A trip reports of sorts

[irieworld]

I think by the time I get to Mariners, Alfred is ready to dump me and my bags of groceries and multiple stops at the place I will call home for the next 8 days. While I am still sorting myself out with the front desk, my stuff is unloaded--Alfred ready to leave. I grab my JA cell phone from him and give him cash for the ride back--plus money for credits to the phone and tip. He leaves and after I get to my room I realize I have no idea of how to use the phone or what my number is! The phone is Claro, not digicel and it turns out that the staff can't help me either. Alfred loads credit for me at Claro--but it turns out the phone is forwarded to some other number and no one can help me figure out how to unforward it so I can't receive calls. I figure out my number by getting on chat with Rob and Lisa at Seastar and calling Rob. Thanks R&L! My next technological breakdown is the realization that I forgot my computer charger and am nearly finished w/battery power. As the mosquitoes launch a full on attack on me in the lobby of Mariners where the wifi is I offer up a desperate plea for help finding a charger for my MacBook. Turns out JA is not a mac-friendly island. I am in trouble. Again Rob comes to the rescue-- he hooked me up with Capt.D for a charge if I can get to Seastar the next morning. I am too tired for webcast or anything. So I eat some left over Bigga jerk chicken and hit the bed.

[irieworld]

more report soon come--a work in progress!

[gerryg123]

great start .....

[irieworld]

yetta I m so glad I got to meet you and dragged my sick self to the Luciano concert even though I had to pack and fly out the next morning. It was so worth it!

[irieworld]

Finally checked in--I shower and change into a suit so I can do what I am most longing for, go for a long swim in the sea. I walk down to the beach and lay my towel on a chair and sit for a moment, taking it in. Then I walk toward the sea, craving that warm sea salt bath and endless swims and floating that washes away years of stress. I get up and walk towards my taste of heaven--and wouldn't you know it -- a jamaican man in mirror sunglasses walks and stands right between me and the sea. He says, :Hey baby remember me?"

I wrack my mind--no I have never met this guy before. But fresh off the boat, or the plane I should say, I ask, are you a friend of P's ( my ex bf who had a million friends and cousins) he just stands with his mirror glasses between me and the sea, between me and my years-a-waiting swim, and doesn't say anything. I quickly realize he doesn't know me or P and ask him nicely to step aside, I NEED to get in that water. He moves on--I never spoke with him again that trip, but saw him hooking up with another from-foreign lady later in the week at NBCC, so maybe that line worked?

I get in and swim far out past the buoy, there are no ropes marking off the swimming area at NBCC , which I view as a great thing. I swim so far that a fisherman in a boat comes by and asks if I am headed to Cuba. And also gets in a comment on my beautiful sea green eyes--those men-- they are with it on the flirtation--even far out at sea.

[irieworld]

Morning came upon my first full day in JA and I showered, dressed in shorts, tshirt and flipflops, and threw my computer bag over my shoulder and start the trek to Seastar with a couple hundred J for cabs in my pocket. i hadn't changed money yet but had some change from purchaces. I walked to Easy Rock Internet Cafe in hopes of finding a charger for a Mac there. Maybe someone left theirs from a trip before? The guy there was sweet and helpful, he was full of postivity about my getting a computer charge there, but turns out what he thought would work did not fit at all! He tried to hook my tired little mac to an LG charger and it just wasn't happening. I headed back out to the road again. As i get further west, less hassle from guys. But near town-- a few lines-- Baby I see you walk, you walk sweet like sugar-- or just the one thing that bugs me more than anything -- a loud "PSSSSTTT" .

I finally realize I gotta hop in the cab, it has taken me an hour to get to Easy Rock and beyond and I need to see the captain before 10am, running out of time. So quick quick I am in a route cab--100 JA out of my sweaty pocket and I am on my way walking down seastar lane. Sweet.

Coffee at Seastar, and meeting Capt D and Ginny(sp?) --priceless! Charging my tired laptop==priceless as well. Thank you captain and your beautiful wife, you made my day.



As my computer gets charged up I ask the beautiful Francine (not Chris's wife, but the waitress) if it is too early to order a blended rum and fruit drink. Apparently it is not too early! So I ordered the drink plus breakfast of scrambled eggs and that famed JA bacon. i had already had a couple cups of coffee while talking to the captain and his wife, so feeling good!

[irieworld]

A couple of hours later, charge not yet 100 percent but it is time to move on. Capt. is downstairs meeting w/a surveyor--I hand back the charger and head out to the road. Hop a route cab to the round about and walk back to Hi Lo to buy a few things (thyme and coffee!) that I had missed in my mega mart shopping blast. I walk back from there to NBCC with only a few hoots and hollers and taxicab toot toots on the way. I also get offers from guys to help carry my bags--no thanks I am good--almost home!

I get back change and swim. I challenge the life guard, Gary, to a swim to the buoy.
We go for it and I kick butt, yet I am impressed that he can swim so far. He insists on a mask, I take fins and end up giving him one fin when he lags far behind. Even with one fin I outswam him. I also tried to teach him to float--he sank like a stone! I tried to do like my mom did and hold my arms under his back while encouraging him to fill his lungs with air and make his body light. He still sunk!

While out there in the sea I could hear the music pulsating from the Sunday night beach party and decided i should check it out. I hooked up with some other guests at NBCC who also had heard the music and were ready to check it out. More on that soon come.

[irieworld]

oh as an added FYI, the lifeguard "lifey" didn't swim with me till after his shift was over --around 4:30. So no swimmers in danger were left to their own devices during his shift.

[Honey518]

I'm "all in" on your trip report...Nice start

[irieworld]

a sneak peak of the crew that is to head down to the beach party. It is after dark and some of us girls are in flip flops and the beach is dark--no light at all after Travelers. Bobby (tall rasta looking guy) guides us carefully so no stubbed toes.

woops Bobby is sideways.