Before I fell in love with Negril I had traveled to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. Going to those tourist destinations made me feel exactly like, well .... a tourist. You are on the neatly presented Hip Strip or well patrolled sidewalks of Ochi experiencing the 1st world's version of what you think is Caribbean life.
Negril made me feel like I was a part of the scene, the happenings and goings on, unlike Mobay and Ochi where both towns are designed to keep the tourists in designated areas.
My 1st experience in Jamaica was in 1997. That was at the height of Terri McMillan's, How Stella Got Her Grove Back, the book (the movie hadn't come out yet). So every Jamaican man thought I was here to get my groove back. Thanks Terri : / . That 1st experience was terrible. 1997 was a time before these fancy well paved roads and when gun shots rang out because it was election time. The local women at the resort were nasty to me because they though I was here to steal their men and the men hadn't quite perfected their, pick up game, like they have now. I hated it and did not return to Jamaica until 2007. In 2007 I stopped here on a cruise and saw how Jamaica had matured so I gave it another chance. That same year I went to Negril for New Year's Eve and had the time of my life! Now here I am today with so much more experience here in Jamaica, all parts of Jamaica. And I have Negril to thank for that.
Negril seduces you. It evolves tourist into visitors and visitors into residents and offers one the opportunity to be closer to the Jamaican experience, interacting with the locals in a more authentic setting on the streets, in the stores and cook shops, as opposed to these things being pre packaged for you along with forced smiles and the Whaaa Gwaan greetings of hotel workers.
In Negril you experience the kindness of strangers and the excitement of promiscuous friendships. Then you take your middle aged ass back to your cubicle at work and smile at the bubble over your head as you daydream about that 20 something year old boy that was kissing your fat neck on 7 mile beach that night at Root Bamboo telling you how pretty you are. Hahaha
To answer your question; Negril offered me a little slice of paradise every time I came to visit. It offered me the opportunity to be a more friendly and laid back version of my American self. Every time I went to Negril it was exciting, like I was sneaking off to see my lover. No one could understand why I was coming here so often, I couldn't even understand it. It makes me smile thinking about it now. As a matter of fact Negril is how I met you, kinda (we never actually met, Kristi is a friend in my head hahaha). I saw a post from your blog about your laundry. I had used that laundry a few time when I stayed in Negril.
With Negril I fell in love. The love affair lasted for many years. In 2015 we broke up for the very reasons you mentioned, too many nosy people were in our relationship, but we remain friends and I still visit from time to time.
Girl your writing is more poetic than mine! I love how you describe it though your eyes and your soul, and I get it. I find it very interesting how various people who go to the same place can experience it in completely different ways. I did love it those first few trips....until I didn't.
Thank you Kristi. I can express myself this way because I can really relate to what you are feeling and saying. We’ve probably had a lot of similar experiences. You’ve even inspired me to try blog writing, then I realized .... I hate writing! So I’ll leave it to the professionals . I love this new space. It’s like White Rum and Ting, it tastes good and gets to the point.
Thanks for the compliment..but yes I hate it. I'm a big mouth😁😁 I like to talk! Don't worry yourself soon nuff nuff people gwine chat pon di blog. 100's of people is a whole heap!!
My husband and I will be making our 5th trip to Negril in October . Every year we fall more in love with the Island ! Negril stole our hearts on our first trip . We stayed at an AI , but after much research (reading of many books about “ travel in Negril”) , we spent much of our time off the resort . We incidentally met a boat captain on the beach at our resort who I had researched and decided we’d get in touch with for a fishing trip . He took us under his wing and showed us parts of Negril we had never imagined experiencing . We met his children , after one of our many outings , when he took us with him to pick them up from school . We appreciated his kindness , his knowledge (and willingness to share it) , and the safety he provided to us on our outings to places such as Pelican bar . He took us to Black River (?) where we met up with the most “gentle giant” who hopped in the car and took us to the home of a local family who had a boat they would allow him to use . We spent a few hours at Pelican bar and on our boat ride back , our new friend got a call from the family asking if we’d like for them to cook for us . Well absolutely !! We spent the afternoon with the five of these most amazing people we’d ever met , ate the best grilled fish and lobster we’d ever eaten , and experienced what would be the day we became soo in love with Jamaican culture and it’s people !! After that most amazing trip , we chose to stay off the beaten path , in a villa in the deep west end . This is where we’ve met some of our closest friends that we stay in contact with all year long . Our return trips have become yearly , bringing “newbies” to Negril , who always leave with the same love and understanding of why we leave a small part of our hearts in this paradise . Everyone has their own idea of paradise . For us , it’s the beauty of the Island itself , the friends we’ve made and their culture we’ve been accepted into . When friends / family back home ask why we don’t “go somewhere else” , all I can say is ... why would we ?
Angie, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!! And if you have met someone like that in Negril who allowed you to experience those things I absolutely understand why you keep going back. Black River is where my heart and soul is so I'm glad you had the chance to go there and experience it. Also, I adore the west end of Negril as well (far past Ricks lol). The quiet, the views, the charm, is the part I love about it.
Thank you for sharing your insight into your own love of Jamaica and of Negril. :-)
I have yet to make it to Negril! I'll get there one day I'm sure, just to say I've been. To be honest, I dont have too much of a desire to go. So many other places in Jamaica that I'd rather explore!
Hey Michelle, you should go once just to see what the hype is all about. Its interesting to me to learn what spots travelers love and why. What are your favorites?
I will for sure have to check it out one day!! I LOVED Port Maria, we ended up there kind of randomly and met some amazing people. Had the best time and made some new friends! I've kinda settled on Salem as a home base when I visit. I have gotten to know a few people there and I've come to really like community. I was looking forward to visiting Kingston for my first time this week for Buju's Long Walk to Freedom concert but I had to cancel my trip due to a fractured leg. :( :( :( I'm definitely more interested in checking out Kingston, Hellshire Beach, Spanish Town, Port Royal, Blue Mountains....before Negril.
Ahhh Port Royal is amazing! It's such a sleepy little town and feels like you left Jamaica in a way, because it's out on a peninsula and you can look across to the rest of the island. It's a neat feeling. I love Spanish Town as well, used to spend time there back in the day when I knew a family who lived there. I've recently seen some travel advisories for that area but in reality, it's always been a questionable area but I still visited and loved it!
Before I fell in love with Negril I had traveled to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. Going to those tourist destinations made me feel exactly like, well .... a tourist. You are on the neatly presented Hip Strip or well patrolled sidewalks of Ochi experiencing the 1st world's version of what you think is Caribbean life.
Negril made me feel like I was a part of the scene, the happenings and goings on, unlike Mobay and Ochi where both towns are designed to keep the tourists in designated areas.
My 1st experience in Jamaica was in 1997. That was at the height of Terri McMillan's, How Stella Got Her Grove Back, the book (the movie hadn't come out yet). So every Jamaican man thought I was here to get my groove back. Thanks Terri : / . That 1st experience was terrible. 1997 was a time before these fancy well paved roads and when gun shots rang out because it was election time. The local women at the resort were nasty to me because they though I was here to steal their men and the men hadn't quite perfected their, pick up game, like they have now. I hated it and did not return to Jamaica until 2007. In 2007 I stopped here on a cruise and saw how Jamaica had matured so I gave it another chance. That same year I went to Negril for New Year's Eve and had the time of my life! Now here I am today with so much more experience here in Jamaica, all parts of Jamaica. And I have Negril to thank for that.
Negril seduces you. It evolves tourist into visitors and visitors into residents and offers one the opportunity to be closer to the Jamaican experience, interacting with the locals in a more authentic setting on the streets, in the stores and cook shops, as opposed to these things being pre packaged for you along with forced smiles and the Whaaa Gwaan greetings of hotel workers.
In Negril you experience the kindness of strangers and the excitement of promiscuous friendships. Then you take your middle aged ass back to your cubicle at work and smile at the bubble over your head as you daydream about that 20 something year old boy that was kissing your fat neck on 7 mile beach that night at Root Bamboo telling you how pretty you are. Hahaha
To answer your question; Negril offered me a little slice of paradise every time I came to visit. It offered me the opportunity to be a more friendly and laid back version of my American self. Every time I went to Negril it was exciting, like I was sneaking off to see my lover. No one could understand why I was coming here so often, I couldn't even understand it. It makes me smile thinking about it now. As a matter of fact Negril is how I met you, kinda (we never actually met, Kristi is a friend in my head hahaha). I saw a post from your blog about your laundry. I had used that laundry a few time when I stayed in Negril.
With Negril I fell in love. The love affair lasted for many years. In 2015 we broke up for the very reasons you mentioned, too many nosy people were in our relationship, but we remain friends and I still visit from time to time.
Girl your writing is more poetic than mine! I love how you describe it though your eyes and your soul, and I get it. I find it very interesting how various people who go to the same place can experience it in completely different ways. I did love it those first few trips....until I didn't.
And PS: I'm not an imaginary friend 😁
Thank you Kristi. I can express myself this way because I can really relate to what you are feeling and saying. We’ve probably had a lot of similar experiences. You’ve even inspired me to try blog writing, then I realized .... I hate writing! So I’ll leave it to the professionals . I love this new space. It’s like White Rum and Ting, it tastes good and gets to the point.
Seriously? You hate writing? But you're so good at it! Even your analogy of rum and ting was wicked 🤣🤣
I'm really glad you like this new medium I'm writing in...I hope more people who are lurking and reading will speak up! There are hundreds of them!
Thanks for the compliment..but yes I hate it. I'm a big mouth😁😁 I like to talk! Don't worry yourself soon nuff nuff people gwine chat pon di blog. 100's of people is a whole heap!!
My husband and I will be making our 5th trip to Negril in October . Every year we fall more in love with the Island ! Negril stole our hearts on our first trip . We stayed at an AI , but after much research (reading of many books about “ travel in Negril”) , we spent much of our time off the resort . We incidentally met a boat captain on the beach at our resort who I had researched and decided we’d get in touch with for a fishing trip . He took us under his wing and showed us parts of Negril we had never imagined experiencing . We met his children , after one of our many outings , when he took us with him to pick them up from school . We appreciated his kindness , his knowledge (and willingness to share it) , and the safety he provided to us on our outings to places such as Pelican bar . He took us to Black River (?) where we met up with the most “gentle giant” who hopped in the car and took us to the home of a local family who had a boat they would allow him to use . We spent a few hours at Pelican bar and on our boat ride back , our new friend got a call from the family asking if we’d like for them to cook for us . Well absolutely !! We spent the afternoon with the five of these most amazing people we’d ever met , ate the best grilled fish and lobster we’d ever eaten , and experienced what would be the day we became soo in love with Jamaican culture and it’s people !! After that most amazing trip , we chose to stay off the beaten path , in a villa in the deep west end . This is where we’ve met some of our closest friends that we stay in contact with all year long . Our return trips have become yearly , bringing “newbies” to Negril , who always leave with the same love and understanding of why we leave a small part of our hearts in this paradise . Everyone has their own idea of paradise . For us , it’s the beauty of the Island itself , the friends we’ve made and their culture we’ve been accepted into . When friends / family back home ask why we don’t “go somewhere else” , all I can say is ... why would we ?
Angie, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!! And if you have met someone like that in Negril who allowed you to experience those things I absolutely understand why you keep going back. Black River is where my heart and soul is so I'm glad you had the chance to go there and experience it. Also, I adore the west end of Negril as well (far past Ricks lol). The quiet, the views, the charm, is the part I love about it.
Thank you for sharing your insight into your own love of Jamaica and of Negril. :-)
Your welcome ! I could talk (write) for days about our experiences and the fun we’ve had , fortunately all good !!
LOL I hear you loud and clear on that because I've written for 10 YEARS about it hahaha
I have yet to make it to Negril! I'll get there one day I'm sure, just to say I've been. To be honest, I dont have too much of a desire to go. So many other places in Jamaica that I'd rather explore!
Hey Michelle, you should go once just to see what the hype is all about. Its interesting to me to learn what spots travelers love and why. What are your favorites?
I will for sure have to check it out one day!! I LOVED Port Maria, we ended up there kind of randomly and met some amazing people. Had the best time and made some new friends! I've kinda settled on Salem as a home base when I visit. I have gotten to know a few people there and I've come to really like community. I was looking forward to visiting Kingston for my first time this week for Buju's Long Walk to Freedom concert but I had to cancel my trip due to a fractured leg. :( :( :( I'm definitely more interested in checking out Kingston, Hellshire Beach, Spanish Town, Port Royal, Blue Mountains....before Negril.
Ahhh Port Royal is amazing! It's such a sleepy little town and feels like you left Jamaica in a way, because it's out on a peninsula and you can look across to the rest of the island. It's a neat feeling. I love Spanish Town as well, used to spend time there back in the day when I knew a family who lived there. I've recently seen some travel advisories for that area but in reality, it's always been a questionable area but I still visited and loved it!