First off let me begin by saying I L.O.V.E this board. I am a "newbie" and I have read the rules on how to behave, and I follow rules well (when they are any). So lets begin...Oh, but first a little background...this is my 2nd trip to Negril. The first was last summer around the same time. I vowed to go back every year I was physically able to so that is what led to this trip.
Me and my mother are very close. I am her only child. We are also the best of friends. She is 52 I am 32 and our energy levels are almost the same. We both left our stresses of lifes journey at the San Francisco International Airport and caught the 12:10 am redeye on 6/15 Wednesday morn. I usually can sleep all the way to the layover but this time I think excitment had the best of me and I just tossed and turned in the middle seat with no pillow(I know for next time). We get to Charlotte, N.C and head to Negril. I guess me knowing we were almost there, I could relax, so I got a good nap on the plane. My mom nudges me and says we are close. I awake to a beautiful sunny morn and looked out the window to see nothing but the light and dark shades of the beautiful blue Caribbean Sea! Awwwwhhh, it was sooo beautiful. I often fall off into deep thought and reflection when I look at the Carribean Sea, it never fails to but me in trance at least for a moment but often way longer than that. So we arrive and get on the shuttle to the Riu Negril. I know, I know it's and AI and all but we just loved it so much last time we wanted to recreate the same experience and make our own as well. True indeed on our last visit the only time we left the resort was to go to Dunns River Falls in Ocho and when we went jetskiing and walked along the beach where the vendors where. But this time we were determined to see the island and get in with the poeple of the Island.And that we did! (Also by this 2nd trip,I had learned everything there is to know about Jamaica that was out there. Now I am even more amped because I am eagearly awaiting all the places away from the resort.) But to keep things in order, the shuttle ride to Negril was awesome as usual. What I really enjoyed looking at on this drive which is about a 2hr drive to the resort were all the school kids in their uniforms all neatly put together and of all ages. They just look happy and content as can be.We got to our rooms and it was a feeling of relief to be free to roam the Island. We were too exited to be exhausted. It was about 6pm or so.We get dresses for dinner and it was the best ever I dont remeber excatly what I had but I remeber I stayed in the Jamaican Corner the whole visit. I wanted to make sure I try all the Jamaican food. I eventually, over the course of the week had all kinds of fritters, jerk chicken,curry chicken and goat,cabbage stew,baked fish, crab cakes and other stuff too. After dinner I automatically want to start taking pictures but it's dark but I still want to.
Me: Ma, take a picture of me on the sand right by the beach.
Mom: It's dark! You don't need to be goin' to the beach in the dark, you don't know whats out there!
Me: Oh come on it's only 10 feet from the walkway what can happen, just let me run down to the waters edge and then say 1-2-3 and I will pose and just snap it real quick.
Now I am known for dragging my mom into exploring and doing adventurous things. She told me on the plane that she is not going to get left and to just "drag" her around the Island if I need to but she said she was going to try to hang. (oh yeah I drug her around the Island alright!) Plus she know she a party girl anyway she just cant stay up too late like she probably could 20 years ago. She would often say "why am I just now getting to Negril at 50!"
So we went to the water edge along the beach at night, took the quick photo and was in and out in 2-3 minutes tops. So as we are walking back to our room, I start itching like crazy! I had leggings on so I thought I was safe. I even was hitting my forehead area like it itched but then I said,
Me: I am trippin, I am acting like am itching all over from that one little bite on my leg, but dang mom, it bit thru my leggings!
Mom: See thats what you get for not listening and wanting to be all adventurus at night.
Me: You was right...but it was only 2 minutes!
Mom: Thats all it take!
We both cracked up as we were welcomed by the unforgiving mosquitos, but we learned from last year to bring bug spray so I only ended up with about 8 bites in a 7 day trip. We did our thing, watched a good movied and moms was out.
I still had to soak up the most Negril I could because I only have 7 days here and I yearned for it so much last time I came. So I stayed on the balcony for about 2 more hours just giving thanks and enjoying the view. Oh I forgot to mention the free upgrade to an ocean front room because it was the off season!... I was chillin...like a villian...I mean chilled out to the point I had to make myslef go back in the room and go to bed. Went to bed with the sounds of the tree frogs I loved so much and it was an perfect end to day 1 in my perfect paradise.
and went to sleep a happy camper.
On our next trip we're hoping to have less of a layover. You mentioned your stop was in Charlotte. What airline did you use to get there?
