01-24-2018, 04:25 PM
It's been a rainy month in Negril. Didn't see a single sunset in the 10 days I was there. Skies were typically cloudy and overcast. An expat told me that had I been there the week prior I would have wanted my money back.
Seas were too rough for the see bottom boats all but a couple days. The whitecaps made for great body-surfing though. I tired fast but it was exhilarating. The off-and-on rain/sprinkles had tourists abandoning the beach and vendors covering their wares with blue tarps. (Note: If you walk the beach while it's raining Jamaicans will not only think you're crazy but they'll tell you as much. Personally I'm not sure what the big deal is if you're wearing your swimsuit.)
Speaking of swimsuits I bought a new Bob Marley "Soul Rebel" swimsuit from a shop downtown near Value Master. Picked it out one day and returned the next day with my credit card to complete the purchase making the vendor smile when I say "now where did that white man go?"
Across the street towards the cambio/Scotia Bank there was a whole string of large shops barred and shuttered that used to be full of merchandise. Times Square, on the other hand, was booming with busloads of tourists and colorful merchandise. The trash dumpsters by the sidewalk in front of Times Square are rusted out and overflowing and the stink was unbearable.
The ATM in Times Square wasn't working and two of the four ATM's at Scotia Bank were out of service. The line outside Scotia was occasionally long and you had to be bold to prevent nine or ten Jamaicans from cutting in line in front of you. Uh, respect?
Bumped into an essentially non-English speaking couple from Poland late Saturday in the Value Master parking lot. The guy had his credit card in his hand and he was surrounded by money-changers shouting at him. He looked bewildered. His wife was nervous. I said something to her while waving follow me, she nodded, and they followed me away from the lion's den. Scotia was closed. The cambio was closed. Directed them to the ATM line outside Scotia and started to leave but they indicated they wanted me to stay with them so I did. The guy even had me go into the booth with him while his wife waited outside as he withdrew $500 US. My good deed for the day. Saw them again later that evening when I went to the show at Bourbon Beach where surprisingly they were staying. BIG smiles and waves when they saw me!
Bourbon Beach, btw, has stepped up their security big time following recent fatal driveway stabbing. Numerous checkpoints with security checking everyone for weapons. Decent crowd there every night with either house band or DJ. Singers such as Pinky Dread, Swallow, and Prince J.
Stopped by Arthur's looking for an infamous rum-drinker named Shadow. Couldn't locate him so I left word with a rasta named Juicy where Shadow could find me.
Tamboo was closed!
Bought a new phone from Digicell. Didn't take long. The girl at the counter was on her game (unlike two years ago when all the transactions in the store grounded to a halt when they couldn't get any of the sim cards activated. That was a 90 minute ordeal for nothing.)
As for the phone, I bought it so I could make calls home to the states, not receive calls.
Checked up on my pet-sitter. All good. Then I gave my mom a call on my birthday. She wasn't happy I was in Jamaica. You try.
Bought a bag of Purina dog food at Value Master and attempted to feed the stray dogs as I walked from downtown to Roots Bamboo. I'd pour some out on the ground/sidewalk and most went to waste. Sure they were hungry but unfamiliar with store bought dog food being more accustom to trash and leftovers. Gave a nursing momma dog half my ice cream cone by the roundabout and that was pretty cool.
Watched a beach cat early one morning as it reached into a hole in the sand all the way up to its shoulder. Guessing it was after a crab.
Miss Sonia's restaurant looks pretty in white with white drapery, white chairs, and white lights. Miss Sonia was sitting outside with a wash buckets cleaning strands of lights.
Colletta's, Sweet Spot, Shamrock all busy. Paid $550J for a quart of milk at Sweet Spot.
Pretty ridiculous but I had Chips Ahoy cookies to consume and I was on vacation.
Woodstock is building a monstrosity next to Roots Bamboo. 24-hours-a-day sawing, banging, hammering. By the time they're done it'll make Margarittaville look small.
Meanwhile Roots Bamboo's expansion/renovation is on hold pending upgrading sewer system.
It was karaoke night one night at Woodstock and that was probably the low-point of my trip as I couldn't drown out the amplified off-key tourists with my own music/Bluetooth speaker so I had to leave my own porch and escape.
Bought a new grinder and a coconut chalice. Got a kick out of carrying my chalice around at Capleton's show. Naturally all the farmers targeted me to buy their Kush. Orange Hill weed has the strongest reputation in Negril. Whoa is it good!
Some neighbors were on a hash safari. They stopped me as I passed by and dropped an enormous dark-brown glob into my chalice. (Of course I carried my new chalice around!) It was my reward for entertaining them with my fire juggling they said. One smiling dude launched into a bubble-gum hash poem and by the time he was done rapping I too was in gummy world finding it difficult to complete a sentence as my mind drifted off. (Highly recommended.)
Ate Curry Goat at Roots Bamboo one evening while watching the warm up acts (ie-Bob a longtime Canadian guest) before a big show.
Tony Montanna's (by the Jungle) has a great beef special on Friday nights for $1,000J. Good deal, good food and no waiting which is real nice. Plate arrive quick quick.
On the Saturday I left (20th) Yellowman was set to perform at The Boat Bar; and Seastar was hosting a Canadian Bluesfest.
Money Cologne walked the beach promoting various shows at the boat bar and Woodstock.
Beres Hammond coming up Feb. 13.
Norman the pattymon had a new sign on his bicycle.
No jet skiis. No horse poop. No parasail.
Stand-up paddleboards are gaining popularity. A few catamarans (private).
Sunset cruise boats pass by filled to capacity and beyond.
Kenny's Italian (across from Legends approximately) is a great place to go if you like waiting forever for an over-priced poorly-prepared meal. You can buy frozen pizzas at any gas station in America for $5 that are better than Kenny's Italian pizza. Even worse was their Spaghetti and Meatballs. Not one meatball! (Ground into the sauce they say. Horseshit!)
If you want a good pizza, no a GREAT pizza, go to Chances. Just incredible. Fresh toppings. Superb crust. Worthy of multiple Michelin Stars! And a great Jazz band with Frank Aird on trumpet Sunday afternoons.
The 2-4-1 Dirty Bananas ($750J) at Yellowbird are not to be missed. 9-6 pm if I'm not mistaken.
24/7 Nation still vacant aside from some homeless squatters. Gave Herman "One Foot" $500J and afterwards felt cheap. Should have given him $1,000.
Doled out a little charity here and there (ie--intentionally buying bruised fruit I didn't need/want) but stiff-armed the buy-me-a-beer beggers.
The Tri-Hull crew from Minnesota was in town celebrating a birthday. They had a large contingent and they kept chef Leroy busy cooking chicken and lobster for them on his roadside grill. Learned they had sold their catamaran to the Jackson (Treehouse) family after tiring of having to repair the hull every time it break free and beach itself.
Juna's roadside soup kitchen is now always stationed by Bourbon Beach. He's my favorite.
Vegetable soup, conch, peanut porridge, etc. Off on Fridays. (Name on his cart say Juniors I believe.) One night I was staring at my money trying to add it up in the dark--and I was a little short although still unsure what the denominations were--when Juna said "Don't worry yourself" settling for what I had even though I was $150J short. Made good the next night.
Lots of good people in Negril.
Okay, gonna take a break and continue in a bit. Got a few photos/videos to upload.
Seas were too rough for the see bottom boats all but a couple days. The whitecaps made for great body-surfing though. I tired fast but it was exhilarating. The off-and-on rain/sprinkles had tourists abandoning the beach and vendors covering their wares with blue tarps. (Note: If you walk the beach while it's raining Jamaicans will not only think you're crazy but they'll tell you as much. Personally I'm not sure what the big deal is if you're wearing your swimsuit.)
Speaking of swimsuits I bought a new Bob Marley "Soul Rebel" swimsuit from a shop downtown near Value Master. Picked it out one day and returned the next day with my credit card to complete the purchase making the vendor smile when I say "now where did that white man go?"
Across the street towards the cambio/Scotia Bank there was a whole string of large shops barred and shuttered that used to be full of merchandise. Times Square, on the other hand, was booming with busloads of tourists and colorful merchandise. The trash dumpsters by the sidewalk in front of Times Square are rusted out and overflowing and the stink was unbearable.
The ATM in Times Square wasn't working and two of the four ATM's at Scotia Bank were out of service. The line outside Scotia was occasionally long and you had to be bold to prevent nine or ten Jamaicans from cutting in line in front of you. Uh, respect?
Bumped into an essentially non-English speaking couple from Poland late Saturday in the Value Master parking lot. The guy had his credit card in his hand and he was surrounded by money-changers shouting at him. He looked bewildered. His wife was nervous. I said something to her while waving follow me, she nodded, and they followed me away from the lion's den. Scotia was closed. The cambio was closed. Directed them to the ATM line outside Scotia and started to leave but they indicated they wanted me to stay with them so I did. The guy even had me go into the booth with him while his wife waited outside as he withdrew $500 US. My good deed for the day. Saw them again later that evening when I went to the show at Bourbon Beach where surprisingly they were staying. BIG smiles and waves when they saw me!
Bourbon Beach, btw, has stepped up their security big time following recent fatal driveway stabbing. Numerous checkpoints with security checking everyone for weapons. Decent crowd there every night with either house band or DJ. Singers such as Pinky Dread, Swallow, and Prince J.
Stopped by Arthur's looking for an infamous rum-drinker named Shadow. Couldn't locate him so I left word with a rasta named Juicy where Shadow could find me.
Tamboo was closed!
Bought a new phone from Digicell. Didn't take long. The girl at the counter was on her game (unlike two years ago when all the transactions in the store grounded to a halt when they couldn't get any of the sim cards activated. That was a 90 minute ordeal for nothing.)
As for the phone, I bought it so I could make calls home to the states, not receive calls.
Checked up on my pet-sitter. All good. Then I gave my mom a call on my birthday. She wasn't happy I was in Jamaica. You try.
Bought a bag of Purina dog food at Value Master and attempted to feed the stray dogs as I walked from downtown to Roots Bamboo. I'd pour some out on the ground/sidewalk and most went to waste. Sure they were hungry but unfamiliar with store bought dog food being more accustom to trash and leftovers. Gave a nursing momma dog half my ice cream cone by the roundabout and that was pretty cool.
Watched a beach cat early one morning as it reached into a hole in the sand all the way up to its shoulder. Guessing it was after a crab.
Miss Sonia's restaurant looks pretty in white with white drapery, white chairs, and white lights. Miss Sonia was sitting outside with a wash buckets cleaning strands of lights.
Colletta's, Sweet Spot, Shamrock all busy. Paid $550J for a quart of milk at Sweet Spot.
Pretty ridiculous but I had Chips Ahoy cookies to consume and I was on vacation.
Woodstock is building a monstrosity next to Roots Bamboo. 24-hours-a-day sawing, banging, hammering. By the time they're done it'll make Margarittaville look small.
Meanwhile Roots Bamboo's expansion/renovation is on hold pending upgrading sewer system.
It was karaoke night one night at Woodstock and that was probably the low-point of my trip as I couldn't drown out the amplified off-key tourists with my own music/Bluetooth speaker so I had to leave my own porch and escape.
Bought a new grinder and a coconut chalice. Got a kick out of carrying my chalice around at Capleton's show. Naturally all the farmers targeted me to buy their Kush. Orange Hill weed has the strongest reputation in Negril. Whoa is it good!
Some neighbors were on a hash safari. They stopped me as I passed by and dropped an enormous dark-brown glob into my chalice. (Of course I carried my new chalice around!) It was my reward for entertaining them with my fire juggling they said. One smiling dude launched into a bubble-gum hash poem and by the time he was done rapping I too was in gummy world finding it difficult to complete a sentence as my mind drifted off. (Highly recommended.)
Ate Curry Goat at Roots Bamboo one evening while watching the warm up acts (ie-Bob a longtime Canadian guest) before a big show.
Tony Montanna's (by the Jungle) has a great beef special on Friday nights for $1,000J. Good deal, good food and no waiting which is real nice. Plate arrive quick quick.
On the Saturday I left (20th) Yellowman was set to perform at The Boat Bar; and Seastar was hosting a Canadian Bluesfest.
Money Cologne walked the beach promoting various shows at the boat bar and Woodstock.
Beres Hammond coming up Feb. 13.
Norman the pattymon had a new sign on his bicycle.
No jet skiis. No horse poop. No parasail.
Stand-up paddleboards are gaining popularity. A few catamarans (private).
Sunset cruise boats pass by filled to capacity and beyond.
Kenny's Italian (across from Legends approximately) is a great place to go if you like waiting forever for an over-priced poorly-prepared meal. You can buy frozen pizzas at any gas station in America for $5 that are better than Kenny's Italian pizza. Even worse was their Spaghetti and Meatballs. Not one meatball! (Ground into the sauce they say. Horseshit!)
If you want a good pizza, no a GREAT pizza, go to Chances. Just incredible. Fresh toppings. Superb crust. Worthy of multiple Michelin Stars! And a great Jazz band with Frank Aird on trumpet Sunday afternoons.
The 2-4-1 Dirty Bananas ($750J) at Yellowbird are not to be missed. 9-6 pm if I'm not mistaken.
24/7 Nation still vacant aside from some homeless squatters. Gave Herman "One Foot" $500J and afterwards felt cheap. Should have given him $1,000.
Doled out a little charity here and there (ie--intentionally buying bruised fruit I didn't need/want) but stiff-armed the buy-me-a-beer beggers.
The Tri-Hull crew from Minnesota was in town celebrating a birthday. They had a large contingent and they kept chef Leroy busy cooking chicken and lobster for them on his roadside grill. Learned they had sold their catamaran to the Jackson (Treehouse) family after tiring of having to repair the hull every time it break free and beach itself.
Juna's roadside soup kitchen is now always stationed by Bourbon Beach. He's my favorite.
Vegetable soup, conch, peanut porridge, etc. Off on Fridays. (Name on his cart say Juniors I believe.) One night I was staring at my money trying to add it up in the dark--and I was a little short although still unsure what the denominations were--when Juna said "Don't worry yourself" settling for what I had even though I was $150J short. Made good the next night.
Lots of good people in Negril.
Okay, gonna take a break and continue in a bit. Got a few photos/videos to upload.