Yea for this thread...I knew I was not alone in enjoying the higgling experience.... Great thread!!!!
Happy Travels,
Skb...
Yea for this thread...I knew I was not alone in enjoying the higgling experience.... Great thread!!!!
Happy Travels,
Skb...
The ones that get under my skin are the drug pushers. They are a pain in the arse. The ones selling the jewelery and junk I just pay no attention to. I have bought all the wooden birds and necklaces that I need.
Meagan I agree with you, as a professional sales person I so enjoy the "process"(you go through. I use it as a study in how I work!
The vast majority are good people just doing there part to make a living. However, the occasional douche can get irritating. I have found though on my last two trips that 99% of the people working the beach are great people. While it is easy to be jaded by the occasional hustler, it's important to remember that almost everyone is just trying to make a living. I even made friends my last trip with the guy who hit my wifey up for some big bamboo on a previous trip. I'm not uptight back home so why take it to the beach. I have actually come to enjoy the personalities on the beach and look forward to seeing everyone on my next reach. If you are turned off by the folks working the beach you might want to look in the mirror. At least I did and now things are different.....
There are some people who dont want to be offered anything for sale .just want to chill and relax-not have to constantly say No thanks -or whatever.. Its not that they dont respect the people trying to make a living they just want to have their time and quiet solitude respected.. If thats more your attitude than visit the two public beaches- long bay # 1 and # 2. #1 right next door to Cosmos (excellent food ) you pay small admission price(like $100J-i believe) which helps pay for the upkeep of the park and you have a very natural and beautiful beach area that many times you will have to yourself (sundays can be more crowded with local Jam families hanging)
No there no hotels or restaurants but you can bring you own food, drink, etc,-their is restrooms and showers (outside at #1)and no higglers or very few...I personally like #2 a little better cuz facilities are newer..but both are great and world away from the regular 7-mile hustle-land.. So yeah,you can enjoy the beauty of the 7 mile beach but without the hustling0just visit long bay public beach #1 and a farther down #2....
or else got to the another area of Jam: n.coast, port Antonio, etc...
" Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things." (Henry Miller)
Sometimes I use the line : "Man, I've got so much of it I should be selling it to you!".
Almost always gets a stunned look and then a big laugh, then they let me go on my way.
The last time my wife and I were walking the beach at night a young man came up to us trying to sell some ganja, you know "he's got the best", "would make me a deal"etc...,really pushy and would not take no thank you for a answer, I told him nicely that I already had some and he said he just came down from the hills and needed to make some money ,again I said no thank you,then he got loud and started to put the stuff in my hand and tell me to pay him! i gave it back and again I told him nicely no thank you and took my hand away, he got louder and my wife looked upset! for for a moment I thought this could get ugly then out of the blue a rasta came out of the trees and started to yell at him in patois he backed off right away and went off, the rasta man said sorry and not to worry the beach is safe because he and others look after the tourist, I never saw him again that reach but i will look for him our next reach. respect!
I like the vendors, a lot. I like to get to know them, I can't buy from all of them and I say as much but I ask them about their families, where are they from, do they have any pictures of their children, and have a seat in the shade for a minute. They are real people, doing a real job.
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Don't ever let them put something in your hand or a bracelet on your wrist,then they act like you bought it.Just let it fall to the ground. I'm not down on them but I can't stand walking trough the "gauntlet" in front of Margaritaville,very aggressive & rude......Rude is rude,in any country.
Sharks at Margaritaville just after a cruise ship bus arrived.
Last edited by Caught; 12-01-2012 at 10:46 AM.
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