Mr. and Mrs. D go to Negril - A Trip Report

After spending the day on the resort grounds, it was finally time to venture out and enjoy some dinner and maybe some nightlife. We went back to our room to get ready to go to Canoe Bar.

Outside the gates of HSH, we waved down a red plate taxi. The driver took us to Canoe and offered to come back and pick us up later. He said we could pay him at the end of the night. I negotiated a price and asked him to come back at 10:00.

We went into Canoe Bar and grabbed a table right by where Greenie's band was playing. It was a little bit after sunset when we arrived and the webcast scene was already dying down. The band was terrific and played a little while longer while we enjoyed dinner and drinks. We even bought a great CD from the band (I play it all the time at home). By the time we paid our dinner bill, the bar was completely empty. It was just us and Kirby hanging out in the main area of the bar, and I didn't think he wanted to keep the place open just for us. I called our driver and asked if he could pick us up a little earlier than planned (I think it was 9:30). Kirby offered to get us some more drinks, but I could tell he was ready to close and we were ready to move on to our next destination.

Our driver arrived and we bid farewell to the remaining staff at Canoe Bar. We hopped in the car and asked the driver to take us somewhere on the beach where we can hear some music...

Great pic Mike!! haha Still enjoying the TR, your style of writing is real easy to read while good on detail.

Give Mrs.D my best :)

This is great! Thanks for writing it.

Really enjoying your report! Great pictures, love the one of the HSH cliffs with Blue Cave in the background. Looking forward to the rest! :)

You write a great report and luvin' the pics too!

Thanks Tizzy! Mrs. D. sends her regards and says she loves your pic on C&D Connie's facebook page.

Glad you're enjoying my attempt at a TR, sbeth. I'll try to keep it interesting.

Thanks, Beth Ann. HSH is in a great spot for pictures. If you turn to the left, you have a great view of BCC. If you turn to the right you can see the SPA Retreat (not as impressive as BCC, IMO) and the seven mile beach. The beach looks pretty cool at night when it's lit up.

Thanks for the encouragement, Justchuck. More to come.

Ok, so when we left off, we were leaving Canoe Bar and heading out for a night of fun.

The driver started to take us up the Beach Rd. He told us that tonight is Thursday, so the best party scene would be at The Jungle. Mrs. D. and I are not big on the club/dancehall scene so we told the driver that we were looking for someplace with live music and a chilled-out vibe. Looking a little confused, our driver pulled into a driveway on the beach side of the road. I'm not sure, but I think it was Roots Bamboo. The place was dark and quiet and didn't appear to be hosting any event that night. There were a couple men out front and our driver asked them if they knew where there was live music tonight. One of the men suggested Bourbon Beach, so we gave it a shot.

We arrived at BB and I paid our driver as he was going home for the night. I figuerd we wouldn't have any trouble finding a taxi on the beach road when it was time to go home. There were a couple Bourbon Beach Employees at the front door collecting for admission. One door man said that it would be $10 admission, because they were having live music and a fashion show that night. That seemed a little high, based on my research, but I paid the fee and we entered BB to grab a seat at the bar.

SIDE NOTE: I have heard that Bourbon Beach is now under new management and has really turned things around, in terms of quality. When we were there in April the old management was still running the place, and it was apparent that some things needed to be changed. On our next reach (one week from today!) I am looking forward to checking the place out again since I don't think it was up to it's full potenial on the night we were there.

Once we entered BB, we headed toward the bar at the center of the property, on the beach. Immediately, I felt that the place had a very strange vibe and I wasn't quite comfotable. First of all, it was very empty. Not only was it empty of people, but the entire patio area was cleared of any tables and chairs. There were a few picnic tables on the beach. Secondly, we were the only non-Jamaicans there and everybody else seemed to be looking for someone to hustle. A couple of vendors came around but they didn't really bother us at all. It was some of the men and the Jamaican "working girls" sitting around the bar that made me uncomfortable by staring at us. There was actually another tourist couple that came in and sat next to us at the bar. They were staying at Sandals and didn't really like it so they decided to get off the compound an check out some of the nightlife. They seemed more uncomfortable than we did and left soon after they arrived.

Here's where is starts getting strange. We had been there for about an hour and the music still hadn't started. We were talking to the bartender - a nice older guy who was telling us stories about when he was a bartender when the "hippies" first came to Negril in the 70's - and enjoying a few Red Stripes. Eventually, the Stripes got to me and I had to get up to go to the men's room. When I returned, I found Mrs. D. enjoying a sub sandwich with one of the working girls and a man at the bar. My wife ran up to me and said, "Babe! These nice people shared a sub with me!". I thought, "That's my naive wife again!". I just smiled because I knew there was some kind of hustle coming. So I grabbed a seat at the bar, and the man that was sharing the sub leaned over and said, "Hey mon, my name is Rasta Johnny". I said "Hi" to Rasta Johnny and we bumped fists. He then said to me, "I just shared a sub with your lady, so now you owe me 10 bucks". Not wanting to argue, I pulled a few bucks out of my pocket and I gave it him. A little annoyed, we got up and sat at one of the picnic tables by the stage and listened to the band that was now playing. The music was more of R&B than reggae, but it was still good. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Rasta Johnny and his lady friend had gotten up from the bar and moved closer to the stage, as well. They were standing about 10 feet away and appeared to be watching us.

After the band finished, we watched the fashion show. (Apparently the clothes that were being modeled were available for purchase after the show.) Bourbon Beach was still pretty empty at this point, so we decided to call it a night. I figured we could just walk out to the road an wave down a taxi. As we walked out the exit, Rasta Johnny began to follow us. Outside BB, he asked us what we were doing. I said, "We're just going to grab a taxi and head back to our hotel". Rasta Johnny said,"Ok, let me help you. Let's cross the street - it's easier to flag down a taxi on the other side of the road". Now, the outside of BB was completely dark, and so were the surrounding establishments. There were also very few cars on the road, which made it eerily quiet. We stood around for a few minutes when a speeding car came to halt and Rasta Johnny walked over and talked to driver and another occupant of the car. This was a small 2-door sports car with white plates. Obviously not a taxi. Rasta Johnny says,"C'mon, they will give you a ride back to your hotel. I know these guys. They are good guys. I trust them". I said, "No, thank you. I'm waiting for a red plate". The driver then said,"I am a taxi driver. This is a new car and I haven't gotten my red plates, yet". We still refused while they tried to convince us to get in the car. Just then, a red plate taxi came speeding by and I waved him to a stop. Rasta Johnny abandoned the other car and ran over to the taxi, as if he had something to do with it. He opened the door for us and gestured for us to get in. He said,"Here you go, have a safe ride back to your hotel". He then stood by the taxi waiting for a tip. Again, not wanting to argue, I gave Rasta Johnny the last 2 dollars in my pocket and we were on our way back to Home Sweet Home.

Later on, my wife recalled that the girl at the bar was asking her if we wanted to "have a good time tonight". My wife told her that we were having plenty of fun on our own. The girl persisted and said, "Well Jamaica is a place to try new things". I think Mrs. D. finally put 2 and 2 together after that.

All in all, we still had a fun night and I chalked it all up to a learning experience.

that story reminds me of the time my friend and i were the "choice" of some tourist guys -- the "pimp" actually came over and checked us out - like he was going to employ us in his business - after i said something in my speaky spokey voice - he retreated . . . the tourist guys had to go with their second choice - lol

DOH!@!!! That sucks man, but lesson learned.

So y'all werent up for "trying new things" eh? LOLOLOL

That is crazy, Seveen!

There was actually another tourist guy that night who appeared to be staying at Bourbon Beach. He came down from the 2nd floor rooms and started talking to one of the guys at the bar (a pimp?). I could not hear the conversation but wife said that he was trying to solicit some "companionship" for the evening. Apparently, nobody wanted to do business with him and he stomped away, upset and disgruntled.

LOL, Tizzy! We're pretty boring, but I guess I can't blame the girl for trying.

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Originally Posted by Seveen

. . . the tourist guys had to go with their second choice - lol

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I remember that night. I was the second choice.

Enjoying your report, Mike! So glad you went with your instinct and didn't get into that "taxi." :-)

This is great, getting to know you before I meet you & the Mrs next Friday. Can't wait for our bar crawl.

Nice trip report..lol...Rasta Johnny sound like a big hustler..lol

More please!!!

Thanks,

VVHT

nice report, bud...your ticker is making me jealous...

Really nice report, good writing style too~~ EVERYBODY'S TICKER makes me jealous... DAMM I NEED A PLAN~~

Nice report, looking through your eyes (okay, words) at the adventure is great.

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I remember that night. I was the second choice.

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gerryg123 you're crackin' me up.

Nice to see HSH from the inside. I walked by there so many times and never went in to see.

Dittos on the ticker envy.

Awesome report Mike!! We stayed at Hedo2 many times and then went up to HSH one April to enjoy the cliffs,lots to be learned once you get out and about the real Negril.We walked to Canoe and beyond many times,even at night but always watching our surroundings,just like we do if we go out in Charlotte.Negril is an awesome place to party and have fun just have to be cautious like you were with the taxi.By the way,lots of sub fixings close to HSH!! Keep this great report coming!

Great Report! First mistake was giving the imposter rasta a dime! LoL !
Just rem that anyone working at the bar would have def got rid of anyone annoying you!
Really sorry you had to endure such a smuck ! Next time just make up an accent and start talkin gibberish and move away!
LoL
One thing I am sure about the hustler jamaican is that there are tests done b4 they move in on their prey!
I ignore dem.

GerryG, you crack me up!

Eden, as nervous as I was, I held my ground and waited for that red plate. Now I know the value of keeping a few drivers phone numbers in my back pocket.

Thanks NikkiV! The bar crawl is going to be a blast!

Rasta Johnny was a hustler, indeed, Chaos6403. Luckily, that was the only time I had to deal with such a situation, and now I know how to better handle people like that in the future.

I'm glad your enjoying it, VVHT, more to come!

Haha, groove16! The fidget is getting bad, now!

Thanks, Jim-Donna! Looks like it's time to start planning that next trip!

Thanks, bjritz! The next time you pass HSH stop in to have a look and maybe grab a drink and bite to eat. It is definitely a welcoming place.

So true, billndonna. As long as you're aware of your surroundings, you will be fine. And you're right about the sub fixins' too! LOL! Plus, you have Jenny Cakes almost across the street. It's great area to chill!

Thanks, Fun in the sun. You are definitely right. I've learned that lesson. (LOL at the "impostor Rasta" - I can now pick em out a mile away!) Part of the weird vibe at BB that night was that bartenders and the locals seemed very cliquey, which made us feel like outsiders. Although the bartender I talked to was very friendly, I didn't get the impression that he would get rid of one of his "friends" if I complained. I was probably wrong and should have spoke up. Oh well, live and learn.

Time to keep this trip report going...

The next day was Friday. Again, we woke up after a good night's sleep and enjoyed breakfast at HSH (Mrs. D. had the Ackee and Saltfish). I believe this is the day we took our first trip to the beach. We had Chris from HSH drop us off at Time Square and arranged for him to pick us up later in the afternoon. We spent about 30 minutes checking out the shops at Time Square and decided it was time to hit the beach. We crossed the street to Kuyaba and headed to the bar. Kuyaba has a pretty robust blended drink menu, so if you're in the mood for something frozen and sweet check it out! We tried a tried a couple concoctions and chatted up the bartender for a bit. After a few drinks at the bar, Kuyaba had no problem letting us chill on their beach. In fact, the security guard even fetched us some lounge chairs and towels. He also did a good job of keeping the touts away, when they weren't wanted. We layed in the sun, swam in the gorgeous water and bought a couple pattys from the patty man. Everything was perfect and we couldn't have been more elated that afternoon. Soon it was time to head back to Time Square to meet Chris for our ride back. We were a little early, so we grabbed a couple Red Stripes from the bar in the Time Square courtyard. Halfway through our beers, Chris showed up as scheduled. Now, it was time to head back to HSH and get ready for dinner. We had special reservations at Ivan's this evening...

The famous parrots of Kuyaba
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Kuyaba, looking toward Bourbon Beach
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The obligatory "Feet on the Beach" shot
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Think we are all ready for some more Mike ;)

we're ready to go to ivan's Mike_D!

i came looking for this report - thought maybe you finished it while i was away for a few days - put alas your feet are still facing the beach - lol

Sorry for the delay! We returned from our October trip and then I was swamped with work. Time to pick-up pace!

For most of this trip we pretty much winged-it, without any real plans. However this night, we had special dinner reservations at Ivan's. I had read about the Night of a 100 Candles in various trip reports and figured that if we are to have one nice dinner during this trip, that this was the way to go. We got dressed in our nicest casual clothes and went out to the road to grab a taxi. The taxi dropped us off at Catcha's gates, and the security guard let us in when I told him we had a dinner reservation. This was our first time at Catcha Falling Star, and were simply in awe of the property. I scanned the resort and tried to figure out where the different cottages and rooms were, but it was like sensory overload. There was just too much to take in. Someone guided us over to the hostess stand and I gave them our names. The hostess perked-up with wide eyes and said "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. D.! We have been expecting you!" She grabbed 2 personalized menus and guided us over to a private cliff deck that was isolated from the rest of the restaurant. Mrs. D was speechless and remained that way for most of the dinner. We had gotten there just before sunset, so we sat at our table enjoying sparkling wine and watching the sun sink into the horizon before we ordered dinner. Once it was dark enough, our waitress began to light the candles around the table. It was a little windy on this night and some of the candles kept blowing out. Our waitress would promptly return to relight any blown-out candles. After a while I told that she didn't need to do this as the main candles on the table remained lit. That was good enough for us. I don't remember exactly which entrees we had (I'll have to check with the Wife), but I know we had the Jerk Sampler appetizer. The food was absolutely delicious. After dessert we stuck around our table and enjoyed a rum cream under the moonlight. The whole experience was unforgettable and we didn't want to leave our special little table.
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Sunset from the table (sorry, a little blurry)
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Personalized Menu
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Life is good, sometimes...

It was now time to leave Ivan's, but we were not ready to call it a night. The security guard at Catcha found us a driver and we decided to make a stop before we head back to Home Sweet Home.

:) :) :)

Awesome Mike!! Where'd you go next?!?!?

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Originally Posted by TizzyATX

Awesome Mike!! Where'd you go next?!?!?

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To C&D Country and Western Bar!

I had read about C&D on this board and it is basically across the street from HSH, so I figured it would be a good place for a night cap. We asked the taxi driver to drop us off there and he knew exactly where to go. When we got out of the taxi, I noticed that the front door to C&D was closed and the place was dark. We walked around to the side of the building to make sure we were at the right place and I heard a voice. Someone from inside the building asked,"Can I help you?" I looked around and saw a counter on the side of the building with the window open. Inside was a friendly woman who asked if she could get us anything. I said,"That's Ok, we thought you were still open. If you are closing up we'll just stop by tomorrow." The woman said,"No, we're still open. The police drive around at 9:00 pm and make us close our doors but we're still open." I said,"OK. We'll take 2 Red Stripes, then." The woman passed us 2 Red Stripes (wrapped in beer cozies) through the open window, and joined us outside on the side of the building. She said, "Hello, my name is Connie and this is Keisha" as her assistant exited the building. We exchanged greetings and talked for a few minutes. I remembered reading about the infamous, special Jenny Cakes, and since Jenny's restaurant was closed at this point in time I heard that the cakes could now be bought at C&D. So, I asked Connie,"Do you know where I can get some Jenny Cakes?". Connie smiled and said, "Right Here!" She then sent Keisha inside to fetch us a special cake.

Just then, an old hippie, who reminded me of Randy of the Redwoods, came out of nowhere and joined us on the side of the building. "Hey, Connie, what kind of cake do you have today?", he asked. Connie rattled off a few different varieties of cake that she had in stock. The hippie then asked for a piece of banana bread, which Keisha went inside to get for him. He then said to me, "Hey, Man, what kind of cake did you get?" Connie answered for me and told him that we ordered the special cake. He then said to me and Mrs. D.,"You better be careful with that special cake, man! It can knock you out if you eat too much. It's dangerous!" Connie then retorted, "They're Ok. I told them to just try a little piece and see how it affects them. Then eat a little more if you find it too weak." The hippie then asked us where we were from. I told him the truth (Philadelphia), figuring he was harmless. He said, "The USA, eh? There used to be a lot more Americans around here but not anymore. The ratio of Americans to Canadians used be like 7:3; now its more like 50/50." At this point I realized that the hippie was Canadian - probably an expat. He continued his rant,"Now that your country's economy is in the toilet, there are much less Americans coming down here. Man, your country is screwed-up! And don't get me started on George Bush. That man should be in jail!" "In jail?", I questioned. He replied, "Yeah, man! For WAR CRIMES, man! He was behind 9/11. You know that, right? 9/11 was just like Hitler bombing his own army's barracks. You heard about that, right?" Now, I'm not much into discussing politics and much less into conspiracy theories - especially on vacation - so I just kind of laughed it off. Luckily, Connie chimed in with a diplomatic response to cut-off the hippie's rant. "The government is the same in every country. You can't trust any of them." The hippie seemed to agree. He took his banana bread, said his goodbyes and walked away.

Since it was getting late, Mrs. D. and I ordered another round of Red Stripes to-go, and headed back across the street to HSH. We sat on our balcony for a while and reflected on another perfect day in in Negril.

I figured it was about time I got off my butt and finished this TR. There have been so many awesome reports going on lately, that I was just sitting back and enjoying them all. Ok, so here's the next installment...

Saturday

The next day we decided to take a walk up the West End rd and check out all the little shops that we passed on our taxi rides. We turned right out of Home Sweet Home and stopped at any shop that was open along the way. We got as far as Sips and Bites and figured it was time for a drink. Sips and Bites doesn't sell beer but the woman working there told us that we were free to buy a couple Red Stripes at the grocery store next door and then sit at their tables. Since it was getting hot in the mid-day sun, we took her up on this offer and rested for a few minutes. We then spent some time in the little shops next to Presley's restaurant. I negotiated a good price on some jewelery for my wife, so she was happy.

We then hiked back to the hotel to rest up for the evening.

Here are some pics we took along the way
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Oh Yeah - we stopped at the closed Kaisers Hotel and took a tour
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I wish this place was still open. It looks like it would be awesome!
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Niiiccceee! TR! I'm also very jealous of your "time ticker" lol..oh BTW, kudos to handling your business with the hustler... note 2 self Mrs. D. not allowed out of your site..lol
You and Mrs D enjoy!

Thanks love2travelchic! Agree - I do need to keep an eye on Mrs. D.

Actually my ticker expired a month and a half ago and I've been meaning to fix it. Once I push the button for our April trip I'll get a new one up.

Saturday Night

So, later that evening we decided to venture back over to C&D, since we had such a good time hanging out with Connie the night before. Also, we were hoping to actually get inside the bar before the police made her close the doors. We walked in to the bar and were warmly greeted by Connie and Keisha. There was one other fellow sitting at the end of bar enjoying a Red Stripe. It turns out he was also a guest at Home Sweet Home. He had been staying their the entire week, with his wife, and this was first time we met. This is strange since HSH is a small hotel (only 14 rooms) and this guest was saying that he and wife ate dinner at the restaurant every night. Well, we ate dinner outside the resort every night, but I thought we might have bumped into them around the property. Strange. Anyway, we chatted for a few minutes over a beer, then he purchased a special Jenny Cake to take back to his room and the he was off.

Several minutes later, a car pulls up and a raucous group of 4 people spill out. The group of 2 guys and 2 gals came storming into C&D laughing the whole way. One of the guys said, "Hey, is this 10 feet of Texas, or 10 inches?" Everybody had a hearty laugh at the joke. We quickly made introductions and drinks were ordered. Next, Connie invited us out to the Stupid Section, with one of the largest foot long subs I had ever seen. During this trip to the Stupid Section we were joined by only one of the new arrivals, along with Mrs. D, Connie and myself. While outside, the conversation had turned to Negril.com and that is when I realized that I was chillin with the illustrious Booger! Even though I was only a newbie boardie at the time, Booger said he recognized my online persona, as well. Booger then told me that inside the bar was Tizzy, Pooper and Gonjon. Feeling full after only half a sub, we went back inside to hang with the rest of the crowd.

Back inside, Connie was taking requests for everyone's favorite country music. Tizzy was teaching Gonjon some type of country dance. At one point, the peanut guy came into the bar trying to sell some snacks. Booger said, "Sorry, man. I have the peanut allergy." Then Pooper said, "It's true! If he gets too close to them he can break out in hives." The peanut guy then backed away and moved on to his next stop. I wasn't sure if Booger was telling the truth or not, but I got a good chuckle at the exchange.

Soon it was getting late, and it was time to leave. We sad our good-byes and headed back across the street to HSH. A splendid time was had by all.

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Originally Posted by Mike_D

Saturday Night

Booger said, "Sorry, man. I have the peanut allergy." Then Pooper said, "It's true! If he gets too close to them he can break out in hives." The peanut guy then backed away and moved on to his next stop. I wasn't sure if Booger was telling the truth or not, but I got a good chuckle at the exchange.

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It actually is true, but I could see how you would wonder with Booger
Funny part is, he has an allergy while his wife has a full blown addiction to the stuff (well at least in the butter form) LMAO!

Mike great report, just lovin it! Mrs. D could be replaced with my Mrs. DD, both sound the exact same as do you and I. I do the planning and she just shows up, we joke about it, she gets distracted by shiny things so while in Negril our group of 6 had to keep their eyes on her at all times!

Ugh! REWIND!!!!!!

Fun times :)

Great report, thanks for sharing. :-)

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! !!!!! REMIX! Love it :) Sorry we missed you Mike, I'm loving you TR.