** on-site Trip Report ~~ Monday late-Late night ...... 06/08l

today,
was a good-goo SUPER-Good day...!!!
:-)
if it was ANY-better, i'd have to give
the Ja-TourismBoard a tip

.
.
as usual,
i left the house later
than desired
...landlord wanted to chat about this & that
...I too wanted to chat
...neighbors wanted to chat
plus,
i'm still on from-foreign *time*

in-foreign,
i DO NOT get up (now days)
at the crack-of-dawn
....especially @ 5, 6 AM
as a lot of the Ja-folks i know do.

:-)

for the past few years,
i'm not 100% ready for the day until
'bout noon-ish
...
.
but,
because i wanted to spend some time
in Negril,
i sucked it up
and finally made it to Lucea-town
'bout noon-ish.

was JUST in time,
'cause a rain-shower was QUICK-ly
approaching, when i reached twon

went to bus park
'''..Hey, Bill...""
'twas my old-driver,
who's now runs the Lucea/Negril route

I could have gotten in another
leaving sooner taxi
but i hopped into his
'cause it pays to *support*
folks from the *community*
where you *reside*

.
plus, a bonus:::>>> got the front seat

.

oh
oh
oh::::>>> because i'd forgotten to pack sunglasses,
i went the Lucea eye-glass vendor
to make a purchase::::>>>>> cost..???...---- Ja$400
.
.
MUST HAVE sunglasses when walking around Negril
MUST HAVE

.
.
as we pulled out of the bus park
rain fall hard hard
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipx15BOGRIo
.
.
a neat-*benefit* of riding taxi in the rain
is air-condition is turned on

when not raining
no A/C
roll down windows
.
.
...to be continued...

...continue-ing...
.
.
by the time reach GreenIsland,
as if some-one(?) had flipped a switch
the rain stopped.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHAMb8ES5CE


.
.
.
was a nice drive
...however,
thru-out this trip
i've been concerned:::>>> everything is soooo lush & green .... the last-time i saw Jamaica with all this beauty, a hurricane came:::>>> MotherNature did some serious prune-ing ...... fingers & toes crossed, i'm praying that She's kind to Jamaica this year, and the next and the next blah blah blah.
.
.
.
Passing thru Orange Bay

.

folks,
this community has grown
by leaps & bounds
...a new shopping center
......the homes
which i remember when they were first built,
and were likkle-things,
are now LARGE structures::::: NICE homes.

as we speak,
i'm kicking myself,
'cause my from-Chicago play-sister
who introduced me to Jamaica, long time ago,
told me:::>> ""..Bill.....you should buy some of that land, with those likkle houses.... the prices are PERFECT ... blah blah blah..''

i didn't listen
:-(
.
NOW i unna-stand WHY MissTrench,
the one of my Lucea-*associates*
who now owns/runs one of the hardware stores in Lucea
a few years ago,
opened
ANOTHER store in OrangeBay
.
.
..continue-ing 'bout the Negril visit
.
.
just as we enter Negril,
below Rui resort
there's now
an interesting looking gated community
....for some reason, structure & layout-wise it reminds me of Tivoli Gardens

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
no way, they gonna have *those* kind of issues
no way [[[ fingers crossed ]]]
.
.
.
we reach the airport/gas station
@ the Rutland Point craft market

i hope out
Ja$250 ... for the 33-minute trip
..........gonna go check on some folks i've known for a loooooooooooooong time,
and who've been VERY nice & help-FULL to me over the years.

they were instrumental
in nurture-ing my love for Jamaica/Negril/Lucea
.....took good-good care of a then rookie-tourist
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaiI-VlVcN8..
.
.
* sigh *

i've GOT TO post
the friendly banter
between August & I

* whew *
i'm NOT ready..!!..

.
.
a van with some tourist arrived
so,
August & I, and other vendors
stopped our chattin'

i got some lunch
while did their *thing*
.....they got GOOD GooD food at that craft market.
.........nice layout too.............Check 'em out..!!.
.
.
.
.
.
...to be continued...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVb2FkZFVxs

...continue-ing..
.
.
oh,
oh
oh:::::::::::::::>>>>>>>>> CHECK OUT this video

will get back to my Negril visit in a few minutes.
..
.
.
as i was typing this report
*thought* i should https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhAT4q8RoUorecord & share
.
.

...continue-ing...

.
.
.
i hated to do it,
but i left the craft market
to continue my Negril explorations
....it was very cloudy...overcast
...........cooler ...'cause no sun

so,
i decided to walk
as far as my legs would allow.

I'm happy to report that my knees are 100% OK
:-)
..THANKs Jamaica...!!!...
.
.
.
.
[[[[ note:::::: i was able to walk all the way...from airport/craft market to downtown ]]]]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv7_j3FecKY
.
.
...to be continue-ed...

...continue-ing...
.
.
i'm gonna jump ahead,
for a moment
.
.
i received
a few *requests*
to do some videos

i'd hoped it wouldn't happen,
but *it* did
:-(



.
.
.
here's the deal,
...i've been coming to Jamaica too long,
and some *residents* *perceive* me to be a resident, as well
....so,
consequently,
i tend to run into a few *snags*
that a *normal* tourist/visitor/forigner
doesn't have to *experience*

* sigh *

boardie-Prism,
want me to drop by FireFly.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFGZPvohoU
.
.
.
so,
somebody(s) posted about RhodesHall
...nope ..... me ain't doing it
.....sorry
:-(
firstly,
it'll required some $$$$$ for taxi fare

but more importantly,
i'll need a letter of introduction from PJ, Seaga, AND Portia
...a notarized letter

there's NO-way security & other-gatekeepers are gonna let me in.

trus mi
i KNOW..!!..

.
.
as for boadie-jojoP's Collette's request .... i'll try .... not familiar with this place on RedGroundRoad...but i'll try
.
.
...to be continued...

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&fea...id=tP42a_LHBHE
.
.
during my beach walk
rain arrived in Negril

a LOT of rain

need shelter
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kinZPGJUfus

.
.
.
it's late
now Tuesday morning

WILL continue in the morning..

good night

Thank you for the shot you did get Smith :) the deck on the restaurant is new since Feb.

no problem smith. I would be shocked if Delores would not let you in. As mentioned Jefferson would hook you up on coming in. I figured since you are travel from Lucea to Negril on the way stop in. All is well. Thanks so much for your on site report and video's, there are helping me get through the day. mi miss mi Jamaica!~ Much Respect! (fist bump)

As always I am enjoying every word, every video and I await your next post.

Looks like you are having a great time.

I know what you mean about Jamaica being so healing. I have felt it myself on my own body as well with my husband.

Jamaica is a VERY special place.

LOVING your posts!!

You're the BEST

Cheers,
Islander

Thanks so much for the reports, unlike any other!
You gave away our beach secret though :)
Question: you aren't posting from the cyber-café anymore it appears, what are you using for I-net connectivity?
Thanks again!