A trip reports of sorts

HMM went into to edit my bad grammar--wanting to change heading to A Trip Report (singular) of sorts but can't figure out if there is a way to edit heading--so I believe it will remain A Trip Reports (plural) of sorts.

Well it will be one week tomorrow since I was in Negril and as it rains on cold grey concrete outside, all I can wonder is, "Was I really there?" This past trip was such a push to make happen, and then after the big push I sort of crashed.

I got a really bad flu/cough the third day I was there that stuck with me the whole time with varying intensity. That kept me from roaming too far or doing to much--I mainly stayed around NBCC --drank a lot of ginger and garlic tea, and other potions that rasta friends cooked up. Bush tea that was a really alarming green color, pimento tea made from green pimento leaves and berries--very bitter and hit me hard with a laxative effect and varying concoctions made with limes, garlic overproof--and in all the teas and drinks, plenty of JA honey. I was given the advice to not drink cold water, to not take hot showers, not drink rum, drink rum, don't swim, swim, turn off the AC and on and on.

Finally towards the end I threw my hands in the air and said enough remedies already and just carried on--drank cold water with ice, swam. turned on the AC and quit drinking the bush tea. I did stick with the garlic ginger honey thing though because I grew to love it.

I didn't get many pictures, but I will start at the beginning with arrival in MBJ and ride to Negril. I will post off and on till finished and will offer some observations and anecdotes along the way.

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After dragging my tired ass through immigration, feeling a wine hangover and the late night from the night before. I was met by my ride and proceeded to Megamart to stock up on groceries for the week. I came with this long list in hand based on a million JA recipes I was planning to cook. I walked into Megamart and my headache quadrupled in intensity and I had an immediate need to just be on the beach and swimming already--or at least sipping a cold beer or rum drink to blunt the pain. Instead I navigated the vastness of the store under fluorescent lights--couldn't even find peas--and they had no thyme! After a few minutes of utter turmoil, I abandoned the list and freestyled it. My mission, to escape the massive madness of way too many products under one roof and get to the sea already!Attachment 1885


Alfred drives the groceries though the parking lot to the van. Thanks Alfred--you helped make megamart less intimidating. Plus you helped find the peas!!

oh yeah, I am totally going to go out of order with this report. But upon getting to baggage claim these guys were rocking the reggae tunesAttachment 1886

I am kind of feeling the vibe, maybe I really am in Jamaica now? I have yet to get a smile from an immigration lady--they are so stern, while I am so excited to be there.

gosh so sorry that you had the flu while there...it is no fun to be sick in Jamaica...especially when you have a limited amount of time to be there and feel like crap! I hope you are feeling better now. I to have fallen in love with the ginger or garlic tea with honey and drink it when not sick.

looking forward to more of your trip and of course the pictures.

So after escaping megamart relatively unscathed and with a good part of the groceries needed--we hit the road. i pop open a warm red stripe (no cold ones in megamart) to blunt the pain of full blown headache, and it sort of helps, so I follow that with another cold one purchased at a little store on the road. I ask Alfred if we can stop in Green Island for jerk and soup at Biggas. Ya mon, no problem. Passing through Green Island Alfred turns to me and says Oh mi God, we passed Biggas. Really the stand was right in front of us but I took Alreds joke hook line and sinker and was wondering out loud if we could go back. Meanwhile he was pulling in. OK ya got me good Alfred! Get conch soup (too hot to drink right then) and jerk. Take a seat on the bench that runs along the back of the jerk stand and sit cross legged--gazing towards the road and the sea. Finally starting to settle into island time. Bigga sharing stories--then alfred and the other guys having a sip of soup at the stand start a round of jokes in patois. Turns out they are pum pum eating jokes. Boys will be boys.

BiggaAttachment 1887

Aww sorry to hear you were sick-that sucks...How did you end up liking the non condo side of NBCC?- I was considering booking that special but decided to stick with Coco..

honey, the room was beat up and there were roaches. I know it is the island and all that-and we did spray for the bugs--but it was sort of a blech situation. The kitchen was great--nice new stove/oven, good fridge, coffee maker and toaster, mocrowave and blender--so that set up was good. But the bugs, lack of cleanliness, beat up-ness and lack of security was a turn off. Way different than staying on NBCC side. That said, I got a real deal--but I don't think I would do it again.

three beers later on the last leg of the drive I really had to stop for a restroom break. I asked Alfred if he knew of anywhere and also told him I thought I could make it to Negril if I had to. He sort of scratched his head and mumbled but kept driving. I didn't know if we were going to stop or not and gritted my teeth prepared to hold it. Soon he pulled off the road onto a dirt lane and parked in a secluded parking area and pointed me down a path. The first thing I noticed was the bird life--nature was super present. I ended up at a little tiki hut bar/restaurant and met the lovely owner. I was so thrilled to be at half moon-- I have wanted to visit for years. I had a nice chat, ordered a rum punch and headed for the bathroom. Here is some poetry from the ladies room stall.Attachment 1889

Loving it! I have never stopped at Mega Mart before....wow, that place is huge!! Next trip, think mi gonna check it out.
We stopped at Bigga's also. Such a sweetheart and an awesome cook.

Can't wait to hear more...loving the pictures.

I was ready to ditch my luggage, my driver, the rest of the ride--I so wanted to just stay and swim. Sigh. Instead I snapped one photo of the beach and promised to return during my trip. I headed out with a rum punch--whew I forgot how strong those are. By now all traces of headache gone and a real buzz happening--plus, I am almost to Negril! As we hit the road again, I crane my neck so I can book mark where the road to half moon beach is. I will be back. Attachment 1890

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I think by the time I get to Mariners, Alfred is ready to dump me and my bags of groceries and multiple stops at the place I will call home for the next 8 days. While I am still sorting myself out with the front desk, my stuff is unloaded--Alfred ready to leave. I grab my JA cell phone from him and give him cash for the ride back--plus money for credits to the phone and tip. He leaves and after I get to my room I realize I have no idea of how to use the phone or what my number is! The phone is Claro, not digicel and it turns out that the staff can't help me either. Alfred loads credit for me at Claro--but it turns out the phone is forwarded to some other number and no one can help me figure out how to unforward it so I can't receive calls. I figure out my number by getting on chat with Rob and Lisa at Seastar and calling Rob. Thanks R&L! My next technological breakdown is the realization that I forgot my computer charger and am nearly finished w/battery power. As the mosquitoes launch a full on attack on me in the lobby of Mariners where the wifi is I offer up a desperate plea for help finding a charger for my MacBook. Turns out JA is not a mac-friendly island. I am in trouble. Again Rob comes to the rescue-- he hooked me up with Capt.D for a charge if I can get to Seastar the next morning. I am too tired for webcast or anything. So I eat some left over Bigga jerk chicken and hit the bed.

more report soon come--a work in progress!

great start .....

yetta I m so glad I got to meet you and dragged my sick self to the Luciano concert even though I had to pack and fly out the next morning. It was so worth it!

Finally checked in--I shower and change into a suit so I can do what I am most longing for, go for a long swim in the sea. I walk down to the beach and lay my towel on a chair and sit for a moment, taking it in. Then I walk toward the sea, craving that warm sea salt bath and endless swims and floating that washes away years of stress. I get up and walk towards my taste of heaven--and wouldn't you know it -- a jamaican man in mirror sunglasses walks and stands right between me and the sea. He says, :Hey baby remember me?"

I wrack my mind--no I have never met this guy before. But fresh off the boat, or the plane I should say, I ask, are you a friend of P's ( my ex bf who had a million friends and cousins) he just stands with his mirror glasses between me and the sea, between me and my years-a-waiting swim, and doesn't say anything. I quickly realize he doesn't know me or P and ask him nicely to step aside, I NEED to get in that water. He moves on--I never spoke with him again that trip, but saw him hooking up with another from-foreign lady later in the week at NBCC, so maybe that line worked?

I get in and swim far out past the buoy, there are no ropes marking off the swimming area at NBCC , which I view as a great thing. I swim so far that a fisherman in a boat comes by and asks if I am headed to Cuba. And also gets in a comment on my beautiful sea green eyes--those men-- they are with it on the flirtation--even far out at sea.

Morning came upon my first full day in JA and I showered, dressed in shorts, tshirt and flipflops, and threw my computer bag over my shoulder and start the trek to Seastar with a couple hundred J for cabs in my pocket. i hadn't changed money yet but had some change from purchaces. I walked to Easy Rock Internet Cafe in hopes of finding a charger for a Mac there. Maybe someone left theirs from a trip before? The guy there was sweet and helpful, he was full of postivity about my getting a computer charge there, but turns out what he thought would work did not fit at all! He tried to hook my tired little mac to an LG charger and it just wasn't happening. I headed back out to the road again. As i get further west, less hassle from guys. But near town-- a few lines-- Baby I see you walk, you walk sweet like sugar-- or just the one thing that bugs me more than anything -- a loud "PSSSSTTT" .

I finally realize I gotta hop in the cab, it has taken me an hour to get to Easy Rock and beyond and I need to see the captain before 10am, running out of time. So quick quick I am in a route cab--100 JA out of my sweaty pocket and I am on my way walking down seastar lane. Sweet.

Coffee at Seastar, and meeting Capt D and Ginny(sp?) --priceless! Charging my tired laptop==priceless as well. Thank you captain and your beautiful wife, you made my day.

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As my computer gets charged up I ask the beautiful Francine (not Chris's wife, but the waitress) if it is too early to order a blended rum and fruit drink. Apparently it is not too early! So I ordered the drink plus breakfast of scrambled eggs and that famed JA bacon. i had already had a couple cups of coffee while talking to the captain and his wife, so feeling good!

A couple of hours later, charge not yet 100 percent but it is time to move on. Capt. is downstairs meeting w/a surveyor--I hand back the charger and head out to the road. Hop a route cab to the round about and walk back to Hi Lo to buy a few things (thyme and coffee!) that I had missed in my mega mart shopping blast. I walk back from there to NBCC with only a few hoots and hollers and taxicab toot toots on the way. I also get offers from guys to help carry my bags--no thanks I am good--almost home!

I get back change and swim. I challenge the life guard, Gary, to a swim to the buoy.
We go for it and I kick butt, yet I am impressed that he can swim so far. He insists on a mask, I take fins and end up giving him one fin when he lags far behind. Even with one fin I outswam him. I also tried to teach him to float--he sank like a stone! I tried to do like my mom did and hold my arms under his back while encouraging him to fill his lungs with air and make his body light. He still sunk!

While out there in the sea I could hear the music pulsating from the Sunday night beach party and decided i should check it out. I hooked up with some other guests at NBCC who also had heard the music and were ready to check it out. More on that soon come.

oh as an added FYI, the lifeguard "lifey" didn't swim with me till after his shift was over --around 4:30. So no swimmers in danger were left to their own devices during his shift.

I'm "all in" on your trip report...Nice start :)

a sneak peak of the crew that is to head down to the beach party. It is after dark and some of us girls are in flip flops and the beach is dark--no light at all after Travelers. Bobby (tall rasta looking guy) guides us carefully so no stubbed toes.Attachment 1894

woops Bobby is sideways.

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The above party plus me and one other girl opt for the Sunday night beach party as NBCC is totally dead after the sun goes down. I had showered and grabbed a quick bite to eat before coming back out. I found my earlier friends already hooked up with Bobby and other guy (sorry don't know his name but they knew him) We decided to walk down to beach party together.

ok fellow negril addicts, more photos and trip observations soon come. It is a good thing that i can look back at my travels, even though it was a rough trip, NYC is rougher. And now it is like 60 degrees with rain.

Enjoying your trip.

Had a huge lingering cold sinus stoppage/blockage last winter, was pretty deep in the Afrin world knowing the effects on blood pressure but trading off for relief. Was running sea water through nose very time I swam (the ultimate saline rinse). One day Tony of Tony's Hut fame and I were talking and he said "you brush your teeth before you go to bed, right? now brush your teeth and rinse,,, but then spread some tooth paste on the back of your tongue, it's toothpaste it can't hurt you". The simple things in life do work

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I also tried to teach him to float--he sank like a stone! I tried to do like my mom did and hold my arms under his back while encouraging him to fill his lungs with air and make his body light. He still sunk!

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Funny! Same thing with my guy! Great swimmer but couldn't float! I'm a great floater...so-so swimmer and after 6 trips have gotten him to float a little better.

Loving your trip report! Keep it coming!

So loving your report!! Nice of Captain to help out. He and Miss Jenny are such wonderful people! Can't wait to hear more.

I am so looking forward to our winter trip...so, as usual, this message board helps fill the gaps till next reach. Thanks for helping!

Nice report Ireiworld.

I can swim like a fish and float for hours, but it is hard for me to submerge and stay down.
I guess my body fat wants to stay on top of the water.

Thanks for your trip report Irieworld. Sound like you had a tough go of it with your health, and other challenges, but it sure sounds like you made the best of it.

Negril.... always an adventure :)

chet/colleen, Tony is a great healer! A couple of years ago when I was in Negril I had a really bad fall on wet tiles and was badly bruised and in pain. Tony said to get Tuna water and drink it. I got some with the help of A negril friend who had tuna plants growing at home and drank a pitcher of down two days in a row. The bruises went a away, as did the pain. It a dramatic cure.

yes sprat some trips are easy, some not so. i still love my travels to Negril, whatever they bring--it is integral to my life.

I'm really enjoing this trip report and the pictures!
I'm sorry to hear you were sick though. :(
I'm glad you made the best of it and was able to enjoy some of your time there!
Can't wait to hear more about your trip!
(P.S. I was always popping into Webcasts and asking "Where's IrieWorld.. Is IrieWorld there?? Make IrieWorld wave at the camera" lol - I must have been annoying!)

ha ha Clarity that is too funny. I was definitely a no show at webcasts this past trip. I was flat out coughing with a fever after day three! I wouldn't have made it to any casts if I hadn't stumbled upon Luciano in negril Saturday ight before I was going to start packing for home. I kind of feel like I need to do a do-over! But what i will do is get more of this trip report going soon. There is still some nice enough stuff, even if the trip was kind of doomed.