Gerry G's TRAIL OF ASHES TOUR Final Chapter -- The Mighty Californian's return

off to another cool adventure while I experience the polar vortex in Chicago!

Hey Gerry123, Kimbo and myself had a great time hanging with you and Kevin at Ivans the night before we left. That chocolate cake we had for dessert is just one good reason to go back. We are back at Sea Star Feb.14th and I booked another week at Sea Star for April, 21st. Hope to see you during Boardie week.

On the way back towards the hill, I stopped and say hi to Stepaside, one of the most respected jerk-chicken guys. I was surprised the stocky barrel chef had not seen the video we made together six months prior, but sometimes I forget just how remote Negril is.

I am so happy every time I see a familiar face. Like I said, I feel more and more at home on every visit, and this is a big reason why. I guess I’ve been to Negril about 20 times now, averaging a little more than a week per visit adding up to maybe a total of six full months all together over ten years. The best six months of my life, that’s for sure.

I loaded up at a little store called Wise Choice, especially juice, but when I got to the room I realized most of the rum was gone. The JB overproof goes down like water in Negril. Never had a single hangover, and we drank a LOT.

At Sunset, I headed out to Sir D Lookout – just me and the sun, not a single other person except the barmaid – then I made my all the way down the hill at dusk to Hi Lo. The overproof there for 750 liters for $1480j – the rate is basically 100 to one now so easy to figure out -- but Marko later scolded me from not using the Chinaman shop near Pee Wees, as the intoxicant is about 15 percent less there.

Debars was calling my name on the ride back, so I stopped in. Eddie is still around of course, and the aging cook was in good spirits.

At Seastar Inn, Rob was there early for the party webcast, and today was his birthday.

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Kevin on balcony, late night at Seastar Inn

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Seastar yardies

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Ahh Bees burger, second time (this time he had buns)

greetins pon da Rock..........everyone misses GerryG.........yah mon ....yah mon.....yah mon

great report as usual............

Cool Runnings, Marko

Here is video from Catcha Falling Star w canucks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOJOSmd22Vo

Cool, you caught me and my family in your video, that's me in the green shirt. Had a great time this trip!

Here are some more pics:

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Checkin out the flesh at Hedo

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Chocolate almond brownie at Ahh Bees

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Seastar Chris and CaptainD at bar

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Reggae star Luciano hangin' at Seastar Inn. He stayed in room 7.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by saeyedoc

Cool, you caught me and my family in your video, that's me in the green shirt. Had a great time this trip!

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Hey Doc! I wondered if that was you. Cool, now I can put a face to you. :-)

And some more pics as we pick up steam:

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Red Stripe with Negril ocean in background

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Rochelle, the beautiful server at Seastar Inn

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Sunset in Jamaica

yeah gerry!

so... Luciano... did he end up resheduling?...

I'm not sure but all was irie.

Gerry123....the beach looks in good shape, just like I recall.

Thanks for making it hard to be here rather than there....it's killing me.... :(

Please continue with your awesome report and pictures. Thanks!

The Saturday Night party at Seastar Inn is always fun, and I've enjoyed perhaps a dozen of them through the years. But the drummers going on for 45 minutes can sometimes be a bit much for my precious ears, and it's sometimes nice to escape to the room for a few minutes -- and watch the event stream live on the computer a few yards away from all the action.

So that's what Kevin and I did, sharing drinks and stories of old Negril while ocasionally making a foray to where the action was.

At this point, I had been in Negril for nearly a week, and I was getting fully acclimated to the eat-drink-smoke-swim-repeat lifestyle that makes vacationing in Jamaica so utterly fun.

There was no where else in the world I wanted to be. And I so love the Seastar Inn. The desk had been nice enough to knock a few dollars off the rack rate because I'm a loyal customer and because -- I assume -- I go out of way to promote the hotel as much as possible, and there is no way you could switch me to any of the more prestigious properties like Caves or Catcha or Coco. With my scooter, I can be anywhere with the ease of my foot pressing down on a kickstarter, so I don't miss a thing behind set back a bit from the ocean, and there is nowhere you can trade the comfort and security and friendships associated with the Seastar Inn.

It is, quite simply, the best hotel in the whole world. For me, and for a lot of regulars, some of whom have millions of dollars in their bank accounts but never switch loyalties. As long as Chris and Francine are running the place, I will always return.

Here are some pics:

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School kids in Negril

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"Attention, have you seen a tourist who goes by the alias Gerryg123?"

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At Seastar, we call this pasta with lobsta

So, how was the pasta sauce? No need to ask how the lobsta was!

Gerry I hope it was epic as always my friend. I am not sure if you can call someone you have never met a friend but if you can I include you in those ranks. Jamaica seems so much better when I am not there but reading your reports thank you for the pictures the insight and above all the honest accounting of your adventures into our One Love Place called Jamaica! Live well me friend! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jamadian

So, how was the pasta sauce?

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Like kissing god.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

Like kissing god.

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I'd would have prefer if you'd said "like kissing an angel"...LMFAO

An ambitious party girl who shall remain nameless managed to circumvent Seastar Inn security and knocked on my door at 8:30 in the morning on Sunday, and i sent her away without opening the door.

What can I say? When you’re not in the mood, you’re not in the mood. I think I’ve outgrown that whole scene even though it’s so common for single guys in Negril. I didn’t a little soiree with Nicky on my second day, and from that point on I was in look-but-don’t-touch mode for the whole vacation; just wasn’t turned on by that whole deal, and I’m keeping it real in this report.

Instead I went to church up the hill, though I guess I mistimed it and didn’t see anyone there today. I needed to get some Lime minutes on the phone Marko had lent me, and I’m so clueless about how to load the minutes that I went all the way down the hill to meet Marko so he could do it for me – 300j last a long time for a lot of calls.

We had coffee together at Pee Wees, then I jumped in the ocean with raft No. 2, and it was fun floating around in the caves next to Pee Wees in front of Moonlight Villas and Blue Cave Castle. I met a fellow expat named Jeff who has been in Negril for a LONG time, then bumped into Bobo up the road – and of course like so many locals he begged for money. God I hate that. I gave him 500j, but I prefer spending money with folks who are willing to work. I learned this last reach from Pearcy, when he screamed at a beggar: “I work and you don’t work!”

Then I motored to Seasplash and said hi to the bartender Natasha before more time on raft No. 1 on the ocean. There, as I floated along, I took stock of my life:

 I have a good job but don’t make as much money as I would like.

 I’m relatively healthy for a 50-year-old but wish I was more athletic like back in the day.

 I’m got friends and lovers in Los Angeles, but I crave so much attention that I’m often desperately lonely.

 My main focus for recreation is going to Negril, but I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep coming here as responsibilities build and my two young daughters get older.

 I have a civil relationship with my ex-wife, but she drinks too much and is often unreasonable and unpredictable.

 I’m still hurting from the death of my father 14 months ago. He died from a disease that made the last six months of his life unbearable, and it kills me that I couldn’t do enough to comfort him.

 And finally, I don’t think I’m doing enough to make a difference in the world. Helping others is the most important thing in the world for me, but too often I’m fixated on my own indulgences, and there is an underlying guilt about having so much fun in Negril.

Well, that was quite a nice and real post Gerry.
A lot of people feel the same way.

You're becoming enlightened, Gerry. I think when we reach a certain age, and also with the loss of a parent/parents, we start to reexamine our lives and start to "transition." It's a good thing! I've enjoyed your trip report and like the new and improved Gerry.

There's a time when everyone gets over the drama of relationships. I am glad you found your center my friend.

You nailed it Gerry... When or where else can you really just stop and 'reflect'... Back home it's all go go go or all routine- no time for that. Negril... you have all day to think about nothing or everything...

I always come back a better person and more focused...

GerryG,

About the only good thing about getting old is that you do get smarter!!

Respect,

TedP

The service is so hit and miss in Negril, even at my favorite places. I ordered french fries at Seasplash, and even though the property was nearly empty, the order took a full hour to arrive. Interestingly, at one point one of the servers said my fries would be up in “two or three more minutes,” but it was still a half-hour from that point.
I didn’t care. I was living it up on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, enjoying the ocean and ogling all the beautiful girls.

I returned to Seastar Inn and hung out for a bit with regular-guest Kimbo and Kevin. Soon I was hungry again and ordered a plate of spaghetti, my favorite entree. I took a swim in the pool and made my back to my room, took a nice long nap, then returned to the bar, where I visited with fattyontherock and Captain D, a 72-year old who loves to regale me about stories of old Negril.

Captain D is staying two doors down from me. He’s a very nice man, and he so enjoys socializing. It was about 8:30 p.m. when I motored down to Hi-Lo for supplies, and I was shocked the place had closed down so early. On the way back, I stopped in at No Limit Bar, where I again saw the beautiful tourist from Virginia with her dad. I have nicknamed her Ms. Virginia, and she smiles widely whenever I call her by that name. She and her father are staying at Sunset Inn.

At No Limit, we watched the end of an NFL game. I had a big container of fruit punch to bring back to my room – when you mix it with JB overproof, the drink goes down like water – and the ensuing hours were spent going back and forth between my room and the bar, chatting with fattyontherock and Kevin and Garrett. The dog came to visit with us in my room, and we drank a lot according to my extensive notes that I update every few hours so I don’t forget anything.

I’ve done a series of Trail of Ashes reports, and folks seem to like them. But if I don’t take notes, it’s easy to forget the little details. The way things work, I usually steadily fall behind in reporting as the days move on, then finish once I get back, like I’m doing now. This gives me a chance to relive my vacation all over again, and that’s a good benefit, having discovered negril.com and remaining loyal to this site despite the occasional personality clashes that present themselves on open forums on the Net.

Oh, and keep coming back because I have lots of videos in the usual ya-mon style that folks seem to enjoy. The best is yet to come. Ya mon, ya mon, ya mon.

Play on 123... play on :cool:

Gerry, nice touch with the vulnerability and inventory checklist. Much the antithesis of chow chow. Floating in coves and off the beach will do that for a person immersed in Negril. Enjoying your report so far, ya mon.

Turned down booty call....
Went to Church....
Becoming enlightened...
So long Seastar Hello Negril yoga centre!!!

Just razzin ya Gerry! Good luck on your Journey. Maybe now is the time to grow up. Me, I think ill wait a few more years!! lol

I am apologizing to you did not not know that its a hijack was just trying to post my store that of someone visitors comes on the trail and they need to shop they would come at my store i am very very sorry and i hope my apology accepted
NUFF RESPECT EVERY TIME

No worries, Quality and Faye!
Rob will help you out with the postings! :)

gerry123, you have definitely grown up!!! . . .

Glad to hear Gerry.

Bless

Here are some pics:

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No limit bar

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The beautiful ocen

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Tedds world famous tea

Am I ever going to see you with a New England Patroits hat on? That would be cool :-)

effin hilarious. Magnum and Tea... Watch out negril!

The ocean gods were not smiling on Negril on Monday, Jan. 6. The sea was a bit rough, so no snorkeling/spear-fishing today, but still it was calm enough to bobble out there on my raft and think about all that was good in the world.

It’s weird. When I am in Los Angeles, sometimes I imagine I am someone else, usually a member of the rock band Motley Crue. In Negril, such thoughts never pass through my mind. I am too obsessed with doing something fun every minute of the day, and that includes falling into zen mode.

At Seasplash, as I was emerging from the ocean, an elder local was screaming at a young security guard, throwing out a bunch of “bumbleclots” and what have you. I thought it was pretty crass because the guard appeared to be only about 18 years old, but as weird as this sounds, Jamaicans screaming at one another is barely worth a second glance in Negril – it’s just part of the fabric. Incidents that would warrant a 911 call in the USA are often seen as unimportant here, and perhaps that’s a good thing; I’ve yet to decide.

Gus, the tourist who had showed me his scar from being hit by lightening, was present. He’s an affable, outgoing guy who has been coming to Treehouse (next door) for a long time, and everyone on the beach seems to know him. I like him, too.

Today turned into a foodie day. I visited both Ahh Bees and Italian Cafe. Ahh Bees was recommended by Booger (great guy) and others, and Italian Cafe is Memphis Mike’s favorite spot.

I switched rooms at Seastar to No. 4, perfectly situated downstairs a few steps from the front gate and next-door to Seastar Kimbo. It’s where Suzie Q used to stay a few trips ago and Kentucky tourist MaryJayne once or twice, too.

At the Corner Bar, I ran into Bobby from Canada, who loves the party girl scene. He has fallen in love with a particular local girl who ended up breaking his heart. How? After knowing her for a series of visits, he got her a job at Coco La Palm, then bought her uniforms, but the next day, when it came time to show up for work for the first time, she decided not to go. She simply didn’t want to work, and he was really disappointed about this – and rightfully so.

But perhaps it’s not surprising.

I, too, had fallen for a local girl a couple of years back named Jodie, who was a regular girl and not a hustler-type despite being dirt poor, and I remember being startled when I suggested that maybe I had enough pull to get her a job at Seastar yet she said no way.

Hey Gerry, sorry we didn't get to have a drink together New Years Eve. That was our last nite there. We did get to party with Chickster though. Its sounds to me like you are enjoying Negril more than ever.

Gerry I am enjoying your report! I have a suggestion for you regarding Los Angeles; try emailing me through my profile, and include your email address.