TRAIL OF ASHES TOUR: The adventure continues as Gerry G returns to Negril

I made my way back, and this time I found Negril Spa Resort. It's a beautiful place, very well-designed layout, and everything is NEW (or new looking).

There is a total of one guest staying at the resort. It's very quiet, but a nice thing about the property is there is sandy beach access, too, so you kind of get the best of both worlds -- the cliffs and the beach.

The bartender, Marcia (wants to be in report), is a nice lady, tall and thin with a friendly smile but kinda of a shy demeanor that's common among ladies in Negril (just an observation).

She makes me a GREAT blended fruit drink. Slightly more expensive ($8 USD) but significantly bigger than your average daiquiri-type drink.

Plus you get the view, of course.

I felt like I had a lot of energy. Back on the scooter, I could have left right towards the Cliffs and Seastar Inn, but instead I went left, back to the beach again. I guess the sand was calling my name.

The sun was brightening. It's a hot one day. Thank god for that cool ocean breeze that makes Negril such a gem of the Caribbean. Plus, there's usually a body of water close by -- just a great place to feel the heat.

At Seasplash, I hung out with Natasha, the friendly bartender near the beach. I chilled on raft, enjoying the flow of the ocean.

did you find Jodie? just ride into Red Ground (or whereever you think she lives) and ask someone - she'll show up in no time

Keep readin' Saveen ..... (but yes!)

Thanks for bringing us on your vacation AGAIN Gerry!! What would we read without ya? lol

Here are some pics (top to bottom):

1, Steven West live n direct from Seastar Inn

2, This one puts the MMMM in M n G Montreal

3, Snorkeling with friends

So where is Jodie ?

Later I went to Bentley's, then Westender Inn for the Sunday-night bonfire. There I hooked up with Negril Bill, whom I've met a few times in past reaches. There was a pig roast, but I was already full. Instead, I chatted with Bill and a fellow expat -- attractive lady in her 40s with a great tan -- as the bonfire burned and cracked and sent little embers into the Caribbean sky. It was bliss.

Oh Gerry you are killin me. I have had those magic moments at the bonfire at Westender......bliss describes it perfectly. Miss them so much, please give them all my love if you go out there again. Keep havin fun and take care Mr.

Just doing some catching up on my reading, I am sooo jealous you are already there Gerry, lolol! Tell Bobo I said hi and I will try and call me again when you see him again, k? I have forty days to go myself!!! :D

Hey Gerryg123 - I've been really enjoying your on-site updates and pictures from Negril! Glad to hear that you're having an awesome time! Please Keep it coming! :)

Let me tell you all that one of the highlights of our vacation has been time spent with Gerryg! He lives on a plane where there are 19 days per week and 74 hours per day! He is the brother you always wanted, the cousin you wish you had and the friend you wish all your friends could be. We went for a fabulouse dinner at his friend Bentley's, and you know what? The dinner was fab! Outstanding. Met 4 other great Boardies! The food was par excellence - and if you think Gerryg is entertaining ... you gotta meet Bentley!!! Old days Will Smith on crack and prozac at the same time! HOWEVER. The most poignant moment was our Gerryg. There was some altercation in the neighbourhood, and a child was getting hit or spanked or slapped. Our Gerrg just said "Do you hear that? If it goes on ... I'm stopping that. That's not OK!!!!!! Now how many of us have thought of him as the defender of the downtrodden? The defenseless? Think again! He was adamant! Takes a lot to get our Gerrg riled .... but a kid beng harmed? Yeeesh!

(Sorry, Gerryg! I said you could blog about me, so it works in reverse!!! :))

We are blessed to have Gerryg in our lives! He is more wonderful than his words (he's a wordsmith .. but what lies beyond? A lot! )Take life to max, Ger' - and show us all how

The mmmmmm in M&G

On Monday, I met fellow boardie Justchuck at Negril Relax Resort -- a nicer-than-I-thought beach resort that's a converted Merrils. He's a great photographer, and he gave me some prints of some gerryg pics from prior reports. Chuck had three friends that all met together in Negril, and they were just finishing breakfast.

I had already eaten at least twice, of course (lol), so I had an orange juice, and we sat together and had a nice chat.

Together we walked down the beach because Chuck wanted a Jamaica towel, and I tagged along and decided I wanted a towel, too. I told Chuck to let me do all the negotiated so I could sweeten the deal at the end by adding my towel, but Chuck has been around, and he handled it. We bought from Tony on the beach, and amazingly, I remembered him but he did not remember me and did NOT fib that he did -- that's not something you see every day -- and eventually Famous Vincent pulled up for a snorkeling trip.

We all jumped in the boat.

A few of us went snorkeling/spearfishing, and the others remained on the boat.

We landed on Booby Cay island just off the coast fro Point Village. There, a guy was sorting out a big haul of conch, as big birds flew overhead and a large eagle ray swam up and made its hello. We hung out for a while, having the island to ourselves. It was fun.

BTW, Chuck and his party are the ONLY ones at Negril Relax Resort. His room was towards the back of the property, and i chided him about not negotiating for a room closer to the beach, seeing has he was the only one there and a $10 handshake was not even necesssary to upgrade, but Chuck said that was the room he wanted. I called Bentley, and we made plans for all of us to eat dinner there tomorrow.

Here are some pics (top to bottom):

1, Truckin' along with Alice, M & G Montreal's daughter ....

2, Enjoyin' lobster to the fullest at Catcha Falling Star

3, Chillin w Gary of M & G Montreal

4, The Peanut Man on Cliffs doin' his thing

5, Gas station attendant at Shell -- great guy

Nice pics! Loving your posts....helping to survive until Dec. LOL Great picture of the gas station attendant...so glad to see that one. I can still recall when we had full service stations here in the states. Warms my heart to see his smiling face.

Been looking for you around town! Think you passed by during the 3 dives webcast!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tfw73

Been looking for you around town! Think you passed by during the 3 dives webcast!

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Sea Star is usually a good bet....

Bentley insisted on a deposit for a dinner for seven peeps, so I motored over and gave him a $100 USD advance, then sat for a chat a bit of cold cherry juice I had been storing there.

I went to Seastar Inn for a swim.

Later, I met a new friend, Tamara, and we chilled at Seastar Inn, drinking rum and enjoying subs.

I slept well.

Here are some pics (top to bottom):

1, Nice day at the beach

2, Blended fruit drink at Negril Spa Resort

3, Roger, first mate for snorkeling king Famous Vincent

4, Chillin' with Seastar Inn co-owner Francine

Hey Gerry G!
Which part of the beach is that first photo taken? Looks like a perfect beach day!
Glad to see that you are having a blast!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

Here are some pics (top to bottom):

1, Nice day at the beach

2, Blended fruit drink at Negril Spa Resort

3, Roger, first mate for snorkeling king Famous Vincent

4, Chillin' with Seastar Inn co-owner Francine

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I think it's near Relax Resort ....

LOVE the White Sox cap :p

That picture of the blended fruit drink at the Spa Retreat is killin' me! Looks sooooo good! I just wanted to reach into my computer and remove it from the photograph!
That beach shot is gorgeous too
Love it! More pics please :)

Hey GerryG! You still in Negril? Can't believe I haven't caught up with you yet. Heading to Canoe for the cast later today...maybe I'll see you there!

Heard that Gerry is now foreign.

I got back early this morning .... great trip!

Tuesday morning was a beautiful day in Negril. Alicia was working the bar at Seasplash and doing a great job. Famous Vincent pulled up, and together we caught nine fish spearfishing, including a nice puffer fish.

Just as we were winding things down pon the ocean, a storm moved in. We could see the rain clouds and even the rain in the distance. I motored to the store and bought some juice and snacks. I bumped into Gas up the hill, and he was nice to me -- significant considering our history.

At Fun Holiday, there was a webcast party, and I tagged along. It was fun. Darrin, the bartender, made me a great mango slush, as the ocean lipped up against the sand with a cool breeze blowin' and lots of folks walkin' the beach, enjoying the afternoon.

I floated around in my raft.

Later, I went to the Indian store for some souvenirs.

While coming back up the hill, the rain picked up, and I found myself seeking shelter at Chubby's pizza (used to be Archway). There were a couple of local ladies and a baby at the restaurant, but oddly no workers in site (try that in a big US city!).

That night, I brought my laptop to Bentley's, and for the first time ever he saw the internet and some of his youtube/negril.com movies. He LOVED it! Justchuck, M & G Montreal and a few others were with me at Bentleys, and the chef made a feast consisting of seafood, chicken, pasta and a few other things.

Tony drove us there and back. He's a nice cabbie who hangs at Seastar Inn. I gave him a nice tip plus a left-over Bentley's plate, and Tony seemed happy. A nice lady named Sarah and another Newbie checked into Seastar Inn, and together we all drank rum drinks at the bar. The girls and a rasta friend went to Alfreds, and the rest of us stayed at the bar and kept drinking. It was fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

That night, I brought my laptop to Bentley's, and for the first time ever he saw the internet and some of his youtube/negril.com movies. He LOVED it! Justchuck, M & G Montreal and a few others were with me at Bentleys, and the chef made a feast consisting of seafood, chicken, pasta and a few other things.

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That's awesome! I can hear his laugh in my head right now - I'm sure he got a real kick out of that. That's so cool that you brought your laptop and showed him.:D

Just chuck was takin' pics of Bentley's reaction .... Should be fun pics.

Here are some pics (top to bottom):

1, Justchuck and better half

2, Server Marcia from Negril Spa

3, Out on the open seas

4, Bartender Patrick from Treehouse

5, Seasplash manager Sheryl Clarke, nice lady

6, Spearfish haul ...

Marcia was our server too at Spa Retreat for our Anniversary dinner.
She was a sweetheart. It's really nice seeing her again :)

I remember Patrick from Treehouse, excellent bartuff! :)

Hey Gerry, it was fun hanging with you. Pics will soon come. The evening with Bentley was priceless!

Glad you had another great trip. Thank you for all the pictures and stories.

It's 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning at Seastar Inn. I'm sitting alone in the open-air lobby, just me and my laptop and the hotel's resident dog, Boy, a beautiful Rottweiler mix that belongs to Garrett but was first adopted by hotel owner Chris, who rescued Boy after finding him as a puppy "tied to a tree with a really short rope," Chris told me.

It's a beautiful dog, and sometimes we would even hang together in room 6 when both of us were in the mood for mid-day air conditioning.

Chris is an exceptionally gracious man with a big heart. He also takes care of a young man named Shaky, whom he and the hotel staff "adopted" years ago when the youngster was abandoned and had no where to go. There is also a one-armed maintenance worker on the property, and I doubt the poor soul would have been able to find similar work at one of the all-inclusives on seven-mile beach. At Seastar Inn, they all fit right in.

I waited until 830 a.m. or so until Out of Town pastry had their patties ready, then fired up the motor bike. I took off up the hill, past Rick's cafe to the Out of Town. I bought a big batch, mostly veggie, and brought them to Banton's, where there are always a group of hungry Rasta's.

My Negril cell rang. It was Famous Vincent, wondering when I would be ready for spearfishing (I went every day). It was a little choppy, so we made plans to meet at 2:30 p.m. In the interim, I bought three chapsticks (lips getting too much sun, and I lose things easily), and then I went to Seasplash (I have 2 rafts there), where I had my usual fruity drinks plus a nice order of french fries with lots of ketchup (love the Jamaican ketchup). Bumped into Rob and Lisa at Seasplash. It was technically his day off, I think, because there was no webcast meet, but I joked with him that was working anyway.

Later, fellow boardie Smokin Kevan called. I couldn't wait to meet him and his wife. He was staying at Rooms (nice place BTW), and together we sat near the ocean, drinking and doin' whatever. He's a great guy. He had only been in Negril for one night and was already so relaxed. We shared some war stories. It was great.

Well Gerry-glad you had a another goodtime and made it back in one piece..Nice to meet you and our chat was fun...sorry we didnt make it to the rum party-but was just doing some major chilling while in Negril for a couple of days..

So when you going back ???

Suzen! You have to wait for your chapter -- you gave away a surprise, lol .... Mi come back soon .... Nice meeting you too!!!!

Here are some pics (top to bottom):

1, Ricks Cafe pumpin' at Sunset

2, Appleton or JB? Thumbs up to both

3, Famous Vincent on the open sea

4, gerryg123 .... ya mon

OMG, I realized I forgot to pay Bantons the $300j I owed him for a couple of bottled waters earlier in the day, but there was something more important: He had tracked down Jody, and the plan was for all of us to meet later at Banton's.

I was planning to head up there anyway, plus Banton's neighbor, Keith from Philly, called to remind me he was returning to Negril the next day; Keith and I have become good friends through the past year or two, and we talk on the phone all time time in USA.

I said goodbye to Kevan and his pretty wife and the waitress (Keisha), and I fired up the motor bike.

In the meantime, I stopped by Seastar Inn for a quick swim, and there I met Suzen Grace, who is a respected poster on several different Negril boards. She was staying next door to me at Seastar Inn in Room 4 (Suzi Q's former room), and as things turned out, we're both from Los Angeles and know a lot of the same peeps -- not just in California but Negril, too. Suzen is extremely good looking, and like many of us she has a zesty love and affection for all things Jamaica.

It was Wednesday, which means LOVE BUS BAR CRAWL Day, and I knew we would be heading towards Bantons cause the second-to-last-stop is Westender Inn. I caught up with the bus on my scooter at Pee Wees; just by chance, Bentley was there on the corner cause Pee Wees is just down the road from his restaurant.

We also went to Bella Donna, where I made arrangements to eat a meal there later in the week, and we went to Negril Escape -- very nice place. I remember someone had said Negril Escape was not in perfect condition, particularly the pool (green???), but as things turned out, the property is in perfect condition and quite lovely and well cared for; I can't think of a better deal than an oceanfront room there with AC and pool for 70 per night.

At Banton's, there was Jody. We hugged and smiled. I was glad to see her. She hopped on the bike, and we scooted in pursuit of the Love Bus to Westender Inn, where we caught up and laughed together. The last stop was Sir D Lookout, and it was like a coming-home party for Jodie because she used to live across the street.

The road to Red Ground can be a long one if you don't have transportation nor a spare change for a taxi to visit friends.

Later, I hosted the first of several unofficial "rum parties" that began at 10 p.m. (or earlier, lol) at Seastar Inn. Generally, I would order four or five from the bar and in the interim fix four or five in Room 6, and the strategy usually got me where I wanted to go rather quickly.

Another yardie, Luis, originally from Argentina, had checked in as my neighbor on the other side (along with his girlfriend), in Room 8, and we all had become hang-out buddies. He was learning to scuba, and he was a good guy. The party continued at Roots Bamboo, and by the time I crashed late into the morning, I had a big smile on my face.