It was our last night and we still hadn't been to Step-a-side. We decided to walk up to Shamrocks and pick up some chicken on the way back. We'd been debating smuggling a bottle of Shamrocks home. It would have to go into our suitcase which is a spillage risk, but it is a plastic bottle. I know how cold the luggage gets in the hold during the flight, so I figured the lack of refrigeration wouldn't be a big deal. I thought it would a nice transition our first morning home. We got juice, a few snacks and headed back out onto the road.

How do you know you have found the best jerk in Negril? When you walk up to his barrel, the barrel master is on a chair the other side of the ditch, looking at his phone with no concern as to who might be passing by. No need for him to be loudly hawking his wares. Business finds him. This is how we found things at the Original Step-a-side. He was set up in his usual spot between the Jungle and Montana's, nearly across the road from Fun Holiday.

"Evening! Is there chicken ready?" I call over.

He looks up with a start and with a, "Yamon, no problem," he coming hustling over to his barrel. We share with him how happy we are to back, as his is the best jerk chicken we've ever had. We are not the first to tell him this, but he seems to genuinely appreciate the praise.

Our chicken in hand we head back to our balcony.


This is the best picture I have of our room and its through a closed door. We are both shutter bugs, I don't know how neither of us managed to get anything better. I think when we arrive at a new place we are just living in the moment. It takes less than 15 minutes for us to have spread our crap everywhere. Then I don't want to take a picture of our mess. I've made a mental note, we shall see if I do any better this year.


On one of our evening trips between the sea and the room, we decided to go for a little walk around Coco. We were really feeling the Christmas lights and set about getting in some Christmas card shots. We don't actually do a Christmas card, but if we did, these would be the shots.


I think back home that kind of silliness would have me feeling a bit self conscious, but after a week plus in Negril, it just felt right.


Vacations are wonderful things and vacations in Negril may be the best of them all. We dragged the night out as long as we possibly could. Unfortunately, there was no denying that tomorrow we'd be homeward bound.