Negril Trip Report 1999

[HuskerJohn]

great reports.........we first went in mid 80's..Negril seemed to be so different....it wasnt just days, but adventures
back then.........everything changes

Thanks Rambo!

[HuskerJohn]

Day 9 Wed. 2-24
Over a couple of stripes one afternoon with Cedric, The beach master at Charela, and his good buddy Hundley, we expressed an interest in going on a road trip somewhere in the country. We talked about Mayfield Falls or Roaring River but Hundley suggested a trip to Belvidere Estate south of Montego Bay. We arranged for Milton, one of the drivers at Charela, to take us to the Estate. Hundley would be our guide as Milton had never been there.

Hundley’s mom lives a couple of miles from Belvidere so we could also drop off some honey that Hundley had for her. We had to pick up Hundley in the area East of the roundabout before you get to the Shell station. Hundley explained that the resorts kind of frowned on guests and employees leaving in the same taxi. Hmmmm.  Off we went, down the road to Sav. Just after we passed the golf course we ran into road construction. When the flagman let everyone ahead of us go and stopped us, I thought Milton was going to loose it. Big argument ensued with the flagman and things kind of got heated for a while. The whole exchange was in patois and all of it rapid fire so I didn’t understand a lot of what transpired. Did hear a couple of “bumb*****s” thrown both ways though. When the flagman finally let us pass, Milton and Hundley started laughing and slappin’ hands. I looked back as we drove off and the flagman was laughing too! Jamaicans love to argue. It’s kind of an art form.

Down the road through Savanna-La-Ma and on East to Ferris Cross. At Ferris Cross we turned North on B8 and started to climb up into the mountains. There are some beautiful vistas and interesting towns along this road. On we drove through Galloway, Haddo, Mackfield, Ramble and Shettlewood. Four or five miles past Shettlewood B6 branches off B8. Belvedere Estate is just a short way down B6.

Belvedere is a family-owned estate set on one thousand acres. It was one of the first sugar cane plantations in Jamaica and is still a working estate. They raise every kind of plant and flower you can think of, from sugar cane to coffee and pineapple to oranges. The owner, Mr. Pat McGann, has opened it up so that visitors can share the natural beauty of its rivers and waterfalls, its ruins and exotic plants and birds. Really an amazing place. We were almost the only ones there and had our own guide for just the four of us.

We got a great history lesson, (all but two of the 122 great houses in Jamaica, including Belvedere, were burned in the slave rebellion of 1831) and a tour of the sugar mill, bakery, jerk house and blacksmith shop in the Jamaican village. Half way through the tour we came to a guesthouse where we sampled a lot of the fruits and listened to a to a small band composed of some really old men. Milton and Hundley enjoyed it as much as we did! We could have stayed all day but we still had to stop at Hundley's Mom's house and deliver the honey and go on a raft trip.

Hundley's mom live just across the road from Belvedere so off we went up this one lane road that parallels the main road for a while and then veers up a valley for a mile or so. Milton stopped the car and we all got out and walked down a path, through a bottom and up the hill to Mom's house. Mom wasn't home. She had an appointment with the doctor in Montego Bay. But we did get to meet Hundley's sister and her little boy. The house has only two rooms but it was immaculate. Hundley had it all painted just so. Nice carpet and a beautiful formal dining room set in the kitchen/dining room.

Hundley had also started a house for himself not far down the hill. Looked like a lot of work! Poured cement house and all of it had to be carried in. All the water has to be carried in also but they had electricity and a TV antenna on a tall bamboo pole. Very, Very peaceful place!

Hundley said he knew a shortcut through the hills to Lethe where we would raft down the Great River. We started down the main road and ever so often Hundley would make Milton slow down for a crossroad and check if it was the right one. We finally found it and off we went over hill and dale. A really good road. Single lane blacktop but in really good condition. Didn't see another vehicle the whole five miles or so to the main road to Lethe.

The raft trip cost us $40 but was well worth it. At the start of the trip the river goes under a really cool stone bridge in Lethe. About 10 minutes into the ride we heard music as we were coming around a bend and there was a Red Stripe stop. Perfect! Our boatman was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna along the river. Saw a Mongoose scampering along the bank and into the bush! Saw and heard a lot of birds including Vultures and Blue Herons.

The river has some minor rapids (enough to keep things interesting) and in some places is very calm, almost still. I was amazed how they got the raft back up the river. No truck, no trailer, they simply wade in the water and drag them back up the river! The trip took about 1 1/2 hours so they had to pull them back up the river 3 or 4 miles!! All in all a very pleasant experience!

It was after 4:00 and we wanted to make it back to Negril for sunset so we headed down the road. Hundley brought a sack of oranges and pineapples for snacks so he peeled them in the back seat and we all gobbled them down on the way. Ran into a whale of a rainstorm around Sav! Could hardly see out the windshield and the road looked like we were floating down the river again. Wow!! By the time we got to Likkle London the rain had let up and when we arrived in Negril it was dry and sunny.

After sunset we took a short nap and walked down the beach to the Yellowman concert at Roots Bamboo. When we got to Roots the tin fence was up and all the usual "vendors" where hanging around outside ready to sell anything you might want/need for the evening. We paid at the gate and in we went. The place was really starting to fill up and it was only 10pm. Rob had the laptop set up at the back of the stage on the bar side and everything was lookin', soundin' and smellin' good!
Inside we had all kinds of offers to buy the same goodies they were selling outside. As soon as they all saw we knew Rob and were some of the Internet people dem, they quit higgling and we were kind of, like accepted. Rob was alone and couldn't run the remote video cam and host the chat room at the same time. Sooooo I wound up doin the chat room and he went out into the crowd with the camera. Wow! Here I am bein' a Cyber Host at a Yellowman concert at Roots Bamboo, headphones and all!
I had plenty of help from From Funny Face and Shelley B. the Cyber DJs and all the Rastas that hang out behind the stage. They kept me hooked up all night. Kay supplied me with Red Stripes so every ting was Irie! Only likkle problem was when I had to go to the boys room we lost the signal for a while (sorry Rob!)

Shalom led off the show and Yellowman came on about 12:30 or 1:00. Wow! He really puts on a show. Just keep prowlin back and forth across the stage and gittin down! By this time the crowd was really into it and people were getting up on the stage and dancing with the band. At one point I looked up and there was Kay skankin with the Yellow Man. We had a really good time. Yah Mon!

[HuskerJohn]

A few more pics.

[sonja]

oh, dem HuskerJohn and Kay, u bring back such memories of dem times and dem people... Rasta John, Blondie, Chuck, when Sonia had to move across de road, Ivo Wiser (i still have an old cassette tape of his), Donna, John Wayne... mi want the NYC to reopen wid di old gang.. i know it's times past, but wid mi still. and thanks for photo of Timmy, hope we can meet up some day...

[HuskerJohn]

Saw Rasta John last time, 2011. Blondie, not since 2010? She's back in the states. Chuck still lives there. John Wayne is always around. Pirate is down there now. Ivo Wiser and Donna, don't know.

Irie!

[poolguywindsor]

The old stuff is the best!



1989