First timer beach/cliffs day 3

[booger]

Day 3 started a new trend. Get up, sit on the porch and take in the sights and sounds, go eat breakfast, wake the wifey up, and hang out on the cliffs.

The first few days we had the typical afternoon tropics shower for an hour or so. After that, it wasn't much rain. We actually went a couple of days with no rain and abundant sunshine. I have to admit that as long as I was on property I loved the rain. It was a great brake from the action. Take a shower, alone time with the wifey, and than back at it. The weather the entire week was perfect. I actually hate to talk about it as I do not want to jinx myself for the next time.

The cove was a great daily hangout. Take a look at the pick and swim out. You can go either to the left or right and snorkel. You can also jump from the cliffs from either side. To the left of the pic are the higher spots. I believe it was this night that one of our fellow travelers challenged Kevin at the bar to jump from the highest spot a couple of hours into the night. He threw a little cash in and next thing you know a guy comes running from the kitchen and makes the dip. The man who put up the challenge paid up. Next thing you know numerous folks jumped in. The seas were mellow that night and all was good. Just a great example of how the staff gets involved in all the fun.

I swear that jump did not hurt. LOL! We had a jump off and several of our fellow guest decided that we would try to do one off jumps. It was a good hour of laughs and no one was hurt....... Just a typical day at Catcha.

Uh Oh! We had a Rob, Lisa, and Tawnee sighting at Ivan's. Rob was busy on Saturday night so I didn't get a chance to say hi. I bumped into him and the lovely Lisa at the bar at Ivan's and had a chance to ask a million questions all things Negril. They were both quite receptive to the Newb and were gracious with their time. They seem to enjoy their time at Ivan's and I completely understand why.

Say hi to Kevin! Kevin is a great bartender and a great singer. If you have some old reggae tunes on your Ipod or Laptop bring them. They'll hook you up to their system and soon enough all are singing along. More pics soon come.

[gerryg123]

great photos. how is the snorkeling out there?

[booger]

The snorkeling is ok. It really depends on what you have seen before. If you have hit the Great Barrier Reef you will be disappointed. If you are fine with seeing a few needle fish, maybe a lion or two, a ray if you are lucky, and possibly some barricuda, you will be good. The water is nearly crystal clear, however the sea life is minimal. Get close to the rocks if the seas are calm and you will see some cool wildlife.

[gerryg123]

One more thing: Are there any little shady spots in the Cliffs that you can float around on your raft but not be i the direct sun (Xtabi has this)?

[booger]

Hey Gerry,
The only shade spots that I noticed were on the cliffs. I didn't see any caves you could pull into. I guess you could hide from the sun early and late if you were close to the cliffs while in the water.

[Clarity]

I'm really enjoying this trip report. Ivans sounds like fun. Can people visit Ivans bar without staying at the Catcha or knowing a hotel guest?
Awesome shot of Rob & Lisa! You really got to hang out with so many cool people during your trip!
(I saw Rob and Lisa doing the webcast at the Seastar during my last trip but was too shy to approach them and say "Hi" - Very silly of me.)
Looking forward to part 4!

P.S. Love the in-the-air jumping-off-cliff shot!

[Homebrewer]

Can people visit Ivans bar without staying at the Catcha or knowing a hotel guest?

yes, just walk on in, we have done that the last few years intending to check out Ivans for dinner but after a few drinks we've left never dining there after seeing the menu prices $$$

[booger]

Hey Clarity,
I have read where folks have mentioned to call ahead before you show up. However, I saw numerous folks stop by for food and or drinks and would say it's safe to say that you probably do not have to. Than again, a phone call is pretty easy, so why not just do it.

Ivan's is were I actually ran into Rob and Lisa besides the Seastar broadcast. I was like you, didn't want to bother Rob as he looked busy. Do yourself a favor and say hi next time. They both shared some great stories about various topics.

Funny thing was my wife met them before I did. I was in the room getting a killer massage from Beverly and my wife bumped into them at the bar. When I finished up I made my way down to the bar and before I could say hi my wife says "hey do you know who these folks are?" It was a funny moment.

I would encourage you to go pay Catcha a visit. They have some affordable room options as well. I agree the prices for the food and drink are not as cheap as you can get elsewhere. However once you factor in the ambiance, the staff, the setting, etc. it is the best value out there are far as I'm concerned. I asked my wife last night if she would be ok staying somewhere else on the cliffs that has sparked my interest. Her simple reply was "why?" I couldn't answer her, so I'll be booking my return visit this week.

I do love the beach though. If it wasn't for the higglers and beggars constant barrage I would have spent much more time down there. I love bar hopping and taking in all the sights and 7 mile beach is perfect for this.