**on-site Trip Report [[ Thursday afternoon..late ..... 01/09/14 ]]

Hi, you-ALL..!!..

forgive me, please
for not post-ing yesterday

this trip, things are getting *complicated*
for me

it's hard to explain/put-in-words

In brief & in part, as i told boardie-Rob last-Sunday, at the Goya Sunday-webcast::::>> "...I'm getting TIRED of *learning* new-Jamaica-thing-ys

:-(

Whenever i think i can chill, relax, meditate, marinate, what-ever .... then *BOOM* ...!!!... something-something(s) pops-up to divert, take me on a new path, side-track-me, intrigue, fascinate, inform, cause-to-RE-*think*, etc etc.

my poor likkle old & feeble pea-brain is getting a serious work-OUT..!!..

:-(

YET::>> thru it ALL:::>> I love love LOVE this place (and it's people)

* sigh *

so it goes, with the contradictions
the ying & yang of this place is UN-believe-able

oooh KaaaaY

let's start with a likkle video

Location Location Location

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8A...ature=youtu.be
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tell me now:::>>>> WHAT kind of *view* do YOU have from your bathing area..??..
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yesterday, Wednesday, i *had* a plan(?) for the day,
but before i got out of the bed
'twas a knock at the door

:-(

it was a young lady,
who'd come-by the day before
to inquire about renting a spot
on landlord & his mom's property
for a shop ----- her-plan is to build a likkle *sports-bar*, with pool table(s) ..... 'cause she don't want to be depending on her/a man for this & that (i.e., $$$$)

this young-lady was bright, articulate, focused, STRONG, determined, blah blah raaa ----- just-like MANY Jamaican women

landlord gave her a tour of the proposed site.
they chatted about this & that ---- fascinate-ing how negotiations take-place, down-here ---- for me, the back & forth was intrigue-ing, educational, enlighten-ing.

she was to return later in the day,
to meet & chat with the mom
to finalize the deal (if approved)

jumping ahead:::>>> they closed the deal ---- the young-lady will begin construction, etc soon

rent...???... --- Ja $10,000 per year

*usually* the range would/could be about Ja $12,000 per year

my gut tells me she's gonna do quite-well with her new business venture.

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as i sloow-ly began my day (wednesday)
i was torn ---- what to do what to do

work in trip reports..??..
go visit some folks in Negril..??..
do something(s) else..??..
do nothing..??..

so,
i decided to kinda-sort do nothing.

went to Lucea-town
hopped in a taxi to GreenIsland,
to pop-in on & check-out the famous Mr. Bigga
and his roadside establishment

i was a likkle hungry,
and my body craved fish:::: for some reason, you can get plenty of chicken, some beef, pork occasionally, goat more regularly,,, but fish seems (to me) to be a likkle '..dear..' ---- at least whenever i want fish --- i can't find it, they way i want it, at the PRICE i wanna pay for it.
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following some videos
and
commentary
from my Bigga visit.

[[ excuse the pic quality ---- i *think* i did something something(?) to the camera settings ---- will have fixed for future videos ]]]
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWQT0WdvrJk
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boardies, forgive me..!!..

i had
or *thought* i had
a pic of the delicious brown-stew fish i ordered

but, i was so hungry,
and the food looked soooooooooo good,
that i made some kinda mistake while photographing the food

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
maybe i should go back, eh
and try again eh

sounds-like a *plan* na tru

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nndQvgRaGS0
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on the board,
there was a recent thread/post about cleaning of jerk-pans

WELL,,,,,, Mr. Bigga said he PERSONALLY cleans his pan EVERY-night [[ period,,, end of discussion ]]

his pots & pans..??... ---- SAME-way...!!..
..
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etFBXMVNBbM
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there're at least two ladies who work along with Mr.Bigga.

when i told them,
that my bert-day was Jan 2,
one lady told me HER bert-day was Feb-12th

* sigh *

was that a *hint* for me to come-back and sing happy-birthday or something..??..

mi no know.
:-(
'member me from foreign
am non-Jamaican
some things get lost in translation
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my *plan* to go visit Mr.Bigga
on my '..Do Nothing..' Day
worked out really nice:::::

good food
good company
nice conversations
nice vibe
good atmosphere
perfect weather
great view
eating Jamaican-food IN-Jamaica

* sigh *

don't get no better, na tru
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZIMu7Fniyk
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NOTE:::>>> did you see the bread-fruit portions, in the plastic baggies...??..
he told me that they were roasted & prepped for frying (if requested)

ADDITIONALLY, and most-importantly::>> he said that frequently, folks will come-by to buy a bag or two, to take-back to-foreign, on their departing flights.

for us USofA folks, this is a pretty good deal ... if you're into bread fruit ........ 'cause USofA Department of Agriculture inspectors WILL confiscate any and all Jamaican breadfruit, IF it's not pre-cooked/roasted.


p.s... he said, some-folks carry-back his cooked fried fish, too
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WHY called "..Green Island.." ___???___


i said my good-byes to Mr.Bigga
it started to rain/shower

i sheltered under the zinc-overhand at his shop
waiting/looking for a taxi (back to Lucea)

as i stuck my hand in the air
to hail a taxi,
over & over again, Bigga-SAY:::>> "..no mon... NOT that one ... he's going to the high school..."
or
"..NOT that one because blah blah raa raa..."

* sigh *

HOW does he KNOW where EVERY taxi is going (and for what reason, etc etc)
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while standing there,
i looked into the distance
toward the sea & horizon

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm <<<::: mi-SAY

WHAT is THAT...!!! ??? !!!!?? !?!?!?!?!?!? ?! ?!?!?

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OFF in the distance,
in the middle of the sea
was a big big black outline of '..something..'

after ALL these years, i'd NEVER notice that-thing before

was it a cruise ship..??. or something..??..

Bigga-SAY::::>> "...That's Green Island..... the place this place is named after..... it's '.green.' over there..."

mi-SAY ( to self ):::>>> "..Duh.."


Bigga-SAY:::>>> "..you can go there by boat, car or walk over...... IF the tide is right.."

when i asked the obvious questions, he replied:::>>> "...it's BEST to have some(?)-body how KNOWS how/the-area to take you over there.."

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm
i'm *interpretating* THAT to mean:::>>> "... DO NOT go over there idiot-foreigner/tourist on your-own, trying to explore explore explore.."

finally,
a taxi came
i hopped in
for my Ja $160 ride back to Lucea

'twas a GREAT Do-NOTHING Day

:-)

that's all folks, for today
check you Friday

sleep tight
stay warm

Nice report and vids. I can't get the second and fourth videos to work.

most excellent! thank you. all the vids played for me

Excellent!

More please....

Looking forward to more!!

Thank you. thank you, thank you...for being you. I have enjoyed your reports for many years. This trip our times will overlap so I will keep my eyes open for a smith744 sighting on the beach. I hope you are wearing the boots!

Never mind. I changed browsers and they worked fine!

Thanks for sharing!

Bill; you're doing some amazing stuff for us this time.
What a spotless, spotless Jerk Stand.
The on site reports are an inspiration and we are anticipating our lift off this Monday; so I can experience lovely Jamaica once more.

Thanks for posting videos of Bigga's! We weren't able to stop in December. :( His jerk chicken is very good! My husband really likes his steamed fish.