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

[bjritz]

Arrived yesterday at around noon, slow trawl to Xtabi via Juta. Dropped some peeps along the way, went to Hi Lo for supplies, beer, beer, beer.

Light rain falling when we walked into the Xtabi lobby to be greeted by the lovely Natasha. So, sweet, that girl.

Got to go from 3 Dives and ate on the room deck. Here is my first sunset.



It was very cloudy and the sun peeked through twice then was gone. Very nice, very peaceful.

Thanks, Doctoro for the pic. Beautiful.

This trip is a wife kicked me out of the house type of trip. She said, "Hey Mon, respect, you need a break, go get out of here." So I did. A long time friend came along to accompany the body. And we brought a world famous tour guide, RChicken LeBlanck. He has a facebook page named that and has traveled far and wide.



RC is the only one above the table. First night, first Stripe, first sleep on rock. Coma. Fan kept me cool. Took walk at 2:30 AM as my liver woke me. Love the sound of the water popping in the cliffs and caves. Had the Xtabi achi (sp?) and salt fish breakfast, so good.

Out snorkeling from the beach cave for awhile this morning. Water is so perfect and clear. Wonderful.

Met Omar at the Xtabi bar and George, also Paul. Couldn't find Ringo. More to come as the days pass. Still in the unwind mode. Trying to wash off work and the flight. Head not quite straight yet.

Have a beautiful day all my new Boardie friends.

[yetta]

I am really loving your posts and pictures. It's only been 4 months since I've left but I am soooo missing Negril. Enjoy and keep them coming!!

[Guirigay]

Conch Burger Baby!! Love Xtabi and Henry's Conch Burgers!

[bjritz]

Jamaica first impressions (this is a bit of a recap and expansion of the above)

My landing and trip through customs was uneventful but took about an hour. I set about to find the restaurant that I saw online, in the Sangster Airport. I had told my friend that I was traveling with, whom found a flight arriving an hour after mine, that I would meet him in the Bobsled restaurant. (Hah, I know some of you are already laughing.) I couldn’t find it. I found the Groovy Grouper by wading through a gauntlet of taxi drivers.

After approaching the bar for my first reach red stripe I was greeted by a driver who not only arranged a table for me, but also joined me and offered his many services. One of these was if I wanted ganja. I’d heard that this was a bad place (the airport) for this, so I politely declined, but also wrote him off as a possible narco-man. He had so thoroughly latched onto me (in his mind) that I was his fare, even though I’d pointed out I had other transport arranged, that I had to wander back into the lobby to lose him.

I was planning to use and had reserved a spot on a Juta bus. I asked the girl at their desk about the Bobsled place and was informed it was down in the middle of Mobay. She directed me to the bus side of the arrival area and I found the mini Jimmy Buffett place. I ordered a rum drink and just took it all in. I loved the view of the hill with all the homes hanging on it across from the airport. I had a hearty laugh as a trio of lovely Midwestern women ordered from the bar and just said to the bartender to “just fix us up with a rum drink” – boyo did they get that and some. Seven different rums, a shot of juice and $18 bucks later walla, welcome to Jamaica!

My friend and I connected after he couldn’t find the Bobsled either. (Imagine that!) He managed to get through customs much quicker. Then out to a van for the ride to Negril. We were teamed up with a couple of other parties and then we rolled.

The drive was so wonderful. So much to see, goats, goats, camels, boats and did I mention goats! We were driving through just after school let out so we saw all the different uniforms of the town schools. It was amazing. All those kids in colorful uniforms just standing by the road with everyone whizzing by inches from them and they are so nonplused about it all.

The views from the hills are amazing. The trip was a visual cornucopia of trees, flowers, bright buildings, rusting shacks, smiling people and friendly honking. The bus driver had different honks for different people on the road. Loved the ride. We dropped peeps at a two RUIs and then rolled on into Negril proper. Had a quick stop for Red Stripe and Dragon Stout at the Hi Lo and then onto Xtabi.

We arrived in light misty rain. It felt refreshing. I met the ever lovely Natasha working at the front desk. She is the one I corresponded with as I set up my trip. Not only was she nice - she is hot!


Paul at the hotel set us up with a cooler for the beer and some ice. We kicked our feet up for sunset numero uno! The sky was steel gray and yet the sun pierced it for us. So relaxing to know that the next nine wakes would be in this fresh!

The Dragon Stouts were wonderful and the Stripes much fresher than in the states. We wandered over to 3 Dives for jerk chicken. That was some killer food right there. More beer. Yet more beer and then to bed. Those who spoke of the fans in the cliff side rooms at Xtabi were right. B 52 prop wash! No mossies though. Eventually it cooled enough to turn it off and then I could hear the water pounding the rocks and caves of Xtabi’s cliffs. No sleep sweeter. No air better.

The sheer drapes caught the wafts of sea breeze and through the cabin on the cliff it blew. I woke to cool refreshing salt air feeding my need for oxygenation. A couple of sighs, a couple of snores and off to dreams of discovery, dreams of rum to come, dreams of people to engage in word play and laughter. Ah to be in Jamaica is so far a very good thing indeed. Did I mention goats?

[Sam I Am]

Love it!!

[Juli]

This is wonderful!

[rustedduck]

Great trip report...keep it coming.

I enjoyed meeting you at seastar saturday night. Went to find you during a band break,
and apparently you had already left.

[bjritz]

We kicked out a bit early as our friends had a driver waiting and we were tired from walking around all day. More of that coming, but I need to write about Friday, before Saturday!

[bjritz]

A deep inhalation of sea air and the light creeping in around the dark wood of my Xtabi home gave my eyelids the kiss of Jamaica and a wake up! A light morning breeze, just a breath really caresses my corpus as I ramble in for an outdoor shower. What a delight sun risen light and warm water splashing me to full conscientiousness and my first full day in Jamaica.

Coffee, ackee, salt fish, callaloo and the best little rolls on the planet give me the morning bump for a day of exploration. Take it slow and easy, mon. No rush. One of my favorite experiences while in Jamaica was having the waiter (in this case Omar) come by and say, “All good, mon?” I reply, “Yah, mon.” Then he would say very slow and with an amazing smile, “All....good....mon!” It was the little stuff that adds up. I felt cared for, pampered just a bit, mon.

At breakfast there were a man and his early-teen daughter jumping off the cliff. They worked up their nerve and then did it!



As he walked back by us on the way to the room he let us know that the beach entrance from the cave was a great way to go into the cove snorkeling. So, that’s what my friend Ed, and I did. First trip of many down the winding stair to, well nirvana!



The fish were amazing the coral and fans incredible. I didn’t bring or buy an underwater camera, perhaps on next reach. Lion fish, Needle fish, multicolored you name its in abundance. Two things stick out from the first time in the cove. One little moray eel that would be about sixteen inches long and an inch thick was sticking out of a hole in a rock. Most fish swam away from us, but this little guy did the Jack Nicholson eyes from “The Shining” looked straight at me crazy like, and then showed me his little rows of teeth. I just started laughing in my snorkel he was so cute. I didn’t dive down and challenge that turf he was so fierce about. The other amazing thing was a school of inch and a half long silvery fish that swam along the cliff front rocks. The school had hundreds of these fish and would stretch out many feet. They moved in concert with that amazing synchronicity of a school. I was trying to get into the group. I’d dive down to them, sneak up on them, and try to keep up with them to no avail. But such beauty!



Every day I spent several trips down into the cove to see what was new.
Since I’m doing this at work, I’ll end here for now. This recapping is fun!

[TizzyATX]

This is so good. I'm really enjoying the read....looking forward to s'more