10 Years, 12 Nights, 6 Hotels, ONE LOVE - April 2012 Trip Report

[Clarity]

Mavmaiden – That's so awesome that you're first trip to Negril will be this December.. You're going to love it! There is no such thing as a “true boardie” or “the real thing”. The minute you arrive at Seastar, you'll see what I mean. I kind of had similar feelings my first time. I felt like everyone else had such a history together and that I wouldn't be accepted. I realized right away, that this is not the case. Everyone is so warm, open and inviting. Trust me. You'll feel at home in no time!

Our dream is to make it back to Negril in December. It really depends on a lot of circumstances. It doesn't look like it's in the stars for us right now. But you never know

If we DO find a way to celebrate New years in Jamaica, I really hope to meet you!!

[Clarity]

Day 4
Trip report continued...

So when I last left off, we had just checked out of Seastar Inn and my cousin drove through the gates in her sedan.

I had seen pictures of my cousin but this was my first time meeting her in person. She was in her late 50's with curly black hair spilling over her shoulders. She had a huge smile on her face and She immediately pulled me into an embrace. I felt at ease right away.

She apologized for getting a late start this morning, I told her that I was late getting up too. She was in good spirits and ushered us into the car.

“Okay, This is for you”, She said handing me a manilla folder.

I opened it and was surprised to see a schedule of events.

“I've been planning this day all month” She said laughing “I couldn't resist making up a schedule so we could squeeze in all the things I want to show you. We only have 24 hours and we have to make every minute count”

There was a LOT on the list. I was amazed. “Wow! This is impressive – thank you so much for putting this together..”

“I love doing this and being a part of this” She explained “The family in Mandeville can't wait to meet you. They remember your father, they are excited that his daughter has come to the Island. We are VERY family oriented. You will discover that soon enough”

So we hit the road



Our first stop was “The Grand Pineapple” to visit my other cousin, “Paul”*. He was the one I met for the first time in November and he works there. Paul is her son.

It was nice stepping back on the familiar resort grounds of the Grand Pineapple. This was my first time NOT staying at the GP and first our entirely non-AI trip to Jamaica. It was great seeing all the staff again, I couldn't believe they all still remembered us.

We had a delicious breakfast all together in the dining area. The ocean was bright turquoise blue and the weather was perfect. My cousin, Paul is shy and kind. It took him some time to open up but once he did, I found that we had a lot in common.

After breakfast, we all hugged goodbye to Paul, we needed to continue on our journey. On the way out of the dining area, a guest at the table beside us called my name “Daisy? From Negril.com?”

I turned around in surprise. It was Labwalker and his wife. “I recognized you guys right away” He said “Just wanted to say “hi!” It was so cool meeting them and I introduced them to my cousins.

Next stop was Montego Bay to meet my other cousin, Mike* - Mike is also her son and Paul's brother. He works in Montego Bay, also in the hotel business and has been on some travel channel shows.

The ride there was beautiful..

We met at Fontana in MoBay to enjoy some Devon house ice cream (a first for me - that is some GOOD icecream) and coffee.



I was a bit starstruck when I met Mike. I recognized him from a show about Jamaica I had watched before my first visit to the island. I never imagined when I watched that footage a year ago that I was looking at my own cousin. This was a little mind-blowing for me.

He was very outgoing and charismatic. He talked about how he is very active in promoting tourism in Jamaica. He lived in Florida for a while to attend school, but he couldn't stay away and had to come back to Jamaica. He has such a pride and passion for his country. I was really moved by his words and how much he does to help the community.

Eventually he had to get back to work and we had to hit the road. We were running out of time.

“Family is driving in from Kingston to see you in Mandeville today, so we don't want to make them wait”, Diana explained.

We talked a lot during this ride. Diana spoke about our family's history, about her own struggles, about daily life in Jamaica. This conversation was unlike any discussion I've had since coming to Jamaica for the first time. The dynamics were different. I was talking to my family now. I learned so much during that car ride. My whole relationship to Jamaica was changing and it's hard to explain in words this shift that was occurring in my consciousness.

On top of that, every time I looked out the window... I confronted with the most stunning vistas.



Lush landscapes and curving roads... the sweet Caribbean sunshine and fresh air coming in through the open windows. It all felt a bit like a dream, almost surreal.

The road leading to Mandeville has a road that is covered in bamboo. Rob and Lisa had told me about this and I was excited about driving through it. I think it's called Bamboo alley... it's really a sight to be seen and this image doesn't even fully capture it. It's just magical!

[Clarity]

Diana pointed out the church where another cousin had just gotten married only a week earlier. St. Andrews church.



As we drove up the mountains, my ears popped from the pressure change and the views on all sides were just breathtaking.



“I wish I could live here...” I said quietly.

“If you really want that, you can make it possible. I'm head the community tourism division in Mandeville and own the Mandeville hotel. We could find a position for you and Markus already works remotely” She said “If that's your dream, I can help you make it happen”

Wow. What a thought! I needed time to adjust to the reality of this possibility. It's something we all have dreamt about at one point but if given the opportunity, would you do it? Could I ever actually leave San Francisco and move to Jamaica?

Mandeville is very different from Negril. The houses were colonial British in style and a lot of them were very large. The center of the town looked very suburban. Soccer fields, school districts, churches and a big town center. I saw families with their Sunday best returning from church. Kids laughing in a playground. I didn't see a single tourist which was strange. It looked so ideal, like the perfect place to raise a family. This is a side I've never seen of Jamaica.

We drove past all of that into a more countryside area, dotted with houses on the hills on all side. We drove up the hill and stopped at a one level home overlooking the countryside.

“This is where I grew up”, Diana said “My father passed away, but my mother is still alive. This is the usual meeting place for family gatherings. Your father would come over to Kingston to visit here often during his time in Jamaica.”

She pulled the car to a stop in the dirt driveway filled with other parked cars and turned off the engine.

“Okay, you're about to meet a LOT of family all at once. Don't worry about remembering everyone's names right away. It's going to take some time”

It was kind of surreal as I walked across the pathway to the front door. I felt like I was in my father's shoes for a moment, walking along the same pathway that he did as a 12 year old boy. I wonder what he was thinking and feeling the first time he came here. Jamaica is so different from New York. It must have been such a culture shock for him. He spent the bulk of his formative years on a Caribbean island.

People started streaming out of the house and began introducing themselves. They were all smiles, and hugs.. It was overwhelming, all these faces.. all these strangers that I was related to. Their skin tone was all shades from pale to dark. Their hair varied from blond to jet black. We all shared the same great grandfather. The Jamaican phrase “Out of many, One people” suddenly made sense

One woman in particular came up to me with a lot of enthusiasm. She had deep set warm brown eye and brown curly hair. She was in her early 60's. “It's amazing to meet you Daisy! Your father lived with us for four years, I was teenager when he came over from New York and I grew up with him..I see the resemblance. It's wonderful that you are here. You are the connecting link that is bringing this family together again!”

That's when my eyes filled with tears. This was a lot to take in and you all know that I'm Mrs. Waterworks. I just couldn't believe this was all happening. It truly was a dream come true for me and more than I ever expected.

The house was filled to the rim with family members and they were spilling out of the lanai onto the grass. Children of all ages, woman and men of all ages...



Markus holding one of my cousin's baby girl. She was SO cute with the chubbiest little cheeks I'd ever seen...

[Clarity]

That's when I was brought into a special room and I met Diana's mother. She was in her 90's. She was hunched over at the dinner table, Her head shook. I couldn't believe I was meeting her..

“Mommy, This is Dean's daughter. Do you remember little Dean?”, She asked

The old woman nodded slowly and took my hand into hers. She stared at me very intensely and clutched my hand tightly.

Then She looked over at Markus “Who is this?”, She asked. Her voice was in a whisper, and she spoke very slowly.

“This is my husband, Markus” I said.

She ushered for me to move closer to her. I did and she whispered “Watch out. He is a handsome one, Women....They will try to take him away from you”

I laughed. “I know! I'm holding onto him tight!”

Then she closed her eyes and released my hand.

“She's tired, we have to take her back to bed now.” Diana explained.

That encounter was very meaningful for me. I watched as they helped her out of the chair and into another room. I hoped that I would meet her again, I realized that she was in the twilight of her life.... it could be the last time. I had to get my father to return to the Island and see her before it was too late. I HAD to make this happen. It was now my mission.

Our next stop was the Mandeville hotel for a late lunch. Everyone got back into their cars and we drove down the road to the hotel.



The hotel was beautiful. It belonged to Diana's father and was handed down to her father passed away. It was his pride and joy so all the family was helping to keep it running. I also found out that my family opened one of the first hotels in Negril. If anyone ever visits the Mandeville hotel, check out the plague to the right when you first enter. It tells the whole story.

[Clarity]

There was a long table set up for the meal. I couldn't believe all of this was to welcome me back into the family. It was all so much! I felt SO loved ! I was overwhelmed at the same time because I didn't feel I deserved all this fanfare. Who am I? I'm no one special..



The meal was amazing and delicious, Jamaican Caribbean fare cooked by my family members and set u in a buffet spread. Everyone had contributed something.



There was so much laughter and conversation around the table. I had to keep pinching myself because it didn't feel real. Was this really happening? I thought back to my first trip to Jamaica and I never in my wildest dreams imagined THIS...

***And if you're still reading this, thanks for caring and joining me on this journey. I'm excited that I can share this with you. It was really life changing for me.***

Here is a pic of Markus with another one of my younger relatives. He really took to him, he spent a lot of time showing him how a camera works. Watching them together made me realize that he'd make a great father ... It was officially time to start our family. No more dilly dallying on that front.



We all took a group shot at the end of the day. I'm sorry it's so blurry, I put a blur filter over it to protect the privacy of my family members but I just wanted to share this so you could see how many came together that day from all over the island to meet us. It was simply incredible



The sun was setting and it was time for everyone to go. A lot of them had to drive back to Kingston so they wanted to leave before it got too dark. We all exchanged email addresses, phone numbers and promised to keep in touch. (And we all have!! More about that later...)

Next stop: Hotel number 3# - Mountain Top Villa, Mandeville

To be continued...

[ralonzo29]

Mavmaiden – That's so awesome that you're first trip to Negril will be this December.. You're going to love it! There is no such thing as a “true boardie” or “the real thing”. The minute you arrive at Seastar, you'll see what I mean. I kind of had similar feelings my first time. I felt like everyone else had such a history together and that I wouldn't be accepted. I realized right away, that this is not the case. Everyone is so warm, open and inviting. Trust me. You'll feel at home in no time!

Our dream is to make it back to Negril in December. It really depends on a lot of circumstances. It doesn't look like it's in the stars for us right now. But you never know

If we DO find a way to celebrate New years in Jamaica, I really hope to meet you!!

Played lotto tonight keep fingers crossed

[mavmaiden]

Mavmaiden – That's so awesome that you're first trip to Negril will be this December.. You're going to love it! There is no such thing as a “true boardie” or “the real thing”. The minute you arrive at Seastar, you'll see what I mean. I kind of had similar feelings my first time. I felt like everyone else had such a history together and that I wouldn't be accepted. I realized right away, that this is not the case. Everyone is so warm, open and inviting. Trust me. You'll feel at home in no time!

Our dream is to make it back to Negril in December. It really depends on a lot of circumstances. It doesn't look like it's in the stars for us right now. But you never know

If we DO find a way to celebrate New years in Jamaica, I really hope to meet you!!

Thanks, Clarity/Daisy!! I would truly love to meet you if y'all somehow manage to make it in December. This trip is my 50th birthday present to myself (day after Christmas baby) and the wait until December is going to kill me. I need to stop reading the board-- it makes me so fired up about Negril that the clock is ticking far too slowly!

I'm lovin' your trip report. You are a very eloquent and thoughtful writer (and funny, too). Your latest post about the day you met your family members is so touching. I hope it's in the stars someday for you to move to the island. If not now...maybe down the road. I can't imagine how nervous you were, but oh what a wonderful day!

[Seveen]

wow! speechless . . .

[negrilaholic]

oh hon you have moved me to tears....I am so glad you had a chance to get with your family and make the connection.

[spottycatz]

Daisy, this is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. I am lost for words also! What a wonderful family to be part of. It is going to be amazing for your father when he reunites with all his family. Absolutely beautiful. Remember when I told you you and Marcus were the prince and princess in the most wonderful fairytale, well, it only gets better and better and I feel blessed to have the pleasure of you both as friends. ♥ x