hey back at you Minnesota, im enjoying your trip report. Im new to the board and really don't know what
I'm doing. I have pics to post as well, but I have to find some one to help me do it.
hey back at you Minnesota, im enjoying your trip report. Im new to the board and really don't know what
I'm doing. I have pics to post as well, but I have to find some one to help me do it.
Just click on the little photo frame in the editing bar above where you type. It's the 3rd icon from the right. Then you can upload photos right from your files on your computer, just like you do to attach something in an e-mail.Originally Posted by jojo p
Loving your report.
And so we walked. We let the strong sunshine warm our shoulders to the touch. We said “no” dozens of times with no trouble. It was early, it was lovely, it was sand-between-your-toes perfect.
We stopped to reapply sunscreen, I plopped my big hat on my head, and we consulted the map. As we walked, the nearly neon turquoise waters called to us, lapping up our calves, soaking the bottom of my dress. We were in that place of awe once again, a nearly constant state throughout our trip.
As we searched for a good spot to stop for a drink, a lounge, and a swim, we finally, after a good bit of walking, came upon Sun Beach, a place I recognized from the board and from the hanging plastic lawn chairs. The beach was deserted, well-groomed, and inviting. As we bellied up to the bar we made some chit-chat with another patron, a lady from New York who was staying at Sun Beach until that day – she was moving to the hotel next door when her ‘honey’ was arriving later that evening. We had that typical ‘traveller’ talk – where we’ve been, how this place stacks up (amazingly, of course!), why we love to travel, how we manage to afford it. I adore these conversations and only wish that each person one encounters on a daily basis were as open as those whom I’ve met while travelling.
After sipping on our drinks, I saw one of the famed “fruit ladies” coming down the beach. Of COURSE we flagged her over and basically took one of everything – but two bananas.We had a lovely chat while I held the bags for her – she expertly sliced the sweet fruits, the juices dripping onto the sand and stickying up the bags. Even though we’d had that lovely breakfast back at Xtabi, I NEED this fruit.
After we’re done with the fruit transaction, I jump back up onto the bar bench, victorious! And the fruits are the healthful and delicious prizes. I win. And so does Krista. We greedily eat mango, pineapple, coconut – leaving the bananas for later. The fresh fruit, the heavy, humid air, the bright sun, the strong drinks…they’re adding up. It’s time for a swim. But just before we are off to float in paradise, I spy northerncaligurl; we’ve chatted within PM here and on Facebook, and I recognize her from her FB pics. So we have a great chat with her for a while, another one of those traveler talks; she’d warned us earlier about a phone call, and soon enough she takes her call from overseas, and we decide the sea has waited long enough.
We wade into that crystal clear perfection. I slowly wade out toward where the ropes end on either side of Sun Beach and flip onto my back and float. I float and we compare notes on the best floating methods. Slowly allowing your head to submerge to the tips of your ears seems to really take the cake.
I have no idea how long we floated, basking in the vibrant sun, the water rippling gently around me. But it was another of those moments where I could hardly believe myself – that I was here, in the now, floating, fruity overtones on my breath. Soon enough, probably more than an hour later, I’m guessing, we realized that we still needed to eat lunch, shower, and change so we can be ready for our 2pm pickup for the One Love Bus. We saunter through the Sun Beach property and grab a cab. By our happy luck, we grabbed a great taxi driver who carted us to a number of stops and only charged us a few dollars more than a route taxi would normally be. His car was absolutely spotless and he was a perfect gentleman. He brought us to the pharmacy so we could find some pens and notepads to keep notes, then he directed us to Hi-Lo and met us over there with the car. He carried our bags and our ice and was just a really sweet guy – his name was Washy or Washington. We saw him again later and he hollered out the cab window at us. THIS is what I adore about Negril!
At Hi-Lo we picked up some coffee to take home, some juices, Coke, and ice – we had that Appleton and our thermal cups just waiting for us back at the hotel room! When we got back to Xtabi we shower up, make drinks, and head to 3 Dives. It seemed like they were only quasi-open for the afternoon, but they told us that they could do a half a chicken with the fixings for us within 20 minutes, so we go out to the hut nearest the cliffs and we drink our drinks, took in the views of the water and colorful sights of Xtabis cliffside rooms, all while ominous dark clouds seemed destined to drench us with rain – but it never happened. In fact, it never rained on us once in our four days in Negril, with the exception of the sprinkles on the way in on the bus the first day. We realized our luck, particularly as we spoke with folks who were literally rained out down on the beach. Yet again, we realize that the West Side is the best side (for us).
We return to our room with our 3 Dives grub and make new drinks, and sit down on our porch to literally stuff the steaming hot food of the gods into our mere mortal mouths. Time is ticking and 2pm is coming nearer and nearer – we cruise around the pool and check out the parrots, but we are out on the road, ready to party at 2pm. And we wait for Lenbert and the One Love Bus. And we wait, and wait…finally, at around 2:30pm one of the gals from Xtabi comes out to tell us that Lenbert somehow missed us on his way down to the beach to pick up the other folks for the bus trip that night. But he assures us that he’s on his way and will be there to pick us up within 30 minutes. And so we rush back to the room, refresh our drinks, and stuff our faces with more food – we figure it’ll help soak the alcohol up. We return to the road just in time and soon enough, Lenbert storms Xtabi’s drive and we board the bus for our evening!
I have neglected to mention that some of these photos in the latest installment are my friend's photos. I've thrown in a few from earlier here as well.
Last edited by nicole.edith; 09-15-2013 at 08:43 PM.
Loving this report. And beauty pix. Keep going!
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And the Fruit Lady is Miss Cortess. Love her. She has made travel magazines <3
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Loving it! Thanks so much for the trip report!
Right below that cliff you were standing at 3 dives is where they throw the lobster shells into the water to feed the fish and eventually become part of the reef. Next time snorkel from Xtabi.Pretty cool sight.
Girl, I have been glued to your TR all morning.....spending entirely too long gazing at every single photo you have posted, and hanging onto every single word lol. The 1st time rush is just the best, and I know I'm not alone when I tell you that I appreciate you taking the time to put together such a fantastic report . Jeez,,those pics...
Please continue...
Stir IT UP
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