Trip Report, Day 6, June 7, 2011--Snorkel in the Rain!

Day 6—Wednesday

It wasn’t raining when we got up! Seriously! So we made the mad dash to Xtabi’s very own cliff jumping spot and….WHOOSH! into the water we went. Had a great time splasing, floating and snorkeling about, until the rain started.

But, to our rescue came……FAMOUS VINCENT! Doesn’t matter if its raining mon, you gonna have good time! So, away we went. Just the two of us and da man. After a very long, wet ride to the reef we got in. And had a really long, great snorkel! Sea urchins, sea cucumbers, anemonaes, many kinds of fish, small rays and all the while it was raining! You can't go wrong with Famous Vincent. Only complaint was that due to the rain the HD vid I was shooting is a little washed out. After over an hour snorkeling, it was back in da boat for da long ride in rough seas, wind and rain to Xtabi. I decided to ride on the bow, taking in the spray and rain as we went. It was delicious! We get back to Xtabi and…..the rain stops. Who is in control of this weather, eh? We were a little bit tired, so we swam in the pool and napped in the rain. We woke up and went back to the cottage to chill and enjoy the outdoor shower.

Later we decided to split an entrée at Xtabi’s restaurant, blackened and grilled grouper with rice and some soup. Very good and plenty filling for two. Xtabi was sparsely occupied and service at the bar and restaurant were top notch! Then it was off to Bella Donna’s for the webcast/reggae show. Only thing is…..when we arrived at Bella’s so did the rain. Donna did put out a nice spread of food, but we were too full. We basically waited the rain out, listening to some very odd 70’s elevator music played with gusto by the house band? This place would be fun for a yardie show of some local band, plenty of space and a nice hostess. Back to the cottage for a nightcap and bed. Something about today made me feel like the sun would come out tomorrow….tomorrow….

The rain and wind kept the room fairly comfortable, again!

And, a word of caution is in order. Despite my many trips to JA and the Caribbean, I neglected to put any sunscreen on my back this morning. It was completely overcast and when it started to rain, I just forgot. I wound up with the dreaded "snorkelback", even though it rained 90 percent of the time I was snorkeling! Don't underestimate the power of the sun!

Question about Xtabil Cottage #2... I can't recall which cottages have the sea access. We always stayed in the garden side when we went. Next reach we are considering spending time on cliff side cottages. Can you tell me if you had sea access outside your door and what other cottages had that access. I remember cottage # 1 have a great sea access, but don't know if its shared etc.

Cottage 2 shares its steps to the water with Cottage 3. Cottage 1 has private steps and I think 4 does as well...

And CC, Tam and I are curious, how did you like the rooms poolside/gardenside. I take it you were in the two-story building...

I know what you mean about the "snorkelback" - that happened to me once and was painful. Now I only snorkel with a shirt on!
We want to go out with the famous vincent on our next trip to Negril! We've been hearing so much about him! It sounds like you had a great time, even with the rain coming down!
Looking forward to the next installment! :)

Enjoying your report, RockRobster.

I've stayed in Cottage 2 twice, love that little cottage. I'd like to stay in #1 sometime though, I got a chance to check it out when I was last there and the air flow was highly superior due to the octagon shape and having louvred windows 360 degrees.

I've also stayed in the gardenside rooms, and they are super, especially for the price. For someone that must have air conditioning, they're perfect. If you are on the second floor, you can still see slight sea views. The verandahs are nice and the room was spacious. The only problem we had was not having a refrigerator. They let us borrow a cooler, but constantly refilling the ice was a hassle. A refrigerator and coffee maker have become deal breakers for us.

Did the snorkel in the rain this past Feb. Rain pounding on your back and looking at the bottom of the Ocean. Nice!

We loved it on the garden side of Xtabi. We always have stayed in the 2 story blgs. First prefence is 2nd floor # 15 which is closest to the pool side. Its got TV & AC. I love the balcony cause it has a HUGE palm tree right outside it.
My hubby loved room # 19 which is on the 1st floor. It stayed very cool and dark. Great for a afternoon nap which he normally takes. Me? I thought the afternoon sun shown harshly on the patio, but you know that could be just the day I decided to sit outside while he took a nap. Honestly, its a baragin for the price you pay. Of course its not a 4**** star hotel, but its been one of our favorites for many a trip.

Believe it or not we never have stayed on the Ocean side of Xtabi. Before the recession hit my hubby had a mostly outdoor job and had no interest to spend his vacations without AC so we choose the gardenside. His job has changed to more indoor setting so he seems willing to try the ocean side next trip without. We prob plan a trip for next May so the weather usually is decent (as far as heat is concerned).