Blog #8 Life In Negril Continues! Week 3

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Greetings from Negril. Life is a little slower this week since our friends headed back to Edmonton on Tuesday. Lots more reading, cross word puzzles, dominoes and card games! However, we still enjoy our daily walks on the beach, swimming in the ocean and watching the Jamaicans go about their daily business.


One of the highlights here is the many live reggae concerts held on the beach. The only problem is they don't get started until 11 p.m. just when we are heading to bed. I guess the concerts are not for the senior citizen!! However, there is reggae music playing everywhere so we do get into the goove of it. Reggae gusy with megaphones walk the beach everyday advertising the shows.


We have tried some of the authentic Jamaican food that is offered at many of the local restaurants. Here is a typical menu:

 • Brown Stew Chicken
 • Brown Stew Pork
 • Brown Stew Oxtail
 • Curried Goat
 • Rice and Peas
 • Ackee (turnip like vegetable)
 • Callaloo (similar to spinach)
 • Dumplings (very heavy)
 • Varieties of potatoes and yams

Warren is more food adventurous than I and really likes the oxtail and goat. I prefer the brown stew chicken. The dumplings and potatoes are very heavy. Apparently the dumplings are designed to fill you up very cheaply and therefore are popular with local Jamaicans who earn only a meager wage.


One day we took a cab to Rick's cafe ion the far west end cliffs. The restaurant and bar has been voted one of the top ten in the world by Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine. It consists of multi-leveled decks and patios, world famous cliff divers who perform for you from as high as 40 ft., caves to swim in, an infinite pool, shops and music. We had a great lunch over lookling the cliffs and ocean. Warren caught me on video jumping off the lowest cliff (12 ft.) into the clear blue water. I will try and put it on the blog but am not sure it will work. Rick's has an interesting history in that it has been completely destroyed by hurricaines not only once but twice! They keep re-building it bigger and better. When we were here five years ago it wasn't open.


Last Monday was a national family day holiday. It was great to watch the Jamaicans gather in parks and on beaches to celebrate the holiday. Reggae music was blaring out of their vehicles as they partied on.


Last Saturday we took a walk through the south end of Negril This is where most of the locals live in crowded communities off the road. The restaurants, bars and shops are not touristy at all and we enjoyed seeing this side of Negril. Carol found a nice dress at one of the shops and we stopped at a little bar owned and run by a lady named Joy. We had an interestintg conversation with her about life for the Jamaicans. She pays $150 per month to rent her little place plus untilities. She doesn't make much but enough to live a comfortable life for her and her little dog!


Thanks again for taking the time to read our blog. Take Care

Mallory and Warren

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