Last Minute Trip

[txraider]

Wrap up.. in ATL now waiting for last leg home. Spent last night in MoBay - wanted to check out the hip strip. It did not seem hip. Several folks I talked to at different bars said that Margaritaville was the middle of the strip.. really kind of seemed like the end, I walked past it for 10-15 minutes and the stuff waterside died out quickly.

Here is what I don't get - how can so much of the "hip strip" be feet from the ocean, but not water view? Stayed at Toby's based on many good reviews.. nice pool, but other than that kind of a dive. And a bit of a walk to anything on the strip! course this time of year it is so hot, but still...

Montego Bay did what it was best at - reminding us how great Negril is. Try to think of the worst high season beach day for higglers/scammers - it is like this in Montego Bay all the time. Good reminder of how chill Negril is and how blessed a place it is.

I looked for live music in MoBay.. but could not find any.. granted just one night, and a Monday night, but still. Was looking forward to Blue Beat, but it was DJ only. Did not realize it was actually part of Margaritaville, would not have had my hopes up if that was the case.

Other Negril notes:
-Still wishing Hungry Lion was open in low season
-Condolences to Ahhh Bee on his father - visited with him at De Bar on our last night in Negril. His place will be open again starting this Thursday he said.
-Props to Eddie and Trevor as always.
-We will be staying at Charela again - but may avoid the restaurant after debacles this trip.
-Found the beach jerk pork guy - he does not walk every day in low season, maybe 3 days a week. So good and spicy\tender..
-Also went to Red Dragon to pick up pork one day, guys doing good there
-Good jerk chicken outside of White Sands on the road, small pit with colorful paint on it
-Tried to see fireworks on July 4th at Cayenne beach.. the rain killed the show - rain was over by evening, but seemed to keep everyone away. We did the veteran route of going down and getting a drink next door to scope it first.. hung for a couple hours, could see DJ's playing to zero people inside the plastic, so we went back up to the cliffs. Had a good time chilling with folks on the beach for a few hours, but would have been pissed if we would have payed cover for the show and then no one inside and no fireworks. Card said fireworks at 10:30, but none at midnight when we took off.. maybe they saved them and put them off the next day or something. Later we heard the Caves had some, but did not hear ahead of time.
-For some reason change was REALLY hard to come by this trip. Very first cab ride I took in town involved a detour trying to break a 1000j into 2 fives... 3-4 tries, no one could break it (not even my $, previous rider). ATM's in the past gave out some 500's with the 1000's.. Zero 500's given this trip from any ATM visit. Guy on the beach walked 10 minutes to try and give us $4 change... came back with $2, said that was all he could find - we were cool.. he gave us a spliff for the rest of the change.. that happened several times, I don't remember it in the past
-Stray dogs all looking healthy (minutes some broken bones here and there) this trip. None on the beach or cliffs were skin and bones.
-Saw Starfish and actual fish when we were staying at the beach. Usually the bay is dead, sand water that is it - bunch of starfish in shallow water one day, and walking back to the shore, some decent sized fish (not sure what kind - torpedo shaped, bulbous head, maybe a foot long or so, maybe 2-3 lbs each) were swimming very close to shore.

[Big_frank]

Nice report. Thanks for re-enforcing the reasons we go to Negril and not Montego Bay.
Your writing is making us miss the West End.

[billndonna]

Thanks for the report Txraider,always good to hear fresh news from Negril!

[Packrat]

Thanks Brother, greatly appreciate the trip report, living life through others right now unfortunatly