One more piece of business had to be taken care off. Daisy had been eyeing a beautiful butterfly, that Courtney at the beach had cut from a solid chunk of Cypress with nothing but a box cutter knife.



At 35 dollars it was a little more than we usually spend on a souvenir, especially since we already had to get an enormous amount of gifts to bring home for co-workers and friends. But when Daisy really wants something, which is extremely rare anyways, it isn't worth saving the money. I couldn't spend it on anything else to make her more happy anyways.

So when we went back to the beach and Daisy gazed at the thing again I finally whispered in her ear: “Just buy it!... ” Really, what are 30 something Dollars gonna do either way in the states?

Courtney gave us a discount because Daisy had been coming by every day to touch it longingly. He dated and signed the butterfly in front of us. His skill with the knife is really something to behold. Daisy told him she would treasure it always.



Ralston, was sitting at the beach with a friend of his, a tug-boat Capt. from Brooklyn and a man of few words. They joined us and as we were standing together at the beach it really felt like we were going to leave a family behind here.



We talked a while longer and were genuinely sad when it was time to leave Hotel Number 42.

Before that could happen I needed to get some more money. I left Daisy in the lobby with a Tayshaun, a rep ready to sell Daisy her next year's vacation, while I made off on foot towards the ATM at time-Square.

The weather was incredibly hot and sweat was pouring down my face as I walked down the dusty shoulder of the road. At every driveway small groups of cab drivers waited and offered their services. I could now handle that situation much more easily and no longer felt like I owed any but the most eager fellows a lengthy conversation. There seemed to be an understanding within myself now, that I had earned the right to walk this strip of road and previously cumbersome situations could now be handled with a wave and friendly “Ya-Mon! Everything Irie!”

Occasionally I jumped a bit when a car came too close during a passing maneuver, or when a motorcycle pulled up to offer me a ride beeping loudly. But all-in-all this was a piece of cake now.

Time Square looked like a boring strip-mall in Palm Beach. The Parking lot seemed to be expecting an onslaught of a hundred cars, but no one was really there. The stores offer the same wanna-be-multi-culti crap you can find at Pier-1 Import. Sort of an exotic identity for sale. Not sure why anyone would want to buy a $20,000 1-ton wooden Giraffe from Nairobi on a vacation in Jamaica.

What is worse ,the one useful item, the ATM was not working according to the bored store-clerks was never really reliable. So I turned about and walked back the Hotel.

When I got back, our vacation for next year was in full planning. All that was needed was my approval and signature to make us Pineapple Perks Members and receive our next hotel rate at a great discount.

This was definitely more expensive than the butterfly, but the wife wants, what the wife wants. 3 more days at the pineapple booked for next April and it was – of course – all Refundable. Plus we got a free bottle of rum for the road.

Before going to the Coco La Palm we had to make a detour to Scotia Bank downtown Negril.

Daisy and the cab driver waited inside the car while I struggled with my first Jamaican ATM- experience. I still have not found out how to take JA out from a US account. Maybe I was just to hesitant to type in a huge numeric amount, but no money would come forth unless I chose to extract US-currency. That was easy as pie however.

The cab drove us the short distance down Norman-Manley Blvd. We thanked the man for his patience with us and entered the lobby, to our new home....