Wheels up in 31

I have officially started my countdown! Easy enough when you live in the frozen wasteland that is western MN, and you think it's a heatwave when the temperature actually warms up to 0 degrees. Needless to say, I desperately need a Jamaica fix!
I have more questions for everyone, ( stop shaking your heads at me). I said earlier I would ask a lot!!

Since we're coming in on the bus from MoBay, we won't be in PA until 8 or 9. Are there taxis at the bus station, or should I arrange a driver? Vi gave me the names of some trusted drivers (Thanks VI), which we will be using, just not sure if we should just grab a ride so we can get to Tim Bamboo and dump off our luggage.

Where are the places we should make sure to hit for food? Are there any good fruit stands to hit up for my fruit addiction? (Hello, my name is Maralunatic, and I'm addicted to fruit and vegetables)

I have an old phone(think flip phone) that I got years earlier in Jamaica. Do you think I can just buy a new SIM, or should I retire the old girl? Is there a digicel around?

What about exchanging money? I normally use cambios...any ideas where they're located?

Whew...such a lot of questions..Help!:)

Looking forward to this report :)

I will absolutely do a trip report! It won't be as interesting as Vi's, but I will try my best!

Hi Maralunatic! I’m celebrating your count down right along with you.

Yes, there will be drivers waiting at the station when your bus arrives. I’ve done both, pre-arranged a pick up and grab a waiting cab. Since you are so close, I can’t see you having to pay any more than $10 from there to the hotel.

Good choice on the accommodations, btw. As I mentioned before, you can walk to town for shopping or just to grab a route taxi to get to Boston or Long Bay. You’ll only need to charter rides for your excursions. Oh yeah, the bus station is at the marina. Go back there to visit Bikini Beach one day while exploring down town.

The craft markets(inside and outside) are on the same route in town. Town is chaotic, but not aggressive. Just people moving about taking care of business. And very safe as the police station is smack in the middle of it all. I too am a fruity/vegetable junkie. I stroll back into the market and buy from different stalls. Tomatoes here, cucumbers there, onions, papayas, mangos, bananas, grapefruit, limes, callaloo…I get it all back there. I’m not shy about comparing prices either. Bring an oversized shopping bag with you. I picked up this collapsible, “square” shopping bag from Walmart which is roomy and enabled me to carry a lot which feeling the weight.

There’s a guy situated at the entrance of the market and his push cart is always full of fruits and vegetables. Unless he has something you just can’t pass up, I would go inside because he is very expensive.
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Places to eat…

I don’t know a lot of places in town since I stay outside of Boston, but do have your breakfast at the hotel since it’s included and tastes pretty good. Piggies for fantastic jerk chicken. On your way into town, wander into the small, attractive craft market by the sea. There are two restaurants in there. Go to the bigger one that borders the outside of the market. Nice set up and they will give you the wifi log-on if you order from them. Go in the evening to the bar for a drink. Visit my friend, Rock Bottom who has millions of carvings outside and inside his shop. He’s a BIG man with a bigger soul. The Urban Spoon in on the second floor inside the Royal Mall. Good food and you get plenty, but it gets packed at lunch time. The mall is opposite the entrance to the marina. There’s a patty truck at the taxi stand that is ALWAYS packed, but the patties are delicious. Trust me, you will find PLENTY of places to eat right in the vicinity of your hotel.

How long has it been since you used your phone?

The cambios and banks are super easy to find in town. Just look for the sign outside the little stores. There’s one on the corner after passing the police station and a couple across the street.

Maralunatic, hopefully I can start posting something on Monday that will give you visuals to these places…and thank bunches for your kind words. I know your report is going to be golden!!!

Vi,
Those pictures make my mouth water! Can't wait to get the fresh fruit and veggies. Hard to find really fresh at this time of year up in the frozen north!

I haven't used the phone for probably a good 8 years?! I'm thinking I'd be better off just picking up a new one? But that old flip phone is a bona-fide antique.

I'm looking forward to stopping by to see Rock Bottom. His shop looks so interesting, and I love the carvings. Hmmmm...maybe I should pack an extra duffel bag for all the stuff I bring back. My boss would fire me if I didn't bring him some curry seasonings, and I always bring back spices and jerk sauce.

I know I have more questions, but somehow when I start typing all this out they fly out of my head...

I would love to see some visuals on these places!

Port Antonio should employ you as a good will ambassador with all the love and enthusiasm you project on this board and with your trip reports!

Very interested in your trip! We’re only going to Port Antonio for a day so I’m trying to find the best of the best for a day also a fruitie and foodie lol

Wonderful! When are you going to be there?

This will be our first time to PA, so it should be fun. Miss Vi is the one when it comes to information on the area!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maralunatic

Wonderful! When are you going to be there?

This will be our first time to PA, so it should be fun. Miss Vi is the one when it comes to information on the area!!

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We’re going the 20th of February. Staying in Negril the rest of the trip. Ive been dying to go to Port Antonio!

Darn! We won't be there until the 23rd. I will miss Negril, but I can't wait to try something different.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maralunatic

Darn! We won't be there until the 23rd. I will miss Negril, but I can't wait to try something different.

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:( well i will Be super excited to hear back from you since you are staying longer than we

As far as the phone, I would purchase credit and see if the sim card is still activated. If not, then just buy another sim. As long as the phone is still working, a new sim should be all you need. Hopefully you won’t have to replace the phone when you get there. I detest those phone stores because they’re always packed and they NEVER have any under $80 in stock. When mine died, I was able to borrow one. When I got home, I did some research and ordered a small basic unlocked phone for $17 from amazon. Had it shipped in two days. Inserted my sim and it worked perfectly. Think about that option. You can always return it if you find you didn’t need it.

Rock Bottom is a sweetheart and a dedicated carver. I buy turtles and trinket boxes. One of these days, I’ll treat myself wall décor. He has sooooo much that it’s hard to decide which piece to get.

Maralunatic, I do love Portland so when I sing praises about her, it comes from the heart. I have a feeling you will know exactly where I’m coming from once you immersed within her beauty and vibe.

Let me get you those visuals…I’m still uploading them which should be completed this afternoon, but I'm sure I won't start posting until monday. The boss is away attending the superbowl plus a couple of days so having the free time will allow me to get quite a bit up. I know your departure (YAY) is quickly approaching so shoot your questions at any time.

We would love to take a trip down the Rio Grande. Do we just show up, or do you have to make arrangements ahead of time? Or do we just ask our driver? Speaking of driver, what do you usually budget for day trips with a private driver?
17 more days!!:cool-new::cool::cool:

For the rafting, you would pre-arrange the trip with a driver because they drop you off at the “top” or the beginning of the drift down then drive to meet you at the end. The driver will most likely have a raft captain to recommend. If not, one can be assigned at the office. The rating cost is $60 per person. For that particular trip I paid the driver $65 because he had to wait 4 hours. So yes, it was my splurging outing, but soooo worth it. Reach Falls, I paid $40 plus lunch and drinks.

If you want to hire a driver to take you somewhere locally at night, then I wouldn’t pay more than $20 to drop off and pick up. But you won’t have to do that much because you have easy access to route taxis. Let’s say you take a route taxi to Boston, just ask that driver if he could pick you up at a certain time for about $7. I’ve never had a driver refuse to do that especially if you offer to pay in US dollars. The same with Frenchman’s Cove. And since the road to Winnifred Beach has been fixed, you can walk down now from the road and have a driver come pick you for about $10.

Miss Vi
Have you ever been to Moore Town or Nanny Town? I'm a lover of history, and I would love to visit either place. Do they welcome visitors, or is it kind of frowned upon? I don't want to impose or offend anyone, it's the Minnesota Nice in me I suppose!

What can I bring down for gifts? I usually bring some items to give away, but do you have any recommendations?

On a different note, I hope your boss enjoyed being up here in the deep freeze for the Super Bowl. I'm assuming he's an Eagles fan, so he has plenty to celebrate. Me, I'm still a little bit mad that the Vikings took my Saints out! That's right, I'm a Who Dat nation of 1 in my area!

Maralunatic,

Yes, my boss is a true Eagles fan and he’s STILL on cloud nine. He arrives back in Philly today just in time for the parade tomorrow so I’ll have one more day to bang out a nice part of the report. I should be able to start posting today.

Now back to Jamaica…yes I’ve been to Moore Town and it was a wonderful experience. They do welcome visitors particularly those interested in and have some knowledge of Jamaican history. The driver I hired knew the Colonel, however when we get there his daughter informed us he was in Kingston. As we were leaving, we were greeted by another resident who invited us to his home. His wife was in the states visiting family so he welcomed the company. We sat talking with him for about 30 minutes. I really wanted to return, but it hasn’t happened yet. I put this visit, along with many pictures, in one of my reports…I forget which one.

It’s cool you are interested in going there. It’s a beautiful, quiet community. Now you have me wanting to plan a return visit. LOL

As far as gifts, when I stayed there I left a small bag with 10 hershey kisses in it along with a tip for housekeeping every day. I gave hand lotion to the young lady at the front desk. Outside of the hotel, since I know families, I take backpacks every trip to give to the children. But honestly, Maralunatic, other than hotel staff, you really don’t have to bring anything in particular but your Minnesota niceness! I found the Portland people really don’t expect anything. They basically want visitors to enjoy their parish.

Miss Vi
Gosh, I'm really going to have to try and make it to Moore Town, and I'll have to look back through the reports to see your visit. I truly am excited to see this part of Jamaica! Not that I don't enjoy Negril, but sometimes a girl has to shake the sand out of her flip-flops and go exploring!
So many things I want to see and do, I hope 10 days will be enough:)
So far on the list:
Rio Grande rafting
Boston Beach/Long bay area
Winnifred Beach
Frenchman's Cove
Errol Flynn Marina
Moore Town
Whew!! Hope I'm in shape for this since my motto is "If you see me running something is chasing me"

"If you see me running something is chasing me"

HA! mine is close…”If you see me running it’s to get to the last krispy kreme donut!”

Trust me, you will enjoy each of those places. In fact, I have a feeling you’ll be adding to that list once I start posting the report. The entire Portland territory provides opportunity for some exploring which is perfect for you. I’ve added tips to the locations on your wish list…

Rio Grande rafting – other than the occasional ripple of the river as you cross shallow patches, the drift is very quiet. I take music to play softly in the background. The raft captains enjoy the rhythms as well. Bring a little cooler with red stripes or a beverage of your choice. Offer one to the captain. Stop at Belinda’s restaurant for lunch. Her food is delicious and she’s a pleasant hostess. Oh and give your honey a kiss as you cross through the narrow passageway called lovers rock. Don’t be afraid to ask the captain to take two or three pictures of you.

Boston Beach - $2.US entrance fee. this is my go to beach because the location is so convenient. Plus if I feel hungry, I go to the jerk center for roasted breadfruit and a cup of soup from one of the cook shops. If you venture there, don’t just go to the front cookshop, venture back and look them over. Although the front shop is the busiest, I like to try different places. If eating there, do so before 3:00. That’s when the food is moist, tender and freshest.

Long bay area – my absolute favorite area of the parish. Why??? That ocean is mesmerizing. Up until March of last year, I stayed out of the water because I was warned about the strong undercurrent. After seeing so many young, lighter-weight people splashing and diving in it, I decided to brave the waves myself and it was refreshing and fun. Now I go in and love it. If you are a swimmer, you will be fine.

Winnifred Beach - I love this beach for the vibe. There is no charge, buy someone is there to collect donations that go towards maintain the beach. I always sit in front of I-Cliff’s little beverage shop. He’s the only one on the beach who has lounges for rent - $5.US. I don’t do blanket on the sand so I always rent one. He’s not there on Thursdays.

Frenchman's Cove – The $10US entrance fee is worth it. The romantic setting makes this beach a must to visit.

Errol Flynn Marina & Bikini Beach – I call this area the calm within the chaos because it’s steps away from the hectic downtown action. It’s an easy walk for you to get there. So it will be a nice morning stroll before lunch.

Moore Town – Guess what Maralunatic, I found the report. Here is the link that will take you to my visit to Moore Town. https://negril.com/forum/showthread....-Antonio/page9

Not on the list but please try to fit in Reach Falls. $10.US entrance fee, closed on Monday. This is an amazing well preserved eco attraction. Each time I go there I love it more and more. There is always a life guard/guide and security present. The guide will take you on a tour through the falls and caves. Security will answer questions and make sure visitors don’t try to catch the fish. Speaking of fish, take cooked white rice with you if you go. Once you get in the water you won’t see any fish. Toss in that rice and see what happens. I usually take two pounds. Don’t feed them bread because it’s not good for them at all. But the rice is nice!

Geeee…I got carried away with the tips…Please excuse the typos….

I can't believe I forgot to put Reach Falls on the list. (Palm slap to head)
Thank You for all the tips about these places. I'll be reading your trip report to Moore Town on my lunch break.
Can't wait for the next one...hint hint