Walking up the lane to Seastar was a really nice experience. There was a group of young teenage boys coming up the lane at the same time. They'd been on the cliffs diving. They had that universal swagger that only boys who aren't quite men can achieve. They were a pretty jovial bunch. At one point one of them said to me "You know you never need to be afraid walking on this lane. Everyone here will take care of you." In that moment I felt the impact of Seastar's commitment to be part of the community. We weren't going to some gated resort trying to keep the locals at bay. As a result, I felt as a guest I was welcome in the community as well.
We arrived and met Irie Always and her husband Charlie. They are regulars at Seastar and our table couldn't have been more front and centre. They were the warmest and kindest hosts. One of my few regrets from this trip was that our paths didn't cross more often.
Having never been to a regular show, I don't know how big the crowds get, but it seemed very available inch of the place was jammed with tables.
The food on the buffet was good and despite the huge crowd, the bar was managing to keep up. Stephen West and the Seastar Drummers were all on their A game.
The stress of the travel day had pretty much wiped out Mamade11's other half. Not long after dinner, she took him back to Catcha, returning in record time. It was very nice, the Seastar driver had insisted on giving them a ride. We spotted a few people from the pub crawl and headed over to say hello (one of which I just discovered was boardie Rocknrollfarmer). Random Bob had indeed made it to the show. He was traveling solo, so we invited him to join our little party.
Irie Always and Mamade11 were dancing machines. They sure seemed to be having a really great time. On another day I might have been right up there with them, but that just wasn't my mood that day. Isn't that one of the nicest things about Negril? Within reason, you can pretty much do things in your own way and time; everything is all IRIE.
When Luciano took the stage the crowd went wild. It was a heck of a show and I feel really lucky to have seen him so up close and personal. The man just would not cooperate and stand still so I could take his picture! Every shot is really just a blurry mess.
After the show and as the party wound down we said our goodbyes and wandered down the lane. We were still pretty stoked and feeling no pain, so made the likely unwise decision to pour another round and head to the cliffs. I think I gave the poor security guard heart failure when I did my level best to take a header down the stairs. Sunshine is more used to it as even sober as a church mouse I am rather clumsy. If I tell you walked into a door, it isn't a line. I actually walked into a door. No harm was really done, other than to my drink. With my solemn promise not to move from my lounger, Sunshine went back to the room to refill it. We hung out for a while under the stars just marveling at the day and trip so far. Eventually we climbed carefully back up the stairs and called it a day.
Re: If you love Jamaica let me see your hand - A Trip Report
Originally Posted by mamade11
