Sunrise ... Sunset. Is there any place better that I could get? Trip Report

[bjritz]

Xtabi Bar & Friends Met

The dark wood glistens, the blender crunches then zooms in rhythm with the Reggae, chatter, surf pounds a cliff, laughter and beautiful people, this is how I view the bar at Xtabi. A watering hole of Caribbean proportions. Slide up for cold Stripe, Dirty Banana, Rum Punch or food glorious food and just enjoy the vibe. A look around after a day of sun, heat, taxis, sand and much walking brings to the eye some very nice people. Honeymooners glued together with common purpose or is it desire; the wired looking for a Jamaican unwinder; Midwestern sweetness; old Negril vets with stories of the 'ole day; mostly returnees with a purpose to enjoy Xtabi and Negril on their terms, yes travelers not tourists.



For a first timer all I had to go on was pictures and trip reports. Bar surfers, pics of 'lil turquoise love seats, and the anticipation of a view. But being there was an oasis of interesting. As you've surmised I was on a lazy *ss vacation. Lay around, walk a bit (damn quite a bit) but recovering in a cove of fish, then sit, and of course drink. Drink Rum! (only ting missing at Xtabi bar was the Spitfire) But, hey they poured a killer dirty banana. I took it upon myself to be the DB inspector everywhere I went. Xtabi killed it, ya baby they did. The chocolate in the glass drizzled up the sides, rum cream, rum, more rum, ice, blended then topped with a big drop of chocolate, straw in, straw filled and overflowing with 150 proof – effing amazing. First sip, Houston we have no problem!

People, yah, yeah, we were talkin' about people. Ever notice people in a bar drink? Negrilophiles as I've come to respect, mon, buy yer drinks. Tis a blessin', but ya jus gotta buck up an receive. Giving in due time does come around however, and that is jus as much fun, mon.



The rundown at the lazying (bar flying or whatever you call it in your neck of the city):

Brian and Marcel – He's a parasailing captain from Sarasota, she is the most fun wild thing at Xtabi. She so wrapped herself around Ed (my travel buddy) and he would not let me take a picture as his wife would sic her Sicilian cousins on him.(Note: this is not exploitative language – she was wild) He was a great guy and so supportive of his girl who was in need of a break, which she got. He help me out of a spot while I was there in the department of local purchases. All together just the finest couple and truly fun to hang out with. Marcel seemed to need late, very late entertainment, I woke up in the middle of the night (wee hours) and heard her in the cliff side gardens. Had to see if she was okay and she was, just talking a blue streak all night. Loved that girl!

The A's – Andy and April stayed in #6. This is the cabin right below #8. You can see their roof from our deck. I was talking with the A's one night and April said, “We're in the room just below you.” “Oh,” I reply, “So, you're the one waving at me from your shower.” “Yep,” she firmly stated, “That's me waving at you up there....” (In reality, we didn't see her wave...) They were very nice and a lot of fun at the bar. Good peeps.



Jason and Mandy – These two were from just outside Indianapolis, nice dinks. This was the couple we hung out with at Seastar for the Saturday night gig. Sweet as can be. They told us one of the best stories I've heard yet about Negril and it's wonderful people.

On the way into town with their driver, Champion, he asked Mandy what she wanted on this trip. They'd been a few times before and always used this driver. She stated that she wanted to cook Jamaican food the local way. He asked her if she could what would she cook? She said fish. That was it. The rest of the drive into Xtabi and the subsequent side trips they took this never came up.

One day I was looking out onto the cove in the afternoon and a boat drops a couple of guys off who swim over to one of the rocks just off the cliff. They have a bag of fish which they proceed to clean.



Later at the bar we hear the story. Champion, the driver, yells up to Mandy who is staying in #4, “You are cooking dinner tonight. You, yes you.” Jason tossed some beers down to the two of them and they jumped in and grabbed these. Champion took Jason, Mandy, The A's and Michael from Xtabi staff up to his house. He taught Mandy how to cook fish Negril style.

This story still sticks in my heart as to what Negril and it's lovely people are all about. Just mention a wish in passing to your driver and he'll see that you have a killler experience in his town. Wow!



Toni and Jenni (our besties) – Toni hails from Phoenix and is an Xtabi regular. Toni spent more time in the cove than anyone. She floated swam and just absorbed the Caribbean. What a lovely person. Jenni is from St. Augustine and also a regular returnee. She was a quiet gracious presence. We ate breakfasts and did a considerable amount of drinking together. These gems were just the medicine I needed in this place of serious beauty. We shared some great conversations and just had a great time getting to know them. The funny thing was, they didn't come together. They're not sisters. Never met each other before this last reach. People thought Ed and I were brothers. So, it was natural that the 'sistas' n the 'bros' met up for some fun in Negril.



Ed and I go back. Way back. He was my boss for a while. I survive at a job he got me, that he was subsequently laid off of. Bad I know, but you know what happens. We have a history together and his wife and mine socialize regularly. In fact I offered the trip to him (room, that is) and thought he was too busy to come. He did, I secretly think my wife asked him to go to accompany the body (mine) home.

Ed's a little crazy. No, a lot crazy. His method (not that I condone this mind you) of handling higglers was to speak to them in Hebrew. He would say, in Hebrew that he was from Isreal....much confusion would befall his higgler. I would nearly die when this would happen, but he's his own man and I'm not about to mess with a former Navy intelligence officer.

So, he would tell whoever would listen at the Xtabi bar about the “don't mess with an Israeli” method of handing the locals. I was dying. You just can't take him anywhere.



Mrs. Johnson – One evening at the shift change for barkeeps at Xtabi, Natasha and a woman I'd not met came in and sat across the bar. Xtabi weighs all the bottles of liquor at every shift change, they have a ledger and each bottle is marked and the ledger is updated. (gerryg asked for and liked details, well, more than you wanted to know...) I asked Natasha who was her friend, and before she could answer, the other woman spoke up. “I'm Mrs. Johnson.” I was glad to meet her. She was nice, but wearing a severe black suit. Later Ed said he thought being married must be a Jamaican thing to be quite proud of, as Mrs. Johnson was clearly letting us know. Later I found out she was a new incoming manager for Xtabi and was letting the staff know she was in charge. She was a truly wonderful person.

We had many conversations and she eventually let me in on a secret. Her name was Shawna. I didn't have to call her Mrs. Johnson anymore. I did have fun with the staff, however. Any time they were just standing around or having fun with each other I would remind them that Mrs. Johnson could walk in at any moment. They would just laugh each time. I love these people. What fun we all had. Shawna if you eva read this, know you are right up there as one of my most pleasant memories of Negril. Yu da boss!

Woody – Some of you boardies know Woody. He is on and off the board at times. We had several great conversations about the old days. He was on his 55th trip to Negril. Whew!

Queenie – We met at the bar and had a great evening wandering the town. She is an inspiration to me and quite an adventurer. Having come to Negril for a six day vacation, she went home and sold all and moved to Negril. She'd been there a month. She is staying with Bella Donna and seemed to be having the time of her life. We went down to Canoe for the Greenies and Rob's webcast. (This will be detailed later.)



All the bar tenders, wait staff and cooks at Xtabi took extraordinary care of me during my stay. Hat's off to all of you.

The best part of my trip was meeting and getting to know all the other guests. Since this was all new to me, the vets gave me advice and just brought the “want to be there vibe” with them. Thanks to all mentioned above for your gracious hosting of me at my oasis in Negril.

Drifting off to sleep after many a rum fueled drink, many a dragon and stripe, head swimming a bit I'm so glad to have come. The people make the day in the end.

Middle of the night, stumbling to the bath, must find Alka-seltzer.....and vitamin B+.....water, thankfully the tap water can be drank.....outdoor shower.....back to bed....must do this again tomorrow.....zzzzz

[marley9808]

Her name was Shawna.

What a great name! She spells it wrong..but still, a great name!
LOL

[bjritz]

“Best End of the West End, Mon!” Exclaimed by a young man we met on One Love outside of Wise Choice Supermarket.

Hazy cloud filtered light seeps into hazy addled brain. Nice cool, really cool breeze sweeps the room, wraps the body in a light salt air breath of morning. Eye peeps open slightly to take in minimal lizard like view of the new day. Dark wood contrasts with white blowing shears attempting to cover the wood slats and screened windows; beyond lies tropic green in verdant layers. Song birds calling, wood smoke drifts into the mix, just a thread left from the fire at 3 Dives the night before. Ah, fine Jamaican morning, come in lift me, wake me, stir me to a peaceful start of a day with no agenda, no calls, no pressure; all good mon. Good Morning Negril!

Turns out, this is our walk to the lighthouse day. We amble up the road just having a good time seeing all the divergence in scenery. The tin walls of what we came to call “no man’s land” that crowded the road. The contrast of buildings with only upstairs residences and first floors empty, stark, with the lovely posh resorts on the other side of the street. The great line of shops opposite of Rockhouse was fun to browse through and meet the nice people along the road.

Having spent months looking at all this from above, (http://tinyurl.com/7m27ogx) it was just so cool to walk through it all at street level. Things are more compact than I had realized, and there are many things going on all around you up through about LTU and a little beyond. Then it quiets down. Traffic nearly vanishes and there is a great piece of undeveloped land across from The Caves Resort.

We popped into visit several resorts, Rockhouse, Sunset on the Cliffs, Negril Escape, and Tensing Pen. Some we looked at on the way to the light house and some on the way back. We just went in the ones with open gates or outside security. Since we weren’t eating lunch we just didn’t do the ones we knew would let us in, but would like us to drop some cash. (Cheap old guys) Two of these we spent a little time at were Negril Escape and Rockhouse.

Negril Escape was a pleasant surprise as its cliffs were quite low to the sea. We ducked into the bar and had a few beers while a squall came through. Just majestic! It was great that the bar was under that overhang so we were dry and had a wonderful view of the line of hard rain coming toward us. The waves started just pounding the rocks along the terrace and it was amazing. The spray off that little inlet that juts into the property was nice. Had we been standing out on the terrace we’d been washed off the thing the water was coming up halfway to the bar!



At Rockhouse we got a couple of beers and walked out to the massage cabana that juts out into the cove. Nice teak Adirondack chairs out there with matched ottomans to laze on. Some photo shoot was going on just on the rock path behind us, lovely model and a bunch of photographers. We had to just hang out there for a while until they were done.

Stopped by Rick’s gates for a picture, past Sexy Rexy’s and were bummed he wasn’t there. And next we went on to the lighthouse.



I most likely have my days out of order but we went into Rick’s to see a sunset, but it was too cloudy. Ricks is where all the people in Negril are, man it was packed. Next we rambled over to LTU for dinner, and that was fantastic! What a nice place hanging over such a beautiful cove.



Went back to Xtabi and stopped at 3 Dives to pick up some Spitfires for the porch talk looking into the fading of the evening as night fires burn across the cove.

Weary feet and legs were thrown onto the cabin bed, fan blasting down to cool the night heat. Drift toward a rest not often obtained in mainland towns, drop to a steady sleeping breath, dream of pelicans in flight, moon bright, luminous surf swirling around toes and on it goes, and on it goes.

[bjritz]

Canoe – Place of Ultimate Excellence

Today’s tale is of a great time had on the way to and from Canoe Beach Bar & Grill.

By way of disclaimer, now that I’ve read most of GerryG123’s monster trip reports, all pictures of various people on this report were asked if their picture could be taken. Any that said no, are not posted. (No one said no) The exception to this was entertainers who were in the midst of their awesomeness and unavailable for asking. (I hope they don’t mind my free and unabashed promotion of their art.) My asking was to ensure they were okay with my possession of their image. I, however, this being my first visit to Negril and my first eva trip report, didn’t ask them if they would like to specifically be in my trip report. (Next time, baby, next time) But, I’m getting ahead of myself.....

The reverie I and you have come to expect from my Jamaican mornings was interrupted slightly by the gentle padding feet of my travel buddy, Ed. This was Ed’s day to go to the airport. He was not completely ready to leave, but his work was calling, not to mention his wife who had been dealing with leaking plumbing in his absence. Dawn was bright and piercing into our room and my eyes, a brilliant sunny day was upon us.

Ed’s Juta ride was coming early, 6 AM, so we hung out at the Xtabi drive waving off countless route taxis after they spotted luggage. The restaurant wasn’t open yet, so no coffee. A delightful sweet lady driver arrived and whisked Ed off in a second. Goodbye my friend who unknowingly was about to enter the jaws of airline hell. Certain national American politicians were going to delay and reroute his flights all day. He didn’t get home until midnight. (But, that will be in his trip report, hah!)

Next up was a leisurely breakfast at Xtabi with those amazing little knotted rolls. My, those are good. Coffee and some much needed sea gazing. I can just sit there on that terrace and soak it in!

There was a delightful young lady from London staying with us at Xtabi. She was traveling solo and we spent some time together chatting and snorkeling in the cove. She stated that she’d seen a ray out there, so in I went to find it. Nope, never did. But, just floating around looking at all the wonder of a sunny morning was so fabulous.

My morning continued in that do nothing much but included a nap and one of those superb snapper sandwiches at the Xtabi bar.

This was the day I ran into Queenie, whom I mentioned in my peeps section. She is the one staying up with Bella Donna who had sold everything to move to Negril. We met in the bar at Xtabi and subsequently walked down to Canoe for Rod’s webcast and Greenie band party.

Queenie was so relaxed and enjoyable to hang with, a true free spirit. She was giving me the ‘what’s up’ on the Negril scene. There was hardly anyone we passed on the road that she didn’t know by name. She talked about how to honor a Rasta Mon, by including the word ‘rasta’ in your conversation or greeting. From that moment on I heard the locals doing this alla time. Good ting, dat.

Upon our arrival at Canoe we met Tina. She is an amazingly sweet and beautiful girl. I was mesmerized by her eyes.



The Greenies (properly known as Green & Steel Drum Band) were already playing on the stage and the music was fantastic. These guys are good. I loved it. What ambiance, the sea, beach, music and cool people just added to the great food and drink. They had Dragon Stouts, cold too!



Some kids were diving off the German Bar dock what a show.



I met these two sweet Polish girls who were in there fourth year of just traveling around the world. They were nice and we had a good conversation. They also framed the sunset at Canoe.

[bjritz]

Queenie and four other people (two not in the picture) were hanging inside the lounge area. These two women, whose names I’ve unfortunately forgotten, were a couple of expats that had been in Negril for many years. They were so fun. We talked and laughed so much that evening. I was glad that Queenie met these two as they seemed interested in her success in her move to town. The vibe that evening was just awesome.



Talked briefly with Rob, he was quite busy with the webcast and seemed to be just having a ball. What a job, work, life he has going. One truly amazing guy.

Queenie and I rambled back up the cliff road and found that the Fi Wi bar was open. I had walked by it so many times and laughed at the misspelling of WiFi. Duh? Me the guy who knows nothing about Negril. Well, I asked the lovely barkeep what was with the name Fi Wi. (I said it fy wy) She laughed with that infectious smile and said ‘Fee Wee, Mon, all us together, all together, Fi Wi.’ Okay, I have it now, loved that little place. She said she and her family owned many small bars throughout Negril.



Like I said Queenie knew everybody. We’d walk a few feet and meet someone new. We had lots of great conversations. One was with a family that invited us into their backyard, somewhere along past Ciao. We hung out while one guy carved a little cup from a calabash fruit shell. He gave it to Queenie. Really cool. This family has lived in that home since 1955 and watched it all come up around them. Salt of the earth, these, we also noticed this little pile of puppies they had, so cute.

148

After all the walking we were both beat and said our goodbyes. Queenie headed back up to Bella Donna’s and me into the Xtabie bar. We had a new batch of ‘yardies’ as the rooms had turned again. Many pleasant peeps to get to know. They had their ‘just arrived’ vibe on, lots of excitement, lots of plans, lots of loudness and hearty drinking. I was so much mellower after the many days of unwinding. The work of the Caribbean Sea, the salt air, the dirty bananas had been done. My watch spring was unwound. How absolutely refreshing this was to discover.

I was done for the day, no more need for anything but a great night’s sleep to prepare me for my last full day in Negril. I loved showering off the day in the outdoor stall overlooking the road. Flopped out on the bed, fan blasting, and quickly fell into the deep peaceful place of a totally vacated mind.

The cold woke me; I groped for the fan switch, off, ya mon, all good. The surf enveloped me again; the breeze wrapped my shoulders and eased me into the calm of the Caribbean Sea. I drift upon it, just off the cave beach, looking up into a starry night sky. I hope the lion fish and morays are asleep, I hope the tide is coming in, not out, but mostly I hope I’m on my bed not really out in the cove.

[bjritz]

Last Full Day in Negril

One pin standing, one pin wobbling. I wake to my last full day in Negril. Slept like a rock. Walking, talking and a variety of food, drink and delicious conversations can do that to you.

The morning is fresh and clear, I can see almost to Cancun. I walk down to the cliff wall to see how the light is playing on the water. Ah, perfect. The crystal Caribbean sun is piercing the sea just a few feet off the base of the cliffs. Ya, mon, snorkeling time!



Breakfast can wait. This water is so inviting. Calm, clear, just cool enough to feel perfect. Once in the cove, the magic I’ve been having daily just ramped up exponentially. Passing from the shadows on against the cliff into the sun drenched area, the water was full of shafts of light angling down to the sea bed. Swimming in the light was pure enchantment. This swim had just become surreal. The fish were clearly into the clarity as well, more feeding going on than ever. And the colors in the morning sun were brilliant.

Just when I thought it couldn’t be any better I realized the school of little silvery fish that had been avoiding me all week, just suddenly surrounded me. In front, back and below, thousands of these fish just came up as if to say, “We accept you. You’ve been here with us enough days to embrace your presence.” Wow! Talk about Nirvana.



I’ll remember this morning for a long time.

[TizzyATX]

That wata!!! My goodness its just so beautiful...I could spend the rest of my life staring into it.

[bjritz]

Wata, I love how Jamaicans call it Wata! I can't get it out of my brain....must have more.

[Clarity]

Last full day?? Noooo - I don't want this trip report to ever end, I've been enjoying it too much.
Thanks for taking the time to share all that you have! I love all the beautiful pictures and your descriptions of your experiences in Negril!
Really beautiful!
(and yes, her eyes are mesmerizing! wow!)

[irieworld]

so love your poetry of words bringing the full experience to us. Brings the Negril-longing full on--but also is satiating.