10 Years, 12 Nights, 6 Hotels, ONE LOVE - April 2012 Trip Report

As you already know your trip reports are top notch, the pictures and words always bring me back to JA. I just watched the video and am grinning ear to ear and probably will be for the rest of the day. It really looks like the whole group had a day that they will remember the rest of their lives! Thank you for posting it.

LOVE the video as you know!
I still can't manage to watch it without a silly permagrin all over my face.

What a GREAT day! One I will never forget not only because it was such a magical day but also because of the amazing people I spent it with (my new family)

Thanks for sharing it Daisy and Markus :)

Love the report..Awesome Video Alex!.....December can't come soon enough!!

Just read 41 pages.....Simply awesome...

Bravo!!!! That video is the best thing that's happened to me all day long! Cheesin hard over here. :)

The pics are fantastic, everyone looks SOOO happy. You can even see in that one pic....on the boat....I got that driver to crack a leeeeetle smile LOL. HOw much fun was that day!!!!

So glad you posted the video on here, did I mention that? lol

As for that night.....girl.....I think all records of the events that unfolded that night have been officially annihalated (however the hell you spell that) from the pages of history. LOLOL You had a hangover the next morning??? lol

Those pics of the beach @ Seasplash...of Markus and the one of Drummerboy....those are SO good.

Love all of it!!!!

Tizzy have you forgotten WHY you got the driver to crack that smile?
I loved that picture so much....had me cracking up remembering that boat ride back!

LMAO

HAHAHA Looks like I'm about to go for it

Yep....that's why I was laughing!

Irie Video!!!!Thanks!!!!!!!

How much laughing was happening on that trip. Watching it back after so long gave me the shivers. April can't come soon enough!! (And of course next week ;) )

:) :) :) :)

Fantastic video! The song is catchy!

I have been back twice since this trip and it just wasn't the same. When you are with a bunch of like minded people things are just better. I had so much fun that day that I didn't want it to end, hence why we ended up at Seasplash late into the night. We need to do something similar in December, but we need to fill the entire bus this time. All sorts of boardies are in town for New Years........

Thank you for continuing the trip report - the joy in the bus - you can just tell the vibe was great that day and you all were having a fantastic time!

You all looked like you were having soooo much fun! Keep it coming guys :)

Awesome ;)

I love your chill perspective, Clarity, this is so fun, I don't want it to stop either. Now that I know ya'll virtually, I like the movies....keeps me motivated to get there in April!

We're staying at banana shout in feb,looking forward to hearing about it in your soon to continue report;)

Today is Sunday. That's the day Clarity most often adds a chapter. Are you out there????

Tic,tic,tic

Hmm,that last post had a interesting #

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

Today is Sunday. That's the day Clarity most often adds a chapter. Are you out there????

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Gerryg123 - Haha! Yes, I'm still here :) It's been a busy week and right now I'm recovering from last night's Halloween party...

Despite my current foggy state of mind I'll see how much I ground I can cover in my trip report tonight.
Coming soon!

Thanks MoFromMonroe, Wpyogi, Seveen, T&A, Marley, Muzikdoc, Tizzy, Vince, Spottycatz, Flipadelphia, Boogs, JaJodi, 2Nutz4Travel, Katho, Bjritz and Striper for your kind comments! I'm really glad you guys enjoyed the video. I had a lot of fun revisiting that day and putting the footage together. I'll definitely make some more Negril videos. I still have an hour and a half of footage I haven't even looked at yet. I agree that Brasi is an incredibly talented musician! I love all the songs on his album but his Jamaica song is hands down my favorite!

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Originally Posted by TizzyATX

As for that night.....girl.....I think all records of the events that unfolded that night have been officially annihalated (however the hell you spell that) from the pages of history. LOLOL You had a hangover the next morning??? lol

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LOL!! Yeah, I think that night goes into the “what happens in Negril stays in Negril” file. :p I really miss you Tizzy!

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Originally Posted by STRIPER

We're staying at banana shout in feb,looking forward to hearing about it in your soon to continue report;)

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Awesome! I'm sure you'll love Banana Shout. It's got a great funky vibe, cool owners and a beautiful view. I felt like I was transported back to 1967. I'll be writing about that soon and posting lots of pics.

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Originally Posted by STRIPER

Hmm,that last post had a interesting #

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Indeed :cool:

UPDATE: San Francisco Giants just won the World Series! Fireworks are going off right now! people are cheering and running out into the streets! It's crazy! I have step away from my computer now and celebrate with the rest of the city!

New TR Post Monday night

Trip Report Continued

Okay, I'm back

After our swim, we went back to our room to check our JA cellphone to find out what everyone else was up to. We discovered that we had missed a number of calls...

That's when we found out about what had happened to Guirgay's & SweetiePie from Marley. (see Guirigay's trip report ) Markus immediately called Guirigay. We were so upset to hear about this. We found out that they needed a place to stay, so we went off to find Jim Hurt. We told him the story and Jim immediately said he would help them out. “Have them call me” he instructed. “Don't worry, I'll take care of them” (thank you Jim – this is something I will never forget)

I was really saddened and disturbed that this had happened to my friends. I couldn't shake off this feeling right away and I mulled over it for a long time. The stretch of time between the phone call and getting picked up by Lenbert to meet up with the group at the Pub crawl seemed to stretch on for eternity. I felt very anxious to see them again and make sure they were doing okay.

I was grateful that Marley & Ninja had been there when it happened and helped them the way that they had. I can't say enough about how truly wonderful, kind and caring these two are.

At 3 PM we went to the parking lot in front of Seasplash and waited by the side of the road for the One Love Pub Crawl bus to arrive.

It didn't take long before we heard a honking horn and the colorful One Love Pub Crawl bus came to a rumbling stop in front of us. Lenbert stuck his head out the window and smiled “Daisy Markus!! Welcome! Get in!”

We cheered and jumped on board. We were shocked at the amount of people on this bus! It was completely PACKED. People were sitting on eachother's lap and sitting on the floor in the aisle. I started laughing because there was literally not a single spot left to even stand on this bus. Everyone squished together and giving us a narrow little space on the bus floor. We kind of wedged ourselves between 2 other couples on the floor. I was half-sitting on Markus's lap. The bus started and we all kind of toppled backwards over on to each other cracking up...I already knew this was going to be a wild and fun day. My mood was lifted again with all of this happy energy around me.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...rawl1-Copy.jpg

The first stop on the One Love Pub Crawl was called... ??....(Give me a second to check the Official April Trip Bible: http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...il-2012/page25 ) Okay. The first stop was a bar called The Sword fish.

It was right located right over the water. I followed all the bus passengers to the 1st floor. That's when we saw the rest of the crew hanging out at the bar. SweetiePie, Guirigay, Marley, Ninja, Katho, Wpyogi, SusieQ and Gerryg123

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...rawl3-Copy.jpg

Guirigay assured us that he was okay. He and Sweetiepie are class acts and they refused to let this incident put a damper on their vacation. They weren't bitter or pointing fingers.They were still in good spirits. I just really admire how they handled this entire situation. They are both quite amazing.

I finally got a chance to chat a bit with Gerryg123. He surprised me because he was not at all like I expected. I thought I would meet this total wild man that could potentially throw me on the back of his scooter and drive us both off a cliff at 200 mph. lol!

But he was not like that at all! He was actually really laid back, soft spoken and down to earth.

He invited us all to join him for a dinner he was organizing with Bentley that night. We previously had planned on having dinner at Catcha but this was an exciting proposition and sounded like a lot of fun! I had heard a lot about Bentley's famous crab cakes and I had been wanting to experience it for a long time now.

Next stop on the pub crawl was C&D Country music bar. It's funny that the first country music bar experience would happen in Jamaica of all places! The bar was playing country as we entered, there were southern flags and western music albums all over the walls. Markus' expression is simply priceless. I can't look at this picture without laughing.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...rybar-Copy.jpg

He looks like he's going to start crying...

He warmed up to the music eventually. The staff was friendly, the drinks prices were great and we ended up having a lot of fun.

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our first round of Dirty Banana's – Absolute creamy perfection!

It was in this bar that Markus gave Marley's photogenic smile a name. He called this look: “the Cinderella”
And there it is, in all it's glory.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...rawl2-Copy.jpg

How can anyone resist that award winning smile? She literally sparkles!

At this point, I was beginning to feel buzzed and very happy from only two bar stops. I realized I was going to have to pace myself or I'd be passed out face down on the floor of the bus by the time we reached the last bar. We all piled back into the bus to head to our next destination.

Next stop: Belladonnas – I liked the vibe at this location a lot and it was definitely a place on the cliffs I would enjoy staying at.

I finally built up the courage to go chat with Katho. I really admire her photography. She and Sprat are the two most talented photographers of Negril.com in my humble opinion. I'm a fan of her work and I had always wanted to meet her in person.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...adona-Copy.jpg

She is very cool and easy to talk to. We bonded over our mutual fear of bats. She mentioned that she doesn't really like having her picture taken and that she prefers to be the one BEHIND the camera taking the pictures instead. Obviously this is another thing we have in common, so here is a more artistic and mysterious shot of Katho. That's the awesome Wpyogi next to her.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...dona2-Copy.jpg
The always beautiful Sweetiepie – Markus snapped this pic. I really like it because it captures her playful side.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...dona3-Copy.jpg
Gerryg123 and SusieQ!

I noticed some people were walking around with pizza slices and they looked delicious. I followed the smell into the dining area. There was a huge metal plate with steaming hot pizza and I saw ONE slice left. I started running towards it and accidentally bumped into someone in my hunger induced haste.

I apologized and turned back to my goal... I watched in slow motion as a hand reached out from seemingly nowhere and snatched up that last slice.

Next time I go to Belladonna's, I'm going to order that pizza. I still think about it...

Markus alerted me to the fact that the bus was beginning to fill up again. We were on the move once more and off to the next destination on the pub crawl.

I downed my red stripe and climbed on to the bus wondering where we were going next...

To Be Continued..
Rest of the Pub Crawl, Dinner at Bentley's w/ Gerryg123 and Pee Wee's.
(Markus is on a temporary hiatus from TR updating due to work, but he'll be back in the saddle soon)

LOL!! Yeah, I think that night goes into the “what happens in Negril stays in Negril” file. :p I really miss you Tizzy!

:o. I don't know what you are talking about....

Thats right Boog lol

Hey Daisy...is it coming soon?

lol

Miss you more xo

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Originally Posted by TizzyATX

Hey Daisy...is it coming soon?

lol

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LOL! :p

LOL! I'm laughing at the picture of Markus:) I think I would have a similar expression.

OK so just let me say! I was waiting until this trip report was finished to start reading it! Seriously! How many pages can this go? Will it ever be over? Should I start now! If it takes me a week to catch up will it be finished?

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Originally Posted by kaycee

LOL! I'm laughing at the picture of Markus:) I think I would have a similar expression.

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Kaycee- lol! Yep I did too! Once you get over the intitial shock though, it's actually a pretty cool pub. Just ask Tizzy! :D

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Originally Posted by poolguywindsor

OK so just let me say! I was waiting until this trip report was finished to start reading it! Seriously! How many pages can this go? Will it ever be over? Should I start now! If it takes me a week to catch up will it be finished?

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LOL PGW! I really hope we get to meet you someday
Okay, There are 5 more days to this trip. There IS an end and it will be finished. This is the longest vacation we've ever taken in our lives so I guess it's kind of like the "War and Peace" of Trip reports. We're not as fast as the other writers on this board. (that's kind of an understatement...) but I'll do my best to pick up the pace for you ;)

Thank you Clarity for writing more. I think you and Markus are excellent photographers.

Man I wish i had gone 4 the pub crawl. Looks like a fantastic time. Love love the pics....all of em....Cinderella, Sweetie Pie looking so cute, gerryG and SusieQ, Markus ahhhh that guy. suck it up man, country is good for your soul. LOL

Once again, breaking open the vault... :) The pic of Sweetie Pie at Swordfish... WOW! And GerryG is quite happy behind her, I think we'd just had a little ruckus. The pic in Bella Donna's yard is priceless - Sweetie goofing, Ninja lost in far away contemplation rubbing the Buddha and me trying to get the impossible beverages - I love it. The Markus shot at C&D was me in February, I have a completely different take on the place now. Great shot of Scooter Team Bravo minus the scooter and the shot of Katho and wpyogi made me smile. The bus does look crowded in that shot but you're able to sit down, later it would be standing sardines! Carry on...

And how can I forget the original Cinderella! Stunning! or was it Little Red Riding Hood....

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Originally Posted by Guirigay

And how can I forget the original Cinderella! Stunning! or was it Little Red Riding Hood....

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Little Red Riding Hood is her evil twin....she comes out to play if your lucky haha

Hahahahaha! That's right Tiz

....If you're lucky
Hahahahaha


Clarity....there was pizza at Bella Donnas? How the crap did we miss that? Oh well....must go back! lol

And yeah that was the same look on my face when I entered C&D for the first time,and also the second. It's the only country bar I will EVER set foot in.....Love you Tiz, but that's the truth!
LOL

Well there goes everything I had planned for this wknd HAHAHAHA (I Kid)

Lol....you better be kidding!
Dont make little red riding hood angry now!
Haha

Oh yes, pizza at Bella Donnas! I had a slice last week. Believe me, I made a be-line for that pie, probably pushed people out of the way b/c I missed it in April as well, lol! Tomato and onion, i think...so simple but so good.

Awesome pics, Clarity!!!

Scooter Team Bravo, hehehehe.

Thanks Angel, Marley, Tizzy, Guirigay!

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Originally Posted by TizzyATX

Little Red Riding Hood is her evil twin....she comes out to play if your lucky haha

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Lol!!

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Originally Posted by wpyogi

Oh yes, pizza at Bella Donnas! I had a slice last week. Believe me, I made a be-line for that pie, probably pushed people out of the way b/c I missed it in April as well, lol! Tomato and onion, i think...so simple but so good.
Awesome pics, Clarity!!!
Scooter Team Bravo, hehehehe.

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Thanks Wpyogi! I’m determined to try Pizza at Bella Donna’s next time we get to Negril!