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

Thank you everyone for your comments!

I'm sorry for the delay. Markus was up next to update this trip report but he currently has the flu. He caught the same sickness that I had a week ago. He is resting right now and has asked me to continue on his behalf. He will pick up the torch again once we reach Chicken's magic bus trip to YS falls and Pelican bar.

So without any further dilly dallying.. here goes...

****

Last update: we had left Villa Sur Mer, checked into Seastar inn and were about to head over to the Luciano concert. (see previous page )

The main area of Seastar Inn was buzzing with activity..There was a sea of people congregating around the stage area, talking, laughing and hugging. My eyes scanned the crowd for some familiar faces as we walked in holding hands. I felt a little nervous and shy about meeting so many people for the very first time. I wished that everyone had name tags...

That's when I heard “Daisy! Markus!”

A woman with curly blond hair falling over her shoulders and a huge smile danced over to hug us, she was followed by a man with an equally warm smile. I knew right away that it was Indybob and his wife, Cindy. We all hugged and started talking excitedly.

That's when I heard another greeting in a smart British accent. I can't remember what he said, but I remember it made me laugh..

I turned and asked “Spottycatz?” I expected a Scottish accent, so it threw me off guard. “you don't sound like Sean Connery, you sound positively British”

“I am”, He explained with an award winning smile. “This one here is the Scottish one”

I turned to face a beautiful lady with sparkling eyes in two different colors, just like a cat. Mrs. Spottycatz.

I immediately warmed up to the lot of them. Mr. Spottycatz was cracking jokes with Markus, Mrs. Spottycatz is just the warmest person and she'll put you at ease immediately, Cindy was swaying happily to the beat of Stephen West's rendition of a Bob Marley classic. Indybob was all smiles and so kind.

All my nervousness dissolved. I was just so excited to be there at that moment!

Although I was so overwhelmed by it all, I had a hard time formulating my thoughts to form coherent sentences outside of “I just can't believe we're all here right now!” when I'm in a group setting, I tend to be more quiet and kind of just take it all in. I'm more of a one on one person. Markus is the opposite.

PattySather ran up to hug and greet us. She had a table reserved with her husband, Beachgirl66 and +1. It was great seeing them all again. We pulled up a seat and joined them.

“Have you seen Marley yet?”, I asked.

“No Marley yet”

The arrival of the celebrity couple, Marley & Ninja was a big event and most anticipated by all.

It wasn't much longer before they made their appearance. They were bombarded by hugs and squeals on all sides. Marley was laughing and wearing a shirt that said “Marley” which cracked me up. I was beyond thrilled to meet both of them for the first time. They left to check into their rooms and get changed.

We were hungry so we went on line to get some delicious Seastar buffet food. While I was on that line, A pretty woman with dirty blond hair walked up and said “hello Daisy”

I knew immediately that it was Booger's wife, Sandy (pooper). He had sent her over first to throw me off guard. She was surprised that I recognized her from his trip reports.

We hugged hello and asked “Hey Sandy!! Where's Booger?”

He emerged from the crowd of people at the bar and I was initially taken aback. Like everyone else already noted, Booger looked NOTHING like I had expected him to look like. He was about 20 years younger than I thought he was going to be with the most mischievous smile I've ever seen. I liked him right away.

Guirigay and Sweetiepie arrived next. They were just as amazing and welcoming as I imagined they would be. (Sweetiepie has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.) I was excited to meet this lovely couple in person, especially after reading Guirigay's touching trip report. Guirigay and Markus hit it off immediately.

Tizzy came in right after, she was all smiles and full of pure happiness. Her happiness and joy is contagious. I couldn't stop laughing with her. I just loved her energy so much!

Tizzy & I went to the bar to get some drinks and to introduce her to Booger & Sandy. That's when she met Jon for the first but I'll let her describe that encounter in her own trip report.

I'm going to be honest, most of that night is a bit of a blur to me. I remember so much laughter and conversations around a long white table.. I sat next to Marley, Tizzy was across from me with Booger & Jon. Guirigay & Sweetiepie sat to the left of them, talking mostly to Markus and Ninja. PattySather and Beachgirl66 and +1 were to my right. Gerryg123 dropped by to greet us too! It was just such a fun night..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RastaStan sang “Stand by me” to a cheering crowd. He's amazing! Lisa handed over her tiny laptop for me to join in the negril.com webcast next to Rob, which was a lot of fun. (thanks Lisa!) It was great seeing both of them again.

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

Luciano's performance was incredible. I remember all of us dancing in a big crowd.

Eventually the night began to wind down. I looked at my watch and realized it was getting late. The receptionist desk was already closed, so that eliminated the possibility of a hotel wake up call.

How on earth were we going to wake up at 6:00 AM in the morning for my cousin's arrival and our drive to Mandeville to meet the rest of my family? What if we overslept? My cousin doesn't even know what room we're in... What a terrible first impression that would be if I'm not even ready when she arrives to pick us up? I was worried. This meant too much to me. I didn't want to screw this up.

I scanned the sea of new friends. Who would be awake THAT early tomorrow morning?

Then I remembered PattySather telling me that she wakes up at the crack of dawn to go running along the beach every morning.

I knelt down next to her chair. “Patty, I have a favor to ask of you... a big favor” I whispered.

PattySather leaned in close to me and took my hands in hers. “Anything. Just ask”

((Love her))

“We have to be up super early in the morning to head over to Mandeville and there is no alarm clock in the room.” I said “I have this phone. This rental JA phone that I don't even know how to use... Could you call this phone when you wake up? That would mean the world to me”

Patty immediately agreed. “Of course, sweetie, no problem at all!!”

She took my number and promised she would give us a call at 6 AM. I was eternally grateful and relieved.

Of course Manda and Joe Trinidad were there too (on Popsicle sticks) – I decided to take Manda with me to Mandeville.

We should have gone straight to bed after that... but we did not.

We got caught up in a great conversation with Marley & Ninja. Then rum shots was ordered.. and we were all laughing and chatting up a storm together. We found out that Ninja & Markus had clearly been separated at birth. Marley felt like a friend I had known my whole life.

Eventually we looked around and that's when we realized that the bar was closed, the room was dark and all the tables around us were now empty. How did that happen?

Instead of going to bed, we decided to go back to Marley & Ninja's room at Seastar to try out the famous cake vodka that we kept hearing about...We were just having so much fun, we didn't want the night to end

I only have one picture from that:

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

Right after that picture was taken and the drink was consumed...Markus raised his arm up in a celebratory “wooo hooo!!” and for those that do not know this... Markus is quite tall.

And that when I heard a loud “THUMP THUMP!”

That sound of Markus's fingers getting caught in the ceiling fan. We all gasped in shock and Markus yelled “Aaaaagh”!

There was a horrific moment when I thought Markus's fingers were chopped off! I imagined the paramedics arriving and all of us searching through the room for his dismembered fingers.

His face was twisted with pain. He was clutching his hand and forced his fingers open to examine the damage.

All of his fingers were still intact. He was okay.

“Don't worry. I'm fine honey, see?”, He wiggled all of his fingers on both hands. They were little scratched up and bruised from the fan blades but he was alright.

I breathed a loud sigh of relief. That was scary.

But we knew that it was now officially time to end the party and get some sleep. We all hugged and bid farewell.

Markus and I were laughing together as well fell into our bed in room 12 of Seastar inn.

“That was so much fun...tonight...so much fun...”, Markus murmured as he drifted off to sleep.

I was thinking the same thing as I dozed off.. It was such an amazing night!
But in the back of my mind.. I thought... Oh my gosh I hope we wake up in time to go to Mandeville tomorrow... please let us wake up in time...

To be continued...

For another view of this same night with lots of great pictures of Luciano – check out Marley & Ninja's trip report here http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...ril-2012/page5
Guirigay's view http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...E2%80%A6/page2
Spottycatz view http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...ght=Spottycatz

I am digging the report I am not digging markus' man flu everytime it is report writing time! Upwards and onwards please;)

OMGOSH, those are fantastic!!! I love the b/w on this set!

Instantly felt like family....this is so taking back to that night.

Hope Markus gets well soon

Glad you are continuing. Markus get better soon and Clarity glad you are feeling better. Ok that fan bit scared the crap out of me. Glad you have all fingers intact Markus. Looking toward to more and the photos are nice.

Looks like a great night with amazing company :) Love the Black & White photos! Hope Markus is feeling better soon!

LOL Tic! Good to see you! ;) Well, in his defense he got the flu from me, I totally infected him.

It's hard trying to steer this TR ship in his absence. That above entry would have been so much more descriptive and engaging if it had been written by Markus. It's a challenge to try to put into words the experience of meeting so many wonderful people in one night. I feel like I didn't really capture it. Alas...

Thanks Tizzy, Angel and Katho for your kind comments and well wishes for Markus. He doesn't have a fever today so he's doing a bit better. :)

I'll post a new update tomorrow. G'night guys!

Love,
Daisy

Oh man those pictures bring back so many good memories.......almost feels like it was just yesterday (sure wish it was)!

Loving it Daisy! New pics!! What a great night, the vibe at Seastar set the tone for the week. Taking me back :)

DAY 4

I could hear the icecream truck far away in the distance. It was playing a soft melodic tinkling children’s song. I ran outside and across the grass of my front lawn. I balanced on the curb and eagerly waited. The concrete was hot against my barefeet..

My brother walked up and stood beside me. “What are we waiting for?”

“I hear the icecream truck”

“That’s NOT an icecream truck.” He said matter-of-factly.

Suddenly I lost my footing on the curb and started falling face first onto the street in front of me!

I woke up with a start.

The music from the icecream truck continued even though I was now awake from my dream. My vision was blurred and my head was pounding. I stared up at the wooden arched ceiling and fan spinning above me. For a second I had NO idea where I was… The room was filled with sunlight that burned my eyes, I covered my face….

Where is that faint music coming from??… I could hear a buzzing sound too…

I turned my head and saw my JA phone on the night table was vibrating. The screen was bright green and flashing.

That’s when it all came rushing back to me… I’m at Seastar Inn… and my Second thought was “Oh no!! what time is it???”

I picked up the phone and I heard a man’s voice on the other end. “Daisy?”

“Yes??”

“This is Kopper, Patty’s husband. She just left for her morning run but she told me to keep calling you every 5 minutes until you picked up your phone!” He laughed.

“Oh my gosh!! Thank you so much for waking me up!!… I didn’t hear the phone… the ringer is really quiet! Thank you!!”

“No problem! Have fun in Mandeville!”

(((((((Thank you Patty Sather! You are a lifesaver!))))))))

I looked at the time on the phone. 7:15 AM. I was supposed to be up at 6 AM!! I shook Markus awake. “We have to go! We have to go!!” He moaned loudly and covered his face with the blankets.

I fumbled through my purse for the slip of paper with my cousin’s number on it. I immediately called her in a state of panic and regret.

I was relieved to find out that my Cousin was running late too and was still 15 minutes away from us. Yep, we are DEFINITELY related to each other. :cool:

I managed to drag Markus’s body out of the bed. He was as exhausted and hung over as I was. We had to shape up fast. I was about to meet my cousin for the first time and I wanted to make a positive impression. Right now we both looked like something horrific that the cat dragged in. We also had to pack up our luggage again because were leaving Seastar Inn.

Once again our stay at Seastar Inn had been too short. We had booked two nights and only got to stay for one. There was a last minute change of plans and we would be crashing overnight in Mandeville instead. I was really glad that Guirigay & Sweetiepie accepted our offer to stay in the room. I knew they’d love it here as much as we did.

I realize that some people reading this don’t know WHY I’m going to Mandeville, WHY I’ve never met my cousin before or HOW I even found out about my family in Jamaica. So Here is the **quick cliffnotes version***:

My Grandfather’s brother (My Grand Uncle) went over from Scotland to Jamaica when he was a young man. At that time it was British Territory. He married a Jamaican woman and started a family. He had a bunch of children and those children had children..etc.

My Grandfather on the other hand, immigrated to New York and found his wife in America. When my father was 12 years, My grandfather sent him to Kingston to live with this brother’s family for about 4 years. So my father spent his teenage years in Jamaica.

The last time he saw this family was back in 1974. He and my mother visited Jamaica for their honeymoon and stayed with the family. My father lost touch with them completely after that. He rarely spoke about it. So I didn’t really know much or anything about this family.

Okay, So Fast forward 38 years…My little brother visited My Grandfather and when he returned He told me “We NEED to go to Jamaica” I agreed to go with him. We talked about it a lot the last time I saw him.

My brother never made it to Jamaica. He passed away 2 months later…

I won’t go into the intense grief I experienced but anyone that has suffered through the loss of a family member will understand. I decided to travel to Jamaica in his memory. I started with Negril because it was the name of my brother’s favorite Caribbean restaurant in New York City. I typed in Negril in Google search and found Negril.com. This website is what motivated me to take that first trip. I honestly don’t know if I would have done it otherwise. I’m so glad that I did.

I was at the Grand Pineapple during my November trip to Jamaica. I told someone my last name and asked if they could help me locate my family. It turns out my COUSIN works at the Grand Pineapple hotel! Through my cousin, I started to connect with a bunch of family in Mandeville & Kingston. Another Cousin named Diana decided to organize a family get-together in Mandeville and she offered to pick me up from the Seastar Inn to attend.

I have a rocky relationship with my father, so I was a little nervous. I think my biggest fear was that this new family wouldn’t like or accept me. I’m going to be honest, I was actually REALLY worried about this. I just didn’t know what to expect.

We finished re-packing up our suitcases and bags, checked to make sure we weren’t leaving anything goodbye and bid a wistful farewell to room 12 at the Seastar Inn…

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...82/Hammock.jpg

Next time I hope we have more time to swing on that hammock…

We dragged our luggage over to the front reception area, handed in our keys and told them that G & S would be coming by later pick them up. They had no problem with the requested guest swap. I love Seastar Inn, Awesome staff, warm vibe and the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on. I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel…I love everything about it!

Well…. except for maybe the height of their ceiling fans in the lower rooms…;)

That’s when the gate opened up and a sedan pulled into the property..

My Cousin was here to pick me up!

I stood there nervously next to Markus, ready to greet her for the first time.

To Be Continued….

Sorry, for leaving off right there. I’m writing this on my lunch break and unfortunately, Now I need to get back to the office. I’ll update again soon.

Ok Daisy we are waiting patiently love your writing. Nice you have the dreams with your brother in them was wondering where you could be with the ice cream truck. :-) Hope that Markus is better. Like his writing too.

loving the continued family meeting and exploration! I know you had me in tears and also sort of gasping in your previous report with how your brother's dream, you meeting a cousin at Grand Pineapple (when does that ever happen!), and your experiences in Jamaica just made this kaleidoscopic configuration. Plus just the synchronicity and love behind the whole thing shredded me. I guess it must be what I secretly wish for my family, but you got it, and rocked it. (ok getting cheesy here but I mean it). Daisy, your story is so incredible. i hope you make an entire compilation. I will volunteer edit it if you want to publish.

Glad you started your TR again! Enjoying it very much.

Three times through my recent stay at Seastar Inn I nearly hit the fan with my precious little fingers in Room 6 while putting a shirt on, only to pull back at the last moment. I thought of you and Markus every time .... Great report so far, Clarity!

Gerryg-
Room 6 was the room where it happened!!!!!

lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by marley9808

Gerryg-
Room 6 was the room where it happened!!!!!

lol

---

I know. I was staying at Blue Castle that night ....

Yeah...I heard later that we "stole" your room! Sorry about that.....but I still wonder who "stole" OUR room, because we had room 5 booked that night but when we showed up they put us in room 6! LOL

Fun times

Great TR Clarity! Thanks for sharing.

[QUOTE=marley9808;57650]Yeah...I heard later that we "stole" your room! Sorry about that.....but I still wonder who "stole" OUR room, because we had room 5 booked that night but when we showed up they put us in room 6! LOL

Fun times

We were supposed to be balcony mates!!! I think we more than made up for it though after that.

LOL!!!
I know, right?

When we checked in and they put us in that room I was a little disappointed because I thought we were going to be "left out of the party"
The feeling didn't last long! Hahahahaha

Now, New Years is different.....we will be above you guys! Well...that's the plan anyways HA!

Nice work and keep it down in December. Nice to know we have 3 of the 4 rooms.........

LOL......keep it down?!?!?! Who us? Hahahahaha

Special projects and all.......
LMAO

Ah oh. Looks like I've infringed on a "true boardie" gathering. I have the 4th new room at Seastar on New Year's. Sorry guys...but you gotta blame yourselves. Once I started reading all the wonderful things I on this board about Negril and, specifically, Seastar, I changed my original plan of 9 days in Negril to 13 days in Negril-- to include New Year's at Seastar! I shall not interfere with your mini-boardie bash. This is my first trip to Negril so I'm not the "real thing" like y'all! But I do hope to fall in love with Negril, like most of the others on this board. :)

I just realized you can tell I'm not the "real thing" because I don't have a turtle on my ticker! Someday, maybe...

I'm sure mavmaiden, that once you've spent time with Turtle Team Tango, you'll be looking to arrange your next visit a.s.a.p. Have great time, Shauna and the crew will steer you right. ;)

Hey Mavmaiden!
No such thing as "not the real thing" You are going to Negril.....so that pretty much makes YOU a turtle, because I know you will love it and you will long to come back even before you have left!
Welcome aboard!!!
We actually won't be at Seastar until JUST after New Years, I think we check in on the 2nd or 3rd, but can't wait to meet you then! It is going to be a blast!!

Thanks spottycatz & marley! I'm unbelievably excited about the trip-- and, of course, addicted to the board! I can't wait until we're close enough for me to say "soon come!"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gerryg123

Three times through my recent stay at Seastar Inn I nearly hit the fan with my precious little fingers in Room 6 while putting a shirt on, only to pull back at the last moment. I thought of you and Markus every time .... Great report so far, Clarity!

---

That's too funny that you were in the same room and almost had a similar run in with the ceiling fan. Glad you didn't though! Markus had swollen fingers for a while after that...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by irieworld

loving the continued family meeting and exploration! I know you had me in tears and also sort of gasping in your previous report with how your brother's dream, you meeting a cousin at Grand Pineapple (when does that ever happen!), and your experiences in Jamaica just made this kaleidoscopic configuration. Plus just the synchronicity and love behind the whole thing shredded me. I guess it must be what I secretly wish for my family, but you got it, and rocked it. (ok getting cheesy here but I mean it). Daisy, your story is so incredible. i hope you make an entire compilation. I will volunteer edit it if you want to publish.

---

Aww, thanks Irieworld. I was moved by what you just wrote. Thank you for reading and caring. I don't think our ramblings are coherent enough to ever be publishable, but I really do appreciate the compliment! Hearing that people enjoy what we're writing really motivates us to keep sharing our experiences. I plan on printing it all out when we're finished and putting it in a folder for our future children to read when they are adults. Hopefully it will push them to travel to Jamaica and have their own adventures.

Thanks Maryann, Boogs, Marley, Coco!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Angel

Ok Daisy we are waiting patiently love your writing. Nice you have the dreams with your brother in them was wondering where you could be with the ice cream truck. :-) Hope that Markus is better. Like his writing too.

---

Thanks Angel – Markus is feeling a lot better and he is working on Chicken's magic bus trip right now. My job is to just get the trip report to that point, Sorry I'm taking so long...next update coming up!

Mavmaiden – That's so awesome that you're first trip to Negril will be this December.. You're going to love it! There is no such thing as a “true boardie” or “the real thing”. The minute you arrive at Seastar, you'll see what I mean. I kind of had similar feelings my first time. I felt like everyone else had such a history together and that I wouldn't be accepted. I realized right away, that this is not the case. Everyone is so warm, open and inviting. Trust me. You'll feel at home in no time!

Our dream is to make it back to Negril in December. It really depends on a lot of circumstances. It doesn't look like it's in the stars for us right now. But you never know

If we DO find a way to celebrate New years in Jamaica, I really hope to meet you!!

Day 4
Trip report continued...

So when I last left off, we had just checked out of Seastar Inn and my cousin drove through the gates in her sedan.

I had seen pictures of my cousin but this was my first time meeting her in person. She was in her late 50's with curly black hair spilling over her shoulders. She had a huge smile on her face and She immediately pulled me into an embrace. I felt at ease right away.

She apologized for getting a late start this morning, I told her that I was late getting up too. She was in good spirits and ushered us into the car.

“Okay, This is for you”, She said handing me a manilla folder.

I opened it and was surprised to see a schedule of events.

“I've been planning this day all month” She said laughing “I couldn't resist making up a schedule so we could squeeze in all the things I want to show you. We only have 24 hours and we have to make every minute count”

There was a LOT on the list. I was amazed. “Wow! This is impressive – thank you so much for putting this together..”

“I love doing this and being a part of this” She explained “The family in Mandeville can't wait to meet you. They remember your father, they are excited that his daughter has come to the Island. We are VERY family oriented. You will discover that soon enough”

So we hit the road

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

Our first stop was “The Grand Pineapple” to visit my other cousin, “Paul”*. He was the one I met for the first time in November and he works there. Paul is her son.

It was nice stepping back on the familiar resort grounds of the Grand Pineapple. This was my first time NOT staying at the GP and first our entirely non-AI trip to Jamaica. It was great seeing all the staff again, I couldn't believe they all still remembered us.

We had a delicious breakfast all together in the dining area. The ocean was bright turquoise blue and the weather was perfect. My cousin, Paul is shy and kind. It took him some time to open up but once he did, I found that we had a lot in common.

After breakfast, we all hugged goodbye to Paul, we needed to continue on our journey. On the way out of the dining area, a guest at the table beside us called my name “Daisy? From Negril.com?”

I turned around in surprise. It was Labwalker and his wife. “I recognized you guys right away” He said “Just wanted to say “hi!” It was so cool meeting them and I introduced them to my cousins.

Next stop was Montego Bay to meet my other cousin, Mike* - Mike is also her son and Paul's brother. He works in Montego Bay, also in the hotel business and has been on some travel channel shows.

The ride there was beautiful..

We met at Fontana in MoBay to enjoy some Devon house ice cream (a first for me - that is some GOOD icecream) and coffee.

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

I was a bit starstruck when I met Mike. I recognized him from a show about Jamaica I had watched before my first visit to the island. I never imagined when I watched that footage a year ago that I was looking at my own cousin. This was a little mind-blowing for me.

He was very outgoing and charismatic. He talked about how he is very active in promoting tourism in Jamaica. He lived in Florida for a while to attend school, but he couldn't stay away and had to come back to Jamaica. He has such a pride and passion for his country. I was really moved by his words and how much he does to help the community.

Eventually he had to get back to work and we had to hit the road. We were running out of time.

“Family is driving in from Kingston to see you in Mandeville today, so we don't want to make them wait”, Diana explained.

We talked a lot during this ride. Diana spoke about our family's history, about her own struggles, about daily life in Jamaica. This conversation was unlike any discussion I've had since coming to Jamaica for the first time. The dynamics were different. I was talking to my family now. I learned so much during that car ride. My whole relationship to Jamaica was changing and it's hard to explain in words this shift that was occurring in my consciousness.

On top of that, every time I looked out the window... I confronted with the most stunning vistas.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...tifulview1.jpg

Lush landscapes and curving roads... the sweet Caribbean sunshine and fresh air coming in through the open windows. It all felt a bit like a dream, almost surreal.

The road leading to Mandeville has a road that is covered in bamboo. Rob and Lisa had told me about this and I was excited about driving through it. I think it's called Bamboo alley... it's really a sight to be seen and this image doesn't even fully capture it. It's just magical!

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...andeville2.jpg

Diana pointed out the church where another cousin had just gotten married only a week earlier. St. Andrews church.

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

As we drove up the mountains, my ears popped from the pressure change and the views on all sides were just breathtaking.

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

“I wish I could live here...” I said quietly.

“If you really want that, you can make it possible. I'm head the community tourism division in Mandeville and own the Mandeville hotel. We could find a position for you and Markus already works remotely” She said “If that's your dream, I can help you make it happen”

Wow. What a thought! I needed time to adjust to the reality of this possibility. It's something we all have dreamt about at one point but if given the opportunity, would you do it? Could I ever actually leave San Francisco and move to Jamaica?

Mandeville is very different from Negril. The houses were colonial British in style and a lot of them were very large. The center of the town looked very suburban. Soccer fields, school districts, churches and a big town center. I saw families with their Sunday best returning from church. Kids laughing in a playground. I didn't see a single tourist which was strange. It looked so ideal, like the perfect place to raise a family. This is a side I've never seen of Jamaica.

We drove past all of that into a more countryside area, dotted with houses on the hills on all side. We drove up the hill and stopped at a one level home overlooking the countryside.

“This is where I grew up”, Diana said “My father passed away, but my mother is still alive. This is the usual meeting place for family gatherings. Your father would come over to Kingston to visit here often during his time in Jamaica.”

She pulled the car to a stop in the dirt driveway filled with other parked cars and turned off the engine.

“Okay, you're about to meet a LOT of family all at once. Don't worry about remembering everyone's names right away. It's going to take some time”

It was kind of surreal as I walked across the pathway to the front door. I felt like I was in my father's shoes for a moment, walking along the same pathway that he did as a 12 year old boy. I wonder what he was thinking and feeling the first time he came here. Jamaica is so different from New York. It must have been such a culture shock for him. He spent the bulk of his formative years on a Caribbean island.

People started streaming out of the house and began introducing themselves. They were all smiles, and hugs.. It was overwhelming, all these faces.. all these strangers that I was related to. Their skin tone was all shades from pale to dark. Their hair varied from blond to jet black. We all shared the same great grandfather. The Jamaican phrase “Out of many, One people” suddenly made sense

One woman in particular came up to me with a lot of enthusiasm. She had deep set warm brown eye and brown curly hair. She was in her early 60's. “It's amazing to meet you Daisy! Your father lived with us for four years, I was teenager when he came over from New York and I grew up with him..I see the resemblance. It's wonderful that you are here. You are the connecting link that is bringing this family together again!”

That's when my eyes filled with tears. This was a lot to take in and you all know that I'm Mrs. Waterworks. I just couldn't believe this was all happening. It truly was a dream come true for me and more than I ever expected.

The house was filled to the rim with family members and they were spilling out of the lanai onto the grass. Children of all ages, woman and men of all ages...

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...1myfamily2.jpg

Markus holding one of my cousin's baby girl. She was SO cute with the chubbiest little cheeks I'd ever seen...

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...usinsbaby2.jpg

That's when I was brought into a special room and I met Diana's mother. She was in her 90's. She was hunched over at the dinner table, Her head shook. I couldn't believe I was meeting her..

“Mommy, This is Dean's daughter. Do you remember little Dean?”, She asked

The old woman nodded slowly and took my hand into hers. She stared at me very intensely and clutched my hand tightly.

Then She looked over at Markus “Who is this?”, She asked. Her voice was in a whisper, and she spoke very slowly.

“This is my husband, Markus” I said.

She ushered for me to move closer to her. I did and she whispered “Watch out. He is a handsome one, Women....They will try to take him away from you”

I laughed. “I know! I'm holding onto him tight!”

Then she closed her eyes and released my hand.

“She's tired, we have to take her back to bed now.” Diana explained.

That encounter was very meaningful for me. I watched as they helped her out of the chair and into another room. I hoped that I would meet her again, I realized that she was in the twilight of her life.... it could be the last time. I had to get my father to return to the Island and see her before it was too late. I HAD to make this happen. It was now my mission.

Our next stop was the Mandeville hotel for a late lunch. Everyone got back into their cars and we drove down the road to the hotel.

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

The hotel was beautiful. It belonged to Diana's father and was handed down to her father passed away. It was his pride and joy so all the family was helping to keep it running. I also found out that my family opened one of the first hotels in Negril. If anyone ever visits the Mandeville hotel, check out the plague to the right when you first enter. It tells the whole story.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...illehotel2.jpg

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

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

There was a long table set up for the meal. I couldn't believe all of this was to welcome me back into the family. It was all so much! I felt SO loved ! I was overwhelmed at the same time because I didn't feel I deserved all this fanfare. Who am I? I'm no one special..

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

The meal was amazing and delicious, Jamaican Caribbean fare cooked by my family members and set u in a buffet spread. Everyone had contributed something.

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

There was so much laughter and conversation around the table. I had to keep pinching myself because it didn't feel real. Was this really happening? I thought back to my first trip to Jamaica and I never in my wildest dreams imagined THIS...

***And if you're still reading this, thanks for caring and joining me on this journey. I'm excited that I can share this with you. It was really life changing for me.***

Here is a pic of Markus with another one of my younger relatives. He really took to him, he spent a lot of time showing him how a camera works. Watching them together made me realize that he'd make a great father ... It was officially time to start our family. No more dilly dallying on that front.

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

We all took a group shot at the end of the day. I'm sorry it's so blurry, I put a blur filter over it to protect the privacy of my family members but I just wanted to share this so you could see how many came together that day from all over the island to meet us. It was simply incredible

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

The sun was setting and it was time for everyone to go. A lot of them had to drive back to Kingston so they wanted to leave before it got too dark. We all exchanged email addresses, phone numbers and promised to keep in touch. (And we all have!! More about that later...)

Next stop: Hotel number 3# - Mountain Top Villa, Mandeville

To be continued...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clarity

Mavmaiden – That's so awesome that you're first trip to Negril will be this December.. You're going to love it! There is no such thing as a “true boardie” or “the real thing”. The minute you arrive at Seastar, you'll see what I mean. I kind of had similar feelings my first time. I felt like everyone else had such a history together and that I wouldn't be accepted. I realized right away, that this is not the case. Everyone is so warm, open and inviting. Trust me. You'll feel at home in no time!

Our dream is to make it back to Negril in December. It really depends on a lot of circumstances. It doesn't look like it's in the stars for us right now. But you never know

If we DO find a way to celebrate New years in Jamaica, I really hope to meet you!!

---

Played lotto tonight keep fingers crossed

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clarity

Mavmaiden – That's so awesome that you're first trip to Negril will be this December.. You're going to love it! There is no such thing as a “true boardie” or “the real thing”. The minute you arrive at Seastar, you'll see what I mean. I kind of had similar feelings my first time. I felt like everyone else had such a history together and that I wouldn't be accepted. I realized right away, that this is not the case. Everyone is so warm, open and inviting. Trust me. You'll feel at home in no time!

Our dream is to make it back to Negril in December. It really depends on a lot of circumstances. It doesn't look like it's in the stars for us right now. But you never know

If we DO find a way to celebrate New years in Jamaica, I really hope to meet you!!

---

Thanks, Clarity/Daisy!! I would truly love to meet you if y'all somehow manage to make it in December. This trip is my 50th birthday present to myself (day after Christmas baby) and the wait until December is going to kill me. I need to stop reading the board-- it makes me so fired up about Negril that the clock is ticking far too slowly!

I'm lovin' your trip report. You are a very eloquent and thoughtful writer (and funny, too). Your latest post about the day you met your family members is so touching. I hope it's in the stars someday for you to move to the island. If not now...maybe down the road. I can't imagine how nervous you were, but oh what a wonderful day!

wow! speechless . . .

oh hon you have moved me to tears....I am so glad you had a chance to get with your family and make the connection.

Daisy, this is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. I am lost for words also! What a wonderful family to be part of. It is going to be amazing for your father when he reunites with all his family. Absolutely beautiful. Remember when I told you you and Marcus were the prince and princess in the most wonderful fairytale, well, it only gets better and better and I feel blessed to have the pleasure of you both as friends. ♥ x