40 years later

[negrilmon]

Wow... so much fun to read about the good old days!

I first visited Negril in November 1975 as a 10 year old boy with my Father (his name was Scott and he stayed at Tensing Pen most of his visits and he walked with two canes...locally known as the man with the sick legs) and my seven year old brother and a group of my fathers friends.

We stayed at Sea Grape and Jenny from "Jenny's Cakes" was our helper around the place. She took my brother and me under her wing and she quickly became our Jamaican Mother through the three week stay.

Jenny told us the prior week before we arrived an up and coming singer stayed in the same house as we were staying at Sea Grape. His name was Bob Marley and she thought he would make it big some day. The album "Natty Dread" seemed to be playing throughout the entire vacation ( not sure how since electricity was scarce on the west end back in the day). In hind sight I think it is safe to say Jenny was spot on with this prediction!

My most vivid memory from that trip was up at Rick's Cafe. We were up for sunset and my Father and his friends began discussing how much it would cost them to see my father jump off the cliffs on the NORTH SIDE of Rick's.

$50 (1975 $50 keep in mind) was the number it took for my father to start crawling out to the edge of the cliff and jump. He asked my brother and me to meet him at the cove that now is where the world famous cliff diving happens. My brother and I ran down to the concrete slab with his canes and tennis shoes and waited for what seemed like an eternity for him to come swimming around the bend. Needless to say we were very relieved once we saw him because we were thinking he may have been hurt or drowned from the jump.

After typing this I'm wondering if my father was one of the first tourists to jump at Rick's? Anyone else have an earlier memory of jumping there?


Other memories were the old road from Mobay to Negril...Riding in an old VW Van...Wow what a ride. Much better ride these days with the new road.

I also remember the ice truck delivering big chunks of ice for the ice box and a huge truck that would deliver oranges for juice up on the west end. I also remember the sign "Stop at Brown's he's real cool" in front of his shop. "Jah Bah" and his shop across from Ten Sing Pen. Daisy and Gosnell and Miss May around the old "Rocky Dell" restaurant.

Almost 40 years have gone by but I still get back about once a year. My Father passed away about 30 years ago (we put his ashes in off the bridge at Tensing Pen) but he is still remembered up on the Cliffs and his grandchildren now are making memories in Negril.

The tradition continues...I'll try to post photos of the 1975 visit soon!

[since75]

Does anybody still have a Ricks Weed Bead? Post a photo if you do.!!

[TrelawnyT]

[since75]

Thanks !!! I wish I still had one of those. Was it 1 for a Red Stripe and 3 for a mixed drink ???

[johng]

negrilmon,

Nice memories!!! I first visited Negril in April 75. Was in Ft Lauderdale during Spring Break and the crowd was too much, walked by a travel agency and saw that Jamaica poster with the beautiful girl and bought a R-Trip Miami - MoBay on the spot. Stayed in Red Ground not far up the hill on the left side across from a church.

I jumped from the same spot as your dad at Ricks, my first but not last, I remember well that upon impact with the water how the soles of my feet stung like heck. I wonder how many people have been injured or died there as a result of jumping? Back then Rick's was much smaller but still very popular place at sunset.

[Piggymon]

[QUOTE=johng;104850]negrilmon,

Nice memories!!! I first visited Negril in April 75. Was in Ft Lauderdale during Spring Break and the crowd was too much, walked by a travel agency and saw that Jamaica poster with the beautiful girl and bought a R-Trip Miami - MoBay on the spot. Stayed in Red Ground not far up the hill on the left side across from a church.

QUOTE]

That was a heck of a poster. When I think of LC's Sonja, that is what comes to mind, that beautiful ethnic Indian girl in the tight wet tee shirt. Probably from Mandyville, as I understand that is where most of the ethnic Indians are concentrated. Although there was a fine looking Jamaican Indian woman who worked the rental car desk at Hedonism who was highly attractive and had a set to match the girl in the poster.


I walked to the travel agency in Coconut Grove, but pretty much the same deal.

Thanks for posting the pictures, johng.

[negrilmon]

Great photos Jhong! Thanks!

Speaking of Rick's being much smaller back in the day. I recall the bar was just an old converted swimming pool with a thatch roof built over it to protect from rain!

You would be eye level with the bartenders because the were standing in the drained pool.

Electricity was so iffy that If the blender needed to be used they had to turn off the record player before blending the drink.

I recall Rick lived in a nice little ocean front place right on the north cove...Hard to believe Rick's is world famous now!