11-20-2021, 01:53 PM
Firemon, Thanks for the big up on the photos. Plenty more to share. Budget Travel was Negril back in the 70's. There were only a few "Hotels" in area of Negril proper otherwise every accommodation was considered Budget Travel. It used to be a very inexpensive holiday. The exchange rate my first trip was 1 USD = .80 cents JA. A Red Stripe cost .50 JA, a meal in a restaurant was like $3.50 JA for roast chicken or a fish dinner. It was unbelievable. The local residents weren't greedy hosts whatsoever. Crime consisted of stolen cameras or wallets left on a towel on the beach. There was no fear of walking on the beach at night or the West End Road. Hospitality was a new deal for the Jamaicans and they welcomed their guests. Some bad Shi* did occasionally happen. I remember an American woman getting raped in a cottage on Negril Beach and the Jamaicans were very angry at their countryman for his crime and did everything they could to apprehend him and send him to prison. So it wasn't perfect and I seem to remember hearing a story of some American tourist guy who flashed around a lot of cash who was murdered somewhere in the bush for it but over the course of 25 or 30 visits crime was almost non existent. It was for me my go to destination!!