**On-Site TripReport ~~ Sat-day night ... 03/12/16

[smith744]

hey hey heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey..!!

:-)

""Houston, we back-online ... can you hear me now..'''

today,
finally linked-up with my Ja-mentor, to pick-up my Ja-cell phone
...scurried over to Digicell, to activate a one month internet/hotspot package thing-y
cost..?? --- can't remember... something like Ja$2,300+ ... US $18

got a BUNCH of nice/fun videos, to upload

tons of stuff to share with you-all

stay tuned

as i mentioned
yesterday/last eveing
the first few hours on the island
was chocked FULL of excitement, joy, fun, new-stuff, good-stuff, likkle bad stuff, etc etc
....nuff stuff to last a life-time,,,,, and this trip is JUST getting started.
.......pray for me .... pray that i can manage

ok

the basics

as always, Jamaica NICE ..!!!.

weather.?? -- sweet ::: in the 80's ... cool nights
'tis JUST like it was when I left WashDC,
BUT:::>>> it's VERY humid here :::: but that goes with the territory, na tru .... 'tis the tropics .... Duh..!!

i've been doing my best
to use restraint with the food-eating thing :::: been hard ::: REAL hard, 'cause Jamaican food is sooooooooooooooo good.

A Thought
THE reason folks love Jamaica so much:::>>> ''..it's the people...'''
they are so generous

Yesterday,
when i reached Lucea town
and hopped off the route-taxi/van
with my big-bag in tow,
and another on my back
and another bag, slung over my shoulder with my laptop, and incidentals
over
over
and over again:::>>> i was greeted with big-bright-smiles :::: and was love-ing-ly greeted with ''..hi, Bill..''.... or somebody shouting ''..Bill.'' ..... and there was a LOT of simple nods, or a hand-wave ..... all with a welcoming smile.

first thing
i went to my jelly-coconut man

''... watch my bags for me .... i got someplace to go..''
'''..SURE man..'''

now,
here in the good 'ole USofA
i would NEVER NEVER-ever do this

but in Jamaica,
i KNOW my bags & belongings gonna be just fine

i was gone for 'bout 30-minutes
this place and that

when i returned to my bags & the jellly-coconut man
got me a jellie ..... Ja $150

soooooooooooooooooooooo nice
refreshing [[[[ and GOOD for the body ]]]
i make sure i get at least one jellie EVERY day

...continue-ing ... this thread... in a likkle bit ....
stay tuned

[Dino2guns]

I like your style Bill. Keep it coming.

[smith744]

..continue-ing..

.
A Re-Observation

i QUICKLY re-remembered & re-*learned*::::>>>you don't need no stinkin' list of things to do in-Jamaica :::::: all you got to do, is '''..show up...'' ... or as dem say:::>> '''... book, pack & GO..!!..

plenty to do... more to do than you'll EVER be able to-do.
.
.
DON'T be 'fraid to try *new* Ja-things
today,
for first-time
i saw, purchased AND ate:::>>> '''...stinky toes...'''

dem yummy
video soon come
.
.
.
note:::>>> these first couple days of on-site reports are gonna ramble, and jump around a bit .... it'll get more coherent by Monday/Tuesday-ish ... be patient with me .... gotta find my *rhythm* ..... plus, my equipment/electronics are *try-ing* to acclimate to the Ja-environment as am I & I
.
i'll probably chill-out a likkle
on Monday at the library
to work on my report-ing :::: especially the videos ::: already got some nice ones, and many more to do
.
.
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The *new* bathing area

m landlord done-Good..!!
it's NOT a bathing are :::: it's an almost-*proper* bath room ::: with a working toilet (kinda sorta)

video soon come
.
.
,.
.
as many know,
Jamaica has a ''sound track''
constantly playing/rolling :::: music EVERY-where ... all the time

me was walking 'round Lucea-town today
..shopping, watching, chillin''
and I heard a song playing
from the big big speaker
on one of the mall second-level

i HAD TO find out who/what dat song was

went to the store/shop
...went inside, to check with the manager

entered store

'twas customer-less
except for
what *looked* like a 15-year old girl, and a 5 or 6 year old likkle girl were running the place

the bigger/older girl
was surfing FaceBook on her cell
...the next likkle pickney was attentively looking over her shoulder

off to the side,
was ANOTHER cell phone
that was blue-toothing the music to the hugh-speaker (outside)

i asked:::>> ''..who dat singing (sang) ''..John Doe..''..??''

big-girl, quickly checks the cell play list, 'bout to tell me the tune name & artist, as I started to write in my likkle trip-report note book

she-SAY:::>>> ""..GIVE me the book .... i'll write it down...''

she said it in such a way that it sounded like and ORDER ..... i complied

THEN,
i queried her 'bout the speaker:::>> ''''...WHERE in Lucea can i get that..??"

she paused...pondered
'''..Courts..... you know,,,??? ...... over/next to the JuicyBeef..... the appliance store..''

''..Yeah, i know..''

i leave.

make a bee-line to Courts and the appliance store..''

inside Rasta-manager tells me:::>> ''... $43,000..... you want me to get it for you NOW..??...''

''...no no ... i'm just *checking* ..''

* sigh *

I want ... must have one of those speakers

* sigh *

'cause it was JUST last night,
here in-country
while hangin' out with some of the guys,
sippin' on my cold-heniken, smoking my CravenA,
under a star-FULL sky,
with a nice-nice MotherNature air-conditioner type gentle breeze blown
that i chatted with the DJ-guy, who was playing the music
on some speakers JUST LIKE the other ones mentioned above

DJ-guy explain & instructed me on the speakers, and ALL it's many functions & features

i went crossed the road,
got one of my flash drives, with music,
and jacked it into the speaker :::::::::::::::::::::: my music AIN'T never sounded that good before...!!!

GOT TO get some of those speakers ... GOT too..

.
opps..!!..

sorry i rambled so

oh
oh
oh:::>>>> did i mention:::> when i got to Lucea country and tried to unpack, even though i was super-duper-tired..... hunger pains hit me HARD...!!..

i didn't panic:::::::: 'cause it was Friday and I KNEW some-somebody in the neighborhood, along the road, WOULD be selling something.

.
.
went down the road
'bout 1/8 mile::::>> lady der :::: Ja$250 ... fried chicken dinner
...bully got FULL..!!!... body screamed::::>>>> ''...Holla-Lou-Yah..''' ( sp?)
.
.
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Taxi ride from airport to MoBay Bus Park Experience


after my delicious lunch with the airport staff
in the airport parking lot
under a nice cooling almond(?) tree
......i walked out the lot, ,,,, to the street in front of the 'departure' entrance.

didn't have to wait long
...taxi came right-away ... I and two other young guys hopped in:::: they too, had just arrived from-foreign.

we sit,,,,ride,,, after putting luggage in trunk

nice ride::::::: THEN me *noticed* something *funny*:::::: we going *different* way to bus-park
:-(
ummmmmmmmmmmmm

driver looks back pon me

says::>> '''.. gotta go take drop these 2 off blah blah blah...''

we pull into the Knuts____???___ something big-bus place that carry folks to Kingston

2-guys hop out.... .... i watch & listen to see how much they pay for fare ...... Ja $500 total

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

we leave to continue on to bus-park
MY-fare:::>> Ja$100

:-)

...more later..

[smith744]

...continue ing....

.
.
over the years,
i chuckle to myself
when i see a post, where folks always wanna hurry hurry rush rush to Negril, after arrival
.
.
for me,
there's NO rush..!!..

after-all,
I'm NOT in-foreign....
..the plane has landed
.....i've cleared customs & immigration
..........I'm IN Jamaica [[[ period..END of story }}

for me::>> Being IN Jamaica is all that matters ::: once in-there, NO rush-ing 'bout 'nutin

so,
i reach the Mobay bus-park
...get my stuff out the taxi trunk
......and sit
d
o
w
n on a gigantic wire spool-like thing-y and CHiLL ......................... taking in the sights .... .the sounds .... the smells ..... letting the hot-hot Jamaica air loving-ly hug-me-up

aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh .............. n-i-c-e

i sat there 'bout 15-20 minutes ............ smoke 'bout 2-3 craven A's........ felt sad for a moment, as i realized that at some point in time, down the road, i'm gonna have to go back to good 'ole USofA and it's first-world foolishness

* sigh *

but i regrouped :::: snatched my bags.... and moozy-ed into the bus/park

''..Lucea..???..."" <<::: he-ASkED

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm

HOW he know i was going to Lucea..??

ummmmmmmmmmmmm

''..Yeah..... Lucea..''

''..over there..''

'''..thanks...''

i go to bus.

driver looks pon my big bags & stuff...

''''.... sit in the back .... extra fare for two seats...''''

i struggle with my bags, to board

he snatches (gently) the biggest one, and takes it to back of bus...to my seat.

.
i follow ..... sit down ....... ummmmmmmmmmmmm.... nice nice:::::air conditioning running full force

:-)

me & one-more guy, and two school pickney
wait for bus to fill-up.
.
.
...to be continue-ed..

p.s...there're videos for some of this stuff
will post 'em later ... maybe next week

[smith744]

oh
oh
oooooooooooh:::::>>>>>> hERE the tune that got my attention::::>>> as they use-to say on DickClark show:::>>> nice tune...good to dance to:::>>>
.
.
sorry not ''..Stir it up..''
but reggae AIN'T the ONLY thing that get's played down yonder here in Jamaica.
.
.
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more soon come

[smith744]

...continue-ing...
.
.
Change-ing Subject

.
1...Bug Spray ---- my friends, nobles & countrymen .... lend me your ear(s)::::>>>> that Sawyer bug spray I/we been chattin' 'bout:::: it WORKS...!!!..

works Gooooooooooooood.

been testing it .... you MUST get & use it
...me having NO problems *yet*

this morning my landlord
gave me 4 of those SWEET Ja-bananas.
...i sat 'em on top of the fridge

in quick fashion,
fruit flies AnD likkle ants showed-up
:-(

i put the 'nanas in the fridge
...and sprayed were the critters had gather-ed

critters dead..!!..
:-)
.
.
.
got nibbled a likkle,
last night

sprayed ::::: no more nibbles
.
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sprayed bed linen,TOO ..... slept like a baby
.
.
.
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2...Clothing for Jamaica :::: Duluth Trading Company brand

THIS stuff is ''...the answer...''

this year,
in foreign
for my yard-work thing-y
i've been using a LOT of DuluthTrading's clothing
.....their '..buck naked..'' stuff is GREAT..!!

for this trip,
i've got bloomers, tee shirts, under shirts (sleeved & sleeve-less), long pants

i HAVE NOT been more comfortable AnD COOL

so,
buy, pack, and wear Duluth stuff.... trus me

a bonus nice-ness 'bout this stuff::::>> light weight....fast dry ....no worry 'bout wrinkles ....AND dem *seem* to have some kinda ''..stink..'' retardant

.
.
...continue-ing later..

[smith744]

,,,continue-ing..
.
.
while sitting on the Mobay bus
i look out window
and saw a jerk chicken man

ummmmmmmmmmmm
jerk chicken man don't *usually* be around in daytime at 2-3 pm
ummmmmmmmmm

interestingly,
this jerk man was selling:::>> jerk chicken neck ,,,, he had a Ja$100 portion.

several fellow passengers liked and purchased some chicken necks.

chicken necks are good ... ... taste like chicken

[smith744]

'member me said
and
it's on my list:::::>>>> ''..this trip:::::NO wakes, etc etc...

well,
Wednesday
i GOT TO go to a grave digging

:-(

don't wanna
but
i must

my shop-keeper buddy's uncle died last month
and the funeral is this week

must go ... show respect
.
.
ummmmmmmmmmmmm
i been wanting to get some nice grave-diggin' videos from long time
ummmmmmmmmmmm

AnD
might go to the 'wake' too
ummmmmmmmmmmmm
hopefully, they'll do that African-like thing-y, where they be singin' and chanting and dance-ing in a circle
ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

yeah.......me gonna go

[smith744]

...continue-ig..
.
.
fingers tired...

.
should go to bed
...to be rested
for my Sunday
trip
to Negril
for the Church harvest thing-y

.
.
lemme up-load a couple videos
...let's pray that YouTube and my software cooperate

likkle more

hope you-all sleep well
..i KNOW i will .... nice cool Ja-breeze blow-ing here

wish your were here
lol
lol
lol
lol

lata

[Big_frank]

Thanks for posting. You are so right. Once you land, there's no need to rush-rush. The ride to Negril is a wonderful sight-seeing tour on it's own, that ends all too fast. No need to plan too much. Very seldom works out. I think in January we made it to 3 out of 9 must-try restaurants we wrote down. Too much better, nicer things to distract.