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Thread: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

  1. #1
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    Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    Those that walked it then know this was it and those that came after it kind of know it and the rest just get to dream of it.
    It early evening cold and wet pack the car add an extra 5 gal. of gas in the trunk remember oil embargo yeah. We have 1,200 miles nonstop to Miami to catch our JAL flight to Mobay,
    Tickets round trip about $65.00.
    We get to Miami with out running out of gas and get a room at a motel by the airport.
    All is good then in the mild of the night the motel wall start to shake police are kicking in the doors on both sides of our room drug raid, so much for a good night sleep, we head to airport and get a earlier flight things are looking up again.
    Then it hits you when you step from the cabin to the roll up stairs on the tarmac that first blast of hot hot air and the bright sun, your in paradise.
    We walk to the open air terminal just a long lean-to shed really and are hand a Rumpunch on the way.
    Our friends how had just been here a month back say just rent a car ok, we head for the rental car counter, sorry moan no cars what a airport without car.
    This guy is standing around and said I get you car great, we done know how to get to Negril with out a car our friends said just get a car and turn right out of the airport and keep driving until to come to it.
    So Don stop or chases every car coming back to the airport to get their car after about 5 hour he comes back with yellow English Ford for us, I done remember doing paper work but must have. The car has a long sticker all the way across the dashboard HONK HORN OFTER.

  2. #2
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    Not quite '74, but they were still using the roll-away stairs for deplaning in the early to mid-nineties. I do miss that first blast of warm, humid, sea salt air as you make your way down to the tarmac. Now I have to wait until exiting the arrivals hall for that "you've arrived" feeling. Seven more sleeps until I get to feel it again!
    Johio

  3. #3
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    The adventure is just starting you will be ready for your trip.

  4. #4
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    I go back to Spring Break 1975. 4 of us in a Chevy Vega from Burlington, VT to South of The Border heading to Ft. Lauderdale. Wall to wall people at the beach, at the bar, in restaurants.... Got tiring quickly!! Walked by a travel agency and there she is in a red tee shirt with Jamaica written across her chest. I walk in and hand over $75 for a R/T fare Miami - Mobay. My buddies drive me to the airport and off I go. Air Jamaica fashion show, Rum Bamboozle (several) and we approach JA, green hills to the right outside my window seat looks like jungle as we touch down and taxi to the terminal. A non discript tin roofed building. Cabin door opens and as we deplane the blast furnace to the face, the bright sun and the jet fuel smell mixed in the spiciness that is Jamaica!! down the metal steps and across the tarmac to the terminal, up the steps no air conditioning only overhead fans turning slowly, past the Calypso Band and the table with spicy Rum Punch!! Feeling good in every way!! Fill out forms and tell them where you are staying. Mr. Jackson in Negril, go to baggage carousel and get my orange backpack with tent and sleeping bag strapped on the bottom of the pack and out the door and into the chaos of yelling taxi drivers!! Guy grabs me by the arm and leads me to a white VW bus and says stay here Soon Come!! Several others standing by the van going to Negril..... A few minutes later with the van full off we go past the Texaco Station with guys yelling Ganja Ganja right out of the airport and through downtown Montego Bay. Stopped a few times for beers and pee stops, while joints getting passed around the VW Bus. Finally arrive in Negril, what a ride, beautiful beach and sea wow this is unbelievable!!!

  5. #5
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    Chevy Vega? GM's revenge on the American consumer! LOL
    Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!

  6. #6
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    Ok – Here goes. It was Dec. 1975,and I was heading to Fla. To escape the Cleveland winters that I hated. Had been to Fla. A lot before, as a kid to Hollywood for family vacations, and to Tampa Bay with girl who would call me and say “How soon can yo be packed to go to Fla.”? This time, I ended up getting a ride from a girl I'd just met the week before. I was 23 and she was 34...but that's a different story. Suffice to say after a few weeks in Ft. Meyers, she got mad and left. I had met a couple who had just returned from Jamaica, and they said that since you're so close, you should go to Jamaica. They told me where to go (Negril) and where to stay (Perseverance) and I thought, what the hell. I flew from Ft. Meyers to Miami, and from there to Jamaica, on Air Jamaica. The best flight I'd ever been on. Free rum punches and a fashion show from the stewardess's on the way. I should mention, at the time you bought one of two tickets. One for 6 weeks or less, and one for 6 weeks or more. Of course I got the 6 weeks or less, as I never spent more than that anywhere.

    I'll never forget the feeling going through the door of the plane, to the tarmac. The heat just hit you like a wall. It was great. After a trip of undetermined time on a bus with chickens, goats and people, we arrived at Perseverance. I got a room (shack) with a bed (sort of) a table, and light. What more could you ask for. Oh, and this was at a cost of $2 per day. Plus you got a meal each day. I made my way across the road to the beach, and I was in heaven. As my days turned into weeks I wondered where this place had been all of my life. This was the life I was meant for. Days on the beach, having a grilled cheese sandwich and conch soup for lunch, and nights at the bar that was just up the road a ways. I'll never forget how impressed I was with all of the stars that you could see...as if the moon wasn't out, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

    At this point, it was some 3 months later, and as much as I didn't want to, I had to go, as I was running out of money, and still had to settle up for my accommodations. When back at the airport, I had another surprise waiting for me. The guards (army) at the airport took one look at my ticket and said “You owe us hundred dollars mon”. I told them I didn't have any money left, and they repeated “you owe us hundred dollars mon”. I put down my suitcase and told them “Here is everything I have. You can have whatever you want, but I don't have any more money”. They just looked at each other and then said “ Get on de plane mon”.

    Memories I'll never forget

  7. #7
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    Like they say “when you go you know” right.
    I think everyone went back to the airport broke but happy!

  8. #8
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    Well it is to late for us to head to Negril now with all the drinking and watching Don chasing cars all day.
    He said no problem mon I take to motel. We throw our suff in the trunk and squeeze in the little yellow Ford and turn left out of airport, John driving Don shotgun. We drive out of town and Don said dat it up a steep rock road we go top the top of the hill and a nice small 10 room motel sits.
    We get room and supper cheap, now we need party supplies.
    No problem mo Don replies, like morons we give him the key and down the hill he goes, we are ok with that, he got the car a found the motel what could go wrong right.
    Well time went by like hours and no Don it dark now and around the corner we hear a. big voice you should not let some have you car, we are think the same thing too. Panic is sitting in now we donot even know Don’s last name even if that mattered.
    We are straining to watch the dark road and here it comes the little yellow car up the hill, Don gets out a said NO PROBLEM MO! It was music to our ears ya no problem mo.
    He unfolds a J dollar bil and it has a pile of power in it, we told him we only need a little bit when he let,
    We are thinking is $100 bucks more the we had to spend. How much $10 dollars mo, sold and we got the dollar bill it came in.
    We are really liking place and learning everything is slow and big.
    He just need a ride down the hill to a small store so John and I take down and drop him off, never to see him again, what a great guy.
    I drive back up the hill on the wrong side of the road and nearly run someone over the side dam cars with the steering wheel on the wrong side.
    We make it back up and the big guy takes us up a pathogen the top of the hill and we smoke and smoke until I am seeing things other the the light of Mobay below.
    We will start out for Negril in the morning, no problems now mon.

  9. #9
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    Rob, don,t forget the king of Lemons theCorvair the bomb of them all
    Last edited by lane; 11-30-2022 at 11:37 AM.

  10. #10
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    Re: Go back to 1974 on “memory lane”

    "Unsafe At Any Speed"...
    Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!

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