Did you honestly expect to rent a scooter at 9:30 at night?Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryg123
The bike shop closes at 6:00 for future reference .....
It's not cool to slander a location, simply because you were told 'no'.
Did you honestly expect to rent a scooter at 9:30 at night?Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryg123
The bike shop closes at 6:00 for future reference .....
It's not cool to slander a location, simply because you were told 'no'.
ex ochigirl in a tourist spot some tourists think they CAN rent things late in some places you can and some you can't.
I do not believe he was slandering the place just because the scooter part was shut.I am sure it was not that a big a deal.He said it was a dump in his opinion trash all over and rundown.People say what they see sometimes.If it was not there then he would be a fool to say it.I do not believe gerry was imaging what he saw,not at all as i saw a little bit of the same he speaks of myself with my own eyes.A bit I could add on top but I won't as I don't feel the need to but just because someone says they think a place is a mess we should not always assume they are just annoyed at something so make these things up.We can go take a look for ourselves,but I guess what looks rundown to one person may be a palace to another.But I kinda get where gerrys coming from
Gerry - I've been loving these updates from Negril! It's so cool that you're providing an on-site day by day report of your travels! It's been so much fun to read. ;)
Your candid writing is refreshing and oftentimes very funny! You sound like you're having such a great time in Negril and you're really living it up! I've been checking in every day to see what's going to happen next! I have to check out the rooftop on my next trip, it sounds like a blast
Thank you so much for taking to the time share your experiences. I'm looking forward to the next update!!
No, I did not slander Jah B's cause he couldnt rent a scooter at 930, I just happen to notice (again, I might add, having been there before) that the place is a dump. Had my hotel been closer, I might have returned for a scooter the next morning; since my arrival, i have indeed seen several scooter places open late at night ....
Clarity, that's a big honor coming from you that you like the report .... i promise not to make you wait a month for the next installment, ha ha!
LOL! - So where IS the next installment?! It's been 24 hours!!!
**waiting**
Btw - how is your arm doing? I was worried when you said you hurt it diving off those cliffs like a wild man. You are WAY braver than me! :eek:
great report-- thanks for sharing
On Friday night, there was a huge party across the way from the Seastar Inn -- I did not drop in, but boy was it loud! A new yardie checked in, Adam, a school teacher from Detroit, and he was a great guy. He and two from Canada (that's all of us, lol) spent the evening drinking at the bar at Seastar, and I had a BUNCH of hummingbirds n Heinekens.
My arm was fine, just a little sore like the rest of my body. Besides cliff jumping, I've been walking around in sandals, riding the scooter, snorkeling, swimming, etc., and I guess I'm just not used to it, so a bit sore.
Sadly, I checked out of Seastar Inn on Saturday, as planned, and god I am going to miss that place. They're just really good peeps over there, and everything is in good condition, and as mentioned constantly, the food is amazingly good.
But I was also looking forward to returning to Bar B Barn, and once I did, everyone was really happy to see me and they were very welcoming. I got a nice room with high, cathedral ceilings, a fridge, great AC, a king bed, plus breakfast and $15 dollar dinner per night at Angelas -- you can't beat it for 70 dollars no tax!
The fam and I went to Xtabi and spent a leisurely day jumping the cliff (me), exploring the caves, drinking dirty bananas and playing checkers with the kids. It started to pour rain, but it was OK. I love the rain.
When we returned to the beach, the eldest daughter, 7, wanted to hang with me at Bar B Barn, and she soon fell into a three-hour nap that pretty much gobbled the afternoon. The two girls are having so much that they're beside themselves. I'm having a great time, too, but the ex wife is a bit moody and not nearly as adventurous as the rest of us (took everything we had to convince to go to Xtabi), but, hey, that's why we're not married anymore. We're just not a perfect match, but I've made a big effort to keep my cool and stay friends since the divorce 16 months ago, but I have to be honest: They less time we spend together, the happier I am!
I have not been eating nearly as much as usual this trip, just feel like I am on the go go go all the time, but I could not resist ordering a massive plate of pasta from Angelas. I had the Spaghetti Bolognese (I know, boring, but I had to compare to Seastar Inn), and the daughter had the pasta carbonara (good stuff!).
Once the evening fell, it really started to rain hard. Instead of taking the fam to Seastar for the party (Francine invited me as their guests), I decided to just spend the night alone and catch up on some sleep. I slept so well I don't even remember my dreams, but they were good ones.
God, I sleep well in Negril.
It's the morning, and it's already hot hot hot!
Three more nights for me, last one for the ex and kids. Lord have mercy when they leave cause I am storing up energy, baby!
LOL.. great reporting... Keep "storing up that energy" I KNOW you're gonna need it when she leaves-:)
Great report! It's soooo funny and exciting!
What a great day. I met a cabbie in front of Legends named Chunkie, great guy. Been cabbin round here for 30 years or something. I took the kids (no ex wife on this one) to Blue Hole Gardens in Roaring River. On the way up, just past the roundabout, there was one of those only-in-Negril sightings -- a couple of teenagers racing along on a motorcycle, the passenger holding on to the bike with one arm and a big octopus with the other ....
Blue Hole was amazing. On the way, all the locals were dressed so nice to go to church. I met my friend Robert there, known this guy for years, really cool guy. Tall, thin, tight dreds, a little red on top. Always in a good mood. He brought his two dogs to Blue Hole and guided us. Kids love that place. I brought a raft and had a nice iced juice drink as a lay in the cool water, gazing at the plant life. It feels like a scene straight out of Jurassic Park.
Just outside, I met a group of six or seven young kids, like three to nine years old, and I gave them all an American dollar -- they did not ask, but they were thrilled.
We stayed a couple of hours, enjoyed the river and the blue hole pool (think Blue Lagoon), and then on the way home we bumped into a funeral procession, and suddenly I got very emotional. The kids are leaving with the ex early tomorrow (I am staying a couple of extra days), and it's dawning on me that I'm getting older. I'm in late 40s, and though I plan to enjoy Negril for many years, I can't partake in such adventurous activities like Cliff jumping and scooter riding and tipping heavily for privacy at a strip club -- well, maybe the last one ....
I love to push limits, especially when I travel, but I'm not stupid. I am going to have to slow down. Not this time, maybe not the next time, but soon.
We stopped at that little bakery next to Juici's and loaded up on patties and coco bread and fruit boxes -- I bought my driver lunch, tipped him ten dollars, and dropped the kids off at Legends. Then it started pouring, so I took a little break at my hotel room, smoked several massive spliffs, then ate a nice plate of pasta at the bar before heading into the sea on my raft. Rough life ....
Thanks for sharing your "rough life" with us!! Can't wait to see what happens once the family is gone lol!!
OK, the three of us were back at it today. I picked the two girls up and headed to Aqua Negril for Rob's party .... What a nice hotel, only five rooms! I guess some of the hotels around here, that's all they need, it's really quiet. But all the better for the precious few of us that are down here, cause Jamaica joy is here for the taking everyone.
Even the hagglers are nice. They havent bothered me at all. I just say no thanks, and we're all cool.
The party was nice, Rob was in his element with the computer. Didn't meet any boardies, but we did see a REALLY big sting ray, a good one with the white spots. About as big umbrella, the girls went crazy!
The sting ray popped by again a little later, or maybe it was one his friends. Oh ya, the pizza is really good at Angelas; i think it might be the best in Negril, and of course I am a foodie.
Not sure what to do tonight. It's wet and rainy, and all i have is a five dollar bill and a few hundreds -- tough to get change on a Sunday night ..... Might just chill .... Very wet weather today, tomorrow I want to go somewhere new, I can't wait.
Oh ya, shellyk, Omar from Xtabi says HI ....
Love the Linton Special at Aqua. And u r right BBB has the best pizza-- where is my slice?
oh man I remember those Linton Specials..they are amazing! Thank you so much for your report..am loving every word of it!
You were supposed to have Omar take pictures of you cliff jumping. Where da at?
Lol! Very interesting trip report, Gerry. Enjoying it!
Great report, I hope your trip isn't coming to an end.
Hey Gerry,
Looks like you're having a killer time! I am patiently waiting to hear the rest.
Ya, i still have to work on gettin an action pic at Xtabi .....
The last couple days have not been as adventurous as I had anticipated, as the sun and fun have kind of taken their toll, but there are a lot of great ways to enjoy Negril, and I've been mostly relaxing on this picturesque beach.
I hopped on a snorkel boat with Captain Clarke yesterday, and there were tons of fish near the cannon. I had a big piece of coco bread that I had saved for the fish, and those little guys were in love with me -- until I ran out of bread ... a microcosm of my whole life? ha ha ....
Then we headed to Booby Cay, where I met a pretty lady who had a very unique look -- dark skin, bright bleached blonde hair, VERY curvy body -- and she was a real character. Got to give her credit, she is doing what a lot of us dream about, having moved permanently to Negril while operating a business in the USA with just her lap top and a bank account.
There is something about Negril that makes people really down to earth, and we fell into a flirty conversation that was sadly interupted by Captain Clarke ordering us back on the boat! I could have hung and got a jet-ski guy to take me back -- only in Negril, eh? -- but it was the one time of my vacation that I left all my money in the room, and I wanted to get back and get a drink.
I've fazed out Jodie, we just don't have enough in common to enjoy each others' company when not doin' the deed. She's got kids of her own -- and a local boyfriend (!)-- and it's just a bit too much to think about. But damn she is hot.
I'm on my last couple of days, with no plans but a pocket full of 1000s and 500s, so I am just going to go where the wind takes me (usually to Xtabi, cause I have a raft there).
Oh ya, you folks seem to enjoy opinions, so I have more comments about Legends. The inclusive there is a total ripoff, don't do it. Instead of being able to enjoy entrees, they set up a little buffet for the AIs, and it's really low dollar. For lunch one day, they had hot dogs, chicken wings, white rice and "Italian" pizza bread that consisted of a single piece of ordinary white bread, some sauce and cheese. Also salad. I did the math in my head, and there were probably 10 to 15 AIs at the hotel, and there's no way the total cost of all the food at the buffet from Hi Lo would have been more than 30 dollars or so.
Also, they don't let you get 90 percent of the drinks on menu, only cokes, daiquries and draft beer -- no bottles, no mai tai or other fru fru drinks. It's not fair at all.
Let the good times roll ,,, I spent the morning at Xtabi, surfing the net, doing a little work, but not much cause I soon found myself in usual pattern of smoking spliffs, jumping the Cliff, chill on the raft, repeat .... After enjoying a strong cup of coffee, I let the puter charge at Xtabi, and off I went. I cruised to Seastar to arrange transpo back to airport tomorrow (god I want to extend a day or two), but no one was there so I hit the road again and headed to Banton's toward the Westender. We chatted, took some pics of a HUGE batch, then good news: My friend Keith from Philly, who lives in the house in front of Bantons, was back, so we visited and caught up on things. We have loose plans to tear it up later. I went to Westender, jumped in pool, drank some iced tea, megt Jackie from Jackies Reef across the street (poor thing, not one single guest in the whole hotel, she says), then relaxed by the cliffs there at Westender.
Westender has an amazing rock jacuzzi against the shore, you would love hangin out in this natural jacuzzi -- place looks like a scene from movie, so nice.
Then I hit the road again, oh crap, I have NEVER been to Catcha Fallin Star, so I visited that place, met some tourists, had another iced tea and another dip in their beautiful pool .... I could have jumped in ocean, but it looked a little rough, plus a tall ladder, those are tough on my sensitive feet!
Catcha is a really nice place. I like it a lot .....
Back to Xtabi -- meet a boardie, ya, very rare for me! Her name is Ingrid from Norway, nice lady.
Also met an original Negril hippie from '73, a nice man from Athens, Georgia who has coming to Xtabi for a LONG time ..... Nice guy: I was takin notes while he was chatting with me, and here is what he said (good stuff): "You're only in this world for so long, so you've got to choose your time wisely. Seventy-five years is over in the blink of an eye, my friend."
Then he urged me to ditch my cell phone and unplug! God I wish I could, have to take care of a little work through the day, here and there, and god I can't wait to finish it. I will pull it off, then I am going to take a five hour energy drink to charge up a bit. I need it, I am draggin just a bit, but the adrenalin is flowin' too. God I love this place!!!!!!!
Exciting news: I've extended for six more nights. Had to do it, my friends .....
Go on with your bad self-keep this story flowing:rolleyes:
Rock on gerryg123...thats a dream of every boardie I am sure....I know its one of mine at the end of every single trip!
Have a blast, make it count
"Also met an original Negril hippie from '73"
Made me smile. I know quite a few of those...maybe even the one you met, lol!
You should heed his advice...try it for the 6 days you extended...pack up the computer, put away the cell phone and REALLY get into the "island vibe". I bet you'll have TONS to write about when its all said and done next week.
I know the work thing...I'm there 3 months so its part of my day to day - but I work a few hours a day then - FINISH! I don't sit at the computer for the rest of the day. I find its one of the most refreshing things I can do for myself while I'm there - disconnect as much as I possibly can. Heck, during the holidays I only touch the computer to put a movie on ocassionally. Try it...you'll LIKE IT!!!
Keep on rockin!
We'd close up the boats and drive back to Spring Garden. No electricity, no pipe water. "Home Sweet Home" lamps in the house and a "tilly" lamp up in the kitchen where Izel would be cooking. Just the sounds of the goats and fowl in the yards. Every so often we'd hear a Jamaican "discussion" down on the flat out by the road. Very peaceful and pleasant. It's a blessing.
Try it......It might change your life
LOL Omar said you been camped out there at Xtabi. Guess I will get my action shot now. 6 more nights, wow, were you on some spliffs when you made those calls, LOL. Nobody likes coming back to reality but you will have to someday.
So surprise me where you staying for those?
Another 6 nites!!?!! I'm drooling at the thought.
I'm staying at Seastar Inn -- it's too good a deal to pass up, that place is amazing. Plus, I like the Net in my room, and there's better water pressure than Bar B Barn, who made a very nice offer, too. I will still hang out here a bit, I think.
Well, I caved. I hit up Jodie again, so the flame is still goin' .... We had a nice time together, I took her to Ricks. Damn, some big fools jumping off that big cliff, makin some big splashes (no pencil manuver), and they're all coming up to the surface unscatched. I dunno how they do it -- it's at least 15 feet higher than Xtabi.
Hung at Banton's for a while, visiting my friend from Philly. Visited Seastar Inn. Got gas for the scooter. Stopped at Debars chicken, it was good stuff but SPICY .... I asked him if he could make it more BBQ style, but that chicken was so spicy tears were streaming down my face! Still good, tho!
I need to return to Booby Cay and find Jessica. My heart is pumpin' baby!
Gerry, ask Donovan about Jessica.
She is one pure JaAmerican chick that is for sure! If it weren't for appearance I would think her absolutely pure Jamaican. Very nice lady but wow spicy. What happened to her super mega hot bulked to the core did I mention super hot young Diver boyfriend?
There have got to be other tourist that know who Jessica is as well, she is not quiet. What she has managed, running her business quite successfully in the US living there while in her I would say high 30's early 40's is very commendable.
Gerry you have me checking in more than a sope opera plus i get the side details earlier in the days too from onsite friends. I have to admit I didn't think you would manage as well as you have. Keep having fun! Boardies love pics to by the way ( hint hint...) inserted in reports.
The roof top is a strip club now? how sad!!:(
Shelly, I'll b there in 5 sleeps at CCLP. Some other boardies will be there as well. Come on by for a visit!
Dont worry, I have some SICK photos -- just have not figured out how to post 'em properly, but I will get it done, I promise.
Banton's was hopping last nite, lots of locals coming and going. There is something I like about that place -- very rare to find any tourists -- and it's got a good vibe.
I bought a huge bottle of cherry juice, love that stuff. They don't sell it in L.A., or if they do, I have not seen it.
I think I have a life somewhere back home, but I just could not leave Jamaica this time. I had to stay. I don't know what it is that has pulled me in, but there was this little voice in my head telling me that if I left, I would regret it.
Sometimes, when I lay upon my raft with nothing but the crashing of waves or the gentle calling of birds as a soundtrack to my thoughts, I think about my Life: There have been some amazing twists and turns through the years. I think I've been denying for years some latent anger toward my father when his business failed in the first recession back in the 1970s/early 1980s, and we lost our house.
I think I blamed him, unfairly, all these years, and the whole thing kind of stunted my growth emotionally. For years, I looked for escapes -- mainly through Rock music, my biggest love, but also through darker pursuits like drinking and drugs and overeating (can't shake 'em all, guys).
I've been up and down -- lived in a big house in Hollywood Hills with a pimped-out white Mercedes in the garage, and within the same three-year span lived in a garage in a seedy part of town, trading in the last of my CDs and cassettes so I would have enough money to eat.
People always say how funny I am and what a great mood I'm always in -- and it's true -- but there are dark, dark temptations just underneath the surface. Negril gives me a chance to overdo it a bit in relative anonymity and without putting myself in too much risk or danger. There's an excitement about this place, a hedonistic vibe that pulls me as much as the great beaches and beautiful ocean and spell-binding sunsets and, of course, the Jerk chicken.
I've woke up each day without any plans, but god I've been so busy that I have not read a single page of the book I brought along (Jackie Collins, I know, I know, a guilty pleasure).
The days have blended together, it seems like yesterday that I arrived, and the one thing I know for sure is the best is yet to come ..... Like the great Joan of Arc said: "Fear not because you are doing what you were born to do."
THIS, my friends, is what I was born to do. My parents instilled a passion for traveling, and I love them for it. My dad is old, sick and dying. I've made amends a long time ago, but he is my thoughts constantly.
WOW!!! Thanks for opening up to us, that's some deep sole searching. I find that Negril has a way of doing that to those that let the Vibe in. Its an eye opener for sure, its not just a party town as others would think.
Fantastic. (As I type this on my blackberry on my way to another business trip), Jamaica is always on my mind.
Gerry I've been devouring your posts while I countdown these last few days until I'm home in JA. Keep 'em coming and that last entry...the power of JA to open us up and really see ourselves. Thanks for sharing.
maybe that was the purpose of your extended stay gerry to reflect on your life realise how good and how bad you have had it and what you have now.Where you been and where you are headed and where you want to be and where you want to go.It has also allowed you to reflect on your relationship with your father and look at your behaviour and emotions in a different light and realise maybe he wasn't always to blame.Maybe you could share that with him ifyou have not already.So what now?back to the daily grind?Or are you now a man with a plan?!!
I'm so loving your reports; even moreso now that you've given insight to the man behind the adventure. Glad Negril helped in your reflection.
When I read your story above it brought me back to that very same feeling I had when I realized exactly WHAT I was doing in Negril to begin with. For me though its about the clarity I gain there - no outside noise, very little computer/internet, no TV...no distractions - that help me deal with my "issues" in a more productive way. I'm not sure exactly when I had this revelation...many years ago....
I can't tell you how many times I've extended my trip (I have a friend that one year extended like three times, turning her two week vacation into four!) Sometimes you are just not ready to go. Literally. In 2009 I figured out how stupid I was to book my flight out a day after a huge "party week", so even before I found myself painted into a corner I extended for another week.
"Negril gives me a chance to overdo it a bit in relative anonymity and without putting myself in too much risk or danger."
I think we've all felt that way at one point or another...this is still a relatively new experience for you. But do continue to be careful and take care. Negril is a small town and anonymity doesn't last too long. I can't tell you how many times I've been involved in conversations with locals "gossiping" about the "crazy tourist". Have fun and take care.
It was early this morning, very early. I was in the ocean before 6 a.m., lounging on my raft. Then SHE walked into the water, another beautiful Jamaican, so young and full of spirit (god, ya'all must think I am a cad, but I swear I am just goin' with the flow.)
This girl was no hustler, not even close. A nice girl. No smoke, no drink, dad runs a patty stand in front of one of the nearby hotels.
She has ambition, too, and that's what most impressed me. She is learning to cook desserts and wants to be a pastry chef with plans to get her certification. We did have a tiny disagreement about Tamboo -- her cousin works there, and she thinks it's good, while I gave it a thumbs down -- but for nearly an hour we frolicked in the water together, and we even made plans to meet up this afternoon on the beach.
God I love this town!
It was still early when we parted ways, and I jumped on my motor bike and headed left, toward RIU (it's still weird not being in that place sometimes, I have been there SO many times), and I stopped at Crystal Waters cause some boardies had mentioned it was a nice place. It is nice, though only a couple of units have an ocean view, and I walked around the beach, met a shop guy named Tony, a nice guy.
I headed back and remembered a longtime boardie from the other board had mentioned Samsara as s good snorkel spot off the Cliffs, and BAM, that's all it took -- I grabbed my snorkel gear and whisked to Samsara. Nice snorkeling, though still a lot fewer fish than the canon.
Always have equipment issues with snorkeling. If my mask is good, the snorkel is leaky. If my snorkel is good, the mask gets cloudy. If both are good, my fins are rubbing me wrong in some little spot. I managed, though.
Then I re-upped my scooter at Gas on the Cliffs -- god, that old grouch is tough to bargain with -- cause he has been hawking me all week to make sure I returned it on time. The only friggin' break he would give me on the extended rental was one free day -- on my NEXT visit, lol. Then again, he has no ID from me and no credit-card imprint, so I did not argue too much.
Near the roundabout, I met a fisherman named Patrick, and man this fool is good. He had a big old batch of lobsters and fish and THREE octopuses (or is it octopi)?
Then I got back and Orbitz called with a recorded message something along the lines of "yo fool, your flight takes off in an hour'' and I about crapped myself, but I guess Continental has its own records (bank charge went through for switch to next week), so let's hope so.
Ate my last breakfast at Bar B Barn (waitress is never attentive enough but I've seen worse), packed some stuff (80 percent finished), and now I think I will re-visit the ocean for another little swim. Oh ya, brought last nite's Debar's chicken left-overs to breakfast, still spicy as a MFer.
Will check back soon .....
Really loving your reports! Glad you extended your stay too!!!