The ride to Negril (the old road) was heart stopping to say the least. Never in all my born days had I felt so many emotions on a bus ride.

I was terrified by the fast driving, narrow roads, blind curves, Lord, the blind curves...Sheesh! We were sitting too close to the front and I was seeing more than I could take at times.

I was mesmerized by the deep turquoise color of the ocean and the change of color in certain spots, I was in awe of the lushness of the greenery.

I was at first horrified at the poverty, B had not prepared me for that or had she, I could not remember maybe she talked about it but all I could envision was tropical paradise. Some of the homes that we passed reminded me of the shacks in Mexico and I would feel a wave of sadness wash over me.

I was laughing my ass off at S, she had a grip on the seat in front of us and was praying that she did not die from a car accident on her vacation. There would be many days that I would have the same prayer. I was successful at different times to get her to open her eyes and enjoy the view. Picture taking was out of the question for her. LOL!

When we finally stopped B gave her two tylenols because she a definitely had acquired a tension headache from the driving and probably muscle spasms once she released the grip on seat in front of her.

I was dead tired, exhausted, I had been up for over 24 hours without sleep, but the sheer thought of being in another country, hearing a different language (bus driver), the sound of the other ladies chattering gave me a new burst of energy and I could not have slept if I wanted to. I was on sensory overload!

I remember going thru Lucea seeing the big clock, getting a closer view of the community, the stores, the bus station, people walking going about their everyday life.

There use to be a sign/billboard, red and black, I believe, yes it was a security company and had a picture of a doberman (Guardsman Security just remembered the name ) , we were closer to Negril, (I didnt know that then but now I used that as a landmark), the AI hotels soon start to come into view. Dropped off a few passengers at the AI's. Pretty soon we are pulling into the gates of our home for the next 7 days....

Welcome to Negril Treehouse.....

Check in goes smoothly at the Treehouse. They had all of our reservations, everyone had a room, everyone was accounted for, no mishaps. Before, going to my I room I take a peek at the beach. Wow, simply beautiful. Off to the room S and I go. We check out our home for the next 7 days, unpack, grab a shower, we both lay across our individual beds and get into a best friend talk. Recapping our journey here. We laugh about how I almost didnt make the trip, reminisce on the Welcome to Jamaica party back at home, the trip drive to LA and of course the drive to Negril. LOL, S and I have been friends about 15 yrs at this time and when I hear her start to talk about horses or something totally unrelated to our current conversation I know she is slipping away from me (sleep).

I stop talking and within minutes I can hear her snoring softly and eventually I drift off to sleep. I soon follow into a deep sleep myself. We got to the hotel about 2 or so that afternoon. We slept for a couple of hours until knocking on the door awaken us. It is B, she came to tell us of the evening plans. Stated that we should start getting ready around 10pm and we would all meet in the front of the hotel on the street side by 11pm to go out for a night on the town on our first night in Negril.

Again, she reminded us about her words of caution and stressed that under no circumstances should we go off with strangers (jamaican men) we laugh and promise her she does not have to worry about us, but I am thinking Where they do that at? In a foreign country going off with strange man, I mean really? If she had not been so serious I would have been offended, but after getting to know B, I knew that she had the best of intentions with giving that advice and we had every intention of following it. Afterall she is talking to a nervous nellie and a introvert. LOL. After B leaves we decided to check out the place (our hotel) and get something to eat and really check out the beach.

S donned her bathing suit and coverup and I put on a pair of shorts and tank top, S rolling her eyes at me the entire time. On this trip I had only brought one bathing suit (S purchased for me before our trip). It wasnt so much about my weight as much as the insecurites I had about my body and I had no intentions whatsover of prancing around Negril in a swimsuit. We went thru many many discussions before we left San Diego, me insisting that I was NOT wearing a bathing suit. Of the group of women that came down they ranged from a size 2 to 22 and I was somewhere in the middle, LOL!

S and I make it down to the lobby and smelled the jerk smell right there on the property. We order chicken and walked out to the beach, I looked to my left nothing but sand and sea, I looked to my right nothing but sand and sea as far as my eyes could see, nothing but sea. The sand was white, soft and clean, ok I am I digging this, but really at that moment I had a thought in my head "what is all the hoopla about? A few of the other ladies from our group were sitting on the beach and we joined them, me being me I was trying to get to some seats away from the group, but S being S she was not having any of that, so soon we were engrossed in drinks and conversation and I got to experience my first Negril Sunset. I started ever so slowly tuning out the conversation around me, now I can only hear the rushing of the waves lapping gently against the shore.

I just stared into the sea mesmerized by the vastness of its size, by the sun setting, the sound of the ocean, lost in my own thoughts. I no longer hear any of the laughter or chatter around me I started to visualize myself out in the middle of the ocean and how small I was compared to the ocean. I was comparing myself to a ship in the ocean that was far far away from the shoreline and all I could see was a speck, I was the speck floating along at a slow pace. I was taking in God's sheer beauty that surrounded me, beauty of God's creation that I had never taken the TIME to see, enjoy and ponder. I can feel the tears rising up. I closed my eyes, savored the moment until the tears disappear behind my eyelids.

Okay, sometimes I have these moments when tears/emotions welled up in me unexpectedly, like when I watch my grandson get a hit at his baseball game, or how my 1 yr old granddaughter shakes her head to one side when she is dancing, just simple things in life that fills your heart to overflowing. Rambling again, LOL!

At this moment sitting on the beach, lost in my own thoughts my heart was full and I had made some type of peace with my heart and my head, something had shifted in my spirit and I was HAPPY!

After the beach episode we went to B's room which would become the official gathering place before we all left out for the night. Somehow, meeting at the front of the hotel was not going to happen, we all seem to make our way to B's room as the meeting place.

Some left out on foot going to Debuss, B is not a walker she takes a taxi damn near everywhere, S and I hopped in the taxi with her and off we go and she wants to negotiate every single time. The negotiating thing was getting on my nerves and at times just made me uncomfortable the banter between her and the taxi drivers. Some of the drivers that she knew would just take her where she wanted to go without any charge, just up and down the beach road. I dont have the skill of negotiation so after the first couple of times S and I would elect to walk. Yes, we walked the beach late at night coming home from whatever beach bar that we were at, never just the two of us, usually 4-5 of us girls, the vibe that I felt regarding safety was much different in my early trips.

We get there around 1130ish and the music is THUMPING, it takes me a minute to gather my wits about me because the music is soooooo LOUD! We grab two tables near the part where they served the famous Jerk Chicken and Fries.
Chicken, fries and red stipe is ordered by most of the ladies. As I am feasting on my food and soda pop (dont like beer) I take in the scenery as some of the ladies in the group are very entertaining, and we have plenty of laughs. Again, getting to know some of the ladies in a very different setting, kinda of eye opening and you can pretty much tell how who and who rolls.

I am amazed, facsinated at the group of guys dancing alone. Some are gathered in groups showing off their latest moves, some of the groups seem to have their own dancing contest going on between them, but everyone standing is dancing and moving to the music. I am thoroughly enjoying the scene and find myself out on the dance floor dancing to music that I have never ever danced to before, but I have rhthym so I am able to keep the beat. LOL! There was a house band playing and they covered Dawn Penn song No No No, cant remember the lady name that was singing. They band also played Gregory Issac's song Number One, these two songs became my theme songs for that week and that first trip. Every single time I hear either one of those songs it takes me back to my first night in Negril at Debuss. Memories that sweet me so. I fell in love with Reggae music on this first trip.

I start to feel eyes upon me, everytime I looked in the direction that I was getting that intense feeling from this same guy was staring at me. It was making me uncomfortable and I roll my eyes at him and he just smile. This exchange happen a couple of times, me rolling my eyes and him smiling like a damn fool. LOL! Then one time when I looked over at him he gave me the finger wave, you know the one that says come here, I shooked my head indicating NO, instant reflex, I hear B in my head warning me of the men. Dammit, this encounter across the tables that seperate us is making me feel like a nervous nellie. LORD! This is not my last encounter with Mr. Smiles, I didnt make it past the first night in Negril. LMAO!

We continue to eat, dance, drink and dance and dance. I was feeling some type of liberation or freedom, coming out of a cocoon kind of thing, I mean at home I never feel comfortable enough to dance without a male partner unless I am doing the electric slide. But this reggae music was taking control of me and I could not stop dancing and moving if I wanted to, Unless it was Bob Marley, I understood absolutely none of the words to the song, however, the beat and thump of the music was taking over my body. S was S H O C K E D ! S is the partier in our friendship, in our younger years I babysitted the kids when she hit the clubs. Yep, she was truly shocked that her friend was letting loose. Little did she know I was on sensory overflow!

Loving your story romae

Macyoder, JeannieB, Dawn, Marie and Tammy, thanks for tagging along.

Tammy, no we have never met, sometimes I reading other trip reports I feel that I have met them, kindred spirits!

Yeah Mon, I am on sensory overload.

Some guy had asked me to dance and once we get on the dance floor he starts to interrogate me, ususal suspects, ususal questions. When did you get here? check, Is this your first time to Jamaica? check, How long are you staying? check, Where are you staying? check, I dont remember what my answers were but none of them where the truth, not even my name! As soon as the music ended I made a quick bee line for our table. At some point that evening he was chased away.

I come off the dance floor and stand beside S and she just give me the raised eyebrow. Words dont always pass between the two of us for us to understand what the other is thinking. I just smile at her. We both are moving to the music, watching happenings on the dance floor, enjoying the vibe, not saying much. We have the type of relationship that we dont always have to be flapping our gums about something, comfortable being around each other in silence.

Our group of ladies have been playing musical chairs all night and we end up in different seats. S and I are sitting side by side and we find ourself facing directly across the tables at Mr. Smiles. Mr. Smiles and I picked up right where we left off with the stares, smiles and eye rolling. S and I had already discussed him from the finger waving moment and she had already teased me about listening to B's instructions, hence she knew who he was.

Pretty soon S bumps my knee and nods her head in the direction of Mr. Smiles. She leans over and whispers, "someone is coming your way, be nice" LOL!

Sure enough he is strolling in our direction smiling and we have eye contact the entire time as he makes his way to our table. He leans in close to my ear and ask me to dance with him, I responded with a firm "No Thank You! He then asks if I would rather take a walk on the beach with him? In my head I am thinking, What, What the hell? (my 1st persistent higgler experience, just kidding) I turn my head to face him with a smile, (which makes him have to step back out of my space) and reply, "If I dont want to dance what makes you think I want to take a walk with a stranger on the beach?" I am a very blunt person and dont beat around the bush with people. S always lectures me on my bluntness, she says people can percieve it as rudeness, hence my smile to Mr. Smiles. My reply doesnt have the effect that I intended.

His next question he doesnt just direct to me, he includes S. He wants to know if we would like a drink? S said she would take another red stripe and I decline. Off to the bar he goes, bringing back a red stripe for S and a corona for him. Next question again directed to the both of us, Do we mind if he sits down with us while he drinks his beer? S chimes in with the quickness. "Sure" she saids as she is knee bumping me again and smiling. I cut my eyes at S and she keeps smiling.

He sits down, introductions are made. Starts telling us what he does for a living, where he lives etc. I am sitting between him and S at this point and they are carrying on a conversation like they have known each other for years. S is extremely friendly just a part of her personality, she makes friends everywhere she goes, grocery store, bank, wherever. This works to Mr. Smiles advantage tonight.

Being that I am in the middle of the two of them, I get drawn into the conversation. So far, I am getting good vibes from him as a person. After about 30 mins or so, he asked again if I want to dance. This time I agree...No wining I tell him, he laughs but respect my wishes. When the song ended, I turned to go back to the table and he firmly but gently grabbed my hand and ask for another dance. I did, and we danced another two or three songs.

We get back to the table and sit down and start to have general conversation between the two of us. B saunters up to our table. She had been out on the beach most of the evening. No blue tarps at the venues in those days. Mr. Smiles calls out B name and they exchange hugs. B knows him, does that make him a stranger or the jamaican men that she warned us about. LMAO! Okay so at this point I am having a good time with Mr. Smiles, feeling good vibes.

They party is winding down and we are preparing to go back to the hotel. He asks if it is okay to walk back with us, He says he knows that B doesnt mind, but he wanted to know if it was okay with me. Well, he is definitely not a stranger, B knows him, he has been pleasant and I have enjoyed talking with him, so I say sure.

We leave from the beach side. Mr. Smiles and I are trailing arms length behind the ladies, we are listening to their conversations , laughing at their antics and recap of the nights event.

I stop and ask Mr. Smiles to hold on for a second, I want to slip off my sandals.
I start to lose my balance trying to get them off. I am unsteady on my feet, Mr. Smiles reaches out to steady me. I braced myself up against him as I slip off my sandals. I need to dip my toes in the ocean, I prepare myself for the coldness however to my surprise I am greeted by lukewarm water. I am shocked by the warmness of the caribbean sea and start to exclaim and explain about how cold the ocean is at home. Now I need to let the waves lap at my ankles. I start to walk near the edge where the waves are meeting the sand. I am almost skipping at this point, feeling giddy like a child at christmas time. Mr. Smiles take the sandals from me with one hand and puts his free hand in mine without saying a word. We continue our late night/early morning stroll down the beach hand in hand.

The ladies are alot further down the beach. We can barely hear their muffled voices. They reach the hotel before we do and they are lingering around, I am sure waiting for us to catch up! Nervous Nellie has taken up residence on a row of stacked up beach loungers. Now I am the one grinning like a damn fool, just call me Ms. Smiles. We reach the ladies and after a couple mins of banter they proceed to their rooms.

Mr. Smiles asks me "yuh wan to walk de beech?" I quit grinning as I ponder this question and S is looking at me real crazy with raised eyebrows and pursed lips. S says NO, I started to laugh, (i am thinking did she just answer for me?) I am laughing a little of a nervous laugh because I will soon have to answer his question and laughing at her because I know that the mother bear guarding her cub is about to come unleashed. Mr.Smiles "feels" the abrupt change in the vibe and starts talking fast to put her at ease, not so much me because I am grinning like a Damn Fool! Hear him now: "No mon mi will take care of good care of her, mi will protect her, wi soon come back, everyting irie, wi soon come back." I am still standing stuck on stupid, speechless, but inside I am so wanting to stoll for just a few more minutes and at this point feeling that I am going to say yes.

S, asks him to let her hold his identification until we come back from our walk. I am standing there thinking "no you did not ask this man for his id".
Mr.Smiley reaches in his back pocket and pull out his wallet and takes out his drivers license and his work id, while he is pulling out his id he keeps chanting "No problem mon, No problem mon!" He hands her his id and she starts looking from the id to him to make sure its the same face. She remembered his first name from the introduction at Debuss and ask him his last name again! She tells him that if we are not back in 15 mins she is going to call the police! S, started to tell him how long we have been friends and how much she loves me, I stopped her there cause she can get long winded. I told her we would be back in 15mins. She is looking nervous, I hand her my sandals, reached over and hug her tight and tell her I will be okay. I was going on the strength of God and following my gut instinct that no harm would come to me. I was feeling a good vibe.

We turn back the way we came and started our stroll down the beach. The conversation as we start walking is him repeating all that S had said to him and we are having a good laugh. He once again takes my hand and we pick up where we left off, strolling.

Its only him, me, the moon and the stars, the whoosh whoosh sound of the ocean as it strikes the sand, the cool wetness of the sand caressing my feet and the bleep bleep bleep of the tree frogs." I am drunk from intoxication and it is not from the Hennessy I had hours ago. I cant remember much of what we talked about on that stroll because i was lost in the cadence of his voice. Mr. Smiley had me back at the room of my door in 15 minutes safe and sound.

Yes, S was up and waiting for me and what a belly laugh we had when I got back to the room. We recapped our first night in Negril and anticpated the next 6 days. S, was tired and soon she started speaking of wild horses or something LOL, I quit talking, after hearing her soft snores, I cut off the light, laid in the dark and reflecting on my first day with a smile. As i drifted off to sleep, my heart and spirit was soaring with praise and thanks for the most wonderful, special and romantic night. My first night in Negril.

Disclaimer....I dont advocate going off alone with a stranger in Negril or Anywhere that you vacation or live. I did what felt right for me at that time, in that moment. I was following my good vibes that I was surrounded with. Would, I do it again, Hell No, I am older and wiser. Do I reget it , not one single moment.

The remainding days I had were a whirlwind of fun, excitement, adventure and newness for me. I went for a boat ride, snorkeling and had lunch, cant remember the name of the little island, all I remember was it was a lot of sharp rocks in the water, no hotels. The ride back was simply amazing.

I rode on the back of a motorcycle scared at first, but after seeing how Mr. Smiley drove the bike, I relaxed and let the wind blow thru my hair.

Went horseback riding for the first time out in the country.

I had my first ride to Sav-la-mar on a mini bus packed with about 30 people. Jamaican stylee.

I discovered Sweet Spice, still today one of my favorite restaurants. I ate oxtails for the first time Jamaican style. Memories sweet me still. Ate patties, coco bread, Tasted Jerk Pork,Chicken and festival from Ossies.

Spent time in the ocean while it was raining, spent countless of hours floating in the ocean, some hours with friends, some in solitude on my back in my own thoughts.

Danced on the beach, under the moonlit and star filled sky for hours, another first. Fell in love with Reggae Music.

Formed friendships in Jamaica with some of the ladies in the group that I still have today. Mr. Smiley is still a friend of mines today. Each time I visit Jamaica we catch up and reason with each other.

S, and my friendship is still strong, although we have not live in the same state for the last, wow, about 15 yrs. I last saw S in Sept 2011, I went to visit her for 2 weeks in San Diego.

Thanks all for following along on my first trip to Negril.

Thank you Romae for writing it.

That was a great read ....Thanks for sharing ......