I know the route to Lucea, but......

[Markospoon]

Once upon a time I decided to take a trip from Negril to Montego Bay.
There is a friend of mine that owns a "bed and Breakfast type place
in Mobay.
"Come on down see the sights, you will like it" she said.

So, I talked with a few folks in Negril on how to make it via route mobiles.

"Mon, go to the bus park and catch a Taxi that says Lucea"
It will take you all the way the way to Lucea, then get on a bus to Montego Bay".
When you get to
Lucea Bus/Taxi park, get out.

Ask some one where is the Bus going to Montego Bay.

So armed with this info I proceeded to the Bus Park in Negril.

It was exilerating!
Even the thought of this trip had my spine tingling.
I had about 2 days worth of clothes and a few bucks.
Different sort of people were in the Lucea Taxi then the usual up the beach road folks.

It was not too crowded, none of the "4 in the back"
So, I had room to spare.
Folks had bags and cases of stuff that they were bringing to Lucea.

When we arrived in Lucea that Bus/Taxi park was bustling.
Folks selling all kinds of stuff here and there.

It was like an mini outdoor mall.

"Man, these guys really move fast and talk fast here."

"Um, excuse please, where is the Bus to Montego Bay"
Right over there mon"
That one in front is the next to leave.
I saw through the Bus windows that there were folks sitting on the bus already.

Aw shoot, I thought, "I gotta hurry and catch it"
I walked through the crowd of folks and made it to the door.
One guy, the bus driver said hop in. so I hopped in.
Man, the bus was not even close to being ready to leave.
It seems that they don't move until it is full up.

But, I had a nice window seat, so I stayed right where I was.
Looking out the elevated window afforded me a good view of the surroundings.
Man, I could have got some food over there, a drink over there, etc., etc.

So I do know how to get that far on Mr. Smiths excursion.

I arrive on Saturday.
Smith said Sunday is not a good day to do it,
So
One day during the week, Tuesday or Wednesday will be my tentative travel day.

I'll let you all know how it was.

Later.

[smith744]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
GREAT post der, Mr. 'spoon
:-)
you got me antsy :::: you gonna make me book a ticket and get OUT of here..!!!..

lol
lol
lol

for a quickie

nevertheless,
some ''commentary'' (below) on things you *said*



Different sort of people were in the Lucea Taxi
then the usual up the beach road folks.


actually,
'tis the SAME people,
but with '''different'' missions

f.y.i.... a LOT of folks who work in Negril, LIVE in & around Lucea

in & around Negril it's all about ''''the tourist indu$try'''
in & around Lucea it's normal-life thing-ys

at least, that's the case thus far :::: things are change-ing (slowly), but steady-ly ... in recent years, been seeing more tourist around Lucea town, doing tourists-type-stuff, similar to what goes on in Negril........ ESPECIALLY with that gigantic Grand Paladium Resort :::: tourists staying there are starting to creep over to Lucea-town for a look-see.



It was not too crowded, none of the "4 in the back"


now days, they got some sweeeeet taxis and bus/vans ..... rides much better(??) comfort-wise,,,, at least that's the case on the main-routes .... however, in the more-rural country-side routes, they're still using a lot of smaller, older vehicles,,,,, depending on the time of day, you might encounter the 4, 5, 6 in the back seat.... and 3-4 in the front with the driver.



Folks had bags and cases of stuff that they were bringing to Lucea.


and and and:::>> on the weekends they'll be tote-ing a LOT of stuff FROM-Lucea ..... taxi trunk be stuff-stuff-stuff-ed



When we arrived in Lucea that Bus/Taxi park was bustling.
Folks selling all kinds of stuff here and there.


yep yep .... gotta make that dollar..!!!..




It was like an mini outdoor mall.


yep yep ..... free-lancing to the max

"Man, these guys really move fast and talk fast here."


lol
lol

yep yep .... no time to waste ..... money to be made ..... no lolly-gagging and time-wasted chit-chatting, like they do in Negril.

Man, the bus was not even close to being ready to leave.
It seems that they don't move until it is full up.


yep yep ..... it's ALL about the money, my friend
why pull off with a partial load..?? !!! ???
:-(
Once upon a time, a Chicago-hussler told me::::>>>> '''...if it don't make no cent$, then it don't make no sens$e...'''


travel-ing in-Jamaica via public transportation is a ''''soon-come'' experience.



Man, I could have got some food over there, a drink over there, etc., etc.


NOT a problem..!!!
...NEXT time, get-OFF the bus ... tell 'em to hold your seat and go-buy what you want/need,,, and get back on the bus

OR

open the window and yell-out to the vendor:::>> '''... SELL me a bag juice .... sell me a blah blah blah....'''
vendor WILL come running running running to serve you and take your money.

'tis business ... always business
whatever it take$




One day during the week, Tuesday or Wednesday will be my tentative travel day.


sounds like a good plan
but
keep in mind it might not be that busy ..... at least not during the work-day hours ...... at end of business-day, Lucea-town will perk-up as folks get off from work.

the country-side will be DEAD..!!..
...nobody around --- most at work or children in school

final comment::::>>>Because the tourist industry is doing so well, Lucea town has changed a LOT ..... folks got more money to spend,,, so supply-ers are doing a lot of this & that to meet the demand.

[rjonsun]

The route taxi system is fantastic. You can get anywhere. It took us 6 different taxi's to go from Treasure Beach to our hotel in Negril on a Saturday morning. Great fun.
Regards,

Bob

[smith744]

.....Great fun...

.
.
Yep Yep..!!..

:-)

i've learned sooooooooooooooo much about Jamaica & it's peoples, from the back-seat of a route taxi.
.....better than ANY classroom, book or message board.
............better than being breast-fed by a ''hired'' driver

eye-OPEN-ing
informative
enlighten-ing
fun ~~~~ BIG fun

you just gotta remember to cast-OFF from-foreign tendencies, expectations, judgement, mental-ity, etc etc. ~~~ be receptive to what IS Jamaica.

[Irieonline]

Well said mr smith

[smith744]

.

It was like an mini outdoor mall.

.
.
a ''consequence'' of modernity & progress((???))

increasingly, over the past couple of years,
the Lucea city-fathers & mothers
have charged the police with the task of
curtail-ing some of the street-side vendor-ing

vendor-folks, being creative, have figure-out a few ''work-around$'' to circumvent the law/ordinance

[Markospoon]

I hear ya Smith.
Man, you sure can break it down, better than James Brown!

Hi Rjonsun, what's happening.

[rjonsun]

Markospoon, we are recently back from about 2 weeks in Nicaragua climbing volcanoes. Just the other day the wife asked if we are going to Jamaica this fall. I just started looking at airfare, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm figuring I still have another year of cliff diving left in me!
Regards,
Bob

[Markospoon]

Ok, that must have been far out.
Hope they were extinct/non-active volcanoes.
I know that place has its own beauty.

I am planning another trip to J in September.
Take care.