:cool: The Catz and Herding Turtles. - What a Trip!

:D

To set the scene, we found Negril in 1988 and this is our 9th visit. It’s a long old haul from here and planning a trip is like a military exercise. Like all of us on this board, it’s a special place and a stay is like going to the best rehab in the world. The difference, is that it cleanses the real world from the soul and allows a feeling of spirituality to replace the mess that we’ve built up.

So we’re off. Our last trip to Negril had been in 2008 and time, money, circumstances and work had meant that it had been a long four years since we could return ‘home’. Where does the holiday start, at the airport of course and there is only one way to fly and that’s loaded with Champers. Having left our small island the previous day and already had two flights, we now readied ourselves for another 10.5 hours in the skies. We had upgraded for this trip and had also pre ordered another bottle of the fizzy stuff for the flight, so we were treating this as the real first day of our holiday.

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Jacky partaking of the flight enhancer.

There’s something about people going on holiday together on an airplane, although on this flight, it was fairly obvious that most, if not all the people in the front of the plane were going to the bigger resorts at Mobay, Ocho and Negril. We seemed to be the only people doing our own thing. The couple in the seat across from us decided to drink the plane dry and the hours passed quickly watching two people gradually fall into a state of oblivion!! Our pick up at Mobay was through the late Alfred’s and the ride to Negril was as exciting as ever. The weather was dull, with signs of rain along the way, but when we arrived at Citronella, the sky was clear and we were bathed in that warm Negril air.

Citronella. We had reserved the Round House for 5 nights and were assisted by Trevor with our bags, to this amazing little thatched cottage, in it’s own natural garden, overlooking the bluest sea imaginable.

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The Round House

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How much closer to the sea can you get?

The idea of staying at Citronella for the first part of our holiday was based on previous trips, where we found it normally takes us 3-4days to adjust to Negril time. That is, slooooow. We wanted a quiet place where we could get some sun and get normal life out of our systems. Also, we wanted to see a bit more of what lay beyond the lighthouse and as we love walking, it’s ideally positioned to explore the quiet end of the cliffs.

Waking the next morning and opening the cottage door, we were greeted with this.

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OMG, we had planned and waited 4 years for this trip to Negril and this was going to be our home and view for the next five days. If there is a heaven, there must be a bit that looks like this. Walking into the garden and spying the hammock, the song ‘Little Cottage in Negril’ came to life in my head and it took a lot for me to hold back the tears of joy. But then again, we all know that first morning feeling!!!

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The garden at the Round House

As it was our first day, we need supplies and decided to take a walk and go as far as we could past the lighthouse. (Citronella is just 100 yards from the lighthouse) It was hot! Walking started at a brisk pace, you know that way you go when you haven’t sloooowed down yet and in 15-20 minutes, we were at the Out of Town Pastry. Grabbing some beef and chicken patties for brunchfast, we continued the stroll and found places like Hide Awhile, Moondance Cliffs and various small bars and shops.

We also came across a plot of land that was for sale on the cliffs near to Hide Awhile. A perfect spot for a small cottage of our own. I wonder how much they wanted for it?

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Staying at Citronella allows you into a whole different world. For a start, the cottages are so independent of each other, that if you don’t want to see anyone else, you don’t have to. In fact aside from when we went to breakfast at the Great House, which was excellent by the way, or ventured out the gate to LTU for some liquid refreshment or an evening meal, we spent five days in each other’s company, unwinding at our own rate and enjoying the view, the smell, the sea, the amazing sunsets and the conversation between ourselves, which was all enhanced by the natural herbaceous border that I ‘planted’ round the house.

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The sunsets were glorious.

During our occasional foray’s into the outside world, we came across locals and characters that would fit in any novel about the West End. Take Kyng Sharlo and his cohort, Natty Brooks.

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These guys waylaid us one day, toting CD players, bags of discs and a line in ‘patter’ that would endear them to anyone. Of course they were wanting us to buy their stuff and of course we did, well you do, don’t you? ‘We’ll see you on the beach’ was our parting shot and indeed we did at a later date, with much banging knuckles, high fives and ‘best friend’ greetings. We both love being part of the local scene and always give people the time of day to hear what they have to say, sell or sing!

Nice!! You have taken me there with your words and pictures. Thank you....I needed a Negril fix today. Ready for more when you are...:)

Awwww yeah! Love this! And love you guys, so glad your trip brought you back at the same time ours did, we loved meeting you two, you are wonderfully awesome people who we are all now so thrilled to call family! And I cherish the badge (pin) you gifted me at the Bash as one of my new favorite posessions! :) Can't wait to read the rest of your report!

Herding Turtles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
:)

Need more...don't stop there.

Yes!! Love you two! Love, Love, Love you two! LOVE YOU TWO!!! OK, maybe I have a little more of a thing for Mrs. Catz... She's SO sexy!! Still, love you both, but Mr. Catz, keep your guard up!! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spottycatz

:D

Like all of us on this board, it’s a special place and a stay is like going to the best rehab in the world. The difference, is that it cleanses the real world from the soul and allows a feeling of spirituality to replace the mess that we’ve built up.

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That is such a great way to describe the Negril effect. I find it hard to explain to others why I am so eager to return. I may need to borrow this. :)

Loving the pictures and report so far, looking forward to the next installment.

Awe, sounds like y'alls first 5 days were utter BLISS. Then we got ahold of you and things got crazy so I'm glad you got that secluded mano y mano before the mayhem. ;) Photos are MAHVELOUS, property looks so homey.

and YES. I buy the CD's and even if I dont have any $ to spend I tell them that but that I would like to see their things. I love that part of Negril. I love my CD's

I LOVE LOVE LOVE SpottyCatz!!!

Very, very nice start... that means I really hope there is more to come. Pictures are as nice as the story is!

Hey you crazy catz, we already miss you. Bob and are so happy we were able to visit this trip........ Great start to your report. Like you bob and i needed time together, before we met all those wild people who made us PARTY so hard......LOL LOL.... Miss ya ,LOVE ,CINDY!!!!!!!!

Yeah your arm must hurt from all that pulling Cindy. ;)

YAY! A spottycatz trip report!!:D
(Herding turtles!! LOL!)

I will join in the lovefest chorus and proclaim my love for the Spottycatz too.:D
Markus and I really miss you both!!!

Citronella looks so beautiful and peaceful, glad you two had little R & R before The whole herd arrived on the Island.
Looking forward to your next update!

Yes ,Tizzy my arm does still hurt..And so does my liver!!!!! lol lol :) love ya girl....ic

Lol

Spotty and Mr. Catz, Nice start to your report! Citronella looks PERFECT! Jim and I had a GRAND time with you two! We will be watching for more! I cannot belive I have not one picture of Mr. Catz, Oh pooh!
Mrs Indy Cindy, your NOT a LURKER any more!! YEA~~~
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Kicking myself right now for not formally saying hi! I remember seeing you at many different places that week.

Carry on...really enjoying your report!

Almost next door is Sexy Rexy’s.

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Rexy’s cliff front property

He is a wonderful bloke who has a yard full of cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, goats, lizards and almost anything else that needs feeding or wants a home. We spent time chatting with Rexy and listened to his stories of life, the world and how to build a great sub!!! If you get time and you’re up near the lighthouse, pop in a see Rexy, you won’t be disappointed.

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One of Rexy’s pets!!

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A shack at the far West End. I love the artwork.

As a wee aside, staying at the Round House gives you a great view of Sir D’s bar and on this day, the Love Bus crew were in attendance. What I loved about this view was the effect of the setting sun on the place from where we were. The folks at the bar couldn’t see this of course.

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We recommend a visit to LTU. It’s got a great vibe and the staff and visitors alike are full of chat. There’s no such thing as sitting on your own in there. The food’s great as well and so are the dirty bananas!!

I've got to include this photo. On one day, we decided we would go to the Canoe Bar and take in a sunset. So we duly arrived and settled in for a few and watched the sea and the sun. This little chap wondered up at some point and posed for a series of photo's. He knew he was good! I wanted to take him back to Citronella with us, but he said he had family to visit at Bentley's, so we wished him luck, told him to be careful and he wandered off!

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The days at Citronella passed by in a lazy, hazy, dazy way. By the fourth day, Friday, we were beginning to become as chilled as the Red Stripe in the fridge and our eyes had taken on the narrow slanty kind of way that comes with the permanent grin all too common in Negril. NICE! So what to do, it’s our last full day and we decided to check out Seastar, as we would be going to see Luciano the following evening. Walking down from Citronella took about 15 minutes and we arrived at Seastar. No probs at the gate, the staff are very friendly and we slope to the bar and order a couple of stripes.

Mmmmm, there’s a band warming up on the stage, ‘isn’t that Stephen on guitar’ Jacky says, ‘looks like him’ I say, after all four years is a while. We take the beers and sit down and listen to the guys running through a number. ‘Wait a minute’, say’s me, ‘isn’t that……………..’ And so for the next two hours we sat and watched as Luciano himself sound checked the band, sat and wrote lyrics on the go at the side of the stage and road tested the words with the band. Could this get any better? Well I could have had the camera, that would’ve helped!!!!!

We also got to meet Chris, nice man, Gerry was there and the swim up bar was well attended. Our first time at Seastar and we both liked the vibe at the place.

So we wandered back to out cottage, watched the sunset and went to LTU for the last evening on the cliffs. Citronella had been a great place to start the holiday, a lovely place to stay and we would REALLY recommend anyone to stay there. But the next day we would be moving down to the beach, to Idle Awhile and the start of what we hoped, knew and guessed, would be the real holiday. After all, we’d spent 6 months on Negril.com getting to know some of the boardies who would be arriving and who had started to arrive and also to meet up with our friends from our last trip Bob and Cindy. Yeh, this is where the holiday really starts.

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Oh how I'm famous with my herding turtles comment I see.....you guys are all funny.Love ya:cool:

Hey Spottycatz, We love both of you as well. And that was Pooper, Jon, Brasi, and myself sitting at the swim up bar. Or maybe it was minus Brasi? Not sure but I have a picture and he is in it.... LOL The rehearsal was better than the actual show, it was amazing and you described it perfect. Luciano threw so much energy into it and literally it felt like we had a private show. Keep it coming please, I love the style of your reporting.

loving it!

Here is a couple of pictures of Luciano during the rehearsal
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Was a great show friday afternoon.

Thanks loads everyone for your nice comments, even you Guirigay, :rolleyes: and beccajean, your input to the title and story will be become evident as the Magic Bus rattles it's way towards us. :D
Thinking back Booger, I can see you sitting at the sit up bar that afternoon, but of course, didn't know who you all were at that point!
I really want to get this done a.s.a.p. as the 'old' memory isn't as good as you young'ns, so it should all be finished by the weekend.

And Cindy and Bob, I hope you're cool with me including OUR day out at your place in all it's glory?

SpottyCatz North American Road Trip, A travel Channel series brought to you by your good friends at Red Stripe!!

And you know the dealio Mr. Catz... If you could get her to speak in ANYTHING but that intoxicatingly lovely Scottish accent... :)

Ha Michael, when the Catz go Stateside you'll know as will everyone. Dunno about being sponsored by Red Stripe though! With your drink driving laws, I wouldn't spend enough days under the limit to get the show on the road. Be stuck at the docks for the whole three months!!!

As an aside, Jacky took some really good video of the Seastar Drummers at the Luciano concert. I would like to upload a video as part of this report. Does anyone know of any 'copyright' or can't do it' rules that will stop me doing this? Cheers all. The next few days are ready to go, once I know. :D

Oh just post it!!!!!!! lol, just playin, I have no idea Steve but I cant wait for the rest of your report.

Tizzy, not like you to get anyone into trouble. :rolleyes:

The next bit will be on later today/tonight, depending where you stay.

Spottyz... please include the day with us... no secrets here.. all good and loving it !!

Ahhhh, Citronella looks so beautiful & peaceful!! No wonder you had so much energy later in your stay! ;)

Quote:

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On one day, we decided we would go to the Canoe Bar and take in a sunset. So we duly arrived and settled in for a few and watched the sea and the sun. This little chap wondered up at some point and posed for a series of photo's. He knew he was good! I wanted to take him back to Citronella with us, but he said he had family to visit at Bentley's, so we wished him luck, told him to be careful and he wandered off!

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There he is!! They love a photo shoot ;) went to visit family at Bentley's...lmao!!

Saturday.

We packed our gear up and bade farewell to the lovely staff and our cosy cottage and by midday, were checked in at Idle Awhile. We had really been looking forward to staying here, as we had checked the place out on our last trip and decided it would be ideal for our beach stay and room 204, was the one we wanted. So 10/10 so far.

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By the time we were unpacked and had met the bar staff :rolleyes:, it was time to start getting ready for the Luciano gig at Seastar. We were both really looking forward to this as it would be the first time we would meet up with Bob and Cindy and we would also meet with our new boardie mates. We arrived at Seastar early, (as we do) and were shown to a table next to Rob and Lisa with the webcast gear, who immediately remembered us from before and we chatted about what a trip this could be. Soon we saw Bob and Cindy walk through the gate. The holiday had started. The lovely thing about making friends in Negril, is that no matter how long it will be between trips, friendships made, stay strong. And so, after loads of hugs and kisses (and that was just me and Bob):p Bob steered us toward Rasta Stan for an introduction and he gracefully invited us all to sit at his table next to the bar.

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The concert and evening was great. The Seastar Drummers, the local singers and Luciano himself, gradually raised the temperature of the crowd to standing only. For me, being back in Negril and at a live gig means I can dance. I love bouncing about and don’t get much opportunity at home any more to do the ‘Travolta’, so with Cindy in full flight, the band going great and the crowd up for it, it was great to let go and get down in Negril!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYMtocEkzzQ

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During the evening we met almost everyone. You all know who you are, so no need to run the names here, so we kinda knew that the next week or so was going to be so much fun.

Sunday

Today was our first full beach day since we arrived in Negril and after the dancing, drinking and partying till late in the night at Seastar, we looked forward to a restful day just chillin’. We woke to a windy day, the sea was making waves, but the sky was blue and the sand looked inviting.

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After breakfast, we were on the sunbeds by 9.30 and settled down for an hour or two bronzing. The sea was fun, the waves cresting about 4-5 feet and those in the water were being bowled over by the weight of the water. Couldn’t miss that, so 20 minutes of being battered by the sea, was swiftly followed by several beers, to wash out the salty mouth!!

Before lunchtime, Bob comes strolling down the beach, having checked in at Crystal Waters just up the way. Stripes all round, shared some chat and we agreed to meet up at Sunsplash that afternoon for the sunset webcast.

We decided to do our first beach walks and went up as far as the Barry’s Bar tree. Interesting to see how the beach has moved since our last visit. After lunch, we walked the other way, but couldn’t get any further than the Italian restaurant due to the waves crashing up against the walls. First time ever I can remember the beach actually being split into two parts due to the sea.

On the beach we met Michael, who made Jacky a bracelet while we watched. He was a nice guy and it’s good to know that there are some genuine traders still doing business on the sands.

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So, after a restful day, we wandered down to Seasplash, met up with Bob and Cindy, met Jim and some of the team from the night before, drank loads, was subbed a lot and decided to wander back to Idle Awhile around 9 pm. It had been a fine day and a good way to begin the second part of the holiday.

Beautiful pics

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spottycatz

Almost next door is Sexy Rexy’s.

On one day, we decided we would go to the Canoe Bar and take in a sunset. So we duly arrived and settled in for a few and watched the sea and the sun. This little chap wondered up at some point and posed for a series of photo's. He knew he was good! I wanted to take him back to Citronella with us, but he said he had family to visit at Bentley's, so we wished him luck, told him to be careful and he wandered off!

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Just how many submarine sandwiches had you had before you spoke to this crab?? LOL!!
Daisy and I are enjoying your trip report - loving the Alice in Wonderland touch!

Marcus, the whole vacation was fuelled by Red Stripe and sandwiches. Putting this together is like writing someone else's holiday. :eek:
The nice thing, is that so many others have mentioned days and places on their photo's, I can kinda remember being there, which is good.
And the Alice in Wonderland touch, as you so magically put it, is the way our life is in general. This Negril holiday has just added to the story. ;)

Great report. i love the details and pics.

Keep it coming.... Loving every bit!

Hey SpottyCatz! I see you online...come with it!!!

:p

Is that the little green light?

Yes dear :)

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Originally Posted by TizzyATX

Yes dear :)

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Waiting on yours to start.........

Monday was a day of relative rest in anticipation of what was to come.

Tuesday - Chickens Magic Bus Trip

So, here it was. The day out that had been planned months previously by Marley and ‘spoken’ about continuously on Negril.com for as long. The group of around 20 would be picked up at their various hotels after 7.30 - 8 in the morning, for a full day visit to YS falls and the Pelican Bar.

Excited………..Oh yes, it was also the first real time we would be with the group that has now written it’s name in the history of the Negril.com board. We set the alarm in case we slept in, but woke as the sun was rising with smiley faces. Breakfast (for me anyway) consisted of a four inch sub and a glass of orange juice. Now I was ready. Packing a couple of bags with Red Stripes and crisps and biscuits and my Homer opener, we lumbered our way to the gate of Idle Awhile and waited. Before too long the bus arrived. Here they all were, faces recognisable from months of looking at photo’s. Wow Marcus is taller than I thought, Ninja, look at that smile, who’s that with the hat, must be Guirigay, so many new faces! It would help if I’d not had so much breakfast. :rolleyes: Everyone was so pleased to see us, so to break the ice, I opened the bag of beer. First one up, ‘Hi I’m Michael, I’d love one of those’. Excellent, a man after our own hearts, beer at 8.30 in the morning. We’re on holiday after all. Booger, Sandy, Marcus, Daisy, beers all round, this is gonna be a good day. We rumble our way back to Negril town, music playing, laughter, early morning singing and stop for cash and carry at the ATM.

The bus empties and bodies disappear into the throng of the day. Time passes, what’s happened? Marcus is stuck in the ATM booth!!! Really? Where is everyone, ah, there’s Booger and Sandy and there’s Shauna and Raul, it takes a while, but everyone’s back on. Of we go again, past the roundabout, go about 100 yards, stop again for beer and supplies. Everyone off the bus. Time passes, gradually people start to wander slowly back in the direction of the vehicle.

It was then that the phrase I’d never heard before, became such an integral part of the day and the rest of the vacation. beccajean, sitting behind me, ‘Jees, it’s just like herding turtles!’ It summed up the start to the trip. We’d all gotten into Negril time and both speed of thought and movement had slowed accordingly. Beer was loaded into coolers at the front of the bus, but wait, Chicken’s here with another bus. I haven’t got a clue what’s going on. ‘Everyone off the bus and into the other one’……..OK, people, bags, coolers, more people, ready?

It’s 10 before we leave Negril, the Turtles are on the move.

Sandy was tired from the night before, this photo isn’t upside down.

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Brasi’s head popped up at the back of the bus. He’s also suffering from the night and (probably) days previous. I should point out at this time, that the ‘back of the bus’ actually took up all the seats apart from the front couple. So we’re moving down the road, trying to loosen the load, windows open, with the bus from the outside probably looking like a 1950’s steam train!!

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The views from the bus was great, there’s some great country once you start to go inland and before long we arrived at YS. The weather was wonderful, warm and sunny, a perfect day, Marley had even organised that properly. Everyone off the bus, turtles totter here there and everywhere. So what now? We have to get on a trailer and get towed up to the falls. Yeh right!!! These are turtles after all, some make the first trailer, some don’t. ‘We should stay together!’………… Yeh right!!!

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So we get to the bit where we get out. ‘Lets wait for the others’, no probs there. We’re all expert at not going far. The gang eventually group and the climb up the falls starts.

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So now I get to a really important bit.

Before we left the UK, there was lot’s of ‘board’ conversation about jumping off cliffs and videos and photo’s posted. At the time, Jacky said to me, ‘You’re not jumping off the cliff are you?’ ‘No way Jose, I’m far too on the wrong side of 20 to be jumping off anything’, I said.

So, here we are walking up the wooden stairs and we arrive at a large pool of water.

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Above the large pool of water is a rickity platform with a rope, where there is a queue of ‘nutters’ swinging and jumping and falling into the pool from about 100 feet. (Well it looked like it to me!!) Suddenly, Jacky is gone!!! Oh there she is, where’s she going, why is she wearing washing up gloves? She’s not……….is she?.…..she bloody well is!!!!!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE4E3IIHZ2Q

I must say, I was very proud of her for doing that. It’s something I would never have dreamed she would’ve done. But it’s the holiday isn’t it? It’s the team, the trip, the accumulating mass madness that is gradually seeping into everyone. There’s nooooooo way you’ll get me doing that!!!

So, why am I standing on a rickity wooden platform with blue washing up gloves on?????

There’s reasons we do things in life. Peer pressure, excitement, The Dare, money, love………….well friends, it was none of those, it was the beer and sub that got me there. Looking back, I can’t even remember walking up there, I just remember this damp slick rope being shoved at me and someone shouting , Go!, over the noise of the waterfall. I’m flying………I’m wet and cold……I’m drowning……No, I can breath……..I can’t feel the bottom……..I’m alive……who’s all these people……why have I got blue washing up gloves on?

Other’s did it. I know Booger did, I think Sandy did, Tizzy might have, I really can’t remember. The next 10 minutes were lost in a haze of finding clothes, finding Jacky, wandering back down the stairs looking at the faces of the people walking up.
Sitting at a bench at the bottom of the falls with Booger and Sandy and Tizzy and I’m sure Guirigay was there with Sweetie Pie, Sneaking another sub out the bag, more Stripes, keeping it topped up, gradually the turtles gathered and at some point boarded the trailer back down the hill and back onto the bus. I am having one of the best days I’ve ever had in Jamaica and it's not even lunchtime!

We hadn’t gone far when we stopped again. Grub up! Didn’t gave a clue where we were as usual, but we had stopped at an amazing low slung open kitchen, with massive cauldrons of stuff bubbling and popping away. The smells were insane. I had the munchies anyway, :rolleyes: and suddenly I had been deposited in front of the Jamaican equivalent of Willie Wonka’s!

‘I’ll have some of that and some of that and what’s that, it doesn’t matter, put some on there anyway and, ****e, I’m running out of room!’

There were turtles everywhere, hands full of plates and bowls of hot tasty food. Boy this trip was well organised. Fun, food and frolics.

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So, all fed, back on the bus and on our way to the Pelican Bar. Marcus was applying cream to his delicate features. I think it was sun cream………….

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At some point along the road, this happened……..

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……..and before too long we were here.

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Now turtles are supposed to be able to swim, but we were kitted out in the latest must have fashion before we got on our way. Loaded into large wooden canoe’s, the two teams set off on the 30 minute race to the Pelican Bar. Sweetness not too keen on the latest fashion item, but Sandy reassures her she looks fine. Orange is such a subtle colour!!!!

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We arrived and climbed into a scene straight out of a Tom Hanks film.

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How to describe the Pelican Bar on the inside. It’s much bigger than you think. Almost multi-dimensional! There space for a carving section, with stuff you can buy. There’s a bar, well enough stocked. There’s space to stand, there’s places to sit and there’s stuff hanging up. In fact, we kinda knew that flags and emblems would be welcomed, so we had taken a Scottish flag with us to leave as a memento.

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More Stripes were drunk and the sun began to lower. The water around the Pelican Bar is very shallow and most of the turtles duly splashed about, beers in hand, with so many smiles and so much laughter.
Then disaster…………the curse of Clarity struck. Not content with hating Lionfish and bats, a new hate was being swiftly added to the list. The black spiny sea urchin!! Years ago, a friend of ours trod on one of these at the Blue Cave Castle and almost couldn’t walk for a week. Suddenly, Clarity was being helped into the bar with a toe full of black pin pricks!!!

Hey, we’re the ‘Not So Teenage Negril Ninja Turtles’, right? Sandy to the rescue. ‘Has anyone got a knife’, one was produced. It had probably just been used to carve a name in the floor of the bar, but no matter, surgery was needed. ‘Hold the woman down, stuff a rag in her mouth and let me at her’, I think that’s what Sandy said, but I was pretty out of it, so it might have been something like that. And I got a ringside seat.

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Only Clarity can tell you the pain and anguish suffered during that 10 minute spell, but Sandy did a wonderful job and the little black spines were removed one by one. It reminded me of the biblical story of Daniel and the Lion. Not really, it just fits!!!

Time passed and friendships reinforced. This is a magical place and anyone who hasn’t been to the Pelican must try and make the effort.

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Soon it was time to go and we sadly loaded ourselves back into the boats for the trip back to shore. This time, it was a race, not just against each other, but against time itself. As usual, our return to land was later than planned and the sun was setting. Who wants to be in a wooden canoe, doing 25 knots in the pitch black. Hands up! No-one? Great, gun that engine my man and don’t spare the horses.

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By now, Sweetness was happy wearing the latest fashion item;)

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The race to beat each other.

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The race to beat the sun.

We stopped again on the way home, for spicy shrimps and prawns and a soup that was to die for. Perfect!!!

And really, for us two, that was it. We sang, laughed and chatted our way back to Negril like kids who had just been to see Santa on a school trip. Much more beer was drunk, a few more sandwiches shared and tired heads rested.
Brasi, who was with us every step of the day, finally announced he was feeling much better and was ready to party……….good on you my son, you did more than I could have done that day.

We were dropped at Idle Awhile around 9 and the bus rumbled into the distance.

What to say about the whole thing.
I can’t remember laughing and smiling for so many hours at one go.
It was what a day out with friends should be.
It should be made into a movie.
We’re both so glad we’d been there.