Shanty Town

[Mike_D]

Thanks Lisa for separating my post. Didn't mean to Hijack RocknRollFarmer's trip report.

Also, thanks Rob & Lisa for clearing things up. I thought "Shanty Town" might be a new Negril attraction I was missing out on. (Welcome to Shanty Town®! Where you can enjoy a drink with REAL Jamaicans!)

I agree that the TA forums are a mess. I sometimes read it when I get bored, but have to restrain myself from posting and getting caught up in that BS. Don't know why anyone would go there for good Negril information, unless you wanted to know which RIU has a better breakfast buffet.

[Jerms]

Stops like that are the best part of the bus, for me anyway. Getting to see places I probably wouldn't stumble to on my own. The kids are also part of the fun of it as well. We usually bring some soccer balls or other sports stuff to give away and get to play a little impromptu game at a few of the stops. Lucked out this year and found a hell of a deal on soccer balls, so we'll be bringing about a dozen or so. Can't exactly kick around a ball at Xtabi or the like.

[Mike_D]

Stops like that are the best part of the bus, for me anyway. Getting to see places I probably wouldn't stumble to on my own. The kids are also part of the fun of it as well. We usually bring some soccer balls or other sports stuff to give away and get to play a little impromptu game at a few of the stops. Lucked out this year and found a hell of a deal on soccer balls, so we'll be bringing about a dozen or so. Can't exactly kick around a ball at Xtabi or the like.

Right on Jerms! Also, Dr Feelgood (located right across from Negril Escape) runs a soccer (football) league for the area youth. The field is behind his stand and the Central Park area. In this photo, you can see an advertisement for the league painted on the wall behind me. Dr. Feelgood accepts donations of soccer supplies to help run the league. I have also given cash donations in the past.

[Markospoon]

Mi love some Shanty /Ghetto places.

Funny, there is no trouble at all in those places for a visitor.
Also, you can eat like a King once you get to know the Mom's.

[Marko]

some call the Love Lane area the "Village" while others have other names like Lemberts "Shanty Town"...
mi had a board house back in 1997 at the very top of "Village" or "Shanty Town".......
soon after mi started staying at mi board house...they put in the water road that goes from Summerset Lane to Seastar Lane.....
and then this Love Lane all started on captured land by squatters by people putting up board houses......
then came some of the concrete houses that mi wi have now.....but this land is all government land
back around the late 90's there were only about a half dozen houses including mine.......
every year since then.....more and more houses have appeared..and bars etc....considering nobody owns the land
the "Village" and or "Shanty Town" is pretty civil......and very few problems that mi know of
hey the Jamaicans need a place to live in Negril like many areas across Jamaica and this fit the bill for many Jamaicans...

mi don't have the cottage anymore however mi know a lot of the original squatters......

Cool Runnings, Marko

[saeyedoc]

Great idea about them selling something usueful to a bus full of drunk people.

[jojo p]

Quite a pet peeve of mine, to many folks ignorant to the term harm it can cause.
Giiving money or gifts , some that can be resold like pens, perpetuate a cycle of poverty and give children a strong incentive to stay out of school.

'' The imperative to not give money or gifts to child beggars doesn't mean we have to turn our backs on them. Donate to responsible NGO'S ( non governmental orginizations) , and look
for creative new ways to be kind to children that won't disrupt familial dynamics, encourage long term poverty, undercut local businesses, or abet human trafficking. ""

I can understand that many visitors have good friends they might bring gifts to. this is different than just random, money, gift giving.
Also, just a side note, I have noticed the last few years that the young boys on the beach, getting actually angry if you don't buy their bracelets, not good IMO.

[gregandkelly63]

I bought several bracelets from an older gentleman several trips ago. We take them with us when we go to Jamaica. When we start getting ask to buy bracelets we show the potential seller that we already have one. That is usually the end of the sales pitch. Usually.

[Marko]

giving handouts in Negril is self defeating....causes more problems than you can imagine.....
mi live in Negril most of the time and most kids here don't understand why mi not giving out stuff like the foreigners do....
makes it really hard on mi and the other expats that live in and around Negril.......
and what happens to some of these kids that get handouts......they don't want to work as they grow older and rather get handouts....
you are setting up these kids to get into trouble as they become teenagers and become trouble makers and even worse...trust mi
like Bnewb said...give to the NET and the soup kitchen etc or the schools themselves....jah bless

Cool Runnings, Marko

[booger]

giving handouts in Negril is self defeating....causes more problems than you can imagine.....
mi live in Negril most of the time and most kids here don't understand why mi not giving out stuff like the foreigners do....
makes it really hard on mi and the other expats that live in and around Negril.......
and what happens to some of these kids that get handouts......they don't want to work as they grow older and rather get handouts....
you are setting up these kids to get into trouble as they become teenagers and become trouble makers and even worse...trust mi
like Bnewb said...give to the NET and the soup kitchen etc or the schools themselves....jah bless

Cool Runnings, Marko

Please do not give the kids handouts, regardless of how it makes you feel inside. This encourages the begging culture and does not motivate them to succeed. Would you do the same back home?