Gerry G's TRAIL OF ASHES TOUR Final Chapter -- The Mighty Californian's return

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Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Braz boy on the left is a spitting image of his father.

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That's for sure!

Wow Gerry! I really miss our scooter adventures in Negril. What memories!
So nice to see the familiar faces and places. Thank you! I hope we can meet up again!

So sorry to hear about your Dad, he must have been a great guy.

For a week, Roger and I have been trying to do spear fishing all by ourselves early in the morning with no one else around, but there has always been something in the way: a fishing trip comes up last minute; the waves are too choppy; I was planning on partying hard the night before, etc.

On Christmas day, it all came together. It was Roger and I at 7 a.m. without a soul in sight. The water was so clear you could spot a starfish taking a pee ....

In Negril, among the biggest and most challenging fish to catch are the garfish. They look kind of like small baracuda but with a beak with nasty sharp teeth, and they're big and swim at the top. Roger and I first started spearfishing together a few reaches together, and Roger would rarely shoot the garfish, instead focusing beneath the rocks mostly.

I started hitting the gars because they would allow me to get close (he is a much faster swimmer than me), but they're hard to handle because they're strong and squirm away even when you spear 'em good. Plus they BITE you, so when you hit them low in the body, they're very much alive and mad at you as you try to retrieve it, and it's tough to get 'em in the little net especially without a glove.

In the offseason, I watched videos to learn more about spearfishing (very little on the Net about this sport btw), and big fish you're supposed to finish off with a knife while you're under water, but we never do this.

Anyway, whenever I hit a gar, which is rare (I usually get about three to four fish the whole time while losing two or three, and Roger gets about seven or eight and rarely loses any), I am always frantic for Roger to come quick and help. He does like 75 percent of the work, usually. But I am getting better, and getting more independent. I was SO proud when I got a gar, all by myself, and did everything with Roger like 100 feet away. I just swam up with the limp gar and handed it to him, and he looked at me like a proud papa. It was a big achievement!

Everything we spear gets eaten. A few times we have taken the fish to Booby cay to eat (you can see my gar in one of the previous pics), or Roger cooks 'em or Bentley cooks 'em.

Spearfishing an incredibly fun activity.

Later in the day, I went with Juli to Xtabi. We explored the caves, took some photos, visited the bar and ate some food, and of course floated upon the ocean, taking turns with my green raft. She's a really nice lady, a woman who loves Negril and has been back many times. She likes to split her time between the Cliffs and beach, and I think she leaves tomorrow for Fun Holiday. I guess Juli comes from a kind of small, conservative town, and she really loves vacationing in Negril and celebrating all that's good in life.

It takes a special kind of woman, a strong one, to do the single-in-Negril thing, and Juli pulls it off perfectly. Everyone treats her with the utmost respect.

Also, Patty S is expected to arrive today, later in the afternoon or the evening, plus Seastar Inn is doing a special Christmas dinner buffet.

I only have two more evenings in Negril. It's Tuesday and I leave Thursday. I hate counting down the days, but I just can't help myself.

It's weird the little patterns I find myself in when I go to Negril. Some reaches, for example, I visit Xtabi every day. Others, I never stop. Some reaches, I stop at the same jerk chicken corner and check in with the same cook like 20 times, just to say hi. Then six months later, I will come back, see his face again, and simply wave hello the first time and never look in his direction again.

When I drive by Bar B Barn, I know there a friends I've met again and again through the years, but on some trips I just keep going and never check in.

Some trips I go to Valuemaster like ten times, other trips I do Weisechoice. Some trips I dock myself at Rockhouse, this time I never stopped the motor bike there at all.

This trip, obviously, I have heavily focused on Seastar Inn, along with Westender, Xtabi, Seasplash, Out of Town Pastry and Bentleys. I guess I don't want to stop as often as I used to. I'm very focused on where I want to be and what I want to do.

Thank you gerry123 for the report.Its ealry but when is your next reach?

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Originally Posted by Vince

Thank you gerry123 for the report. It's early but when is your next reach?

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Next reach? Didn't you read the title????

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

Next reach? Didn't you read the title????

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So that's it??? No more trips to Negril???

SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!!!!!!!!

He's probably retiring and moving there.

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Originally Posted by Flipadelphia26

He's probably retiring and moving there.

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Wouldn't surprise me in the least....

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Originally Posted by Flipadelphia26

He's probably retiring and moving there.

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Yes I read the title.Thats what i was kinds thinking.Next chapter.....gerryg123 Negril Bound fer good mon!!!-One way ticket please:)

Keep 'em guessing Big Man, see you soon. Like tomorrow, right? :)

Here are some shots from the Caves at Xtabi with Juli....

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When did they start charging to go down into the caves at Xtabi?

So a new book will be starting up next - I'm thinking!

Here is a little video of the rock pool at Westender Inn ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY4mX...ature=youtu.be

Gerry G!, I love your videos! Where is this Westender place located?

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Originally Posted by Baylee

Gerry G!, I love your videos! Where is this Westender place located?

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Past Ricks and keeping going going going ....

Christmas day was bustling in Negril. Everyone was milling about in their nice new clothes, the Seastar Inn was abuzz with lots of new check-ins, and gerryg123 was ready to take a little trip.

Towards the end of the night, I took a ride down to Tedd's for some mushroom tea with honey. It had been a long time, a few years.

I didn't want to be too strongly affected, so I was eating a big dinner right afterward to kind of absorb everything, and then I simply decided to go to sleep.

Wow, some technicolor drums. Serious Christmas lights!!!

If Honey Boo Boo can get a reality show, surely Gerryg123 can get one too if he ups and moves to Negril. It would have to air on a "pay" channel but the ratings would have to be through the roof, mon.

Hmmm... Never tried he schroom tea.... Seriuos Christmas lights,lol...Hmmmm,lol!

Right on, gerryg123!

Here are some more pics (top to bottom):

1, A beautiful sight

2, Parasailing in horizon

3, Officially endorsed by Coppertone

4, Seastar inn bar

Here's some classic Bentley video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgUslARwCww&feature=youtu.be

lol that vid of bentley is the best!!! 5 things on di plate soon come

It’s the day after Christmas in Negril, a day I’ve been looking forward to because Michael Guirigay is arriving – one of my best boardie friends – along with the lovely Sweetie Pie of course, but it’s also a somber day because it’s my last in Negril before heading back to Los Angeles tomorrow.

I slept great (obviously, lol) and woke up early, like I usually do, and before breakfast I went to Xtabi to take one last solo session on my raft, floating against the Cliffs. It’s just great way to start the day, and it’s also a good way to say goodbye, kind of ritual I always do. If I can’t float in the ocean on my last full day, I feel like I have to start all over again ….

Thats what we all want to do on our last day of the trip, start over again . . .

Later I hit the ocean for my last spearfishing adventure, and though Vincent and Roger both said they wanted to buy my spear gun -- I had given them one for free the past two visits -- neither could come up with any money. I had treated both of them well, tipped them well, and rode in boats filled with tourists paying 25 dollars each all week long, so I shook my head a little bit.

Was I being taken advantage of? They said others wanted to pay for it, and that they wanted mine for 100 bucks, so I came up with a novel idea: i said, OK, I will take the spear with me, and you guys call me later and work it out with your "friends" who want to buy it, and we will all meet up. At first, they were talking about 100 dollars, but I told 'em they could have it for 50.

The whole thing put me in an interesting position with me the one trying to get money from a local instead of the other way around.

I had been very generous and did not want to get taken advantage of. If I give it as a gift or a tip, that's one thing, but of everyone on the beach, especially Vincent, I knew they had money cause I was among those giving it to them. I had tipped Roger close to 100 this week and paid Vincent more than 200.

I know times are tough but they already had two free spears, so fair is fair. Plus, I had asked them repeatedly all week long to bring the other spears so I could spearfish with a friend, and they always came up with excuses. I have no proof they still have the two prior spears.

So I said F-it, I am the music industry and know how to play hardball if I want to, so I did NOT pay for my snorkeling trip this final time, meaning I owed THEM 20 dollars (they charge me a little less each trip because I'm one of their best customers for years and years), and Roger looked at me with wide and confused eyes when I bolted, but I told Vincent I would leave the 20 dollars with Chris at Seastar Inn if he couldn't work it out by purchasing the gun later.

Well, I did close the deal. Later, miraculously, Roger came up with some money, 50 dollars, and said we had a deal. We met later near Burger King, and I took 30 and gave him the rest, and I thought it was fair. Roger did too, he was happy.

It was the first time in my long Negril history that a local had given me money instead of the other way around.

Here are some more pics (top to bottom):

1, Random Negril dogs are always nice

2, Half Moon Beach picturesque shot

3, Hangin' at Bourbon Beach

4, The beautiful Westender Inn hotel -- a great place to get away from it all!

Well played, Gerry, well played.

December 26, the day after Christmas, is actually a bigger day than Christmas itself. It's called Boxing Day, a long tradition from back in the plantation days when Jamaicans would labor through Christmas and have their off day on the 26th plus some "boxed" leftovers from Christmas day, and there you have it.

There are more local families enjoying themselves today more than any day I've ever been in Jamaica (this is my first Christmas pon the Rock). Everyone was all smiling, and all the little kids were dressed up in their fancy Christmas-present clothes, and it was fun riding around and seeing all the families outside playing soccer in the yard and selling drinks and snacks to tourists.

At Seasplash, someone took the holiday a little too seriously and "boxed" away my raft, as I couldn't find it and neither could Rasta Dave. It was a big loss for both of us cause I had told Rasta Dave he could have the raft, and it was just ONE more day at this point.

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

December 26, the day after Christmas, is actually a bigger day than Christmas itself. It's called Boxing Day, a long tradition from back in the plantation days when Jamaicans would labor through Christmas and have their off day on the 26th plus some "boxed" leftovers from Christmas day, and there you have it.

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Being a Canadian we have always recognized Boxing Day. I just took it for granted.

Just had to google the history:
Why is it Called Boxing Day:

Arguments abound on the origins of the name Boxing Day.
•A ‘Christmas Box’ in Britain is a name for a Christmas present.
•Boxing Day was a day off for servants and when they received a ‘Christmas Box’ from the master. The servants would also go home to give ‘Christmas Boxes’ to their families.
•A box to collect money for the poor was placed in Churches on Christmas day then opened the next day.
•Great sailing ships when setting sail would have a sealed box containing money on board for good luck.If the voyage were a success the box was given to a priest, opened at Christmas and the contents given to the poor.

Who Knew?

Here's a little snippet video with Garrett, a key behind-the-scenes figure at Seastar Inn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7VOBUYaeVA

I enjoyed some special cake at Jenny's, then headed to Xtabi again for a meal. In all my visits, I had never enjoyed one of their famous conch sandwiches.

The conch sandwich was indeed great, but their was a new server working, and the service was pathetically poor. He got my drink wrong -- alcohol instead of being a virgin smoothie as ordered -- plus the conch sandwich had mayo and all this stuff after I very specifically called for a dry bun, and then another waiter asked me to move to a different table though there was no one and I mean NO ONE else on the whole property, AND the first server made a mistake on the bill (in my favor!) that I fixed for him to be nice.

The server was smiling and repeating "no problem mon, no problem mon, no problem mon" the whole time, and I laughed my way through the whole misadventure. But the whole thing did turn me off a bit because I think peeps should take pride in what they do, ESPECIALLY when you're the only patron in the restaurant.

OK, rant over. Wait, one more thing: Earlier in the week, at Bourbon Beach, they also mistakenly put alcohol in my smoothie. There, the server said it was my fault, but Margi was sitting right next to me and totally called out the server, saying she heard loud and clear that I had ordered it with no alcohol.

Service in Negril is a mixed bag. You must be tolerant or you'll drive yourself crazy.

Guirigay arrived later, and together we hung out with Brasi for a mini-roof party above the new rooms. You can just see the sun setting into the ocean from up there. We had pizza and enjoyed drinks up there.

I drove each one back to Catcha Gardens separately on my scooter.

We had plans to meet later at Catcha for dessert, but I conked out and fell asleep.

The next day, they admitted they had fallen asleep, too, so it was all good.

Tomorrow I go home. I will miss Negril, but I miss my little daughters back home, too. I'll be ready to return to Los Angeles.

Here are some pics from the country ....

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Garret never really has a whole lot to say, but a super nice guy.

yes very shy ....

Good times, my brotha, good times!

I'm leaving at 11:30 a.m. today, and I haven't even packed. Guirigay and Sweetie Pie came to Seastar Inn for breakfast to help see me off and guide me through the depression of leaving my favorite place on earth. I still managed to visit Westender and Xtabi before Clives's is coming to pick me up. I gave out a bunch of subs, tipped some of the workers and made special arrangements for Garrett to help me pack; without him I could not have made it in time.

Every time I leave Negril, I'm not quite sure when I will be back. Usually I return soon, but you never know, and 2013 I have more responsibilities than ever. I've got my usual work, plus I'm a certified Paralegal now, and I have my daughters, 7 and 8, half the time back in Los Angeles.

I've been thinking a lot about if I really WANT to return. Much as I love Negril, the town hurts my feelings sometimes. Plus, it's hard to keep spending so much money when I have other things going on.

Then again, I say that every time, and look what has happened.

I've got an hour left.

Gerryg - I've been loving all your pictures and reports (especially the pictures from the country and Half moon bay - so beautiful!)
What day did you leave? We just missed each other! I think we were just arriving as you were flying out! :( I was hoping you'd still be on the rock and we could surprise you with a visit!
Regardless, you know you'll be back in Jamaica sooner then you think ;)

gerryg123 I so enjoy reading your reports! I too have had some hurt feelings over the 14 years my husband and I have been going to Negril. As a result of that we have had to change up the way we do things sometimes. The good far out weighs the bad tho. Negril is my favorite place on the planet too. I hope you do return. Your writing transports me there,and helps the time between visits go by more quickly! We only get there once a year now. Take care:o

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Originally Posted by Clarity

Gerryg - I've been loving all your pictures and reports (especially the pictures from the country and Half moon bay - so beautiful!)
What day did you leave? We just missed each other! I think we were just arriving as you were flying out! :( I was hoping you'd still be on the rock and we could surprise you with a visit!
Regardless, you know you'll be back in Jamaica sooner then you think ;)

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Yeah, too bad. I left the 27th and you arrived a couple of days later. I know you kept it quiet on the board, but in Negril the news that you and Marcus were returning was simply too BIG to keep hush about it. Maybe I will see you in April ... MAYBE .....

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Originally Posted by Dconkle

gerryg123 I so enjoy reading your reports! I too have had some hurt feelings over the 14 years my husband and I have been going to Negril. As a result of that we have had to change up the way we do things sometimes. The good far out weighs the bad tho. Negril is my favorite place on the planet too. I hope you do return. Your writing transports me there,and helps the time between visits go by more quickly! We only get there once a year now. Take care:o

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Thanks, Dsconkle, that means a lot to me. Thanks so much.

Hey Gerry. I truly believe that people are a product of their envireonment. That says alot about your recenty passed father. I hope to meet you someday in Nengril. Please don't stop going!

Regards