جامايكا رحلات و [توور غيد]

سيذهب كثير من نا إلى أطوال عظيمة أن يخطّط الكاملة جامايكا عطلة و [إين موست كسس] هو يأتي على الأقلّ قريبا. لن يخطّط كثير من نا بشكل صحيح ل [إمرجنسس] طبيّة. هو يمكن يتلقّى شيء أن يتمّ مع نا لا يريد أن يواجه الحقائق أنّ شيء يمكن حدثت إلى أنت أو أحد ما أنت تهتمّ ل بينما على عطلة. هو يمكن كنت [سمثينغ لس] كلّ معا, [نو متّر وهت] يتلقّى سبب أنت ل لا يخطّط ل [مديكل كر] أو [إمرجنسس] هو ليس جيّدة واحدة. هناك ليس واحدة.

أنا أحضرت على طول اثنان طارئ عدد طبيّة أنّ أنا حمّلت مع حصص الزيادات. نحن نتلقّى حصص من ضمادات, غرز وإمداد تموين لثانويّة قطعات أو قطعات. نحن نتلقّى مضادات, [أنتسد], [أتك] ألم منجدات, برد وسعال علاجات وأكثر. نحن أحضرنا [ا لوت] المادّة خام مع نا وأنا سعيدة نحن أتمّ. أنا أبدا توقّعت استعمل نحن [ألّ وف ث] مادّة خام نحن أحضرنا غير أنّ أنا عرفت هو كلّف [ا لوت مور] هنا ل ال نفسه أشياء وأنا كنت يصحّ. ليس فحسب قد تلقّى أنّ غير أنّ نحن يستعصي وقت يجد أشياء أن يستكمل ماذا نحن قد استعملنا مثل مضادّ للجراثيم ثلاثيّة وسب ضمادات ل يرتدي القطعة مقرفة على ساقي. أنا كنت أخيرا يمكن أن يجد أنابيب في [فونتنا] صيدليّة في [سف] لا [مر.]. أنا استطاع لم يجد أيّ في [نغريل], [موبي] [أر فن] كنغستون رغم أنّ أنا فقط نظرت في 10 أو 20 من ال 100 أو لذلك صيدليّات أنا قد رأيت في جامايكا.

ماذا يمرّ لصيدليّة هنا سوفت أكثر غالبا كنت صنّفت كحلية متجر. لا يحمل كثير من هم حتّى إمداد تموين أساسيّة طبيّة. أنا توقّفت داخل على اثنا عشر متاجر يسأل للف من شريط طبيّة. لا وحيد تلقّى واحدة أيّ إلى أن أنا بلغت واحدة في كنغستون أنّ تلقّى بعض. [فونتنا] يتلقّى صيدليّة في [سف] لا مارس - آذار بعض غير أنّ [نغريل] صيدليّة ومفتاح صيدليّة غربيّة على مقربة يتلقّى لا شيء. أنت يستطيع اشتريت كلّ أنواع من أخرى [كرب] غير أنّ لا لف من شريط طبيّة في [نغريل]. The bite on my leg was serious and it hurt like hell. I was in some very serious pain and walking around Kingston to handle some business on the morning it hit me. I went into 4 or 5 different pharmacies in Uptown and Downtown Kingston and most told me that the strongest they had was over the counter and I knew that would do me little good. I was finally able to find one that had Panadiem in stock and he was willing to give me 10 pills to get me back to Negril on the next day. Those worked pretty good and did not make me very drowsy as many medications do for me.

I left Kingston and returned to Negril where my leg drained for 5 days after swelling up so large I could not walk on it. It was over a week of hobbling around on it and not a single doctor or pharmacist I showed it too would do more than an OTC pain reliever. My wife was not so lucky. She got bit by whatever got me also (we still assume they are bites with no real proof). She got two bites on her butt and they were pretty bad. They begin to swell from deep inside and there is only a tiny head on the boil as it forms. I lanced mine as soon as I saw the swelling take off, my wife held off on lancing and she regrets that now I bet. In her case after about 3 days the lumps got hot and hard, they were in such bad shape we knew she needed medical attention and soon but this was actually the day Hurricane Dean was to land and of course we had other things going on. We were deep into moving our stuff and dealing with the weather.

The day Dean hit she was in some pretty intense pain and we decided we needed to do something just afterwards. She contacted a few places but no one was open on the day after the storm. No one was interested in helping me with mine anyway so we felt we’d get much the same for hers. She contacted the hospital in Sav La Mar and they said they could deal with it right away and that they were not even that busy. We decided to drop her off the 2nd day after Dean struck and I left her there alone that morning. I honestly thought it was no more than a local anesthesia for the pain and then they would lance them open and drain them. I was wrong, they admitted her and said she would need surgery to deal with it. She spent the whole first day in the lobby and then waiting in a room with a woman who was apparently dying. The woman kept calling for Jah to come and save her. She said this went on for hours and it drove her nuts. When they came to do the surgery she was relived to get away from that woman. She was not fine for long though as she found out that they were not administering a local anesthesia but would in fact be putting her to sleep for the procedure. Now she was very scared, she just did not trust things to go well and they didn’t go so smoothly. My wife is not a religious person and the anesthesiologist seems to have been. She recited some prayers and even had out some beads and a cross as she administered the drugs to her. She told her that she had had a problem in the past with people underestimating her tolerance and she wanted to make sure the doctor gave her enough to knock her out fully. The doctor kept praying as she fell asleep. Sometime into the procedure she woke up and had to be re-drugged.

She woke the next morning still groggy from surgery but ready to leave the hospital. So it’s been a hectic ew days and we just had a Hurricane. Power was out for much of the island and every ATM we knew of was out of order. We had some cash but who knew how long we would need it. When she called the hospital my wife asked about payment and terms and she says they told her they could not refuse her services and she did not have to pay at time of service. We could pay later or make payment arrangements. We chose the hospital because we were worried about cash flow in the coming days and did not want to lay out a bunch of cash. Heck I had no idea what it would cost but with the way things cost here I expected the worst. I was sure it would cost us a thousand in US dollars or like 60 to 70 thousand Jamaican dollars. We’re not rich but I can normally pull that kind of cash from the bank but I would never have that much money on me for any reason. So anyway I went to the hospital to pick her up with no cash, no credit cards and only my drivers license on me plus about $2500 JA or about $40 US. I thought we’d grab some food in Sav and head back home. No need to carry around all my stuff and it’s safer in the room safe.

We get to the hospital to check my wife out and as soon as we arrive its static. First they won’t let her leave until she is seen by the surgical team to check the work from the night before. Trouble is the surgical team is busy and they may take a long time to come around. According to the girl in the bed next to my wife a lady sat there for two days waiting for them to come around and check her before she could be released. I was not waiting two hours much less two days to get her out of that place. I was there for 10 minutes and I felt dirty. The mosquitoes were thick and the thought of them biting some patient and then me or my children was too much. I tracked down the surgical team myself and informed them they needed to clear my wife as we were leaving. They agreed and about an hour later they came around and did their thing. It took about another hour for them to run the paperwork and so forth before we were handed a receipt and told to go. Since my arrival that morning I was very clear we were leaving and leaving soon. I wanted to be sure we left properly and were discharged in case we ever needed to return. If you leave without being properly checked out they can and will refuse service to you next time. So we waited until they discharged her.

The Sav La Mar hospital is like all other government buildings in Jamaica, covered in steel bars and security guards. The recovery rooms are actually in a multi story building behind admittance and under heavy security. All entrance and exits are locked or guarded by live security officers and each time we came or went it was through one main gate. There are I’m sure other ways in and out but we kept using the one with two guards that carried handheld metal detectors and police batons. As we approached the guards on the way out I was still carrying the bill in my hand and one of them told me that my wife would have to remain at the gate while I went up front to pay the bill. I told them I did not have the cash to pay it but I would gladly make arrangements to pay it soon. The guard told me that was not good enough, I was going to have to pay the bill in full or my wife was not allowed to leave. I told him he was wrong and he needed to check with the hospital because we were told over the phone we did not have to pay for services at that time. We went there for that very reason and did not carry the means to get the money with us. The guards were both pretty nasty with us and honestly I was just over it. I told the guard that I was walking through that gate with my kids in hand and I did not want any trouble. The male guard braced himself between me and the gate and refused us exit. I told them to go find and Administrator to discuss this with but they insisted on pushing me back instead.

I was becoming angry, which is never a pretty scene, and my kids were scared which made me angrier. I moved away from the gate and proceeded through the hospital looking for another way out. I walked through the maternity ward and found a rear exit but as we approached the same guard came running around the corner and slammed me back inside the building. Thats when I lost it. This man tackled me football style and dropped me on my ass. I jumped up and grabbed him. I pushed him and the big female guard bulldog style out the door and into a railing facing the parking lot. I slung my wife and kids out the door and over the railing into the courtyard as the guards regained their footing and starting whooping my butt with their metal detector and baton. The big girl grabbed my hair from behind and dropped to her knees yanking me backwards by the neck until I fell on my head and shoulders. The guy jumped over me and spun us all around as he dragged me back inside and and then placed a knee in my throat as be mashed me into a corner on the floor. The big girl sat on my chest and held my legs wrapped backwards as if to hogtie me. I sat there for a minute to collect my thoughts and figure out how this had happened to me and what to do next. My wife and kids were free. My wife was yelling for me and I told her to just leave, call the embassy and get me the heck out of there. I told her to call the cops because they were beating me and I was scared of what might happen to me. At least the cops wouldn’t kill me right?

So I sat for a minute to catch my breath but I could not breathe because this jerk had my throat blocked. I squeezed out a “I can’t breathe. Please get off my throat” before the jerk ground his knee in deeper and with more force. He actually totally blocked my windpipe and forced me to react. I grabbed him by the balls and yanked as hard as I could. I squeezed him hard and he yelled until the big girl grabbed and choked me. I let go of him and he grabbed his metal detector and proceeded to slam my elbow at least 10 times with some long full swings. I was sure it was broken but xrays reveal they are trained pros. He hit me on the tip of the elbow so it made it seem as if I fell on it but it was not broken. After he whacked me really good I was scared again because I had no idea how serious these people were and if they intended to really hurt me. So big girl starts talking smack and says some things like this is my fault and I’m crazy. She leaned over into my face as she held her arm against my throat and she looked into my eyes. I grabbed her by the ears and jammed my thumbs into her eyes. I actually had my thumbs down alongside her eyeballs at one point and contemplated scooping them out of the sockets but I knew that was over the top and I was going to jail for that. I still had hopes of avoiding jail and just walking away from this all and it would be hard to do so if I blinded one of them. I was still right and I was only defending myself so far. Gouging out eyes is beyond self defense in some peoples view, not mine but some people. Anyway I caused her enough pain to jump up off me and I started wrestling with him again on the ground when I was told the police had arrived. I laid down and waited for them to show.

The cops tried the same crap all pigs try. They start blaming you for everything right away and raise there voices. The lead cop got in my face and told me I was going to jail. I spun around and placed my hands behind my back and said lets go. I can’t wait to see a judge. I can’t wait to call the Gleaner and I can’t wait to meet your boss and the police attorneys when we got to court. Please take me to jail for defending my wife and kids from being kidnapped and held without our will. The cop was surprised to see that I was honestly not scared to go to jail in Jamaica if thats what it came to and I’m not. A jail in Jamaica has Jamaican men in it and I fear no man. So the cop sat me down and told me I was going to jail for damaging government property. I bent some aluminum shutters on a window trying to get out and I was to be charged with the crime. I told him that was fair, I did bend the shutters and it was a crime against the people of Jamaica. I needed to be punished and so did the two guards for kidnapping my family and assaulting me, in front of my children I might add. I would gladly pay for my crimes but I was expecting they would as well. I asked the police officers for the names of my attackers and they told me I was not entitled to them. I asked for a pen and I was told I could not have one. I was told to wait, they were discussing the situation with administration. I said that was great because I was trying to speak with them earlier. I think someone needs to clear up whats really going on. After about 15 minutes the lead police officer walked up to me and waived at the door. He said, “You can go. They can’t hold you and you don’t have to pay”.

I asked about the guards and the cops told me to leave. I told them I wanted to file a complaint and they told me to leave. What else could I do? I left. I got in my van and drove to the Sav La Mar police department where I filed a complaint on the male guard who’s name I was able to retrieve from his badge and Jane Doe accomplice, the big girl guard. I was given a slip and told to report to a hospital for a medical examination. I laughed and went home.

My wife needed to have her wounds redressed every day and the holes they cut into her needed to be packed. We returned to Negril and were advised to go to the Negril Medical Center on Norman Manley Blvd (Beach Road). Not only did they do a great job on her dressings but they had an x-ray machine to look at my elbow which passed inspection after being sent away to a specialist in Mobay. They looked over my arm and the cut I got in my leg and patched me up really nice.

I so wish we had simply waited and gone to see them instead of traveling to Sav La Mar and having the experience we did. If you are in Negril and have a minor medical emergency go to Negril Medical Center. If you have a major emergency and need a hospital go to Montego Bay Hospital and avoid the Sav La Mar hospital unless you’re dying and you want Jah to come and get you.

It’s worth mentioning that we’re staying at the Heartbeat Resort here in Negril Jamaica for long term. We were able to negotiate a very fair monthly rate and we’ll most likely stay right here at least until December anyway and most likely well into next year also. I’m hopeful that we’ll find our own place sometime next year but for now it’s nice to have a stable place and Heartbeat seems like a great choice to us. It’s great having a place to call home and being able to actually unpack and live in a place is better for us as a family I’m certain. The kids are very comfortable here and they have a nice group of local children to play with. It’s been a lot of fun for the kids and parents as well as we have enjoyed having them over to share and play with.

We’re located at the beginning of the cliffs basically and have the advantage of not only the cliffs to enjoy but easy sea access from the small nearby beach. Finding long term apartment rentals in Jamaica is actually fairly easy. All I had to do was ask around and I found that places like TheLTU and Westport Cottages offer great monthly rates for not only summer but even during season as well. You’ll need to contact a few places to determine what you like or you can Contact Us and we’ll be glad to ask around or take a look at any place in the area for you. Need some pics of a place? Hey why not? I’ll be glad to drop in and shoot some shots of any resort or vacation accommodation in Negril. Either way finding an affordable long term rental unit in Negril or Jamaica in general is very easy if you have time to hunt them down and do the research.

We decided we wanted a vehicle and began looking for one over a month ago now. A new car was out of the question and the used car market here is pretty poor but I found that you can get a car here for as low as $1000 US and I figured what better way for us to get around than our own vehicle. As we started looking it became more apparent that what we really wanted was a van so we could go on our own tours and so we decided to spend the money and find a van for sale in Jamaica. Well there are loads of vans and buses for sale using the Gleaner Classifieds but as you can see the average price is above $500,000 Jamaican dollars or about $8000 US which was quite a bit more than we had to spend.

I found that you could find used cars for sale in Jamaica at lower prices but they go fast. There are used car dealerships in Jamaica in major cities such as Kingston, Montego Bay and even Mandeville but the market is more for newer cars in the 2003 and newer model years. I wanted to spend less than $200,000 or about $3000 US on a vehicle and I felt we should be able to buy a decent running vehicle at that price. You can forget finding anything like that at a dealership in Jamaica. It simply does not exist and most won’t even have a car on the lot under $350,000JA. I was however lucky to find a 1996 Nissan Vanette for sale in the Gleaner one morning at $220,000 and I jumped in a bus and ran to Kingston to buy it. It took me two weeks to do so but I finally bought a van for less than $200,000 and got it insured and registered in my name. Dealing with the motor vehicle transfer was much fun also. I had to have insurance on the car in my own name before I could register it. I was lucky that i bought the car from a nice Jamaica family and they had already taken care of much of the paperwork necessary. You will have to have the Title signed by someone form the Tax Collectorate, a Certificate of Fitness which seems to be like a vehicle inspection and Insurance which set me back $28,000JA. I bought a new set of tires for it just because I feel safer on them but we’re on the road finally.

I’ve had the van for about two weeks now and I have put over 2500 KM on it thus far in trips to Kingston, Sav La Mar and all over the South Coast and Westmoreland Parish. Buying a car in Jamaica is pretty easy actually and a great way to see the country. Learning how to drive a right hand drive stick shift van on the left hand side of the road was a whole different story and I was involved in a minor accident on my first drive home from Kingston. Some guy clipped the side of the van pulled the rear tail light off but I already had it fixed and I even went to court over my traffic ticket but pled guilty when the cop who pulled us was sitting next to the juge all buddy buddy like. I knew there was no reason to even argue the case and I accepted a fine of $4000JA for “Careless Driving” as I was blamed for being on the wrong side of the road on a road with no sides. Thats the way things go in Jamaica and I knew there was no sense in fighting it. I left the courthouse and drive to Roaring Rivers with the kids and had a blast. I love our van and so do the kids, maybe one day you’ll come for a ride with us here in Jamaica.

In order to conduct any sort of business in Jamaica you must first register to get a TRN or Taxpayers Registration Number. I knew we would need a TRN for things like opening up a bank account, buying a car and opening a business so I decided to get one while in Kingston. I was in pursuit of a bank account in Jamaica so I can move some money here and avoid the ridiculous fees charged to withdraw some cash here in Negril. Opening up a bank account turned out to be a little more difficult then expected but I found a way around things for us and maybe someone else can appreciate the information but first back to the TRN.

The TRN application is pretty simple and straight forward and forms can be downloaded from the Jamaica Tax Administration in advance so you’re prepared once you arrive. Any government office in Jamaica is going to be busy but the Tax Collectors Office must be the worst. I was actually very lucky on my first trip through and getting the TRN was pretty fast, subsequent trips for the motor vehicle transfer would prove much more difficult. After filling out the forms and submitting them I was given a slip with my TRN number and told I could pick up my TRN card at the Sav La Mar office in about one months time. I have not yet done so but the month is almost up.

Opening a bank account in Jamaica was quite a bit trickier but there is a solution for those of us without strong connections to the island already. Commercial banks in Jamaica such as NCB, ScotiaBank and RBTT are required to secure quite a bit of paperwork on you before they can open an account for you. I was told by managers of each bank that they simply could not open a bank account for me without a reference from an existing account holder and a letter from a Priest, Police Captain or Justice of the Peace in Jamaica who has known me for more than 6 months. After talking with each bank it seemed I would have to cheat the system and bribe someone to vouch for me but then I went into the Jamaica National Builders Society and things changed. As a Builders Society and not a Commercial Bank they have their own rules and within 30 minutes I had not only a bank account but a listing of homes for sale in any Parish I wanted was printed for me to review and in the future it will be easy enough to secure a home loan or financing of some sort for our own slice of heaven here in Jamaica. It’s not a checking account, it;s a savings only with debit card available but thats exactly what I need here in Jamaica and it’s a lot easier then tracking down two references.

Start your day in Negril Jamaica with Selinas Coffee and Eatery

We stopped it for the Sunday Brunch and Webcast at Selinas Coffee Bar on Negril Beach recently and had a great start to a fabulous day with Big Roys pancakes and some fresh roasted Blue Mountain coffee. The food is always great at Selinas and we ate so fast I never even took a pic of the beautiful spread before us. I’ll have to go back again soon for some better pics of the delicious pancakes.

We we’re still on US time and arrived when things we’re supposed to start at 10AM but found the band still pulling together after 11:30AM. The kids we’re ready for the beach and so we’re we so we missed the live show but we’re glad to catch up with the crew from RealNegril.com and be a part of the show there.

If you’re on your way to Negril beach and need a bite to eat or a cup of coffee and the best hand squeezed orange juice in the world then stop by Selinas for breakfast.

Selinas is at Norman Manley Blvd on Negril Beach

Join the Live Webcast and Chat each Sunday Brunch

Enjoy local Jamaican food and the best cup of Blue Mountain Coffee in Jamaica

Traveling around Negril is actually fairly easy if you don’t mind hopping into a taxi cab. The number of taxi cabs and drivers baffles when you think about it sometimes. I would say over 80% off the traffic in Negril is Route Taxis and Private Cabs racing back and forth across the beach and cliffs searching for someone to give a ride too. If you chose to walk anywhere be prepared for every car that passes to honk their horn at you as they attempt to pick you up. Just ignoring them works fine on most occasions unless the driver stops alongside and chats it up. Your chose how to proceed but the easiest way to get off is tell them you have no money. Does not work well when you leave the bank, grocery store or a restaurant. I’ve told them I only ride in cars that I can drive and they leave with a puzzled look or laugh it up with you.

Route Taxis follow set routes around Jamaica and rates are normally $50JA for a short leg of any route. A trip from the roundabout to say Ricks should not be more than $100JA but $50JA would be a fair rate for a local to pay. You’ll find lots of cab drivers want to charge considerably more for trips around sunset but don’t be fooled into it. Route taxis can’t charge more than the standard rate for any route unless you hire the car as a private charter which is completely different. All route taxis are prominently marked with red license plates and white letters and should be considered safe as long as the proper driver is driving. Private taxi cabs usually offer a competitive rate for slightly nicer cars that bypass other pickups and carry you direct to your destination for a higher price. Always make sure to set the price and destination before you set off on your trip. Once you’re in the car and moving is not the best place to negotiate pricing for a ride. Make sure the driver is clear on where you want to go and confirm they know where it is. Don’t be surprised for a cab driver to tell you he knows the route to a destination when he has no idea where it is. He plans on finding out as he goes along and you may find yourself lost searching for your destination with a driver who has never been to the place you seek. Private cab drivers are most often entrepreneurs of all sorts and into many other side businesses. One recent ride in a private car with a guy had us witness him sell a dozen bootleg DVD movies from a rather healthy collection of what he called “di best movies in Jamaica mon”. I was tempted to grab a copy of the latest Harry Potter for $100JA but chose not to for some reason. He was offering a 6 for $500JA on that friday that was popular it seemed. He sold three sets from the beach to the room or about 10 minutes. He also had $400JA worth of Digicell phone cards for $300JA which was also very tempting but

Walking in Negril is a great way to get around but caution is advised. The roads all over Jamaica are pretty fast paced and narrow and walking on a road with no shoulders and traffic flying by you and your young ones may not be the way to go for everyone. Jamaican drivers are normally very skilled and taxi cabs, mini vans and even tour buses run around town like Formula One Racers but you’ll need to be careful on roads such as West End Road in the Negril Cliffs which twist and turns leaving a few blind corners where cars come pretty close to you when passing another car and you at once. The rain gulleys and unfinished shoulders make walking a hazard without the endless parade of vehicles on a busy day and getting around some areas is best done off hours or by car.

For those with the heart and legs for it riding a bicycle around Negril is just perfect. I brought a used dual suspension Pro Flex mountain bike, which I purchased for $200US in Ocala Florida, on the plane with us and was it worth the effort. I ride everywhere now and can shoot from the Lighthouse near the top end of the cliffs to the beginning of Negril Beach in just a couple short minutes. 24 speeds, big fat shocks and a semi cushy seat makes for some sweet riding anywhere in Negril and I’ve been off road and breaking new ground with the bike this trip. Sadly my camera is not keeping up and the SD card I brought has failed me so not so many pics as I would like right now but soon come. I’m on my way to Kingston for a shopping trip and the SD card is top of my list. Riding a bike is great but keep aware of the cars and impatient drivers on roads in Negril at least. it seems cyclists are frowned upon. I’ve used the bike to run trips to the beach and grocery. I also use it for exploring the many side streets and for getting to know the area a little better. I suggest to anyone that can bring a bicycle to Negril Jamaica and enjoy some great riding conditions and a super way to enjoy the city from a different view. Bringing a bicycle on AirJamaica was very easy for me and I even overloaded the box with a total of 72 lbs weight for one overweight charge of $75US. I brought the bike, my tent, my dive gear, a full size fishing pole and tackle box in one cardboard box and was glad I did.

Taking a bike back is easy enough but leaving one to some needy kid in the area would be an even better way to get to know people. I’ve been letting some of the local kids use the bike and I’m making friends with it. I don’t suggest you do so with anything you really care about because it can very easily be stolen from them or even by them. Understand a $200US bike is worth a lot to a hungry family and even the most honest kids can be tempted into things they would not normally do. It’s a calculated risk I take as I try to open relationships with some of the people around me and not for everyone. Some people can start to expect things from those that give often and it can be difficult to say no when you need to.

Now getting around Jamaica is another scene and I think maybe we’re going to look at buying a car in Jamaica as a tourist. I think for us to see all we want to see it will help for us to have our own car and with the prices of things it looks promising we’ll buy a car in Kingston soon. If so then we’ll be doing much more traveling and I’ll have lots more to show you about Jamaica and Negril.

It really does help to plan ahead. The best advice I could ever offer anyone about traveling is to pay attention to details and plan for the unexpected. On the times I have traveled via airline it has been such a hassle you almost want to bail out before you get to wherever you are going. We had some troubles in getting to and parking at Fort Lauderdale International Airport on our way to Jamaica and the place was very busy on the day we flew out. The lines all over were ridiculous but it seems AirJamaica was especially delayed on this day and there was confusion on more than one flight. The people we’re courteous and friendly but you could sense an air of sarcasm in how they approach things. They are obviously overworked and tired of the routine.

We had to park triple stacked out front to unload our baggage and cars were whizzing by very fast the whole time. It was nerve racking with a two year old who suddenly knows everything and feels like he can do what he wants. He has certainly made our trip more interesting if not difficult at some points. It made for a hectic time to keep an eye on our children in the mayhem of the airport while we dealt with the myriad of lines and checkpoints. Making it through to the parking lot from the airplane took us more time than the actual flight from Florida to Jamaica did. Sounds bad but it’s true we were in immigration and customs for what seemed a lifetime. On all my previous trips I traveled for less than 30 days and was never really questioned about my intent or my ability to support myself. After a day from hell to have that girl ask me if I could prove my ability to support my family for 90 days I was hopping mad. I lost it and she was pretty curse in her remarks that my troubles were not going to be hers. I understand they have a job to do but I wish they could understand us as well.

They really don’t make it easy at all to travel to Jamaica. It all sounds good on the advertisements but once you embark on your trip you realize they place more obstacles in your way to discourage your travels then they do concessions to accommodate us. We were one of the last flights in that day and it seemed half the staff was working on shutting down or not working at all. We carried lots of things for our 90 day adventure and they took time to rummage through every single bit of it. It was aggravating but necessary I guess. It seems redundant to go through checks of our baggage when we land after the inspection we’re given in the States but I realize they are looking for different things on both ends. What would have been nice was more accommodations for us. They were pretty adamant we stand directly in front of them and watch the search while we had two young children ready to leave and running around the lobby like wild bush kids. At times it seemed to me they reveled in our aggravation as if to say good for you for coming here. Maybe it was just me but I did get the feeling we were unwanted and an irritation to them for being there.

Traveling with kids can be a real headache but traveling with my two kids can be worse. Our oldest son AJ is autistic which requires attention and our two year old is having issue with control and he is deep in the middle of a “my” phase. Everything belongs to him and he’ll fight you for it. He was a handful in the airport and keeping control of him almost requires one of those kid leashes now. I hate those things but this trip made me rethink things. For safety sake I can see some need for those on occasion. Sadly we didn’t have one and Robby decided it was time to explore. I covered almost the entire airport that day including stairwells, bathrooms and behind counters. Half the staff at the concession stands knew his name and ended up watching him with me as he ran around the terminal in circles jacked up on Pepsi cola and Doritos chips. I suggest you plan according and bring multiple forms of entertainment for the young ones especially on longer flights. You’ll appreciate a portable DVD player and favorite movie like never before. A mobile game is probably even better but that’s between you and your kids. Whatever you do bring a couple choices to cover the boredom for them and don’t forget backup batteries. I brought a rechargeable battery center with loads of rechargeable batteries for all the gadgets and things we have. It’s been great already and looks to be a great investment. I’ve got some gadget reviews for Jamaica soon come mon.

A list of what to do and and what not to do before you travel to Jamaica would be great but it would only tell you whats good for me and my family in our travels. Traveling requires thinking and pre planning for things beyond your control. Case in point would be with our arrival in Mobay. Our original plans called for us to reach Negril as early as 5 PM with plenty time for a grocery run and dinner that evening but our flight delays brought us in after 9pm. Our plans were shot and we needed to modify, we had a junk food dinner from the likkle shop across the street and breakfast was soda, chips and honey buns at the Texaco Gas station on Sheffield Road early the next morning and well before anyone was open for business. The kids are up and ready to run at 6 am and nothing opens here until 9am so it was that or listen to them die of hunger for 2 hours. We can’t seem to function until after breakfast and better planning could have avoided this confusion. With all the junk we did bring a little more food would have helped quite a bit. Our plans to hit the grocery on the first evening were smashed when our flights were delayed and we hit evening traffic from Mobay. Now I realize food prices are quite a bit higher then we planned and I have had to adjust our budget. I’ll have more to say on shopping in Negril soon come.

Waking up in paradise eased many of our concerns but there were some troubles with that as well. I’m beginning to learn that not everything is as promised in Jamaica. Our room at the Heartbeat Hotel in Negril Jamaica is very nice and a deal at the rates we pay for the service we receive but it’s not exactly what we thought it was. The room is not air conditioned and the beach access is through an adjacent property which happens to be a pretty seedy looking bar that doesn’t get started till after midnight but never closes. The air conditioning is a tough one to handle but we’re living with it. The wireless access in our room has been spotty at best. I replaced the in house router with my own and it was great for the evening but when I woke up the router was dead. No action at all. I was able to reconfigure the existing one and move on but it gets fuzzy every afternoon when the rains come. The rains are sweet and cool off the sometimes brutal afternoon heat. The rain is great and much needed around here but it does lead to one prevailing problem in Jamaica and thats mosquitoes. The mosquito problem is huge. The mosquitoes are huge and the problem is beyond huge. We would be eaten alive if not for the screened windows which we are forced to keep closed each afternoon as the swarms invade from the hillside. The mosquitoes here are hungry and relentless in attack. Hand to hand combat is your best effort in this ever to be won war unless you relish poisoning yourself with DEET and other such chemical gents. The best I’ve found now is to sleep with the windows shut and and we lotion ourselves up because sand fleas still creep in and their bites can be worse than mosquitoes. Sleeping on near the ocean or beaches in Negril can be surreal but nature is a balance of pleasure and pain that you’ll need to learn to live with.

What to wear in Negril is a personal thing. You can actually wear whatever you want if anything at all but keeping it simple seems to work in all of Jamaica. My first trip to Jamaica found me walking around with logos and name brand labels on everything I owned and I noticed it made me marked as someone with money. It also reminded me how obvious those labels were to others and how oblivious I had become to them. I don’t think I purchased items because of the logos but it made me rethink how I look when I travel. I’ve found a pack of plain colored tee shirts works great for me. I prefer a solid earth tone shirt with simple board or cargo shorts and shoes of choice if necessary. I was also warned in the past that fresh new bright white socks are a sign of wealth to some so I run low profile black socks these days just to be safe and sexy

It’s hot in Jamaica and dressing appropriate is not only smart but easy. Dressing in layers with options for the fast changing Jamaican weather helps but in Negril you can wear what you want. I carry a waist bag with small poncho for those flash flood rain storms that pop up most afternoons. A heavy rain can soak you and your gear fast and a poncho comes to the rescue with ease. A good pair of shoes is a no brainer but in Jamaica I prefer a pair of hiking or trail style shoes with full toe protection. While a nice romantic walk in Jamaica sounds great the reality is the beach and access roads can be littered with glass and the potholes and road sholders are more like rough hiking trails with large rocks and debris to grab your toes and hurt you. I know it sounds cool to run around town like you do the beach and barefoot it I do not recommend doing so unless your feet are hardened and ready for a beating. My favorite pair of shoes is a pair of hiking sandals which covers the toes from bumps and bruises but also breathes well and can get wet if need be. They allow me the freedom to cover the variety of terrain and conditions you might encounter on any day in Jamaica without need to carry backup shoes.

The sun here is deadly and you can almost feel the skin cancer growing on you if you run around all day with no protection. It will bake creamy white human flesh like chicken in the oven and leave you looking worse than last nights lobster dinner in just one day. You have to be careful at all times. Even on an overcast day the suns rays are beaming through and it will have a lasting effect on you even when you don’t feel it. The sun takes more out of you than the Red Stripes on the beach and playing it safe is smart. I’m not going to get into what sun protection to wear but I’ll tell you to bring plenty and try different things. The obvious would be good suntan lotion with a decent SPF factor. Others will suggest you bring lightweight long sleeve clothing which may work well for them but not so for me. I can’t handle long sleeves or long pants in the sun. I find them suffocating and can only wear shorts and tee or tank tops. A decent skin lotion is my best choice. Suntan lotion is a luxury to many Jamaicans and the prices in local stores reflect it. Average price at the Key West Pharmacy in Negril was over $700 Jamaica Dollars for a medium size tube of 30 SPF. At 65 Jamaican to 1 US thats $10.95 I paid for a 12 ounce bottle of 45 SPF Baby sun protection. The whole issue over what size liquids containers you can bring on airplanes had me leave a few things we needed. We probably could have brought 3 bottles from home for the same price we paid for one bottle here. We brought some but it would not have lasted our entire trip and just finding the right stuff in Negril was hard enough. The Hi Lo only carries an SPF 15 Tan Accelerator and some other over priced junk with lower SPF. Nowhere have I seen any high performance stuff like the zinc oxide type high SPF creams for water sports and such. I’ll have to try some dive shops or maybe higher end gift shops and hotels for better stuff for the kids at the beach.

A full days sun can be hard on the eyes and good sunglasses are a must. I suggest you consider purchasing more than one pair of sun glasses for those times when one pair can’t be found. No matter how hard we try our room ends up a mess and keeping track of things like sunglasses, room keys and cameras becomes a chore without some proper planning. Keeping things in one place helps but the kids don’t always cooperate and misplaced items makes it necessary to run through a checklist of sorts before we leave to make certain we have everything we need for our trip including an itinerary and cab fare separate from grocery money. I have a multi bag setup which includes my waist pack, my shoulder bag and my backpack which I use based on my adventures for the day. The full backpack is usually to much unless we’re taking the kids to the beach and bringing towels and cameras and stuff. I usually run around with a waistbag that has multiple pockets. This allows me to keep cash separated so I don’t have to show all my money for things like cab rides and jerk stands. It carries a mobile phone, room keys, digital camera, cash, credit cards and I can stuff my shades and a small washcloth in it. It looks touristy but it’s the most convenient and safest to carry. I never leave it anywhere and it’s far more difficult to snatch. Having things right in front is handy and even the wife and kids can reach it should they need to.

I’m fully embracing technology and we have a decent setup of gadgets and gear with us. We brought the JVC digital camera which shoots nice DVD quality video but takes crap pictures. I use it for video shoots of the kids and I’ve done some nice sunsets with it but it has limitations and it’s bulkier to carry. For this trip I wanted a new digital camera that shot good size photos and I also wanted something waterproof so I could go on a snorkel trip or two. I ended up choosing a Sea Life SL320 because one was available in Fort Lauderdale on the day of our flight. My order for a Vivitar Vivicam 6300w fell through and it was to be delayed beyond our departure flight. The SL320 cost more but its a much better dive camera. Rated at 130 feet this thing goes well beyond my limits and has been a real blast thus far. I’m preparing a gadget review on my Sea Life Sl320 soon come. I needed a new laptop and went with a refurbished Gateway from TigerDirect that simply rocks. It’s a very nice computer and I could not be happier with it. It comes with all the ports and connections I need including firewire and USB 2.0 and the Centrino Duo lets me create movies from my video camera while the kids watch a DVD movie through the attached 22 inch monitor using an extended desktop. We forgot the remote to the Xbox so the kids can’t use the multifunction 22″ monitor for anything but games for now. Soon come the remote from grandmother in the States. I have the laptop setup to power the monitor with a DVD movie and the Xbox is attached so the kids have something to do besides swim at the beach and run around the property. Both Robby and AJ have taken to having their picture taken much better than before but Robby has become a real camera hog. He loves to have his picture taken and now he wants to take pictures. He’s been running around with the SL320 and popping some odd shots of cats and trees. It’s neat and it would be awesome if he took to photography at a young age because of it.

Ok, this post has grown to huge proportions and I can write all day. I’m ending it here with comments open for questions or suggestions. Does anyone need to know anything else about moving to Negril Jamaica?