Thanks Kaycee, Angel, 2nutztotravel, Marley, gerrgyg123, Beebeluv!
haha! Thanks for sticking up for me Irieworld
Bjritz – Thank you for your heartfelt words, that meant a lot to me. I'm really glad you're enjoying the report. It makes me feel that all the time I've put into this is worthwhile. I know it's taking a long time to finish, but I want everyone that reads this to feel like they were really there too and experienced everything that we did right along with us.
Carpe Diem
Trip Report Continued...
Day 9
I love waking up in Jamaica. I love the feeling of crisp clean hotel sheets against newly tan skin, I love seeing the sunlight streaming in through the shuttered windows and the palm leaves swaying. I love hearing the ceiling fan swooshing overhead and the Reggae music drifting over from the bar. I love the smell of aloe vera lotion and coconut oil. There is a calm relaxed happy sensation that just washes over me at the realization that I have another day on the most amazing Island in all the Caribbean.
I gave Markus a gentle nudge and whispered “It's moving day...”
“mmm”, He murmered with a smile “So...Where are we going now? I forgot...”
Markus is very laid back when it comes to vacation plans. He likes being the tail on the kite and lets me plan the details. I really pushed the envelope when I booked 6 different hotels for this trip but when I told him my plan, he had just laughed. He thought it was a little crazy, but he was up for the adventure. Every time we checked into a new hotel, it felt like a new vacation starting all over again. I loved it. You meet new friends, get to know the staff and the environment around you changes. You get to see Jamaica from yet another angle and it's always unique.
“Next stop is Catcha Falling Star”, I told him.
We had stayed 4 nights at Seasplash (our longest stay ever in any hotel) and we were ready for the next chapter. I had already known that Seasplash would be a lot of fun from the stories I'd read from other boardies and it didn't disappoint. Jim Hurt made us feel at home and partied with us like a rockstar. All of the staff was so kind and welcoming. The location is great and there was always something happening in the bar area. Webcasts, concerts and great happy hour specials. If you get a package that includes breakfast, you wont be disappointed. It's really good.
We packed up our bags and head over to the dining area for breakfast before checking out.
The sky was a little overcast today – but the weather was warm and the ocean was calm. In the distance I saw the familiar green glow of Gerryg123's floatie as he enjoyed his daily morning float. (If you look closely, you can see it in the picture) I had to smile. I was going to miss that sight.
We ordered our usual breakfast and settled down in the dining area. Guirigay and Sweetiepie came over to join us. Eventually Gerryg123 emerged from the ocean and had breakfast at the table next to us with Jim Hurt.
After breakfast we head back to our room to clear out the last of our bags and tidy up the room a bit. We said our goodbye's to all the staff and our sweet housekeeper. We gave Jim Hurt a huge hug and thanked him for everything.
Guirigay and Sweetiepie decided to join us on our ride over to Catcha Falling Star. They were hopeful that there might be a room available for them as a drop-in hotel guests. We all had our fingers crossed.
******
It felt like a homecoming when we drove through the familiar gates of Catcha Falling Star. The lush landscape...the beautiful little cottages nestled in-between palm trees and colorful flowers... Gentle Ben, the golden retriever standing beside the reception area wagging his tail. This is my favorite place on earth.
Last edited by Clarity; 11-11-2012 at 08:09 PM.
Carpe Diem
The Pisces cottage is adorable. It's small with windows on all sides, fridge and all the amenities you could ask for. The bathroom has an partially outdoor shower with a view of the sky and trees overhead.The deck has a hammock, table and a view of the sea in the distance. It's set apart from the other cottages in a way that makes you feel like you have a lot of privacy. I loved it!
We decided to head over to Ivans bar while we waited for Guirigay and Sweetiepie's room to open up.
A round of celebratory Dirty Bananas...
A little bit later, Mauvette came up and alerted Guirigay about the room being available. They moved over their bags and it was time to head over to our next adventure.
The Annual Boardie Bash.
We were a little past “fashionably late” and the party was kicking full force when we arrived. I was so excited to be a part of this celebration. There were so many boardies, familiar faces and new faces. For the first time I could put a face to a name with so many people that I had been chatting with on the board for over a year. Greenie was playing the steel drums, everyone was laughing and hugging. What an experience!
Since this boardie bash has been written about in countless trip reports at this point, I'll just let the pictures tell the story. You'll see a lot of smiling faces!
Luvsdaisland & Rasta Stan
Last edited by Clarity; 11-11-2012 at 10:10 PM.
Carpe Diem
Sweetness!
The awesome Jim & Donna
Beautiful Bella Bea – It was so good seeing her again! We did our traveling Jewelry exchange again. She gave me the most beautiful sea glass necklace.
Markus taking it all in
Carpe Diem
Beachgirl66 – I love her smile, Miss her a lot..
Greenie
Carpe Diem
I ordered the lionfish dish again. (I was dealing with a full blown lionfish addiction at this point and was craving it all the time.)
Here's some footage of everyone congregating together in preparation for the big group shot. Every time I see this, it takes me right back to that day and I long to go back so much...
To be Continued...
Next stop Just Natural and final group gathering at Catcha Falling Star.
(The first round of tearful goodbye's)
Carpe Diem
Perfect descriptionOriginally Posted by Clarity
I know exactly what you mean. I have done a bunch of 10 day camping trips with my husband and we both swear that the trips seem extra long because we move every couple of days. Every time we get some place new, home just seems that much longer ago. We are going to be in Negril for 10 days this time and I decided that we would stay at 3 places during that time. I figured any more and I was going to pushing my luck with Sunshine. He was totally on-board. It did take a month of repeating to him the plan before he could remember the details himself though.
That first picture with the doctor bird looks like something right out of National Geographic. Well captured!
Thanks for getting back on the report
Tizzy & Marley – lol The splinters in my pants comment had me cracking up!
I also love that Marley is looking SO shocked at something being said in the background of Markus’s smiling shot. That always makes me laugh too!
Miss you guys so much!
Carpe Diem
I’m sorry for the one week hiatus. I work at a University and the week before a holiday is always the busiest time. I haven’t had much time to even breathe.
Luckily, I now have a 4 day weekend ahead of me so I can *finally* finish this TR! Thank you for sticking with me through this. So here goes…
Trip Report continued…
The Annual Boardie Bash was drawing to a close (see previous entry) and the crowds were beginning to disperse.
Guirigay suggested a stop over at Just Natural for a fruit drink before heading back to Catcha Falling Star.
So Marley and Ninja hopped on their scooters. Guirigay, Sweetiepie, Markus and I piled into a taxi. We all met up at “Just Natural”.
I’ve heard a lot about “Just Natural”. It was always on my list of places to go but we never managed to squeeze it into previous trips. I was excited about finally going there. Most of the reviews were about the amazing breakfast spread but I was full of lionfish at that point. So I decided to just order a drink.
I really liked the vibe at “Just Natural”. It’s nestled in the foliage, surrounded by palms and a beautiful garden with outdoor seating.
The woman behind the bar area was super sweet and eager to explain all the healthy juices that they had to offer.
I can’t remember what I ordered. I remember I asked for something super nutritious and cleansing. (Something with a lot of vitamins and veggies in it.) I figured it might counteract all the damage done from 9 days of excessive red stripe consumption.
She slid this greenish brown drink in front of me.
I gazed down at it and lifted the glass of murky liquid hesitantly to my lips. It wasn’t visually appealing but I figured I would just chug it down. It was a little slimy and the taste was unusual for me. I guess you could say it tasted extremely healthy? I’m pretty sure there was some kind of grass in it. I felt a weird tingling in the back of my throat afterwards. I should have probably mentioned that I’m allergic to a random array of strange things. For example: I can’t eat fresh cherries, kiwi’s or Apricots. My throat swells up and I can’t breathe. For a moment I feared an allergic reaction coming on, but it subsided after a minute.
Whatever was in the drink was a lot for my stomach to break down and suddenly a wave of lethargy washed over me. I felt incredibly tired and all my limbs felt loose. I felt the urge to just slide off the chair, sink into a fetal position and sleep for days. It was as though all the partying had finally caught up with me.
I gazed over at Markus and I could see that he was feeling the same way.
Outside rain began to fall again. It was nice, cool and relaxing inside the hut area. Everyone was generally quiet and winding down from all the excitement of that day. It was pretty peaceful just listening to the rain hit the palm leaves.
Carpe Diem
Posting Permissions
