I would prefer more police on the beach it would solve a lot of my issues with people really quickly! :)
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I would prefer more police on the beach it would solve a lot of my issues with people really quickly! :)
Thank you Hussyband, Jamadian, Lady Jane and all who have commented. And thank you to the lurkers who are reading my blog. A writer just wants to be read and I appreciate the feedback. I'll keep posting as long as I feel like I have something worthwhile to pass along.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hussyband
These honey bananas are my favorite. Plump and sweet with a lemony tang. I didn't have to pay to take this photo :)
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Kahuna,Are your books like your trip report?? If so, I'm buying!!:)
His books are awesome. As soon as this trip report is over....they are getting a re read...Besides I need to have a paper book in my hands. Been on the "kindle" way too long!! LOL....
I too look everyday and this is the first post I go to. Jump to last page and flip backwards till I get to where I left off. Yesterday I bout had an attack when I couldn't get the board to come up.
Looking like me and the Beardo will miss you. We won't be down till 3/15 :-(
Walk Good certainly is, very similar in style. I just bought Sunset Negril so I haven't read it yet, saving it for the next reach.Quote:
Originally Posted by kaycee
We actually noticed much more of a police presence on the beach when we were there over New Year compared to the other times of year we go. Problem is that they travel in packs, 3 marine cops + a couple of beach cops all together. We were mid beach anyway, that might make a difference?Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusher
yes both the books are awesome. walk good is a big trip report and sunset Negril is more of a novel. it is also very good. somewhat of a true story per K3 as I met him last year down at white sands. and I am not much of a reader.
Hey Marko,you always have great info to share!-I try to make a mental note EVERY time I read your posts!;)-thanks!-where would you suggest to look for long term rental for 2 adults and 2 kids under 12-thanks again Marko!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marko
Thanks everyone, I'm going to buy walk good first.
Yay! You picked Miss Bea as the name for the cat, pay mi now ..... hahahaha
Maybe more Night Nurse?? (hopefully)
Hello all . . . . just a quick note to let you know that I am back in Ottawa. And it's cold.
No more sun, no more sand, no more gizzadas. But I do have rum.
My accommodations were entered by a thief on Thursday night (2:30am) and my laptop was taken - I was in my bedroom (awake) when it happened. So I was a little shaken up and I decided to go back home.
I had a security lapse, even though I had my security grill closed. Long story. The police came and are involved.
Anyhow - my fault. Dumb.
So obviously this is the end of my trip report.
In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal, but right now I'm somewhat turned off on Negril.
It was nuff fun while it lasted.
Adios.
Ugh.. Sorry that happened to you. At least you're okay and safely back home. No doubt your wife is relieved.
Glad you are safe ~ sorry this happened to you. :(
So sorry. Your story was great and always the first update I looked for. Sad to see it end this way.
Sorry to hear this news but am glad you are safe and with loved ones. Was looking forward to seeing you again this year and chatting. I am sure it has put a bad taste in your mouth for Negril. Times are tough all over and desperate people do desperate things. I have so many questions to ask, but respect your privacy about the matter. One does question if it was random or premeditated. Walk Good Roland and thanks for another ride.
Sorry to hear this Kahuna...I'm not liking these constant reports of robberies, and other negative things...I know things are tough there, but they are going to get worse if the tourists stop coming...I guess I will have to wait until April and decide for myself if I want to return... Glad you are home safe
Kahuna, at the risk of sounding like a heretic, have you ever considered a stay on another part of the island? The love you have for the scenery, your enjoyment of the less touristed elements of the country, your ability to flex would all come together to make Jamaica seem fresh again. And who knows, it may trigger a whole different saga.
Thanks for your sensitivity and insight. Love your writing. Take good care !
Wow.
That's a real bummer--sorry to hear this K3--- I am afraid --paradise is lost ----
No more Sunsets, Rum, Sand, and Gizzadas.....So sorry that you were robbed. Glad that you are okay & home safely with Bea. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I have enjoyed your writing over the years!
It's sad. Crime like this can affect places like your rental unit, unguarded condos, little cottages, etc.
More business for the gated and guarded I suppose.
Ok this is taking the wind right out of my sails...I have a gloomy bad feeling..I am hoping that you will re-think and re-turn..I know something like this can spoil a place...Every place has its bad elements.....I am ordering my book today and am wondering if you have the makings of a 3rd now? Either way, you have been a gem on this board and I am glad that you are safe!
Oh no, this breaks my heart. I am so glad you are safe but I am so sorry that your love of Negril has been spoiled. :(
Sooo sorry... makes me worried ... i wonder what happened(none of my buisiness i know)... there was a security dog... i'm just glad you didnt get hurt, also glad it wasnt your wife alone when this happened, not that its better but it could have been worse... bless you for your contributions and your insight is kept close. Keep your head up!
Just another reminder to be very careful. Many of us who are regular contributors to the board have been victimized. I know no one likes bad stuff about Negril being posted, but just so you all can be as careful as possible, here is a little rundown:
-- I had my cell phone stolen (or lost) and whomever got it conned a relative into sending money, then used up hundreds of dollars of minutes, then tried to blackmail me into paying to get the phone back. I was also pick-pocketed in another incident not including an attempted pick-pocketing on this last reach.
-- One boardie had 500 dollars stolen from a coffee mug in his room.
-- Another boardie had his lap top and money stolen.
-- Another boardie was robbed in a much-publicized cab incident.
-- Another boardie was robbed of a laptop and other items in a break-in while in the room.
-- Another boardie had her expensive sunglasses stolen from a bar.
-- Plus a friend of a lot of the boardies was hit by a car, then while on the ground bleeding someone stole his cell phone.
For the majority of us, Negril is relatively safe. But please do be careful and keep your guard up everyone!
True words Gerry G....I guess this is our reminder that no matter how comfortable we are..bad things can happen..I will be a lot more vigilant now..
no wonder more and more ppl opt for the "gates" . . . of course, it's not 100% there too . . .
I'm so sorry that this happened to you, very glad to hear you were not hurt and back home safe and sound with your Bea.
You were really enjoying your time there and some opportunistic ******* took advantage and has spoiled it. Luckily you got a flight out quickly and feeling safer now back in the comfort of your home.
We all enjoyed your words, and now must all be extra careful. This is the 2nd incident now on this board during the past little while. Jamaica is beautiful but can be a very dangerous place, walk safe.
WOW - I guess you just never know. Glad that you were unharmed and made it home safely... I hope that with time your love for Negril will return
aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....so sorry!!:mad:
It makes me very very sad. Glad you are home safe.
So sorry to hear of this .. I have enjoyed your trip reports as well as your books.. glad to hear you are safe. Bless
Don't let it ruin the island for you. I don't stay nearly as long as you were planning/did, but even after our incident in November, I am coming back to negril this year. There are bad seeds anywhere you go in the world. You cannot let them ruin something you love.
It does bother me though that is happening to so many boardies. The day before I was robbed, someone at our hotel had their room invaded while sleeping... And tensing is a secure gated resort... With three guard dogs (which were admittedly sleeping in my villa that evening).
I do feel your pain though. It's been three months since my incident, I still find myself enraged, and never wear any of my jewelry or watches at home anymore.
The most important thing is that you are safe.
So sorry. :(
Holy Sh!t. Rollie!!!! Glad you weren't physically hurt, but the mental invasion can be just as bad. Sorry You had to deal w/ this and I'm sure your glad Bea wasn't there for this. Bless-up brother.......Kim
Thank you for all of your kind words, both public and private. Much appreciated.
Because it needs to be aired, here is the full story of the robbery, which would more accurately be described as a home invasion.
I had a habit of closing and locking the security grill at around 8:000pm, and only opening it after that if I/we went out to look at the stars or to go down to a bar. On Thursday night I closed the grill and snapped the padlock shut. I remember the padlock was a bit reluctant to close, so I jostled it shut and then checked it by pulling on it. It was secure.
I always left the regular door open until I went to bed because I liked the fresh night air and the frog/insect sounds. So that’s what I did on Thursday night.
There is only one door and it’s a very solid steel door mounted in a steel frame. There is no window. The door is equipped with a key-operated deadbolt and a doorknob lock that is button activated.
Thursday night I settled down in the living room and read my Kindle for about 1 ½ hours. Then I got sleepy so I decided to move into the bedroom. I usually just closed the front door and pushed the doorknob locking button. I never used the deadbolt. In hindsight, this was a careless practice.
So that’s what I did Thursday night. Then I closed the sliding living room window and latched it, then pulled the curtains shut. The living room window has a grill on it, as do all the windows.
I turned off the lights and went into the bedroom and closed the bedroom door. I did this because I always had the A/C on low in the bedroom, because I also close the bedroom window and pull the curtains, so the A/C freshens the room up a bit.
I put my Kindle down at around 10:15 and promptly fell asleep.
I was awoken in the dead of night, quite suddenly, by a sound. It was a sound that needed investigating. So I got out of bed and went over to the bedroom door and listened. After a while I saw a dim light moving through the crack of the door. No way it could have been coming through the living room window, since I’d closed the curtains and the windows are heavily solar tinted. I figured someone was outside the kitchen window shining a light in, checking things out. The kitchen window has a tight four inch grill on it, as does the bathroom.
I went into the bathroom and looked in the direction of the front door. I saw the thief standing there, leaning up against the railing. He was a young, tall, skinny black dude wearing a ball cap and a kerchief over his nose and mouth.
My heart rate jumped immediately and I got a shot of adrenalin. But I wasn’t too worried, because I knew I’d locked the front door and the grill.
I went into the bedroom, pulled on my shorts (yes, I was buck naked to that point) picked up the cell and dialed 119. They answered promptly. In a subdued voice, I told them the situation and they said that they would send a car.
I went back into the bathroom, The guy was strolling across the patio deck, he walked by two feet from me. I assumed that he was going to try some of the other units, so I went to the front and peeked out the window. I saw him looking in the car and walking by the front of the house. Then I lost track of him.
I say ‘him’ but I wasn’t sure if he was alone. I also didn’t know if he had a machete or a gun.
I was waiting for the cops to show up. I went over to the bedroom door and stood there, not knowing what to do. Then, to my ultimate surprise, I saw a very strong flashlight beam shine through the door crack right at the bedroom doorknob.
That was when I realized that the guy, or guys, were in the living room. I couldn’t believe it. Then the doorknob moved. It has a lock but I hadn’t locked it. I slammed both my hands hard up against the door and yelled ‘THIEFF! THIEF!’ The flashlight light disappeared. I dashed into the bathroom and looked out the window to see the thief running away into the darkness. I yelled ‘THIEF’ several more times. Then I went to the bedroom window, opened it and yelled ‘Thief’ a few more times. And that is when the cops arrived. It had only been about eight minutes since the 119 call. They must have been patrolling close by.
I opened the bedroom door and saw that my laptop, which had been sitting on the breakfast bar, was no longer there. The steel door was open as was the grill. I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was having a hard time processing the fact that the grill was open. Because I’d padlocked it. With a big, hefty padlock.
I talked to the cops. The neighbour came out. The owner came out, a couple of guys who live in the fourplex out back came out.
After a short discussion we came to the conclusion that the guy must have had keys, since there were no signs of the locks having been forced. But, you will soon see, that was the wrong conclusion. The cops were very good and attentive; they left around 3:15am.
Eventually the neighbour went back to bed, as did the owner. There was no way I was going to go back to bed, I was shaken. The two guys who live in the fourplex (really good Jamaican fellows) must have sensed it and they stayed with me. We talked about the robbery and other things and drank cranberry wata. In fact they stayed with me until the sun came up. It was a beautiful dawn and sunrise. These two guys, Desmond and Steely are really fine fellows.
Eventually we came up with the only possibility of how the thief got into my apartment – and it was entirely my fault.
When I’d gone to bed I’d closed the door and pushed the door-lock button. I was sleepy at the time, I think I had actually dozed off prior, so I’m pretty sure now that I neglected to push the door-lock button, or maybe just fumbled it and it didn’t engage.
No big deal, right? The grill was padlocked.
Unfortunately, we had the practice of dumping the door keys on the counter right next to the door. So here’s what we figured happened.
- I’d padlocked the grill
- I closed the living room door, but fumbled the button-lock – thus the door wasn’t locked
- The door and padlock keys were on the counter right beside the door
- The thief came about and checked the grill – it was safely locked
- He tried the door knob – it turned and he opened the door
- He used his little flashlight to see if he could grab something from the counter, through the grill
- - ahaa! He found a set of keys
- He opened the padlock and pulled the bolt back – I think that is what woke me up.
- He came in and took the laptop
- . . . and I’ve already told the rest of the story
It was entirely my fault – if I’d used the security measures that had been provided by the owners – I would still be in Negril.
I hope this tale makes people more aware of security. If there is opportunity, it will eventually be exploited.
So – that’s it. I peed off about it. I feel like I’ve lost a good friend.
I go with my gut and my gut said 'go home'. So I booked a flight for that afternoon and split. It was a long day by the time I got home at 12:50am.
I am so glad that Bea wasn’t there.
Amazing!!-hard to swallow this and read-but I think I'm going to rethink on locking up at nite.-thanks your ok but mentally drained and tired!-bless
Thanks for going into detail. I hope this incident doesn't deter you from going back to Jamaica. Give yourself some time and see how you feel.