-
3 Attachment(s)
Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Travel Day #1
My first attempt at a day by day trip report. I only have 9 days to cover, but hopefully I will keep with it and actually post a new post for each day.
26th trip to Jamaica, 15th to Negril. We come the same time every February (essentially) and try to come once in the slow season of October.
Upgraded to first class on both flights (bonus!!!!), so we were first ones off the plane in MoBay and got down to customs. They sent us to the Kiosks, and we waited briefly before processing our passports and taking the picture (man those machines take awful pictures, I can't possibly look as bad as that picture that it took of me!!!). Off to baggage claim and then on to the Nothing to Declare line. Flight landed right on time at 1225pm and we were outside in the bright Jamaican sunshine by 1250. Nothing beats the feeling of busting through those airport doors and smelling bus exhaust and feeling the rush of heat. Nothing says "welcome home" quite like that. Getting ready to get a beer from the Grouper, when from across the street we hear our driver yelling at us. "No, I got beer mon." Awesome, no overpriced airport beer for me!!! Grab our bags and off we go. Indeed, beer was in the car, in a makeshift cooler made from a cardboard box and some of the famous Jamaican Black Plastic Bags. I swear they would have to shut the country down if those things ever went into shortage.
Pack up and head out. Through Montego Bay and on to the first stop in Hopewell at the Rubis to replenish the beers, empty the bladders and observe a JLP demonstration…wait, what…that’s right, when we pulled up to the Rubis, the parking lot was full of green-shirt wearing supporters of the JLP. They were very peaceful, but they were chanting in Patios and the employees of the Rubis were powerless to get the to move. They literally had the gas pumps blocked, but thankfully not the restrooms, so we took care of business, bought a few beers, a soursop for the driver and off we were.
Next thing I knew we were in Lucea. Traffic not bad in Lucea, although there were several places in town where multiple orange-shirt wearing supporters of the PNP had gathered. They were not blocking the road, so no problem and we were through Lucea.
Pretty soon we were in Green Island, then Orange Bay and then Negril. We needed to exchange money, buy phone minutes and get some rum and beer for the room. Sounds like a trip to the Chineymon was in order. That was the first stop in Negril. I’ve been exchanging money at the Chineymon the last few trips, its pretty convenient since I stop in there for supplies anyway. He was paying 117$JA to 1$US when we arrived and that sounded consistent with what I was hearing other places paying.
Puchased 1 case of Red Stripe (in the box, which for some reason is cheaper than the returnable crate), 1 Bottle of Appleton Rum, 3 Ting and 3 Sprite. If you buy things in multiples of 3 you get a slightly better price (I think they say it is the wholesale price), never quite understood it, but a bargain is one of my favorite things, so I always try to buy things that way. I am attaching a picture of the receipt, you can see I paid 2745$JA for the case of Red Stripe, which when you divide by the 117 exchange rate comes out to a nice round 23.46$US, or a little less than a buck a beer and includes the deposit and the GCT. If that is not a bargain I don’t know what is.
Up the hill to check on things at the Red Dragon, just to say hi, we will be back later in the week. A recurring theme of the trip though, Pork was finished (it was about 3pm, though, so that is understandable).
On to Rondel, where we get checked into our favorite room, Orange. It’s in the beachfront building, but on the balcony does not face the beach so in high season it is about $40 cheaper than the beachfront superior room with the balcony that does face the beach. Down to the beach to dip the toe in, get a beer from Delroy and we are off for Canoe.
We’ve been going to Canoe since the beginning. I love the view looking back towards the beach almost as much as I love the Rum Punch. Get a Red Stripe for Melo, a 2for1 Rum Punch for me and an order of fries to put a little food on the belly. Beers are never that cold at Canoe and this time was no exception, it was drinkable, but just barely. The other reason I really love the Rum Punch. Hang at Canoe until Sunset and then take the walk down the road to Chicken Lavish for our traditional first night’s dinner. Gotta get the Conch Soup on the first night. I swear if I am ever on my death bed I am gonna ask for a big bowl of that stuff, if it won’t bring you back to life, nothing a doctor can do is going to help you. I also got the Curry Goat while Melo had the Sweet and Sour Chicken. Damn that Goat, so good and so much better in Jamaica than anything I can try to make at home with imported frozen Goat. It was high season so Doc was too busy to sit and talk much to us which is usually the highlight of the visit to Chicken Lavish, he told us to come back during the day when it wasn’t busy if we wanted to talk.
Another first night tradition with us is to go to bed really early. We get up very early to make our flight, usually have a beer in the airport before takeoff at 7am, have Bloody Marys on the planes, then hit the ground in Jamaica and down about 5 Stripes each on the way from MBJ to Negril. Drink more after check-in and after having a nice satisfying meal we are ready to fall into bed and get to sleep so we can start our vacation the next day. I never count the travel days at either end of our trip as vacation, so anything we do on those days other than travel and get to the hotel is a vacation bonus.
As I doze off to sleep I can’t help thinking how much I am going to enjoy my first walk on the beach the next morning. The other thing that hits me is this; we wait at home for our time in Jamaica to begin and think about how great it is going to be and then when we actually get there we realize how much better it is in actuality than it is in our minds. Seems hard to believe, but it’s true
Here are a few pics from Travel Day #1, tomorrow the real vacation begins
JLP Rally at the Rubis in Hopewell
Attachment 44518
Receipt for supplies from Chineymon
Attachment 44519
Interesting boat outside Mary's bay up by Canoe Bar. Folks said it had been there a while, but we never saw it again after the first day
Attachment 44520
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Very Very Nice!
More please!
VVHT
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Yea a trip report! THANK YOU!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Thanks for the report! More please! :)
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Nice start, Orange is also our room
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
That boat is a European boat. It goeas all around the world and you can get on it for different legs of the journey. Weathermon has more info..
-
3 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #1
Sunday, Super-Bowl Sunday,
My day started bright and early and after the early to bed on Travel Day, I awake at 615am ready for my first beach walk of the trip. Out of Rondel, dip toe in water, which seemed to have gotten slightly rougher overnight (but actually it was calm compared to what was coming), turn right and head up the beach. I walk barefoot, so no worries about having to time the waves crashing up on Lazy Dayz. I quickly get into a pretty smooth gait, find a flat spot which isn’t real soft to walk in and step by step the hotels and bars go by. Pretty soon I reach the tree at Barry’s Bar and start the long walk past CSA and Beaches. It’s pretty early and as a result the only Jamaicans on the beach are the beach attendants, raking and cleaning up. Not much hassle yet, that will be on the way back, but fortunately enough of those guys recognize me as a long-timer and non-smoker, so the hassle to me is probably less than some less frequent travelers.
When I reach the part of the beach where you can’t walk on the beach I have to cut through the trail behind the beach and then rejoin the beach just as I reach Dr. Love’s place. I go way back with the Doctor and I stopped to talk. Evidently he had some trouble recently with the police coming in and mashing up his place. I assume he’s squatting and I also assume this has something to do with the “New Sherriff in Town” mentality of the new Chief in Sav, but technically, Dr. Love’s place is in Hanover Parish and not Westmoreland, but who really knows how all of this work. He says he’s working to get things back together, I tell him that I am rooting for him and that I will see him later in the trip and off I go.
Past the house that never seems to have any tenants in it and pretty soon I am up by Sensatori and the construction project going on there. The smell of exhaust from those machines is not nearly as sweet as the smell of exhaust when you first leave the airport. It appears like they are doing some huge work there. I won’t express any opinion on any of that, but it’s not my favorite thing, but also realize that the world does not stand still these days. Through Boardwalk and I reach the end of the walk for me; Sandals Negril. 3 miles from Rondel. I turn around and head back.
Get back to the room just as Melo is finishing up her preparations for the day, pour a rum and ting to drink in the shower (if you’ve never had a cold alcoholic beverage in the shower, try it, you’ll love it). Once I get ready, we head across the street to Montana’s for Breakfast. We sit down, no menus, and we immediately order a bottle of water, a Ting and two Bacon, Egg and Cheese breakfast sandwiches. I’m not a huge breakfast eater, so that sandwich is just perfect. Pay for breakfast and then back to Rondel for the first day on the beach.
We pretty much lay around the beach and play in the surf the rest of the day until it is time to claim our seats at the bar at Rondel for Super-Bowl. About 4pm we head up to the bar. Sit down, have a few drinks, enjoy the appetizers they pass during happy hour from 5-6pm. The sunset from the beach was pretty nice that night, so I took several pictures and have posted a couple below. The game was OK, watching it at the bar at Rondel was really fun, there was enough of a mix of folks that were really in to it and also enough of folks that had no clue and were just there for the event.
Miracle of all Miracles I stayed awake all the way until the end of the game. It was after 10pm, a late night for me in Jamaica. Question is, will I be able to get up early and walk the beach again in the morning??
Rondel, from the sea. We sent this pic to Karl Ricketts and he did a great painting of it for us, I will share that picture near the end of the trip
Attachment 44531
First Sunset Pic
Attachment 44532
Second Sunset Pic, Sun Finished
Attachment 44533
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Great job.... Now I'm looking forward to each day!!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Monty&Melo
Vacation Day #1
Sunday, Super-Bowl Sunday,
My day started bright and early and after the early to bed on Travel Day, I awake at 615am ready for my first beach walk of the trip. Out of Rondel, dip toe in water, which seemed to have gotten slightly rougher overnight (but actually it was calm compared to what was coming), turn right and head up the beach. I walk barefoot, so no worries about having to time the waves crashing up on Lazy Dayz. I quickly get into a pretty smooth gait, find a flat spot which isn’t real soft to walk in and step by step the hotels and bars go by. Pretty soon I reach the tree at Barry’s Bar and start the long walk past CSA and Beaches. It’s pretty early and as a result the only Jamaicans on the beach are the beach attendants, raking and cleaning up. Not much hassle yet, that will be on the way back, but fortunately enough of those guys recognize me as a long-timer and non-smoker, so the hassle to me is probably less than some less frequent travelers.
When I reach the part of the beach where you can’t walk on the beach I have to cut through the trail behind the beach and then rejoin the beach just as I reach Dr. Love’s place. I go way back with the Doctor and I stopped to talk. Evidently he had some trouble recently with the police coming in and mashing up his place. I assume he’s squatting and I also assume this has something to do with the “New Sherriff in Town” mentality of the new Chief in Sav, but technically, Dr. Love’s place is in Hanover Parish and not Westmoreland, but who really knows how all of this work. He says he’s working to get things back together, I tell him that I am rooting for him and that I will see him later in the trip and off I go.
Past the house that never seems to have any tenants in it and pretty soon I am up by Sensatori and the construction project going on there. The smell of exhaust from those machines is not nearly as sweet as the smell of exhaust when you first leave the airport. It appears like they are doing some huge work there. I won’t express any opinion on any of that, but it’s not my favorite thing, but also realize that the world does not stand still these days. Through Boardwalk and I reach the end of the walk for me; Sandals Negril. 3 miles from Rondel. I turn around and head back.
Get back to the room just as Melo is finishing up her preparations for the day, pour a rum and ting to drink in the shower (if you’ve never had a cold alcoholic beverage in the shower, try it, you’ll love it). Once I get ready, we head across the street to Montana’s for Breakfast. We sit down, no menus, and we immediately order a bottle of water, a Ting and two Bacon, Egg and Cheese breakfast sandwiches. I’m not a huge breakfast eater, so that sandwich is just perfect. Pay for breakfast and then back to Rondel for the first day on the beach.
We pretty much lay around the beach and play in the surf the rest of the day until it is time to claim our seats at the bar at Rondel for Super-Bowl. About 4pm we head up to the bar. Sit down, have a few drinks, enjoy the appetizers they pass during happy hour from 5-6pm. The sunset from the beach was pretty nice that night, so I took several pictures and have posted a couple below. The game was OK, watching it at the bar at Rondel was really fun, there was enough of a mix of folks that were really in to it and also enough of folks that had no clue and were just there for the event.
Miracle of all Miracles I stayed awake all the way until the end of the game. It was after 10pm, a late night for me in Jamaica. Question is, will I be able to get up early and walk the beach again in the morning??
Rondel, from the sea. We sent this pic to Karl Ricketts and he did a great painting of it for us, I will share that picture near the end of the trip
Attachment 44531
First Sunset Pic
Attachment 44532
Second Sunset Pic, Sun Finished
Attachment 44533
NICE
Great report
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Quote:
(if you’ve never had a cold alcoholic beverage in the shower, try it, you’ll love it)
I had to laugh at this because I totally agree! I've got one of these and it works great! Beer bottles, wine glasses, etc. Super sturdy and (knock on wood), it has never come loose! Www.sipcaddy.com
Attachment 44607
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Damn Sher,
You are my hero!!!!!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Lol! Looking forward to more of your report!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
What a great report. You have me back in Negril. We stay at CSA but walk down to Rondel to visit our buddy Ozzy who sells his wares near Rondel. December here we come lol.
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
love the report....didnt know i could change money with the chinaman....we call the black bags, scandal bags....never know what one may carry in there....gotta do the walk to boardwalk once....always turn around at barrys tree...lol
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Nice TR, we left the day before you got on the rock. I took this photo on the cliffs the week before.
Attachment 44641
-
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #2
Monday
I did manage to get myself out of bed and make it down to the beach by 630am for my morning walk. I actually felt much better than I thought I would. I made it from Rondel to Cosmos in 25 minutes, which is actually a pretty fair pace. I continued the walk all the way up to Sandals Negril. I turned around and headed back for Rondel. Stopped and chatted up Tony, the juice guy. Gave him $1000JA for a bottle of Pineapple Juice that I took with me today and for an Orange I would get later in the trip. No messing with change that way.
Back to Montana’s for breakfast, this time I had the Jamaican, Ackee and Saltfish breakfast. It was yummy as usual. Melo had her standard sandwich and of course we washed it down with a Wata and a Ting. $1200JA. Another bargain that is hard to beat anywhere.
We decide that today is going to be another beach day, so we hit the beach and set about relaxing and watching the world walk by. I have to make a quick call home to take care of some business. The call ended up taking about half an hour, so I am always glad that we buy the Digicel International Plan for our JA phone. $1250JA for it and you can pretty much talk all you want. We also use the International plan to call home to talk to the kids as well as “drunk dial” our friends from Happy Hour to tell them what a terrible time we are having ☺
The seas were pretty rough on Monday, but we did a little swimming and playing in the surf and pretty soon the sun began its descent and it was time for happy hour once again. Off to Canoe for the standard Rum Punch and Red Stripe. A band was setting up to play, but the waves were really crashing up and we actually had to move back against the wall at Canoe instead of hanging out at the tables out closer to the sea. We headed out of Canoe just as the band started, leaving virtually no one there to listen to the band, but we felt bad for them, so we left them a little tip in their bucket, but we were off to try a new place for dinner and I was really looking forward to it.
A very quick walk down the street and we were there. Quality’s Sea Breeze Restaurant. Wow. What a cozy establishment. Little tables out front and no one sitting at them. We were the only ones there. Melo was not impressed. We thought for a moment about leaving, but I pressed on. “People on the board say this guy can cook, I think we should stay.” So we did. We looked over the menu, ordered a couple Red Stripes (decently cold) and we were ready to order. Melo got the Pan-fried Lionfish and I got the Snapper Escovietch. Pretty soon we hear chopping and mixing and frying in the background and soon enough our meals were delivered. Sorry no pictures of the food, but trust me when I say the guy knows how to decorate a plate. It was some of the best food presentation I have ever seen. I like presentation as much as the next guy but the real question is, “Can the guy cook?”
The answer is yes, hell yes, F@#$ yes, however you want to say it. Best. Fish. Ever. I fancy myself as a decent cook and a pretty good judge of a good meal and let me tell you, I was speechless (unless you count oohs and aahhs as speech). The fish was as flaky and as well prepared as any I had ever had. The mixture of vinegar, peppers and onions in the Escovietch sauce was sublime. Melo loved her Lionfish too and proclaimed how glad she was that we decided to stay. He was a little short of a full portion of Lionfish, so he added a little piece of snapper to hers too. The surprise meal of the trip by far. The place does not look like much on the outside and he doesn’t appear to be real busy, but trust me. Do not let that scare you off. The food is incredible. After the meal we took some time to talk to the chef and he was a great conversationalist, telling us how his mother taught him to cook from a young age. We also found out later in the trip that he is also a master with wood and we would stop in later at his shop on the west end and check out his handiwork there as well.
Back to Rondel, down to the bar for a few drinks with Delroy and then off to bed. A great day at the beach, a fabulous meal and some great conversation with a master chef. All and all a great vacation day #2
View walking towards the beach at Rondel
Attachment 44696
The sea is a little angry, but not too bad
Attachment 44697
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
We were at Canoe Monday night- the band was great. You're right though- it was so windy! We sat against the wall, right in front of the band. The first song or two it felt kind of like a private concert. :-) I about froze the first hour or so, but then (I'm not sure whether it actually warmed up or if the rum punches warmed me up!) it didn't seem so bad.
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Monty&Melo
Vacation Day #2
A very quick walk down the street and we were there. Quality’s Sea Breeze Restaurant. Wow. What a cozy establishment. Little tables out front and no one sitting at them. We were the only ones there. Melo was not impressed. We thought for a moment about leaving, but I pressed on. “People on the board say this guy can cook, I think we should stay.” So we did. We looked over the menu, ordered a couple Red Stripes (decently cold) and we were ready to order. Melo got the Pan-fried Lionfish and I got the Snapper Escovietch. Pretty soon we hear chopping and mixing and frying in the background and soon enough our meals were delivered. Sorry no pictures of the food, but trust me when I say the guy knows how to decorate a plate. It was some of the best food presentation I have ever seen. I like presentation as much as the next guy but the real question is, “Can the guy cook?”
The answer is yes, hell yes, F@#$ yes, however you want to say it. Best. Fish. Ever. I fancy myself as a decent cook and a pretty good judge of a good meal and let me tell you, I was speechless (unless you count oohs and aahhs as speech). The fish was as flaky and as well prepared as any I had ever had. The mixture of vinegar, peppers and onions in the Escovietch sauce was sublime. Melo loved her Lionfish too and proclaimed how glad she was that we decided to stay. He was a little short of a full portion of Lionfish, so he added a little piece of snapper to hers too. The surprise meal of the trip by far. The place does not look like much on the outside and he doesn’t appear to be real busy, but trust me. Do not let that scare you off. The food is incredible. After the meal we took some time to talk to the chef and he was a great conversationalist, telling us how his mother taught him to cook from a young age. We also found out later in the trip that he is also a master with wood and we would stop in later at his shop on the west end and check out his handiwork there as well.
A mi fi tell yu!
~Moose
-
3 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #3
Tuesday
If it’s Tuesday, it must mean 3 Dives for dinner. But a lot to do before we get to dinner.
Up and at em at the normal time and walk up to Sandals. Back to the room and grab Melo and across the street to Montana’s for Breakfast again. Assume position on beach in front of Rondel. Waves crashing up pretty good and water cold, so not a lot of swimming today.
After sitting on the beach for a while, we decide to take a beach walk in the other direction, toward Bourbon Beach, cut over to the road and walk up to Red Dragon. We left Rondel about 1pm and stopped first to visit our old friend Donovan at Woodstock. Woodstock is the new place on the beach, that they built where all the vendors were between Roots Bamboo and Rooms. Very nice place, we got to meet the owner, who is hoping to do big things with the place. Didn’t eat there, but from the looks of the food we will be eating there in the near future. After a beer with Donovan, it’s off to Sunnyside to see Maureen. Sunnyside is quickly ascending my list of favorite places in the world to have a beer. It hasn’t quite reached the legendary status that Red Dragon has in my mind, but it’s quite a place and the mix of characters that hang out there only enhances the experience. We drink one there and get one to go and head out down the beach to Bourbon.
Cut through Bourbon and reach the road. Stop briefly at the Cambio there and exchange a few Euros that I had left over from a trip to Germany last fall. Next beer stop is Drinks Plus Enterprise on the road. Grab two Red Stripes and a wedge of Tastee Cheese. Love that stuff. Cross road and utilize the sidewalk. Walk down into town and pretty soon reach Red Ground Road.
Wow, the traffic, they were working on road, actually the drainage so that when it rains the water doesn’t pool at the bottom of Red Ground Road. If you have ever been there during a downpour you will know that this is an improvement that was long overdue. The trucks and cars going up Red Ground Road was unbelievable and of course you had the motorcycles treating the cars and trucks like obstacles on a slalom course, zigging in and out as they tore off up the road. Dem guys crazy as they say!!!
About 2/3rds up the road sits Collette’s Bar. Another regular stop on the way to Red Dragon. (Its amazing that we are still thirsty by the time we get there, the walk ensures the need for more beer though, especially on a hot day). Nice cold beer, we talk with some tourists who are there and staying at White Sands (sorry, I’m the worlds worst when remembering names). Hang out for a while enjoying the comings and goings and the conversation. Head out for Red Dragon.
Of course, by the time we walked and stopped for beers along with way it is now almost 230pm. You know what that means, the most dreaded three words ever, “Pork Finished Mon.” Damn. Oh well, we are sort of on a liquid diet anyway, so we sit and enjoy a few porkless beers. Just love the Red Dragon. Another place with an interesting mix of tourists and locals as well as Expats. We catch up on the runnings with Gardo at the bar, have a brief political conversation with Ragabones himself (we only listened, I know better than to express much of an opinion on the subject and we purposely left anything we owned that was green or orange at home in the US) and back down the hill to Rondel (we had our driver drive us back, don’t drink and walk, mon, its dangerous).
Since we are well on our way, we dispense with the normal happy hour at Canoe and go straight to 3 Dives. The internet is down there so no Rob, but we would see him later in the week. Stand in line to order chicken, it takes forever, I’m always amazed at how some folks think the world revolves around them. Its Jamaica dammit, Jerk Chicken, Lobster, Shrimp, etc. They don’t do a lot of special orders and don’t ask for substitutions, it only confuses them and disappoints you. After watching others trying to figure out what to order and then finally ordering, I finally get to the counter, order way too much chicken for just the two of us and grab a Red Stripe and a Rum Punch.
I don’t know what does it, but the Rum Punch at 3 Dives in my Kryptonite. It really messes me up. My tradition is to skip the walk the morning after 3 Dives because I can’t do it. It doesn’t taste that strong when you drink it, but that stuff must pack a punch because it usually does me in.
Pretty soon the chicken arrives and it is superb as usual. I put way too much Granny Sauce on it and I’m in a full sweat. More rum punch. Damn, maybe its not the punch maybe it’s the fact the Granny Sauce makes me drink so much of it.
In any case, we finish dinner, head back to Rondel, go down to the beach bar to have a few drinks and catch up the day’s runnings with Delroy and soon off to bed after another great day in Negril.
Melo in the comfy chairs out front of Woodstock
Attachment 44823
Wedge of Tasty Cheese from Drinks Plus ($55JA)
Attachment 44819
Start of the walk from Rondel to Red Dragon
Attachment 44820
-
3 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #4
Worst day of the trip so far. You know why, because at noon today the trip will be half over already!!!! Bummer.
As is usually the case, I didn’t make it up early to walk the morning after consuming the Rum Punch at 3 Dives. Oh well, a leisurely morning around the room, across the street for Breakfast at Montana’s again. Hit the beach about 1030am. Sea is still pretty rough and water is still pretty cold. Pretty soon here comes Cortis, with her big fruit baskets. I need a Papaya; that always brings me back to life, along with some of those little bananas. I don’t even eat Bananas at home any more. They taste awful compared to the ones you can get in JA. We chat up Cortis for a few minutes, she seems in good spirits and is walking fine. She’s had awful luck with her feet lately and it is good to see her roaming around the beach. She is an integral part to the Negril beach experience as far as I am concerned.
Pretty soon here comes Norm the Patty-Mon and I get a Coco Bread and Melo gets some patties. I decide since I didn’t walk this morning I am going to take an afternoon beach walk. I go to the room to grab some cash for the beers I will need along the way.
Don’t get too far and stop at Tony’s Hut. Grace Ann is off this day, but Milton in there and the beers are frosty as usual. $300J. I sit for a while, get a second beer and head out up the beach. Next stop is Auntie’s Thrill Corner. I grab a beer and take a seat at their picnic table in the shade. Today is February 10th, which happens to be my Dad’s birthday. I have a tradition of calling my Dad on his birthday each year from Negril. He looks forward to it I think. He never answers the phone at home (he lets my mom do the dirty work) but on his birthday he always answers. We talk for a while, he’s relatively healthy, but is 71 years old and has a few ailments which slow him down, but on this day it sounds like he is doing good.
I leave Auntie’s and head up the beach, once I get past the All-Inclusives, I see a large crowd of Jamaicans on the beach at both Cosmos and at the Public Beach Park. Then it hits me, it’s Ash Wednesday, a public holiday in Jamaica, so families are enjoying a day at the beach together. It is fun to watch the kids play in the surf and the sand. Some of the kids are just laying in the sand, literally covered in it when they get up. I enjoy just watching them splash and play. Looks like they are having the time of their lives. I’m happy and peaceful watching them enjoy their island like us tourists do.
I continue my walk up to Dr. Love’s and I decide to turn around. The walk takes much longer in the afternoon with all of the beer stops and I’ve already been gone an hour and I still have to make my way back. I stop off at Cosmos for a Red Stripe refill and walk back down the beach. Stop at Auntie’s for another and then at Tony’s for just one more. I get back to Rondel to find Melo sitting at the bar peacefully reading her book.
We head back to the room and get ready for Happy Hour/Dinner. This would be our last chance to hit Canoe for the next couple of days as we have plans that will have us elsewhere at Happy Hour on Thursday and Friday so we head to Canoe. Our driver joins us as we are finalizing our plans for the Jamaican BBQ we are going to tomorrow. After a few Rum Punches and beers at Canoe, we head up to LTU for dinner.
We have a love/hate relationship with LTU. We love the setting and the food, we hate (maybe that is a strong word, maybe strongly dislike is better) the spotty service and long wait times for food. These things don’t stop us from going, but it kills the vibe slightly. Damn, I love that whole snapper that is usually on the specials menu though, have to come back here every trip. Sure enough, we picked a pretty busy night as there were probably 10-12 tables in use. Soon enough someone takes our drink order. Rum Punch and Red Stripe. The Red Stripe is pretty warm, barely drinkable, but it works.
Surprisingly the Pumpkin Soup (included with every entrée) shows up quickly. It’s yummy as usual. The rest of the meal takes for what seems like forever, we didn’t really time it and maybe because we were sitting near the kitchen and smelling it the whole time the amount of time seemed longer than it really was. Who knows, but when the food finally came it was great. The Snapper wasn’t quite Quality Sea Breeze quality, but good nonetheless. I stripped the meat off the bone until there was nothing left but the head. I consider myself an adventurous eater, but even I draw the line at eating the Fish Head.
After a while we get the bill and then head out. Another successful day of doing pretty much nothing and enjoying the hell out of it. There is a big adventure ahead of us tomorrow as we are going to a friend’s house just outside of Lucea for a cookout complete with Chicken, Goat, Mannish Water, White Rum, Box Milk, etc. We go to bed early and prepare ourselves for a full day tomorrow.
Nice Towel Decoration on our bed by the Rondel Housekeepers
Attachment 44825
All that is left is the Head Mon!!!!
Attachment 44826
241 Rum Punch at Canoe. I usually ask for them to be brought to the table one at a time, but it makes for a better picture when they are there together
Attachment 44827
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Nice report, wish I were there now. You should at least try the cheeks of the fish, that is without a doubt the best tasting meat on the fish. Super sweet and flavorful. Now I really want some steam fish...
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Loving your report and pictures,makes our 2 month wait much easier,thanks for sharing!!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TAH
Nice report, wish I were there now. You should at least try the cheeks of the fish, that is without a doubt the best tasting meat on the fish. Super sweet and flavorful. Now I really want some steam fish...
Wait... Tah, are you Andrew Zimmern? You sound just like him. :p
~Moose
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
LOL, fish cheeks are pretty mild on the list of things I'm willing to eat, but that guy takes things to a whole new level of NOPE. But I'm 100% serious, it is something I fiend (sp?) for from time to time. So good.
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
You are a really good walker, my man.
Good report.
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
-
9 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #5
Thursday
We are in for a real treat today. We are headed out of town and going to Lucea to a friend’s house for a good old fashioned Jamaican Cookout. We’ve done this a few times previously including the time in 2012 when our driver/friend showed up to pick us up with the Goat still alive in the back of the car. What a sight that was.
I’m still up early and get my walk in before the day’s festivities. I cut the walk a little short as we are getting picked up at 930am and we can’t miss breakfast at Montana’s. Walk and breakfast completed by 920am and we are ready to be picked up.
We head up the road towards Lucea. We stop off in Green Island at the Green Island Chineymon and load up on supplies. A case of Red Stripe (we had one case already iced down in our cooler), 2 bottles of White Rum, 2 boxes of boxed Cow Milk, 2 Best Dressed Chickens, 2 packages of Grace Cock Soup Mix, tons of other spices and some Guinness for our friend that is meeting us from Montego Bay. I was shocked at how inexpensive the spices were. I make a note to stop back at the store on the way to the airport in a few days to stock up for my spice cabinet at home.
After the Chineymon, we head across the street to a little produce stand. Really wish I would have taken a picture of this place, a small wooden building on concrete blocks, with different types of produce squeezed into every available spot in the store. We bought Carrots, ChoCho, Yam, Scallion, Scotch Bonnets, Onion, and Garlic. All and all I think we spent about $500JA. Stuff was cheap and looked much better than anything you can buy in the Kroger back home. The carrots were gnarly looking, and not at all straight, but inside they were a beautiful orange and actually had a smell to them. Carrots at home smell like nothing.
Everything loaded in the car we head back out on the road to Lucea. Stop to buy a CashPot ticket (1030am drawing) and pick up another member of the Cookout party at the Supreme Venures just outside of Orange Bay. Soon enough we arrive in Lucea.
We unload the supplies as well as the already cut up Goat that was sitting in the back of the car. I had no idea he was back there, but at least he was dead this time!!! We start prepping the veggies for the various dishes and get the fires started. It took 4 separate fires for the entire meal. Two large wooden fires for the Curry Goat and Mannish Water, one in the barrel grill for the Jerk Chicken and one fire in the wheel grill for the Fried Chicken. The rice was cooked inside on a gas range.
They even let me help prep this time, so I got to chop some vegetables, including the ChoCho and the Yam, two ingredients that I have never worked with in the good ole USA. The Goat was chopped up and prepared with spices for the Curry Goat and the Goat head was split open, the brain scooped out (that was just fried up by itself for a snack before eating), and it was added to the pot with the entrails as the base for the soup. Then we added the spices, the Cock Soup mix and water and brought it to a boil over the fire.
Melo is not a big fan of Goat, so the chicken portion of the meal was more her style. Jerk and Fried. The Fried chicken was tossed in a spice mixture first then lightly breaded with flour and fried. Melo swears it’s the best Fried Chicken she’s ever had (and remember we are from Kentucky so we know a little about Fried Chicken) and the Jerk Chicken was moist and tender, almost falling off of the bone.
It ends up being about 230pm before the Curry and the Soup are ready, but we pass the time telling stories, drinking our various drinks (the Jamaicans were mixing he White Rum with the Box Milk, its an acquired taste for sure, I have tried it a few times, I gotta put ice in it to make it tolerable) and dodging the raindrops. We even had to put up a small tarp to keep us as dry as possible, but even that didn’t work 100%. It was a wet, dreary day, but we were having all kinds of fun hanging out with our Jamaican friends eating real Jamaican food.
Once the soup was ready it was served in cups and you drink it, like a drink, so no spoon or anything. If anything from the soup doesn’t agree with you on a textural basis, you just spit it out into your hand and throw it down for the dogs to eat. As I mentioned before I am a pretty adventurous eater but there are a few morsels in there that I just can’t get down. It’s the stuff that is like cartilage that I can’t deal with, as long as my teeth can get through it, it’s OK, but that tough stuff is hard to deal with.
We continue to eat and drink the day away, we have to make another beer run and pretty soon it is getting close to dark. Time to pack up and get everyone home. We start off by going into downtown Lucea to drop our Montego Bay friend off at the Lucea Bus Park. If you’ve never experienced the Lucea Bus Park let me tell you that it is not for the faint of heart. Guys yelling wanting us to get in this bus, that bus, drivers and associates grabbing at your stuff (assuming if they get your stuff you will follow it and get in their bus, I guess). Wow, we finally get our friend into a bus that looks halfway safe, say our goodbyes and off she goes.
Now its back to Rondel for drinks at the bar (no dinner needed, we are still way full from the afternoon meal) and a good nights sleep. Tomorrow is Friday already and I am wishing time didn’t go so fast on the island.
I’m attaching some pictues of the afternoon festivities, but I will warn you that some of them are pretty graphic as far as pieces and parts of the Goat go. If that kind of stuff wigs you out, I wouldn’t page down if I were you.
Some of the supplies needed for the cookout
Attachment 44871
The Goat (outside the sink) and the Chicken (thawing in the sink)
Attachment 44872
Yours Truly doing a little prep work. I got knife skills!!!!
Attachment 44883
Curry Goat Spiced up and ready for the pot
Attachment 44874
Goat Entrails and Head (buried in the pot so you can't see it) for the Soup
Attachment 44875
Curry Goat Cooking over the fire
Attachment 44876
Soup Cooking over the fire
Attachment 44884
Jerk Chicken Cooking - I love the technique of basting it with Red Stripe straight from the bottle
Attachment 44885
Tarp attached to trees to keep us dry during the frequent rain showers
Attachment 44879
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Love the report, good work man.
-
6 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #6
Friday
We have plans to get out and about to different places today.
I start with another abbreviated walk because we are being picked up by our Canadian Friends and to go to Xtabi for Breakfast. First non-Montana’s breakfast of the trip, but I just have to have the Eggs Benedict at Xtabi once per trip. It really is that good and we all get it with Bacon and I swear between the 4 of us there is over a pound (pre-cooked weight of course) of bacon on the 4 plates. Its yummy and it sets you up for a day of drinking and not having to worry about eating a lot because it is rich and very filling. A few hours after eating it you are still full. No need for lunch on Xtabi Breakfast Days.
After breakfast we head for the beach. Time is ticking down and Melo needs her beachtime and her message from Verona, who is set up just adjacent to the beach at Rondel.
I am sitting there and I realize that even though I have visited the Red Dragon twice, I still haven’t had any pork. I also remember that I need to change some more money so that I have plenty to take home with me (I hate not having $JA in my pocket when I hit the island). So I figure I will take a nice leisurely stroll downtown to the Chineymon and then walk up to Red Ground and get everything done in one trip.
Head off down the beach, stop at Woodstock (I really like that place) and then at Sunnyside to see Maureen. After I get my second beer at Sunnyside, I take off again and get down to Bourbon Beach, where I cut through to the road (after stopping at Drinks Plus for another beer and a wedge of cheese of course). Pretty soon I am approaching the roundabout and I turn right and head toward the Chineymon. Just past the Burger King I hear someone yell at me and sure enough here comes someone wanting me to buy him some Brandy from the Chineymon. I tell him I am going in after some spices and I am not interested in buying him any Brandy. I turn and walk away and enter the Chineymon. Exchange $300US, count it and start searching the store for some of those spices that we bought yesterday in Green Island. Find a few treasures and walk back up towards the registers. I see my friend there asking the cashiers for a bottle of Brandy, he points towards me, I shake my head no, Chineymon asks him to leave. I guess you have to give the guy an “A” for effort, but he wasn’t getting any Brandy from this guy. I have my own alcohol habit to support!!!
Just as I am leaving Chineymon my driver appears as if from out of nowhere. I don’t even have to tell him where I want to go, he can tell by the time of day it is that I want pork. We head up the road to Red Ground and pretty soon I am having an icy cold beer and a half pound of their killer pork. It is so good. I wash it down with another beer, and then one more. Pretty soon I’m tired of beer, so I switch to rum and Ting. It starts raining, hard. My driver had parked across the street and it was really raining hard so I figure I’ll have one more Rum and Ting and then the rain will stop and we can be on our way. Evidently this was no brief shower, and one more turned into 3 or 4 more. I’m feeling no pain now and I don’t care about the rain, so even though it is still raining we walk across the street to the car and head back to the beach.
Melo is at the bar reading again, it really wasn’t raining all that much at the beach, but she had gotten enough sun and was very relaxed from the message, so she was just chillin with her book.
We had plans for Seastar for Happy Hour and then a walk down the lane and across the street to Catcha for dinner. It’s almost 4pm and our dinner reservation at Catcha was for 630pm so we decide to get ready and head on down to the cliffs. Driver picks us up and we head out.
On the way to Seastar we decide to stop at Quality’s (yes that Quality, the great chef is also a woodcarver) shop and check out his carvings. We find a rooster to replace a rooster that we have had for many years that has fallen a few times and lost its comb and a part of its waddle. Its awesome and the folks there were so nice. On to Seastar.
I know a lot of boardies love Seastar, so I went in prepared to be underwhelmed because I didn’t imagine that the place would live up to the hype. I was 100% wrong. It certainly lived up to the hype. Just walking in the place this relaxed vibe comes over you and you know you are at a place that makes folks feel ultra-comfortable. It is raining pretty good, so the pool is empty and there aren’t many folks at the bar. We step up, are warmly welcomed and we order our drinks. Rum and Pineapple for me and Red Stripe for Melo. Its 241 too, so there is going to be some drinking going on for the next hour or so.
We hang out, I would have liked to explore the property a little more, but we chatted up the bartenders and they filled us in about the place and really made us feel welcome. The Rum and Pineapples were hitting the spot and the beer was even cold. We really enjoyed our time there. We drunk-dialed a few friends who were stuck in the cold weather back at home and pretty soon we were ready to go to over to Catcha. Problem was it was still raining and it’s a pretty good walk from one to the other. Have no fear, Chris (Seastar owner) was on the job. He said to wait a few minutes and the shuttle will be back from the beach and will shuttle us over to Catcha. OK, great, thanks a lot. We chat for a while and sure enough the shuttle shows up and Seastar guests get out. Chris tells the driver that we are getting in and to take us to Catcha. I ask how much and they both say, no charge. Wow, that’s service.
We get to Catcha and get out of the Seastar van, I tip the driver nicely and we make our way down to the bar. The bartenders at Catcha are great and they remember us from past trips and greet us warmly. Melo gets a Red Stripe and I decide to get a Hurricane, Category 5 strength. Now I’ve been drinking pretty heavily for the last 6 or so hours, so the last thing I needed was this really strong drink. Too late for second thoughts though cause I had my lips wrapped around that straw before he even got it set all the way down in front of me. Damn it was good, but damn it was strong.
Since it was still raining we decided to go ahead and see if we could be seated early. All of the dining was going to be under cover that night so we figured we should get going before the place filled up very much.
I don’t even look at the menu when I get to Catcha, I know what I want. Jerk Shrimp appetizer and Jerk Chicken Pasta. Melo usually gets the Seafood Pasta, but tonight she opted for the Butterflied Shrimp. I have no idea how they do the pasta, but it is seriously about the best thing I have ever eaten. I look so forward to getting it each time and I keep thinking that one of these days it is going to disappoint me, but it never does. I am a very slow eater as I like to chew and enjoy my food, but somehow that pasta stays rocket-hot to the very last bite. Man what a meal, and Melo’s shrimp were yummy too.
We call our driver and head back to Rondel. I’ve had plenty to drink today, so we head down to the bar but don’t stay long. Tomorrow is the last of our vacation days (we leave on Sunday, but I don’t count leaving the resort at 10am as a vacation day), and I want to make sure we make the most out of it.
View of 3 Dives from Xtabi
Attachment 44892
Eggs Benedict at Xtabi
Attachment 44890
Scored a Coozie from the Red Dragon - my newest prized possession
Attachment 44891
Seastar - you can't capture the vibe from this picture, a great place
Attachment 44893
Melo's Shrimp Meal at Catcha
Attachment 44894
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the Jerk Chicken Pasta - again pictures don't capture what an awesome dish this is!!!
Attachment 44895
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Monty & Melo...Hey , great trip report! Love the detail of everything. We met you on our last day at Rondel , you held some ja's for us, so we could get our last meal from Norman Patty man.. We stayed 3 nights at Rondel first time there! We extended our Negril trip by those 3 days {we found the last room available, across the road. The MANGO room. Very nice. Loved the Rondel pool back there! Bob & Susan from negrilone stop got it for us. All in all, we were in Negril for 19 days. {drank every fricken day} wheww! We really like to be adventurous, and stay different places and eat also. We have Seastar booked for Dec. Take care, maybe meet up again some other Negril trip. YAMON!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Monty&Melo, good stuff!
Back in the late 1990's it was trip reports like yours that convinced me to leave the All Inclusive Resorts and explore the real Jamaica!
Enjoy,
VVHT
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
LOL........WE were there for two weeks....ate at Catcha 4 times......Had the Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta every time......Damm.......That stuff is the Best !!!!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
:( You're making me hungry!
-
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CosmicMoose
:( You're making me hungry!
Me too!
That Jerk Chicken Penne Pasta is my go to most of the time, and definitely the first meal. Great trip report Monty....
-
4 Attachment(s)
Re: Day by Day Trip Report with Pics - February 6 - 14, 2016
Vacation Day #7 – Last Day
Saturday
Last full day, tomorrow morning we will be taking the dreaded drive back to Montego Bay. Up early for my walk and then breakfast over at Montana’s for the last time. We both get the breakfast sandwich and our usual Ting and Water. Say our goodbyes to Tony and crew and tell them we’ll be back in October.
On to the beach, we lay there forever just soaking up the sun and the vibe for one last day. We decide to take a walk, down the beach towards Bourbon. We want to see Donovan at Woodstock one last time and can’t walk down that way without a stop to see Maureen at Sunnyside one last time.
Woodstock is rocking, the place was pretty full, fuller than it had been the rest of the week, it was Saturday after all, so I guess that is what was doing it. We hang out there for a while and then head down to Sunnyside.
I’m sort of on a mission, to find JamaicaRob at Rooms. We have almost the same tattoo, a Jamaican flag on our right shoulder. I look around, but don’t see him (we had never met before, but I didn’t see anyone with a Flag tattoo on their shoulder), so we headed on down to Sunnyside. Sure enough, JamaicaRob was there. He was chatting up a lot of people so we just sat at the bar enjoying our beer. We hung up our coozie from our business back home. Soon enough, I got my chance to meet Rob without interrupting one of his conversations. We talked for a while, and then took a picture (see below). Nice guy, really likes Jamaica (as do we), so we immediately had a lot in common.
Back to Rondel and change for dinner, head out to Canoe for the last time on the trip. Gonna miss the 241 Rum Punch when I am back home. Also going to miss the view at Mary’s Bay. I love sitting there and looking back at the beach.
Walked down to Chicken Lavish for our traditional last night’s dinner. Stopped in to say bye to Quality and tell him that we purchased one of his carvings the day before. Told him we would definitely look him up when we are there in October. On to Chicken Lavish ,a large group was there, and they had ordered ahead which is always a great idea when you take a large group to a Negril restaurant. We sit down, order our soup and ponder dinner. I’m going to change it up as I usually get Curry Goat, but I was in the mood for something different. I decide on Curry Conch. Man, was it good. Not nearly as chewy as I thought it was going to be. The curry gravy was similar to the gravy that is on the Goat. I was very happy with it.
Finish dinner, head back to Rondel, down to the bar to hang out for a while and then off to bed. I’m getting up extra early to walk tomorrow and then getting back to the bar at Rondel to enjoy the Futbol on the bar television before heading to the airport. Love sitting on the beach, eating breakfast and watching Futbol. Good times for sure.
View from the bar at Woodstock
Attachment 44912
Sunset Spirits coozie proudly on display at Sunnyside
Attachment 44916
Me and JamaicaRob (sun is obviously in my eyes!!!)
Attachment 44917
Woodstock from the Beach
Attachment 44915