Christmas Vacation in Negril

NRV & crew arrived on Saturday afternoon Dec. 20th to a jam packed airport. Thank goodness for Club Mobay...:) Damion from Takecare Tours picked us up & we were off to Negril! The traffic wasn't too bad compared to the airport. We stopped for some supplies at a store in Lucea. Stopped at the Cambio at Boardwalk & near Bourbon Beach and both were closed. Check in at Rondel was a breeze. Johnno brought our bags to our room. Whew....LET VACATION BEGIN!!!! Hubby & daughter immediately go to the bar, where they are greeted by Delroy. I unpack a few things, apply bug spray & join them for some beverages. Wow, I haven't eaten all day, so we ordered a veggie pizza & some jerk wings and more drinks. We're feeling pretty good - hubby & daughter really good - they got a head start on me. We enjoy our first sunset from the bar at Rondel. I'm still hungry...Daughter & husband laugh at me, but hey I didn't eat breakfast or lunch like they did. So I talk them into going to Bourbon Beach for some chicken. Catch a cab to BB & chow down on some chicken & fries. Time to sleep and prepare for 10 days in paradise.

Keep it coming NRV I have 6 weeks to wait helps pass the time

Looking great at Rondel!!! Have an awesome time!!!

We awaken to sunny skies and calm water. The weather was beautiful everyday, no rain. In the afternoon some clouds would roll in and give us a break from the scorching sun. We ate breakfast at Alfred's 8 times. Our favorite place. Can't go wrong with the calalloo omelette, banana pancakes, ham & cheese omelette (add calalloo), Spanish omelette....all good! We stopped at Treehouse one morning for breakfast. I didn't realize they had a buffet- wasn't really that hungry (buffet did look good), so we went to Country Country. They had just quit serving breakfast, so we went to C Grape at Firefly. I wanted to give Canoe a go for breakfast, so we caught a cab one morning and they were closed...Opened at 10:00....dang...really wanted to eat there, but didn't want to wait an hour for them to open, so we went to Xtabi. Good breakfast and gorgeous view!
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Scenes along the beach...

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This shirt cracks me up:D
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When would that tin fence have gone up to the north of Rooms? Was it put there because of the wild goings on or is something being built?

Ah, great start. Love the Christmas tree and Red Stripe, nice touch. Speaking of fences, when did that one go up at 3 Dives?

Beautiful pix. Alfred's is my breakfast of choice too. FYI their prices increased New Year.

Freezing here in Cheeseland, so your pictures are appreciated :)

fence up in dec. Heard it was a tax issue.

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Originally Posted by jeffrey1

fence up in dec. Heard it was a tax issue.

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Please do not comment on that which you do not know.

The property is being upgraded to accommodate an improved vendor's venue

Cap

Breakfast at Alfred's = Egg sandwich on coco bread to die for

We ate jerk pork for lunch almost everyday, from Dean on the beach. Mild for me and hot for the two red heads. A fresh piece of cocoa bread & cheese goes well with the pork (so does an order of fries). We went to Niah's for patties one day. They were hot hot hot - fresh out of the frying pan! We also bought patties from Norman & Neville. The Boat Bar has a new cook. We had lobster salad sandwiches & hubby had steamd snapper for lunch. I love sitting upstairs at the Boat Bar - nice view! Otis Gayle & his band played a few different days in the afternoon during our stay. Jamaica Tamboo is always on our list of places to stop. My better half had a lobster pizza & I had the calalloo pizza. I could eat calalloo at every meal. Sometimes I did!

Jerk pork from Dean
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Boat Bar lunch
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Thanks everyone! I'm glad that you are enjoying my pics!:D

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Originally Posted by SLP

Beautiful pix. Alfred's is my breakfast of choice too. FYI their prices increased New Year.

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Thanks SLP! I saw you almost everyday we were there! We met a nice couple from California that hung out at Alfred's. One day he called you Sue & I figured out who you were. Enjoy your time in Negril! There were several people that were regulars at Alfred's every morning we were there.

Thanks for the report, I'm enjoying all the pics!

I once ordered a chicken breast sandwich at the Boat Bar and it was just that, chicken breast with bones and all, we don't eat there anymore LOL

"Sand gravity" sucked us in everyday. Our daily routine - I was always the first one up (at home I'm the last one up!), husband would go for a 5 mile power walk on the street/sidewalk (I walked with him a couple times for two miles), sit on the balcony & get ready for the beach, off to the beach to get our chairs & set up our travel beach umbrellas, procure mangoes, fresh juice, fresh baked goods, walk to Alfred's for breakfast, take mangoes to the bar for daiquiris, light the drinking lamp as soon as we return from breakfast, hangout on the beach, swim, drink, eat, get a massage from Pat, walk on the beach, watch the sunset at Rondel's bar, get ready for dinner,REPEAT! My daughter asked me on Monday "what we are we doing today?". My reply..."same thing as yesterday!"

Serge brought me mangoes almost everyday (also bought them from Cortis, & from the fruit/veggie farmer lady w/truck parked by Boat Bar). We are mango hoarders, lol! Got to have them everyday.
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Anthony, the fresh baked goods guy. Really nice guy, works very hard. I have known him for a long time and try to purchase something from him everyday...banana bread, cocoa bread & cheese, chocolate cake, marble cake, bread pudding, gizzadas, donuts, and other daily specials.
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Fresh mango dauquiri with a dark rum floater on top

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Delroy!
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Donovan!
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My dear friend, Miss Pat & her niece Sophia. Great massages & braiding! Pat gave me a package deal for 7 massages. WONDERFUL!!!!
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View from my chair
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I'm getting hungry!

And I'm getting thirsty, great trip report, keep it coming.

Nice read. Curious, after how many drinks do you decide to hang upside down?

Love your pictures. The one with the fruit guy, serge?, ,made me smile. As you were right in front of my buddy Ozzie's place. Where he sells wood works, necklaces etc. we visit him every year minus this year as we didn't make it to negril this year. Miss him and negril!

We are booked already for December 2015', your pictures are helping me get my Jamaican vibe on

Thanks

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Originally Posted by booger

Nice read. Curious, after how many drinks do you decide to hang upside down?

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LOL Booger! Hehe, it depends if I'm sitting at the bar (AND if Delroy or Donovan are bar tending!).

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Originally Posted by stonyplainclint

Love your pictures. The one with the fruit guy, serge?, ,made me smile. As you were right in front of my buddy Ozzie's place. Where he sells wood works, necklaces etc. we visit him every year minus this year as we didn't make it to negril this year. Miss him and negril!

We are booked already for December 2015', your pictures are helping me get my Jamaican vibe on

Thanks

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Thank you Stonyplainclint! My daughter bought a really neat carving from Ozzie. He has some unique stuff. Nice guy.

Great report and pictures,thanks for sharing!!

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Where is this?

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Originally Posted by HarryS

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Where is this?

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Might be Rondel

Cap

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Originally Posted by HarryS

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Where is this?

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Harry, it is the main pool at Rondel Village. This pic is taken from where our room was on the 3rd floor of the Nasberry building.

Is the pool usually this shaded, or only certain times of day?

Really nice review. Love the drinks.

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Originally Posted by HarryS

Is the pool usually this shaded, or only certain times of day?

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The pool is generally shaded, but has an area where you can catch some rays.

Since it is so freaking cold tonight in Virginia (yeah I know....you all in Minnesocolda, Wisconsin, Canada, Michigan, & elsewhere have it worse:o), LET'S GO BACK TO THE BEACH!

This chair is for you!
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View of RV & Boat Bar from the water
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Neville, the Pattie man
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End of the day...
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Thank you! I feel warmer already.

Great report and pics. Looks like lots of good times.

Pat the massage lady got a haircut! I miss her, we spend a lot of time with Pat.

Great report, warming me right up. I like your routine, sounds perfect. I'm with boog, upside down you're turning me...

From under my blanky in michigan, thanks for the great pics. My trip is in march, so I've got a ways to go. Cant wait for that beach!

This year we missed our friend, Balo tremendously. Balo always drove us wherever we wanted to go - dinner, shopping, sightseeing, whatever.....He would wait for us outside of Rondel, sometimes sleeping in his car, just to be there when we needed him:( I told him a few years ago to stop doing that, we would call him. Last year he was working & staying at Pee Wee's. The phone number I had for him didn't work. The guards all knew him and said that they had not seen him for months. They were on the lookout for him, but were not able to contact him during our stay. Eddie at DeBar knows him as well and had not seen him for weeks. I hope that he is okay and is just hanging out at his home until things pick up. If anyone knows him and has seen him recently, please let me know. Not having Balo around put a damper on our trips out to dinner. We had some interesting cab rides!
Eddie's DeBar - we love this place. His chicken is off the hook! Business seemed to be good/busy. We ate there two times this trip. One night it was packed. Eddie had to turn away "drive thru" business. We had some good, "pee your pants " laughs there...mostly at my expense, but it was good! I even had one of the locals bustin out laughing at my antics....(too many drinkys on the beach that day:rolleyes:!) I was stuck on the picnic table and had a hard time getting up, geez...
We ate at Bourbon Beach twice. We asked them to call us a cab. The cook ended up driving us home! I thought my ass was dragging on the ground, as the shocks were broken. The second time we ate there, the music was so loud, I could barely swallow. I like music & I play it LOUD, so don't think that I'm a prude, but holy sh*t we couldn't enjoy our food. My husband said the bass was blowing his shirt back & fourth. Crazy, there wasn't anyone there. I guess they wanted people to think there was something going on...Other than that, the chicken was good & the sauce was SPICY!
I wanted to try some "new" places this year. We strolled up the beach one evening for a drink and ended up stopping at Kuyaba. Very nice! The pepper shrimp appetizer was good. We ended up eating Christmas dinner there with our daughter. Everyone enjoyed their meal. If you like coconut, get the warm coconut pie & an order of ice cream...y.u.m.m.y! Lordy that was freaking delicious!
Kuyaba had a pretty Christmas tree
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Boat Bar - Christmas Eve we couldn't decide where to go & decided to give the new cook, Desmond, a try for dinner. Easy, right next door, plus we could sit upstairs in my favorite spot! The pumpkin soup was exceptionally good. I met Desmond while I was getting a massage at Pat's. He had just started cooking there, used to work at Rondel. Funny guy....It didn't take long for him to crack on me. I saw him almost everyday when I got a massage. I wish that I would have gotten his recipe for his pumpkin soup.

Boat Bar grilled lobsta
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Steamed snapper
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Curried shrimp
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Yellow bird was on my list of places to stop for dirty bananas. They are really good! Also Marcia's right next to the bar has good dessert. She had coconut cake & chocolate cake the day we stopped. I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but thought it looked the best, so I got a piece. Very light, not heavy like most of the cakes you see in JA. She gave me a big slice for 3 or 4 bucks. Well worth it! A+ for Marcia! Also, the lady that has a booth next to her was so nice, not pushy. I bought an anklet from her & she told me that this was her first sale of the day...It made me feel bad.
Our friends from Boston (we met at Rondel 2 years ago) asked us to hang out with them at their villa & order takeout one night. We ordered from Kenny's Chinese - I'm part Filipino...no comment. Everyone seemed to like their food. Delivery was really quick for Jamaica! It was a great evening hanging out with them on their porch, no worrying about transportation, etc...after dinner, just walk up the steps & go to bed.
Seastar Inn - my husband got sick while we were in JA (our daughter was sick & gifted it to him). He hung out on the beach as long as he could trying to kill the flu with alcohol, but the fever was getting the best of him. Our friends from Boston invited me to go to Seastar. The shuttle picked us up. I had a chicken wrap for dinner. It was really good - a nice change from Jamaican fare. My friends had the snapper - it looked great! Will definitely go back. Would like to go during the day or during a game. My husband misses his sports at times - would be a great place for him to get his sports fix. Henry the shuttle driver took us home. What a hoot he is! I sat on our friends porch that evening & they taught me how to play dominos. Good time!
Well, I guess it's time to wrap this report up, as I'm out of acceptable pictures to post. I don't want to bore you with my multiple sunset shots. I was obsessed with trying to get that perfect shot every night...
Snowflakes in Negril
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Christmas Eve - hubby & daughter crashed right after dinner at the Boat Bar. I was ready to go to bed, when I remembered that I had to decorate before I could go to bed...I had a pretty good charge on and thought how the hell am I going to hang these flakes without killing myself? Can't get on a chair & hang over the balcony...not very smart. Safety first! I hang off ladders all day long for my job, so I know "no drinky/smokie & ladders"...... I brought some cord with me to hang these flakes. I assessed the situation & bingo, it came to me! Lasso those b*tches across the beam! So I was able to throw them over the beam & tie them up! It took a couple of throws, but I was proud of my aim & ingenuity! I hung the stockings, put up a Christmas banner and went to bed. My husband & daughter woke up & didn't notice that Santa's helper had visited.... We went off to Alfred's for breakfast. Back to Rondel beach, where our Boston friends joined us for our traditional Christmas morning mimosas. We are blessed to be able to spend Christmas in Negril. We also celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary (delayed). Life is good! THE END

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NRV & Crew
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Until next year...May your trips to Negril be filled with sunshine, calm waters, cold Red Stripes, ultimate subs, spicy jerk, happiness, & love. PEACE ~ TL

Great report and pics! Thanks!

Loved the report and all of the pics! Thanks for taking the time to share so many experiences with us.

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Originally Posted by sher

Great report and pics! Thanks!

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You are welcome! Shout out to Frederick! We grew up in Western Maryland - Frostburg...:)