Negril Notes

Negril was great! Christmastime was fantastic!

December 29, 2006

I didn’t know what to expect this trip. I was so busy at work I barely had time to plan things out, so I just went.

Air Jamaica cancelled our flight 14 hours before we were to take off. We were told to come to Philadelphia International Airport and they would bus us up to Newark Airport for a 1:45PM flight. I was upset, but didn’t want it to ruin the trip so without another option we did as we were told.

Luckily Jason and Megan (my travel partners) got to the airport early and worked a deal with someone from AJ to put us on the 9:40AM US Airways flight from Philadelphia. It wasn’t as good as not being cancelled in the first place, but we made it to Montego Bay by about 1:30PM.

I was feeling pretty good. I figured we’d meet up with Clive and be on the road by 2:30PM, but it was not to be. The line at imigration stopped several turns down that long hallway and it took over an hour to get through. 

Then customs was another nightmare! Being close to Christmas, many Jamaicans were returning home for the holidays, and when Jamaicans come back home they bring SERIOUS baggage, and most of it has to be declared. Normally this wouldn’t be as issue, we just go through the “Nothing to Declare” line and shoot right through.

BUT Jason bought a fancy bottle of Jack Daniels as a Christmas present for his dad back in Philadelphia, and he had to declare it. Megan and I waited for a while but decided to go in the “Nothing to Declare” line, and let Jason wait in the huge non-moving line behind literal mountains of Jamaican luggage.

We decompressed at the Margaritaville bar and waited almost an hour for Jason. Clive was right at the door when we emerged. It was great to see him, we were so late he thought we forgot about him and got another ride. It was nearly 4:30PM before we hit the road to Negril, and the sun was setting as we drove up the cliffs.

My friends stayed at XTabi. I’d never been on the “Garden” side of Xtabi before, thier room was nice and roomy, it’s balcony overlooking a lush landscape. After they were settled I headed down to Blue Cave Castle and Santo welcomed me and showed me into Deluxe 1, the same room I stayed in back in April.

I didn’t really think how cool it would be to have the same room, I just liked it last time and saw it was open when I booked, but it was like coming home. I put my big bag on the small bed and unpacked. It was awesome, I knew where everthing went! I unpacked in just a few minutes.

I changed into shorts and a t-shirt, put on my flip-flops and walked out to the edge of the cliff and just marveled at the dark quiet Caribbean stretching out before me. I really felt like I was home.

I always say I feel like I’m home when I’m in Negril, but this time it was more than hyperbole. I took several deep breaths and just enjoyed the moment.

I headed back to Xtabi on foot, meeting and greeting the local Jamaicans, suprised how many I remembered this third time in the neighborhood in a little over a year.

Then it was off to 3Dives for some of Lloydie’s World Famous Jerk Chicken. It did not dissapoint!

Vinny

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