10 Years, 12 Nights, 6 Hotels, ONE LOVE - April 2012 Trip Report

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clarity

I put one of the cubes into my mouth. It was delicious, sugary, watery..kind of fruity at the same time, like a pear sort of. I can't describe the taste. I just know I really liked it... The problem was, I couldn't figure out how to digest it... I just kept chewing and chewing in confusion until it was this hard piece of fiber that I was pushing around with my tongue in my mouth... now what?

“You chew it, sucking out the juices and then spit it out”, He explained with a laugh. “Don't swallow it!”

Oh! I was learning a lot on this trip!

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Having grown up with Caribbean style in my life I sometimes forget people havent experienced things like coco bread and cane. I wish I was there to watch your first time eating cane. I think it would have been very humorous. Your trip report always reminds how life can be such and adventure.

As always with each new submission your trip reports continue to be not only so well written but so well experienced. You can just tell with your words how much of an adventure each new experience is for you and Markus and along with everyone else I want to thank you for giving us all the opportunity to share your adventures. So happy that you were able to meet up with your family and create such a wonderful connection, and how GREAT!! that your father has decided to make his own trip down :)

Thank you everyone for your comments, Sorry for the long hiatus. My wife just cracked the whip so we're back in the saddle ;)

DAY 4
Trip Report continued....

I had spent a good deal of the last 32 hours in the back seat of a 4-door sedan, that squeaked and rumbled over hills and mountains. The car had brushed through jungle thickets at break neck speed and flew along plains of sugar fields, erratically switching lanes and dodging head on traffic during passing maneuvers.

My body had adjusted to the bouncing, while my hands had clutched my camera for so long, that my joints ached every time I tried to straighten my fingers. Beside me on the back bench were all sorts of bags with strange treats, goodies and trash - little plastic bags containing sucked out prawn heads, foreign fruits and vegetables as well as bunches of Bananas that were neither curved nor yellow.

I had met a lot of people, of all shades of color and all ages, with all kinds of ideas and beliefs, backgrounds and aspirations. It was not a homogenous bunch, but much sooner an all-encompassing one, all of them incredibly welcoming.

The conversation in the front seat had me rubbing my hands over my sweaty face every now and then, in disbelief that it all was really happening. My wife was sitting in the passenger seat on the “wrong” side of the car, while the curly haired lady was steering the racing automobile toward a BELLY FLOP COMPETITION... of all things. How bizarre!

Since this vehicular journey had begun more then a day ago, the lady had paused, but never stopped, in the telling of an epic saga, rich in characters and events spanning the globe. She seamlessly switched between Patois, American English and German to emphasize her points in the tongue that was best suited. There where themes of heritage and history, race and property, environmentalism and the fight against cultural imperialism. All of it linked through a single family line that had branched from Scotland to this Island some 70 years ago and since then had prospered to include 100's of individuals.

Wow! This person is really related to my wife? Where did she come from, and how did we get here? What does all this have to do with me? Is this MY family too now? How did I get involved in this adventure?

I was content being an observer for the time being, but no such luck. I was constantly integrated, dumbfounded at all this wealth of strange information and asked to tell my own story in bits and pieces, especially where it related to my marriage and the years leading up to it.

Sav La mar passed by and we now weaved through thick traffic and honking taxi cabs. Diana, the curly haired cousin, was not going to be stopped.

Daisy was to be a judge in this belly flop competition. As soon as Diana found out, that a good cause was attached, she had added the punctual delivery of this official to her own insanely busy itinerary. So she folded in the side view mirrors and gave us a Han-Solo-esque wink. I half expected the vehicle to sprout wings, instead the maneuver allowed Diana to add an additional lane to the existing road system, all the while speeding up the telling of the saga in hope to reach the end before time was up.

Of course, we did not make it quite in time. Neither for the story nor for the contest. Our timing was, ..well, sort of a compromise.

The sedan screeched to a halt in a cloud of dust before the iron gates of the Sea Star. Driven by Diana’s urging we hastily remove our luggage from all the nooks and crannies they had rumbled into during the past day. We piled up bags of fruits and bread and other eatery in front of the reception desk and hugged and kissed good-bye. Then Diana rushed back into her car, made a race-car drivers U-turn and disappeared behind another cloud of dust.

For a moment I was not sure whether I had really met this lady or just dreamt it. Then I saw the manilla envelope in my hands, filled with all kinds of material, our agenda for the last day, high-gloss brochures and several mission statements for all matters of good causes.

She was NOT a dream!

The heap of disorganized suitcases and over-ripe fruit that now sat jumbled in a pile behind the reception desk, was an adequate metaphor for the state of our stirring minds. I looked at Daisy and she looked as confused and overwhelmed as I felt, when a loud rumpus called us into the here and now. A big splash, followed by excited applause made us turn our heads to the pool. The competition was in full gear.

We hurried across the open event plaza and were met half-way to the pool by patty, who immediately began adorning Daisy with stickers, buttons and a white and golden a sash that read “Judge Daisy”.

I had missed the first round, disqualifying me from entering in the ongoing competition, so I watch from the bar, as Daisy took her place at the judges table. The table was studded with beautiful and wonderful females. I was feeling a bit of pride watching her take her seat her in that line up.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...ellyflop-1.jpg

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...bellyflop2.jpg

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...1bellyflop.jpg

Guiriguy was getting ready and spilled out of the changing-room, rubber fins drooping at the end of his outstretched arms. He stumbled forward like a wounded animal under attack, while the look of determination in his face advertised focus like a road side billboard. The more observant onlooker could spot a dangerous glimmer of a last chance attack in his eyes.

He rounded the pool like a fighter that has already given everything, but must face yet another round. On the other side he paused dramatically, took a step back, and, mustering some force, he pushed forward. His toes curled around the pools edge as they absorbed the impact of his body contracting. Then his arms exploded outward, the fins bending sharply under the weight of the air stream, as his leg-muscles contracted in a beautiful display of manly strength. LIFT OFF!

For a brief magnificent moment the masculine figure paints the silhouette of an Albatross against the sky, before the whole flying circus face-plants itself hilariously onto the waters surface. The crowd went roaring with applause.

The judges conferred for a while, and one after the others held up sheets with numbers, the meaning of which was not clear to me. The crowd was displeased and yelled for more points.

The two beers I had ordered at the bar arrived. I dutifully tried to make my way to the judges table to hand my lovely wife a refreshing drink. I think she definitely needed one after all the events that had flooded in the last day and after all the behaving properly around relatives.

Not nearly there, one of the bottles slipped out of my hands and crashed loudly on the floor – Party foul! The crowds attention was now on me and the shards that glistened in the foaming beer around me. OMG, I think I heard some ”Boo's” and I was not sure, if this was still about the judges points or solely directed at my turning the pool's edge into a barefoot hazard.

The Sea Star staff reacted amazingly. With more experience than a Hazardous Materials Unit, they parted the crowd, cordoned off the area and in a flash, with fast hands, made the disaster history. They even gave me a fresh beer at no charge, even though the whole thing was due to nothing but my clumsiness. I was thoroughly flushed and embarrassed.

By the time I gained my composure the contest was over.

Brasi raised his voice to booming and Ninja was declared the Belly flop champion. Guiriguy took the news badly and my eyes found him slumped under a canopy. I have hardly ever seen such defeat. Brasi and MuzikDoc huddled over him like protective cut men. The scene reminded me of a statue we studied in Art class, named The boxer of Quirinal or Thermae pugilist.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Guirigay.jpg

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...bellyflop3.jpg

The details of the competition have been captured so very well in all of the other trip reports, so I will not attempt to retell them.

You can also experience this event through Ninja's awesome video collage. This includes pictures of the honorary belly flop I was allowed to take in Guiriguy's spandex, after the end of the event.

Sad to admit we were too tired for any clean up. But everyone else lend a helping hand. The organization for this event, backed up by the efforts from the Seastar staff, was amazing, as you might have already learned from other trip reports. It looks like a Belly Flop 2 will soon come.

After everyone had dried off and chucked their beers, we piled roof high into a big van together.

As we dropped off one boardie after the other, we told stories of the crazy driving we had experienced around the cliffs. Someone should open a thread on the subject, titled “you ain’t seen nothin' yet!” - Chicken's catch phrase for road rage.

Everyone was headed to Travellers Resort but we were carrying many many heavy bags and needed to check into Seasplash first.

I had never heard anything about the Seasplash. The name reminded me of a Long Island water park. Honestly I did not expect much. An image of families with spoiled, obnoxious kids being mean to each other on water slides was stuck in my head. I did not care much either way. What we really needed now was a room, two chairs, an ashtray and a bartender.

We were loaded off in the parking lot, with our pile of luggage and the now mushy and fermenting fruit bags. I inspected my surroundings and was very pleased with the thick green that was growing with such wild vigor all around me.


http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...seasplash2.jpg

Daisy's cousin had bought us a Jamaican flag at a drug store that poked out of my back pack. So I pulled it out and waved it wildly as we approached the reception desk. We immediately had made some friends this way. “Ya, Mon! Wave dat flag!! Good for you, Mon!”.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...kinseastar.jpg

We said our names and the girl behind the desk began typing, when a loud noise erupted from behind a folding screen to the side. A man dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts stumbled out waving his hands in agitation. The man's big belly seemed to be commanding the direction of movement by virtue of gravity. His face was flushed and he yelled something in patois at the screen, then rubbed his face, as if it were 5 O'clock in the morning.

“Hey JIM! Oh my gosh!!”. Daisy greeted the stranger with enthusiasm.

He looked befuddled and amused. “Who are you?”

“Daisy! … Daisy and Markus?” She replied.

His face froze for a moment and I could almost see a loading graphic spin on his forehead.

Daisy tried a different approach “It's Clarity and Hubby-man?”

Then suddenly he flung his arms out and he let out thunderous laugh in a hung over voice, slapping his hands on the tiny legs that stuck out of his short's pants.

CLARITY? ... CLARITY AND HUBBY-MAN?! Why didn't you SAY so!”. And with that he grabbed the two of us as a package and clutched us against his mostly naked body.

“Anything,...anything you need! Really, just say the word!” he exclaimed. “Welcome to the Seasplash! I will make you happy here, I promise!”

What a welcome!!

Our room was situated at the end of a curving path. A little yellow house with two stories and two rooms nestled itself into the surrounding garden. Everything looked organic, less like a park and more like a fairytale village.

Inside was a large bed, some comfy furniture, an enormous closet behind the bathroom. The concierge, who had shown us to the room, apologized about the missing fridge and hoped it would be O.K. But then she saw the large amount of food that was slowly spoiling on our luggage....

“Oh, this will not do!”, she exclaimed,”Gimme a moment” She disappeared for ten minutes and returned with a mountain of a man rolling up a large stand-up refrigerator and freezer.

“We found this in the kitchen and emptied it out. I hope you don't mind it being so big?”

Wow, this was the last thing we expected. But exactly what we needed!

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...1seasplash.jpg

We scrambled to find some tip for the amazingly engaged staffer, and finally sat down on the porch to have a relaxing cigarette, while our fruit enjoyed the saving grace of a pro-kitchen grade cooling unit.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...easplash-1.jpg

That's when our little JA cellphone rang.

It was Marley!

To be continued...
Sunset at Seasplash and Roots Bamboo

Ok back on track loving it. Thank you!

How cool was that!?!? I'm so glad that you and Daisy made it in time to catch som of the Flop....we missed you at travellers but I was lucky enough to do the honors or painting your name on a brick. :)

It's so much fun hearing about your experiences with family in Jamaica, you are a great writer Markus. And you are as well Daisy, even though you take no credit ;)

Looking forward to reliving this night through your eyes!

Thanks Tizzy and Angel! :)

It's late but I'm going to post another short update to keep this TR moving forward.

Trip Report Continued...

I was really happy to arrive at Seasplash and finally drop our heavy bags down. I had been up since the crack of dawn and driving all over the Jamaican countryside with my cousin, then rushing to Seastar to judge the bellyflop competition... I was pooped.

I collapsed on the big comfortable bed and cranked up the air conditioner. Heaven...

I was excited about this stretch of the trip. 4 whole nights at the Seasplash! This was the first time we had stayed 4 night consecutively in ANY hotel...ever!

We could actually take our clothes out of the suitcases and get comfy for a bit. This was a nice change of pace for us. I was also happy to discover that the hotel was as beautiful as the pictures on the website. I liked the lush landscape and Jim greeted us so warmly. I felt at home here surrounded by the flowers, palm trees and darting hummingbirds.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/.../02flower1.jpg

I felt myself drifting off to sleep when Markus shook me awake. He was holding the Jamaican cell phone we had received from Rocky “Marley and Ninja want to swing by the bar and join us for some drinks here at Seasplash. Is that okay?”

I immediately jumped up. “YES!” I was exhausted but it didn't matter. I was psyched that they would be coming by and had been looking forward to hanging out with them again since our fun night together at Seastar.

We took showers and then headed out to the bar area of Seasplash to meet up with them

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...seasplash1.jpg

Jim (boombastic) was there too and had a toast with us!

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...ne82/02jim.jpg

Muzikdoc was also at the bar and it was great to talk to talk to him. I immediately warmed up to him. He's an amazing man!

Marley told me about Ninja's disappearing act/quest for rum cream the night before. She had me laughing. You have to hear Marley tell a story in person, with her animated expressions and gestures... especially with Ninja coming in to offer his side commentary. I was cracking up. They are the coolest couple I've met in a long time. I have a “couple crush” on them. (not as kinky as it sounds ;))

Drummerboy was there too, I didn't realize it until I asked about him and found out he was sitting right next to us. I introduced myself to him. It wasn't long until Brasi showed up. We pulled up a bar stool for him and we all took in the beautiful sunset together.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...lashsunset.jpg

A few dirty banana's erased all of my tiredness, I felt wide awake and happy to be surrounded by these new found friends. It was funny to think back at my nervousness of meeting all of these wonderful boardies in person for the first time. Once I was there, It felt as though I'd known them all my life.