My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

[Vi]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Originally posted by Jacqui351:
[qb]....I was starting to get a bit overwhelmed and just about ready to turn tail and run when all the boardie advice on how to deal with this came back to me. Ok, I finally relaxed and now I’m in the groove. I put my shyness away and just start talking to the vendors and really listen to what they are saying. I know they are only trying to make a sale but you can definitely get an ego boost when you stop and listen. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] lol I have learned how to haggle and actually enjoyed it! I wish I could say that I had it mastered but Maureen topped me easily. She was a natural! I can’t wait to get back and tell Mark! Gotta’ rub it in a little! Lol [/qb]

YOU GO GIRL!!!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Glad you’re back and feelin betta Jacqui!! I’m loving your words and mind-set… “putting the shyness away and really listening”. So many visitors just won’t take the time to listen. Blows my mind how some will almost bust into a sprint to get away and avoid talking.

Oh and girl, you and your honey took a night dip into the ocean…one of my dreams!!! Sooooo romantic!!!!

[Laurel]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Oh and girl, you and your honey took a night dip into the ocean…one of my dreams!!! Sooooo romantic!!!!

ViVi .... You GOTTA make this dream a reality!! You KNOW I am a big fan of the Jamaican moon-lit ocean dip!

Jacie - Write On!! Enjoying your story - glad you are feeling better.

[Jacqui351]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Vi - Glad you are enjoying! Swimming in the ocean at night was one of my dreams also! Hubby always seems to make my dreams come true! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Luarel - Thanks, I am feeling much better. And I am typing away for my next installment.

oh and Vi, your dream will come true! When you least expect it - you'll see!

[Jacqui351]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

oops, I almost forgot the pics. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Marilyn]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Ok I gotta say something

About Mark
On the plane ride back, sit him at the exit door and push it open.

About you and John............<sigh> walking in the soft rain and then into the sea together at night.............Oh my :love: :love: :love:

[Laurel]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Rosalyn]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Jaqui, I love your report and pictures.

On your next trip, leave Mark at home.

[Marilyn]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Note to self
Take honey into the ocean at night this next trip in Negril.

[Vi]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Originally posted by Jacqui351:
[qb] Vi - Glad you are enjoying! Swimming in the ocean at night was one of my dreams also! Hubby always seems to make my dreams come true! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [/qb]

to Hubby!!! But (((Jacqui))) of course he makes your dreams come true because clearly, you are his DCT…(dream come true). [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

***sigh*** so beautiful dem two...

[Vi]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Originally posted by Laurel:
[qb] "Oh and girl, you and your honey took a night dip into the ocean…one of my dreams!!! Sooooo romantic!!!!"

ViVi .... You GOTTA make this dream a reality!! You KNOW I am a big fan of the Jamaican moon-lit ocean dip![/qb]

(((Laurel))) believe me sis, THAT would be something to write about!!

[cdmsunshine]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Jacqui... a lovely report...great picture of you and John... do not need no touch up

I am happy that you have follow the boardies advice and also not to let Mark ruin you all good times.

Waitn on more report

[Jamaicamiss]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Oh, Jacqui, if you return to Negril and get a place with a kitchen, go back to where you took the pic of the small boats at around 6-7 AM. They return from the ocean with the most wonderful fresh fish you ever purchased and someone will scale them for you for a small fee.
Or just go down there to see the action.

Also the last place after the craft market and before the inlet, there is an older woman who has a food booth. She was singing and preparing for the day when we were waiting for the boats to come back into port. It was so calming and refreshing to listen. She also gave us each an orange. When we were ready to leave, Ted gave her some money. She said she just wanted to give the oranges to us. But I told her that we just wanted to give her the money, not buy the oranges. She was pleased with that.

Sorry to hear about your illness and glad to see more of the trip report. Also it was just wonderful that you took your moonlit dip. You will remember that for the rest of your life.

So it goes with Mark. What a dud. No wonder his wife wanted to go with you. What kind of excitement was that, watching tv? Probably better for the guys anyway that he didn't go with them.

[Jacqui351]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Day 5 - Tuesday

I am up with the sun again and following my morning ritual. I go out on the balcony and the clouds that gave us last nights rain are breaking up and the sun is just starting to peek out. The birds are all out this morning getting their breakfasts from the still wet gardens. I sit out here until John wakes up and it is time to get ready for breakfast.

While eating breakfast we are discussing today’s plans. We decide that we have to go out on the Wild Thing “Booze” Cruise tonight! Yea! I’m heading to the cliffs again!

John and I want to walk down to the new Riu in the daylight this time, and I want to visit the Office of Nature also. We decide that today will just be another beach day. No complaints here! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Go back to our room long enough to grab our beach gear and head out to find some lounge chairs. Although I love the beach, I am not one to just lay in the sun and bake! Lol I can bake for about a half an hour, so I am the first one in the water. I swim out to the rope and hold on to it and float in the warm water. Wasn’t long before a guy on a jet-ski comes flying up and nearly drowns me with the wake! Lol We go through the routine: Want some smoke? Want ride on ski? Want to buy a conch shell? The conch shell he had was absolutely beautiful, I think he called it a princess(?) Conch. He said I could have it for $10.00, but, one problem. I am floating out in the bay, how the heck would I have any money on me? Lol He says, No Problem, you take the shell now and we’ll catch up on the beach later and pay then. Um, no, I am not going there! I could just see it now, by the time we crossed paths the cost would have gone up to $25.00 or something. I tell him no thanks and we talk for a bit before he gets back to work selling jet-ski rides and whatever else. Lol

A bit later, back on the beach, a Rasta is walking the shore line carrying a bunch of conch shells and we call to him to see if they are for sale. He says they are but he just keeps walking so Maureen and I run over to him and talk to him about the shells. They are the same type of shells that the other guy had, but he said he would take $10.00 for two. We asked him if he would wait for a second so we could run back to our chairs to get some money, and he tells us that he’s not allowed to stop, has to keep walking until he gets to the security hut and to meet him there. Geez, I forgot that a lot of places don’t let Jamaicans on the property and really felt bad that we could possibly have gotten him in trouble with the resort. Sure enough, when we got there the guard is off on a tangent. I was able to pick up a word here and there, but when I heard him say “White women” I knew for sure what he was talking about. Well, the new, un-shy me just won’t stand for that! I march my butt right up to that guard and tell him that we had stopped the man, we were bothering him, not vice-verse. Phew, got everything straightened out and after some fist bumps all around we head off the property. The Rasta said that he would probably have been banned from walking through the property if we hadn’t spoke up in his defense. He was so grateful to us for sticking up for him that he wanted to give us the shells. Amazing! It was our fault he got in trouble and he is thanking us?! No, it is we that are apologizing for causing this whole mess. I tried to hand him $20.00 but he wouldn’t take it because the shells were $10.00 and he didn’t have any American change. I told him I didn’t want any change and to take the extra as payment for all the trouble we put him through. We went back and forth about this a bit before we finally convinced him to keep the money. After hugs and a few more thank you’s, Maureen and I walked back onto “the compound” with our beautiful shells.

John and I took one of the complimentary Hobie Cats(?) out and cruised, oops, sailed around the bay for awhile. We sailed up to the yacht that belongs to Grand Lido. That baby is HUGE! Lol I wouldn’t call it a yacht, it’s more like a ship! The wind grabbed the sail and sent us close to the shore line near the nude beach of Couples (I think). At least that’s what the captain, John, said happened! Lol Sorry everyone, but there were not any pretty sites on that beach! Lol Finally made it back to the Riu beach and vegged until it was time to go meet the “Wild Thing”.

Walking out in the water to climb onboard the Wild Thing cool because you had to go in between the two pontoons to get to the ladder. Which basically meant that you were walking under the boat! After a leisurely ride down the coast, we anchored at Pirates Cave. The view of the West End from the water is absolutely stunning. The starkness of the rock is far outweighed by the beautiful varied colors of the buildings and the deep greens of the foliage.

The “booze” cruise certainly lives up to its name. The alcohol was free flowing from the time you board the boat until you arrive back at the beach, and the crew is intent on making sure everyone had a good time. The girl who was bartending was really funny and kept everyone laughing.

One way to get into the water is by using the water slide that starts on deck and goes through the hull before it spits you out into water. This was definitely the first time I swam into a cave and it is something not to be missed. We climbed the ladder up to the top of Pirates Cave and had a couple of drinks before climbing back down to the sea. No cliff jumping for any of us - too chicken! Lol We went back to the boat and watched the divers/jumpers and drank some stripes. One girl, who was in her thirties, and already had too much to drink, decided to try the jump. Well, she landed in a sitting position and from the loud smack when she hit the water you knew it had to hurt. When she climbed back on the boat she already had bruises that covered the backs of both thighs. Ouch!

After a bit, everyone was back on the boat drinking, dancing and drinking some more. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] Yep, I had way too many Red Stripes! Lol We slowly began our trip up the coast as the sun was setting on another beautiful day.

We all went to the bar when we got back to the resort and kept the party going on for a while longer until it started pouring down rain. It was amazing how one second the stars are all out, then the next it was pouring. We went out and got some pizza and before long we stumbled out into the rain in search of our comfy rooms. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Marilyn]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Hey now Day 5....that's my kinda day!!!!!

Oh yeah....and respect for the way you dealt with the whole rasta situation.

Know what I like about how you wrote your story? There are two examples here that people are NOT get all out of you they can, contrary to what some people think. Good public relations piece.

[Siun]

Re: My love affair begins - first trip to Jamaica

Bravo Jacqui! I love the way you step in and speak up!!!