Irie's attempt to get her groove back...TRIP REPORT

[Clarity]

IrieSistah - I'm loving your trip report so far!
Look forward to reading more!

[Vince]

[rastagal]

I'm getting excited like it's MY trip or something!

I know those feeling about leaving the kids behind, I have found that over the years I have somewhat developed flight anxiety because once I take off all I can think of is "what what happened to my kids if we crashed"? Then I get myself all worked up thinking about it and get all panicked. And don't let there be turbulence..Oh lord, it's all over then. Full panic mode!

Can't wait to hear the rest of your report!

[TizzyATX]

I'm getting excited like it's MY trip or something!

I know those feeling about leaving the kids behind, I have found that over the years I have somewhat developed flight anxiety because once I take off all I can think of is "what what happened to my kids if we crashed"? Then I get myself all worked up thinking about it and get all panicked. And don't let there be turbulence..Oh lord, it's all over then. Full panic mode!

Can't wait to hear the rest of your report!

Its a curse. I do it too. can think up the most wretched scenarios...

SO looking forward to the rest of this trip report.

[Iriesistah]

The plane descended from the clouds and there she was....Like a long lost friend shining in the distance...my sweet Jamaica.

It was a cloudy day with storms brewing in the distance but she still looked as beautiful as ever.


So many thoughts rushing through my head.

Just like that...there we were , on the ground.
I was overwhelmed with feelings of joy, like a child on Christmas Morning.

We taxied to the gate as i texted my old friend, R.

I have known R for about 6 years. I met him through an old Jamaican friend named Sharon.
Sharon owned a small shop on the cliffs and we started our friendship as business but quickly became friends.
I watched her daughter grow up and did what I could to help with school fees and fun gifts through the years.
Sharon respected me for that and a beautiful friendship resulted.
She introduced me to R and we quickly became friends as well.
Sharon has since moved to Kingston with her beautiful daughter.
I did get to see her last year on my reach for a brief visit, she was in Negril for a funeral and was able to take an hour away to catch up with me.
It was so great.

Anyway, there we were taxing to the gate.
R was suppose to be picking us up for the ride to Negril.

Immigration was a breeze, no line at all...so was baggage claim and customs.
We were out in record time.

I was charging all of the hurdles like a prized pony and then I remembered that I had J and S behind me.... I looked back and they were just following me with wide eyes.

I pretty much charged the big glass doors leading out to my first breath of my beloved.
It was out for a good minute before I saw my friends wearily following my departure from the doors.

I grabbed my 2 carry-on bags and my 2 HUGE checked bags and like a mule began to walk towards the area where we agreed to meet.

THERE HE WAS!!! at the bar getting ice for the beers that he had brought for us.
He saw me at the same time that I saw him and he rushed over to say hello.

J and S had met R once before about two years ago on their first visit to Jamaica.
I had hooked them up with him when they were in Negril for a concert and he had taken them around for a couple of days.

We all hugged and said our hellos... it was great!!!



J and S with R

[Coco]

More, more, more... Thanks for sharing!

[rastagal]

Yaay! Your back!

[Iriesistah]

I threw one of my huge bags over my back along with the backpack that I was already carrying and slung the other bags over random body parts like a warrior and headed for the curb where R's friend was bringing the car to.
A random man who was probably in his 60's was watching from the sidelines...he jumped to his feet!!!
"Sweetie, Please let me help you with that...no charge...please...look at you girl, my god!!!"
R chimed in..." No worries Mon, she has twin boys back home...she's got this, she is TUFF!!!"

I on the other hand was thankful for the 20 feet of help from the kind stranger!!!

Before for I knew it we were loaded in the car and on our way...

I asked to stop at Mega mart to pick up a few things that I wanted for the week... beer, rum, snacks, water...ect.
R wanted to argue with me about Mega Mart...said that I should support other places.
Deep inside i knew that he was right, but I also knew that I could get everything that I needed at Mega Mart and at a OK price, I wouldn't have to haggle.
I just wanted to get my stuff and be done.

Sometimes R and I have little tiffs like a brother and sister would, but I know that it is all good.
I truly believe that we see each others points in the long run.

So J and I skurried into the store while S went to take care of some "stuff"...LOL...I wish that I could elaborate but it just isn't OK to post.
lets just say that our Jamaican friends got to experience some extra fun because of us!!!
By the time we had finished our shopping and were heading for the checkout counter R and S were coming in to meet us.

We headed out to the car and R was carrying the most precious of all my bags... THE RUM!!!

I looked at R and in slow motion right before my weary eyes he DROPPED THE BAG!!!

CRASH!!!

and there was rum cream ALL OVER the parking lot!!!
My heart sunk...but it could have been a LOT worse...we only lost one bottle!!!

I almost couldn't let it go...


We gathered ourselves and loaded back into the car and we were off....

I took a deep breath...it was another one of those deep FULL breaths that were so totally settling that it cradled your soul, hugged you fully and released all that was bottled up inside of you...
It was wonderful.

We made a few stops along the way for beers...
We toasted to the trip...to our week of girly freedom...


R needed more JB so we stopped yet again...at this point there was a small argument between him and the driver...sometimes R can be a bit much...lol.



Everything seemed to be moving in fast forward...a common feeling throughout the trip for me...

We arrived at our hotel, Beach House Villas.

I hopped out and it instantly was like coming HOME!!!

Everyone in the office knew who I was, even the new folks. They were all full of smiles...so heartwarming.
I can't even put into words how amazing it feels to be back there...everyone is like family and the property feels so warm and inviting.

I was going through the check-in process with J and S watching from the sidelines...

Like a ray of sun, there she was...MY ROSE!!!
She came over and we embraced like mother and child separated for years.

J grabbed the camera and took some photos (none turned out that great, sorry)
Later J told me that she was totally crying as she watched us hug and catch up...
I had told her about how much I cared for Rose and she knew about our connection...she was totally touched.

Rose is a housekeeper at Beach House Villas...a TRULY AMAZING WOMAN!!!
A warrior...a hard worker...she deserves the world...I wish that I had it to give to her.

after all of the hoop-la we headed for our "little cottage in Negril".
It was up above the office...the least expensive room on the property but totally everything that we needed.
Two bedrooms, a living room, full kitchen, bathroom and a perfect deck.
We were in paradise!!! FINALLY!!!

I was starving since I had not eaten yet and was like a drill sergeant with the group, barking out orders to hurry up...I wanted lunch at Kuyaba.

After a short lay over at the room we headed down the property's path to the beach for our short walk to Kuyaba...


One of my absolute favorite meals in Jamaica is the blackened snapper sandwich on coco bread at Kuyaba.
A traditional first meal for me on many reaches.

If you have never been to Kuyaba to eat, PLEASE do yourself a favor and treat yourself to at least one meal there.
The food is to die for, especially the lobster thermidor..but that is a whole other story...soon come...

The staff at Kuyaba is wonderful...the same folks have worked there for as long as I can remember and they always remember me. It is a great feeling.

I said my hellos and we ordered our food...4 snapper sandwiches and 4 rum punches!!!

My first rum punch of the trip...

[booger]

I'm really digging this trip report so far! You know how to throw it down. Your pic of the toast with the Red Stripes is a great shot that I plan to copy on my next reach. Looking forward to the next installment...........

Curious, how much Rum Creme did you actually lick up? Enough to get a buzz?

[gerryg123]

Great report so far .... Well-conditioned hair, too!