Jamaica Part 4 - It's Looking Fantastic

For most people.......Monday is the beginning of their work week. For me.....on THIS particular Monday, I am in Negril, Jamaica at the Sunset At The Palms Resort. THIS is special. Tropical Storm Noel is lurking not very far away......and yet today......the weather is fantastic!
Blue skies abound..........and we have decided to spend as much of the day as possible at the beach. There is no indication....no hint.....no sign (other than me.....hehehe)......of any problems.....it is all good.

The RIU Tropical Bay resort is next door to our left. Beyond the point is Booby Cay. Our beach here is a cove and it is beautiful. I, of course, planted myself beneath a tree near the water. I sat and watched people pass by..........and when I wasn't sitting, I was in the water.

Occasionally, some musicians would be passing by and they would stop and perform for us. I really enjoyed this........and they are very good at what they do.

I got up from my beach chair and approached the musicians to get a closer look and hear them better. They were called the Negril Mento Band. Mento............what is mento? Think "calypso music". Nothing fancy schmancy song-wise......just the basics and standards such as Big Bamboo.

I had never seen anything like this........what is that box that dude is sitting on? It's called a "rumba" and the dude sitting on it plucks these metal tongs below him and taps a stack of what looks like three or four tin can lids nailed to the side of the box. The box also had a padded cushion mounted across the top for sitting on..........simple, yet amazing. There was a small donation box sitting in the sand in front of them. I put five dollars into it.

These guys are talented and obviously they have been around a long, long, time.

All three of them sang. The maraca player, maracas in one hand.........a tote bag hung over the other shoulder..........and he had only one arm! Surely there is a story behind this.....but I didn't ask.

No fancy guitar, but very effective. Nylon strings strumming.........all of the instruments coming together to form a sound like no other......mento. I would see this guitar player elsewhere later in the week. These guys seem to work around the clock, seven days a week.

Could you imagine singing and performing music all day long along this beach?

To my right........was the Office Of Nature. Well........that's what it is officially known as. It surely doesn't resemble an office. The Office Of Nature is a section of the beach where local Jamaicans set up shop to vend their assorted wares. No huts......no buildings..........just some rope, some tarps, and poles. These locals are here seven days a week, 365 days a year, rain or shine. They will stroll from their "shops" and approach you as you sit on the beach......asking if you will come visit them and "see their shop". They can be aggravating if you let them be......some of them are very persistent. "Come taste my lobster".........oh yes.......lobster.

Wood carvings, scarfs, jewelry........all sorts of souvenirs......and all are very nicely displayed.

Jamaicans have this thing about vivid colors.

This is Louie Lamore.........so he says. He is a real taker, and very persuasive. You cannot help but like him.........but he is a salesman........he is sharp and he knows what he has to do to make some money. He pestered me to come visit his "shop", which actually wasn't his......hehehe.....Louie is sort of the ambassador of the Office Of Nature. He is very energetic and a determined person. Louie had a name for me........he kept calling me "Rasta Man" because of my long hair. And if you do not seem interested in any of the items on display, Louie will try to sell you some marijuana.........his neice or his aunt are also available if you wish! Imagine that.......well......I guess poverty has a way of making this kind of thing happen.

I cannot remember all of their names at the Office Of Nature. The dude in the center is Pepe. The dude on the left can be seen constantly walking up and down the beach holding lobsters in hand and posing for pictures. They cook these lobsters right there on a makeshift grill. From what I heard, they are very tasty..........but I declined for many reasons. I did promise those guys that each of them would be put on my blog......when they heard "internet", ALL of the assorted vendors wanted in on the action.

These guys might make the average person a little nervous.......I wasn't.....I had no problem walking amongst them. Trust me.......they all know full well that this is where their money is and they want people to come back again.

This old guy's name is "Stinkweed". He offered to sell me some of whatever kind of fruit he was holding there........oh.......and of course, some hash if I was interested. These guys must think all of the tourists are looking for the forbidden "delicacies" of Jamaica.

This guy was selling Red Stripe beer from a cooler............and of course..........ganga.

Even Pepe had a Red Stripe beer in one hand and a fairly sizable joint in the other. Out in the open......no hiding........no problem, mon! I declined.

These ladies offered hair beading and massages............see the table? No thanks......but they did keep asking me about the braiding. The gal getting the works looked up at me and asked how she could find the blog..........I told her.....but I bet she didn't remember. I do remember that she had a British accent.

One particular vendor caught my attention. I wish I could remember his name......I am bad about remembering names........maybe next time I will take a notepad with me. While all of the others were not shy about soliciting their wares......this dude was busy actually carving the items he sold. I have great respect for artists...........especially good ones.......and this guy was fantastic. I asked if he supplied the other vendors with wood sculptures.....he said "no", "they all buy them from the craft market in town".

By his appearance, I believe he is "rasta"............it's the long hair. He was very kind and appreciative of my comments. I promised him that if I bought anything at all in Jamaica....it would be one of his wood sculptures.

Everything, regardless of what it is, that is sold at the Office Of Nature, is negotiable. Wheel and deal with these folks and everybody is happy.

It was a fantastic day.........blue skies........only a few clouds.......and much to experience. We left the beach and headed for the pool bar.

100 degree jacuzzi hot tub if you wanted..........very nice..........but the pool bar is what we wanted.

Beyond the grounds that surround the pool, I could see the mountains not very far away. Any guesses as to what probably grows there in the distance?

A nice thing about this resort is that it is not crowded. What better way to kill some time before dinner................sit at the pool and have a few drinks.

This was a great first day and and looked forward to the evening and the remainder of our stay.

Next Up: Jamaica Part 5

Jamaica Part 3 - We Arrive At The Resort

Upon arriving at the Sunset At The Palms Resort in Negril, Jamaica our entourage was herded into a large room where we were welcomed with refreshments. Room keys, assorted excursion information and our orange wristbands were given to us. Once this process was completed, we went right off in search of our "rooms". A bellhop would bring our luggage to the room, so we were anxious to cut to the chase and head for the beach. I will write more about the rooms in another installment.
Time was of the essence............a large portion of our day was already used up.......we quickly hit the beach which was about a five minute walk from the room. This resort location is obviously promoted for its sunsets. The resort faces west on the coastline. This is exactly what I am anticipating.

It was beautiful. I cannot say it was the best beach I have ever been on......so far, the Iberostar Bavaro in Punta Cana is tops on my list.........but this beach is very nice indeed.

The water was very calm and as the evening drew closer, the colors everywhere had a heavy teal color abounding......I found this sight very surreal.

My thoughts were about the weather and how the rest of the week might be. I knew about the two tropical depressions in the Carribbean before leaving Baltimore. The forecasters reported that one of the depressions was to the east of Jamaica nearer to Puerto Rico and the other depression was off the coast of Cozumel. They predicted that the one to our east was showing no probability of becoming a tropical storm. The one near Cozumel allegedly had more potential and would likely head on up into the Gulf of Mexico. Very promising............but I am aware that weather forecasters are often wrong and these storm systems are very unpredictable. So, in the back of my mind, the storm lurks, and I begin snapping pictures of the sunset, lest it be the only opportunity I have.

I can see with my own eyes that we have the presence of clouds around us.......no big deal actually...........and my eyes are filled with the beauty before me. I am just sucking this all in.......I cannot see this at home......not like this I can't.

The water was warm and so calm. When you look down into the water you can see your feet clearly and there is hardly ever a rock or any seaweed to deal with.........almost perfect.

You want this to last........I kept snapping the pictures.

As evening falls, it gets more beautiful with every minute.......and the assorted variations of teal is everywhere............stunning.

Could you imagine seeing this kind of thing every day?

I never get tired of such a sight. This is what I wanted. I needed to see this. It has been worth the trip already and this is the first day.

There is a certain tranquility here............God's artwork in all it's splendor..........how can there be so much poverty and squalor on this island when they have their eyes filled with this every day?

Do they not realize they live in paradise?

Oh well........so far so good...........and nightfall was coming quickly. There is more beach for tomorrow and we have food to eat, drinks to drink, and a perfectly good pool to visit........and of course, the wonderful rooms....................this is all good, folks!

Next Up: Jamaica Part 4 - It's Looking Fantastic!

Jamaica Part 2 - The Bus Ride

The nice thing about traveling as part of a fairly large group is that most of the arrangements are taken care of by someone other than you. We get off of the plane and we already have transportation waiting for us. The wife and I just roamed along with the group.......we were like lemmings.
Now that we have boarded the bus, we have passed the part of the trip where you have to be at Point A and Point B by a certain time. No more hurrying along and no more stress. It is even better that everyone on the bus is part of our group. At this point, I have no real idea of where in Jamaica I am or how long it is gonna take us to get to the Sunset At The Palms resort in Negril. The tour bus is comfortable and we are all happy.

As the bus leaves the parking lot of the airport, the first thing I see is a gas station and it pretty much looks like one that you would see at home.

Within a half minute, I see this sight and realize that I am in Jamaica. The condition of this sign tells a story.

The road to Negril is a fairly long and narrow one. No superhighways here and it was rare to see any intersecting roads. This road we are on is right along the coast. To the right......water..........to our left........poverty, squalor, shacks, slums, third-world existence.

Hmmmmmm.........I must admit that I was beginning to wonder about this trip.

A frequent look to the right makes you feel alot better.

And yes.......there are mountains.

I noticed many places had iron-clad windows and doors. I see this kind of thing in the inner city of Baltimore. In Jamaica, it is necessary to have this stuff. The population is impoverished and there seems to be no delineation between the haves and have-nots. If you have a little, you keep it behind bars.

And yet, just down the road a piece it looks promising.

They drive on the left hand side of the road in Jamaica............I cannot imagine that I could ever get used to that.

After about an hour of driving, the driver stops off the beaten path so that we can get drinks, use a restroom, and stretch our legs. He pulls up to this stand-alone establishment called Golden Apple Tavern. We figure that the driver has some sort of agreement with the owner of this establishment that he would bring him some customers whenever he would be in the "neighborhood". From what I could see, there were hardly any other people in the vicinity and certainly not customers. We all exited the bus and entered the place........it was not like any "tavern" I have ever seen. On the front upper right corner of the building, I spotted this sign :

Hmmmmmm......never seen anything like that before. Very interesting.

Sitting on the "bar" were the selections of liquid for consumption.

You can see here how everyone in our entourage wore either pink or teal t-shirts. Our group of Chesapeake Medical Staffing travelers had been given a "goodie" bag prior to leaving Baltimore, which, among a host of assorted stuff, was "official" t-shirts and caps.....all color co-ordinated.

Even the bus matched the color of the men's t-shirts......hehehe. We boarded the bus and hit the road. It was about another half hour before we would arrive at our final destination.

Coming Up Next : Jamaica, Part 3 - We Arrive At The Resort

Jamaica Part 1 - The Flight

We boarded the Air Jamaica airplane at BWI after a two hour delay.......ahhh.....the delay was because the "crew got in late"...........now what am I supposed to think about that? Were they out partying up a storm in Baltimore on Saturday night......and overslept?........who knows? I guess I will never know.

It was a fairly nice plane........comfortable seats.....not much leg room, though......and the take-off went smoothly.
For me, it takes a little while for me to assimilate...........maybe I am a little bit edgy.........flying is not part of my daily routine. It's not bad, though.....just like being on a bus.......except it's a lot faster and you soar through the air. So I assimilate by checking out my surroundings. In these times I cannot help but carefully analyze and inspect every passenger I can get my eyeballs on. I even try to look behind me without being obvious..........the camera comes in handy for that.

I aimed my camera up the aisle towards the front of the plane.......hmmm.....there's the pilot......hmmmm...........huh?........I can see the pilot? What is up with that? How secure is that? Makes you wonder.......doesn't it?

But I am okay.......I am comfortable........not overly concerned..........and I have prepared for take-off.........hehehe.

So what do I do for the three hour and one minute flight?............do some crosswords.........sudoku puzzles..........eat..........drink...........wiggle around in my seat so that my ass-bone doesn't hurt.........the wife, Supernurse kicks back and takes a snooze.......me?.......I gotta look out the window.

The window looks like I had been on the space shuttle. For me.......I need to see where I am and where I am heading........so my eyes become glued to that window.

A closer look through the window.........I can see one of the engines......and part of the wing. At this point we are well above the clouds........it's amazing and beautiful. A moment like this makes you realize how pitifully small we are in the grand scheme of things.

Looking down...........I see lots of ocean.........and eventually we came across a land mass below. It was apparently Cuba because the very next chunk of land was where we landed.

And there it was..........Jamaica! I had not realized how mountainous Jamaica is. From this vantage point, it looks very appealing.

Flying along the coastline.....descending as we go...........I can now distinguish more details. It is very fascinating to see this kind of thing.

Landing's are not always perfect......some are smoother than others........not all that bad, actually...........but you get a certain stress point inside you when landing........"Are we gonna be able to stop?"..........."Is there enough runway?"..............."Landing gear okay?".........the force of the landing and the ensuing stoppage is not unlike a thrill ride at an amusement park. Sometimes passengers actually applaud after landing..........and they did this time.

So now I am to get thru the Sangster Airport and board a bus to take our group to the Sunset At The Palms Resort in Negril. The weather?...........looks good for now.

Next up: Jamaica Part 2: The Bus Ride

Back To The Grind

We are back home again after a week long trip to Jamaica. I get mixed emotions after every trip I take regardless of where I have been. One one hand it is great to get back to my family and friends...........and let's not forget the dogs......hehehe. Home is always where the heart is.........isn't it? On the other hand, you find it difficult to look forward to returning to the assorted nonsense that you are subjected to on a daily basis. No sooner than I get home, I get greeted with a stolen newspaper, I am forced to visit the neighborhood "pit of hell" known as the grocery store.......where I find out that some ground beef was being recalled......hmmm.......it's a bit odd to issue a recall of ground beef long after everyone has eaten it.........oh well........I guess it explains the potency of that chili I made before the trip....hehehe.

I have much to tell you about the trip and it will take several installments on the blog. I will begin those installments in the next day or two. Even though I came home on Sunday night.....today is Thursday and have spent the majority of my time since Monday dealing with a few unpleasant things. Curious as to what possible unpleasantries I have been dealing with???.........for some odd reason I seemed to have been a meal for a certain little pest. In Jamaica, I did get a few bites from an occasional mosquito and some no-sees.......but that was minimal and not too much beyond the norm for such a visit. It wasn't until I landed in Baltimore that began noticing that something was biting the hell out of my arms and legs. No, it doesn't appear that my pets have a flea problem. My guess is that I may have picked up this problem from the seats on the bus that transported us from the resort to the airport in Jamaica.....OR.....I picked up this aggravation from my seat on the Air Jamaica flight to Baltimore. Either way, the result was the same........endless itching and scratching......ughh. For some reason, the wife "Supernurse" has not been subjected to any bites.....just me.

On a more serious note, another unpleasantry occurred sometime between noon on Monday and 8 a.m. on Tuesday. I was awakened from a good sleep to be informed by the wife, Supernurse, that "someone slashed our tires!". How wonderful is that? Gee.....I know I have a few enemies on this planet but I would think I could have seen something like this coming. I certainly was NOT expecting this one. Random act?......not hardly. Nobody else in the neighborhood had their tires slashed......just mine. Fortunately, they only slashed two of the tires. Actually, I would have been better off if they had slashed all four tires. Two tires costed me a total of $300 after it was all said and done. The towing was free. But now I have two very new tires and two very used tires. The deductible for insurance was $250. Get it now?.If all four tires had been slashed, I could have had FOUR new tires on my car for the price of two! Hmmmmm.......I did NOT think about that before I reported this to the police and the insurance company. Oh well.....such is life. As to who did this deed?.......nobody knows.....and surely the moron hasn't the testicles to face anyone in my family. One thing is for sure.........he really, really, doesn't want us to find out who he is....if you know what I mean. Oh......and the police?......HA.....what a joke! They took the report over the phone. As you already know, the police are overloaded with work dealing with drivers without seatbelts.

So yesterday, I was sitting in my recliner, itching and scratching, and watching a little bit of the FoxNews channel to catch up on what's been going on around the planet since I had been "out of the loop" for a week. I am sitting there....trying to actually relax from the stress so far this week and POOF.......the tv screen goes black. A message then scrolls across the screen about how my cable company needs to change some sort of satellite hook-up. From what we could see, absolutely no other channels had this problem. ONLY the one channel I wanted to watch! Here we go again!

Did anyone notice that there was an election in Baltimore on Tuesday?

Arggghhh, and let's not forget Monday night............I got to sit back in my recliner, itching and scratching, and watch the Ravens get the shit kicked out of them by the Steelers......oh joy! I wouldn't fret so much of the Ravens had lost in a close game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But to watch your team repeatedly throw 2 or 3 yard passes on third down when they needed to go 10 or 15 yards for a first down!.......well.....it is disgusting.

So here I am.....back to the grind.

It's a damn good thing I leave again for the Caribbean on Nov 16 until the 27th. Maybe after I get back from that cruise, I will get into the Christmas spirit............one can hope!