Sunsets, Rum, Sand and Gizzadas 97 Days in Negril

[Lady Jane]

I took a route bike one time with another local girl. I had my arms wrapped so tight around my driver where as my local friend just held on to the back. I must admit my driver was young and handsome, that may be why I wrapped my body around his. LOL And he gave me his phone number. :-) Must not have minded this old gal clinging to him.

[Kahuna3]

Christmas Eve in Negril. No, it’s not ‘twas the night before Christmas an’ no creature is stirring’ Nuh! EV’RYT’ING IS STIRRIN’!

Yes, very busy all around town. Crazy shopping going on, people buying up fruit cake by the pound and sorrel juice by the gallon. Much, much, much traffic. People in the streets, music coming out from everywhere. Police all over in town, checkin’ t’ings ovah, nah tru.

It started yesterday. In our walk to the gym we passed a gospel group at the traffic circle. 7:30am mi friens! They were lined up on both sides of the road. The ladies were all dressed up, the men in long pants and dress shirts. The preacher calling them from the island in the middle of the circle, the gathered returning in full voice. We heard a few ‘Praise the Lord’s and pleas to ‘Lawd, save de yout from de evils of rap music’. ‘Save our children.’ Not the first concerns I’ve heard voiced in that regard.

Bea made up some sorrel drink from scratch. Put the sorrel and some ginger in water, boil it, set for 24hrs. Drain and strain, add some cane sugar. Chill. Then pour some in a glass and add white rum top taste. There you have a traditional Jamaican Christmas drink. Yah, mon.

Sorrel


Today I am not posting much. We are relaxing, heading down to The German Bar later. Tomorrow it will be Christmas Dinner at Seastar.

Latah . . . .

Christmas Eve 2013, Negril Jamaica


Have yourself a Merry Likkle Christmas

[rennie69]

Merry Christmas to you and Bea as well. Please keep the stories and pictures coming in the new year

[Lady Jane]

Merry Christmas to you and Bea. Look forward to more reports when you can.
PS Pumping weights looks good on you! Look at those guns!!!!

[Jaherring]

Nice photos! Merry Christmas!

[justchuck]

I'm enjoying the pics and reports. Merry Christmas!

[Kahuna3]

Christmas Day. A cold front came through and the weather finally cooled down a little. The air was clear, all the humidity having been swept away by the front. A stiff, blustery wind raised whitecaps on the bay and white water was crashing over the reef. Not a great day for waters sports, but it was refreshingly cool – a Christmas blessing.

I stood atop the broad retaining wall in our yard and looked out over Long Bay to the green hills beyond the Great Morass. The cool breeze washed over me, I relished in the freshness of it. It was glorious.

The view from our yard, Christmas Day.


We decided to go to the gym, since it was our regular day anyhow and we were planning on going to the Seastar buffet in the evening. (See the ying and yang there?) Center town was quiet – eerily so. We walked past the police station. I looked over and saw an unlikely group of young people, mid-twenties, walking slowly in a ragged file departing the building. I wondered; it’s 7:30am, these kids look a bit bedraggled, they’re quiet, not talking to each other at all, and a couple of the girls are dressed in going-out clothes. Hmmmmm? Then it struck hit me; they must have just been released from the drunk tank. The Christmas Eve celebrations around here were numerous and loud and continued way past the time that we had ‘settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.’

On our way to the gym we carried a bag of lollipops with us to hand out to the kids along the way. We passed a little group of eight of them, out playing in their yard. That’s something you see a lot of here – kids out playing in their yards. Laughing, yelling, playing tag, running around after each other – being kids. This little group spanned the ages from about three to pre-teen; all playing together. It was obvious that they were pretty excited about it being Christmas, so we figured; what the hey, let’s get them jacked-up even more on sugar. Actually, we cleared it with their moms, who were out raking in the yard.

One mom waved the kids over and they descended on Bea like a pack of hungry elves. It was funny to see her circled by a boisterous gaggle of eager children, all with their hands outstretched. After the gym, on the way back we passed the group of mothers, which had swelled to five or six in number. One of them asked Bea if she had any more sweets left, so she gave them the rest. They dug in and started to eat the candies themselves.

The banana truck, every Saturday morning.



A well tended red ground yard in Redground.



Inside our supermarket - it's open every day.

[Lady Jane]

WOW, I love that banana truck. Looks like a lovely Christmas day.

[Kahuna3]

Christmas is done and gone. I feel like a new chapter is beginning, I have things to share . . .

This morning we walked back from the gym – the journey of 1,000 beeps. Things are getting back to normal, people out and about, everything is open. Since Christmas, there are noticeably more tourists in town; however, there seem to be fewer goats.

We had the gym to ourselves again so we cranked up the A/C and the music. Some of the lyrics this morning are interesting. Gone are the Christmas carols, we’re back to: ‘Down at the Ho-tel motel, take a dirty picture of me – CLICK!’ and ‘I’m drinking rum and Red Bull . . . blah, blah, blah.’ And it just goes downhill from there. Good beats though.

I wonder, why do people feel compelled to broadcast their tales of debauchery?

Exiting the super, cooled-down gym and walking out onto the hot parking lot it feels like entering a sauna; shocking. So much so that Bea lost her focus momentarily and stepped into a mound of fresh doggie poop. There’s a lot of it here, poop that is. Not just doggy poop, but horse poop and goat poop too. You gotta watch your step. It’s like walking around downtown Paris.

On the way back we checked out the new grocery store on the Sav road, right across from the bus park. It’s called Zhang’s Wang or something like that – brand new, clean organized and A/C’ed. Same items on the shelf as everywhere else, mind you.

Back on the sidewalk outside the store a guy approached me and started to ask all the questions, “Where you from . . . yadda, yadda.” He was looking for an angle that he could work me on. Then he asked, “Where you coming from mi friend?”

I kept walking but answered him, “The gym.”
“OK,” he said, looking back in that direction. “Where you staying?”
“Redground,” I replied.
“Redground?” He was a little taken aback.
I nod.
He considered this for a moment. “OK,” he said, then turned away.
I’ve learned that Redground has a bit of a bad reputation in Negril. Maybe this guy thinks I’m a rude bwoy from Redground.

Our walk back towards home takes us past Hammond’s bakery. I could go in there and buy stuff every day; they have such good pastries and cakes. As we approach the place I can hear the sweet likkle voices of the gizzadas in the display case inside calling out to me. “Kaaahuuuna . . . Kaaahuuna . . . come take us awaaaay!”

The aroma of freshly baked goods wafts tantalizingly from the open door. But, exerting great amounts of self-control, we don’t stop.

Further on in the little market we get bananas– $250J for nine sweet bananas. Then we get a dozen ackee – $150J, which is the going rate. Scallions and thyme are added to our bag. I’ll pick up some saltfish in the Hi Lo later. Ackee, saltfish and callaloo will be on the table tonight – I love it and I could eat it every day.

We stop in at the Burger King for tea and coffee and A/C – it’s getting hot and humid already. We had another torrential downpour last night just after sunset, there are puddles all around and the humidity is way up. We sit in our favorite booth, the one with the view.

This afternoon, we witness a shakedown in the Burger King . . . .
Yah mon, Likkle more . . .

Please, Sir - may I have more? She didn't like that little piece of bammy.


Night Jasmine bush, its flowers are closed now, but at night - the fragrance that comes from this bush is sensual.





The computer store - this store is actually a reclaimed refrigeration unit of an old truck, mounted up on concrete piers.

[ekfa51]

enjoy so much reading your posts!...thank you!