Mr. X does Negril (2010) with No Reservations
Prologue
Summer 2010
This is a made up story. Even if this really did happened exactly as i say, I have some short (and long) term memory issues that would make the authenticity of this version of events dubious at best. (Thats a disclaimer to protect the guilty and allow you to hopefully overlook some of my shortcomings)
No relation to Mr. X from old board and 2009 Trip Report. I am older (about a year), better looking (my story), better shape (slightly) and smarter (at least about Negril). Same wife.
Since this already happened (or not) if I am wondering aloud what I should eat or where I should stay. These are more rhetorical questions therefore advise though nice not exactly helpful NOW! Pointing out that I am a typical loud obnoxious American is not helpful either and wrong (well at least the typical part and hopefully not the obnoxious).
As far as the wanton slaughter of poor animals for my digestive pleasure? It’s defiantly upsetting but at the time the animals had already been sacrificed. I know it is a lame excuse but I was on vacation, hungry and well damn they tasted so good.
After trip to Jamaica last year (2009) over Labor Day Week (US holiday in early September for you foreigners) I decided we don’t always have to go to Jamaica on vacation, at least once a year will be fine with me. This year Wifey has already been to Miami (expensive) with high school girlfriends, Mexico (inexpensive) with her family and we went to friends’ beach house (free except for gas) over Memorial Day. So hard but not impossible for her to grant my One Request in Life.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO TO NEGRIL WE HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING THERE?
(She is still yelling and this does not mean she does not want to go just wants me to justify)
Except for last year we have not been there in 13 years and we stayed in an All Inclusive (AI) at the far end of Negril so we did not see that much. And as Marko says Bloody Bay is in the middle of nowhere.
WHO’S MARKO?
Somebody who knows and it is not important. Remember how much fun we had last year?
I DON’T THINK THE FOOD IS THAT ALL THAT GREAT IN JAMAICA!
Honey we went over this. Last year we stayed in an AI and had buffet meals for a week. It is like if someone flew to visit the USA stayed in a Hotel in Cleveland and had buffet food for a week and then flew home to their country and said the food in the US of A sucks! Does not mean it does or does not suck. It is just not a fair sampling of food to indict an entire country and all its food based on eating at one place. Every meal we ate outside the AI you loved. So this time you will get a variety of places to eat and then you can be food critic for a whole country or at least for Negril. Fair enough?
Been checking flights at least weekly for a year mostly for reference purposes and to “keep hope alive”. Delta Airlines direct from Atlanta (ATL). Early flight leaves at 10am lands Montego Bay (MBJ) at 12pm (3 hour flight gain 1 hour going this time of year). Best for us Saturday to Saturday especially holiday week. Slow at work any holiday week. $409 each best fare and mostly had this fare for last 6 months.
Of course I dream of the days (20 years ago) when fares were $250. All in all $409 is not horrible price it is just the actual paying part. Last year (2009) when I tried to book direct from Delta 3 weeks before Labor Day it was $600 each and felt fortunate to pay $450 each indirectly thru Bookit.com. Getting closer hoping maybe it will go down. Little trouble in Kingston. Continued broke ass in Atlanta.
Maybe will not happen this year. Truth is it has been that kind of year. Bummer. So much for the yearly tradition of going to Jamaica for Labor Day Week. Hope fades … fares start going down … what $325 wow … if I had the money I would book it for 2 today! Changing every day for 2 weeks going up to $479 down to $325. Big difference with 2 tickets that’s a $300 savings.
July 29th, 2010 – Thursday morning
Wife said her sister and husband always wanted to go to Jamaica with us could you check rates.
Delta Airlines Low fare is 2nd flight that leaves at 12noon and gets to MoBay at 2pm.
$239 … Holy Moses … $239 must be something wrong with computer … figure flights from Boston so they could be on exact flights as us with plenty of time to make connections for them. $299 for them round trip from Boston. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Story I get is BROTHER-IN-LAW DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE NEW ENGLAND IN SEPTEMBER. I don’t even get on the phone. Good luck with that. They live on the beach. He is a doctor from NYC. Never been to Jamaica. Once you go you know. He is regular smart and street smart (rare combo) so he is not going to have no problems in Jamaica. Trust me of all the people in the world he would get it. Sorry to hear that.
Baby listen the rates have not been this low since well since I have been old enough to go to Jamaica. $479 TOTAL for 2 tickets on the flights we want … well maybe 2 hours later going but almost half of what we figured to pay. Round trip was actually $140. That’s $70 dollars each way from Atlanta, Georgia USA to Montego Bay, Jamaica West Freaking Indies. With taxes and fees of $99 totals $239. Unbelievable.
We are not talking crappy Spirit Airlines (charging for carry on bs) with layovers in Fort Lauderdale on mid-week bad time of day travel. Direct on Delta Airlines from the ATL to the MBJ. Saturday to Saturday. Sweet!!! I heard sometimes prices are set on midnight Wednesday (or midnight Tuesday). Don’t know about that but I got these on a Thursday morning and within hours price was back up to $325 each. Fortunately for us the trigger was pulled and we are going to Jamaica in 2010.
38 days till September 4th, 2010.
Got to start exercising.
P38X?
People always write in to board. Why you got to get in shape before vacation? Why you got to diet? Lots of answers for me. Don’t know exact one but here is a start. I am going to be running around in my bathing suit without a shirt on all week eating and drinking like a pig and jumping off cliffs into the ocean while my wife is going to be snapping a million party pics. I hate party pics. I beg her not to do it but she is going to do it anyway. Beautiful scenery all around and you want posed fake smile? I am not going to pose so she is going to take shots of me anyway. Damn.
Another possible reason if you cannot climb out of water on rusty uneven ladders then you cannot play in the big boy end of ocean. Best for me to try to get in better shape so my fat ass don’t drown. Long list. Not saying I am going to be in better shape just saying it’s a goal.
Lack of funds is going to be an issue. Ok so luxurious vacation is out (lol was not really an option). Don’t want to stay at an All Inclusive (AI) for too many reasons. We will see what happens in next few weeks. Back in vacation mode looking stuff up. Instead of all this general info I have been collecting now I got exact dates when we will be in Jamaica so I got to figure out everything from hotels, food, drinks, tours, budget, and transportation everything. Me like that.
As a Refresher here is a link to my 2009 Trip Report – Which of course is the real Prologue to this story. Just click on link and go to start (Archive through August 30th, 2010)
http://www.negril.com/discus/message...263#POST441504
Prologue
Chapter 1 – Big Movie Star
Chapter 2 – Why Jamaica
Chapter 3 – Why Negril
Chapter 4 – Negril.com
Chapter 5 - Hotels
Chapter 6 - Budget
Chapter 7 – Snorkeling and Floating
Chapter 8 – My First Trip to Negril
Chapter 9 – Cliff Jumping
Chapter 10 - Souvenirs
Chapter 11 - Airfare
Chapter 12 – Company is Coming
Chapter 13 – Final Week
Chapter 14 – Plane Ride
Chapter 15 – MBJ Airport
Chapter 16 – Ride to Negril
Chapter 17 – Mr. Bigga
Chapter 18 – Seastar Inn and Saturday webcast party
Chapter 19 – am at Seastar Inn
Chapter 20 – Bourbon Beach
Chapter 21 – LTU Pub
Chapter 22 – Catcha and the Walk Home
Chapter 23 – 2nd am at Seastar Inn
Chapter 24 – Review of Seastar Inn
Chapter 25 – BarBBarn
Chapter 26 – Red Dragoon
Chapter 27 – afternoon at BarBBarn
Chapter 28 – Dinner at Jamaica Tamboo
Chapter 29 – Show at Bourbon Beach
Chapter 30 – am at BarBBarn
Chapter 31 – Review of BarBBarn
Chapter 32 – Catcha Fallin Star
Chapter 33 – Field Tour
Chapter 34 – Driving around Red Ground
Chapter 35 – Xtabi
Chapter 36 – afternoon at Catcha
Chapter 37 – sunset at Catcha
Chapter 38 – dinner at Catcha
Chapter 39 – later at Catcha
Chapter 40 – am at Catcha
Chapter 41 – Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 42 – Idle Awhile
Chapter 43 – Coco La Palm
Chapter 44 – Canoe
Chapter 45 – afternoon at Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 46 – trip to L& M
Chapter 47 – 2nd trip to L&M
Chapter 48 – Ciao Jamaica
Chapter 49 – Later at the Castle
Chapter 50 – 1st morning at the Castle
Chapter 51 – Later 1st morning at the Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 52 – Even later 1st morning at the Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 53 – Famous Vincent and the Sunset Cruise
Chapter 54 – Review of Famous Vincent
Chapter 55 – 2nd Night at the Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 56 – 2nd Morning at the Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 57 – Ant Story
Chapter 58 – Review of Blue Cave Castle
Chapter 59 –
Chapter 60 -
Chapter 61 -
Chapter 62 -
Chapter 63 -
Chapter 64 -
Chapter 65 -
Chapter 66 -
Chapter 67 -
Chapter 68 -
Chapter 69 -
Chapter 70 - The End
