**On-Site TripReport ~~ Thursday .... 03/24/16

[smith744]

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Yep..!!!..

SOME-thing( ?? ) is getting ready to happen down here..!!!..


it's Easter holiday week-end
...called my Ja-mentor a few minutes ago
to *verify* that business-es are gonna be closed and off-schedule for the next few days until AFTER Easter-Monday

she confirmed what i'd been told.
[[[ this probably won't affect Negril & other tourist places too much ]]]

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
i feel sorry for those Jamaicans
who gotta work in the tourist industry ::::: they can't fully enjoy the holiday

* sigh *
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gonna go over to Negril
for my haircut & beard-trim
....shoot a few videos, as things pop-up
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posting is gonna be tricky for the next couple of days
but i'll try ---- do what i can

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excitement in the air
....it's tangible
........you can *touch* it ---- it's a real thing :::: a Jamaican *thing*

gonna be fun --- guarantee-ed..!!

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more later

too bad you-all AIN'T here .... so sad

[Vince]

Wish we was there smith744! Live it up in Ja.!

[Markospoon]

If you head to the beach in Negril, close to the river on Easter Sunday, you will see hundreds of locals.
Swimming, selling things, cooking food. Just enjoying themselves.
Many of those blow-up swimming floating things being sold.
That is the local spot.
Also, they celebrate Easter Monday too!

[smith744]

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6:00 PM
..just before Ja-sunset
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FOLKs,....JUST like i *figured*
it's HAPPEN-ing...!!!!...

Lucea-town [[ and probably other parts of the island ]]
are officially in Easter-mode
....the place is BLOW-ing UP...!!!..

* whew, wow, & WOW *

you WON'T believe what i'm seeing and feeling
...it's getting like that Christmas Eve post, from a couple years ago.

people.?? --- they EVERY-where..!!.
...joy joy joy and MORE-joy
.....it's one big party RIGHT NOW

not a party-party,,, but a BIG-FAMILY party-type-thing-y
....'tis hard to put in words
........but imagine a 'family' of thousands, ,,, getting together ,,, chatting,,, smiling ,,, greeting,,, showing MUCH love, to each and every person on the street ... NO crazy-ness ....

just ... just ... just:::>> Love

* sigh *

feels sooooooooooo good to be in the midst of all this love ... the kinda love you can FEEL .. hold in your hand .... wet with love... smothered with love .... sticky like molasses love...

and it's ONLY THURSDAY....!!!!..

somebody HELP me..!!!....
...WHAT's gonna happen on Good Friday..??? ----- and the following THREE days.

* sighing & tremble-ing *

i hope i don't die
:-(
not sure from-foreign-me can *manage*

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went to Negril
earlier
for haircut
and a likkle walky-walk
to check things out
and see some folks, 'bout this & that :::::: details in a later post ... stay tuned ...

today,
unlike Lucea-town, Negril is *different* [[ of course ]]
... a 180-degree *difference* :::: details in a later post .. stay tuned

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this new-haircut
caused me some *problems* over in Negril
:-(
i *look* kinda sorta FRESH-off-the-plane-ish
* WHEW *
I once-again,,, feel the *pain* of a Ja-newbie
....dem tourist-industry workers can be brutal
..........but i managed ok .... i just *play-ed* along with their *game*(s)
,,,,,,,,,,,,was a likkle-likkle FUN, messin' with the rookie/intern-type tourist-industry-workers ... dem need some *seasoning*... gotta sharpen their skills, tactics ::::with time they'll get better
......................had to simply WALK-AWAY from some of 'em ... not say a word ... just walk AWAY [[ period ]]

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there were some good-encounters, among the other-kind.... more good ones, than the other :::: details later in another post
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but,
back to this Easter-Explosion,
NOW taking place::::::::::

Negril..??? ---in comparison, it's like a ghost town ... a cemetery ... dead ... no 'love'

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

lemme stop typing
...and go JUMP into the love-fest.

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likkle more
..maybe later tonight/evening...

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too too bad you-all not here
....feeling sorrry for ya'
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oh
oh
ooooooooooooooooh::>>> a couple hours ago
i got this email
from the airport shuttle company
saying
they'll be waiting for my plane to land 'bout 5PM
and they're ready-ready to drive me back to my house in WashingtonDC

* sigh *

i hope they don't wait too long for me to show-up
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[smith744]

.... beach in Negril, close to the river

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yep, yep,,, 'spoon ~~~ i know.... BUT that public beach ain't as nice as it use-to be

passed thru there today, post-hair-cutting
...too much debris
...nobody cleaning & maintaining the grounds & facilities, properly

'tis sad
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{{{ and *they* fenced off the big empty field, with the basketball court, etc. ]]]
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HOWEVER,
there're 2 other public beach places that're MUCH better,
and
the *word* has gotten around among the residents
to GO-THERE rather than that beach by the river..
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1...down by Cosmos

2..and a likkle further down at the next-public-beach, with is GREAT..!!..

[smith744]

...continue-ing...
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after typing (above)
i went outside
to rejoin the celebrations

lots still going on:::::: nuff rum being drunk/drank
shoppers shoppers & more shoppers
...nuff BiG stuff black plastic bags

faces of people i've nEVER seen around town before
...some seemingly from-foriegn returning Jamaicans ... for the holidays(( ?? ))
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China-man stores Jammed-Pack-ed..!!..
...folks buying buying dem EasterBuns .... stacks & stacks of buns on the shelves .... buns like dirt
...loooooong lines for check-out-ing ::::: but, unlike what i gotta deal with in the USofA, the swift cashiers & baggers are keepin' 'em moving moving
...China-man got check-out scanners ... so, cashiers are even FASTER.
....*seems* like it was pay-day for a lot of people ---- nice fat wads of cash in hands, purses, wallets

saw something i've NEVER seen before:::>>> a JA $500 bill

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early-er
got a vegetarian EasterBun
from my vegetarian place ... can't WAIT to taste it.

i didn't place my order for the bun
in advance
:-(
but me lucky..!! --- they had some extras :::: Ja $400 ... small///but good size

scurried
over to the OneWay
to get ANOTHER Easter bun from
a local baker-guy i've known for YEARS..!!!..
..can't wait to taste THAT-one.

[[[ note:: the veggie bun was SiGniFiCAnTly lighter in weight than the *normal* bun ...though same size ]]]

oh oh::>>> got a big hunk of that Ja-cheese @ China-man store
[[[ p.s... ThAT-cheese is scary --- dunno if it's real cheese or not ]]]

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'twas TOO-much excitement & stimulation around town
..so,
got ready to go-back to yard/house

ummmmmmmmmmm
changed my mind:::::>>>> went to church ....

walked in with big black plastic bags, and my *improvised* back-pack

inside,
everybody was in white attire
..felt out of place in my over-casual attire, but felt *welcomed*
so,
went in
and
sat
D
O
W
N

nice program in process
...was on-time for offering, singing & 1/2 of the sermon/message
..........getting late, so had to leave early ::::: missed the foot-washing & communion

caught a taxi quickly back to country

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...to be continued ...later
with some more things from earlier in the day.../
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[Long Bay Randy]

Mr. Smith, thank you so much for your posts and videos. They are great.

[smith744]

... and videos.

They are great.

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beg you a day-pass @ Hedo
so,
i can go take videos there, too
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lol
lol
lol

[Long Bay Randy]

Mr Smith, we have no desire EVERto go to Hedo. WTF

[smith744]

Mr Smith, we have no desire EVERto go to Hedo. WTF

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self-SAY::>> ''...looks like NO day-pass from LongBayRandy eh..''
me-SAY::>> ''..seems so...''
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