-
Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Those that walked it then know this was it and those that came after it kind of know it and the rest just get to dream of it.
It early evening cold and wet pack the car add an extra 5 gal. of gas in the trunk remember oil embargo yeah. We have 1,200 miles nonstop to Miami to catch our JAL flight to Mobay,
Tickets round trip about $65.00.
We get to Miami with out running out of gas and get a room at a motel by the airport.
All is good then in the mild of the night the motel wall start to shake police are kicking in the doors on both sides of our room drug raid, so much for a good night sleep, we head to airport and get a earlier flight things are looking up again.
Then it hits you when you step from the cabin to the roll up stairs on the tarmac that first blast of hot hot air and the bright sun, your in paradise.
We walk to the open air terminal just a long lean-to shed really and are hand a Rumpunch on the way.
Our friends how had just been here a month back say just rent a car ok, we head for the rental car counter, sorry moan no cars what a airport without car.
This guy is standing around and said I get you car great, we done know how to get to Negril with out a car our friends said just get a car and turn right out of the airport and keep driving until to come to it.
So Don stop or chases every car coming back to the airport to get their car after about 5 hour he comes back with yellow English Ford for us, I done remember doing paper work but must have. The car has a long sticker all the way across the dashboard HONK HORN OFTER.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Not quite '74, but they were still using the roll-away stairs for deplaning in the early to mid-nineties. I do miss that first blast of warm, humid, sea salt air as you make your way down to the tarmac. Now I have to wait until exiting the arrivals hall for that "you've arrived" feeling. Seven more sleeps until I get to feel it again!
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
The adventure is just starting you will be ready for your trip.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
I go back to Spring Break 1975. 4 of us in a Chevy Vega from Burlington, VT to South of The Border heading to Ft. Lauderdale. Wall to wall people at the beach, at the bar, in restaurants.... Got tiring quickly!! Walked by a travel agency and there she is in a red tee shirt with Jamaica written across her chest. I walk in and hand over $75 for a R/T fare Miami - Mobay. My buddies drive me to the airport and off I go. Air Jamaica fashion show, Rum Bamboozle (several) and we approach JA, green hills to the right outside my window seat looks like jungle as we touch down and taxi to the terminal. A non discript tin roofed building. Cabin door opens and as we deplane the blast furnace to the face, the bright sun and the jet fuel smell mixed in the spiciness that is Jamaica!! down the metal steps and across the tarmac to the terminal, up the steps no air conditioning only overhead fans turning slowly, past the Calypso Band and the table with spicy Rum Punch!! Feeling good in every way!! Fill out forms and tell them where you are staying. Mr. Jackson in Negril, go to baggage carousel and get my orange backpack with tent and sleeping bag strapped on the bottom of the pack and out the door and into the chaos of yelling taxi drivers!! Guy grabs me by the arm and leads me to a white VW bus and says stay here Soon Come!! Several others standing by the van going to Negril..... A few minutes later with the van full off we go past the Texaco Station with guys yelling Ganja Ganja right out of the airport and through downtown Montego Bay. Stopped a few times for beers and pee stops, while joints getting passed around the VW Bus. Finally arrive in Negril, what a ride, beautiful beach and sea wow this is unbelievable!!!
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Chevy Vega? GM's revenge on the American consumer! LOL
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Ok – Here goes. It was Dec. 1975,and I was heading to Fla. To escape the Cleveland winters that I hated. Had been to Fla. A lot before, as a kid to Hollywood for family vacations, and to Tampa Bay with girl who would call me and say “How soon can yo be packed to go to Fla.”? This time, I ended up getting a ride from a girl I'd just met the week before. I was 23 and she was 34...but that's a different story. Suffice to say after a few weeks in Ft. Meyers, she got mad and left. I had met a couple who had just returned from Jamaica, and they said that since you're so close, you should go to Jamaica. They told me where to go (Negril) and where to stay (Perseverance) and I thought, what the hell. I flew from Ft. Meyers to Miami, and from there to Jamaica, on Air Jamaica. The best flight I'd ever been on. Free rum punches and a fashion show from the stewardess's on the way. I should mention, at the time you bought one of two tickets. One for 6 weeks or less, and one for 6 weeks or more. Of course I got the 6 weeks or less, as I never spent more than that anywhere.
I'll never forget the feeling going through the door of the plane, to the tarmac. The heat just hit you like a wall. It was great. After a trip of undetermined time on a bus with chickens, goats and people, we arrived at Perseverance. I got a room (shack) with a bed (sort of) a table, and light. What more could you ask for. Oh, and this was at a cost of $2 per day. Plus you got a meal each day. I made my way across the road to the beach, and I was in heaven. As my days turned into weeks I wondered where this place had been all of my life. This was the life I was meant for. Days on the beach, having a grilled cheese sandwich and conch soup for lunch, and nights at the bar that was just up the road a ways. I'll never forget how impressed I was with all of the stars that you could see...as if the moon wasn't out, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
At this point, it was some 3 months later, and as much as I didn't want to, I had to go, as I was running out of money, and still had to settle up for my accommodations. When back at the airport, I had another surprise waiting for me. The guards (army) at the airport took one look at my ticket and said “You owe us hundred dollars mon”. I told them I didn't have any money left, and they repeated “you owe us hundred dollars mon”. I put down my suitcase and told them “Here is everything I have. You can have whatever you want, but I don't have any more money”. They just looked at each other and then said “ Get on de plane mon”.
Memories I'll never forget
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Like they say “when you go you know” right.
I think everyone went back to the airport broke but happy!
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Well it is to late for us to head to Negril now with all the drinking and watching Don chasing cars all day.
He said no problem mon I take to motel. We throw our suff in the trunk and squeeze in the little yellow Ford and turn left out of airport, John driving Don shotgun. We drive out of town and Don said dat it up a steep rock road we go top the top of the hill and a nice small 10 room motel sits.
We get room and supper cheap, now we need party supplies.
No problem mo Don replies, like morons we give him the key and down the hill he goes, we are ok with that, he got the car a found the motel what could go wrong right.
Well time went by like hours and no Don it dark now and around the corner we hear a. big voice you should not let some have you car, we are think the same thing too. Panic is sitting in now we donot even know Don’s last name even if that mattered.
We are straining to watch the dark road and here it comes the little yellow car up the hill, Don gets out a said NO PROBLEM MO! It was music to our ears ya no problem mo.
He unfolds a J dollar bil and it has a pile of power in it, we told him we only need a little bit when he let,
We are thinking is $100 bucks more the we had to spend. How much $10 dollars mo, sold and we got the dollar bill it came in.
We are really liking place and learning everything is slow and big.
He just need a ride down the hill to a small store so John and I take down and drop him off, never to see him again, what a great guy.
I drive back up the hill on the wrong side of the road and nearly run someone over the side dam cars with the steering wheel on the wrong side.
We make it back up and the big guy takes us up a pathogen the top of the hill and we smoke and smoke until I am seeing things other the the light of Mobay below.
We will start out for Negril in the morning, no problems now mon.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Rob, don,t forget the king of Lemons theCorvair the bomb of them all
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Every one of these shared memories are pure gold. Lightly medicated hanging on every sentence. Didn't start going til 97 but love the stories of the real old days and the Real Negril. Many thanks and more please. Jamb
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Any one who traveled with a sleeping bag in the early day knew they were not in for any rest sleep and most likely so sore backs, but hay the days were fun.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
We are up bright and early and are thinking it will be smooth sail from here on out right.
We think we need to chase so travelers check so the big guy are the motel tells us how to get to the back in Mobay, off we go blowing the horn like everyone else.
We park the car and head down the street to the bank we are pale white and everyone want to meet us help us and oh yell sell us some of every thing, what a nice bunch of kolks here. The bank looks what you see in a old movie, long counter with bars and a few opening to trade money at.
Oh and it as a very safe feel to it, you at the end of the counter leaning against the wall as a old guard in a kaki brown uniform and hat on with large dark swell stains already showing on his shirt it was already hot as sin inside, but no problem mon he was drinking a red strip beer still half hidden in a small brown bag.
We get our cash an are on the way to Negril.
What a road more pot holes and pavement, watch out that car in in our lane and I am in the left side of the road, no problem just blow the horn, I used the horn as much as the breaks.
This following photo are from 1980 but thing had not change much in that 6 years.
This is driving through a town on the way.
https://i.postimg.cc/YC8g5JX5/DC13-E...B-4-5005-c.jpg
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
We have been driving for about 2 to 3 hours and have not seen the first Holiday Inn.
We were told when you get to the long beach you are there , look a small motel on the beach White Sands Motel or it may have been just Sands Motel.
Ho o here is the town maybe a bank an a Esso gas station gas is $3.75 for a liter today back home if you can get it it is still 50 cents a gal.,don't see must else that stands out.
We know we want go up the road to the lighthouse to find a place to stay, that were Frank and Mary went. We see the Negril Yacht Club were Bob and Linda stayed but did not see any boats, must be a different each here in Jamaica.
Up the so called road we go and this is what we find along the way.
https://i.postimg.cc/qRQ5zkGp/BF1-F2...8-4-5005-c.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/g0z5dXvg/6-C138...3-4-5005-c.jpg
This girl is on her way from school and locks stunned to see a yellow car coming that is not blowing it horn.
We keep go going the rainbow just be just ahead.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
See you at Franklin Daisy'!! With Photos
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lane
Rob, don,t forget the king of Lemons theCorvair the bomb of them all
No to stray off the subject.... but add the Pacer and Gremlin to that list. And BTW, my first jalopy was a Vega wagon.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
https://i.postimg.cc/d3d94FkC/49-BA2...2-4-5005-c.jpg
We are still making out way up the road looking for accommodation, we are not looking for the Ritz, but have not seen what we are looking for, oh I see "TENT IN MY YARD" signs but the house we see don't look large enough for 4 more people and they are a bit rustic to in need of some quick repair. We see a couple of proper homes but not for rent.
Then we see it a nice house with a sign in the yard "ROOM FOR LENT", we stop and a lady come around from the side of the house a yells Ya Mon park in yard, so we do.
We get out and she points to a small light yellowish and brown stucco house next door. how much $9 USA aday we take it. This is Dasiy's house.
https://i.postimg.cc/SNjXF4yF/0-EB19...8-4-5005-c.jpg
Daisy tell us it is I think her sister house Gorge and she will clean it every day.
It sit close to the road with a small front porch a room across the from the 2 rooms with 2 small beds with very hard looking vine mattress on them and a window no glass just leverd wood shutters, a small kitchen in the back with a gas 2 burner cooker and a gas refrigerator with Daisy fired up for us, I had never head of one before, but it got the beer cool.
She leave us to pick our rooms and bring our stuff in and she comes back with 4 sheets, and tell us the water is the warmest in the after noon and shows us a show out back.
The water line is running along the ground out to the road and is connected to the main water pipe running from down the road to up the road on the ground.
We ask the were to ge so Ganga and see said no problem mon and head off to return with a tea can full. she tell us not to keep it in the hose but out by the tree in the back yard and don't smoke it walking down the road like the Rasts do, they are crazy and stay away from them.
We settle in and get relaxed and are sitting on the porch when a guy walk up from down the road and we talk and he heads on down the road.
We think he was nice but did not understand all he saying with the speed of his dialect and backward sentences, like "soon come" and "true dat",
but we will see him more later.
It getting dark and Daisy comes with oil lanterns for us, oh there is no electricity no mon and see lite a few mosquito coils, and boy did they do the job,
laying in a hot hot room no air moving on a hard bed sweating up a storm and with what sounded like a squadron of plane flying are a round your face
and landing on you forehead and every where else, sweet dream.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Well add a Pinto to the list and any Ramler.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
lane,
Everything rings true from your trip report. The water was warmer in the afternoon from solar warming of the water pipe running along the ground!! My digs with The Jackson family was up the hill to Red Ground. After the roundabout in Negril heading towards the West End the first road on the left (where the Negril Wharf Club Restaurant was located). Heading up the hill there was a church on the right side of the road. The Jackson family lived directly across from the church. I had a very small but clean room in their house with a bed, a table and chair. Outside across the yard was the outhouse. Virtually nobody had a flush toilet and some still didn't have pipe water. I can't remember but it was a couple USD per night. I spent most of my time on the beach and met a bunch of cool Americans staying at Gloria's Sunset Cottages located about a half mile north of town on the beach. Her spot ran from the sea to the road a narrow piece of land like most properties. Miss Gloria had a thatched roof A-Frame directly on the beach which had front and back rooms. The front had two big beds and a loft with 2 more beds. The back room was small and was situated below the loft. Towards the road was Miss Gloria's personal rooms for her, her boyfriend and grandson Barry. Additional there was another guest building with four separate rooms for rent. Outdoors was a cold water shower enclosed with zinc roof panels and like lane said when taking a shower in the afternoon the solar gain was such that for a few minutes it was a hot shower. Gloria also had a bathroom for guests that had a flush toilet which was a real luxury!! There was a large grassy area between the buildings and the road that was used for tents and usually it was quite full. Right by the road were two additional block buildings where Gloria's daughter Maureen and grandson Carl resided. After my first trip to Negril Gloria's became my go to spot for probably 15 or 20 visits thereafter. It was one of the best spots on the Negril Beach with a wide waterfront and a safe and enjoyable yard!!
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
That has to be Red Ground, Daisy was our protector and told us to stay out of Red Ground, never said why but she was still with the same mindset when I went back in 1980. I think it could have been family feud like Hatfield and Mcords.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Yes Red Ground at the top of the hill from the Wharf Club the road makes a 90 degree left turn. I had a friend Mortimer Johnson (The Bong God) who lived up there. As far as The Hatfields and McCoys go you're probably right although who knows as everybody has their favorite parts of Negril.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Johns, do you remember the name of the small motel right on the beach, I it was White Sands or just Sands Motel, I do not remember anything on the beach besides it?
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lane
Johns, do you remember the name of the small motel right on the beach, I it was White Sands or just Sands Motel, I do not remember anything on the beach besides it?
I do believe that was the Sands Hotel.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Thank Rob the brain is a little foggy.
Everyone is up and I take a little walk up the road and find a small stand selling fresh hand squeezed orange juice by the side of the road, well its not really what you would think of as a road side stand in the state but it was a board across 1 rock and a tree root with a hand paint sign. I did not have to ask the sales pitch for the young girl started before I even saw it behind the bush, I had not been in the sun yet a glowed a bright white. But orange juice was just what I wanted. How much $1 dollar ok, she gets to work on making it twisting and really working the orange over a piece of rock, remember this is 1974 and not need for modern appliances they still are living in the dark with no electricity yet.
she pours the first bit in a rum bottle and then gets another orange and repeats the process over and over until the bottle is full, that is fresh and good.
That little stand ground in to this enterprise by 1980 cases cold beer is not really cold but we won't worry about false advertising.
https://i.postimg.cc/5tkYFpBT/BE71-A...2-4-5005-c.jpg
I walk back down to Georges house our cottage with the juice and we decide its time to head to the beach, we don't have any sun tanning oil.
I see Franklin out in the yard and ask him where we can get some and he howlers some the out and out come Daisy no problem mon, she disappear for a like while and come back with a you guessed it rum bottle full of a goldfish colored liquid in it the bottle still hade the over-proof label on it, she hands it to me and I take the cap off and put my nose to it and it is a smokey sweet coconut smell , how much you know it $1 us dollar, I love this place we will never run out of money.
We jump in the little yellow ford and down the road we go.
This is Franklin doing some yard work.
https://i.postimg.cc/zXsV5VzZ/F9-BB8...8-4-5005-c.jpg
We go around the little roundabout and head out of town for the beach we just pull off the road by where a path has be worn down to the beach and park and start to walk and find our encounter with briers sticking us every where below the knees. but we limp and hope to the sand and pick the stickers out of our feet.
What a beautiful beach and clear blue water, we come form Va Beach and the ocean there is more green gray and not clear at all.
We see a few nuked white people laying out getting taner they have be here for a while from the lot there tans a a few people walking do the beach, mostly lady with load of something on there heads.
Be here is a couple walking together and she is topless and the guy walking toward them has his street shoes and white sock on and black rim glass, he looked like Buddy Holly,
I wish more of him showed ing the picture.
This was Negril back in the day.
The sail boat anchored outside the reef I saw in a earlier post on the old board and with its captain at the wheel sailing it, I think he is or was on the board he was a white guy.
The sail boat was a tan with brown trim.
We fry on the beach for for a while and then head to the store by the round-about on the way back up the hill.
https://i.postimg.cc/XN8D5CG3/80-BFE...B-4-5005-c.jpg
We are good and pink now, it only takes one day.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob
I do believe that was the Sands Hotel.
Rob, are you referring to Silver Sands (at Coco location)? If not, where was Sands Hotel located? ty
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
my first time also 1974. February i believe . also 2 dollar a night in Red Ground at the Mosely family Old Pal
Cottage,. drove from Atlanta to Miami . I'm kinda upset now cause my flight was 99 dollars .
wish i could live this soon to be 50 years of trips again
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
lane,
In your second to last post you refer to " I saw in a earlier post on the old board and with its captain at the wheel sailing it. I think he is or was on the board he was a white guy"
I believe that you are referring to Captain Dave who was a long time and respected poster on this forum. Cap'n D passed away several months ago from cancer. It is my understanding that he had worked in Jamaica back in the 60's and 70's as a boat captain for Wray and Nephew who owned Appleton Estate. Cap'n D also was a fond resident in Negril where he established the one and only small sailboat rental business on Negril Beach ant at one time if I am not mistaken had two spots one up towards Rutland Point and one not far north from the Negril River in town. He also had a son named Linston who is a highly recommended driver for many on this board. Dave also established a home in Jamaica, whose name escapes me, about 30 minutes inland from Negril. Captain Dave was a go to guy for many on this board and his passing was very sad for many of us. Rest in Peace Dave!!!
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Captaind's home here was called Zion Hill. Linston can still be contacted there as he is now running the property.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
John, Yes that was the person I thought it was and I did see a while back that a Capt. had pass but with out his boat was not sure, bless him and let him rest in peace.
I just found the photo a a woman with the basket on her head on the beach, todays visited could not be let how empty and still it was back them.
I guess al it took to change all of that was a few hippies spreading the word about good Ganga, Rum and Food when you could find back then.
But in the right state of mind everything was good and we all had that in common.
https://i.postimg.cc/5tG7g3ZR/AC854-...C-4-5005-c.jpg
Heading back up the road from the round-about here is the from of the "Negril Yacht" with its long blue awning to welcome you but no yachts there I go with being hung up on advertising again.
https://i.postimg.cc/MX2XmhDp/9-B8-A...8-4-5005-c.jpg
But it did a have a large deck on the back that you had alt to your self.
We pull in the yard and park and see a stick with palm leaves tied to it to make a nice broom out against the front wall and Georgie on her hands and knee
with a half of a coconut shell rubbing the tile floor and she made them shine. That was all of the house keeping there was to be done.
She ask if everything was good and I said yes but we could do with less Mosquitos, with a big smile she said "ya Mon'' and that was it.
But that night Daisy did give use two extra coils light in the middle of the night, any thing to make out stay more enjoyable.
We put the hard cracker, caned cheese along with a can of pineapple juice for the bottles of Appletons Rum and Wray and Nephew OverProof on the little counter top with a jar of instant
Blue Mountain coffee. We grab the Red Strip and put a few more in the little gas refg.
Daisy walks over and I ask her if there I could find some ice, I not to the hot rum yet, no problem mon and goes back to get a small chunk of ice raped in a piece of burlap bag and tell me to put it in the refg.
We take cool showers and make drinks and have a smoke out back.
Not feeling the sun burn any more or at least not as much we go sit on the from porch and wait for some thing to go by, unlike now you have to wait to cross the road.
To give some of you an idea of where Georgie place is we are looking right across the road from the large white iron gate with Tensing Pen on it and the stone wall on either side.
It must cost more the $9 USA a night for 4, we will find out later.
Then this big cloud of Ganga smoke comes down the road and in it is the guy for yesterday walk in by. and he said "Hay mon you want a Spleaf" ya so we smoked with him and his name was Gladstone and he lived just up the road we talk a bit or he talked a lot and we listen. and then he walk on down the road.
We decided to walk up the road to see what was up that way and we came to this.
https://i.postimg.cc/QxfpcqKG/1-AC7-...5-4-5005-c.jpg
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
lane,
Great memories you bring to this thread!! Many I had forgotten especially the mosquitoes!! I remember one night at Gloria's Sunset Cottages I had a small room with a girl friend from Vermont and it was a very hot and humid night. The room has slatted windows but no screens on them. We were embraced in a rather romantic vibe and so to try and cool off a bit we opened the slats on the window. Very bad move!! We got eaten alive!! Funny how those memories are so clear!!
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Irie John
Rob, are you referring to Silver Sands (at Coco location)? If not, where was Sands Hotel located? ty
Nope, this was up closer to where Sandals is now. I made a mistake after thinking about it (62 is fun), it was the Sands Club. It was a bar that happened to build some rooms.
I know the owners names, but I probably won't remember them until 3am or some such nonsense.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
sorry to hear of the Captains passing. never met him but he seemed to have lived an adventurous life .
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
It looks like this thread has become a free Dementia test for all you old timers, just remember it the old memories to go last. Sitting in a chair starring out in space and have the picture of the good old in your head.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob
Nope, this was up closer to where Sandals is now. I made a mistake after thinking about it (62 is fun), it was the Sands Club. It was a bar that happened to build some rooms.
I know the owners names, but I probably won't remember them until 3am or some such nonsense.
Eleanor!!!
That was the Sands Club owner's name!
CaptainD put together a great video from 1983 at the Sands Club and thankfully he put Eleanor's name in the post so I was able to find it! Here is the link to his original post:
https://negril.com/forum/showthread....string-of-fish
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
We walk around the lighthouse ground and watch the sun disappear before our eyes, just beautiful.
Going back down the road there is no Rick’s on the righ side of the road but there is something being built not to far off the road and in the bush, it became the Banana Shoutout Nextel to the now Rick’s.
I make another ovenproof and pineapple juice and the last of the ice and sit back and watch the sky it’s stairs and moon are so large and bright with no lights yet you could get lost in it.
I am numb enough lay my sunburn backdown on the hard bed. I wake up with the mosquito attacking and I light the other coil. I have to say It thing the mosquito coils are peddled by snake oil salesmen,
I don’t know but did not dare to go to bed with out on burning, they were like todays Jab.
Up early how could to lay on that bed any longer. Eat some grapefruit from the tree in the yard and enjoy the cool breeze.
We have plans for the day later.
-
Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”
Rob, thanks for that slow and real the Negril way.