Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

[Caligirl2002]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Thanks for posting all this!! Reminds me of my first trip last Oct...I went to ALL the same places as you did. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[NeverGoneFromYou]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Loops, I have been totally enthralled in your trip report like everyone else and feel that I am walking in your shoes. I can hardly wait for the next installment! I will just keep checking back because I am coming to Negril in April!

[char_q2001]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Loops, thanks for sharing your experience!

[AngieB]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Loops, I am sitting here at work and everyone in the entire building is gone except me, but I cannot leave until I finish this installment. Now I am done and leaving for home. Maybe you'll add another installment tonight....hey! And....I am green with envy. I love the beach so much that it is always so hard for me to choose to go to the cliffs to stay. I must say though that I have always wanted to stay at RockHouse just once because it seems so cool. Did you take any picutes of the rooms along with the lovely ones of your villa?

[tingalaya]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

dearest loops, thank you bunches , am so enjoying
your trip report & pictures. love your way of writing !! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] and to everyone else,who has posted your pictures of the places you stay at,a big up ! i never had been to none of them, just drove past on the way to hi-lo. i lived way past the light house for almost 4 years, small community , in the west end. i am soo homesick !!
but i shall endure [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] and these reports help me do so, & yes, i also had one of those bamboo rain gutters & a 55 galoon drum to catch the rain water. my first home was a one room thachted roof hut.outside hose for shower. loved it !! thanks loops, for sharing. god bless you & yours

[loops]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Before we headed streetside, I snapped a photo of our little bungalow. Ours is the center one. Way to the left you can see Rockhouse’s fabulous restaurant.



We walked to the little store across the street for… what else...more Stripes! On the opposite side of the road from the Rockhouse entrance is a series of craft stalls…it looks enticing to shop there and I know I will spend some money here before we leave. As opposed to the beach, we are now in a place where we have to go the vendors, not the vendors coming to you…Maybe I’m imagining this, but the vendors up here seem younger and provide a great service of hanging out roadside and letting you know when it’s safe to cross the street. This area, like every where else in Negril, is plastered with these Red Stripe banners…you would think there MUST be someone willing to part with just one…

We head down the street towards town. This is our first experience walking the cliff road and you must have your wits about you! The road is narrow and the cars are moving at a pretty good clip. Not being of the sharpest state of mind, we are constantly reminding ourselves that the cars are on the opposite side of the road. We switch back and forth from one side of the road to the other depending on the curve in the road and the amount of shoulder we have to work with. If you like to walk, the beach is a better option. We had heard about Joseph’s Cave and I have seen pictures of it…so when we came upon it, we stopped for a beer and to snoop around. Seeing two willing customers, a fellow named Maddog invites us to a guided tour of the cave. He took us down into the cave and then offered to take our photo…which came out pretty nice…



From there, he insists we come across the street to watch him dive off the cliffs. He puts on a quite a production and then takes his dive. This is a scene we will see repeated many times from our verandah over at Rockhouse. Pirate’s Cave is across the street and comes highly recommended by Sala. We never did partake there…oh well, another reason to return! On the way back to Rockhouse, Scott buys a WHOLE jerk chicken from a fellow named Beezy, who is hanging there with his buddy Brap. Brap is a character. The jerk is more of a dry rub and does not compare to the Best of the West. Personally, I have had my fill of jerk and am ready to try something different…tomorrow we plan to have lobster at 3 Dives. We partake on the verandah and then head down to the pool area to watch the sunset.



I order a delicious banana daiquiri and then we head back along the romantic lit paths that guide you through the property to our villa for the evening.

[Marilyn]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Ok the pool picture is TO DIE FOR. SOmetimes when I look at these photos folks I wonder how do we stand it. Honestly sometimes I am in so much awe and see something so beautiful that I cannot move to get to my camera to photograph it. Sometimes there are some things that almost fall into the realm of sacred and I think that somehow it would be a sin to take a picture of it. Does anyone else feel that way?
But Loops this pool picture, it is just THE ONE.

[sammy]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

loving your report loops!

which villa did you have?

didn't you just love the wrap around porch rockhouse is such a special place...thanks for the photos...GREAT [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Guest]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

hi leslie! finally getting around to reading the WHOLE trip report posted so far! (i needed to be rescued from my addiction to tv/war news lately!)

it's a wonderful report! i especially enjoyed reading about the days we spent together from YOUR perspective! we were so pleased to have hooked up with you and scott and glad we "tagged along" on the trip you arranged to mayfield! a day never to be forgotten. Solomon was a great tour guide...it was a pleasure meeting him too.

glad you loved rockhouse as much as we did...aren't those showers great? we absolutely loved staying there...wondering if you can say whether you preferred the cliff environment to the beach? i know you seemed right in your element on those sandy/sunny shores when we visited you at idle awhile...any observations about the pros/cons to each?

again...loving the report...and i plan to go back and re-read it...also waiting for the last couple of days...you tell a great story of your days there....

keep well...hi to scott...
mikell [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[AngieB]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Marilyn I feel you too. When I saw the pictue of the pool, I just said to myself.."I wish I was in Jamaica". Gotta do Rockhouse next time.

[swedishrasta]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Loops.
thank you so much for sharing your lovely pictures. Idle Awhile is my home away from home and the jr. suite is the only one I haven't stayed in so I enjoyed your take on it.

Of course, the Rockhouse is something else..that pool is to die for and I love the villas. Totally different vibe on the cliffs.. I can't wait to spend some more time there in October for the FOJ bashment. Of course, Idle Awhile will be our headquarters this year just like last year.

Thanks again and lovely pics of mayfield. As for Mr. & Mrs. Kerr..what can I say..they are some of the dearest people I have ever met and I look forward to seeing both of them soon.

respect
s [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[1stTimeGrl]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Hi Loops!! Loving your report! My husband and I will be following in your footsteps to the Rockhouse (studio instead of villa), Mayfield Falls, Joseph's Cave... and I'm sure more!

Your words and photos have been such a fantastic inspiration for me & my husband (both Jamaica newbies)...

Somebody asked what the studio rooms at the Rockhouse look like... I found a photo online... this is my first time trying to link a photo... so please be patient!



and standard room photos:

[pamiela]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Thanks for the report and all the wonderful wonderful pictures. So many places I've been that you have shared with everyone. Especially seeing the gate from "Nirvana" the only place I stay on the beach (since the 80's). Lovely lovely lovely.

[loops]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Mikell!!! Thanks for your kind words about my report. My writing skills do not compare with yours and I am flattered you find this interesting. Might you consider sharing your trip report with the folks on this board? Don't the photos enhance the story nicely? Please consider it!

I plan to do a little pros and cons at the end of the report...if I ever get to the end! I could never say I have a preference as each one has it's strong points...I can only say do both...do both!

Ist time gal: Thanks for the photos of the rooms, they look very similar to the interior of our villa. I know I could be very happy there! The room block is located to the right of the pool bar area sort of on the far end of the property further up the cliffs...some nice flowers on the property down in that area...totally adequate and far more reasonable in price!

[loops]

Re: Negril - Idle Awhile Mayfield Falls/Rockhouse Trip #2:

Monday March 3

At some point in the course of the night, I escaped to the verandah and attempted to sleep in the chaise lounger there. Covered with only a towel, I was a little chilled. The water splashing on the cliffs might have lulled me to la la land were it not for the dogs barking non-stop somewhere off in the distance. A symphony it was not. I would have been disappointed if I had paid for one of these villas and ended up in the ones alongside the road over there. Just seems like between the traffic and the dogs…it would not be as quiet as where we are. I managed to drift on and off thru the night.

Needless to say, I was up early and down to the restaurant to gather up a carafe of coffee for us to enjoy at our place. After some proper priming, we went to the restaurant for breakfast. Scott ordered the Rockhouse Special which is poached eggs on a bed of callaloo and toast with hollandaise sauce. I ordered banana pancakes with a huge pile of bacon. We shared and it was fantastic!

We returned to our villa to claim one of the sunning perches down by the water’s edge. There is not one of these perches for each villa so one needs to get up and claim a spot if this is important to you. I am in and out of the water often while Scott doesn’t seem to be giving a rat’s butt about getting wet...he's just taking in the sites...and looking fine doing it.


He kindly goes down to the pool to see if he can borrow a life jacket for me as I feel I need that to snorkel. I don’t swim that well and if I am to do this I will need to be relaxed. I’m not proud and don’t give a **** about how I must look like the ultimate novice. Into the water I go and attempt to get used to floating around with my head in the water. It does not take long at all to get the technique down. I am loving this! It is amazing what you see under the water…I can only describe it as an underwater garden…there are sponges, fan type things, urchins and fish of all types down there…just fascinating! Were it not for the fact that my bottom lip is absolutely fried and the salt water is not helping, I would have stayed there much longer. I try to get Scott to join me and he does, but not for long. Without a jacket, he was more concerned with drowning than breathing and could not get comfortable with the whole idea…perhaps because it’s hard to bring your Stripe snorkeling with you! So he sits on the perch watching me snorkeling and laughing each time I surface to get my bearings.

A little later two topless gals and a guy venture over to our perch because they like the height we have from the water and want to attempt a dive. One of the girls goes into a full production before jumping as she is understandably scared. During this time she says to us, “You must think we’re awful, coming over here half naked and all.” with her little NC accent. She is very attractive and I ease her concerns by assuring her that Scott does not mind at all!! After lots of coaxing she finally jumps.

It’s fun sitting here cliffside. The colors in the water are just unbelievable! Unlike the beach, the only vendor you see while sunning is the snorkel boats who cruise by slowly offering to take people out to the reef. Other than that, numerous boats come up the coast throughout the day, some to drop people off for cliff diving and others who are apparently fisherman, gathering the day’s catch. Our view from Rockhouse is looking over to Pirates Cave and the Pickled Parrot.


The Pickled Parrot is now closed but folks still use the cliffs to dive from. I have to believe the Parrot will be closed for a while considering they are asking over a million dollars for the place. Without accommodations over there, I don’t think there would be enough cash flow from drinks alone to pay that kind of overhead. Too bad, as the buildings on the property appear nice and they have some good cliff spots there. I manage to catch a diver in mid air over at one of the caves.