Day two
The next morning we woke up and began what practically turned into a daily ritual. Blue Mountain Coffee for Beth and a Boom energy drink for myself as I continued to puff puff puff away the morning. As we got showered and dressed we discussed our plans for the day. We knew we had to hit the cambio because the money we initially exchanged at the airport was nearly gone. We also decided that we would hit Pee Wee’s and maybe No Limit.We weren’t sure what to do about lunch or dinner and decided we’d just see where the day took us.
That was sort of the approach we wanted to take as we planned this trip. We purposely didn’t book any tours so that we could just go with the flow of the day. We knew were very likely to return again so there was no need to try and squeeze everything we wanted to do within a week. This trip was meant to get us comfortable and acquainted with the area and then during subsequent trips we could venture further and further out.
As the afternoon sun rose ever higher we headed out to the cambio. I asked security as we headed to the gate where the nearest cambio was and if we could walk there. He suggested a cab and offered to get us one. “Red Plate” I blurted out. Within a moment a red plate was waiting. I approached the window and asked how much for a ride to the cambio and back. “Get in mon I’ll give you a good deal”. With the taxi parked in a blind corner of the road as other cars zipped by beeping I was unwilling to risk anyone’s life to barter over what would likely be a couple of dollars, so we hopped in.
We take off down the road and within moments we spot Canoe. “I think we could walk there” Beth said excitedly. “Oh look chicken Lavish is right there too!” She continued. Within minutes we were at the cambio. We both jumped out and exchanged cash. With a pocket stuffed full of Jamaican bills we exited the cambio to find our taxi was gone. As we scanned the parking lot for our guy about 4 or 5 other drivers started asking us if we needed a ride. It wasn’t long before Beth spotted the right guy. I had almost mistaken someone else as our guy but Beth caught me before I could get in his taxi. I must admit it was a little nerve-wracking having so much attention on us with a pocket full of cash although I'd be downright scared if this same scene played out at home.
Safely back into the comforts of our driver’s car we headed back the other way. At this point I’m beginning to wonder what this short ride was going to cost us. As we pulled up to our hotel. I offered $500 and the driver asked for $600......fair enough. What we did next must have played out millions of times before by other first time travelers. Once in the room I whipped out this huge wad of cash and we began to inspect it and count it as if we just became suddenly rich.
We then decided to walk over to Pee Wee’s for some drinks. It was a tad early in the day for us to start drinking but there was no reason to wait. Just past L&M we found the driveway for Pee Wee’s. We approach the small circular thatched roofed bar and grabbed two stools. It seemed it was just us and a handful of locals. Introductions were made and I asked for a Red Stripe. Beth wanted a rum punch but noticed the blender was all nice and clean and didn’t want to have to make them dirty it so early in the day. We both bar-tended at one time and remember the small annoyances of the job. Of course the bartender insisted it was no problem which is what we would have said too if the roles were reversed.
I watch intently as he mixed up several different rums and juices, the lions share being Wray & Nephews overproof. I was thinking this was either going to be a long day or a very early night for Beth. We spent the rest of the afternoon there drinking and conversing with the regulars as other tourists popped in and out. As the party boats started their daily cruise down to Ricks we figured it was best to head back to the hotel before we overindulged. Once again we were schooled on walking the road and were even provided several escorts to help us cross the road safely. We had a great afternoon there and at times it almost felt like we were back home at our local watering hole. Of course the fresh air of the open bar and the views of the Caribbean at Pee Wee’s could never compare to a dingy smoke filled American Legion.
For a second night we enjoy the sunset from our balcony as we watched the other onlookers. We only had our liquid lunch so as it grew darker and darker we headed down to get some food from Teddy’s. We decided to order bacon wrapped shrimp, coconut shrimp and Teddy’s jerk chicken to share. We dined at one of the tables in the courtyard of the castle that overlooked the ocean while tiki torches provided additional light and atmosphere. Our meal started with a cup of crawfish soup. Now I have to admit I’m a very picky eater as is Beth to a lesser extent. My diet consists mostly of meat and starches. Beth at least eats some veggies but is less adventurous when it comes to trying certain new foods. So food was a little of a concern of ours. I was surprised Beth even tried let alone finish her soup because she doesn’t even like the looks of crawfish. The rest of our food was served shortly after finishing our soup. Everything was excellent!
Afterwards we continued to sit outside and enjoy the sights and sounds. We met a few other guests that also gathered outside. Most of them have been coming to Negril, specifically the Blue Cave Castle, for many many years. It wasn’t all that late before we decided to retire to our room.
