We headed back toward seven-mile beach, stopping at a little shack where a nice lady was selling drinks and fruit. The lady said she had been ordered not to sell Red Stripe but managed to pull one out for 400j for Suzie Q.

It was still early in the afternoon, so we figured why not keep things going. I called my cabbie friend, Chunkey (that's the proper spelling), and we met in front of Legends to be picked up to go to Roaring River. I wanted to see the Blue Hole Gardens and to reunite with Robert, a long-time friend who has hosted me many times at Blue Hole Gardens -- which, if you've never been, is a secluded, spectacular natural spring that's about the size of an Olympic swimming pool and is breathtakingly beautiful.

Chunkey arrived and agreed to take us, rountrip, for 60 dollars -- a good deal because it's a long way including some dicey unpaved roads for the last mile or two.

The drive is stunning. You make a left at the roundabout and head up the hill, through all the little towns just past Sav La Mar. This is real Jamaica. It's bustling, especially at around 3 p.m., as all the kids are just getting out of school. We took a few photos of all the street action, stopping for an ocassional drink.

I thought I had my phone, but suddenly I could not find it. I told Chunkey it might have slid under the seat, and we pulled over on a little street near Sav so i could find it. I got out, opened the door, checked under the seat. Not there. Then I realized -- duh -- it was in the side pocket on the door. Relieved, I said OK let's take off.

As we pulled away, I heard something plop. It was my pouch that I had carelessly left atop the taxi, and as we accelerated it tumbled onto the street behind us. I barely noticed, but Chunkey was all over it. The contents spilled out -- money, wallet, keys, camera, etc. -- and Chunkey skidded to a stop and backed up. Some of the locals came out to their front yard to watch all this with a WTF expression. Embarassed, I gathered my stuff, and off we went again. I am always doing things like this, and folks are always chasing me down to hand me back things I left behind like my keys, my phone (I go through countless pairs of reading glasses, both in Negril and in Los Angeles).

I was relieved I got everything back. I told Chunkey OK we're up to 70 dollars now -- plus tip!

I called Joy, who runs the Blue Hole and operates a little shop just in front of it, and she remembered me cause I go to Blue Hole just about every reach. I had her cook up up two yardie plates with chicken and rice, and she said it would be ready for us when we arrived. The lady is a great cook, so I was really looking forward to this.