West End Tales: Nov 2025

Quick trip thru immigrations, duty free and then waited for checked luggage! It never came! Waited in a long slow line to file a claim!

Jet Blue is working on getting my luggage to Mo Bay!! Soon come.

Oz was patiently waiting outside.

On our approach to Mo Bay, many roofs have blue tarps!

Road to Negril was fine, just a brief holdup in Hopewell for traffic.

Stopped at Mi Yard for a few warm red strips! Lots of toasts to the ?Survivors?!

Checked in at LTU Garden. Then LTU Cliffs for dinner and cold beers. Opal and Serena did a good job. Fortunately there were several tourists at the restaurant.

Breakfast is open until 8:30. Need to hit HiLo to replace items in my checked luggage!!

No power on the West End without generator.

Hotels need guests to pay their employees! Please book pack and go!

Enjoy,

VVHT aka Happy

Having breakfast at LTU Cliffs. The generator is humming and WiFi is working!

Everyone I have spoken to has had damage from Melissa. Almost all lost some or all of there roofs!

No power for most is hard hard hard!

Headed to HiLo after breakfast with a friend to get food and bottled water,

Bottled water is expensive!

Crazy flying into Mo Bay, all the leaves off the trees!
Several areas all the trees knocked down!

Jamaicans are tough!

Driving thru Lucea the market was open and lots of people out and about.

Some guys were pointing at me as we drove through and shouted ?Tourist?! They were very pleased!

Pictures soon come!

Oz is okay, lost some of his roof, several akee and breadfruit trees and a lot of chickens!

All good

VVHT aka Happy

Hey Happy,
Glad you made it down.
Hope your luggage catches up soon.
Would you please inquire to Lucky's well-being when you visit the Village.
He is the last friend that I have not been able to contact.
Thanks!
Russ

Russ, Fisherman?s Village?

After breakfast headed downtown with Niah.

Scotia was jammed downtown, headed to Boardwalk village, NCB was jammed, drive thru not working,

Hit HiLo for some items in Mi lost luggage(soon come)!

Headed p toBoardwalk Village resort. They have an ATM US only, limited amount.

Stuck around at their bar fora cold red stripe! Not many guests.

Took a tour downtown past St Anthony?s and World Central Kitchen. Very very busy getting lunch ready!

Big operation feeding thousands of meals per day!

Headed to Red Dragon for a few cold ones.

Back to LTU and into the pool.

Chilling at LTU Cliffs, nice breeze blowing!

Update on places open for food on Westend, this list is incomplete and subject to change:

LTU Cliffs
Xtabi
Rock House
Catcha/Ivan?s

All have limited hours and limited menu. Most are CASH ONLY!

Please call in advance to confirm.

Remember generators run out of fuel or breakdown.

Please book pack go!

Hotels need guests to pay employees!

All good,

VVHT aka Happy


.

Sorry Happy,
I am referring to what I have always called diver's village.
Across the lane from Seastar.
If you see Baker, he will know.
Thanks Again!
Looking forward to your reports and pics as always.
Russ

Russ, hit da Village tonight. Dem say Lucky good.

Absolutely amazing time. Jamaica rocks!
Having the time of my life!

More soon come!

Enjoying your trip report! Looking forward to your photos! :eagerness:

Thanks for the update Happy!
Enjoy.

Good morning Boardies

All good at LTU!

Headed to Red Dragon for some cold red stripes and jerk pork! Yummy!

Bringing my old Seastar crew

No luck posting photos yet!

Book pack go!

Enjoy,

Happy

Good morning Boardies

All good at LTU this morning

Up early for a swim in the pool. A bit chilly this morning!

Great time a Red Dragon yesterday! Ragga Bobes looked good. Oshin kept the cold red stripes heinikens and guiness flowing!!

Ashley did a quick run to Popeyes for chicken lunch for the crew

We had 2 pounds of jerk pork. I think it was 4,000 J

Stopped at Mi Yard for a round and then back to LTU for the night

Garrett, Delroy and Ricky joined me at the bar

Early to bed

Headed downtown today, maybe Best in the West for lunch???

Hilo and must get some cash.

Just chilling until the restaurant opens at 8:30

LTU Cliff hours are currently 8:30 am until 8:30 pm.

Please book pack and go!

Hotels need guests to pay their employees

Can’t post photos due to weak WiFi

Enjoy,

VVHT aka Happy

Sitting LTU Cliff bar, having a nice hot coffee! The view is awesome!

Book pack go!

LTU view


https://i.postimg.cc/nLqkSpSW/EA08D4...87D7D5B28B.jpg

It took almost 15 minutes to upload!

Beautiful photo! :encouragement:

Good morning Boardies

All good at LTU

Went to Dennise?s in the village last night. Great time had by all!

Stopped by Bag Juice on the way back for a couple of warm Red Stripes

Went shopping at HiLo for several friends. Canned mackerel bully beef sardines salt fish Toilet paper rice canned beans oats bottled water etc?,

Every where I went people were happy to see me and very welcoming.

Enjoy,

VVHT aka Happy

Uploading photos is difficult with weak Wi-Fi

I’m able to text or WhatsApp photos occasionally

FYI, most of my Jamaican friends don’t have access to current or Wi-Fi, so WhatsApp doesn’t always work.

Cash is King, bottled water is expensive!

I having been buying Digicell minutes for friends.

Everyone is so grateful for the tourists that are here.

It has been very quiet after 9pm at night. No music, no cars or scooters on the West End road.

Generator is off around 9pm, so early to bed each night.

More later

Seems like a way different vibe on the west end than the beach.
Regards,
Bob

When you say bottled water is expensive, can you give an example?

Stoner, I don’t have receipts in front of me but the case price at HiLo was approx 1,800 J

Bob, very quiet on the deep west end. Especially after 9pm.

Any idea when electricity will be back on the West End?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tahrheel

Any idea when electricity will be back on the West End?

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They're so close to getting current back. They (JPS) thought it might happen last night but ran into a couple of extra issues.

Street lights just came on outside LTU!

Unable to post photo

VVHT PIC...LTU area...
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Big up JPS!

Good morning Boardies

Happy Thanksgiving from Negril

JPS crews were all over the West End yesterday and around 6pm the street lights came on!

As I rode downtown to Kenny?s there were some areas on the West End where street lights weren?t on

Stopped in to Ivan?s Bar at Catcha to hook up with Boardies Scott and Janet
Great seeing them and we hoisted a few in memory of Rob!

Then Niah picked me up and off to Kenny?s Italian Cafe for dinner and drinks with Chris from Seastar

Good times, lots of laughs

Niah made sure I got home safe and sound

Yesterday I had lunch with Oshin and Shantana formerly of Seastar.

It was wonderful catching up with these ladies

Chill day today, definitely a pool day

Oz is coming by for dinner and beers around sunset

More later

Yes it was good to see you at Ivans last night and have a few and enjoyed catching up. Catcha has large generator so it's almost like normal here.... AC is good.. It's nice and Green. All help working a couple of days a week.. SO EVERYONE PLEASE COME DOWN. Hopefully the current is happening today.. Especially for the locals.

Good morning Boardies

All good at LTU. Full street power is still on, but it did blink a few times last night.

Big party at LTU last night

A large family of tourists had a banquet dinner with lots of food. They let the staff and Jamaicans share the left overs. Then tipped ALL the staff at LTU big time!

Big up for their generosity and kindness!

Had a wonderful dinner with Oz. Great guy. Lots of stories about Melissa! Scary stuff!

Headed to HiLo to stock up for the cookout this afternoon in Fisherman’s Village. Curry Chicken Brown Stew Pork Rice and Peas.
I’m bringing 4 cases of bottled water and 2 of Red Stripe. Delroy thinks we can feed 150 people

Enjoy

VVHT aka Happy

Happy,

Thanks for the updates. I'm a short timer, only been going to Negril for the past 20yrs. I usually drink the tap water, but given the storm I am thinking of sticking with bottled water (which I am hearing is understandable quite dear right now). Is that what you are doing? Soon come!

-Seamuis

Seamus, no one is drinking pipe water or water truck water now. Bottled water for cooking and drinking. Pipe and truck water only good for flushing toilets and shower.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seamuis

Happy,

Thanks for the updates. I'm a short timer, only been going to Negril for the past 20yrs. I usually drink the tap water, but given the storm I am thinking of sticking with bottled water (which I am hearing is understandable quite dear right now). Is that what you are doing? Soon come!

-Seamuis

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by VVHT

Seamus, no one is drinking pipe water or water truck water now. Bottled water for cooking and drinking. Pipe and truck water only good for flushing toilets and shower.

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We're heading down on Monday, staying @ SamSara ~ guess it's better to play it safe & go with bottled water for the time being.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VVHT

Seamus, no one is drinking pipe water or water truck water now. Bottled water for cooking and drinking. Pipe and truck water only good for flushing toilets and shower.

---

Thanks Happy, sad to hear that, better safe than sitting on the throne for the duration!

How are they making ice?

@NegrilorBust True dat!

Seamus,

Dem say the ice machines used double filtered pipe water. Apparently the locations that make ice are checked by health officials on a regular basis. I bought 4 bags at Texaco in Non Parell road.

Happy,

The only filter that will truly protect you from pipe water if it's bad, is a reverse osmosis system. That said, if no one is getting ill from the ice, please order up a couple of dirty bananas!

Saturday Nov 22 drive from Mo Bay to Negril

Notice the trees without leaves
Valerie in Sandy Bay near Chuka Tours. Closed since Melissa licked away her roof. Gave her a big hug and something something. Next Saturday she had a limited opening with 70’s beer (in a cooler with ice).

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Day 2
Thank God World Central Kitchen showed up big time!

They have the organization equipment and supply chain to exponentially expand St Anthony’s food kitchen in Negril. It isn’t perfect, but they are feeding thousands per day!

FYI, guards didn’t want me taking anymore photos of the operation


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More Day 2

At Denise?s in da Fisherman?s Village, CC is sitting up front, her bar/shop on Love Lane mashed up bad by Melissa

Drank more warm Red Stripes this reach, than the last five years combined!
Baker at LTU later
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Day 3
Red Dragon for Jerk Pork

Ragga Bones says come on down! Coldest beer in Red Ground!

Oshin, the bartender at Red Dragon. Wonderful Lady


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Stopped at Mi Yard on the way back to LTU.
Delroy opened for me again (1st time Saturday afternoon).
Only warm Red Stripes, but all good. Pablo is helping him out.
Note the roof behind them. It was substantially repaired by Friday
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Friday cookout in the Fisherman’s Village

Supplies from HiLo run
Delroy preparing food

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