**on-site Trip Report [[ Thursday afternoon..late ..... 01/09/14 ]]

[smith744]

Hi, you-ALL..!!..

forgive me, please
for not post-ing yesterday

this trip, things are getting *complicated*
for me

it's hard to explain/put-in-words

In brief & in part, as i told boardie-Rob last-Sunday, at the Goya Sunday-webcast::::>> "...I'm getting TIRED of *learning* new-Jamaica-thing-ys

:-(

Whenever i think i can chill, relax, meditate, marinate, what-ever .... then *BOOM* ...!!!... something-something(s) pops-up to divert, take me on a new path, side-track-me, intrigue, fascinate, inform, cause-to-RE-*think*, etc etc.

my poor likkle old & feeble pea-brain is getting a serious work-OUT..!!..

:-(

YET::>> thru it ALL:::>> I love love LOVE this place (and it's people)

* sigh *

so it goes, with the contradictions
the ying & yang of this place is UN-believe-able

oooh KaaaaY

let's start with a likkle video

Location Location Location

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tell me now:::>>>> WHAT kind of *view* do YOU have from your bathing area..??..
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[smith744]

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yesterday, Wednesday, i *had* a plan(?) for the day,
but before i got out of the bed
'twas a knock at the door

:-(

it was a young lady,
who'd come-by the day before
to inquire about renting a spot
on landlord & his mom's property
for a shop ----- her-plan is to build a likkle *sports-bar*, with pool table(s) ..... 'cause she don't want to be depending on her/a man for this & that (i.e., $$$$)

this young-lady was bright, articulate, focused, STRONG, determined, blah blah raaa ----- just-like MANY Jamaican women

landlord gave her a tour of the proposed site.
they chatted about this & that ---- fascinate-ing how negotiations take-place, down-here ---- for me, the back & forth was intrigue-ing, educational, enlighten-ing.

she was to return later in the day,
to meet & chat with the mom
to finalize the deal (if approved)

jumping ahead:::>>> they closed the deal ---- the young-lady will begin construction, etc soon

rent...???... --- Ja $10,000 per year

*usually* the range would/could be about Ja $12,000 per year

my gut tells me she's gonna do quite-well with her new business venture.

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[smith744]

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as i sloow-ly began my day (wednesday)
i was torn ---- what to do what to do

work in trip reports..??..
go visit some folks in Negril..??..
do something(s) else..??..
do nothing..??..

so,
i decided to kinda-sort do nothing.

went to Lucea-town
hopped in a taxi to GreenIsland,
to pop-in on & check-out the famous Mr. Bigga
and his roadside establishment

i was a likkle hungry,
and my body craved fish:::: for some reason, you can get plenty of chicken, some beef, pork occasionally, goat more regularly,,, but fish seems (to me) to be a likkle '..dear..' ---- at least whenever i want fish --- i can't find it, they way i want it, at the PRICE i wanna pay for it.
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following some videos
and
commentary
from my Bigga visit.

[[ excuse the pic quality ---- i *think* i did something something(?) to the camera settings ---- will have fixed for future videos ]]]
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[smith744]

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boardies, forgive me..!!..

i had
or *thought* i had
a pic of the delicious brown-stew fish i ordered

but, i was so hungry,
and the food looked soooooooooo good,
that i made some kinda mistake while photographing the food

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
maybe i should go back, eh
and try again eh

sounds-like a *plan* na tru

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on the board,
there was a recent thread/post about cleaning of jerk-pans

WELL,,,,,, Mr. Bigga said he PERSONALLY cleans his pan EVERY-night [[ period,,, end of discussion ]]

his pots & pans..??... ---- SAME-way...!!..
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[smith744]

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there're at least two ladies who work along with Mr.Bigga.

when i told them,
that my bert-day was Jan 2,
one lady told me HER bert-day was Feb-12th

* sigh *

was that a *hint* for me to come-back and sing happy-birthday or something..??..

mi no know.
:-(
'member me from foreign
am non-Jamaican
some things get lost in translation
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[smith744]

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my *plan* to go visit Mr.Bigga
on my '..Do Nothing..' Day
worked out really nice:::::

good food
good company
nice conversations
nice vibe
good atmosphere
perfect weather
great view
eating Jamaican-food IN-Jamaica

* sigh *

don't get no better, na tru
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NOTE:::>>> did you see the bread-fruit portions, in the plastic baggies...??..
he told me that they were roasted & prepped for frying (if requested)

ADDITIONALLY, and most-importantly::>> he said that frequently, folks will come-by to buy a bag or two, to take-back to-foreign, on their departing flights.

for us USofA folks, this is a pretty good deal ... if you're into bread fruit ........ 'cause USofA Department of Agriculture inspectors WILL confiscate any and all Jamaican breadfruit, IF it's not pre-cooked/roasted.


p.s... he said, some-folks carry-back his cooked fried fish, too
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[smith744]

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WHY called "..Green Island.." ___???___


i said my good-byes to Mr.Bigga
it started to rain/shower

i sheltered under the zinc-overhand at his shop
waiting/looking for a taxi (back to Lucea)

as i stuck my hand in the air
to hail a taxi,
over & over again, Bigga-SAY:::>> "..no mon... NOT that one ... he's going to the high school..."
or
"..NOT that one because blah blah raa raa..."

* sigh *

HOW does he KNOW where EVERY taxi is going (and for what reason, etc etc)
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while standing there,
i looked into the distance
toward the sea & horizon

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm <<<::: mi-SAY

WHAT is THAT...!!! ??? !!!!?? !?!?!?!?!?!? ?! ?!?!?

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OFF in the distance,
in the middle of the sea
was a big big black outline of '..something..'

after ALL these years, i'd NEVER notice that-thing before

was it a cruise ship..??. or something..??..

Bigga-SAY::::>> "...That's Green Island..... the place this place is named after..... it's '.green.' over there..."

mi-SAY ( to self ):::>>> "..Duh.."


Bigga-SAY:::>>> "..you can go there by boat, car or walk over...... IF the tide is right.."

when i asked the obvious questions, he replied:::>>> "...it's BEST to have some(?)-body how KNOWS how/the-area to take you over there.."

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm
i'm *interpretating* THAT to mean:::>>> "... DO NOT go over there idiot-foreigner/tourist on your-own, trying to explore explore explore.."

finally,
a taxi came
i hopped in
for my Ja $160 ride back to Lucea

'twas a GREAT Do-NOTHING Day

:-)

that's all folks, for today
check you Friday

sleep tight
stay warm

[kaycee]

Nice report and vids. I can't get the second and fourth videos to work.

[goldilocks]

most excellent! thank you. all the vids played for me

[VVHT]

Excellent!

More please....