Really enjoying the report. Quite nice to see pics and learn about other parts of the island. Always wanted to see Kingston and Port Royal. I could kick myself for not visiting when we were in Port Antonio for a week. Anxious to hear more........:)
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Really enjoying the report. Quite nice to see pics and learn about other parts of the island. Always wanted to see Kingston and Port Royal. I could kick myself for not visiting when we were in Port Antonio for a week. Anxious to hear more........:)
Sounds like you were headed to the Tinson Pen Aerodrome. LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by RockRobster
Reminds me of trying to find our way to an appointment in downtown Kingston using the map from the rental car place too. We only wound up driving straight through Coronation Market.
Thanks for the trip report! Can't wait to hear about the pepper.
Great report waiting for me!
After touring the fort, and having some fun with a certain warning sign, it was time for us to toodle into Port Royal for a well-deserved lunch. After determining that the Pirate Pub was really just an ice scream stop with a beer cooler, we meandered through the dusty and deserted street(s) of Port Royal. Which was fine. The old architecture, lack of modernization and generally sleepy small town feel was causing massive good vibrations! And....we simply stumbled into Gloria's Restaurant. It started with spying a very cold fridge loaded with RS and wound up with us being ushered upstairs to the main dining area. Fans helped the oppressive heat and a virtual 360 degree view of Port Royal tempted our eyes. At first glance, the menu seemed a bit expensive....but we realized our options were quite limited. Once the food arrived, we sang a different song!
I have never seen such HUGE portions of food for 1000J. Never. Lisa had the fish. I can't remember if it was steamfish or fryfish....I think fryfish....TWO whole silver snappers.
And then...there was that slice of sweet green pepper on my plate of curry shrimp. I know....I know.....but still....I ate it.....and as it passed my palate....I realized my folly. FOOOOOOK MOI!!!! SCOTCH BONNET FROM HELL!!!!!
Thank goodness I had ordered festival as a side. Between a few ice cold RS and two festival sticks...I survived...barely...
To give you an idea how huge the portions were.....I consumed TWENTY of the curry shrimp on my plate.....there were TWENTY left!!!!
Next Chapter "Is that a motorcycle gang?" or "WTH is going on at the police station?"
There was screaming approximately 18 hours later.....just sayin....Quote:
Originally Posted by NKY
Scotch bonnet face...
Attachment 29061
It was good...half eaten plate of food...:)
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Attachment 29058
Attachment 29057
LolQuote:
Originally Posted by RockRobster
Reminds me of the first time my dad bought habenero peppers about 25 years ago before you could find them at any grocery store. The crusty old man that sold them to us gave us a little bit of advice about the next day... "You better go to the creek to do your morning business because if not you'll set the woods on fire."
Back on topic.... Thanks for the report on Port Royal! I've been to Kingston four times and never made it, but will probably go after seeing your report and the pics from bnewb.
So, towards the end of lunch it was getting very very warm upstairs and I was leaving the table to head to the window openings to stick my head into what little breeze there was to cool off. And, I spied a police motorcycle leaving the Police Station across the street. Then another. Then another. It was like a clown car....they just kept coming and coming!!!! There were over twenty motorcycle officers! At first I thought it might be some bizarre interdiction effort.....then.....it dawned on me.
It was a training ride. The causeway that connects Port Royal to Kingston is very very long. With no side streets to worry about vehicles entering from. And, the causeway is fairly deserted. The perfect place to conduct lengthy motorcycle training rides!
This was not to be our last encounter with law enforcement that day!
Thoughts on Port Royal.....what a pleasant, super sleepy village! The folks seemed friendly, the streets were deserted and......almost none of the residences had bars up. With only one escape route, other than the sea, it would be difficult to commit a crime and flee! If I had business in Kingston that required me to live nearby.....I could see living in Port Royal!
Next installment "But constable, I thought it was an 80kph zone!" or "I hate this map....oh crap... are we in Trenchtown or Tivoli Gardens at 330pm on a Friday?!"
Sounds like y'all had a great time!
So we leave Port Royal for the journey back to New Kingston and we aren't on the highway for long when we round a bend and......SMILE, YOU ARE ON RADAR!!!! The perfectly dressed Constable motions us to the side of the road.....Rob tried to explain that we thought it was an 80kph zone...to no avail. The Constable politely took Rob's license and the car papers and went to one of the two brand new patrol cars parked on the side. Then, POOF...another speeder gets pulled over. What's odd about this picture? That speeder was whiter than we were! What are the odds that the only two speeders on this busy highway were white? Well....just as we were discussing this amongst ourselves, the Constable comes back with the documents and a citation. Before he got to the window, a motorcycle with open pipes comes SCREAMING past us....had to be going 140kph EASY! The Constable not only didn't send any of the other Constables in the shade to give chase, he didn't even blink an eye!!! Fook MOI! Still don't know if the stops had anything to do with race, but it was an odd set of facts....especially since nobody gave a darn about the motorcyclist....
Anyway....I forgot to mention something really cool about being at the Fort in Port Royal. Remember I mentioned that there were a lot of schoolchildren there? Well...as we were walking the Fort I felt a touch on my elbow....I turned to see who/what it was..it was a schoolgirl about 14 years old. She asked me my name and she told me hers. We walked together for a bit...her friends in tow and giggling...finally I wished her a good and happy day and she did likewise and rejoined her friends. Later I learned that she may have never touched a white person and her friends probably dared her to do so! She was a sweet kid anyway and it kinda made my day!
Anyhow....back to the car, the map, rush hour, and downtown Kingston......
So, again the map is indecipherable and all we know is that we need to make a left to head to New Kingston up the hill....we are heading into a very old, very unmaintained part of Kingston. The buildings look like they haven't been painted in 50 years...the streets are packed....Rob let's out an "uh oh"...I say "right, go right"(at this point you are beginning to see the value of me keeping my mouth shut?) and we do. We are heading in the right direction, but are way to fookin far past the safety zone...we need to be about 12 streets to our right....but....we are stuck...stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.....Tivoli Gardens, we think. The streets were THRONGING with people who disregarded every rule of safety and were just weaving in and out of the traffic, bringing it to a standstill. The faces on the people showed high stress and anxiety levels. After at least 1/2 hour...we made it to some dang road Rob and Lisa recognized and we began to make our way through the traffic to Devon House for some libations and perhaps a meal. Well, Devon House is way cool, the outside bar is nice, the beers well cold...but the restaurant Rob wanted to go to was no more! MEGA BUMMER. So we toured the grounds...very nice shops with very nice prices...and a Devon House Ice Cream store where a throng of school kids were buying their ice cream. They were all so polite and pleasant!
So, we had been sweating in the heat and tepid AC of the SUV all fookin day. It was time for some AC. So, where could we go?
Next Installment--"Well, I did good there last night" or "#(%&#(& slot machines"
Sounds like you guys had a blast. Keep it coming Rockster!
very interesting trip, my friend.....all new stuff to me, cant wait for more....
So, we have sweated in the sweltering heat and humidity since 9 am or so....its now close to 5pm, we are a little hungry and in dire need of AC. Or, at least I was! So, since we enjoy the casino so much, we returned.....
I tried the slots again...but my luck was not holding...moved on to the mechanical horse racing game. Its more for laughs than for strategy. I lost every fooking race!
So, it became more about killing time and getting those deliciously strong free Appleton and Cokes and good food....although....where was the food tonight? Finally something came out...I think it was a pot sticker thingy....it was delicious....then something in barbeque sauce? Heck...I had consumed a few Appletons at this point and the memory of the food is iffy! Anyway....I finally landed at this crazy slot machine that had a Czarist Russia theme to it, complete with Russian music! Very odd....anyway...BING....I hit it! Rob was sitting next to me and just shook his head in disbelief!
Done with slots, I meandered over to the crazy black jack game. Did I mention you have to have an attendant buy you in and cash you out? CRAZY! SO, after thirty or so hands.....tripled the winnings from the Russian slot! OH YEAH! Just a couple more hands...right? BING!!!! OK....now its time to quit....called the attendant over and he just grinned! Not HIS money! Now it was time for......US v. Jamaica World Cup Soccer in Kingston!!!
Next Installment "We should have gone to the match" or "The Pub is ROCKING!"
There is a restaurant right on the water in Port Royal that I've been to 3 or 4 times that serves your whole snapper on a platter, and it fills the platter. I don't remember the name because I was always with my driver, Huseph. Very local place - when you first walk in it doesn't look like a restaurant - walk onto the pier and there you are. I spent one of my birthdays there at night, with the gorgeous lights of Kingston across the harbor, filling my belly with some of the freshest fish I've eaten in Jamaica.
I can hear Rob saying "uh oh" lol!
RR at the front entry of Devon House...
Attachment 29191
Devon House grounds...
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One of the bars at Devon House...
Attachment 29193
Thanks for the pics Lisa!
Loving this road trip
So, wallet bulging, we bid a fond farewell to the casino and head back to the hotel.
I had received some faulty information that the World Cup match between USA and JA was sold out, so we just went downstairs to watch it at the Pub. The first thing I noticed....THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THOUSAND EMPTY SEATS!!! Crap! Oh, well....
So, we order drinks and food. The food was good, I think I had a tuna sandwich and fries. The fries here are excellent! And, we sit back to watch the soccer match. The USA scored early and then went into time killing mode. This frustrated the JA team and the viewers! Finally, in closing seconds JA scores to tie the game! The crowd at the Pub erupted into cheers and applause! But, the joy was shortlived, as the USA showed its superiority by quickly scoring again. The USA passing and the stellar performance of its forwards were too much for the Reggae Boyz. A disappointed hush fell over the crowd.
So, we saw an excellent soccer match in an excellent environment and even though they lost, all the patrons had a good time that night. And, had a funny exchange with a female guest who had returned from the game....
Me: "So, did you enjoy the game?"
Her: "yeah"
Me: "It looked like a good time on TV"
Her: "yeah"
Me: "Where are you from?"
Her: "USA"
Me: "Really? Gosh, I would have never guessed..."
(note to readers....my last reply was said with as much possible sarcasm as I could muster!)
So, having had a LONG day it was time to bid a fond farewell to the Pub and retire to the room. However.....sleep wouldn't come quickly as the pool deck was PACKED with people partying....into the wee hours...like 2am!!! SHEEEESH!!!! That is the only downside to the rooms above the Pub....if the pool deck is packed....it is going to be LOUD!
Next Installment: "I'd swear I was in a Costco" or "Where did they fry this chicken, in a nuclear reactor??"
Here is a shot taken at The Pub while the match was on:
Attachment 29228
Saturday dawns and I am prepared with bottled water already in the room....its time to pack, check out, and hit the road for Negril. But, not before a stop at PriceSmart for some good old Costco-style shopping!
Well, I was surprised...the store is about a 2/3 scale of a Costco....complete with hot dogs and fried chicken!!! The prices on many items were in line with US prices. Nothing cheaper, but nothing outrageously more expensive, even the food items. I made a purchase of......pencils....lots and lots of pencils! I would later find that they were twice the price in Negril...so it was a good purchase. Also, I purchased a gigantic container of dry Jerk Seasoning....pics to follow...
So Rob and Lisa loaded up on items that they needed at cheap prices(like 160 pounds of kitty litter!!!!) and it was time to load up the trusty wagon....all the stuff BARELY fit and this wasn't a micro SUV! As we left the lot....something became painfully apparent.....the rear shocks were not up to the load. We bottomed out leaving the lot and on every pot hole we hit! And we hadn't even left the well-paved streets of Kingston!!!
Well, we were famished so I suggested Mother's, a chain with a decent menu(they have mackerel rundown for breakfast!!!!!)....but....we couldn't find one and we were on our way out of town...so...we stopped at a Juicie Patty.....we all ordered the fry chicken(!!!) and I ordered the rice and peas to go with it...OK....who knew they would serve some sweet brown sauce all over the fry chicken????!!!???? I had never seen this before! Not bad, it was actually good because it moistened otherwise dry rice and peas, but when I went to grab the chicken....OMG.....IT WAS ON FIRE! It was as if it had been fried in a nuclear reactor! I had NEVER experienced chicken this hot in my LIFE! Also, the portion of rice and peas was so large, there was no way to finish it....also...it was so hot and humid sitting next to the window inside the nuclear reactor site that I had to step out into the 95 degree heat and relentless tropic sun to cool down!!!
Then, it was time to head for Negril.....next stop....Mandeville!
Next: "This can't be the Mandeville bypass!" or "I really need something to drink!"
Loving this!
having fun reading this RR, thanks for taking the time :)
Knock Knock RR .......... i do not believe you are finished yet ....... just sayin'
This is really cool so far... I love the alternate chapter titles. And of course gambling. Keep it up
Yeah, RR...where's the rest of the story lol? I see some prodding may be needed!
?
I agree, come back RR, you left us hanging
:cool: Great report, keep it coming.:confused:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
more please! LOL
Nice! bringing back memories from years ago...