03-24-2014, 09:46 PM
Wow, Pineapple, you could have written my bio! Maybe we really were separated at birth. I haven't travelled as extensively as you have, but share your love of reading, cats, books and home decorating.
I first went to Jamaica in 1983 for Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay. I was living in Edmonton, Alberta at the time, where there is a large West Indian community. Several of my friends were Jamaican immigrants and my group of friends used to hang out at a Reggae bar on weekends and knew the owners, musicians and most of the patrons - sort of like Cheers, where everyone knew your name, lol. Anyway, on a whim my best friend and I decided to go to Jamaica for Sunsplash. I knew as soon as my feet hit the tarmac that I would have a longlasting love affair with Jamaica - and I have, albeit more love/hate over the past few years.
That first trip was only two weeks, but the next one lasted from Sept 89 through to the end of January 90, starting off in Ochi, where we spent a couple of weeks before deciding we needed to get to Negril - mainly because everyone was telling us we should avoid it because it was full of hippies! Arrived at Miss Gloria's after dark and during a current outage so we didn't really get a glimpse of the beach until the next morning. We were initially three females and another friend arrived to join us in October. I have recently scanned my photos of that trip, but wasn't able to get them to load on the old board.
Since then, I've stopped counting the number of trips. In 93, I quit my job, sold everything and spent six months island-hopping. Started with a month in JA, then moved on to Antigua, St Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago. I could write a book about that trip, but suffice it to say, none could compare to Jamaica, so have been returning ever since. Spent three months in Negril after retiring three years ago. That's the trip where I was robbed in a room invasion. Even that didn't keep me away - I returned 7 months later to marry the man who offered to buy me a bowl of chicken soup at Daddy Ron's on Negril Beach in 1989.
Our plan now is to spend six months here in Vancouver & six in Negril, where we have built a small cottage & he has a small shop/bar.
I first went to Jamaica in 1983 for Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay. I was living in Edmonton, Alberta at the time, where there is a large West Indian community. Several of my friends were Jamaican immigrants and my group of friends used to hang out at a Reggae bar on weekends and knew the owners, musicians and most of the patrons - sort of like Cheers, where everyone knew your name, lol. Anyway, on a whim my best friend and I decided to go to Jamaica for Sunsplash. I knew as soon as my feet hit the tarmac that I would have a longlasting love affair with Jamaica - and I have, albeit more love/hate over the past few years.
That first trip was only two weeks, but the next one lasted from Sept 89 through to the end of January 90, starting off in Ochi, where we spent a couple of weeks before deciding we needed to get to Negril - mainly because everyone was telling us we should avoid it because it was full of hippies! Arrived at Miss Gloria's after dark and during a current outage so we didn't really get a glimpse of the beach until the next morning. We were initially three females and another friend arrived to join us in October. I have recently scanned my photos of that trip, but wasn't able to get them to load on the old board.
Since then, I've stopped counting the number of trips. In 93, I quit my job, sold everything and spent six months island-hopping. Started with a month in JA, then moved on to Antigua, St Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago. I could write a book about that trip, but suffice it to say, none could compare to Jamaica, so have been returning ever since. Spent three months in Negril after retiring three years ago. That's the trip where I was robbed in a room invasion. Even that didn't keep me away - I returned 7 months later to marry the man who offered to buy me a bowl of chicken soup at Daddy Ron's on Negril Beach in 1989.
Our plan now is to spend six months here in Vancouver & six in Negril, where we have built a small cottage & he has a small shop/bar.