Continued from previous page..
I let the boys have their “guy time” and I retired to bed for a nap.
It was nice having some alone time to kind of decompress.
Stepping out of the Jamaican heat into a cool room is the best feeling. I took a calming shower and slipped into the king size bed. The bed was huge and incredibly comfortable. I just stretched out in the soft sheets and pushed all the plush pillows under my head.
The view from the bedroom window was utterly relaxing. The Hammock and the lush tropical trees. In the distance I could hear Stephen West's band tuning their instruments for the show and the distant sound of a drum beat.
I really liked the laid back and comfortable vibe of the Seastar Inn. It doesn't feel like a hotel, but more like a little studio apartment.. with the kitchenette area and the table, and the warddrobe. I could see this becoming kind of like a “second home”. All my worries about moving over to the cliffs were unnecessary. I was already enjoying it here.
The gentle hum of the air conditioner lulled me to sleep...I closed my eyes and drifted off....
****
When I woke up, it was completely dark in the room.. I could hear the concert in full force in the distance. Markus was sleeping beside me, snoring with his arm draped over my shoulder.
I sat up with a start. “Honey! I think we're missing the Luciano Concert!!”
Markus just mumbled something incoherent and rolled over.
I looked at my watch and realized it was just the opening act.
I tried again to shake Markus awake, but he was out COLD. I tried again to shake him, harder this time. “15 minutes..”, He slurred into his pillow.
I went outside to the balcony and lay down on the hammock. The music from the concert drifted over clearly. I could hear it all so I just chilled out and listened with my eyes closed.
A half hour later, Markus showed up on the balcony and climbed into the Hammock with me.
The music, the warm carribean air, feeling Markus beside me, swaying back and forth in a hammock together. I realized that this is what heaven feels like. These relaxing intimate moments, when you feel your worries, fears, concerns and stresses just kind of dissolve. You're just fully in the moment and happy.
We decided to try to wake up Jamar and head over to the concert. I knew he'd be upset to miss the Seastar drummers and Luciano.
Waking him up was not easy. Jamar emerged with bleary bloodshot eyes from his room after ALOT of door pounding... We nearly had to carry him over to a table in the concert area. I didn't know how well he was going to hold up, but he was adamant about not missing this show.
And as Jamar just mentioned in his trip report, He quickly perked up when the Seastar drummers came on stage and after that he was dancing all night long!
This concert was very different from the last one for me. Last time we kind of hid in the corner and didn't know anyone. This time I saw a lot of familiar faces and had the opportunity to hang out with so many amazing boardies. Bella Bea, Blandy1 & her husband, Irie Always, meinvancouver and his awesome wife, Dolly. (It was her birthday!) That's just naming a few.
I also saw the cool couple we had sat with last time! They were sitting right across from us! Unfortunately, This time without Choochy.
I finally got to meet Lisa, I was surprised when she came downstairs to greet me with a hug. I remembered how last time I had been too shy to even approach Rob & Lisa at all. I was afraid it would bother them.
Not this time. I discovered that Rob and Lisa are really approachable and friendly. I have a lot of admiration and respect for what they do. (thanks you two for making the night a really fun one for us)
The buffet was delicious. Markus had three plates and licked them clean. I think this was his favorite meal in Negril. He can't get enough of those mashed potatoes.
Luciano's performance was amazing! Everyone was dancing and having a great time.
At some point, it all became a fun blur.. I remember running around with Bea a lot. She is such a blast to hang out with and such a sweet person.
The staff from Catcha falling Star showed up.. Ty, Kevin and crew. They were there to celebrate Dolly's birthday. Such a cool crew! They had me cracking up!
I have a lot more pictures, but I think there might be a“what happens in Negril stays in Negril” code. I don't want to post them without everyone's permission. Next time I'll do what Gerryg123 did in his last TR, which is ask everyone after taking their pictures.
Rob, Lisa, Bea, Markus, Jamar and I closed down the bar. Time went by so fast that I didn't realize everyone else had already left and it was early morning! How did that happen?
We returned to our room in good spirits.. it was nice not having to worry about finding a cab, we could just walk through the gates and straight upstairs.
It was a really really fun night
