Marley and Ninja: Having Their Cake And Drinking It Too! Trip Report - April 2012

[marley9808]

Ninja?

[garysteph1018]

Y'all's (I'm sure you get that word Marley, being a Carolina girl & all) tag team trip reports are so funny & good. I hope, if we move to SA, we'll be able to hook up before next year!

[marley9808]

Garysteph! It will surely happen....thats only 3 hours away....or we could meet in Orlando and hit up the Bob Marley cafe....got other boardies in Orlando now too! Group outing!

Can't wait to meet all y'alls! LOL
Yep...this southern girl knows all about y'alls (its the plural of the plural) LMAO

[Lorax2]

Ok, so I've been reading all this stuff about turtles in your trip reports and I thought I'd add my two cents... I did a little research on the Native Americans and the Turtle legend which is pervasive in many northeastern and midwestern tribal stories...basically earth was placed on the turtles back as a place for humans to live...sounds like an island to me :-) Each story is a little different, but it goes something like this...

The Great Spirit, in a time not known to us looked about and saw nothing. No colors, no beauty. Time was silent in darkness. There was no sound. Nothing could be seen or felt. The Great Spirit decided to fill this space with light and life.

From his great power he commanded the sparks of creation. He ordered Tôlba, the Great Turtle to come from the waters and become the land. The Great Spirit molded the mountains and the valleys on turtle's back. He put white clouds into the blue skies. He was very happy.He said, "Everything is ready now. I will fill this place with the happy movement of life."He thought and thought about what kind of creatures he would make.

Where would they live? What would they do? What would their purpose be? He wanted a perfect plan. He thought so hard that he became very tired and fell asleep.

His sleep was filled with dreams of his creation. He saw strange things in his dream. He saw animals crawling on four legs, some on two. Some creatures flew with wings, some swam with fins. There were plants of all colors, covering the ground everywhere. Insects buzzed around, dogs barked, birds sang, and human beings called to each other. Everything seemed out of place. The Great Spirit thought he was having a bad dream. He thought, nothing could be this imperfect.

When the Great Spirit awakened, he saw a beaver nibbling on a branch. He realized the world of his dream became his creation. Everything he dreamed about came true. When he saw the beaver make his home, and a dam to provide a pond for his family to swim in, he then knew every thing has it's place, and purpose in the time to come.

It has been told among our people from generation to generation. We must not question our dreams. They are our creation.

-----NICE----

I feel like the turtle that missed the boat...supposed to travel with the other turtles but I was busy, or distracted, or something...
Like...Hey! where did everybody go?



When I came back from Jamaica this year the pond near where I work was filled with turtles...dozens of them :-) Does this couple look familiar?

When we were IN Jamaica we went to Catcha a few time and one night at Ivans I took this picture...what do these look like ?



What's with all these turtles ?! :-)

[marley9808]

Lorax- that is AWESOME!!!!!
Thanks for sharing all of that...and yeah hahaha those two turtles kinda DO look familiar LMAO

The way I see it since all of this talk about turtles started is......turtles are not just those of us who went in April.
I think turtles is a perfect representation of ALL of us negrilaholics. We all, just like turtles, were called back to this beach at some point in our life. We didn't necessarily know why but we made our way there for that instinctual reason or need. Once we got there, we immediately felt at home, it was familiar, it was happy and we knew we would have to continue to make this journey back here every year of our lives. When we are there we slow to a relaxed pace and we interact and bond with any and all other turtles we recognize.

It sounds like the perfect description of all of us to me.
I just love this realization of all of us turtles....such meaning....it is perfect! I love it!

I love ALL of the turtles!

And I know of another turtle who has recently or will very soon realize her own turtle-ness. She told me of a story about how her birthday was on the day of the boardie bash and how for her gift her husband gave her a turtle pendant. And pretty soon she will be wearing that pendant on her very first calling to the island.

Happy turtle trails to all of you!

[wpyogi]

Another beautiful example of that spiritual awakening, that magical Negril feeling that we all know.

[Lorax2]

Cool... :-)

[ralonzo29]

Day4: con’t Tuesday April 24, 2012
NINJA's 2Cents
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BOTTLENECK ALERT, BOTTLENECK ALERT, BOTTLENECK ALERT. Seems I’ve been holding this train up.


So after the zippy zipline we found our people and went down to the shop area of YS Falls, but soon it would be time to bounce and see the amazing Pelican bar. We as usual herded the turtles on our way to the tractor back to the bus.

I took a moment to look out over the falls and listen to the incredible sound that water makes. That white noise that washes over you can be so calming. No one had taken part in wandering across the falls with a guide and plopping down in the water for a great photo op. Well that just means they’ll come a time for another road trip. Since we lost our camera all the good zipline shots are gone, so you know we’ll be going back.



Making it back to the bus we all piled on and headed for some lunch which is good because that road jamaican moonshine I made was still making me feel a bit off. Every Time we’ve come here we’ve stopped at Howies Cook shop so why should this be any different. Every time we stop the food hits the right spot. You knew we were being satisfied cuz well not even one person was saying anything. A food hush fell over the group and the low murmurs of satisfied travels was wall you heard. An occasional yum, or special mouth filled acknowledgement was all around. A wash of comfort filled my body and I pretty much inhaled my food. The clouded groggy moonshine feeling was slowly replaced by a want for more and more food. To say the food was delicious would be an understatement. Soon after we finished we headed to Middle Quater to get some shrimp. I remained on the bus because I was fighting back the food groggies and the booze groggies. Shauna wandered onto the bus and offered me some soup. I hadn’t been part of the soup virus that had seem to attack my fellow turtles. First Daisy succumbed and then like dominos one after one they all had these little white cups of soup. Have you ever seen invasion of body snatchers when they say just go to bed. This was like that but in a totally pleasing way. I had one spoonful of soup and I think I would’ve have sold my mom for more. That small cup wouldn't have satiated the smallest of appetite , in fact i think it would/did make me hungrier but I wasn’t about to rip that cup out of Shauna’s hands I mean people were watching . Well a wash of warm fuzzy came over us all and soon we were ready to take the next leg of our trip.

We sat content blissful and intoxicated with food and company. The bus was a hum with laughter and the music of life being lived. In simplest form it was harmony.

[marley9808]

And for the record....I basically begged him to get a cup of that soup the way I was offering it to him. I asked him no less than 3 times if he wanted me to get him a cup because once I tasted it I KNEW he would like it and therefore want some....but he said no, so I only got one. But of course....I shared the whole cup with him, like the good little wife that I am.

Ok, I will continue on tonight folks.....stay tuned

[Sweetness]

.....I have dreams about that soup......still haven't attempted the recreation but I am GONNA. Lips were numb in the most delicious way!!!