I see what you mean about that view..whoa! Love your pics and am loving reading every bit of your report.
I see what you mean about that view..whoa! Love your pics and am loving reading every bit of your report.
Mr. X Does Negril (2010) with No Reservations
Chapter 36 (cont) – Afternoon at Catcha
September 7th, 2010 – Tuesday – (Day 4)
Leave big building and walk along rock pathways with beautiful landscaping and flowers all around you.
Have visited Catcha earlier in the week and came for dinner here last year. Have not stayed at Catcha in about 15 years. Water and cliffs look exactly the same. Catcha is way different. Before no restaurant, bar, and no pool.
The property along water is made up of 2 coves. 1st one is shared with Ricks (quiet side) on far side, Banana Shout in middle and Catcha on the right. This part of Catcha is a sheer rock wall down to the water for about 25 feet or so. A short rock wall runs in front at cliffs edge from the front left of property where it meets wall between Catcha and Banana Shout. This is basically directly in front of the big building.
Top middle.
Mostly for hanging out and viewing. You can jump off anywhere along that wall except in 1 or 2 places where the rocks are visible below in the clear water. It’s a little high for me for jumping. You can see and hear the ocean crashing against the rock wall. Great viewing. The wall turns and goes directly out into the water for 50 feet and it runs right beside the Sagittarius cottage and on the other side of the cottage is part of the open seating for Ivans Restaurant and Bar.
Pop in Ivans bar which is a roofed hut type. Always relaxing at Ivans. They ask what room we are staying in on ur first visit to the bar. I tell them normal answer Aquarius but you can put our bar bill on anybody's tab u want. They write out longhand all u order per shift. I never pay when I order. Pretty nice. Don’t have to worry about having money with me.
Everybody is nice. Not many people here at all. Practically have run of the place. Drinks. Drinks
From in front of Ivans the cliff curves around for a nice size area and then does a tight U shape which makes for Catcha’s private cove. From in front of Ivans all the way to far edge of property the cliff is cut up with stairs going up and down.
Nooks and Cranies everywhere. Rock wall and edges go up and down. You could jump off the cliffs in 100’s of spots from as low as 2 feet high all the way up to about 25 feet. The water is clear and deep. About 5 spots u can see big bolders so u know not to jump there.
Cliff jumpers dream place. I sometime like to add a little running to my cliff jumping. Several places no wall so u can just run off edge.
Lots of easy ones in the 10 ft range that are fun for me.
Big difference is the current Catcha has all these nooks and crannys filled in with nice padded loungers. Many have thachet roofs and umbrellas. So u can always get in the shade.
Ladder getting back out not so easy. You don’t want to touch the rock edge period. Fornately the rock edges mostly go straight down and the water is crystal clear. Its easy to stay away from the edges except when u want to get out. Then you got to go in close. Like landing a jet on an aircraft carrier (guessing). Done right looks routine and easy. Done wrong ouch!
Water is always going in or out so you situate yourself in the right direction and the water floats you over and you grab on with ur arms and then pull feet over to ladder wait for surge to go by and then it just like climbing a sturdy ladder. Slight problem you have been floating in ocean you feel very light and as soon as the water goes by you start climbing and thinking how heavy and/or weak you are. The ladder is rusty. Every ladder I have ever climbed out of ocean in Negril is rusty. This ladder is solid and steps are evenly spaced. Its heavy duty. Anchored into the rock. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a piece of cake. I see people ouch a little first time and shy away.
Get a Huckleberry Finn/Tom Sawyer feeling. Love jumping off cliffs into water. Does not have to be scary or dangerous. Lots of places to jump at any height. Get a thrill without hurting urself. Best part for me since nobody is around you don’t have to worry about people looking at you. Around 2 corners from here at Ricks hundreds of people watching the jumpers. My private cove its mostly just us. Don’t have to be cool (or graceful).
Thanks and Praise.
Got lots of sun in 2 hours.
Forgot about staying out of sun when its still hot.
Some people may have gotten too much.
Last edited by Mr. X; 08-27-2011 at 09:11 AM.
Great reports on the places in Negril Mr. X. Good advice about how to use the ladders to get out of the sea. Some people might be surprised by the swells, which can cause you to scrape the cliff edge if your timing is off. Watch how the swells go, then time your move, and grab the ladder. Happy ending.
That thatched roof alcove looks so comfy!
Mr. X Does Negril (2010) with No Reservations
Chapter 36 (cont) – Afternoon at Catcha
September 7th, 2010 – Tuesday – (Day 4)
I would not consider myself a strong swimmer. I like to jump in and swim over and play on floats. Short swim back to ladder. Most of the time water not rough at all but the swells are pulling you.
Catcha Cove
Just treading water makes me tired fairly fast. Nothing to grab on except rock which you don’t want to do because it always gets you with spikes that feel like splinters. Other than the ladder nothing to grab near edges. Always see people that are better swimmers than me get tired and struggle a little. People that swim laps everyday would love it. Just us middle swimmers got dilima. When I jump off cliff, I swim right to ladder and get out. When I am playing in the water I want some kind of floating devise. A noodle would be great but not going to fit in my suitcase.
Catcha has Floats tied off in the middle of Catcha Cove. Cool cause u can grab the rope and pull urself 1 way or the other. Floats are great because you can float with no expended energy and be in middle of water. Really cool. Depending on ur coordination you can hang out in a float in the middle of Catcha Cove and drink a frozen drink while fish swim under ur feet. Smoking has nothing to do with rules more with the ability to arrive with fire and dry. Not saying ziplock was a bigger invention than computers but waterproof ziplock bag inventor should at least be reconized.
Cold drink in the holder. Sun starting to set. I am floating in 20 feet of water. It looks like maybe 12 feet deep. Perfect temperature for me. Warm. I see individual fish. Schools of fish. Its like a snorkel trip except I am not wearing a mask. I am just looking into the water and seeing all this. I am not scared of the water. I am scared of the stuff in the water I cannot see sneaking up on me and taking a bite. Water is so clear nothing sneaking up on me. In fact if a lobster goes by the lobster better worry about me sneaking up on it. Never actually caught one by hand just saying.
Last edited by Mr. X; 08-27-2011 at 03:00 PM.
Yay! I will be at Catcha in like 42 days so I'm especially loving this report, thanks for the pics....and I know what you mean about that view from the new rooms!
Mr. X Does Negril (2010) with No Reservations
Chapter 37 – Sunset at Catcha
September 7th, 2010 – Tuesday – (Day 4)
Sunset is beautiful.
Thanks and praise
More than an hour of vivid colors.
I am feeling pretty good.
“Yamani, Yamani, Yamani”.
Not going to lie Shabba’s song hook that I think went something like Yamani, Yamani, Yamani is stuck in my head.
Only part of song I can remember but I like it.
Yamani, Yamani, Yamani (of course said real fast).
There is a time almost every day around sunset where the whole property at Catcha Falling Star gets a glow. Can’t tell from most photos. It’s a magical time at sunset around here.
So just to set the scene I am floating in the cove singing my Yamani, Yamani, Yamani song (YYY from henceforth)
Makes a really cool echo against the rocks
YYY
Nobody within ear shot.
I got nobody to heckle
No vendors
Every once in a while a boat goes by.
People almost always wave.
Nobody trying to selling me anything
This is how I like it.
Just me and my own private luxury cove with magical sunset.
Wish there was somebody to heckle.
Some point I am floating in cove by myself and nobody is around.
I am yelling Y,Y,Y but no one is around.
Please someone come out so I can yell Y, Y, Y.
The echo sounds really cool and I think I sound like a dancehall mc? … well anyhow it’s funny to me.
Finally more people come out as it gets closer to sunset.
I swim out a few feet and peep around the corner.
Ricks as always is filling up.
As we are getting closer to final sunset I am swimming around with my new flippers on. First time I really got a chance to use them. On the beach does not matter whether you have flippers or not. On the cliff end with flippers on I can tread water and not feel tired at all. Makes swimming pretty easy. Can’t believe what a difference good flippers make. From a distance (say Ricks) to where I am, u cannot tell I have flippers on just see a guy swimming.
As the sun is almost getting to the horizon I notice that if I just go out a few more feet out say 10 feet I am directly in line between all those people at Ricks and the final sunset disappearing into vast sea. You can tell everyone is taking photos as the sun starts to disappear into the water. Lots of flashing.
Well I don’t need my hands to swim/tread water so I can wave them in the air. Swimming with flippers I go from below average swimmer to faster than Michael Phelps. No seriously. I might have been feeling pretty good about this time.
Have u ever seen men’s water ballet?
How about just a fool out in the ocean?
Switch over to American music
Old School circa 1986
Cameo - Word Up
"Yo pretty ladies around the world
I've got a weird thing to show you
So tell all the boys and girls
Tell ur brother, ur sister and ur mama too
Cause they are about to throw down
and you'll know just what to do
Wave ur hands in the air like u don’t care!
WAVE UR HANDS IN THE AIR LIKE U DON’T CARE!!
Glide by the people as they start to look and stare
Do ur Dance, Do ur Dance, Do ur Dance
Quick mama come on Baby
Tell me What's the Word
Word up"
So if you took a long bus ride all day from Ocho Rios and were at Ricks on September 4th, 2010 and ur final sunset photos were messed up by some idiot floating way out in the water waving his arms around like a lunatic.
I don’t know what you are talking about.
“WAVE UR HANDS IN THE AIR LIKE U DON'T CARE!!!”
Last edited by Mr. X; 02-11-2012 at 02:37 PM.
Lol !!!
Mr. X Does Negril (2010) with No Reservations
Chapter 38 – Dinner at Catcha
September 7th, 2010 – Tuesday – (Day 4)
Finally had to get out of water and get ready for big birthday dinner. (Not trying to stand on a technicality but again her actual birthday is not till Wednesday and this is Tuesday) Our friends have to go back home tomorrow. We had us 4 plus Granville and his wife. Very relaxing and laid back. We have been looking forward to this dinner. Everyone got Lobster Thermodore except Granville who got the snapper and I got the garlic lobster. Mine was great but I should have went with the lobster Themodore seemed to be way more lobster. Not too worried about it because tomorrow I will be at Blue Cave Castle and eating Teddy’s Lobster Thermodore. All food was excellent. We hung out and ate and drank and had a wonderfully relaxing time with friends. Weather was beautiful. Nice breeze.
Wifey had been working the birthday thing all week and it still was not even her birthday. When we were ordering food. Everybody ordered and Birthday girl (almost) could not decide. We waited and waited and waited. Waitress/Bartender had gotten to know us pretty good. And in that typical Jamaican way she finally looked up and said “Ok birthday girl what u gonna have?” Whole table busted out laughing. It was so funny I guess you had to be there.
Snapper
Today’s special garlic lobster
Lobster thermodore
So it’s off season and slow. Maybe 2 other tables of 2 all night beside our party of 6. So that means all the other 15 tables spread out over the dining area with candles lit and full silverware and napkins will see no action tonight. I asked if they do it every night. Yup. Every night. Just because nobody else is there does not mean you do not get the full blown Catcha Falling Star experience.
New pool is all lit up and the property is beautiful and even though its dark there is enough moon light that the vast horizon is lit up and you see the beautiful water and hear it against the rocks. So relaxing. We are so comfortable here. You can get up and walk around and come back to table. Drinks. Walk back and forth to bar which is 20 feet away.
Beautiful night with friends.
Big up for an incredible trip report. Your descriptive writing along with a dry wit make for an addictive sense of reading.
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