Takin' the Newbies along...a trip report

Three years ago, some friends came along with us to Riu Palace for our daughter's wedding. Since then, we have spoken about that trip - and how much we love going to Rooms (before the wedding and after) and decided to plan a trip with them to Rooms in March. Last July, we booked our trip and the planning began.
Here's our little tale of our adventure...

We found a flight that left at 6 am and landed at noon - BOOKED. Fast forward to the night before. Taxi to airport scheduled...bags packed....money sorted and ready....and a text comes in from Delta. Flight will leave at 6:55 am instead, meaning we've already missed our connection in Atlanta. Frenzied calls to Delta to rebook and taxi to change pick up time. Nothing like being crazy mad the night before...I just kept saying...24 hours this will all be better. All changed - friends came here and off to the airport. Let the games begin! Or so we thought. Leave here on time and arrive in ATL a bit early. However, on the flight, my friend gets crazy sick. Uh oh! Get to our gate...and the waiting game starts. We find out our plane has mechanical issues and instead of now leaving at 10:45, we switch gates and leave around 11:30. Calls to NegrilOneStop to let them know to alert our driver we are coming in even later. Sigh. Finally, we're off.

Arrive in MoBay and my friend is feeling a bit better. Club MoBay reps meet us and we bypass a looooong line! Quickly through to the lounge and we are drinking rum punch. They found Tulla (our driver) and out we go with a mug full of rum punch for the road! We hit up the cambio to change some money (because I wasn't sure if we would make it in time to Negril to change money), quick stop to HiLo (which was under remodeling) for more Red Stripe and supplies, and out of town we go. Traffic was heavy heavy - but we made it to Bigga's for a late lunch. YUM - as always.

Rolled in to Negril around 4:30 to Rooms, checked in, dropped our bags and headed to the beach. Amy was feeling awful by this time (probably should have skipped the rum punches on the way in!) so she ended up going to bed. However, my husband, and I headed right out to the water! Every single time, I always am the first one to put my feet in the water. This is my AHHHH I'm home moment. However, I may have been slightly stumbly already, so hubby got there first and continued to rub it in all week. ;) From here, we went right over to Sunnyside to see Robert. Now, we have completely neglected our newbies at this time (remember I'm stumbly...and COMPLETELY relaxed.) Well, who should we meet there? But Rob and Lisa. I've seen them many times over the years, but for some stupid reason, I'm always too nervous to introduce myself. I'm not a shy person, but being as I'm not a huge poster on the board, I just figured they would be like, who are you? Being relaxed, I marched right over and introduced myself and hubby to them. Well....we ended up sitting there til way past dinner (which we missed, because evidently a liquid dinner is best for me on the first night!) We had a blast with them! The beers were flowing, the laughs were great, and then oh yeah...there's Tom (our friend) at the bar at Rooms. He didn't know where we went (and clearly we had forgotten!) So he comes and joins us...more beers...more laughs....then Lisa suggests we go hit up the West End. I'm all in. We walk (some of us better than others - read: Everyone better than me) over to their car and suddenly, I can't. I am not in any condition to drink any more. Hubby and Tom take me and order some food (which I cannot eat) and they take me back to my room where I fall asleep instantly - while they head back out. Evidently, I was in bed by 9. I have no pictures from this day...shocking.

Wake up the next morning wondering what sort of train hit me the night before....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jenn

................ Now, we have completely neglected our newbies at this time ....

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LOL
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THAT can *happen*

lol
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LOVE this report..!!..

:-)

The trip report we have been waiting for!! Rob and Lisa are the greatest!!! Keep it coming Jenn!(grin)

Jenn, thanks for the post and look forward to more. I'm out here daily sucking up as much as I can sine I'm 11 months away so thanks again for feeding my soul.

Great start. Keep it coming. Be there in three weeks with my own newbie!

Keep it coming. I am looking forward to hearing about your newbie friends time in Negril. I leave for Negril in 8 days and we are have 2 newbies joining us there for our second week. One of them has never left the province of Ontario and we are going to do our best the make sure she really enjoys her much deserved and long overdue vacation.

Day 2: Saturday

Per normal (in spite of the night before) I am up early early early. I can never sleep in when we are in Jamaica. I don't want to miss a minute. Although, this typically leads to earlier nights. Someday, I might sleep in and stay out late at night. Probably not, but it's nice to consider. I have a compulsion to unpack, but hubby is still asleep. What to do? Make a pot of coffee and sit out on our balcony to wait for it to finish. The sun is just barely starting to pink up the sky. My favorite time of day. Have a cup of coffee and finally, give in to the unpacking. Naturally, I wake up Brian with my zipping and unzipping of suitcases, closet doors opening and general super loud (according to him) noise. He joins me for a cup of coffee and then down to the beach. My first views on our first morning.

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Greap pics Jenn. Were all of these pics shot in vivid mode as well? And thank you for the incredibly straight horizon!

Most were shot in vivid. Otherwise, I feel like my old camera never captured the real colors of Jamaica. You know? And, um, you're welcome for the straight horizon? I don't like them when they are crooked.....

WOOOOOOOW!

Great start, very very nice photos! Just what I needed this morning!

Thank you,

VVHT

Sounds like you're off to a great start (once you hit Jamaica, anyway). LOVE your pictures, especially the one of the boat with the guy standing up front. Nice!

Wonderful pictures Jenn. I LOVE vivid and feel the same way you do. You can actually see the varying colours in the water with this setting.

Thank you, Sue! Your pictures were amazing! I appreciate your suggestion on the camera! Was worth every cent!

Day 2 continued...

So, since coming into Negril like a "house of fire", today seems to need to be a pretty chill day. Everyone is finally awake, so we decide to head out for breakfast. My plan was to head to Montanas, however it was about 7:30. We took our time getting ready and headed out around 8. I have never eaten at Montana's, but have heard many good things about them. Walked over...not open. Sign was out...but not a soul around. Sigh....guess like I won't be eating there today. So, we headed over to Cafe Goa for breakfast. Amy and I ordered banana pancakes and the guys had...no idea...some regular American breakfast. The banana pancakes were fantastic, as they always are. Coffee was hot and fresh and the service was good. I have already settled into Jamaica mode and so has my hubby. Our friends are quickly adjusting to it as well. It's different, you know? Having only been at AI's, the process of going to eat or just being out and about is just, well, different. Yet, I can see that they are already loving it! Our on-going joke with them was based on their responses to things...whether they would get a check in the "yep, we'll bring you back with us" or the "Um, no, sorry" columns. So far...a negative check for getting sick, but a positive check for her hubby helping mine get me back to my room in one piece the night before. haha

After breakfast, it was mostly just a beach day. Prior to coming to Negril, we had told our friends about all of the vendors on the beach. You know, Norman and his patties, Dean and his pork, fruit and juice peeps, etc etc. Well...today there wasn't too much of it. The beach was quieter than I've ever seen it in March. No patties. No pork. Fruit, but not my normal fruit lady...can't seem to think of her name right now. So anyway- I decided that last night, considering I drank the following amount of beer:

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I would find something new to drink. We brought some ashtrays down for Maureen at Sunnyside, because evidently, people like to take them! So I headed over to take her the ashtrays and hug her neck! We spend a lot of time over there and it's always great to see her! Ordered a bit of the "hair of the dog" in the form of a foofoo hummingbird - unfortunately - no bananas yet, so I picked up a couple bottles of water and continued rehydrating. We spent the day lazing around in the water and on the beach. We all needed just a day to do nothing and boy, did that sand gravity hit hard! Clouded up quite a bit in the afternoon, but no rain. Was actually a good break from the hot hot sun. Spent the day between Sunnyside, the beach, and the water. Finally, time to head in and get cleaned up for dinner. My plan was to eat at Alfreds the night we got in, but that didn't happen. So we decide to head over tonight. I do not like fish normally. However, I am a huge fan of their fish and chips. Last reach, the fish was really greasy...so we were hoping it was better this time. God was it good!

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Finished dinner - back to Sunnyside for a few rum punches and called it a night.

Up tomorrow? The fire dancer, feeling better, and a crazy night!

Pictures ROCK!!!-great report too!

Great report, fantastic pics. Will be waiting for more. :)

Lovin' the photos and the report! I'm at my 9 day countdown and your report is making me SO excited! It's only my third stay in Negril and the last time was 2 years ago so the wait is killing me...so I appreciate living vicariously through you until I can be there myself next week!

Yea, a Texan going to hit da rock!! 8.5 more daze! Safe Travels neighbor!

nice pics

treat report tx

I'm loving your style!! Your pictures are beautiful...what kind of camera are you using? Been back for a month now and I so miss it! Keep up the reporting I'm lovin' it. Maybe one of these days I'll get started on my report..

There will be a slight delay in the continuation of my report. Work is insane for the next few days...look for the next installment(s) on Friday.

Maralunatic - Canon Powershot SX610 HS - the very one recommended by SLP. :)

Worth waiting for.

Great report and wonderful pictures,we will be waiting for Friday,thanks for sharing!

Hoping for some more of your "Newbies" impressions in the report - the wife and I will be arriving for our first time on the 7th. The anticipation is killing us......

Yikes~ real life has gotten in the way. Sorry for the delay in updating! I'll try to get through a few days tonight....stay tuned!

Ok...so we had dinner at Alfreds (this was Saturday - day 2/ first full day). Dinner was great, service was quick, and a little more friendly as the night wore on. They weren't super busy as we were there during sunset. Fish and chips times 4 with a couple rounds of rum punches then off to Sunnyside on our way home for one more...or several hours more....you know how it goes.

Sunnyside is probably my favorite place to hang out. It's close to "home" so I don't have far to stumble...er, walk, and it's usually pretty chill. Well, again, we stopped for one and ended up with me sitting on the bar taking my picture (for my boss) with the Welsh flag hanging there. Sigh.

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This night, we met a man carving off to the side. He was carving coconut and calabash. A kind soul, Tony. We chatted with him and a Jamaican couple. Oneil cooks at Coco La Palm and was telling us about the jerk chicken pizza. That certainly perked up our ears. Sounds like a great lunch stop later this week. Yeah man, we'll be down this week and look you up. Well, as if often does, time slips and slides away in a surreal way for me when in Negril. One minute is 8:30 and the next it's after midnight. We decide to call it a night - I can't remember if it was hubby and I and our friends or just hubby and I? It might have been just the two of us. Again, that slippery time things screws it up for me. Head back to the hotel and off to sleep.

**I just confirmed with hubby - in fact, Schaef (friend's hubby) and I were the last two standing tonight. I think we kept people confused during our trip. The four of us are great friends - and whoever was tired - went back - whoever wasn't - didn't. haha Hubby and Aims went back to their separate rooms (don't want any unnecessary speculation here) and Schaef and I stayed out...or vice versa - or hubby and I - or her and her hubby...or the girls....or the guys...you get the picture. :)

If anyone has ever stayed near Rooms, you will certainly be acquainted with the roosters next door. Some people are bothered by them...they are our joke, Those *&^% roosters need a watch...they crow all times of the day and night. I digress...

Sleeping soundly when all of the sudden BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP - a horrible screaming beeping sound is echoing off the walls. We jump up, "What the hell?!" and realize it's a fire alarm.. Check to make sure we are appropriate, and like all well trained school children, grab our key card and head out of the building. Apparently, all the people in our hotel were as well trained...everyone was outside, lots of staff running around, no smell of fire (whew! since we didn't think about grabbing any money or our travel docs!) Evidently someone was smoking in their room and set off the fire alarm.

At this point, there's no going back to sleep. Guess who WAS sleeping though. The rooster. haha Rotten little ******* got his dues. Suddenly, he was awake. That made me laugh....a lot. Well...hubby went directly back to bed. Sigh...sat up on the balcony and waited for the sun to rise.

I never really have to worry about the towel game. I'm up too early to have to worry about it. Around 6, I headed down to find some chairs and put our towels out. Yeah - I'm the one your travel mates warn you about. I made some coffee and went and sat on the beach. It's one of my favorite times of the day (is there a not favorite time in Negril? No. No, there is not.) While I get my spot early, we use them shortly there after. I'm not someone to leave my towel on a chair all day and not use it. So, there's that.

Sunday - another beach day...spent time between water, chair, and Sunnyside. More about Sunday up next.

Sunday:

Woke up...early. And the race for the umbrella began. There are a few umbrellas for use on the beach at Rooms. Hubby prefers to have shade - and there were always folks under the trees. Well...there's an umbrella not taken. Let's grab it. Yesterday, a couple had it, but never used it. I barely saw them on the beach at all...so, I was all about snagging it this morning. I thought I would be able to move it. Uh..no. Hubby and I struggled with it for a minute and then came Oneal to help us. Moved the umbrella - got set up for the day and grabbed breakfast at the hotel. Rooms includes a continental breakfast and also offers made to order should you choose. They have changed the way the do the breakfast and I like it better. Coffee, tea, juice, water - self serve. Then you just go up and they serve fruit, toast, and pastries where the bar used to be. Easy and fast.

Lay out - swim - drink at Sunnyside. Repeat - most of the day. We took a break from the sun for a bit over at Sunnyside to chat with Maureen. While there we ran into a couple we met a few years ago. Was great to see them, as she had some health issues and I had often wondered how she was faring. She looked fabulous, but sadly they were leaving soon. Was great to meet up with them and chat for a bit. While sitting over there - SunBeach had a gentlemen walking the beach and advertising for them. He possibly has the most radio DJ voice I have ever heard! He stopped and chatted with us for a bit and told us about the reggae show at SunBeach that night. Well, we had planned on hitting up SunBeach anyway - why not tonight? Perfect!

Later - head out for dinner. Walked the beach down to SunBeach. Some pics of our walk:

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Dennis meets us on the beach and we get the table closest to the water. The band is playing and they sound nice. Round of drinks - and we order dinner. Had the lobster bisque before dinner. Jamaican chicken for me and Aims and the guys had lobster. So in between bisque and dinner - Aims and I went off to the bathroom. Walk up there and there is a guy standing there in basically a net tank top and shorts talking to himself. Ok...whatever. Well, she came out of the bathroom first and he at this time was in a loincloth saying "hey" over and over to her. Remember this experience (not at an AI) is new to her...so she mostly just stood there looking away from the man in the loincloth whispering "hey" while rubbing something all over his body. I come out - she doesn't say anything until we get back to the table and then I simply laugh. Dinner comes and the band takes a break...just in time for the next part of the show. A fire dancer. NOW it makes sense. Loincloth...check....some sort of anti fire stuff rubbed all over ...check. We watch the show - good time - crazy, but interesting to watch. Here's some photos of our night:

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My favorite picture is the last one. The fire dancer was collecting tips and we asked if we could take a picture. He sidled right on up to my friend and grabbed on to her for a picture. Remember - she was a tiny bit creeped out by him when we were at the bathroom, not knowing who he was or what he was doing. This left me in giggles the rest of the night.

Walked home along the road - even though there were lots walking the beach, it was getting to be late, so better safe than sorry. Stopped over at Sunnyside where our motto reared its head: One love, one life, one more!

Jenn, I believe his name is Jungle King. He used to perform at 3 Dives Tuesday nights.

Very very nicely done! Love the pics!

VVHT

VVHT - Thanks and I think that is right! There was another guy (maybe him?) that used to perform at Point Village. Hubby "performed" (I use the term loosely) with him at PV years ago.

More tomorrow....

Anyone interested in more?

Yes...please :)

Stay tuned....this report is taking some

Sure enjoy seeing Sun Beach at night. Great hang and they play the best music during the day.

Your girlfriend doesn't smile much,does she? Oh wait,,,;)

Definately want more,make it slow and antagonizing as we have 16 more sleeps until we are there!

Just ordered the same camera for our trip home in 2 weeks after seeing your pics!

Gregandkelly - thank SLP. I totally did the same after seeing her pics a couple months ago! hahaha Sue didn't know what she started when she posted her beautiful pictures! Canon should thank her!

billndonna - no worries - I'm not a fast writer!

I have been using a Canon point and shoot camera for our trips to Jamaica for years. It's pretty beat up now, but still takes great pics. We just decided it was time for an upgrade. :)

I love your trip report. I can totally imagine going in to the bathroom and seeing the guy out there in nothing but a loincloth, rubbing *something* all over him and wondering what the heck that was all about. Great writing- fab pictures. More, more, more!!!

Gregandkelly - same here. Our screen is partially broken on our old canon, so upgrade was necessary! :) I'm looking forward to your pictures!