Remember the days??

[njsem]

I can remember back when we first started going to Negril when......
the Jamaican ladies walked the beach with baskets of fruit on their heads to sell.
they sold beer (ice cold) that they kept in doubled up plastic grocery bags to keep it cold.
the kids sold "sunset peanuts" "sunrise peanuts"
there was , and still may be a "cake lady"
THere were fruit and juice stands everywhere you looked.
Fresh patties were easy to find and buy.
The shell man came around in his boat to sell his shells.
Little Jamaican kid named "Gregory" was always around ( should have gone to school??)
There were always guys selling cooked or fresh lobster
You could always say "no mon" and there was never an issue.
Now most of this is gone.
You could even get a "massage" on the beach, not to say it was a good one, but you could get one.
there was a "doctor " for most anything.
There were so many things along the beach. TImes have changed, but not been forgotten.

[Marko]

I can remember back when we first started going to Negril when......
the Jamaican ladies walked the beach with baskets of fruit on their heads to sell.
they sold beer (ice cold) that they kept in doubled up plastic grocery bags to keep it cold.
the kids sold "sunset peanuts" "sunrise peanuts"
there was , and still may be a "cake lady"
THere were fruit and juice stands everywhere you looked.
Fresh patties were easy to find and buy.
The shell man came around in his boat to sell his shells.
Little Jamaican kid named "Gregory" was always around ( should have gone to school??)
There were always guys selling cooked or fresh lobster
You could always say "no mon" and there was never an issue.
Now most of this is gone.
You could even get a "massage" on the beach, not to say it was a good one, but you could get one.
there was a "doctor " for most anything.
There were so many things along the beach. TImes have changed, but not been forgotten.

Amen.........ain't that the truth...........and when the J was worth sumthin.........

Cool Runnings, Marko

[Rob]

the Jamaican ladies walked the beach with baskets of fruit on their heads to sell.

There is still fruit ladies that walk the beach selling fruit - and they do carry it on the head in baskets!

the kids sold "sunset peanuts" "sunrise peanuts"

There are still peanut vendors who sell on the beach

there was , and still may be a "cake lady"

There is a cake lady on the west end...

Fresh patties were easy to find and buy.

Two pattymen sell patties each day on the beach

The shell man came around in his boat to sell his shells.

Several people sell shells on the beach

Little Jamaican kid named "Gregory" was always around ( should have gone to school??)

Probably grew up... (grin)

There were always guys selling cooked or fresh lobster

There are still several guys selling cooked lobster from cardboard boxes on the beach

You could even get a "massage" on the beach, not to say it was a good one, but you could get one.

Most hotels have massages available - and you can have them on the beach!

there was a "doctor " for most anything.

Still plenty "doctors" around.... (grin)

We often show some of these folks on the beach during the live webcasts on RealNegril.com - feel free to join us!

[njsem]

OK Rob! Yes you fondly bring things up to date, but you have to admit, it is not the same as it used to be. Not that present time isn't good. the majority of selling practices along the beach have been patrolled to the point and mostly frowned upon because there were tourists that did not like being constantly asked to buy things. My point was to remember the laid back and fun nature of most of what used to take place along the beach. By the way, I am looking forward to seeing you again next week 2/11. It has been a really long time!

[jasperpso]

I first went in 1991, and there has certainly has been change, but the beach is very much like I remember it.. Theres moreeople trying to make more from a smaller % everyday.. But I think the town of negril has certainly changed a ton.. I didnt really recognize allot of places at all from when i was there in the early 90s to returning in the early 2003.. But the beach.. Same vibe..imho

[Rob]

njsem,

Nothing, as far I know, ever stays the same. We all have changed since our first visit to Negril. I remember things from my first visit back in 85 - and have many fond memories as well.

I understand your sentiments, but I think your post could have been taken wrong by new visitors to Negril. Many of the things you mentioned are not gone, but are still around. It may be in a different way than you fondly remember, but they are still around. We dont want anyone to get the wrong impression and think they dont exist anymore.

We had the fruit ladies, shell vendors, patty men, peanut vendors, cake lady, masseuses and lobster vendors all featured on the webcasts just last year.

[poolguywindsor]

Time wont stand still any where although some things are missed, There is a lot that has improved.

[Marko]

mi didn't take njsem post as a negative.....a lot of things are much better in Negril these days....
but his sentiment of the old days like when mi hungout there in the mid 80's was on point.......
hanging der and living the life back then was different than these days for sur..........
remember the $2J bills........or the $1.78 exchange when mi first arrived der........
the No Name bar wi drank at.......and the T-Water........Miss Glorias.....oh da memories

Cool Runnings, Marko

[Prism]

There is still a Cake Lady on the beach. She is a sweetheart.
What I miss most is getting off the plane onto stairs. That first burst of Jamaican air hitting my body when getting there from Wisconsin in January.

[Yvonne]

Most of that, if not all, is still in Negril. Anthony sells breads & pastries on the beach, numerous fruit ladies (men too), lots of massages to be had, Norman & Neville (FAT patties every day), etc. You can buy original, hand made jewelry if you know who to talk to, carvings, much, much more. Things have changed in the 26 years I've been coming but some things remain the same, maybe just different faces.