Day 1: A Little Back Tracking
This report is strictly for entertainment purposes and anyone that reads this may not post rude or ignorant comments, so if you are that type of person you might as well quit reading right now.
Hmmm, where to begin. I was flying in on Thursday 12/29 and I was to meet up with 2 other friends that were getting in next day Friday. So my plan was to get to Negril, go to the Cambio, get a Digicel, and just wing it from there. So I get to the hotel (Hidden Paradise) and check in. Have to wait a few minutes for my room, but I am early so no problem. I just hang out in the front and pop open the laptop to jump online for a few minutes. I had already asked if I was going to be given a room next to my friends checking in the next day, but there was pretty much no way that was going to happen because they were full and the only 2 rooms left were in different places…that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. More about that later.
So the girl at the front desk tells me the room is ready so we walk down….as I step up on the porch I am wondering why there are some very young looking kids sitting on the verandah (the way the rooms are set up is 2 rooms connected by one big patio) one kid with a huge spliff hanging out of his mouth, and the other sitting at a table filled with empty beer bottles. So I guess these are my neighbors for the next week…they look no more than 15 MAYBE 16 but that would be pushing it. I can tell right away from their accents that they are Italian…where the heck are their parents?
So I quickly change clothes and grab the money I want to take to the Cambio. I start out down the road and I am really surprised that I did not get approached or honked at for a taxi! The first person that said anything to me was some lady asking me if I knew where the Cambio was…I told her she was standing right in front of it but it looked like it was closed. (election day). So, I quickly look across the street at Times Square and wonder if their ATM is working (it rarely does). So this lady looks totally spaced out and lost and I tell her that I’m going to just try the ATM machine instead. She starts going on and on asking about ATM fee’s and bank fees and how much does my bank charge, blah blah blah. Finally I get saved by a taxi driver asking if I need a ride. Whew! This lady was a little fruity in the loops if you ask me. So I hop in the taxi and just decide I will go to Scotia bank since I have to hit up Digicel anyway.
In the taxi I go and we drive across the street and stop. He has to go inside his house for something real quick..OK, no problem. Then he is back and we are on the way…nope, have to stop at Coral Seas to give his buddy something first. Ok, no problem..I don’t have anywhere to be anyway and if feels great!
