Wahoo's Trip Report Negril 2009

[ECO]

Ok Wahoo, here is the place for your trip report!

[Wahoo]

First of all, I'm kicking myself for not taking nearly enuf pics! I could've gotten dozens of great shots at Canoe Bar & Grill or while having a delightful lunch of fish & chips at Alfreds or of places I walked to for a bite to eat (had a wonderful lunch of curry chicken with all the Jamaican fixins at a little place up the street from my hotel--sorry, can't remember the name--and a late night snack of ackee and beef patties at Miss Sonia's) or simply strolling around the gardens at my hotel. I could've taken a ton of interesting pics on Sunday when I went exploring down the beach toward the West End. Had a host of colorful "visitors" on the veranda of my room. Here's a pic of one of them:



Don't know why that pic's so blurry. I guess I wasn't as steady on my feet as I thought I was when I took it.

[Wahoo]

Second, I don't know why I still do the all-inclusive thing, 'cause I think I had only 3 meals (2 of those breakfast) at my hotel's restaurant. I suppose the unlimited beer and drinks made up for it, though. Stuck to Red Stripe mostly, but I did have a number of delicious rum punches (always strong). Even had a few Bob Marleys, for the first time, on this trip. Quite tasty. And every time I ordered a Bob Marley & tossed it back (it's not a sipping drink, but is drunk "bottoms up" in one gulp), other guests would be intrigued by the colorful drink and say to the bartender, "I'd like to try one of those, too." Needless to say, it doesn't take many Bob Marleys to make you very drunk, very fast. Bob Marleys were very popular while I was there. Also tried Dragon Stout on this trip. They didn't serve it at my hotel's bar or at Alfreds, but I bought a couple of bottles at a little store near the hotel and took them back to my room. Didn't like it--too sweet.

[Wahoo]

Saturday was the day of the long-awaited Jamaica & Beyond Negril 2009 Party. My welcoming committee (Eco, Teef, Ash, their driver, JA Miss and Ted) picked me up at my hotel--in two cars--and whisked me off to Canoe Bar & Grill. Again, even though I took my camera, I snapped only one friggin photo the entire time (pause while Wahoo kicks himself some more). I posted that pic elsewhere, but here it is again:



Canoe was a blast! We all sampled and shared a number of delicacies from the menu over the course of the afternoon. Meeting and rubbing elbows with all of you was such a pleasure, but, as Eco commented in another post, was kind of sad, too, because we had only those few hours together, hardly enough time to get to know each other better. The time simply flew, and seemed to speed up even more as the sun set in Negril.

There was one regrettable mishap. Teef and I wanted to get our toes wet on the beach. I waded out into the surf--naively assuming the bottom was smooth and sandy--and promptly stepped into a hole in the jagged reef, losing my balance and ending up getting soaked from head to toe. Scraped my right leg and knee rather badly, and I'm still hobbling around on my bruised and scabby right leg. Just lucky that I didn't break my leg. Why is it always my right knee (that I had arthroscopic surgery on years ago) that gets banged up? Anyway, live & learn, and that's one dumb mistake I'll be sure never to repeat.

[Wahoo]

I was actually quite pleased with my room at Grand Pineapple. This is the same hotel I stayed at 2 years ago when it was Negril Gardens. The hotel property is divided into beach and garden sides, separated by Norman Manley Blvd. I was in a beach-side cottage on my first visit and was on the garden side this time. I had expected to be placed in one of the manor rooms, but was pleasantly surprized to be placed in a ground-level room, with a veranda, in one of the cottages. Although it is a bit of a pain to have to keep crossing the highway to get to the restaurant and bar and beach, some people prefer the relative peace and quiet of the garden side (where the pool is), where the booming reggae from Alfred's is but a distant rumble.

Another Negril sunset pic from my favorite chair (and vantage point to gawk at the topless sunbathers) at the bar:

[Wahoo]

On Sunday I went exploring down the beach toward the West End. Went into a little shop off the beaten path that specialized in spices and teas. Didn't see anything I wanted particularly, but the proprietor's husband offered to drive me to Miss Brown's, just a couple of blocks east from the police station on Sheffield Road. As I've said before, Sunday was a very strange day.

[ECO]

Nice trip report! I love that sunset picture, I wish we could of seen a sunset like that when I came over for the day.

[Wahoo]

Wish you guys could've visited awhile at my hotel. I think you'd enjoy it as much as I do--great location, one of the best stretches of the entire 7-mile beach, friendly people (staff & guest), breath-taking sunsets.

[ECO]

If you get time do a review of your hotel in this section jamaica-lodging-and-resorts.html maybe it will help out other people who are looking for a hotel in Negril. Since you keep going back it must be a good place.

[LadySizzla]

Nice trip report! I love that sunset picture, I wish we could of seen a sunset like that when I came over for the day.

Sunset in Negril is THE reason for being there. Its the highlight of the day, every day. You really need to spend more time there.

[ECO]

Nice trip report! I love that sunset picture, I wish we could of seen a sunset like that when I came over for the day.

Sunset in Negril is THE reason for being there. Its the highlight of the day, every day. You really need to spend more time there.

At some point I'll have to get over there for a few days, a few hours was not enough time to get a feel for Negril at all.

[Batty_gyal]

I just now noticed that in the original picture of Kristi by the car..Im standing in the background...and in this one I'm not...WAY TO CUT ME OUT WAHOO!!! You know I love you so...how could you break my heart like this?? :D:D


But really..WTF HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PIC!! lol

[Jamaica Miss]

Nice sunset Wahoo. We need another linkup this winter, at Canoe. Anyone for that?

[ECO]

Nice sunset Wahoo. We need another linkup this winter, at Canoe. Anyone for that?

I'm just starting to poke around for airfare and to plan another trip. This time I would like to spend a couple of days in Negril, the few hours I spent there last time was not enough to get a real feel for the place.

So, count me in! The Canoe was excellent, great food and very fair prices........plus the location was mint!

[LadySizzla]

Glad you all had a great time and Canoe was all you wanted. Think you all should have stayed a bit longer together by the sound of it to really get the Negril vibe. Wish I'd been there to see you all. How was Alice/Ted and Kirby?

[Wahoo]

I just now noticed that in the original picture of Kristi by the car..Im standing in the background...and in this one I'm not...WAY TO CUT ME OUT WAHOO!!! You know I love you so...how could you break my heart like this?? :D:D
But really..WTF HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PIC!! lol

I swear I didn't crop the pic (I don't even know how to do that on my PC)...that's just the way it posted. Honest!

Even so, I'm still kicking myself for not snapping several pics of the occasion, instead of just that one. Often I'll forget I have my camera with me...I miss lots of great photo ops that way. For instance, I completely forgot I had my camera with me the day I visited Tedd's/Miss Brown's until Trevor, my driver, asked, "Want me to take a picture of you by the sign?" Almost lost my camera once 'cause I forgot I had it with me and left it on the seat of my bus from the airport to my hotel in Vancouver, but that's another story.

[Wahoo]

Nice sunset Wahoo. We need another linkup this winter, at Canoe. Anyone for that?

I'm just starting to poke around for airfare and to plan another trip. This time I would like to spend a couple of days in Negril, the few hours I spent there last time was not enough to get a real feel for the place.

So, count me in! The Canoe was excellent, great food and very fair prices........plus the location was mint!

Great suggestion, JA Miss, and I'd love to join you guys there this winter, but one trip's all I can manage this year. I did make two trips to Jamaica in the same year once (April & August 2005), but that's a rarity for me.

Eco, if you get to Negril for a couple of days, stop by Pirate's Cave for lunch and/or a couple of brews and to watch the cliff divers. It's a fun place. The lore of the cave there is that real pirates actually used it to hide their booty and later drug-runners used it to hide their stash until it could be transported to mother ships off-shore.

http://www.westendnegril.com/archive/piratescave.html

[Wahoo]

Glad you all had a great time and Canoe was all you wanted. Think you all should have stayed a bit longer together by the sound of it to really get the Negril vibe. Wish I'd been there to see you all. How was Alice/Ted and Kirby?

Well, LS, you can't say I didn't tell you so. You see, if you had been there, you would've had to share me at the link-up at Canoe on Saturday, but you would've had me all to yourself all the rest of the time.

[Wahoo]

Am I crazy, or does the sun always set on Wahoo? I've noticed this phenomenon before with every Jamaican sunset I've watched. No matter where on the island I'm standing (Mobay, Negril's Seven-Mile Beach, West End cliffs), the reflection of the sun on the water leads in a path directly to me. This pic is proof.

[Wahoo]

I studied that pic once more, and there's no doubt about it. Those sunbeams point directly to me (taking the pic)--not to the Rasta guy on the beach, not to the blonde broad wearing the sun dress and hat, not to the guys on the boat. Eerie! (Or should I say "Irie"?)