OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Fluffy and Round (Monday)
I bounce up out of bed at 6:00am and wonder what will I do today. I decide to head over to Fisherman’s Beach for breakfast. Because I was up so early I decided to take some photos.

The pool-never used it

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

I get there around 8:00 and Andrew is still fixing the breakfast. He tells me that it will soon come. I ask how long is soon and he says around 10 minutes. I walk down to the edge of the beach, sit down and try to commune with nature.







There’s a white crab in the middle of these two pictures. I felt like I chased it forever.



It was nice getting there so early. I watch one of the boys rake the beach. The fisherman are walking around me getting ready for the day. It was like I was invisible for 20 minutes. People start coming down the hill needing their breakfast before they go to work. Everyone is getting the food soon come message. A number of people have their tea and brown sugar while waiting for the food. I notice that people are crowding around the stall so I get up to get my food(I mean I did get here first). Andrew sees me and says ackee soon come. Ok-so I sit back down. A cute rasta is sitting down to my right drinking his tea. As soon as I look at him he spills his tea. Luckily it fell in front of him and not on him

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Thanks Tonya. One more installment and I'm off to bed. My three year old is running around here getting into who knows what.

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

The Old Man
An old man comes and sits down at the bench to my left. He asks me how old I am. I tell him 26. He asks me am I married and I say no. He asks if I have any children and I say one and she is three. He tells me that it is not meant for a woman to be alone. He tells me that I need a husband. He says he is 84 years old and if he was younger he would put in his application. The rasta and the man beside him burst out laughing. I can feel myself blushing. The rasta tells me that he must of spilled his tea because he knew what the old man was going to say. Andrew calls over to me because the ackee is ready. I get my food to go, but decide to eat it there. Nobody is being super aggressive today, so I decide to relax. As I’m walking back to the bench the old man calls out hey fatty. A man walking by says, she’s not fat, she fluffy. Another one calls out she not fluffy, she round. I swear I wanted to sink through the floor and holla “Thank You Jesus” all at the same time.

The old man asks me for 20 JA dollars and I give it to him. The rasta told me that the old man travels all over the island and is much respected. As I’m throwing away my trash a guy named Ben asks me to come here. I told him that I need to go, but asked if Andrew serves lunch. He said yeah and I told him that I would come back around 1:00. As I’m walking up the hill a man starts to follow me and asks what hotel I’m staying at. I told him that I don’t give out that info. He asks me how old am I. I tell him that I’m too young for him and that I really just want to be alone. Brother man with no front teeth tells me that he is 33-I’m thinking no-your more like 53. I keep telling him that I just want to be alone. The genius tells me that I must not like men. Whatever-If you are an example of a man-well I guess I don’t like them.

I get back to the room and get a call from Tia. I’m giving her the scoop on what’s been going on. She asks have a met any nice men. I tell her that they are very aggressive, but that I’m going over to meet this guy named Ben for lunch. I also tell her that I’ve been looking at Chris, but nothing has happened on that front. After I get off the phone with her I decide to go down to the beach. I go and enjoy the beach for about 2 hours and them come back to the room and shower. I look at the clock and it’s already 1:00. I head over to the cambio and walk back the beach for lunch.

[jamaicaboo]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Wow you are so in control of everything! You seem as if you have been to Jamaica many times before.
Well I am waiting for the rest as this is a great report keep it coming when you get a chance, my daughter is only 5 and a half months old and she is beginnig to explore by rolling all over the place so I can imagine a 3 year old running around! My mom always said "if they are quiet you better find them" [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Love teh pics!! Makes me miss home!

[cinnni]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

This is great Sugar!
I had to laugh at your installment title.
One of the security people at Fisherman's Point said something about me being fatty. I just raised my eyebrow at him and said...ya know American women do not find it complimentary to be called fat. He proceeds to tell me that alot of Jamaican men like fatty oomens and I need some more fatty on me. I did the eyebrow raise again and he said...you want me to say someting else? How about elthy..you are a elthy ooman!

DWL...I liked that so now that is what I say [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[Rosalyn]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Sugar Shug, I am really enjoying your report. Beautiful pictures. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[halfwaytree]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Sugar, I woke up early this morning and the morning paper was not on my doorstep yet so I brewed my morning java and logged on to jamaicans.com and for some reason started to read your trip report. As a single male traveler to Jamaica I find our experiences to be like night and day.

Even though I was born in Kingston I am considered a tourist when I return home. I find it hard to approach "tourist" women in Jamaica because you have to find one that is not being hit on by a Jamaican guy which is hard to do at the best of times. I look for a nice Jamaican gyal dem (not the ones wanting money for favors) to strike up a conversation with and find them to be very warm. I find the "tourist" women very cold and I can not blame them. I would become the same way if I was constantly being approached with offers as well.

Your report intrigues me and you have me hooked so I will check back later for more.

With much respect,
Milo

[grandma2]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

nice report (((Sugar Shug))) enjoyin it

btw stole some pictures [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Marilyn]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Sugar
I am having many emotions as I read your report. First Pride- Pride in your writing, pride in your ability to get out and walk the streets of Ochii, go to the beach, go to FISHERMAN'S BEACH, talk to folks and not be afraid. Pride that you even ventured to take this trip at all. Pride that you are a beaming beautiful secure young Black mother.

COveting- I am coveting the places I love that you have been to. Wishing that I were there right now. Just to hear you call Andrew's name....so familiar. To know that you are the target of the flirts and wedding proposals (I count it a good day when I get at least two of these). To know that you were there comtemplating your next adventure, and that you "Get It" that all you had to do is pick up your camera bag and head out the door and it was waiting for you.

Awe- over your pictures, and sitting here at the computer and knowing every single spot you shot.

Sisterhood- knowing that we share many of the same emotions, and even this early in your report I can tell that we will love the same things.

Girl I miss Ochii so much that I really wonder if it is a good idea that I continue to read this report.

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Man-can I tell you that you all are making a sister feel good this morning. It is a healing process to write this report. I cried like a baby the second night I got back to the States. This trip opened up issues with my body, feeling worthy, and just the fact of not being in a relationship. This second bout of praise was not expected and much appreciated.

Milo-I can totally understand what you are saying. I did have a little chip on my shoulder. The attention was overwhelming so I stopped talking to anyone (in that way). What made me stop was a nice young man who just said I like your style. I said thanks and kept going. When I got to the hotel, I said to myself-why didn't you talk to him? He was cute and not too aggresive. After that I decided to not block every comment I received, but to sort them.

Jamaicaboo-For some reason Jamaica didn't seem so new. It was defintely different, but I think because I had been to other islands I was better able to handle it. Also being Carribean, I didn't believe a lot of the stereotypes that I heard. (Stay on the resort-you'll get killed-foolishness)

Cinni-I am used to being called fatty in the Carribean so it didn't phase me. The first man who said it looked at me in a way that I KNEW-he wasn't saying it a mean way. What always surprises is the attention I get in spite of being a fatty!!

Rose and Grandma-glad you are feeling the photos. I love looking at them.

Marilyn-You helped me so much for this trip. Just reading your trip report told me about Andrew. Also the sense of freedom, the beauty of the people-I knew these things before I got to the island by reading trip reporta. I could see how you were treated so that when people said foolishness about me going by myself(Lord forbid) I could just brush it off my shoulders and keep going knowing that I would be OK. So THANK YOU.

Peace

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Livin’ Dangerously
When I walk down the hill a man stops me and tries to get me to buy some of woodwork. It was beautiful, but I don’t have that kinda money on me right now and I’m not walking with him back to the hotel. Ben spots me as I’m coming down the hill. This morning he had a shirt on, but now he has it off. Before I can even ask him about his life, his body told me the story. I could see knife marks all over his chest and back and about 2 healed gun shot wounds. He is really sweet and trying to make me as comfortable as possible. He goes and gets me lunch, conch and vegetables over rice, and a drink that is made by the rastas. It all tasted so great. I ask him about his life and he tells me that he used to be a gangster and had a marijuana farm. I asked about all the cuts and bullet wounds and he said thar some distributors tried to steal all of his plants. He said they came to his farm, beat him up, shot him and left him for dead. Luckily someone came by his place and he was able to go to the hospital. I hang out with Ben for a couple of hours.



I knew that we couldn’t be anything more than cool, because what he still does scares me. I tell him that my friend Tia is coming so that I don’t know how often I would be able to see him, but I appreciated how nice he had been to me. He was like that’s cool and I left to go back to the hotel.

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

What Am I Doing
When I get to the hotel I see Chris and he asks me how am I doing. I tell him OK, but that I’m kinda bored. We shoot the breeze for a while and then I head back up to the room. I take a little siesta and then decide to go for a walk. I take the back way out of the hotel and walk up to the Island shopping area.






I look in a couple of stores and try to familiarize myself with the place. I needed dinner so I spot a bakery. I get a piece of cake(which was heavenly), coco bread filled with ackee and saltfish and callalloo loaf. I go into the supermarket and pick up some Soda, Appleton and Red Stripes in case I have company. When I get back to the hotel I see Chris and he asked where I had gone. We talk for a while. I go back up to apartment and eat the food that I bought from the bakery. It was all great. Its getting dark and again I’m bored. I decide to take another walk but want to see if I can find Chris. I see him outside and tell him that I’m bored and what is there to do. He told me that I could go to Margaritaville. I guess by the rolling of my eyes that he could tell that nope- the ‘ville was not an option. He told me that on Mondays there really wasn’t much to do. He tell me that I shouldn’t be alone and haven’t I found anything down here that interests me. I said yes, but I’m not good at the whole flirting thing and I don’t like men who are too obvious and aggressive. He asks if he could keep me company tonight. I told him that it sounds like a plan. I tell him my room number and go for another walk.

While I’m walking, I’m replaying the conversation and thinking-I can’t do this. I wouldn’t do this in the States, why would I do this here. I’m all ready to call it off because I’m freaking out, but I don’t see him when I get back to the hotel. About 30 minutes later I get a call from Chris saying that he’s going home but will be back in an hour. I say Ok. He asks if it is still Ok to come over and I say Ok. After I hang up I go into hyper worrying overdrive. About 30 minutes later I get a call from him telling me he’s coming up. I open the door and he is looking good. He went home and came back all fresh and clean looking too cute. I let him in and we watched TV for a while. He talked to me, stroked my arm and my hair and let me get comfortable………

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

Tia’s Coming (Tuesday)
It’s 5:00am and the phone is ringing. I nudge him. I tell him to go answer the phone. I can’t move. It’s his friend calling to make sure that he wakes up so that he can go home and change and come back to work. I feel really bad because he is going to work on little sleep and I can just lay around all day if I feel like it. I pull myself together and we are both grinning like idiots. I tell him that I’ll see him later and show him to the door. I fall back into the bed and sleep until 8:00.

After my shower I get up and decide to go to Andrew’s for breakfast. I see Ben there and I told him that I would be over later with my friend Tia when she comes. Ben is holding my hand a little too long and trying to put his hand around my waist. Uhh ohh.




These are from Scrachy B’s stall. His Brother Painted These Pictures.

[Sugar Shug]

Re: OchoRios - My First (And Definitely Not My Last) Trip To Jamaica

I get my food to go and see Chris as I’m going back to my room. I ask him how is he doing and if we can hang out tonight. He said that he would let me know later. I’m like-that’s cool, you may want to go home and rest since you didn’t get any sleep last night. We are both cheezing. I go back to the room and take some pictures.