Sunrise ... Sunset. Is there any place better that I could get? Trip Report

The sun does meet my gaze as I rise through Midwest haze. Wisps of dark flee to the west as radiance greets this dawn. I yawn. I’m gone. Jamaican way, soon come. Be one happy man as cares drop with the weight of gravity. Bounding, leaping onward my silver tube resting on winds of lift, wielded by pilots deft and hopefully not inebriated.

Swift goodbyes to those with still closed eyes, case and hat in hand to flee this urban land. My city dark, the best sleep most enjoy, fled me assiduously as my mind would not let go of anticipation. A quick jog down concourse, a coin gets tossed, irradiate me oh gallant defenders of home or pat, pat, pat me baby. Good! Blue hands lose.

First light cracks through my airship windowpane prancing across my novel page. Sunrise. Ball of fire whence will your daily journey end? I wait your sinking into sea of glass. Will you live up to all those captured shots of west Jamaican splendor? Soon see. Soon come.

A leap from plane to plane, Atlanta overcame, now on again seeking blue. Neck craned to glimpse first gulf then sea. Ah, things most better now that land is cast aside and blue expanse cradles me above and below. A snooze, a nap, oh damn I’ve dropped my hat. Book has also slid from lap.

Descending now, oh joy, Mobay a jewel below me shines. I look and lean to drink it in as best one can. Yes, blue, Caribbean blue is calling, drawing, pulling me down to the gentle breezes and people that await me.

Is there any place better that I could get? I’ll tell you friends after sun has set.

Sounds like you have arrived - enjoy!!

Love it!

Awesome!!!

Sweet~~ enjoy!

Well told...enjoy!

Oh Yeah! Poetry! At least your respiration should be good for the duration, You've created a Booger free zone... :D

Nice!

From one KC guy to another......ENJOY MI FREN!!!!!

That was Beautiful. Wanted to give you one of your many Sunsets. Have a great time.
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Arrived yesterday at around noon, slow trawl to Xtabi via Juta. Dropped some peeps along the way, went to Hi Lo for supplies, beer, beer, beer.

Light rain falling when we walked into the Xtabi lobby to be greeted by the lovely Natasha. So, sweet, that girl.

Got to go from 3 Dives and ate on the room deck. Here is my first sunset.

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It was very cloudy and the sun peeked through twice then was gone. Very nice, very peaceful.

Thanks, Doctoro for the pic. Beautiful.

This trip is a wife kicked me out of the house type of trip. She said, "Hey Mon, respect, you need a break, go get out of here." So I did. A long time friend came along to accompany the body. And we brought a world famous tour guide, RChicken LeBlanck. He has a facebook page named that and has traveled far and wide.

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RC is the only one above the table. First night, first Stripe, first sleep on rock. Coma. Fan kept me cool. Took walk at 2:30 AM as my liver woke me. Love the sound of the water popping in the cliffs and caves. Had the Xtabi achi (sp?) and salt fish breakfast, so good.

Out snorkeling from the beach cave for awhile this morning. Water is so perfect and clear. Wonderful.

Met Omar at the Xtabi bar and George, also Paul. Couldn't find Ringo. More to come as the days pass. Still in the unwind mode. Trying to wash off work and the flight. Head not quite straight yet.

Have a beautiful day all my new Boardie friends.

I am really loving your posts and pictures. It's only been 4 months since I've left but I am soooo missing Negril. Enjoy and keep them coming!!

Conch Burger Baby!! Love Xtabi and Henry's Conch Burgers!

Attachment 15011Jamaica first impressions (this is a bit of a recap and expansion of the above)

My landing and trip through customs was uneventful but took about an hour. I set about to find the restaurant that I saw online, in the Sangster Airport. I had told my friend that I was traveling with, whom found a flight arriving an hour after mine, that I would meet him in the Bobsled restaurant. (Hah, I know some of you are already laughing.) I couldn’t find it. I found the Groovy Grouper by wading through a gauntlet of taxi drivers.

After approaching the bar for my first reach red stripe I was greeted by a driver who not only arranged a table for me, but also joined me and offered his many services. One of these was if I wanted ganja. I’d heard that this was a bad place (the airport) for this, so I politely declined, but also wrote him off as a possible narco-man. He had so thoroughly latched onto me (in his mind) that I was his fare, even though I’d pointed out I had other transport arranged, that I had to wander back into the lobby to lose him.

I was planning to use and had reserved a spot on a Juta bus. I asked the girl at their desk about the Bobsled place and was informed it was down in the middle of Mobay. She directed me to the bus side of the arrival area and I found the mini Jimmy Buffett place. I ordered a rum drink and just took it all in. I loved the view of the hill with all the homes hanging on it across from the airport. I had a hearty laugh as a trio of lovely Midwestern women ordered from the bar and just said to the bartender to “just fix us up with a rum drink” – boyo did they get that and some. Seven different rums, a shot of juice and $18 bucks later walla, welcome to Jamaica!

My friend and I connected after he couldn’t find the Bobsled either. (Imagine that!) He managed to get through customs much quicker. Then out to a van for the ride to Negril. We were teamed up with a couple of other parties and then we rolled.

The drive was so wonderful. So much to see, goats, goats, camels, boats and did I mention goats! We were driving through just after school let out so we saw all the different uniforms of the town schools. It was amazing. All those kids in colorful uniforms just standing by the road with everyone whizzing by inches from them and they are so nonplused about it all.

The views from the hills are amazing. The trip was a visual cornucopia of trees, flowers, bright buildings, rusting shacks, smiling people and friendly honking. The bus driver had different honks for different people on the road. Loved the ride. We dropped peeps at a two RUIs and then rolled on into Negril proper. Had a quick stop for Red Stripe and Dragon Stout at the Hi Lo and then onto Xtabi.

We arrived in light misty rain. It felt refreshing. I met the ever lovely Natasha working at the front desk. She is the one I corresponded with as I set up my trip. Not only was she nice - she is hot!
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Paul at the hotel set us up with a cooler for the beer and some ice. We kicked our feet up for sunset numero uno! The sky was steel gray and yet the sun pierced it for us. So relaxing to know that the next nine wakes would be in this fresh!

The Dragon Stouts were wonderful and the Stripes much fresher than in the states. We wandered over to 3 Dives for jerk chicken. That was some killer food right there. More beer. Yet more beer and then to bed. Those who spoke of the fans in the cliff side rooms at Xtabi were right. B 52 prop wash! No mossies though. Eventually it cooled enough to turn it off and then I could hear the water pounding the rocks and caves of Xtabi’s cliffs. No sleep sweeter. No air better.

The sheer drapes caught the wafts of sea breeze and through the cabin on the cliff it blew. I woke to cool refreshing salt air feeding my need for oxygenation. A couple of sighs, a couple of snores and off to dreams of discovery, dreams of rum to come, dreams of people to engage in word play and laughter. Ah to be in Jamaica is so far a very good thing indeed. Did I mention goats?

Love it!!

This is wonderful!

Great trip report...keep it coming.

I enjoyed meeting you at seastar saturday night. Went to find you during a band break,
and apparently you had already left.

We kicked out a bit early as our friends had a driver waiting and we were tired from walking around all day. More of that coming, but I need to write about Friday, before Saturday!

A deep inhalation of sea air and the light creeping in around the dark wood of my Xtabi home gave my eyelids the kiss of Jamaica and a wake up! A light morning breeze, just a breath really caresses my corpus as I ramble in for an outdoor shower. What a delight sun risen light and warm water splashing me to full conscientiousness and my first full day in Jamaica.

Coffee, ackee, salt fish, callaloo and the best little rolls on the planet give me the morning bump for a day of exploration. Take it slow and easy, mon. No rush. One of my favorite experiences while in Jamaica was having the waiter (in this case Omar) come by and say, “All good, mon?” I reply, “Yah, mon.” Then he would say very slow and with an amazing smile, “All....good....mon!” It was the little stuff that adds up. I felt cared for, pampered just a bit, mon.

At breakfast there were a man and his early-teen daughter jumping off the cliff. They worked up their nerve and then did it!

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As he walked back by us on the way to the room he let us know that the beach entrance from the cave was a great way to go into the cove snorkeling. So, that’s what my friend Ed, and I did. First trip of many down the winding stair to, well nirvana!

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The fish were amazing the coral and fans incredible. I didn’t bring or buy an underwater camera, perhaps on next reach. Lion fish, Needle fish, multicolored you name its in abundance. Two things stick out from the first time in the cove. One little moray eel that would be about sixteen inches long and an inch thick was sticking out of a hole in a rock. Most fish swam away from us, but this little guy did the Jack Nicholson eyes from “The Shining” looked straight at me crazy like, and then showed me his little rows of teeth. I just started laughing in my snorkel he was so cute. I didn’t dive down and challenge that turf he was so fierce about. The other amazing thing was a school of inch and a half long silvery fish that swam along the cliff front rocks. The school had hundreds of these fish and would stretch out many feet. They moved in concert with that amazing synchronicity of a school. I was trying to get into the group. I’d dive down to them, sneak up on them, and try to keep up with them to no avail. But such beauty!

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Every day I spent several trips down into the cove to see what was new.
Since I’m doing this at work, I’ll end here for now. This recapping is fun!

This is so good. I'm really enjoying the read....looking forward to s'more

Fun with Auntie Em, Negril style – A visit to the ATM Machine
Friday afternoon Ed and I set off for the middle of town to visit Auntie Em (ATM). A rather tall Rasta guy was sitting along the road between Xtabi and Samsara. He had no hair on top but a long, long dread-beard he was nice but we didn’t need anything he was selling. We bumped into many a seller of jewelry, dresses, fruit and many other things and people that we really didn’t need at the time. Everyone was nice and full of respect mon.

We stopped for a visit with Bob Marley and after looking at the picture of me, what was I thinking? Not having the wife along to nix the bad was showing that day.

Ed
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Me
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My sixteen year old son is always “chillin’” somewhere when I text him to ask what he’s doing so I took this pic for him. Unfortunately this establishment wasn’t open.

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By the time we got to Canoe we had to rest and have a cold one. Lovely place!

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I loved the position of the American flag in this pic from Canoe of the German Bar. Hah!

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I had read online that walking the “wall” was intimidating; well, it was the first time for me as well. Ed put me in front since I had the flaming orange shirt!

When we got to Scotiabank we found that all the “Aunties” were also on vacation. So we rambled next door to stand in line at the ATM in front of the Coral Seas Plaza. Long line, nice peeps and a sadness. This fellow came along with diabetes so bad that his leg was swelled to the breaking point. I helped him out with the few Jays I had, but since I was in line for Auntie he hung around till I got out. I didn’t really want to give him a thousand so I chose to ramble on. I did notice he didn’t hustle the locals.

Next we walked to the beach and headed up along the shoreline. Not much going on. We saw maybe ten tourists on the beach. Afew were in the bars and restaurants but mostly pretty empty. Grand Pineapple had the most. It may have been that it was dinner time and people were ensconced in the resort eateries.

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Wound up going as far as Whistling Bird. Stopped for a beer were about to order food, but the power went out.

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We opted to head back to Xtabi. Walking out the front of the resort a white plate car pulled over as we came out. It stopped and two women walked over to the little food stand next to the gate. The driver then offered us these girls for our evening. They didn’t look like hookers, they looked like his cousins....anyway a declination followed by ride negotiations. He took us back up to Xtabi for 400 and the girls jumped back in eating their dinner as we drove. No more mentions of solicitations and we were back home.

Timed things right for sunset number two. As it turned out this was the last one for a few days as it was quite overcast the next few evenings, but nice and cool.

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Tired legs dragged us over to Just Natural where Theresa fixed us a wonderful meal of snapper, fruit, calaloo, plantains and the obligatory dirty banana. All in all a wonderful day, ending in a tropical garden filled with little lights and happy chatter from the other guests and our hosts. Does it get any better than this...we’ll see. Until then thanks for the reads and comments from all you vets.

I liked the pics. I am a little disappointed in some of the content hinging on exploitation of the locals that's all.

Really good report. Good details. We love details. Nice ...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rompcherry

I liked the pics. I am a little disappointed in some of the content hinging on exploitation of the locals that's all.

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Rompcherry, my friend and I didn't exploit any locals. We were approached by a local offering to exploit two other locals. We clearly said, "not interested". He then negotiated for taxi service which we accepted. All along our day we were offered a variety of opportunities to purchase many different items for sale. We were offered illegal and exploitive sales opportunities as well, all of which were declined. Hope that brings some clarity.

I apologize for seeming so nasty .. I replied in private to you. I'm just a little overprotective of people in "developing" countries. Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rompcherry

I apologize for seeming so nasty .. I replied in private to you. I'm just a little overprotective of people in "developing" countries. Cheers

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Nope, rompcherry, you're not in the least nasty. I apreciate your perspective and perhaps I'm a bit to capricious. I had such a great time meeting the people. I had lovely conversations at every turn. We tipped well and tried to be as generous as my limited travel budget allowed. All good! Glad your reading my post and helping me post in concert with this lovely community of Negril Delighters. Cheers!

Nice vibe BJ, keep it rolling...

Second Full Day in Negril

This is a day marked by no daylight pictures, no walks, only hanging around Xtabi. Which is what vacations are for, doing little or nothing. I walked Ed from Xtabi to Whistling Bird yesterday and he was breaking in a new pair of crocs, so he had blisters and sore feet accompanied by zero motivation to go anywhere.

Some breakfast, some snorkeling, some napping and just laying on the cliffs was a perfect day.

Saturday night is Seastar night! Took the free shuttle up and got there early. What a blast! The band was great, the singers amazing, the drummers were mind blowing and the dancers livened up the place to say the least.

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We were joined by our now good Xtabi buddies, Jason and Mandy. Mandy was a little unsure of the off the pavement trip up to Seastar, but loved it once she settled into the groove.

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The food was good, and the people from Seastar were so friendly and attentive.

Several of the guests were as excellent of dancers as the group up front. Made it fun to see the boogie down go down.

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I met rustedduck, a boardie, but I didn't get a chance to visit as we decided the four of us were tired enough just to head back. Jason offered a ride with Champion, his driver and we took him up.

The venue up at Seastar is just wonderful. What a beautiful place. We got the grand tour when we arrived and it looks so peaceful. All of your reviews here make it sound wonderful. The bridge over the roof was cool. The bar and pool area is a great setup, and all I could see up at the pool was images forever seared into my brain of some recent belly flop contest! This forum will do that to ya!

So, for anyone reading this that hasn't been up there on a Saturday night, go! You'll love it.

Excellent report .... That is a LONG way from Whistling Bird to Xtabi (heck, for me it's a long walk from 3 Dives to Xtabi), very impressive.

Outside of the fab jerk chicken at 3 Dives, they had cold Spitefire. Went over there everyday for that!

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I was drinking one while taking that picture!

Love Dragon Stout ... that stuff is potent, too.

mmmm...i forgot about that spitfire stout till right now. 10% stouts tend to do that :p

Really enjoying all the beautiful pictures in your trip report and your writing!
Please keep it coming:)

Went to Hi Lo and cleaned them out of Spitfires every couple of days! That is some good stuff!

RC Goes to Jamaica

Out in the world of travelers there is a special nutty 'lil chicken that has caught the travel bug. My post today is to introduce you to R Chicken LeBlanck. RC is a world traveler and professional stow away. Once he heard I was heading to Jamaica, mon, he wanted in, literally in the car, to the airport, mon.

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Just to give you some background, this bird has been to New York, Chicago, Italy, Spain and on it goes.

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Here is Ed, RC and myself at the airport in KC.

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Here is RC at Xtabi. This is how he flys.

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He hung out a the resort and just couldn't bring himself to go to 3 Dives for lunch.

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More RC

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RC liked the Xtabi staff

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And he just chilled

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He wasn't so sure about those caves

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All in all he had a great trip. Now he's off to New Mexico and the back to Spain later this summer. Living la vida pollo!

It's a hard knock life for R Chicken LeBlanck LOLOLOL

Good stuff, thanks again for reporting, great read. :)

surprised when you brought the little chicken to THREE DIVES that no one "jerked" it and put it on the grill .....

He wouldn't go over there, gerry!