A silly money question - US$ to JA$

I saw today that the US dollar is equal to the JA dollar. I also know that some places post their prices in JA$ and a different price in US$. Now that they are pretty much equal will that difference change? Will the signs change? Or will it make that much more sense to exchange US$ for JA$? I had planned to exchange $ when we arrive in a couple weeks but was just looking for others perspective or knowledge on this. I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to the whole money exchange thing - we have just used US$ in the past but the rate was 1 to 83 or 85. Thanks for any insight you have. I know a lot of you on here have been going to JA a lot longer than I have and may have some good info for me. Sorry for the stupid question!!

They are not equal but approx $1 us is equal to $100 JA

I eat and drink at small more local style places so I change my money to JA. Typically it is best to pay with the currency the place has posted on the menu.

I always find it easier when in Jamaica to pay in Jamaican. You will get accustomed to the value quickly and don't have to constantly try to convert if the price is in J and you only have USD. You also get a better rate when you convert at the Cambios/banks...just my opinion.
When in Jamaica do as Jamaicans :)

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Originally Posted by hey_mon

I always find it easier when in Jamaica to pay in Jamaican. You will get accustomed to the value quickly and don't have to constantly try to convert if the price is in J and you only have USD. You also get a better rate when you convert at the Cambios/banks...just my opinion.
When in Jamaica do as Jamaicans :)

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I agree. Negril seems to be becoming more Americanized all the time, particularly when it comes to $. I don't think it's good for their economy.

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Originally Posted by Melody

I agree. Negril seems to be becoming more Americanized all the time, particularly when it comes to $. I don't think it's good for their economy.

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I must agree with you Melody..my first reach was 1983 now....2013 150 trips later i see so much change honestly..call me greedy but I wish I could roll back time to the 80's when Negril was a little kept secret to a lot of people..

It is interesting to see how people tend to romanticize the past. Back in 1985 and subsequent visits I have seen some things change and some that stayed the same. But some things I dont miss from 1985:

Not reliable running water.
No reliable electricity.
No ice if the ice truck didnt come by.
No sewer system.
The cesspool trucks and their wonderful aroma.
Not being able to make a phone call.
The variable length of time to arrive from MoBay to Negril - if your plane arrived late, sometimes it could take two days on the old road along the coast.
No refrigeration.
Not having a clue about Hurricane Gilbert until the morning when it hit Kingston and was on its way to Negril.
Very limited goods in the stores.

No, I dont miss any of those things.

As for the us$ and Americanization, seeing that over 60% of all visitors to Jamaica each year are from the USA, their shear numbers will undoubtedly have some influence, especially on the menus. But this is done simply as a convenience for the largest single group of visitors to the island.

But what I see is Negril becoming more Jamaicanized. Spending a fair amount of time in Kingston, Negril is growing from a small sleepy fishing village and on its way to become an actual town. Although at present, it is still considered a village as the residential population is not large enough to be considered a town yet.

There are still places that have that small sleepy fishing village feel - Little Bay about 20 minutes down the south coast is a perfect example. Fishing boats line the bay, and you can still stay in rustic huts in a family yard. Although you wont have the hassles of no electricity, no phone, no ice, no refrigeration and no running water. That progress here to stay.

An while it was once the busiest port city in the entire North Americas, Port Royal in Kingston is another small sleepy fishing village. But once again you will have electricity, phone, ice, refrigeration and running water. Progress does have its benefits.

Now to the original poster's question, just last night at the Rockhouse concert with Johnny Osbourne, the prices were in both US$ and JA$ - a Red Stripe was ja$350 or us$3.50 - reflecting the 100 to 1 relationship. so I think you will be seeing the menu prices change to reflect the devaluation of the ja$.

And yes, the devaluation of the ja$ is hurting the economy as anything imported costs more in ja$. Gas is imported, and is used to transport all goods to all the stores. That alone will raise the costs of all products that the country needs to survive. We could go into a much more in-depth diatribe about the reasons and causes, but that is beyond the scope of this travel oriented website. But simply put, the devaluation of the ja$ is not helping the Jamaican economy.

currency devaluations are never a good thing.... But the things you enjoy and don't miss, are basically paid for from govt borrowing and when they can't pay their debts,they must devalue (print money) to pay their debts.... A nasty shell game......

As mentioned, we could get into a long (and no doubt pointless since we cant directly change anything anyway) debate as to the reasons and causes of the devaluation, but that is beyond the scope of this travel related website.

Creating more income for the island is why I created Negril.com back in 1995. By letting people know about this beautiful country and the little piece of paradise known as Negril, we are helping to bring much needed income to the island.

From everyone here at Negril.com - we thank you all for being a big part in helping spread the word about Negril and Jamaica - and helping new visitors get "turned on" to Negril!

Thank you!

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Originally Posted by Rob

It is interesting to see how people tend to romanticize the past. Back in 1985 and subsequent visits I have seen some things change and some that stayed the same. But some things I dont miss from 1985:

Not reliable running water.
No reliable electricity.
No ice if the ice truck didnt come by.
No sewer system.
The cesspool trucks and their wonderful aroma.
Not being able to make a phone call.
The variable length of time to arrive from MoBay to Negril - if your plane arrived late, sometimes it could take two days on the old road along the coast.
No refrigeration.
Not having a clue about Hurricane Gilbert until the morning when it hit Kingston and was on its way to Negril.
Very limited goods in the stores.

No, I dont miss any of those things.

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Very true Rob.

I could not be rebuilding in Jamaica without the infrastructure that is now there.

No more carrying water in pails on the donkey. Contact with the US took 15 days if you were lucky. Two pay phones in Negril and one in Little London that only took 10 cent pieces and were overfilled. A kerosene refrigerator with parts that you had to go to Nassau for.

Not having to take a 6 - 8 trip to Town to buy anything that you couldn't get in Sav (which was most things)

I won't even go in to the conditions in the late 70s.

Yes Jamaica has changed but all in all the only thing I can say about that is "be here now"

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Originally Posted by Rob

It is interesting to see how people tend to romanticize the past. Back in 1985 and subsequent visits I have seen some things change and some that stayed the same. But some things I dont miss from 1985:

Not reliable running water.
No reliable electricity.
No ice if the ice truck didnt come by.
No sewer system.
The cesspool trucks and their wonderful aroma.
Not being able to make a phone call.
The variable length of time to arrive from MoBay to Negril - if your plane arrived late, sometimes it could take two days on the old road along the coast.
No refrigeration.
Not having a clue about Hurricane Gilbert until the morning when it hit Kingston and was on its way to Negril.
Very limited goods in the stores.

No, I dont miss any of those things.

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Oh rob, where is you sense of adventure!

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Originally Posted by captaind

Yes Jamaica has changed but all in all the only thing I can say about that is "be here now"

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It is hilarious to me that people think that being in Negril in the 70's, 80's etc. makes being in Negril more special than people who visit now for the first time. It is quite easy to romanticize about "the good old days" but you had to be somewhat of a person with a pioneering spirit to do what we now find so easy to get. Some people (there are a LOT of exceptions so no hate mail) know every bar from one end of town to the other and bars that no longer exist etc. and equate knowing them for a good number of years and trips as a foundation for knowing Jamaica.

You can visit for 150+ times and 30+ years and if you never get a chance to live in the rural areas of Jamaica along side Jamaicans you can hardly appreciate how hard it was in "the good old days" and even harder now to get by.

We take $100 US into Jamaica and get about $10,000 Jamaican Dollars in return. We will spend that in about a day and a hotel worker will work 2-3 weeks for the same money.

As CaptD says "be there now" and start your history of visits from now forward so someday you can reminisce about "the good old days" too.

Peace and Guidance

Thank you everyone for your replies! Rob - thank you for the example of what you saw posted as far as prices go.

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You also get a better rate when you convert at the Cambios/banks...just my opinion.

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actually that is not just opinion - it's a fact. cambios & banks do give the best exchange rate.

and Rob i actually DO miss a lot of those things. Obviously i do not live there, but for a travel destination, i prefer no phones or tv - and rustic, (so-called) "uncivilized" ways, and the old road when you never quite knew when, how, or 'if' you'd even get there on the same day .... the whole reason i loved it is because a trip to Negril was 'adventure travel' - heck just GETTING there was an adventure. You never knew if you'd have water or current or ice, and as such were forced to be creative and make-do, and take all as it comes ... for me personally, that's where ALL "the juice" is about traveling; it's not just a luxury trip, it's a life-lesson - and that's why I travel in the first place. The day Gilbert slammed us was some of the most profound heartical experiences i have ever had, and cemented my love, respect, and appreciation for the Jamaican people and culture.

Before the modcons, yes there was less creature-comfort - but on the other hand, the whole vibe of the place was much more mellow, quiet, and serene. To some travelers, that means more than comfort or luxury. A built-up tourist 'attraction' with 'resorts' and organized tours and pub crawls is boring and generic to me.... once a place gets to that point there's nothing very special about it any more.

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Originally Posted by Rob

It is interesting to see how people tend to romanticize the past. Back in 1985 and subsequent visits I have seen some things change and some that stayed the same. But some things I dont miss from 1985:

Not reliable running water.
No reliable electricity.
No ice if the ice truck didnt come by.
No sewer system.
The cesspool trucks and their wonderful aroma.
Not being able to make a phone call.
The variable length of time to arrive from MoBay to Negril - if your plane arrived late, sometimes it could take two days on the old road along the coast.
No refrigeration.
Not having a clue about Hurricane Gilbert until the morning when it hit Kingston and was on its way to Negril.
Very limited goods in the stores.

No, I dont miss any of those things.

As for the us$ and Americanization, seeing that over 60% of all visitors to Jamaica each year are from the USA, their shear numbers will undoubtedly have some influence, especially on the menus. But this is done simply as a convenience for the largest single group of visitors to the island.

But what I see is Negril becoming more Jamaicanized. Spending a fair amount of time in Kingston, Negril is growing from a small sleepy fishing village and on its way to become an actual town. Although at present, it is still considered a village as the residential population is not large enough to be considered a town yet.

There are still places that have that small sleepy fishing village feel - Little Bay about 20 minutes down the south coast is a perfect example. Fishing boats line the bay, and you can still stay in rustic huts in a family yard. Although you wont have the hassles of no electricity, no phone, no ice, no refrigeration and no running water. That progress here to stay.

An while it was once the busiest port city in the entire North Americas, Port Royal in Kingston is another small sleepy fishing village. But once again you will have electricity, phone, ice, refrigeration and running water. Progress does have its benefits.

Now to the original poster's question, just last night at the Rockhouse concert with Johnny Osbourne, the prices were in both US$ and JA$ - a Red Stripe was ja$350 or us$3.50 - reflecting the 100 to 1 relationship. so I think you will be seeing the menu prices change to reflect the devaluation of the ja$.

And yes, the devaluation of the ja$ is hurting the economy as anything imported costs more in ja$. Gas is imported, and is used to transport all goods to all the stores. That alone will raise the costs of all products that the country needs to survive. We could go into a much more in-depth diatribe about the reasons and causes, but that is beyond the scope of this travel oriented website. But simply put, the devaluation of the ja$ is not helping the Jamaican economy.

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Totally off topic... I was not even out of high school in 1985 ;). Why do we have to have ancient history classes on a travel website?

because many of us were traveling to Negril in the 70's and 80's .... and we loved it deeply...... and the changes that have happened since then are relevant to many people who are on this website.....

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Originally Posted by Hussyband

Totally off topic... I was not even out of high school in 1985 ;). Why do we have to have ancient history classes on a travel website?

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I was born in 1984.

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Originally Posted by Flipadelphia26

I was born in 1984.

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Damn, now I feel old :). I was trying to yank robs chain a bit, and you had to go and do that to me. Not nice, flip, not nice :)

I will be 30 in January! :D

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Originally Posted by MissBlue

actually that is not just opinion - it's a fact. cambios & banks do give the best exchange rate.

and Rob i actually DO miss a lot of those things. Obviously i do not live there, but for a travel destination, i prefer no phones or tv - and rustic, (so-called) "uncivilized" ways, and the old road when you never quite knew when, how, or 'if' you'd even get there on the same day .... the whole reason i loved it is because a trip to Negril was 'adventure travel' - heck just GETTING there was an adventure. You never knew if you'd have water or current or ice, and as such were forced to be creative and make-do, and take all as it comes ... for me personally, that's where ALL "the juice" is about traveling; it's not just a luxury trip, it's a life-lesson - and that's why I travel in the first place. The day Gilbert slammed us was some of the most profound heartical experiences i have ever had, and cemented my love, respect, and appreciation for the Jamaican people and culture.

Before the modcons, yes there was less creature-comfort - but on the other hand, the whole vibe of the place was much more mellow, quiet, and serene. To some travelers, that means more than comfort or luxury. A built-up tourist 'attraction' with 'resorts' and organized tours and pub crawls is boring and generic to me.... once a place gets to that point there's nothing very special about it any more.

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So, if there is nothing special about it anymore, you are not going back?

I've only been going since 98, and we started out in the mega resorts, have since found happiness at a hotel with no phone, TV, or otherwise (tensing pen). I don't really drink, never smoke ganja, but have found the island to be incredibly relaxing, and remains special to me even after only 15 years of travel there...

nope, probably not hussyband. not to negril anyway... other places on the island that are still in a more rugged state, yep!

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Originally Posted by Hussyband

Totally off topic... I was not even out of high school in 1985 ;). Why do we have to have ancient history classes on a travel website?

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So when we get to travel into the past we will have a guide to go by.

So all in all it's best to change your currency to Jamaican dollars.

At 100 to 1 it's easy to know what you paid for stuff.

That was the original question wasn't it?

cap

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Originally Posted by MissBlue

actually that is not just opinion - it's a fact. cambios & banks do give the best exchange rate.

and Rob i actually DO miss a lot of those things. Obviously i do not live there, but for a travel destination, i prefer no phones or tv - and rustic, (so-called) "uncivilized" ways, and the old road when you never quite knew when, how, or 'if' you'd even get there on the same day .... the whole reason i loved it is because a trip to Negril was 'adventure travel' - heck just GETTING there was an adventure. You never knew if you'd have water or current or ice, and as such were forced to be creative and make-do, and take all as it comes ... for me personally, that's where ALL "the juice" is about traveling; it's not just a luxury trip, it's a life-lesson - and that's why I travel in the first place. The day Gilbert slammed us was some of the most profound heartical experiences i have ever had, and cemented my love, respect, and appreciation for the Jamaican people and culture.

Before the modcons, yes there was less creature-comfort - but on the other hand, the whole vibe of the place was much more mellow, quiet, and serene. To some travelers, that means more than comfort or luxury. A built-up tourist 'attraction' with 'resorts' and organized tours and pub crawls is boring and generic to me.... once a place gets to that point there's nothing very special about it any more.

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MissBlue,

Gilbert was a life changing event for me, essentially the sole reason I chose to move here in the first place. That is something I will never forget. But it would have been nice to know about it say a day or two in advance, and I as well as most of the residents of Negril appreciate at least the option of knowing about things like that in the year 2013.

As for the things I mentioned, no one is making you use any of them. An you dont need to venture very far from Negril to find a "more rugged state". You can choose to not use a phone and there are still places in and around Negril that you can rent with no running water or electricity. And you can always choose to take a route taxi through the interior of the island to get to Negril to recapture that "adventure travel" feeling. I assure you that there are still life lessons there for you to learn. Even after 20 years of living here, I am still learning things.

But in all fairness to those of us who do live in Negril, while it may be an "adventure" to have no phone, water or electricity for week or two - spending your life without those things is not all that pleasing.

As for the tourist attractions and pub crawls, once again - no one is making you do those things, they are simply offered for those that want to do those activities.

And in all honesty, you probably would have never heard about Negril when you did without the "tourist attractions" of those early days where Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Paul McCartney hung out including places the Wharf Club, the Negril Yacht Club, the Negril Beach Village and Rick's Cafe. Those places helped put Negril on the map for those early adventurers in the late 60's and 70's.

But to each their own and each of us looks at things different. This history lesson is now finished.... (grin)

How could you not enjoy sitting by the road with the wheel barrow waiting on the ice truck? Negril was great back then and its still pretty good........

As I go through the aging process(not at all like a fine wine) I realize that I am less and less willing to do without my creature comforts. I've camped in jungles before and I won't be doing that again anytime soon! For me, it is important that I am able to stay in contact with my business back in the States and that I can be reached by phone at any time. Does that suck? Possibly. But, it is what it is....for the next twenty years or so...then I can go slightly off the grid. Still have to have ac, though....

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Originally Posted by Rob

And in all honesty, you probably would have never heard about Negril when you did without the "tourist attractions" of those early days where Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Paul McCartney hung out including places the Wharf Club, the Negril Yacht Club, the Negril Beach Village and Rick's Cafe. Those places helped put Negril on the map for those early adventurers in the late 60's and 70's.

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I didn't know McCartney was a Negril guy?

I remember being all excited to get to Negril and from the airport the 1st stop for a beer was at the Lollipop bar on the road. We were on the "compound bus" and jumped off for a Red Stripe as the others would stay on the bus and sneer at us for holding them up in their Rush to get into the compound. No more compounds and no more bus and sadly,no more Lollipop Bar.

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Originally Posted by Flipadelphia26

I didn't know McCartney was a Negril guy?

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Sure was! Someone on the board even has a pic with him on the beach &, I believe, along with his one true love Linda.

That's really cool. I am a big Beatles fan. I had no idea.

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Originally Posted by Fred Stripe

I remember being all excited to get to Negril and from the airport the 1st stop for a beer was at the Lollipop bar on the road. We were on the "compound bus" and jumped off for a Red Stripe as the others would stay on the bus and sneer at us for holding them up in their Rush to get into the compound. No more compounds and no more bus and sadly,no more Lollipop Bar.

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The last few times I stopped at the Lollipop (in Sandy Bay), it was less than a pleasant experience. It seemed that some people realized that "everyone" knew about the place and the prices for beers had gone through the roof. The service was bad and there was incredible pressure to buy all your "supplies" at that moment and not to wait until getting to Negril.

We took that place off our list of places to stop in the mid/late 90's and chose Valerie's stop instead. You can still get a cold beer at a fair price in Sandy Bay at Valerie's.

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Originally Posted by Flipadelphia26

That's really cool. I am a big Beatles fan. I had no idea.

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Nice! I'm a big Beatles fan here, too.

Here is the pic of Macca chilling in Negril:
http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...ll=1#post76897

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Originally Posted by Hussyband

Why do we have to have ancient history classes on a travel website?

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"Don't forget your history;
Know your destiny:
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty."
from Rat Race Bob Marley

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Originally Posted by goldilocks

"Don't forget your history;
Know your destiny:
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty."
from Rat Race Bob Marley

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Sarcasm is such a lost art, I think. The whole point of that post was to poke a bit of fun, calling 1985 ancient, and I was immediately one upped by flip (who got the joke) telling me he was born in 1984.

Sarcasm is not a lost art - it is just hard to pull off with only words on the internet. Without the tone, gestures and inflections of the voice - things can be taken terribly wrong on the internet.

But Flip did zing you good.... (grin)

Lollipop Bar....OMG...a flash from the way back machine! For years, that was always THE stop on the way to Negril. As they say though...nothing as inevitable as change. So happy to have experienced that......but happy to be experiencing the present in Negril too!

Flip won that round, hands down. When next I am in his neck of the woods, I may have to drop off a 6 pack of red stripe on his doorstep.