Really enjoyed your report, looking forward to more
Really enjoyed your report, looking forward to more
November 10th – Trip to Negril for show at 3-Dives
With all the craziness here at our house with touch up rendering, painting and, of course, tending about a 20 acre farm with workers leaves little time for anything else. One date has been circled on my calendar since I arrived in mid-October; November 10th at 3-Dives.
My good friend and across the gully neighbor, Mystic Bowie, was headlining a show with a number of guest artists like Ras Noble, Mark Irie and a few I was not familiar with backed up by the 3-Dives Band. I had never experienced a Mystic Bowie concert but have heard him sing many times on the road in front of our neighborhood store.
Mystic Bowie is a rare individual with loads of talent, humility and a staunch supporter of the youth in our community. He and his foundation have recently completed a brand new library with 14 hi speed broadband computers fully stocked with thousands of books next to the basic school. His goal is to make the children of Accompong Town the best educated children in Jamaica. A lofty goal but if anyone can achieve it, Mystic can.
We wanted to get an early start so Marshall and I had our friend and driver Peckish pick us up at 7:00am as we needed to stop in Belmont and to get more fish from Monday in Sav. Traveling with Peckish and Marshall is a whole experience in itself. Peckish loves the music with plenty of BASS until it sounds like being inside a drum while he and Marshall try to carry on a conversation in rapid-fire patois. My senses are constantly on overload waiting for one of them to say, “ya overstand, Bill?” to which I just nod and say “yah mon” and maybe add something if I really do understand what they are saying.
We were looking for someone in Belmont that Marshall knew from many years ago in Kingston. We had a first name and little else to go on except that he was Peter Tosh’s cousin but then at least 2 out of every 3 people in Belmont claim that relationship. It always amazes me that with so little to go on only a couple of brief shout outs put us right on his yard. Business concluded, we were off to Sav. Monday was at his stall but he only had some larger butterfish which we bought 9 pounds cleaned and cut into 4 pieces each to take to Negril to refrigerate while we were in town.
Negril soon come!
Peace and Guidance
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that road was something else . . . at one point, as we came to pass another car, we had to back up to accommodate the passing car . . . the scenery was stunning though, when i was brave enough to look . . . was feeling pretty anxious and had to get out! . . . it was a blast, the whole trip!!
Jitterbug, Nuff Respect mi fren! I know how you felt. I remember my first trip in 1988. I was terrified but couldn't show it as I was already the object of everyone's attention as it was. Here is a link to a story about my first visit http://www.negril.com/discus/message...tml?1281835874 Perhaps you will give it another try some day. Would love to have you visit here for a few days.Originally Posted by JitterBug
Peace and Guidance
sonja, I turned 68 this past November and I can assure you that just like in life, it is not about the destination it's about the trip to get to the end. I think you will enjoy the experience.
Peace and Guidance
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
We pulled into Negril about 11:00am a little earlier than planned but we knew our friends would be up and ready for a visit. Penny, Scott and Freddie were staying at Y Worry Cottage https://web.facebook.com/Y-Worry-Cot...7077713592311/ just across Breadnut Lane from Primrose Inn were I spent the first week of my stay.
We had not met Scott before but we all knew Penny and Freddie from a few years back. We toured the cottage taking a closer look at the three freshly painted bedrooms, the kitchen, bathroom and large front room. There was a beautiful outdoor shower that Marshall really liked remarking that he could sure use something like this out on the farm. I had to remind him that we didn’t have pipe water so it would be difficult to use a rain catchment in that way. The house and landscaping were immaculate and I made a plan to stay here towards the end of my stay.
Freddie, who is a Rastafarian, had a special treat for us as we don’t eat meat in Accompong Town. He cooked a delectable feast of kingfish steaks, earth vegetables and rice and peas. Afterwards, we spent the rest of the afternoon on the verandah catching up on what had been happening in our lives when a powerful wind and rainstorm blew through cutting the current for much of the afternoon.
Around 6:00pm the current came back so Peckish Marshall and I headed down to 3-Dives to catch Rob and Lisa doing the web cast. Penny, Scott and Freddie had some other plans but would meet us later for the show.
When we got to 3-Dives, Mystic Bowie and the 3-Dives Band were getting set up and doing some sound checking. I looked around for Rob and Lisa but figured the web cast was probably cancelled due to the earlier power outage. I had been so busy working on the house that, although Mystic Bowie had been in Accompong while I was there, this was the first time this visit we talked. Mystic pointed at the stage and said that the drummer said he knew me. When I looked up, I saw a very old and dear friend, Clarkie, whom I knew from the old Yacht Club days. In fact, around 1991 I was in Negril for the final week of a three month stay, when I was almost completely broke. Clarkie and I, along with two Rasta breddren, bought two pounds of rice and fished everyday for our meals. Clarkie had a lady friend who stayed at the Yacht Club who worked at night and she let me sleep in her bed while she worked. Somehow I managed to spend that week on the $75 US dollars I had at the beginning and still had enough to by a pound of Blue Mountain to take home. Clarkie is truly a special friend and I was so happy to reconnect with him again.
There were only a few dozen people there and most were eating so we decided to grab a table closest to the stage and have a cold Red Stripe while we watched people coming in to the show. I particularly love to look at tourists and wonder where they are from and try to determine if they are recent or long time travelers. I even try to see if I know them possibly just through the board and try to guess what their board names might be like if their nose was running maybe they would be a “booger”!
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
Sorry, forgot to add a pic of the library and the new computers.
Peace and Guidance
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
'' It's not the destination but the journey""....Joy is found not in finishing an activity, but in doing it !!! As long as you don't mind me screaming a little...Momthor!!! lol.....
Enjoy, you have the knack for writing. You had my suspense traveling up that mountain road. Don't know that I would make it that high up. Your home is the reward.
Wow, sure glad I popped by today and read this...great storyteller. More please!!.
Always enjoy reading tales of your travels.
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