Great Report! First mistake was giving the imposter rasta a dime! LoL !
Just rem that anyone working at the bar would have def got rid of anyone annoying you!
Really sorry you had to endure such a smuck ! Next time just make up an accent and start talkin gibberish and move away!
LoL
One thing I am sure about the hustler jamaican is that there are tests done b4 they move in on their prey!
I ignore dem.
GerryG, you crack me up!
Eden, as nervous as I was, I held my ground and waited for that red plate. Now I know the value of keeping a few drivers phone numbers in my back pocket.
Thanks NikkiV! The bar crawl is going to be a blast!
Rasta Johnny was a hustler, indeed, Chaos6403. Luckily, that was the only time I had to deal with such a situation, and now I know how to better handle people like that in the future.
I'm glad your enjoying it, VVHT, more to come!
Haha, groove16! The fidget is getting bad, now!
Thanks, Jim-Donna! Looks like it's time to start planning that next trip!
Thanks, bjritz! The next time you pass HSH stop in to have a look and maybe grab a drink and bite to eat. It is definitely a welcoming place.
So true, billndonna. As long as you're aware of your surroundings, you will be fine. And you're right about the sub fixins' too! LOL! Plus, you have Jenny Cakes almost across the street. It's great area to chill!
Thanks, Fun in the sun. You are definitely right. I've learned that lesson. (LOL at the "impostor Rasta" - I can now pick em out a mile away!) Part of the weird vibe at BB that night was that bartenders and the locals seemed very cliquey, which made us feel like outsiders. Although the bartender I talked to was very friendly, I didn't get the impression that he would get rid of one of his "friends" if I complained. I was probably wrong and should have spoke up. Oh well, live and learn.
Time to keep this trip report going...
The next day was Friday. Again, we woke up after a good night's sleep and enjoyed breakfast at HSH (Mrs. D. had the Ackee and Saltfish). I believe this is the day we took our first trip to the beach. We had Chris from HSH drop us off at Time Square and arranged for him to pick us up later in the afternoon. We spent about 30 minutes checking out the shops at Time Square and decided it was time to hit the beach. We crossed the street to Kuyaba and headed to the bar. Kuyaba has a pretty robust blended drink menu, so if you're in the mood for something frozen and sweet check it out! We tried a tried a couple concoctions and chatted up the bartender for a bit. After a few drinks at the bar, Kuyaba had no problem letting us chill on their beach. In fact, the security guard even fetched us some lounge chairs and towels. He also did a good job of keeping the touts away, when they weren't wanted. We layed in the sun, swam in the gorgeous water and bought a couple pattys from the patty man. Everything was perfect and we couldn't have been more elated that afternoon. Soon it was time to head back to Time Square to meet Chris for our ride back. We were a little early, so we grabbed a couple Red Stripes from the bar in the Time Square courtyard. Halfway through our beers, Chris showed up as scheduled. Now, it was time to head back to HSH and get ready for dinner. We had special reservations at Ivan's this evening...
The famous parrots of Kuyaba
Kuyaba, looking toward Bourbon Beach
The obligatory "Feet on the Beach" shot
Think we are all ready for some more Mike
Stir IT UP
we're ready to go to ivan's Mike_D!
i came looking for this report - thought maybe you finished it while i was away for a few days - put alas your feet are still facing the beach - lol
Sorry for the delay! We returned from our October trip and then I was swamped with work. Time to pick-up pace!
Last edited by Mike_D; 10-31-2012 at 08:47 AM. Reason: grammar
For most of this trip we pretty much winged-it, without any real plans. However this night, we had special dinner reservations at Ivan's. I had read about the Night of a 100 Candles in various trip reports and figured that if we are to have one nice dinner during this trip, that this was the way to go. We got dressed in our nicest casual clothes and went out to the road to grab a taxi. The taxi dropped us off at Catcha's gates, and the security guard let us in when I told him we had a dinner reservation. This was our first time at Catcha Falling Star, and were simply in awe of the property. I scanned the resort and tried to figure out where the different cottages and rooms were, but it was like sensory overload. There was just too much to take in. Someone guided us over to the hostess stand and I gave them our names. The hostess perked-up with wide eyes and said "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. D.! We have been expecting you!" She grabbed 2 personalized menus and guided us over to a private cliff deck that was isolated from the rest of the restaurant. Mrs. D was speechless and remained that way for most of the dinner. We had gotten there just before sunset, so we sat at our table enjoying sparkling wine and watching the sun sink into the horizon before we ordered dinner. Once it was dark enough, our waitress began to light the candles around the table. It was a little windy on this night and some of the candles kept blowing out. Our waitress would promptly return to relight any blown-out candles. After a while I told that she didn't need to do this as the main candles on the table remained lit. That was good enough for us. I don't remember exactly which entrees we had (I'll have to check with the Wife), but I know we had the Jerk Sampler appetizer. The food was absolutely delicious. After dessert we stuck around our table and enjoyed a rum cream under the moonlight. The whole experience was unforgettable and we didn't want to leave our special little table.
Sunset from the table (sorry, a little blurry)
Personalized Menu
Life is good, sometimes...
It was now time to leave Ivan's, but we were not ready to call it a night. The security guard at Catcha found us a driver and we decided to make a stop before we head back to Home Sweet Home.
Awesome Mike!! Where'd you go next?!?!?
Stir IT UP
To C&D Country and Western Bar!Originally Posted by TizzyATX
I had read about C&D on this board and it is basically across the street from HSH, so I figured it would be a good place for a night cap. We asked the taxi driver to drop us off there and he knew exactly where to go. When we got out of the taxi, I noticed that the front door to C&D was closed and the place was dark. We walked around to the side of the building to make sure we were at the right place and I heard a voice. Someone from inside the building asked,"Can I help you?" I looked around and saw a counter on the side of the building with the window open. Inside was a friendly woman who asked if she could get us anything. I said,"That's Ok, we thought you were still open. If you are closing up we'll just stop by tomorrow." The woman said,"No, we're still open. The police drive around at 9:00 pm and make us close our doors but we're still open." I said,"OK. We'll take 2 Red Stripes, then." The woman passed us 2 Red Stripes (wrapped in beer cozies) through the open window, and joined us outside on the side of the building. She said, "Hello, my name is Connie and this is Keisha" as her assistant exited the building. We exchanged greetings and talked for a few minutes. I remembered reading about the infamous, special Jenny Cakes, and since Jenny's restaurant was closed at this point in time I heard that the cakes could now be bought at C&D. So, I asked Connie,"Do you know where I can get some Jenny Cakes?". Connie smiled and said, "Right Here!" She then sent Keisha inside to fetch us a special cake.
Just then, an old hippie, who reminded me of Randy of the Redwoods, came out of nowhere and joined us on the side of the building. "Hey, Connie, what kind of cake do you have today?", he asked. Connie rattled off a few different varieties of cake that she had in stock. The hippie then asked for a piece of banana bread, which Keisha went inside to get for him. He then said to me, "Hey, Man, what kind of cake did you get?" Connie answered for me and told him that we ordered the special cake. He then said to me and Mrs. D.,"You better be careful with that special cake, man! It can knock you out if you eat too much. It's dangerous!" Connie then retorted, "They're Ok. I told them to just try a little piece and see how it affects them. Then eat a little more if you find it too weak." The hippie then asked us where we were from. I told him the truth (Philadelphia), figuring he was harmless. He said, "The USA, eh? There used to be a lot more Americans around here but not anymore. The ratio of Americans to Canadians used be like 7:3; now its more like 50/50." At this point I realized that the hippie was Canadian - probably an expat. He continued his rant,"Now that your country's economy is in the toilet, there are much less Americans coming down here. Man, your country is screwed-up! And don't get me started on George Bush. That man should be in jail!" "In jail?", I questioned. He replied, "Yeah, man! For WAR CRIMES, man! He was behind 9/11. You know that, right? 9/11 was just like Hitler bombing his own army's barracks. You heard about that, right?" Now, I'm not much into discussing politics and much less into conspiracy theories - especially on vacation - so I just kind of laughed it off. Luckily, Connie chimed in with a diplomatic response to cut-off the hippie's rant. "The government is the same in every country. You can't trust any of them." The hippie seemed to agree. He took his banana bread, said his goodbyes and walked away.
Since it was getting late, Mrs. D. and I ordered another round of Red Stripes to-go, and headed back across the street to HSH. We sat on our balcony for a while and reflected on another perfect day in in Negril.
Posting Permissions
