken proves, it is nothing a hard BANG to the dash cant fix! BANG! And yep, there we go.music once again! LOL Cheers ring out throughout the bus and the dance party continues. Now if you have ever listened to radio (or any music for that matter) in Jamaica then you know that they are big on the sound effects. Lots of horns and sirens and various other noises all throughout dancehall tracks. Probably one of the most familiar is the Air horn sound, it is played very frequently in dancehall tracks and tonight was no different. This noise made the turtles very happy. It was as if it was some instinctual mating call or something because every time the radio played it the turtles repeated the noise all in unison! *HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKK!*
I just remember laughing..then Chicken laughing.then everyone laughing. You would continue singing or talking or whatever and then there would be the horn again..and then everyone, in unison.*HOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKK!* Then the radio would go out..another BANG from Chicken and then the radio would be back on and soon another *HOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNKK!*  LMAO

Right about that time the gang realized they had finished off all of the Red Stripes and they started to pipe up about it.

Any more beer? 
No 
Are you sure 
Yes 
Did you check all of the coolers?
Yes, and none have beer 
Are you sure? 
Yes 

And this went on and on. So we made a stop at a rum bar. The turtles got off.took beer breaks, potty breaks and smoke breaks, every kind of break you can think of. This continued on several times until we reached Negril. It typically takes about 2.5 hours to reach YS or Black River from Negril, and I remember thinking it took us much longer to get there since it took us so long to actually get on the road that morningbut then I realized that was a breeze because I have no idea how long it took us to get home but I can guarantee it was WELL OVER 2.5 hours. It was definitely a long full day..a long day FULL of fun! We finished off the ride by *attempting* to finish off the rum punch (aka gasoline). Rock star points go to Mrs. Spottycatz who I believe was the only one able to down some of that without choking! You go, girl! Even better than that, I think I recall her actually saying she liked it! Lol

So the bus finally rolls into Negril, I would say by now it was probably 9pm or later. The first stop was Seasplash to drop off Hubbity. At that point Hubbity invites everyone to join them for an evening at the Seasplash bar and just about everyone takes them up on that offer. However, I told everyone that since I had spent all day and night on Monday in my bathing suit, and then again all day today in my bathing suit, I was desperately looking forward to a nice shower and some actual clothes so I told the gang that Ninja and I would head back to Catcha to change and that we would meet back up with them after.  So the bus headed back up the cliffs and we took Guirigay and Sweetiepie as well. They were tired and chose to return to their yard for the evening, so we dropped them off and then the bus headed back up to Catcha and dropped off Sweetness and Ninja and I. By this time it was 10pm and Ivans had just closed. Ninja was hungry and we realized we hadnt eaten dinner so he decided to head down the road to Eddies to get some jerk while I took a much needed and anticipated shower. We figured we would eat and change and then if we felt up to it we would join the party down at Seasplash. That was the plan. But plans change.and sometimes you realize that maybe you make the decisions you make for a reason. We never made it to Seasplash that night, but I have no regrets for why. In fact, I am thankful that we made the decision to go back to shower that night because otherwise we would have been partying with everyone else and I could guarantee I would not have heard my phone ring when a friend called me. 

The phone call was from Guirigay and Sweetiepie, they needed our help (and I will let them explain that story in their trip report: http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...pened%E2%80%A6)
I am so glad we were there to answer their phone call, and after our showers and dinner, we headed over to the Seastar to hang with them and have some drinks and conversation to finish out our night. We never made it to Seasplash, and though I heard the next day that we missed out on quite the party that night, I was not sad at all about our decision to go back and shower.  Everything happens for a reason and I think we were in the right place that night and for that I am thankful.

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## marley9808

What an amazing day this was. I am not sure I can explain what really happened on this day, because it seems like perhaps it is other-worldly, or magical or maybe just unexplainable. What I can say is that it was one of the best days I have ever had, it was beyond fun, it was full of laughs and good times and good food and good friends, and I think this day alone (for so many reasons) solidified the bond that this amazing group of people now has with one another.  I have been asked many times what was my favorite day of the trip and though I have answered All of them most every time, and I truly mean that, I think this day tops the charts. Every time I think back on this day I smile..every single memory makes me laugh or smile. Every single memory makes me miss my friends. Those crazy turtles are my family now and I look forward to traveling back every year to hang out with them all!
Speaking of turtles, there were a couple of them that I got to spend a little more time with this day that I hadnt previously, but after this one day, we were ALL family! Solidified by this Magic Bus trip for life!  :Smile: 

Becky  What can I say about Beccajean? She is the originator of Herding Turtles I still remember when she said that and how we all laughed. I remember saying immediately Oh that is a perfect description, I bet we will wear that saying out today Ha, was I ever right! I remember when Becky first came on the message board. She dove right in and volunteered for everything she could, and I think that is a true testament of who she is. But I also remember how she was so worried to be traveling alone. Ha, that makes me laugh now to think of it. Was she worried about not being invited or included in the party?!?!? LOL.Becky made the party wherever she went. Shy, she is not. She is outgoing and immediately jumps right in to any situation.  She is outspoken and as she says tells it as it is Hahahaha so this woman who I thought was worried about traveling alone and being shy or not included??!?!?!?! Where was she? I never met her! Ha! Instead we met Becky, who is instantly your friend, laughing and cutting jokes with you from the moment she meets you. She might try to tell you that she is abrasive or tells it as it is, but underneath you will soon know that she has a very big heart and loves everyone and just wants everyone to have a good time.including herself! Herding Turtles  :Smile: 


Spottycatz  ok so I am sure I have said this before, and will probably say it again about just about every couple (and I mean it every time I say it), butSpottycatz is the coolest couple EVER! Lol But I am serious! Have you met this couple? If not.you are not living! I could probably dedicate a whole trip report to them, but instead I will just say, go read theirs here: http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...erding+turtles   and I will just give you the cliff notes version. First off.they BOTH did the rope swing.I mean really how kick a$$ is that? Secondly, Mr. Spottycatz wardrobe alone is worth some sort of cool points nomination.those hippie pants were killer. And lets not forget his singing and dancing abilities, I can still picture him singing at Canoe (more on that later in the trip report) and I smile every time I think of that moment. And Mrs. Spottycatz smile and love of a good strong roadside rum punch, already sets her at a notch above most. Speaking of a couple who can start a party anywhere they go, I think the Catz invented that concept. I repeatedly watched them both walk into several situations where they knew little to no people and yet you would never know. I am pretty sure they treat strangers as long lost friends everywhere they go. They always have a drink in hand, a smile on their face, and a party in sight. They have some of the best stories and some of the biggest hearts.  I could go on and on with my love fest for this couple of cool Catz but if you have met them, you know! And if you have not met them.you HAVE to! I consider myself beyond lucky to have met them, hung with them and now consider them family. Damn, my family is cool!

Ok, so that ends day 4 for meup next is Ninja with his day 4 wrap-up (and maybe even a little special surprise) and then stay tuned for Day 5.the One Love Pub Crawl  :Smile:

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## Clarity

Beautiful!! This entry made me smile, It was a truly magical day for sure and you summed it up wonderfully!
That's a perfect description of Becky and Spottycatz btw
I agree 100% - Becky has a heart of gold and Spottycatz are definitely the coolest couple I've ever met as well! 
I miss everyone so much!

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## spottycatz

That was nice. xx

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## ralonzo29

Day4: con’t Tuesday April 24, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

Pulling up to the Black river Boat dock area brings back memories of the first time we came here together. The boats littering the water creates one of those scenes you see in paintings, it's a site to see. We all gathered together, donning our bright orange flotation vests we split into 2 boats. Its crazy as you head out how small and insignificant the pelican bar looks, but its a grander experience on the whole. I remember on our drive out we looked over at the coast. Some buildings just way too close to the water. 2 years ago when we went it seems those buildings were ready to fall into the ocean but alas there they were still teetering on the brink.

[SIZE=2]this is an old photo from 2010[/S]

Markus and I seemed to talk about the avarice of building ever so close to the water. The need for the one last building right on the water. But still the coast line was so peaceful. Slowly we watched Pelican Bar come closer and closer, my mind awash with memories of our first journey. I longed to see what might have been fixed after our last visit. But more than that I wanted to really see how this band of misfits and hooligans took in this wonder that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. I realized I had really grown to care about these people in the short 3 days we have hung out and I want them to understand and see the awe inspiring feeling of being in this place and the genius of some one to say hey lets build a bar out there in the middle of nowhere.

Once we were all up and on the Bar we all spread out and soaked in all there was to soak in. I wanted another panorama so I entered the water and headed out towards the shallow area. Its a sight to see from out there. It was just as weird as it was last time to be that far out and ankle deep in water. I came across an area where I almost lost my shoes in the muck but manage to navigate till I was on the land where all that was in the water was the bottom of my shoes. It takes a while as you try to navigate the landscape and do very little harm. So many little eco systems teaming around us. Do you think when we come slopping through their world they think we are a hurricane, tornado or a tsunami. I happily found some sure footing and enjoyed the view. It was breathtaking. The water crashed around the shallow area like a beach in the middle of the ocean or a tiny little waterlogged island. As I turned back to the Bar I saw Markus making his way out to me.

[SIZE=2]this is an old photo from 2010[/S]

His first words to me where something like we need to make sure no comes out here. They’ll step on all this wildlife. I remember thinking that sucks for us guess we have to stay here in this spot then. Our wives wont like that. We looked around at all the sea life and found an ominous hole that neither of us were willing to further investigate with a finger or a closer eyeball, but we both wondered what could be in there. We talked about how beautiful it all was and floated around on other varying subject before Guirigay joined and soon after him SweetiePie. We came up short on warning her about the mucky area before she almost lost a water sock. After taking a series of pano with and without GuiriPie in them (which incase you havent heard it enough, those were on the lost camera) I moved to go back to the bar and find my wife.

As I made my way back I came across some turtles under the bar enjoying nature. Rather than disturb them I feigned ignorance of their existence and join the post op surgery Bar inside. It seemed while I was enjoying nature, nature was attacking Clarity. I take my hat off to our personal M.A.S.H. nurse and fellow PB lover Sandie on her quick field surgery.

NOTE: Recently in a conversation with Clarity she uttered these words “Guess what I pulled out of my toe today” or something to that effect. It seems a bit of Negril stayed with her more than just spiritually .

I once again set out to look for our Names [Shauna and I] but alas it seems boards tend to move or be replaced and your tiny existence in a bar like this can be erased, unless of course your name is Boombastic. Eventually we all migrated out to the deck that had not been there when we [Shauna and I] went the first time. We laughed at weird signs and took pictures with each other eventually sitting down for a group shot and a memorable one if I might add. 

Before you know it, it was time to head back and with a sad face and heavy heart we board our SS minnows and headed back to the Black river. Right before we left someone or something tipped our boat rather suddenly and startlingly. Enough to illicit a blood curdling short but power burst of high pitched noise from Daisy. The average person would call it a scream, I’d call it more of a warning signal, you know like a red alert. As we headed back the sun began its descent in the sky. I love sunsets and sunrises. You’d think I’d love one more than the other since SR hail the coming of a new while SS speak to us of the finality of one day, but I love them both for the myriad of hues and shadows and shapes they cascade across the big beautiful sky. Between Markus and I our cameras were snapping a mile a minute. Every once and awhile I’d turn to get a shot of my companions especially my beautiful wife but for the most part my attention was focused on the hijinks and hilarity bouncing between the dueling boats [trying to fictitiously out race each others as if in the America's Cup and to out buffoon each other] and the beautiful orange sky. At one point I got a shot of the sun while the moon was out  :Smile: 

Just looking at my photos reminds how beautiful the sky was.

We leapt from the boats ready to jump back in the bus. Almost everyone had a mad dash for the bano and I caught a glimpse of the love Sandie has for animals. I do have to admit I love dogs but sometimes I think people have brass balls when it comes to getting any appendage near an animal they are not familiar with. I usually give animals a wide enough berth, not because I’m afraid of them (of course my wife would make a manatee comment right about now) but more they are afraid of us so I want them to come to me when they feel comfortable. Sandie though she’s right there nose to nose with reckless abandonment and love a whole lot of love. I’m sure if it was physically possible she’d take every rescue dog she came across whether in JA or in the states and live on some large land with them. To her credit she is a wonder with animals (I mean she has to handle Booger JK).

Well to say we all got on the bus and it was quiet ride back would make you think this band of merry men and women only have enough steam for daytime frivolity. You and I would be mistaken. The party continued on the bus ride  back basically in the dark. At some point we ran through all our beer and there was an unending cry to search for more. Dont leave any seat cushion or floor board unturned please make sure you check Chickens pockets too we have to have more beer. UHM NO and No will be the same answer you get when you ask 10 more times in 5 minute intervals. You can always have rum punch plenty of that left. Matter of fact I will have some of that. FInally after the 50th is there any beer I think we knew we’d need to stop can’t have the party running on empty. By now my gas tank was spitting fumes so the stop or stops we made are kinda blurry. I can party hard with the best of them but dont let me sit down and especially dont let me sit down in a moving vehicle. Something about the motion of a car or plane if I’m a passenger that just rocks me to sleep. Lets hope when Marley and I have little Mocha cubs they suffer from the same issue, at least we’ll be able to put them out without my plan B “NyQuil/Brandy”, just kidding folks, just kidding. 

The most solid memory I have is our stops to let people off and how the party Rockstar Booger was ready to keep the train moving. I’ll admit I knew for a fact that my wife and I had to miss that train. As much as I have an internal need to “ party on garth” my body was pretty much feeling the last 3 days of non-sleep, and todays “Mr. toads wild ride”. If there was a second wind in me it wasnt gonna come till after a shower and frankly I didnt see that happening (the second wind that is). Had Boogs decided to party at Catcha I would have been all in but alas it was a beach party and the cliffs did call.

But you know everything happens for a reason  :Wink:  only sometimes we never get to know why.

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## ralonzo29

-And if I can wax philosophical for a moment, I think thats why tragedies seem that more tragic. Its the unanswered questions but particularly the WHY? We as humans are natural questioning beings. If we weren't we’d still be in loin clothes hitting our women over the head with clubs and dragging them into our caves. Though we live day in and day out with unanswered questions, I think when tragedy strikes we need to believe there is a why, that it just wasn't some stupid random thing. Sometimes we get lost in that bad moment and never can get past the question. I pride myself on being able to see the other side of the coin and try my best not latch on to the Questions. I’ve looked back on my life and realize if it wasn’t for the good things that happened and the ****e things that happened I wouldn’t be Me, with all my baggage and benefits. And the beautiful woman that goes to bed with me every night and wakes up with me every morning maybe some other woman and for me that would be a tragedy. I love my life as it is good and bad, and I love that because of all the good and bad in my life I found myself here now with this woman and her ability to share her love for Negril with me. And well that shared love had brought us to this day, a very good day with the strangest of strangers who I would call besties and family any day of the week. I say in life remember the good days, they really aren't few and far between, we just can’t see them sometimes.- 

This commercial break brought to you by Socrates PM. Take two Socrates PM daily and you too can be a philosopher. Socrates PM has been known to cause death by hemlock.

Okay enough of that jibba jab. So we checked back in with our band of hooligans. When we last left Ninjas trip report the party had partied on (that was very 70’s of them, party never quits) but our power couple had left the train... Meanwhile back at the ranch-

Chicken dropped us off last at our HOME and we headed in with ideas of showers and sleep, but wait we need food. Eddies sounded good and against my wifes better judgement I let out on foot. You ask why well cuz thats how I roll. I do what I do and I take care to make sure I get back to my wife no worse for than I left. But I know she worries so I try to comply as best I can. Well not this time. The trek to Eddies was not that bad I got us some chicken and I headed back. Can I say after going to Eddies last year, I have come to Love that place. I could party all night there but that title is held by Booger  :Wink:  When I reached back to Catcha aka HOME, there seem to have been a development while I was gone. Sweetness (jah bless) and my wife were at the gate. At first I thought she was as usual worried about me (she was in part) but it was something else. I think sometimes my wife thinks she’s not good in a crisis or a dilemma, but I think she’s wrong.  Maybe its when it has to do with her she needs her Knight in shining armor or NINJA but when its to help a friend she‘s spot on. Thats only one of the millions no trillion of reasons I love her. Well I let her handle the issue at hand and stood by for my instructions on how I was to be of aid, as I do. She waited for things to unfold ,so we headed back to the room to eat. After a while we got in contact with GuiriPie who were now at Sea Star, (thanks Chris) and we headed over for a night cap. Some red stripes and deep convo was all I could handle, my body was spent. We called it a night and went back to Sagi to dream of herding turtles and racing speed boats. All in all it was the best of days. Even the sour note the night ended on couldn't kill our happy buzz.

Okay so there was some debate betwixt my wife and I when I should add this next photo to the report. We both deliberated on whether it was to be at the end of the trip report or at the end of this day. We both were flip floppers at one time feeling end of trip the other feeling end of this day. So we came to EOD. If you dont know by trade I’m in its simplest of forms a Graphic Designer (so much more than that but its the easy answer when asked) but I pride myself on being an artist so in true Raul AKA Ninja fashion I designed this to wrap up our best day.

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## Sweetness

Outstanding Ninja!!!!!!!!!  I always wanted to be a movie star.  Great report of "the day" and the graphic is PRICELESS and befitting the turtle pack.  I love it so much.  May I share it with my friends????  all rights reserved of course......much love to you both.

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## ralonzo29

Share away

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## marley9808

:Smile:

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## TizzyATX

DOOOOOD....you are amazing. I wanna blow this up and mount it on my wall.  In fact, if you could send me a High-res image I damn sure will do that.

Someone surely shouldve kept a camera rolling and we would have a blockbuster on our hands. Then we would all be rich and could buy property in JA and have us a little Turtle compound. LOLOLOL

....and all this time I really thought you were a Ninja.....graphic designer huh?

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## ralonzo29

Ninja is my off the books job  :Wink:  

OH and Clarity the full res version has both your eyes  :Wink:  I edited it for the post  :Smile:

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## Sweetness

Press junkets on Friday nights and a sequel and prequel in the future
 :Cool:

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## marley9808

YESssssssssssssssss, Sweetness...Yes!

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## booger

*Great work Ninja, we need to have a belt ceremony after that one....,*

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## brasi

hahaha. Man I am trying to catch up here...my computer hasn't been working right so I haven't been on this site much.

Those are some amazing pics, and memories and some seriously intense memories...a strong testament to the character of folks on this bus trip...is that I never felt like I wasn't having a good time...you guys coulda made me feel bad about drinking til 4-5 am! But didn't. Have you ever met 13 people for the 1st or 2nd time knowing full well you are "hungover"...or...um...more honestly...still drunk?  At 8 am?

I was just felt like a slobbering mess......omg DRUNK at 8 am? ....but then we got some food and I sorta came back to life...5 hours in LOL

BTW: I hadn't realized I was that quiet on the bus, but brutally honestly I have forgotten a lot of the parts before YS...like a bus breaking down??? What? Did that happen?????  I had a WHERE'S SHAUNA??? moment!

I did suck it up 9would not like myself much if I hadn't). I'd be reading about all this fun...and wouldn't have an active participant...totally wouldn't have had a cool swim with Becca...or been (luckily) seated between the Spottykatz on Boat1, or had a front row seat when someone from "boat 2" flashed their halfmoons...and someone returned the favor...or tried one of those crayfish/shrimp or drank battery acid.

Crazy-azz mofos, all of you and I too will remember it always...

By the way...nearly every one of YOU were feeling pretty good at the tail end of that bus ride...

...and I was the sober one...JUST SAYIN!

Special tx to whoever "had the pleasure" of sitting next to me in the back...Boog...Sandie...Mike...Daisy and Markus...Jon and Tizzy, early on in the morning...the list goes on...epic...forever...lucky...friends! 

y'all rock!

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## marley9808

Hehehehehehe Brasi

Funny enough I realized that almost none of you knew why we switched busses...which still makes me laugh. We all got off of one bus and onto another and none of you knew why or asked, or even cared?!?!?!!
I LOVE it!

Hey Tizzy.....Where's Shauna? Has anyone seen Shauna?
LMAO

I love you crazy people!

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## bjritz

These trip reports from the April Boardie Bash n Trips are so awesome. You have thrown down the gauntlet of true and masterful partying to be yet surpassed, if that is even possible. Your openess to share your adventures with the rest of us, many just having discovered you band of wild ones, is just wonderful. This is annual right? 'Nutha one soon come? Ya, mon. Thanks for sharing all so fun.

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## TizzyATX

No kidding....don't feel bad Brasi, none of us knew about the bus breaking down. LOLOLOLOL  We just did what we were told, like good little turtles.   I gotta tip my hat to you duders....you soldierd up and rambled on (  :Wink:  Jbritz)  And for that you have my utmost respect and gratitude cause it wouldn't have been the same without ya!

Shauna?....SHUAHNA??!!  Damnit Shauna where'd you go _this_ time!?!  HAHAHAHA

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## marley9808

> These trip reports from the April Boardie Bash n Trips are so awesome. You have thrown down the gauntlet of true and masterful partying to be yet surpassed, if that is even possible. Your openess to share your adventures with the rest of us, many just having discovered you band of wild ones, is just wonderful. This is annual right? 'Nutha one soon come? Ya, mon. Thanks for sharing all so fun.



Absolutely bjritz! They are annual. The Boardie Bash happens the last Friday in April every year. And funny enough....this pack of wild ones, most of us met the first time in person on this trip.....of course we all originally met first here on this site....just like you.
So.......will we see you there next year?  :Wink:

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## spottycatz

You lot are breaking my heart ..... We so thought we would be unable to migrate back to turtle beach until April, 2014 but the more and more us turtles unite the Spottycatz just may need to try a little harder for our speedy return in April, 2013!!   Turtle love to you all ♥

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## marley9808

That's the happiest thing I have read all day!

Turtle love....I love it!  :Smile:

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## bjritz

> Absolutely bjritz! They are annual. The Boardie Bash happens the last Friday in April every year. And funny enough....this pack of wild ones, most of us met the first time in person on this trip.....of course we all originally met first here on this site....just like you.
> So.......will we see you there next year?


I need to go to work on that! Sounds good to me.

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## TizzyATX

Is this Mr. or Mrs. Spottycatz???

I took a picture today to send to Jon but it totally made me think of yall!  But it's on my phone....how do I get it to you???

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## spottycatz

Hey Tizz, it's Mrs Catz! x

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## TizzyATX

I thought SO!!! <3

I will try to get it on the computer and send it to you on fb or something

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## booger

> You lot are breaking my heart ..... We so thought we would be unable to migrate back to turtle beach until April, 2014 but the more and more us turtles unite the Spottycatz just may need to try a little harder for our speedy return in April, 2013!!   Turtle love to you all ♥


I fully expect you to be there. In fact, I will cancel unless you go, so let me know......

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## Clarity

> Right before we left someone or something tipped our boat rather suddenly and startlingly. Enough to illicit a blood curdling short but power burst of high pitched noise from Daisy. The average person would call it a scream, Id call it more of a warning signal, you know like a red alert.


This had me in stitches!! lol - I loved this whole entry, such beautiful pictures too (especially the panoramic shot)
Markus and I will be blowing up that EPIC movie picture to poster sized for the livingroom! That is incredible!! 

Marley - _omg! the one eye!!_ LOL !!!  :Wink: 

Spottycatz, I really reallly hope you'll be there in April 2013! markus and I are going to do everything in our power to make it there too. We all need to make this a yearly migration. 

Booger - You and your empty threats lol - You know you can't resist the pull of Negril.  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## spottycatz

So here's the deal guys. We have to book stuff up really early to make these trips, like NOW, otherwise we can't get flights and stuff. Our last visit was booked 18months before we got there, so you can see the angle on this. Are we to book 'all' our flights now for next April in the hope that 'EPIC THE SEQUEL' occurs, are we to be the FIRST of the Turtle Team to commit, in the hope that the remainder of the bale get their shells into gear at some point! Answers on a postcard would be tooo slow!!

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## marley9808

Spottycatz, several of us have already booked our rooms for next April (so far I know of Booger and Sandie, Ninja and I and also wpyogi and +1)

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## spottycatz

Where are you staying at next year Marley?

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## garysteph1018

Ninja that "movie poster" is awesome! I'm not even in it & I want one!

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## marley9808

> Where are you staying at next year Marley?


Oh, Spottycatz.....come on....what kind of question is that?!?!?!?! Lol

I am staying at my home of course. 
Catcha Falling Star :Smile:

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## spottycatz

Just checking ha ha!

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## marley9808

:Wink: 

OMG.....if you booked Catcha along with us I think I might just O.D. on happiness!!

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## booger

Yep, we are at Catcha too......

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## TizzyATX

I wont know until tax time LOL

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## booger

> I wont know until tax time LOL


 *Sugar Daddy!*

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## beccajean_ca

Great Report guys..thanks for the kind words Marley and clarity and brasi you guys all rock as well and it was my pleasure to spend the day will everyone. Its one of my favorite memories well excluding trying Ninjas ummmm not so tasty concoction. LOL .pure battery acid.

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## ralonzo29

> Ninja that "movie poster" is awesome! I'm not even in it & I want one!


Thanks garysteph1018, appreciate the appreciation

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## booger

The poster is killer! The day was truly EPIC! Thanks for sharing Ninja......

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## marley9808

*Day 5: April 25, 2012*

I awoke this morning with a smile on my face. And why wouldnt I? I was lying in bed listening to the waves crash against the cliff in my favorite place in the world and I was laughing and smiling thinking of the events of the previous day.  It took a moment for me to remember what day it was and once I realized it was Wednesday I then instantly knew what today was..it was the Pub Crawl! I realized I still had 4 more days to go and that made me happy.  Yesterday I spent all day on a bus with crazy fun people and I was looking forward to doing it again today!

I got up and headed out to breakfast. I joined Sweetness at our usual table and grabbed my cup of coffee and rum cream. We chatted and laughed about the Magic Bus trip and how much fun we all had. We talked about our plans for the day and enjoyed chatting some more while we ate, this became a morning ritual for us and I really enjoyed it.

We saw some rustling from Booger, and Tizzy and Jon.but no sign of Pooper.  The three of them headed out to breakfast (I think maybe Just Natural?) and they left Pooper in the room to recover.we never even ended up seeing her that day! LOL Later on that day Booger, Pooper and Jon checked out of Catcha and headed down to the beach for the rest of their stay. Tizzy had one more night at Catcha and then she was to leave to go home. But she was having such a good time she called and got her flight changed and extended her trip until SaturdayYay! So her plan now was to stay around Catcha that day to recover and then join them all the next day down on the beach.

After breakfast, Ninja and I called to get our scooters. We always rent scooters while in Negril because it makes it much easier to get around but we realized we had been having so much fun and on the go here there and everywhere that we were already on day 5 and had not even rented our scooters yet! So we called and our friend came and picked us up and took us down to his place on the beach. We were getting everything in order when we saw Kopper (Pattys hubby) walk by on the road. We called out to him and he crossed over to chat with us. We asked if they were going on the pub crawl later today and he said no, that they were all having a dinner party at their place that night, so we told him we might stop by later depending on how crazy the pub crawl gets. So off he went and us too. We hopped on our scooters and headed over to the gas station to fill er up! By the time we were done with all of that it was probably noon and since we had a pickup time of 2pm we decided to just head back to Catcha.

When we got back the place was pretty quiet so I assumed this meant that Booger and gang had checked out. LOL Ninja and I headed to our room to just chill out and enjoy the view from the hammock for a bit.




After that we headed to Ivans for a pre-pub crawl drink and a light lunch. 


(A Purple Rain at Ivan's Bar)

We chatted with Tizzy for a minute but she said she was going to sit the pub crawl out so she could recover a bit but that she would call us later and maybe meet up then. I noticed it was 2pm but it is Jamaica so I didnt run directly to the front gate. I got Ninja and all of our stuff, spoke to some of the gang at Catcha, gave some dog biscuits to Ben and then headed to the gate.  I was in no hurry because its Jamaica, no one is ever on time and by now it was only 10 after. I greeted our favorite security guard, Louis, and told him we were headed out on the one love bus. He then told me Oh, they were just here looking for you but I didnt know it was for you guys I was like OMG, REALLY?!?!?!?! We missed it !?!?!?!?!  And he said well, no, they said they would head up to Seastar and then swing back by. So I was like Phew ok so we just went ahead and walked up the lane towards Seastar. We saw the bus there at the end and we headed down towards it. As we almost reached we could see Guirigay and Sweetiepie boarding and then the bus started coming towards us. We waved and stuck out our hitchhiking thumb and they stopped to pick us up.

We got on and greeted our fellow travelers. On the bus was Guirigay ad Sweetiepie, Gerryg123 and SuzieQ. Our next stop was Xtabi where we picked up Katho and Wpyogi and +1 (though I didnt know that was who they were at the time). Since that was pretty much all of the west end stops, Lenbert asked if he could drop us off at the first stop while he heads down to pick up all of the gang on the beach. Sureno problem we all say. So he lets us off at the first stop, which was Swordfish. We get off the bus and head up to the top deck, what a great view from here. (I had some pretty great pictures, but of course-by now you should know whats coming-they were on the camera we lost). I ordered another Apple vodka and Ting (thanks again Bre) and sat in the little hammock swing chair off of the bar. Around this time I introduced myself to Katho (who I recognized from her pictures on Negril.com) And then there was the other couple, whom I didnt recognize. I asked if they were boardies and the wife said I am but he isnt She said her name on the board was wpyogi and she was shocked when I said Oh yeah, I know you She said Really? I dont post much And I said Well I read all of the posts lol and I remember seeing that name before So we chatted and got to know each other a bit better.all of the whats your real name, where do you live, what do you do, etc etc. 

Around that time the second bus group showed up. I was pretty excited because I knew that Daisy and Markus, Spottycatz and Booger and gang would be onboard. So as folks started piling in, there were LOTS of people, but I didnt recognize a single one of them. Finally I saw Daisy and Markus but no one else. It seems Booger and crew decided to chill beachside after their check-in and I later found out that Spottycatz did intend on coming but after waiting about 15 minutes for the bus they gave up and just headed back out onto the beach. So this was it, but there surely was NO lack of folks on this traveling party. We welcomed Daisy and Markus and they also met Katho and wpyogi and +1 (that was the name assigned to the elusive hubby of wpyogi LOL) We had enough time for another round and then SuzieQ came over and told us that Lenbert wanted the first bus load to round up and head out to the next stop. So we went downstairs and got on the bus, this time we picked up a couple of others from bus 2 who just thought it was time for everyone to go, no worries, we headed out and our next stop was C&D Country Western Bar. (Let it be known that this is the ONLY country bar I have EVER stepped foot in.sorry folks, but I am not a country fan) But this is actually a fun little place. Connie is a pleasure with her big smile and heart of gold. They also have some pretty good dirty bananas so we headed in and ordered a round. Unfortunately Connie wasnt there today but we enjoyed our drinks all the same. 

Soon after it was time for the next stop so we headed up the cliffs and stopped at Bella Donnas. As we got off the bus each and every single one of us was greeted with a hug.by Bella Donna, how sweet. Here we chatted a bit more with Gerryg123 and SuzieQ. They told us what all they had been up to and how they were enjoying their time. SuzieQ also decided to extend her trip and she was thrilled (Who wouldnt be?). Gerryg then told us he had plans for a big boardie meetup and meal at Bentleys that night and was inviting any and all who wanted to come. I have been dying to try out Bentleys but I already had been discussing plans with Brasi to go possibly Thursday night. However, here it was Wednesday and we had not set anything final and I had forgotten to ask him the day before. So I tried calling him and got no answer. I said, well, we will play it by ear and see how we feel after the crawl. 

So a little bit later we boarded the bus and this time it seems we now have all passengers on one bus. It was CROWDED. I cant even tell you how many folks were on the bus, it seems like 50+. Everyone sitting on someones lap, people standing....we all became friends real fast (but drinking helps that of course). We even picked up two more passengers who decided to join us mid-crawl. These two guys will make an appearance again much later in our evening (more on that to follow). So anyways, we managed to fit all of these people in this bus AND get the doors closed, hoping, of course, that we didnt have too far to go until the next stop.....hahahahaha were we wrong. Lenbert says Next stop, Westender Inn Yeah, not exactly close, but I was excited to be going as I had been wanting to check this place out too ever since Gerryg and Sweetness both had mentioned it and shared photos.

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## marley9808

So we arrive at the Westender Inn and it was every bit as beautiful as it has been described. What a great place. Sure it is far out, but if you are looking for a relaxing place to get away from it all, this place would surely fit the bill. We spent quite a nice bit of time here, looking around the property and even in one of the rooms. 



Ninja walked around taking photos as did Katho.

 

I walked over to the waters edge and out onto a little pier like structure out to the water with Daisy and Sweetiepie. Wow, this place is nice. 



I started chatting with a nice couple about the Westender and I mentioned that I had a friend (Sweetness) who had stayed out here and that the rooms were awesome and the place seemed real nice. They agreed and then we even discussed the Living Social deal. They mentioned how this would be the kind of place they could stay at for sure. Then the wife says to me Youre staying at Catcha, right? And I quickly said Yes, I love Catcha and then I thought to myself. _Did I tell her I was staying at Catcha?_ Oh well, she probably talked to Ninja earlier and he mentioned it, no big thing. But as we continued to talk and she said some other things I thought hmmmmmm.....oh WAIT!!! I know....She *MUST* be a Boardie. So I said, Are you a Boardie? And sure enough her reply was, Yes! Im Iowagirl, but I dont post much! Funny enough I actually remembered that screen name too, I think we had recently discussed something on the board so I did remember the name. So we chatted a bit more and I asked if they would be attending the Boardie Bash but sadly they were leaving the next day so they werent going to make it.

As we were standing there talking, someone came over and mentioned they had some snacks over at the bar for everyone. I said, what kind of snacks and the reply was Lionfish
I turned around so fast and said Daisy, they have Lionfish!!! She turned around equally as fast and said Where?!?!?!?!?! So we nearly sprinted over to the bar. There it was in all its glory. Fried Lionfish. Daisy set eyes on it and she smiled really big. I have a feeling this was the moment she had long been waiting for....the tables have turned, Mr. Lionfish. She got a nice plateful and I told her that even though I dont eat fish, I would take one small piece so that I could be a team player in her quest to eradicate Jamaica of these terrible pests! lol





This was Daisys very first taste of  Lionfish, but it surely would not be her last.

After  a nice visit at the Westender Inn, the large group of pub crawlers once again piled onto the bus and headed back down One Love Drive towards Sir Ds. Everyone headed into Firewater and this is where we took in the sunset. What a great place to catch a sunset on the west end. This is a bar that is literally on the edge of the cliffs. Awesome!


(Markus is pretty excited about it)






We had more drinks and toasted to the beautiful sunset. By this time I would say just about everyone was having a really good time. 



(Gerryg and his new sparkly flashy friend lol)



After the sunset at Sir Ds it was time for the bus to take everyone back home. We were the first stop getting off at Catcha and we took Daisy and Markus, and Sweetiepie and Guirigay with us. Greeting us at the gate was Sweetness and since Katho had wanted to meet her we convinced her to get off the bus with us as well. They met for a brief moment but then Sweetness was off to somewhere else I believe, so the rest of us headed to Ivans bar for what else? A drink!!!

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## garysteph1018

:Smile:

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## booger

Nice update, and yes ma'am you are correct we headed out to Jus Natural to get some killer breakfast and kick it with Teresa. Heard that they just moved recently and I look forward to checking out the new yard.

I needed a recovery day so that's why we ducked out of the pub crawl. The Pedialyte simply would not work after a full day on the Magic bus. Plus is was our first day on the beach and I was working to get into the groove of things. 

Please continue.......

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## ralonzo29

Day5: Wednesday April 25, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry seems I’ve been the brakes that have put the slow down on the rum cake train.

This day started like most of the days so far in Negril, lack of sleep sounds of crashing waves my lover by my side and fresh crisp air. You ever have one of those days where you were pretty sure you knew how it would end but in the end you realize how perfectly wrong you were. Just goes to show you The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry (thank you, Robert Burns ala John Steinbeck).

The previous days *CHICKEN BUS TRIP*, left us soooooooo tired so we slept late. Though no real plans aside from the One love bus, I pretty much knew it be a day of drinking and carousing with the usual suspects. The day started off in its usual fashion. One of use would wake first, and usually lay there a bit. Then Shauna would get up and head for breakfast while I did some yoga to keep my back in working shape. I would eventually meet her and Sweetness at breakfast and then the day would progress. Like I said nothing too different. We caught a glimpse of Booper and Jizzy, well actually just Booger it seemed Sandie was still down for the count from their previous nights affairs.. They would be leaving us today to become beach dwellers, in fact they vanished so fast when they went to move we never got a chance to say catch you on the beach, but thats neither here nor there.

Shauna and I usually find ourselves getting scooters so that we can be mobile while in Negril, but with the late entry on Saturday and the events of the next 3 days we figured we could wait till Wednesday to get them...

After breakfast we called up our Scooter guy and made plans to get set up. It was late in the day to really do anything but get the scooters and chill out before the one love bus came to get us so we planned it just like that. The cool thing about the guy we always use for the scooters is he either comes to get us, sends someone to get us or brings the scooters to us. Never a problem always a pleasant encounter. We sailed through the rental and had time to visit with Copper as he took a stroll street side. We needed to get gas before we headed back to the Catcha. I always like the trip up and down the cliff right after the circle. The twists and turns makes me feel like I can do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. Shauna always rides infront of me and like the wonderful wife she points out the potholes so will miss them. She always has my safety in mind. I always have a little of a problem around Three DIves turn whether I’m going up the hill or down. Going up I always overcompensate and go wide on the turn (I’ve learned to go pretty slow) and coming down I always undercut it. We parked the choppers by the office and headed to the room to chill. It wasnt going to be long before we had to run back out. Our party pack had checked out in a mad dash but I figured we’d find them later (and the next day we did).

Having only been on the love bus once before in more of the off season it was a little bit of a surprise how many people we managed to cram into that bus. We  hit Swordfish and it was my first time there. I really liked the back deck it had a nice view and cool vibe. We got to meet WPYOGI and her +1 and Katho who would be this time forward our token photojournalist along with Sweetie Pie. The back area of swordfish was definitely a nice place to chill and get to know people. We made it over to C&D which I had been to before and I always laugh at how close it is to the road and half the patrons kinda mingle out there. We had our customary Dirty B’s and some more intermingling.

Now let me give you my vibe of Bella Donna’s. It a great place inside and the welcome was astounding. My only real downside was when I went to the bath and felt like I was giving everyone at the bar a nice little bathroom show. The guys bathroom has like this waste long open area. Now I’m not a shy guy but I’m pretty sure no one wants to watch me pee.

Once we all piled back in the bus there was lap sitting and very close quarters. At one moment I tried to sit on Markus’ lap but I think my wife was jealous so I sat on hers instead. Oh well maybe next time Markus. We popped out of Bella Donna’s and head on probably our longest drive up to the Westender. I can’t even put into words how beautiful this place is. I could stay here and just never reach into town. We walked around and got the vibe of the place. I spent along time looking at the bougainvillea adorning the front of the gate and talking to a fellow boardie about the one of the I have in my backyard. I truly love bougainvillea’s they are such a beautiful plant with a very nice long thorn if you dont know. After we enjoyed everything this side of staying at the Westender it was time to go. What? One more stop to watch the sunset. I’ve seen sunsets at sea, on the beach in FL, in the desert of Nevada but the sunsets in Negril they take your breath away. Everyone talks about Rick’s but Sir D’s now thats a spot. Everyone seemed in that sweet spot you hear surfers talk about in that perfect wave. We had good company, good booze and the best sunset ever. Watching the sun go down was the best completion to this bus trip and now for something completely different “Drinking at Catcha”

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## Lorax2

For anyone who hasn't been to Sir D's....This is what Ninja is talking about when he mentions the "sweet spot" for sunsets.....

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## bjritz

Great tale of boardies n bus n booze. Sounds like a good combo. I was kind of wondering how everyone faired after the trip to the Pelican and back, sounds like you all recover fairly quickly. Thanks for the great pics and tales. I like how you're including all the boardies in your report. Nice.

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## booger

> Great tale of boardies n bus n booze. Sounds like a good combo. I was kind of wondering how everyone faired after the trip to the Pelican and back, sounds like you all recover fairly quickly. Thanks for the great pics and tales. I like how you're including all the boardies in your report. Nice.


It's all about Pedialyte! I now swear by it as it works quite well when used as directed. No, it doesn't work in beer, tried it to an epic fail.

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## marley9808

*Day 5 (cont.)*

So where were we? Oh....thats right, we were belly-up at Ivans  for more drinks and more fun. So we started (much like many other times before) with a round of Dirty Bananas for everyone!



Cheers!

We drank, and talked and laughed....speaking of laughing....this is pretty much how I spent most of my week any time Markus was talking to me.......laughing my butt off! He is one crazy German (and I mean that in a nice way LOL) I believe this is the moment where he confessed to me  his love of Whoopie Goldberg!




Can you imagine any place better to have some drinks and good times with friends? Yeah, me neither



Around this time.....and God knows what time that actually WAS, we all decided we were quite hungry (drinking can work up quite a hunger of course) and someone then remembered about the invitation extended to us earlier during the pub crawl to join Gerryg and gang at Bentleys. Everyone immediately thought that was a good idea, but no one had his number. We looked at a clock and wondered if they would even still be there, but we decided what the heck, we will try it anyways....and if no one is there, surely we would not go hungry as there are plenty of other options. 
Oh, but first, before we head off for dinner....I suggested that we have a little dessert first! We took the gang back to our room at Sagi and did a round of pineapple upside down cake shots (though they were more like full on drinks at that size....but no one was complaining). Dont worry, we made sure Markus hand stayed far away from any and all fans. Ninja poured one for everybody (Markus  and Daisy had already sampled this delicious treat a few days before but for everyone else, this was their first taste) So with full cups and happy faces we all clinked plastic cups and downed the heavenly cake drink! Yum!
Ok....NOW we are ready for dinner. We headed up to the gate and had the security call us a taxi that would fit everyone (7 of us) Very soon our ride was there and we loaded into the van. We told our driver that the first stop would be at Xtabi (only  2 minutes, that was all we needed for Katho to get her permission slip signed and then we were on our way). Next stop was Bentleys Crab Shack! Of course, our driver had never heard of it and had no idea where it was. The only people in the van who had been before were Guirigay and Sweetie Pie, so GG told the driver what street it was on and we were booking it down West End Drive.....we were all still feeling good and happy, talking and  laughing. When I looked up we were passing Canoe! I said Wait! Driver, we passed it. Now I have never been there before but I do know where Pee Wee lane is and I knew we had passed it. So he heads on down almost  to the center of town, he turns around at Corner Bar and heads back up, this time we try A WHOLE LOT harder to pay attention so we dont let him miss the street again. Yay! There it is, and so we turn and head up the lane.....hard to miss the place from the road with all the lights. We stay in the van while GG heads up to see if the gang is still there and if they can accommodate 7 more diners. So of course the answer was yes, and we all get out of the van and head on up to the Crab Shack!
As we reach upstairs we see Gerryg123, SuzieQ, Wpyogi and +1 who were just finishing up their meals. Bentley greets us all and immediately puts SuzieQ to work as our waitress, she pours us all a glass of some delicious fruit punch. It was what everyone had, mainly because it was the only option, but it was indeed delicious. It was nonalcoholic for everyone but Markus it seems  :Wink: 



We all sat and visited while Bentley worked away on our gourmet crab cake dinners. We talked and laughed and told stories. 









Soon our food was ready and SuzieQ and Bentley served all the plates around. Guirigay and Markus must have been his favorites because they got a lot of extra helpings and more and more and more of that special sauce! OMG, there was so much food on my plate there was no way I would ever finish it. I didnt even know what it all was but every single thing I tasted was delicious. I remember Markus exclaiming, Its so good I am even eating my carrots He was right! It was sooooooo good. 



I ate and ate and ate until I couldnt eat anymore and the plate must have been magical because it looked like I hadnt even touched it! I looked around and most everyone elses plates looked like mine.....all except Markus, who ate ALMOST all of it save for a few carrots, lol and Katho who actually FINISHED IT ALL!! (its always the small ones that can throw down on a plate of food)  :Smile:  

Sometime before we all finished Gerryg, SuzieQ and Wpyogi / +1 left us to finish our meals as they were all probably stuffed from their own and in much need of a nap (or at this point, a good nights sleep). We all finished what we could, then ordered our to-go boxes. We had some more chatting time with Bentley and heard some of his infamous stories and lots of his crazy laughing. This guy is not only a good cook, he is one hell of a show! You just have to experience it. I had heard many stories and seen many pictures of Bently and his crab shack, but much like Jamaica....Once you go, you know!



After we finished and settled the bill, I would say most of the group was tired and ready to call it a night. But Guirigay suggested that since we were so close we should walk over to Pee Wees and get  one of those infamous Pina Coladas to end our night. We had all assumed we would be stopping there on the one love pub crawl so he had it in his mind all day and needed to satisfy that craving. 
At that point I could tell that most everyone was not really on board with that idea (and I have to admit I myself was the kind of tired where it feels like you just cant seem to hold your eyes open) but I shouted Lets do it and with that, everyone sort of reluctantly started walking down the lane towards Pee Wees.

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## marley9808

We walked over and into Pee Wees Bar. However, there was no one there. It was late, the lights were off, it was clearly closed. So we walked out towards the cliff edge and stared out to the sea as the moonlight hit the water. We chatted and laughed a little more as we recalled the whole day, and the whole trip up to that point. 
Around that time, a light flicked on. And we heard some movement in the building behind the bar. Then a guy appears and says Hey everyone. It was the guy we had seen join us earlier on the Pub Crawl.(Remember when I said they would make an appearance later in our story)  He had mentioned to us that he worked at Pee Wees and we should all stop by.....so here we were (In all fairness he never mentioned a time....which was fine because none of us even had any clue what time it was by now). He said Oh I remember you guys, hang on a sec let me grab my shirt and come open the bar And so he did. He flicked on the lights to the bar and opened the cooler and asked what everyone wanted. The bar was now open...just for us! He pulled down a tiny little music system and hooked up his ipod and started playing music. He introduced himself  (Perrell?) and also his friend Eric. Perrell (sorry if that is not how you spell it) told us he was Pee Wees son. He mentioned that he and his brother own the bar now and take turns running it. We had such a nice chat with him and getting to know him, he is a VERY personable host. 







He played some game where he tried to remember all of our names. It was very entertaining but I could see the crowd was now really starting to fade, eyes getting heavy, heads getting closer to the bar. And with that Perrell said Would you guys like to hear some live music And me being a huge fan of live music yelled out YES! without even looking around for approval (sorry gang) It seems Perrell  is also a musician and he wanted to play something for us. So he ran to get his guitar and he then asked us to move in under the building in the open air seating area for better acoustics. He came back with his guitar and he proceeded to play about 3 or 4 songs for us. Around this time the music and lights of the bar attracted a bit of a crowd and they gathered at the bar and also offered us some entertainment (perhaps not so much on purpose, but it was all fun nonetheless). Perrell had an amazing voice and great guitar talent. He sang a love song and Guirigay hopped up to dance with his Sweetie Pie and then Markus and Daisy followed. I just sat and watched and smiled. At this moment I felt as if I was living in a movie. It all seemed so surreal. A very special and magical moment, for sure. He then began to sing and he incorporated some of each of us and our stories into the song.  This night was just so magical and special I will never forget it. I was sitting on the edge of the cliffs in the middle of the night, under the moon, with my newest family members, listening to the waves crash and an impromptu and private live music show put on at a bar that moments ago was closed..........
Only in Jamaica.....only in Jamaica!







After being fed a delicious meal, and then serenaded on the cliffs under the moon, we all headed back to our homes, our Jamaican homes....the ride back home was quiet. Everyone was  beyond tired we mostly sat in silence.....with smiles on our faces.

(Up next, Day 6, the Canoe webcast and Jons birthday)

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## marley9808

On this, Day 5 I got to meet several other boardies I had yet to meet.

*Gerryg123*- Though I never got to really spend much time with him, the few moments and chats we did share were very nice. He seems like a guy who loves life and loves Jamaica! The greatest takeaway I had was his ever ready eye for news and his reports. He sure enough had his paper and pen ready to jot down notes for his reports. I heard him say “Can I put that in my report” and I just smiled. Months and days were spent reading his reports and now here I was living in one! 

*SuzieQ*- She is just about the sweetest person, with a huge smile and a tremendous love of life...not hard to see why she and Gerry hit it off. I did not get nearly enough time to chat or get to know her either as I would have liked but what I can say is she seemed to light up a room any time she entered and I never saw her without a smile. I liked her, even though she told me repeatedly that I looked like Mariah Carrey LOL
Iowagirl and hubby- Shout out to you guys, a brief but very pleasant meeting and chat at Westender and on the bus. Hope you guys had a great trip and a safe flight home....next year?

*Katho-* Our photojournalist! What I love most about Katho (besides her awesome photography skills of course) is the fact that when you first meet her you see her with her camera and you think, she is quiet and will just be around taking photos. Not true at all. She is so much fun, and funny, and quirky, and sarcastic...just like all of us. She fit in immediately. So much fun!   She can take amazing pictures without anyone even realizing she is there.....she can drink and party and dance all night with the best of them.....and she can finish an entire plate of Bentleys food....I am not sure there is much more I can say to prove her awesomeness!

*Wpyogi (And +1)*- I am including the hubby in on this one for anonymity purposes HAHAHAHAHAHA So wpyogi and +1, they also rock! I first heard of them before I met them. When we were with Chicken  the day before he mentioned that he had picked up a couple that knew all about our trip. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out who it would be, but he told me they were staying at Xtabi. The very next day we met them during the pub crawl and they introduced themselves, I made the connection then and asked if they had ridden with Chicken. I loved this couple too almost instantly when Wpyogi explained that her hubby was not online (sounded familiar to another couple I know and love) and that he probably thought she was crazy for dragging him to all of these “boardie events” with folks neither of them knew. But that didn’t last long. Regardless of what they thought, they were both very outgoing and instantly were part of the family.  They were both so funny and provided instant laughs and also pretty good self-bartending and chinese lantern launching skills (more on that later)

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## booger

Man, we missed a great night. If I remember correct, disclaimer, Pooper was pooped and we called it an early one. Next time I'm tucking her in and setting out with the crowd. Yep that's the night, as well as the first time I had EVER turned on a TV in Jamaica. I was holding out and trying to stay disconnected, but with the wifey sawing logs, Jizzy jizzing, and all my other friends away, what was one to do?

Please continue........

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## marley9808

Yeah booger, we REALLY missed you guys this night.... It was the day you guys moved down to the beach, after you left Catcha that day, we never saw you again....but I am real sad you guys missed out on it...and Jizzy too, it was definitely a fun night
You would get a kick out of Bentley too....we will have to take you back in December.....Raul (and Markus if they come) have a date with a special conch dinner prepared by Bentley lol

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## ralonzo29

Day5: Wednesday April 25, 2012 cont.
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

Drinks a flowing, conversation a having; we simply couldn’t make this night end any better. But wait theres a hunger in the air. We’ve got to eat, should it be here at Ivan’s? Or maybe back over to Eddies our second home away from our Jamaica home. Someone mentioned Bentleys and I know we had talked to Brasi before we left the States about having a dinner there one night but I remember something earlier happening with GerryG and the rest of the decisions makers (i.e my better half). At this point in the night I was just riding the wave that started at sunset. I was never sure how this day was gonna end and you see from my wifes report above I couldnt have guessed it. We all came to a consensus that we’d try bentley’s and if it was no joy then we’d just let the night take us where it may.

We found our self doing drinks in our room before we knew it and the hunger just kept coming up. We headed out to the gate to catch a ride down to Bentleys or wherever. As you know we made it to Bentleys and they fun just kept going. I started not to feel well for some reason. I don't know what was making my stomach upset but I knew I need to do something about it. My thought was I didn't want to eat this great food and then pretty much expel it an hour or even a minute later. I excused myself to handle the situation. On my way back up I heard Bentley scream where’s this guy and I laughed to myself. He is definitely a character. And by character I mean CHARACTER. Between the laugh the screaming and the look he was ON as they say. I would say he’s nuts but in that good way. We sat and talked and goofed around and Markus had his own intoxicating drink (little did he know it was just fruit juice).  The food hit and we all shut up for a bit as we devoured our food. I’m not a crab cake kinda guy so I had a smorgasbord of other stuff in my plate. I really couldn't finish what was in my plate.

We just really had one of those magic nights where we had conversations about soooo many different things and just got to know each other so much more. I felt like the night should never end. After some more crazy talk by Bentley and stories about helping people get preggers with his magic conch soup we bid the chef farewell. On the way out we decided to go to PeeWee’s for a nightcap. Most of us if not all of us wanted more of a night nap than a nightcap but we pushed on. This is where the night turns into a Woddy Allen movie. PeeWee’s was clearly closed but within 15 minutes it was more alive than the Jungle or Alfreds. Perel and Eric were so entertaining, like watching Dean and Jerry or Clooney and Pitt. Eric would say something and Perel would sarcastically chime in. It was a classic back and forth with us speaking up here and there. All of a sudden Perel whips out his guitar and graces us with a bit of music. As he serenaded us the music encouraged some of us to dance and one  local “friend” of Perel’s to add her own sound effects. She was quite humorous to say the least. As the night came to an end we had grown closer and had an experience none of us would forget. I dubbed this night “One Night In Negril”. And of course as I do I needed to make some art ode to the Night oh and a video of our concert. Thanks for the night everyone.

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## bjritz

Wonderful art there Ninja! I imagine Marcus & Clarity will want that framed and hanging on their wall at home. Just great bringing that night in for a landing! Very cool.

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## pretty40

sounds like a wonderful night....

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## negrilaholic

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, it really means the world to me.  :Smile:

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## Clarity

First of all, those posters are amazing!! Can you send me a larger file copy of those? I would love to hang them in our livingroom. That's so beautiful!
Ninja & Marley - Your images and your words take me right back to our time together Negril. All those great amazing memories we shared. You remember things that I've forgotten and I can't stop smiling.
Thanks for brightening my night and letting me re-live the best vacation in my life! I'll go to sleep happy now and have sweet dreams!
P.S. You're so right, Markus was the one person that polished off his plate... sans the carrots. He doesn't like carrots. lol!
Man, that food was so good... I ate the remainder of my portion the following day for breakfast. It was pure heaven!
Love and miss you guys!
-Daisy  :Smile:

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## marley9808

Bjritz, pretty40 and negrilaholic....it was indeed a magical and beautiful night. I am so thrilled to share it with everyone because it shows you how no matter how many times you have been to Negril (or Jamaica) or even your same favorite bars, there is ALWAYS a new experience, a new magical moment to have! And it also goes to show that sometimes saying yes to an idea (even when you think you are too tired) can end up being the best decision you make!

Daisy! I knew you would love that poster too (that was actually the first one he made, that was the one that inspired the others) I said OMG! Wait until Markus and Daisy see this, they are going to LOVE it! So then he began to make more, his vacation posters tell the whole story of our trip and it's awesome....much like your videos do. Between the posters, the videos and the TR....we should successfully be able to remember this magical trip forever, and I am thrilled to death about that. I was so happy when he showed me the video clip of Perrell singing to us, I didn't know he recorded that and I was so happy he did so that we could hear his magical voice again. I know what you mean.....it took me instantly right back to that night and it makes me smile every time I hear it!
Love and miss you guys too!!!

Daisy, Raul will email you the file today  :Smile:

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## TizzyATX

SO wishing we were with yall that night...the pics/posters are very telling of what a great time yall had together.  :Smile:

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## MissNegril

Wow what a great time you guys had at Bentley's and then Pee Wees. My kind of crew!

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## Katho

That truly was an amazing day/night! I can't thank you enough Marley for pulling me off the bus to meet Sweetness  :Wink:  It sucked that she was on her way out but the company and events to follow made up for it! Thanks for taking me along! Also, thank you for the kind words...I do like to hide behind the camera and have trouble approaching people at first...didn't take long to feel comfortable with you guys or the majority of people I encountered on this trip! You're all awesome  :Smile: 

Ninja - LOVE the video and posters, very cool!!

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## marley9808

So sorry for the delay in the trip report......this time it's my fault. I hope to have the next installment up tonight!

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## marley9808

*Day 6: April 26, 2012*

I awoke this morning with only one thing on my mind....yep, thats right.....French Toast from Xtabi! lol
As you may have heard me mention only a few hundred times, the French Toast at Xtabi is the best dang French Toast in the whole world (IMO) and I usually eat it as much as possible while in Negril. Now that we had our scooters I knew that this moring I would finally be having my favorite breakfast in the whole world and I couldnt for the life of me believe it was already Day 6 and I had yet to have it. So with that I woke Ninja up and simply said Xtabi! I think I skipped out of the room and nearly jogged towards the front to get on the scooter. I didnt even stop at the normal breakfast table to greet Sweetness or have my first cup of heavenly coffee. I later found out that Sweetness had been at the table and had even seen me sprint by and she had yelled out a greeting, one that I didnt hear of course, because I was a woman on a mission. A French Toast mission. Sorry Sweetness, this morning I had a breakfast date with a different kind of sweetness  :Smile: 



Now I have tried all sorts of French Toast in Negril (and even all over the world). I have had cheesecake stuffed french toast, I have had fancy california french toast with unique ingredients lol, I have had banana french toast and warm pineapple french toast (Catcha), all kinds of heavenly dishes, but nothing has ever come close to comparing to what appears to just be plain old French toast at Xtabi (I swear they put crack in it or something!) Yum!

After we greeted Omar, enjoyed our breakfast view, coffee and heavenly french toast at Xtabi we decided it was time to head into town and get our shopping out of the way. We headed to Times Square and purchased our obligatory coffee, rum cakes and cigars. The good thing about coming to Jamaica so often is that you dont really have much by way of souvenirs to purchase anymore, so we were pretty much in and out of Times Square. Made a quick stop at the ATM there and then back out to our scooters. 

Now that we were down on the beach road, I figured we should try to find some of our beach friends. At this point I knew of Daisy and Markus (and now Guirigay and SweetiePie had joined them at their current residency on the beach) Spottycatz, and also The Booger, Pooper, Jizzy combo. So we decided to pay the Booper/Jizzys a visit since they had just moved in the previous day and we hadnt seen them since they left Catcha. So we headed on over to Country Country. The guard was nice enough to let us in so they could ring their room and announce us as guests. Of course it was the middle of the day so no, they were not in their room and I explained to her that I was sure they were down on the beach so she let us go check and sure enough there they were. So we chilled for a bit on the beach chatting and catching up on the previous nights events. 
You know how they always say if you sit on the beach long enough, eventually everything you need comes to you. Well I would say that is pretty true.....and if you are lucky, sometimes it even comes to you while swimming in the ocean.

First it was patties! Yum



Then, later, it was even friends! Look who shows up



Eventually a group of just Booger, Pooper, Jon, Tizzy, Marley and Ninja, grew to also include Daisy, Markus, Guirigay, Sweetie Pie, Spottycatz and Indy Bob and Cindy and all we had to do was sit there and wait for them to come to us

After that it was Red Stripes





And then someones prayers were answered and the beer waitress even made special deliveries into the ocean....now THATS service!



We were all having such a good time that I didnt even notice the REALLY dark clouds rolling in. I was laughing and drinking and then the thought came to me.....We are on scooters! So I turned to Ninja and said ummmmm looking at the sky we better get on our scooters and get back up to Catcha before that is no longer an option He agreed and so we quickly said our goodbyes and made plans to meet back up in a few hours at Canoe for the Thursday night webcast.

We gulped down our drinks, hurried out to the front, got on our scooters and headed back up the cliffs to Catcha. It started raining soon after we arrived so we went and chilled on our porch for a bit until it was time to get ready and head out to Canoe.

It was still raining a little when we  decided to head to Canoe so we called a cab to take us down. On our way out of Catcha we saw Sweetness walking on the side of the road so we told our driver to stop and pick her up and even though it looked as if she were heading  back to Catcha, we convinced her to join us at the party at Canoe, which she did with very little arm pulling.

When we arrived the party was well underway and all the usual suspects were there. Soon the birthday boy (Jon) and posse arrived by water taxi, moments later Spottycatz and IndyBob and Cindy arrived, then Daisy and Markus, and so on. Greeney and his steel drum band were playing sweet sounds and everyone was enjoying themselves. I decided I needed to order a drink to match my shirt (as a nod to Patty S.) so I ordered the Blue Canoe



And it was gooooooooood!

Next thing you know the waitress brings out a Special cake for Jon and the steel drums play Happy Birthday while everyone sings. I remember watching him blow out the candle and the smile on his face was priceless. I later remember saying to him This is pretty much the worst birthday youve ever had, right? hahahahahaha





After we all sang happy birthday, Mr Spottycatz joined Rasta Stan and the steel drum band and sang Bob Marleys Three Little Birds



That is still one of my favorite  Mr Spottycatz moments. I can look at that photo and instantly be transported back to that night in that spot watching him sing and dance while everyone else joined in. This was a fun night for sure!

After that I joined Rob for a few moments to read what all was going on in the chat and Markus and I gave everyone at home a quick view of our signature poses (The Cinderella and Blue Steal)

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## marley9808

Markus and Daisy ordered some Lionfish and I forget what Ninja and I ordered. The Booper/Jizzy crew headed out and decided to head up to Catcha, so we told them we would be following them shortly and with that we convinced IndyBob and Cindy, Katho, wpyogi and +1 and Daisy and Markus to join us. We called the van to pick us up (the same one that took us all down to Bentleys) and once again we told him we would need to make one quick stop at Xtabi lol. Once Katho got her permission slip signed and whatever wpyogi had to do, we were all back on our way to Ivans.
Once we arrived at Ivans, Booper/Jizzy crew had already got the party started which they are quite good at and so we decided we needed what every good party needs..... Flaming Bob Marleys! So Kevin did the honors and made a big old round of those nasty flaming things. I remember once they were all lined up on the bar and flaming he hands us a straw and says Suck it fast before the straw melts and I just looked around at everyone and no one was doing anything. I said Are you really supposed to put the straw in there and drink it while it is still flaming He said yes and no one was disputing it....of course no one else was doing it either so I figured, What the hell and I did exactly what he said.....shouts and screams and camera flashes were everywhere and then shortly after the burn traveled all the way down my throat and I swear I could feel it actually enter my stomach. Yep, thats the kind of shot that gets the party going. 





With that, Raul and I went back to our room to get our supplies for Pineapple Upside Down Cake shots, and we made a shot for everyone at the bar including the staff. Yum! Those things are good! Well they were really more like drinks than shots, but you get the idea







After all of the shots we decided we wanted to do a test run on our chinese lanterns so I grabbed the ones I brought (about 10) and we all headed to the cliff edge to see if we could get them lit and launched. Before we did that, a couple of us wrote our wishes on our lanterns with a marker. Once we were at the cliffs we struggled a little with determining how to light them and exactly how long they needed to be lit before attempting to launch them.....the first one was a crash and burn but eventually we all got the hang of it and managed to get them launched. It was really cool and we all enjoyed that. 







Once all of our lanterns were launched several of the turtles thought it would be fun to do a night dive into the water....Barbara the manager at Catcha didnt agree and she urged them all to get out of the water! Silly turtles

Ok so we have shut down Ivans, done several series of shots, launched chinese lanterns, gone for a night swim, what next? How about Eddies? Well of course, because that is where you go at the end of the night, isnt it? For us it sure seems to be the trend, so we took a shift of several taxis and headed on over to our favorite neighborhood hangout. Eddie and Trevor were there to greet us as always. Dancing Ronnie was also there. This night was fun as all the other nights were and there is really not much more to say about that. Fun, drinking, laughing, story telling.......





Who knows what time it even was, it was late but several of the crew werent phased and they continued on to MiYard...Ninja and I however headed back to Catcha and called it a night.
Another amazing, fun, crazy day in the books and still two more to go.....tomorrow....the Boardie Bash!


Tonight we got the chance to spend some more time with a couple of other boardies:

*IndyBob* - What a guy..... I am pretty sure his face has a permanent smile painted on it because I never saw him not smiling....and why wouldnt he? I am pretty sure anyone would smile constantly if married to Cindy. But really, Bob, you are such a wonderful, friendly, fun-filled guy and it was really fun partying with you and your amazing wife, you guys crack me up and I look forward to spending more time with you both in the future!

*Lurker Cindy* - Oh what can I say about Tizzys long lost mom. I still remember when I first met her she came over to us at the table at Seastar and said Hi, Im Cindy....Im a LURKER (using air quotes) and it just stuck, from then on she was Lurker Cindy. And I really do think she and Tizzy may have been separated at birth. And just like I never saw Bob not smiling....I never saw Cindy NOT dancing! She dances to her own beat (even when there isnt one....she doesnt need a beat, there is always a song in her head and always a reason to dance!) You just got to love her zest for life, her free spirit and her accents that she speaks....even though her Jamaican accent and her Puerto Rican accent sound exactly the same.....Just love you lady! I feel like if you were around these two, that every minute of every day would be a non stop party!

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## Eden

Marley,
Is that french toast really only one order?!  Omg, it looks sooo good,and French toast is my fave breakfast, were you able to finish all that goodness on that plate?!
The lanterns are such a nice idea!  Love how you matched the drink to your shirt! Ha!

[QUOTE=marley9808;58248][U][B] Attachment 15959

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## booger

Are you sure you drink? Were you drinking virgins the entire time? The details you remember are amazing........ That day is a tie with the Magic bus day as my favorite of the trip. We had an amazing day with Jizzy and it was fun filled with many friends throughout. SpottyCatz stepping up and singing his heart out with Rasta Stan was really cool and just made the day that much more killer...
  And those Marley shots will just be a memory, as the one I did that night nearly killed me and I am done with those. It came out just as fast as it went in, pure gasoline. And that pic with you and Rob reminds me how lucky Ninja really is, great pic. And how can you not close out a great day with Eddie and Friends?

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## marley9808

[QUOTE=Eden;58256]Marley,
Is that french toast really only one order?!  Omg, it looks sooo good,and French toast is my fave breakfast, were you able to finish all that goodness on that plate?!
The lanterns are such a nice idea!  Love how you matched the drink to your shirt! Ha!




> [U][B] Attachment 15959


Yes that is one order!!! French Toast is my favorite too, have always loved it and since the first time I had it at Xtabi (2007) I have NEVER had another that has come close to it. I just don't know what it is that makes it so good, but it is the best! You will have to give it a try and let me know if you agree.....and oh yes I finished that whole plate.....thats almost the only time I can finish a meal in Jamaica but I NEVER let that go to waste. I was sad that I only had it ONCE on this past trip....that is unusual for me, I will have to make up for it in December lol

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## marley9808

> Are you sure you drink? Were you drinking virgins the entire time? The details you remember are amazing........ That day is a tie with the Magic bus day as my favorite of the trip. We had an amazing day with Jizzy and it was fun filled with many friends throughout. SpottyCatz stepping up and singing his heart out with Rasta Stan was really cool and just made the day that much more killer...
>   And those Marley shots will just be a memory, as the one I did that night nearly killed me and I am done with those. It came out just as fast as it went in, pure gasoline. And that pic with you and Rob reminds me how lucky Ninja really is, great pic. And how can you not close out a great day with Eddie and Friends?


Of course I drink....you saw me drinking (though you probably don't remember it) But funny enough as much as I drink I rarely get drunk in Jamaica....I am not sure why, but I am definitely not complaining. And you know those Blue Canoes weren't virgins.....YOU were the one who told me not to order it because it was TOO STRONG! hahahahaha But I thought they were rather tasty! lol
I know....I loved the day too, but I loved them all honestly. I do think that will have to go down in the books as one of his best birthdays for sure. We always had a blast with this group of folks and I remember all of it because I never wanted to forget a single moment, I wanted this trip to last forever, even if only in my memories!
Thanks for the compliment.....you better be flattering me because you know how upset I am with you right now, Booger. I already told you I wasn't talking to you and here I am replying....
(LOL only kidding of course)

And yeah, I think Eddie's will always be the signature close to every good night!

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## TizzyATX

The party SHOT. Not even gonna try and pinpoint my fav, but this was one of the best days/nights I can rememeber....as in _EVER._  I'm so glad someone (YOU) remembers everything accurately cause I sure as hell dont. LOL  

Jon sure seemed to enjoy himself on his bday lol....but how could you not with a friend like Booger. LOL

You guys came through on the cake shots! That was the shiz

Anyways, great recap of a great day!!!  Great pics.  I look terrible but soooo happy w Eddie! LOL

Hey Mom! (I know you're lurking and dancing about) HAHAHAHAHAHA

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## marley9808

P.S. A lot of those pics are courtesy of Katho because most of my pics from this day (inlcuding a KILLER shot of the flaming Bob Marleys) was on the camera we lost.
Let this be a lesson to all, to try and download / upload / save / copy over all photos at the end of every day if you have that option so if you lose your camera you won't also lose all of your photos....that is my biggest regret and definitely our best lesson from this trip!

But luckily there were many other cameras snapping around! Thanks Katho

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## TizzyATX

Dude...MY biggest regret is you losing that camera. LOL  I'm just giving you a hard time, but you're right that's a great idea. i'm taking notes but once I'm there it's another story hahaha and I would probably not think to do it....but thank god for OP's! LOL  Katho caught so much action omg, her pics are amazing too.  Props Katho!

Would have liked to see the flaming marley pic, i love those shots.  Love the CHEERS pic at Ivans. Good stuff, wish we were on our way there now....hmmm.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## marley9808

Yeah Tizzy, I wish that too  :Smile:

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## booger

> Dude...MY biggest regret is you losing that camera. LOL  I'm just giving you a hard time, but you're right that's a great idea. i'm taking notes but once I'm there it's another story hahaha and I would probably not think to do it....but thank god for OP's! LOL  Katho caught so much action omg, her pics are amazing too.  Props Katho!
> 
> Would have liked to see the flaming marley pic, i love those shots.  Love the CHEERS pic at Ivans. Good stuff, wish we were on our way there now....hmmm.


We all need to bust out the credit cards and just do it. I'm in.....,,

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## marley9808

LOL!
Man I wish there was a way I could just hop a plane today and be there!

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## marley9808

P.S. Booger- if it's YOUR credit card....then I am in too  :Smile:

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## TizzyATX

Yeah why dont we all just do that....i'm gonna go check for a red eye

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## marley9808

Tizzy....swing by Tampa and pick me up on your way!

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## Eden

Marley! 
Thanks, I will definitely have to add Xtabi to the list for breakfast during our trip.  Must. try. that. french. toast.!  And, after seeing your post last night, I just had to have some french toast for breakfast today. :-)

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## sbeth

I can't even tell you how amazing this trip report is! Thank you so much for sharing it. I've only been to Negril once and we spent most of our time at our AI (honeymoon) but I am desperate to go back and not do the AI this time! My husband is a little nervous and so I've been trying to find a trip report to have him read to understand how wonderful Negril actually is. Granted, the people you were with made this an extra special trip, but y'all did so many awesome things that I think this might be the one. Thank you again for sharing it with others. Wish I could have lived it, but this is the next best thing, surely. I'm sorry to hear about your camera and the lost photos. I saw a page on facebook devoted to finding someone who lost his camera somewhere in Europe. They posted his photos and then encouraged people to share them with the caption - "Do you know this guy?" in the hopes that someone will.

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## Katho

> Dude...MY biggest regret is you losing that camera. LOL  I'm just giving you a hard time, but you're right that's a great idea. i'm taking notes but once I'm there it's another story hahaha and I would probably not think to do it....but thank god for OP's! LOL  Katho caught so much action omg, her pics are amazing too.  Props Katho!
> 
> Would have liked to see the flaming marley pic, i love those shots.  Love the CHEERS pic at Ivans. Good stuff, wish we were on our way there now....hmmm.


You provided me with many photo ops...lol!  :Wink: 

[QUOTE=marley9808;58297]P.S. A lot of those pics are courtesy of Katho because most of my pics from this day (inlcuding a KILLER shot of the flaming Bob Marleys) was on the camera we lost.
Let this be a lesson to all, to try and download / upload / save / copy over all photos at the end of every day if you have that option so if you lose your camera you won't also lose all of your photos....that is my biggest regret and definitely our best lesson from this trip!

But luckily there were many other cameras snapping around! Thanks Katho[/QUOTE

I felt so bad for you when I heard about your camera, really wish it had turned up  :Frown:  Glad some of my pics can fill the gaps. I remember working on transfering pictures at the Xtabi bar while you ate that awesome french toast, lol  :Wink:

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## marley9808

> I can't even tell you how amazing this trip report is! Thank you so much for sharing it. I've only been to Negril once and we spent most of our time at our AI (honeymoon) but I am desperate to go back and not do the AI this time! My husband is a little nervous and so I've been trying to find a trip report to have him read to understand how wonderful Negril actually is. Granted, the people you were with made this an extra special trip, but y'all did so many awesome things that I think this might be the one. Thank you again for sharing it with others. Wish I could have lived it, but this is the next best thing, surely. I'm sorry to hear about your camera and the lost photos. I saw a page on facebook devoted to finding someone who lost his camera somewhere in Europe. They posted his photos and then encouraged people to share them with the caption - "Do you know this guy?" in the hopes that someone will.



Awwww, thanks! I am glad you are enjoying it and I sure do hope it helps you convince the hubby to go back and see Jamaica, the non-AI version. You will LOVE it! And there is no need to be nervous about anything. This site is amazing for providing advice, recommendations and even places to meet up with other boardies. You will be a pro! And if you book for next April, you could be there for the sequel to this trip report!  :Smile: 

I know, I was really hoping the camera was going to just show up miraculously. Sure the camera was expensive but once we realized it was gone the only thing I was upset about was losing the photos!
And I saw that post too about the guy in Europe whose camera was found. That was cool and goes to show you how much social media can do. I wonder if the camera was ever reunited with the owner?

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## gerryg123

Do you think the camera was stolen or left behind?

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## marley9808

Well.....
I would say possibly both
I remember exactly the last minute I had it, it was when I was sitting at the table outside at the Boardie Bash. I thought I put it back in my bag but when I got home it wasn't there so when I recall seeing it last it was on the table, so I determined there was a chance I left it on the table. We went back to Canoe and it was nowhere to be found. Went back again the next morning and they hadn't found it nor had anyone turned it in. 
I held out hope that a boardie had it and would give it to us at the Seastar party but that didn't happen
Oh well....live and learn
But I would have given anything to get those photos back  :Frown:

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## sbeth

Thanks for your reply Marley! I admit, I have been daydreaming about going in April. We'll see  :Wink:  We used to live in Florida and it was a lot easier to get to the islands than it is from our current location (Utah)!
As for that guy with the camera and facebook thing, I looked it up and it turns out the story has a happy ending: http://now.msn.com/facebook-helps-to...is-lost-camera Pretty awesome!

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## marley9808

Awwwww..yay! I love that! Lucky guy!

And keep dreaming about April....we would love to meet you, and dreams can sometimes come true  :Smile:

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## sbeth

:Smile:

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## ralonzo29

Day6: Thursday April 26, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
----------------------------------------------------------------

Almost like a subliminal message my wife whispered Xtabi in my still sleeping ear. Guess she wants to go to Xtabi, her and her french toast. I’ve never told my wife this but I love Xtabi. It holds a special place in my heart.  Our first trip together was to Negril and we stayed at Xtabi. It was New Years of 08 to 09. We landed on my birthday and she took me to Three Dives for a Birthday dinner. We had sooo much fun that year (and every year since). New years in Jamaica was so great. Though it wasn’t my first time to JA it was my first time in Negril, It was my first cliff jump, first time on a scooter , first time I had Xtabi’s french toast and I was hooked. Everytime we scoot down or up to it and head in I just remember our first trip together and how much fun it was.

Well Shauna got her French Toast fill and as you can see from my pictures I got mine too as well as a plate of eggs and bacon.



 I was HUNGRY. We decided while out let's scoot down and get our shopping done. We had some usuals to buy, but I also wanted to get a ball cap for a new friend. I had to find the proper cap for my friend. It had to be covered, totally different from my Red Stripe cap but similar and of course it needed the signature bottle cap opener. After the deliberation between at least 2 hats I made my choice grabbed some cigars and some sauce and we were ready to leave. The decisions to search out the beach dwellers was a good one as we seem to find everyone we would’ve looked for.

It was again one of those moments that this trip has seems to be full of. We sat talking to Booper and Jizzy and poof like manna from heaven the pattie man came buy and filled our stomachs, then like poof we had cats, and Hubbity and GuiriPie oh my.  I ran back to my scooter to get Michael the cap I bought him. I was gonna give it to him later but was sure I’d forget. Everyone sat or stood together and talked and talked and talked. On and on about anything and everything. At one point we had a little coffee clutch in the water. I thought it was such a funny scene as everyone in the water kept their hands above the water with 2 beers in them. Slowly the dark clouds crept up on us and Shauna said we need to scoot (literally). 

We made our way back to Catcha to get ready for the web cast. With the rain falling we’d need to leave the scooters behind. I’m gonna zoom ahead to my favorite moments of the webcast.

Jon had the awesome steel drum serenade of happy birthday that was so great. At some point Booger convinced Jon that it would be wise to drop pants and moon the webcast in the background and frankly I thought it was hilarious. Soon Mr Spotty jumped up and gave the best rendition of 3 Birds this side of Bob Marley (in my opinion). He showed such vigor and enthusiasm so much that everyone wanted to join him. That was my favorite moment of the webcast. I can close my eyes and just see him bringing the party to more life than it already had. Well soon it was time to move to the next party spot and what’s better than to party at home. LETS MOVE THE PARTY TO CATCHA!!!

So we grabbed a big group and headed to meet Booper and Jizzy at Ivan’s. When we hit the bar the party was in full force and we kicked it up a notch. So much so it was time for some Bob Marley Shots. I had this awesome picture of about 5 flaming shots all lined up in a row. It was an awesome shot, but since it’s not here you can guess what camera it was taken with. 
After great drinks from Ty and Kevin it was time to make some drinks for them. I love being a bartender. When ever I do a bar job back at home I love making drinks for people, specially when they say make me something. Now its easy to make the cake vodka drinks so we busted out some libation for the crew and the staff.

Eventually we we decided to bust out our Chinese Lanterns that we hauled downt to Jamaica to set aloft in the ether. Okay some rules to adhere to whilst trying to set aloft a Chinese Lantern:

1-Check your lantern for holes
2-Its a 2 man/woman job. 
3-It will take longer than you think
4-Just when the you think the lantern is ready to take off hold it a little longer.
5-When Booger is drunk don't let him help, you’ll set the entire lantern on fire before you can get it to lift off.

Oh and if you can try and get more than one off at a time, it'll be cool.

Well the party had to end at Catcha and there's no better place to have an after party than EDDIES Oh yeah. Eddies is always a fun time and to tell you the truth that was nothing but a blur. By now we’d become fixtures at Eddies and hell we were with co owner and supporter of Eddies, BOOGER. This time it was a whole crew of mischievous miscreants masquerading as sober people. The amount of smiling in the night is illegal in most states in the bible belt, so was probably half the ****e we were doing.

At some point my wife left it up to me to decided the end of the night while everyone wanted to move on. Frankly I was DONE and the party train had to leave the station. We bid adieu to our hunting party and said good travel. My beloved and I headed home just simply partied out for the day but still smiling a grin from here to the end of time

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## sbeth

I found the cake vodka! My liquor store sells the 3 olives brand. I pureed a peach, added the vodka and some ice tea and wow! I tried that pineapple upside down cake one too - very popular among my girlfriends now. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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## marley9808

Yum!!!
And it's my pleasure! Last night I tried a new one....Chocolate Cake vodka!
I mixed it with diet coke and it tasted just like chocolate cake! I was amazed!! AND delighted of course!

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## booger

Man, I have to totally agree with you about Mr Spottycatz belting out 3 Little Birds. It caught me off guard and I was so fortunate to have a front row seat. His passion was infectious and after the band playing Happy Bday for Gonjon steel drum style the party was on. He and Rasta Stan provided some nice impromptu entertainment on several occasions.  

Half owner of Eddie's? LOL! I did spend two more nights there this last reach hanging out with Bobo, Eddie, and Trevor and another few interesting locals.

Alright Marley, it's your turn. I cannot start reliving my latest reach until I finish reliving the reach in April.

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## sbeth

No - they have chocolate cake vodka now? I'm done for! I am envisioning a chocolate espresso martini...How about chocolate cake vodka with a good cherry juice? Oh, 3 olives has a flavor called "Dude" - what is up with that? What does dude taste like lol? Jeff Bridges?

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## marley9808

LOL....I know the Dude one makes me laugh
They have ALL sorts of flavors now, some sound delicious, some sound gross, others just sound weird
But all I can say is I think this calls for lots and lots of research on my part!
 :Smile:

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## garysteph1018

So tell me, is the french toast at Xtabi better than the french toast at Catcha? That was my favorite!!!

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## booger

> So tell me, is the french toast at Xtabi better than the french toast at Catcha? That was my favorite!!!


You can throw the french toast at Teddy's at Blue Cave Castle into that mix. And Just Natural has killer french toast as does Country Country. We can start a whole new thread on french toast, but than we would lose Marley's contributions in all the other post.

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## irieworld

love country country french toast! And Montana's has banana bread french toast. Now I will have to try Xtabi style and compare. I have had their lobster eggs benedict and the Jamaican breakfast which are fantastic, but have yet to sample the french toast. 

Thanks for the ongoing reporting and photos (glad not all were lost)!

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## marley9808

> So tell me, is the french toast at Xtabi better than the french toast at Catcha? That was my favorite!!!


Yep I like Catcha's too....but I swear Xtabi's is better than any I have ever had EVER! ANYWHERE!
And what is weird is that there is nothing at all fancy about it, no special fillings or toppings or anything.....just plain old delicious French Toast!
Mmmmmmmmmmm

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## marley9808

> You can throw the french toast at Teddy's at Blue Cave Castle into that mix. And Just Natural has killer french toast as does Country Country. We can start a whole new thread on french toast, but than we would lose Marley's contributions in all the other post.




I love the idea of a French Toast thread. Plus now I think I should make a special trip just to do some serious French Toast research!!! Hmmmm, wonder if I could get that funded! LOL

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## Eden

Oh Oh, can I please be your assistant french toast tester?  :Smile: 



> I love the idea of a French Toast thread. Plus now I think I should make a special trip just to do some serious French Toast research!!! Hmmmm, wonder if I could get that funded! LOL

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## irieworld

hmm Marley, it could be done, 9 french toasts in 9 days. Wow, that would take some stamina. OK, 6 french toasts in 9 days and lots of walks and swims to burn the carbs.

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## marley9808

Eden and irieworld...I think we are on to something!

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## sbeth

Okay, now I want french toast. Guess I know what I'll be having for breakfast!

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## marley9808

*Day 7: April 27, 2012*

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face (much like I had every other day of this trip). Today would be a really good day, and a somewhat sad one as well. Today was the day of the Boardie Bash! I was so excited that I was finally going to be attending a Negril.com Boardie Bash rather than just watching it on the webcast or hearing about it on the board! I smiled again when I realized that I would be meeting EVEN MORE boardies today, which was hard to imagine since in the last 6 days I had met more boardies than I have on any of our previous trips combined. I was excited to party with my already newly found family as well as the other boardies who I had yet to meet! And based on the fun I had been having with all of the boardies I HAD met so far, I knew this was going to be one hell of a party. I also knew, however, that tonight would be the last night for some of our friends and that would mean goodbyes would be coming and that made me sad, but I quickly put that out of my mind and focused on all the fun that was to be had. Ninja and I woke up and headed out to breakfast where Sweetness was saving our usual table for us. I got my large cup of rum cream (oops I mean coffee, of course)

This mornings breakfast: French Toast with warm banana at Catcha (doesnt this look delicious? It was....but still not better than Xtabis)



After breakfast we hung out around Catcha for the remainder of the morning until it was time for the Bash. We got dressed and ready and hopped on the scooters to head down to Canoe. I checked with Mauvette to make sure that the special treat we had ordered for the party had been delivered to Canoe and she confirmed that it had, so with that we were off....

We rode our scooters down to Canoe and as soon as we arrived it was not hard to see that the party was already in effect! We heard some greetings being yelled out to us as we pulled up and I was already happy to be there. We entered and saw some of the usual suspects already inside. First order of business, Ninja ordered us some drinks and we toasted to those who were there and those who would be soon arriving. The Steel Band was set up outside and already starting to jam. So many introductions and laughs and stories and fun was had this day. Here are a few photos from the event:









After a while of fun and laughs, Rob announces it is time for the Group Photo so we all (eventually) make our way down onto the beach and line up, there were several versions of this photo taken that day, here is the one we managed to get



After the group shot I asked the kitchen if they could bring out our special treat. We had ordered a special rum cake just for the Boardie Bash. This is what we refer to as the worlds BEST RUM CAKE (ever) and I had offered to purchase one and bring it to the bash back in December when I first started the roll call thread. I thought it would be a good way to entice folks to come LOL

Mmmmmmmmmm rum cake



Not even sure what time it was or how long we had been there but at some point we got a call to meet Booper and Jizzy back up at Catcha for dinner and drinks. It was their last night and we knew we would be closing down Ivans for that! So I told GG and Sweetiepie and Markus and Daisy and since by this point we were all staying at Catcha it just made sense to head back there for a nice special dinner. Ninja and I hopped on our scooters and GG, SP, Daisy and Markus followed in a van. We decided first to stop off at Just Natural to get a detox of some sort lol, so we did.

Our sweet rides parked outside of Just Natural



While we were there, everyone ordered up some mighty delicious juices and enjoyed chatting. It began to rain so we waited it out there and I ordered some pumpkin soup which was excellent. GG got some much needed detox and also a very loving foot rub for his swollen feet and soon after the rain let up and we headed on to Catcha. By that time I believe Booper and Jizzy had already enjoyed their dinner so we got a table for Ninja and I, Guirigay, Sweetiepie, Markus and Daisy. After hearing several recommendations for the Seafood Linguine from everyone who had ever ordered it, I decided to go with that, as did Daisy. Ninja ordered the Pineapple Ginger Chicken and Guirigay ordered the dish that was almost just like Chicken Lola (but with snapper I believe). I dont  remember what anyone else had but I do remember how amazingly delicious the Seafood Linguine was and that much like the Xtabi French Toast I will now vow to eat this dish as much as possible! LOL

Here are some photos of the meal (except mine, apparently I ate it too fast to take a picture hahaha)

----------


## marley9808

We started getting heckled from a rowdy gang that was seated up at Ivans bar. They were yelling at us to finish our meals already and come drink! Wonder who that could be? So we headed back up to Ivans and assumed the natural and usual bar stool positions. I look over and notice Booger eating some pumpkin soup and I holler out, HEY! Because while we were at dinner I asked for the pumpkin soup and was told they didnt have it that night, instead it was conch or something. So when I saw Booger eating it and then later Tizzy, slurping it, I was hot! Booger informed me he had the chef make him a special order (suck up) but at least he did share a bit with me so I soon forgave him.

mmmm pumpkin soup...slurp  :Smile: 



I decided it was time for another drink and as I looked around at the smiling faces of all of my new family of friends I thought what would be a fitting drink to toast this night. I then remembered one of my favorite specialty drinks from back in the college days. We all used to go to a bar for Happy Hour on what they called Thirsty Thursday and order these for $2! Ahh memories. But funny enough, the drink is not always known by every bartender in the world so I am surprised when some bartenders actually are aware of it. I remember from our First Anniversary that Ty at Catcha is one of those bartenders who does know it, God Bless him so I holler out, Ty! A round of Miami Vices for everyone! He nods and smiles and all of the turtles turn to me and say Miami Vice? What is that? And so I just smile and say, just wait, you will see, and you will LOVE it! And they did.....




A Miami Vice is a Pina Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri mixed together. Ty gets fancy with his and adds what I think might be a little bit of Blue Curacao 
We all enjoy our tasty beverages and some laughs as usual, just like we have done all week.....and what a week it has been, with some really great people. 



Next thing you know Booger brings out his ipod and gives it to Kevin to hook up to the bar sound system. In a few minutes we all join in on a very  special Kevin and Ty show Luckily it was a song that we all seemed to know so everyone joined in as Kevin and Ty led. They even passed the flashy mic around to others for a verse, just ask Pooper....in my opinion, she stole the show!

The restaurant closes up and Vevienne joins us at the bar to celebrate her birthday. She wants to do a shot and we ask her what shot. She says I want a Flaming Bob and the crowd goes quiet. LOL She looks around Oh come on, who will do one with me? And to that challenge, Tizzy steps up and says I will, girl!



They both take those shots like pros and then some other antics ensue from the staff at Catcha to help Vevienne celebrate her birthday and with that we all have a good laugh. The staff there is the best! As the night is coming to a close we also realize that this will be the last night this whole group is together as tomorrow Booger, Pooper, Tizzy and Gonjon will be returning home. So we decide we need to take some sort of group shot and there would be no better place to take it than at Ivans bar. Tizzy points out a sign in the bar and says that would be the best place for us all to gather for the group shot. So we all move to the area and after a long and elaborate camera positioning, testing and setup process we capture the group shot under the sign that reads Friends and Family Gather Here



After the group photo it was time to let off our Chinese Lanterns. We had originally brought them to try and time it to let them off during the same time the folks on the beach were letting theirs off for Farmers Daughters wedding. I think they had originally said 9pm but we had been out there at 9 and didnt see any. By now it was about 10pm I think or possibly later (either way I think we JUST missed them) but since we had done a practice run the night before we were much better this time. We handed out the lanterns to everyone including the staff at Catcha and even some other bar patrons and we headed to the cliffs to let them off into the sky.  I can think of no better way to end one of the best trips ever than to stand on the cliffs under the moonlight with your friends and some of the best staff around which is also like family and launch wish lanterns into the nights sky. As I lit mine and let it go I looked around to all of my friends doing the same. Yes of course we were sad but still everyone of us was smiling. I looked at my lantern drifting up into the sky and realized my wish had already come true....as I had wished to share moments like these with good friends in great places for the rest of my life, and with this group I know that will continue to happen!












Stay tuned...up next Day 8 (Chilling at Catcha)

----------


## spottycatz

That is beautiful Marley ♥  Can't wait to experience this with all of you when the turtles reunite next April. ♥

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## Lorax2

I LOVE that photo of everyone at the bar...just look at the faces...an awesome moment frozen in time :-)

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## ralonzo29

As usual I'm the bottle neck, choke point all around clogged artery. I promise to update ASAP.

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## Beebeluv

ok Ninja, Raul, Rolanzo, RA-HOOL, or another of the many aliases u seem to use lol sorry... i got excited cuz I thought It was up but no... just waiting....

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## booger

> ok Ninja, Raul, Rolanzo, RA-HOOL, or another of the many aliases u seem to use lol sorry... i got excited cuz I thought It was up but no... just waiting....


​The dude is a tease, all but killed my man crush......

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## Beebeluv

> ​The dude is a tease, all but killed my man crush......


i see... damn sorry about ur bro-mance...lol

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## TizzyATX

LOL, I took the bait too....

and still nuthin  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## ralonzo29

Okay people while you wait enjoy this awesome Dragon Fly video.




Damn did I make you look again  :Smile:

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## TizzyATX

DOH!

you wrong for that

hahaha

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## marley9808

Ooooooooh I LOVED the dragonfly video  :Smile: 


But LOL babe....don't tease them like that...they will be texting me soon to slap you! Hahaha

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## Guirigay

> don't tease them like that...they will be texting me soon to slap you! Hahaha


She's right, that one's from me.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## marley9808

LOL! Message received.....as soon as I see him I will deliver your message for you GG!  :Wink:

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## Beebeluv

Aww my emotions ... some pepole wait to go home to watch their soap operas... i wait for trip report updates.... lol sad...


O.M.F.G. I HAVE TO ASK/COMMENT... OKAY, TURTLES... BENTLEY.... okay the laugh is amazing... anyone realize the guy laughs just like the count from Sesame Street... One banana, Two banana, Three banana, HA-HA-HA-HA-HA....LOL HILARIOUS!!!

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## TizzyATX

LMAO

and he counts all the things on your plate!!!

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## ralonzo29

Day7: Thursday April 27, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
---------------------------------------------------------------


Ahhh 

Waiting leads to Anticipation, Anticipation leads to Peer Pressure, Peer pressure leads to Snarkyness from Ninja

SO is the way to my Dark Side...  :Wink:  Well technically all my sides are dark, I mean I am Scotchpanjamerican ( figure it out )


Today was one of those days you wake up and you are happy but something is gnawing at you. We were saying good bye to friends nah family today at least until next we meet. We had so much fun but we knew eventually people would go and wed be slowly missing people. Patty and Kopper had left earlier but Booper and Jizzy would be leaving us and then soon wed have to go too. UGH someone punch that dude and wake him up. YOURE IN JAMAICA MAN pull your head out of your ass and go get breakfast.

Another stellar breakfast. I beleive this morning I ate another delicious Johnny cake, and my wife will correct me if Im wrong but it was this morning there was a slight mix up and instead of bacon and cheese I had sausage (who fing cares it was GREAT) but it still hit the spot. We would be heading to the boardie bash later and we decided to kill some time at Home  :Wink: .

I wandered around Catcha snapping photo after photo of flora and all that is the beautiful grounds. Tomorrow I would spend even more time getting to know my camera better but for now here are a couple of shots.


Soon we packed up our stuff and headed out to the bash via the scooters. Let me start by saying that like Pooper and Indy Cindy Im was more of a lurker or rather borderline lurker. Youd see my stuff here or there and I definitely didn't read every possible post there was like some people to remain nameless (the M in Minja or the Marl in Marlja). So before this trip I wouldnt have known a MusicDoc from a GerryG from a Boombastic, besides the handful of folks we have taken a bus ride with or a Chicken Bus trip with or met previously at Sea Splash I was heading into basically as the supporting cast to the Marley show (a job I love to the fullest extent). In these cases I tend to gravitate to what I know, it helped me survive first days of school and getting station at a new duty station in the Navy.

We reach Canoe sat down by Rasta Stan, ( who promptly referred to me as Hootie, a name Ive been called before and now have grown to love since people started comparing me to another singer) his lovely wife, Dawn and her +1, Becks and her +1, Boombastic and Im sure Im missing loads more. We took nice photos of ourselves the beautiful people (yes this is me being snarky  :Wink:  ) and I believe this is when we started the convo with Rasta Stan about his cool necklace. Any one who remembers records (you know those vinyl like discs that people use to listen to back when playing music on a player added a little bit of soul from the grooves and the needle, I digress) will remember his necklace. Its the thing you put in a 45 to play it on a player since they had such large holes (thats what she said ←- snarky). His wife had it made for him and I think thats pretty cool.



More and more boardies entered the fray or they were there and I just hadnt gotten around to them yet. Brasi, Bea, Musicdoc, the Indys, the Cats, Hubbity and a handful or more of people I didnt know. Shauna being Shauna always reached out to know who they were on the board so she could put a face to a name. I did not, simply because (LURKER) it wouldnt have made much sense to me anyways. At some point a massive boardie photo was taken and as you can see Im not in it. Basically because I was taking the photo.

Eventually I entered into a conversation with M Catz and it was steadily interrupted by a comical exchange between Steve and Bea where she swore before the night was over she would own his shirt and matter of factly he reassured her she would not. I think Mr catz won that one.

Did some one say RUM Cake. I  have to admit I was just about tempted to take this entire cake and hide it. Who cares if anyone else besides those I deem worthy get a piece. I only care about more for me, well and more for my wife. But we did share the wealth with everyone (its possible my cake slice might have been bigger than other peoples).

There was so much going on it seemed that when it came time to go we hadn't even met everyone. But my bromey (homey + bro) wasn't there and we needed to find them at catcha before they left us. We jumped on the scooters and headed home

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## Beebeluv

> LMAO
> 
> and he counts all the things on your plate!!!



oh from gerrygs report... there are five things on your plate tiz!

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## booger

> oh from gerrygs report... there are five things on your plate tiz!


LOL! He didn't do it when I ate there last month so I called him over and said "Hey Bentley, can you tell us what is on our plate.?" "How could me forget" he said and next thing you know the animation started. I look forward to eating there on my next trip. If you need a pasta fix his spaghetti and meatballs kicks ass.

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## garysteph1018

You guys entertain me so much.... Thank you!  :Smile:

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## Marko

nice meeting you Marley and Ninja in St Pete.....
a lot of good laughs and stories with Sweetness dat night.......
oh........guess were mi going to be in a week......lol
take care mon

Cool Runnings, Marko

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## marley9808

Hey Marko!!
It was great meeting you too....we sure had lots of fun and laughs....I loved hearing your stories
And I really liked you too.....up until that last comment about where you will be in a week!
Ha
Just Kidding!

have a blast (no need to really tell you that)
And tell Bentley we said hi!  :Smile:

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## Marko

> Hey Marko!!
> It was great meeting you too....we sure had lots of fun and laughs....I loved hearing your stories
> And I really liked you too.....up until that last comment about where you will be in a week!
> Ha
> Just Kidding!
> 
> have a blast (no need to really tell you that)
> And tell Bentley we said hi!


same here.......lol
Bentley loves his boardies and mi sure mi will gain a pound or two because of him........ha ha

Cool Runnings, Marko

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## ralonzo29

Day7: Thursday April 27, 2012 cont.
NINJA's 2Cents
---------------------------------------------------------------

On this isle Family came,
Though blood and birth all not the same.

On this journey Together we walked,
With vivid dreams and fathomless talks

From Divine heights to fearful woes,
A family built a family grows.

Set on the backdrop of azure blues,
Vibrant Substance and sunset hues.

One Love, one goal and much to share,
in our Negril Family all gather here.


As we took in the growing night dinner was full of a sense of spirited conversation. The wave of talks was like the ebb and flow of the night waves crashing on the cliffs with robust laughter and love. Even now as I try to remember the conversations from that dinner I cant but I simply remember the feeling of sitting in such a wonderful place in time and enjoying the world around me. Nothing else was necessary at that moment. Food...CHECK, Friends...CHECK, Conversation...CHECK.

As dinner ended the bar called to us more importantly the Booper/Jizzy contingent needed drinking companions. This would be our last night as a group of rowdy drunks. And soon wed GuiriPie and then us and Hubbity soon after. I didnt want to dwell but sometimes you cant help realizing you have to go back to reality. I shook off the my solemn mood and we paid for dinner and quickly shuttled to the bar.

The party was in full swing and when we joined it amped up to 11. We took our niche at the inside end of the bar and drank and talked and drank some more I busted out a Cuban for some consumption. Soon we were all singing, it was liek the jamaican version of Cheers where everyone knows your name even if its your boardie name.

Now I have to correct my wife on one thing. Booger moved us out to the cliff edge (And yet again my wonderful Peanut butter compadre Pooper decided to jump in. If you look closely at the group photo you can see her hair is wet.) , we had set off our (Shaunas) 10 lanterns the night before as practice so now it was time to do it again. We had a couple of miss lights here and there and one or two with holes but we got most if not all off without a bang. The correction comes here we took the group photo as the last thing we did before we called it a night. I only know this because my camera has the time stamp on the photos in iPhoto. We hugged tried not to cry as we would be 4 down tomorrow. We promised the quad group wed party on in there absence. 

side note: Shaunas was this night or was it the night before that Tizzy was reunited with her iPhone. See now if everyone would have just let me use the iPad to do a search wed have found it days ago. However I think it was fitting she lost it day one and found it on the last day

When the night was done and my head hit the pillow I thought of future trips and friends on the west coast, across the pond and to the north. Yet another reason to visit Cali,Texas or the UK,  or win the lottery so we could open our own compound somewhere and eat peanut butter drink rum and red stripes, think of negril and since almost more than half of us are artists just create. Clearly I was drunk and probably high.

On a side note I hear there is some land open in Waco for my compound (ok that was in poor taste but its friday and frankly Im ready to call today the weekend).

Before I fell asleep I took some time to listen to the crashing waves and to think of what tomorrow had in store it would be our only full day at catcha where we didnt plan on going ANYWHERE. I also thought of how happy my wife was and how I love it when she is. 



On this isle Family came,
With mirth and ardor our hearts set flame.

The sun did rise and New days end,
our time spent made than friend.

With mated Heart and kindred soul,
a fundamental truth became our goal.

One Love, one heart and much to share,
in our Negril all Family gather here.

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## spottycatz

Raul, lurker, Mr Marley, whatever......like everyone else we had the pleasure to meet, greet and mix with, you are a one of a kind. As a mate I would want you with me for your smile alone, it lights up the stadium. Love your stuff.  :Wink:

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## marley9808

YEP!!!!
About his smile....I tell him that all the time....it was what I first liked and always remembered when I very first met him  :Smile: 

Would you believe he doesn't like his smile? And that I have to tell him to smile in photos...

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## ralonzo29

Thanks Catz

Love you Marley  :Wink:

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## Beebeluv

wow awww.... that was truly beautiful sir ninj-hool... u have the gift of words... i do not lol... 
And the smile is a great one, he has to like it, he just wants to hoard it and keep it all for himself lol hehe

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## marley9808

*Day 8: April 28, 2012*

I awoke this morning much like I had each day before, to the sweet sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs below us. But this morning they sounded like maybe they werent as strong. You see, the sea had been rather angry during this trip and most, if not all of the days, the water around the cliffs had been too rough to swim or snorkel in, so up until this point we hadnt even been in the water yet. But today was our last full day in Negril, and we decided to spend it doing something we had not yet done on this trip.......We decided to spend the entire day at our home away from home, our favorite place on earth....Catcha Falling Star.

And there was no better time to do it. The seas had calmed down enough for us to swim, and also by this point we had GG, SweetiePie, Daisy, Markus and Sweetness all staying there too! So with that thought I was up and out to breakfast. Quick stop by the coffee bar and then over to our usual table with Sweetness. We enjoyed a nice breakfast with a view like always and we told Sweetness our plan of chilling at Catcha for the day! Around that time the rest of our friends started waking up and making there way to the bar and breakfast area. Everyone was on board for the chill at Catcha day!

Sweetness and Sweetiepie at our breakfast table



I called our good friend Brasi who was down on the beach and invited him to join us at Catcha for the day as well. Daisy and Markus went to get their snorkel gear and we made plans to meet at the cliff edge soon for our adventure! Raul and I picked a nice little nook and settled in for a bit on the edge of paradise....what a view! Soon Markus and Daisy arrived ready to get in and snorkel.....well, Markus was ready at least! LOL 
By this point Raul had taken off to walk the property in search of some amazing photography shots, which he definitely found. I think Daisy was still a little gun shy of the waters, so Markus and I went in first to test the waters (aka make sure there were no lionfish!) LOL
We hopped in and snorkeled around and soon after Daisy was convinced that the waters had been properly tested and she joined us. 





Markus testing the waters




We swam for a bit and then I looked up from the ocean and saw Sweetness perched on her balcony watching us.....she waved and I waved back. She even managed to get a pretty nice shot of me in the water....you can even see my hot pink flippers! lol

Hi Sweetness!!




Eventually the ocean started to get a little rough again so we made our way back up the ladder and decided it was a perfect time for a drink break at the bar! (Every time is a perfect time for a drink break at Ivans)

We head up to the bar and realize that while we were swimming Brasi had arrived and he was at the bar chatting with GG and SweetiePie. Hey Brasi! So we all ordered some frosty beverages and did a cheers to our fantastic surroundings with our new family of friends!
Raul had been walking the property like I mentioned before and he managed to get some really amazing photos of Catcha (God I love this place)









About this time is when Daisy and I both were like Where is Raul?!?!?! and then we turned around and noticed he was over in the corner taking photos of us! Sneaky ninja!



As we were all laughing someone shouts out Dolphins and we all turn to see a pod of dolphins jumping and playing out in the ocean off the cliffs at Catcha. Raul actually managed to get a bit of a shot of one of them....see the tail!

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## marley9808

A few more of the photos Ninja took around the property:






This place should look familiar, Daisy...and GG and SP it will soon look familiar to you as well  :Smile: 



Tizzy and Jon...these places should look a little familiar to you as well  :Wink: 






And THIS....this is my home  :Smile:

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## marley9808

After the excitement of the dolphins we settled back down to the bar and soon after I heard someone asking for Marley....It was Coco and her hubby, they had just arrived and of course their first stop has to be Ivans. It was great getting to meet them as I had talked to Coco previously on the board and she had even brought something for me from the states that I asked her to bring for some of the staff...Thanks again for that Coco....I owe you and your hubby a drink the next time we meet! So sorry we didnt get to spend more time with you two!

After visiting with Coco and hubby for a bit, Daisy and I decided to head up to visit Sweetness in her room, Venus. I had promised another boardie that I would take some photos for her of what would be her room in a couple of months. You may know her, GarySteph1018  :Smile:  She had posted on the board that she had booked Venus but was wondering if she should switch it to I think Moon. I had assured her that she would NOT be disappointed with Venus so I wanted to be sure to get some nice photos of it for her to ease her mind LOL. So we went up and Sweetness gave us the 50 cent tour....what a room. I actually videoed the whole tour but somehow I managed to erase it by the time I got home so all I had was a couple of photos of the view to share with Steph.....of course as you may know now....that was all it took anyway  :Wink: 

View from Venus (and it just happens to be a view of my very favorite place)  :Smile: 




At this point we made plans with the group to meet for dinner, have one more fun night at Ivans and then head over to Seastar Inn for the Saturday show and buffet and also Tawnees Birthday Bash. With that agreement we all then sort of went our separate ways for the next few hours. Markus and Daisy chilled on one of the daybeds while Markus did some sketching (He did an AMAZING sketch of Sagittarius.....I nearly stole it from him....it was so good!) 



I think GG and SweetiePie might have headed for a nap or something lol and Ninja and I spent the afternoon and early evening chilling in our most favorite place on earth

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## marley9808

After sunset we decided to get all dolled up for some reason....I guess since I had spent most of a week in a bathing suit and cover up I decided I wanted to dress up for our last night. So with that we head back over to Ivans to see if everyone was ready for dinner and guess who was at the bar? The Mighty Californian (Gerryg123) and SuziQ. They had stopped by for some drinks at Ivans so we visited with them for a bit while we waited for the rest of the gang to arrive for dinner.



Soon after everyone was there so we were seated at our table and we had another amazing dinner. We sat at the same table we had the night before so I felt it only fitting for me to once again order the Seafood Linguine....well that, and also because it is amazingly delicious. And this time I remembered to take a photo of it. However, I snapped this shot before I realized they had not added the capers in it (which makes it even more pretty in my opinion and even more delicious too) but once they brought out the capers I think I inhaled the dish and forgot to take another photo, oh well lol



Raul had the chicken stuffed with callaloo 



And we had the peanut butter cheesecake for dessert and it was delicious!



After dinner we headed to Ivans, of course, for our last night of the Kevin and Ty show. Brasi stopped by to join us for a drink at the bar and I told Ty that we had just a bit of our cake vodka left and that since it was our last night we needed to finish it off in style, and he agreed. So Ninja and I went to the room to gather the ingredients and returned to the bar. We gave Ty the rest of the cake vodka and he agreed to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake shots for everyone at the bar, and he did. Cheers everyone!







And then we watched our last performance of our trip....I love these guys...greatest bartenders ever!



And with that I gave them both a big hug and a See you next time goodbye. 

We were ready to head over to Seastar for the Saturday night party but unfortunately we had to say another goodbye to Guirigay and SweetiePie because they had an early morning flight and were going to head back to their room to try and get some sleep. We had to also say goodbye / goodnight to Brasi who decided to head back to the beach instead of over to Seastar with us.....all of these goodbyes were just too much! In just a week I had grown to know and love these people like family and saying goodbye was very hard to do! There were lots of hugs and a few tears and with that, Ninja and I and Daisy and Markus headed up the lane to Seastar.

As we entered the gates we realized we might have been a little late to the party. I think it was maybe 10 or 11pm but there was hardly anyone left. We were sad that we might have missed everyone but then we looked around and we saw  Rob and Lisa, Beachgirl66 and Plus1, Tawnee, Jim and Donna and also Bella Bea! So there was still definitely a party crowd left to dance and enjoy the show with!

Oh and Lorax2....we DID look around and ask for you...so sorry that we were too late to meet you! Hopefully, next time!

It was only fitting to think we were ending our trip much like we had started it....dancing and enjoying the show with our boardie friends at the Seastar Inn Saturday night party!

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## booger

First off, I am freaking hating myself right now for not extending a day. Previously I have always stayed in Negril until the last day of my vacation and hated it on my first day back at work. Nothing like chilling in Negril for 10 days, flying 10 hours until the late evening, and than waking up after only a few hours of sleep and heading back to work. But this time it would have been worth it.
Now for a little pic commentary on your first post of the day as I have yet to read past that.
Pic 1- Sweetness looks amazing in that pic.....
Pic 2- What's up with the facial?
Pic 3- An actual pic of Markus that is not animated!
Pic 4- The building that I thought I would never stay in. Our last reach we decided to stay our last night at Catcha right before Mauvette left. The Little Capricorn was open and I have to say it's an awesome little room with great AC.
Pic 5- Brasi is a great guy to be around. He's the guy you would let your daughter date.
Pic 6- Why did I not stay an extra night?
Pic 7&8- Jackie is the man....
Pic 9- I have seen that look before. You have the Mom look completely down, so keep on practicing.....
Pic 10- And the dolphins make a showing as soon as I leave!!!! The trip before this we saw them every single day we were at Catcha. Who needs Dolphin Cove when you have that?

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## Sweetness

(squeal) woo hoo - awesomeness Marley.  I love reading back over that special special reach.  A bit bittersweet at this point but beautiful nonetheless.  much love

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## TizzyATX

Dang I just had a really long thing typed up and hit the back button on accident. Gone. LOL

To recap:  I somehow missed a previous segment of this trip report (and one that is meaningful to me) so I'm gonna rewind and comment on Friday nite  :Smile: 

Ummm, what are you trying to do to me with all these food/drink pics from Ivans??? lol  Hey good lookin out those miami vices were one of my favs!!  and mmmmmm pumpkin soup!

I hope Vevi enjoyed her b-day as much as I did. haha Seriously though...that night at Ivans conjurs up some of the best memories I have.  The only thing that keeps me from being sad when I think of it, is the fact that I know we will make so many more. Y'all mean the world to me  :Smile:   what can one say about that group shot?  It tells more than words can!  And the lanterns just made it that much more perfect and so special (thnx for making that happen btw).....i love when you said...

"....since we did a practice run we were much better this time" HAHAHAHA that practice run makes me laugh LOL

Wish we could have spent that last bit with you guys....looks like it was a really nice laid back day

Raul...buddy I do not for a second doubt your wizard tech skills (as I have seen your ninja moves)...but I agree it was better to not have iphone until the end.  Better that way.  We were actually reunited on Thursday (when I checked out of Catcha)  Gawd that was a good feeling lol

I just LOVEd this trip report, well done to both of ya's  :Smile:   Miss your smiling faces everyday! xo

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## TizzyATX

Oh and might I add one more thing...

You 2 look SMASHING in that pic on your last night.  :Embarrassment:

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## MoFromMonroe

Loving it. Thanks Marley

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## Clarity

> It was only fitting to think we were ending our trip much like we had started it....dancing and enjoying the show with our boardie friends at the Seastar Inn Saturday night party!


Awww, I love it! That was such a fun night!
I love the whole entry and all of the pictures... all of the amazing memories...
I agree w/ Tizzy, you and Raul look awesome in the pic together :Cool: 
Oh that seafood linguine… so good…

I’m glad you didn’t write about the following morning “So then Markus and Daisy came out of the Pisces cottage to say goodbye. They proceeded to start sobbing all over us.” (sorry about that btw – we just didn’t want to see you guys go! We’re really bad with goodbyes… as you now know! Lol!)




> Pic 3- An actual pic of Markus that is not animated!


Haha! I know! It’s a rare thing!

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## marley9808

Clarity--- that happened the NEXT day.....I haven't gotten there yet Hahaha
j/k

Mmmmm.....seafood linguine....mmmmmmmmmmm
I miss home

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## ralonzo29

Day8: Saturday April 28, 2012.
NINJA's 2Cents
---------------------------------------------------------------

Ok my wife has not been breathing down my neck on this but I felt like I was letting the ball drop.

You know the phrase this day started off just like the rest, seldom do we ever have those days in Jamaica and this day was starting up to prove that. Its that day when you know when it ends you’ll be both happy and sad. This day was gonna have its ups and downs and right off the bat we got the down. We found (and by we I mean my beautiful wife) that our camera was MIA. So while she went to breakfast and got ready to snorkel I made a break neck scooter drive back down to Canoe to rescue our camera. Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well Horatio. As you know no camera  :Frown: .

I’ll tell you the truth worst part of that is not having the pictures. OK enough about that.


When I got back to Catcha my wife, Daisy and Markus are all snorkeling away. My wifes mask was giving her an issue so she was more than happy to use mine. I needed to get into some trunks so I went back to the room and changed. Being a weak swimmer but no where near scared of water I have a nice snorkel vest I use to help me stay afloat. Tell you the truth it was needed. Even though the water had calmed the it was still a bit rougher than usual. I actually spent about 10 to 15 minutes in the water then battled my way back to the ladder. 

Now it was time to just lounge. We carved out our little niche and soaked up the sun. We spent a time on and off in the wonderful pool and the bar and just simple lounging. It was the slowest day we’d spent at Catcha and it figures it would be our last. After some time I got this great idea. Being a graphic/web designer I have to buy a lot stock photography or find photos to transform into what I need. So I’ve recently been on a quest to just take the photos I want and start my own collection. I set off around Catcha to capture not only some good scenery shots but the beautiful tropical flowers all over. As Shauna showed you I took a lot of photos.

After some time wandering around and just enjoying capturing the property I went to find everyone. The gaggle of friends were all huddle enjoying the all too good libations Ivans has to offer. I took a moment to enjoy everyone's interaction. The laughs the deep conversations. The expressions. Its just fun sometime to what good friends interact with each other. The hum of conversation was music to my ear. Suddenly Shauna stops and concern emerges since she hasn't seen me in about 1-20 minutes. I love that she does that. I’m usually always in ear shot, except for maybe earlier this week when I pulled my disappearing act (no need to bring that up again). Daisy starts to look around and like that I’m discovered watching the natives.

I join the festivities at the bar and enter into my own conversations with Brasi and Guiriguy. We had been go go going for so long that it was nice to just relax on the property and get to know our friends a lot better. They guys and I found some common ground to lament on and we shared our woes and jubilation. It was nice, feel like we cemented a bond. Soon we were back in the fold hooting and hollering and having laughs. At some point some dolphins came around to join the party. I stood transfixed waiting to get just a shot of them. It paid off Kinda.

Being that we had spent so much time on the run partying and this was our rest day so we parted for a bit to just enjoy the property. I set out recording the peaceful crash of the waves on my macbook and taking pictures of the ever elusive HubbyMan as he sat in his element. It was nice to just people watch. As everyone just enjoyed their space.

We came back together for one last hoorah at Ivans and some dinner. It was a night like so many I wouldn't forget. A lot of laughs, so much fun. Even now as I write and think about it, it brings a smile to my face. The guys and I had shared a cigar and drinks and then we said our goodnights and our goodbyes to GuiriPie. We ended the night the way we ended the first night here, having some last drinks with Hubbity at Sea Star. 

As my wife and I journeyed back to Sagi I had a thought. Out of many, one people meant even more. We had been such a group of disparate people that only really knew each others as 1 and 0’s on a computer with jamaica as a common like. But here in this place we had such a great time and everyone I met at the bash or the flop or a webcast had been so genuine. This trip, this day wasn't an ending ...

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## CherryNorth49

Watching the event unfold from afar, your bale sure seemed to find a good a rhythm.  I am so excited for our trip, but a part of me wishes we were going to be in Negril to witness the reunion at New Years.  Thanks for keeping the story going  :Smile:

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## marley9808

CherryNorth, there is still time to book for April  :Smile:  
That will be the official reunion and I know I look forward to even more turtles joining up next April, it's sure to be amazing!

(Hell, officially there is still time to book for NYE too)  :Wink:

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## Clarity

Great update Ninja. I remember this day was really relaxing and chill. I enjoyed just kicking back and unwinding from all the excitement of that week. Miss you guys!

Hey Marley - I have some good news!! 
Sending you an email with details :Wink:

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## marley9808

Yay!
I am waiting.....refreshing my email like a crazy person, if you don't send it soon, I am calling you missy!
LOL
I am happy already and don't even know what it is yet!
Love and miss you guys!

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## TizzyATX

ahem....

where's my email?

 :Embarrassment:

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## marley9808

I'll text you Tiz  :Wink:

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## TizzyATX

well put me on a stick  :Stick Out Tongue: 

lol

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