Sam I Am's Trip Report May 2011 (Part1)

[Sam I Am]

YellowJeep,
Yup, Nurse Marcia is right... coffee shop is gone.
If I could ever convince enough people to go at the same time I would definitely rent that villa!
I highly recommend visiting Jackies on the Reef, it is well worth the drive and money (still only $60 for an hour massage). Do plan to spend some extra time there to just chill out.

[Sam I Am]

Thanks Clarity! A high compliment from you. I am going to try and finish a few more days tonight.
Yes, this was my second earthquake, but with no one around to immediately verify if for me I started to question if I imagined it!
That vendor had me laughing everyday. It never sounded like an offer or friendly but almost like a threat.... "GET IT!" I have started to use this same technique with my friends at home...
Them: "Hmm the chicken sandwich sounds good" Me: "GET IT!"

[Sam I Am]

DAY THIRTEEN:
I woke up early and decided that I wanted to spend the day on the cliffs. So I packed a bag, grabbed my snorkel gear and hoped in a taxi. I arrived at Xtabi and decided to start with breakfast there. After breakfast, I snorkeled for a while and met a few interesting people. I grabbed a drink from the bar and then spent a few hours reading and enjoying the views.


Around 1:00 I grabbed another taxi and headed up to Sips and Bites for lunch. I had eaten there once on my last trip and thought it was great. Another good meal of whole roast fish.

After chilling there for a bit I decided to head back to the beach at White Sands.

I headed in early after spending lots of time in the sun. Just chilled in my room that night and listened to the sounds of the party at the Jungle!

[Sam I Am]

DAY FOURTEEN:
The day started off pretty quiet and routine for me. Breakfast at White Sands then on the beach to read, nap, swim and drink. I tried to go get a patty from Niah for lunch , but they were closed (never saw them open again for the rest of my trip).

Around 2pm, a storm finally blew in! I was so excited to get some rain! It rained for about an hour. With the rain and my earlier failed lunch plans, I decided to just have lunch at the bar at White Sands. I ordered the tuna melt with fries... pretty good.

I tried to sit at the bar and read but everyone was giving me a heard time about it so I decided to give it up and just drink instead! I started with the dirty banana specials and then moved on to appleton/tings. Around sunset, the bar really picked up and was the busiest I had seen it all week. So I decided to just hang out there for the evening... no dinner and lots of drinks led to a very drunk Sam!

Passed out around 11pm.

[Sam I Am]

DAY FIFTEEN:
My last full day in Jamaica. I woke up feeling like crap and stayed in bed until 11am. Then I went down to the beach hoping a swim would cure my hangover. I also needed to work on my tan a bit. I read and waited patiently for Dean to come by with his Jerk Pork... so good! I hung out with Tony at the bar for a bit and started to say my goodbyes to the staff and other guests. I bought some CD's from Fast Eddie on the beach.

Back to the room to clean up and I decided that I needed the Escovich Fish from Sun Beach one last time!

I watched the sunset and started to feel depressed

I then caught a taxi downtown to say goodbye to my friend who works at Spotlight. He gave me some CD's to take back to his friend in Phoenix. Back to the hotel to pack. I got a cup of conch soup from Jason and went to bed.

[Sam I Am]

DAY SIXTEEN:
I woke up really early with a stomach ache... anxiety about leaving. This happens every trip... on top of the usual post-JA depression I usually spend a few days feeling sick to my stomach. There was also a lot of noise that morning as people returned from the Vybz Kartel show. I slept on and off until around 730. I got up to finish packing and went for a walk on the beach. I had my last breakfast at White Sands and said goodbye to everyone. Clives arrived to take me back to the airport.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
As always this was a great trip. Every trip is different, but none have ever disappointed! I always say that Jamaica makes me feel "raw". I feel everything so much more intensely when I am there, both good and bad. I feel more myself there than I do even at home. I can't explain why, but it is one of the things that draws me back.

RANDOM NOTES:
- There was much talk about if the world was going to end on the 21st of May... it didn't but I could not have been in a better place it it had.
- I was only offered drugs 3 times.... I don't know what is going on I don't do any drugs, but it was strange to not be offered... someone told me I look like a Judge or Cop.
- There is a strange joy in getting a little drunk and realizing you are still in your bathing suit at 8pm (and not caring).
- While I do many of the same things every trip, there are constantly new little adventures and discoveries that pop up!

So that is it... the end of my first ever trip report. Thanks for bearing with me and listing to my stories. I enjoyed reliving my trip and I am excitedly counting down to my next trip. I hope to meet many more of you... don't be a stranger... I'll be the one reading in the shade at White Sands

[likkle red]

Loved your trip report...thanks so much for taking the time to write and share it with us. i too was there on May 21st and totally agree...if the world had ended I would have not minded as well...I too was in my happy place!

[yellowjeep]

Thank you so much Sam for your trip report! I was getting a little twinge of stomach pains as I was reading about your last day! UGGHHH...I HATE THAT FEELING! I honestly enjoyed your trip report...you took me back to that wonderful little resort for just a moment :-) I will think of you when I go back in Feb 2012!!!

[Honey518]

Thank you for sharing report Sam- I think you did a great job! Now, you have to hurry and get back, so you can write another...

[Clarity]

Oh noooo it's over!
Thanks for sharing this trip report with us! I really enjoyed reading it!
Boy do I know what you mean about that last sunset... It was so depressing for me too.. I had tears in my eyes. It was so painful to watch the sun drop below the horizon that last time and know that a chapter was coming to an end.
I agree with Honey, I'm looking forward to your next trip report! I see from your ticker that you have another trip coming up in 5 months! How long will you be in Negril on that reach?