Well we are sadly home now but I will recap the last of our trip. We went a short ways from Choices to the likkle grocery store. We got some buns, cheese, spices for gifts, cheez-its, pistachios, liter of Ting, and 3 six packs of Red Stripe. On the walk back it poured. Really hard. We were absolutely soaking wet. People were trying to get us to come under their roofs to escape the rain (and into their bars) but we kept going. I didn't mind actually. Except it was about to pour so hard that the water gets into my eyes and messes up my contacts - like floods them out. Happened w/ last year when I was with Mandy on the beach and we got stuck in a storm and had to duck into a bar for cover and if memory serves we got nice and buzzed off some fruity cocktails! We got back and peeled off the wet clothes. Took a loooong warm shower outside. We laid in bed watching and listening to the rain slow down with that powerful fan overhead swirling the steamy tropical air everywhere. Maybe we slept? Felt especially wonderful. We had dinner that night @ Xtabi. Mike didn't like the chicken. I had some soup and stuffed crab. It was good as hell! I think we attempted to play domino but ended up falling asleep. The next morning we woke up and tried to have breakfast @ Erika's up the road. I pictured us taking photos of one another under the Erika's sign just for Erika hehheh. But the map I have isn't to scale and it was quite a walk! It was hot as hell at 10am-ish! Erika's was closed but along the way we passed by Sips N Bites - a place I've gone to quite a bit with Donald and always liked for the good fresh food and prices. We had callaloo and veg omlettes. With fried plantain, the BEST dumpling I've ever had all fried light and doughy YUM, toast with butter and marmalade. I bet there was some fruit. I was extremely hot and sweaty but drank a lot of juice and water to cool me down. The heat does kick your ass up in those cliffs! We took our time, I read the Observer. I love reading the news in other countries. I recall an article about how hybrid cars won't work in Jamaica (and in many other underdeveloped countries) because they don't have the technology to service the cars and to service and train the workers. Mike said something about how mechanics here have to get some special expensive certification or training to work on hybrids here. I thought that was sad! They know they would benefit the environment and would be cost efficient - hmmm why can't they ask the Peace Corps to send them some mechanics to train them? Or some other organization? Or why can't they get one of the super rich car companies to offer free training seeing as how they will be selling and servicing their cars? I don't know - seems dumb that a great alternative is being shelved due to $ - I guess the bottom line for most everything. Another article about an extra strong strain of marajuana that is around and they suspect will be coming to JA if it isn't already. Stronger than cocaine and heroin they said. Hilarious! What type of BS is that? Man there is some potent shit out there and we all know this man! And it will never be as bad as coke or heroin! Propaganda. There was an editorial about a guy whose neighbor had been beaten to death - he was a farmer. He just wanted everyone to know how sad it was that violence took an innocent life and how undeserved it was. It was very sweet. Another HUGE article about some event in Montego Bay where some gay men were chased by this mob of people and beat the shit out of and had to find cover in people's stores, bars, anywhere to avoid being beaten to death. Like 50 people were after 3 guys! And the quotes they got from the people in that crowd were so nasty! I continue to find it hard to reconcile my love of Jamaica with the fact that it is so homophobic and hostile to gay people. Believe me I think about it deeply before, during, and after each trip. That will certainly be a reason I stop going. But I know that not every Jamaican is like that. Ads with offers for loans at a reasonable rate of 25%! Or higher! On the way back we stopped for a beer @ Pirates Cove (or is it Cave?). The woman who greeted us was sweet as can be and she told us the Hedo boat with all the naked people was down there and she always makes sure she is told when they are coming so she can be somewhere else! And she got us our beers and was off doing yard work the rest of the time! The other bartender was a beautiful young lady who almost got knocked the f out by a falling woven basket that was used as a light shade around the bar. I jumped a mile off that bar chair! Missed her by 1/2 inch! We laughed! I did peek over the side to check out the er, um, sea and the cliff jumpers. Yeah right! I had to peek at all the naked tan people of all shapes and sizes seriously whooping it up having the time of thier lives on that boat! Shrieking with laughter man it sounded fun! I will go to Hedo some day I swear it! Walked back to Xtabi got my suit on and floated! For dinner we went to 3 Dives and service was sloooow even for JA standards but it was busy when we got there. And the jerk was so tasty! We had a ton of leftovers that we ate that night, the next morning, great munchie food! There was a magician @ 3 Dives who got a cig off of us for one of his disappearing cig under the shirt trick - which was actually quite good! Mike got to be the shirt part the 2nd time around. He was doing slight of hand stuff. Totally entertaining! I think we gave him 5 bucks or so - he was out there for 1/2 hour or more! We went back (RIGHTNEXTDOOR) and played domino for a while, this and that and that and this. That bed is heaven. SO comfortable. Woke up and had - get this Kelly King! Eggs Benedict with bacon! The hollandaise was so good! And they used toast not english muffins and the egg yolks were cooked not runny. We both thought it was damn good! They offer lobster benedict when in season OMG someday!!!! At Mike's insistence that we shop we hopped in a cab and went downtown to the shopping center. A little overwhelming @ first - SO much stuff for sale and they quote you prices - not really negotiable but I got them to give me a deal - I was after all buying quite a bit once I got going. Got gifts for people, capris for myself, a net rasta color tank top, a Jamaican phrase cartoon book (Mandy turned me onto them), Mike got me a silver likkle tray with the island on it. Mike got some domino, a travel chess set, tons of gifts, a cool tabletop rasta thing with drawers. We felt very accomplished! It was our last day and all... we're pulling out of the shopping center and Nigel spots me in the moving cab and yells my name and dammit I wanted to stop and pick his rass up and take him up to Xtabi! But it was our last night and Nigel if you ever read this you have a lot of energy kid and I just couldn't manage! Made me happy just to have that quick contact... next trip! I was determined to snorkle since I think I am so cool with my red snorkle of my own! So I rented some fins and got myself in the water. I snorkled all of 5 minutes or so... I was in the midst of millions of tiny little blue and purple fish - harmless I know but then I thought wait - the big fish eat the little fish and here I am in the middle of all of them! I was OUT of there. Then I saw a big fish (not really but I was freaking out) near my by the surface and I was done! I think part of what freaks me out is controlling my breathing. We all know I am a heavy breather anyways! I try to but I don't give it time. I should try breathing with it out of the water for a while to get used to it. Alone. I don't want anyone watching me walk around for an hour with that mouthpiece and tube dangling. I would never hear the end of it! Instead I went and got my floatie and did that for a few hours. Met a couple of guys jumping off the rock from New York. They were buzzed and funny. I had a couple drinks with them and tried to get as much sun as possible. Went and showered and relaxed. Went to dinner @ LTU and Donald met us. Had Chicken Lola again! I love the food there. But no mint for mojitos! I told them to talk to 23/7 cuz they grow the shit and I spent quite a bit on those mojitos there! We were there before sunset and it was hot as hell sitting there. So I order stuffed jalapenos. MAN! Hot! On the walk to the store we ran into Donald's cousin driving by and he gave us all a ride to Xtabi. Donald, Mike, and I played domino for a few hours talking some serious shit! I got the groove of it all over again and was beating those 2 most of the time! The red ants reared their ugly heads and we were stomping them all over the place and I was picking them up w/ TP cuz I knew they would come collect their dead. SCARY! Also there were tons of the fastest moving inchworms I've ever seen! One stowed away on my floatie and surprised Kitty while I was unpacking. I posioned him with toilet bowl cleaner vs. flushing him. How humane is that? Probably linked to why I have horrible nightmares while vacationing in some of the world's most beautiful places?! We packed up most of our stuff, finished off most all of what we could, and crashed. Morning came too soon. Didn't want to leave. I had arranged for the van to get us @ Xtabi vs. Negril Gardens so avoid the extra BS of another cab ride. 7:40AM! Checked out no problem. Van was on time. We were the 1st stop. Van filled with kids from one of the big AI's who had been in a wedding/got married. Full of stupid comments. But not as much as the damn drunk French Canadian guy from Montreal with the mullet and deep fascination for imitating every single accent he could think of. And being egged on by the couple behind them. The drunk guy asked where they had been staying, forgetting they had gotten on the van together at THE SAME HOTEL 20 minutes earlier! I was beyond annoyed! Tried to sleep. On the way there went thru a part of MoBay I hadn't seen - probably the Hip Strip. Looked fun to me! Got thru airport security without any problem at all. It was great. Went serious shopping AGAIN! Ate breakfast @ Margaritaville cuz I didn't know of the big huge awesome expansion @ Sangster! Where the higher gate #'s are is where you want to be! Although there is a Margaritaville there, too. Jimmy Buffet can kiss my bootie! His whitey island vibe is so tired! I think Jimmy Buffet's bad aura brought on the bladder infection which made the 4 1/2 hour flight absolutely horrible! I slept maybe 2 uncomfortable hours. No Seroquel. Fool! Landing made me an anxious mess and now I know I need those damn pills when flying. I had to go to my inner safe place and do some even yoga breathing. Rum didn't break in my suitcase unlike this other unfortunate girl who must have had overproof in hers cuz when it broke the whole area reeked! Her suitcase was dripping behind her. I popped some pills I had brought justincasethathappened and tried to console myself that I was home. Mike's mom picked us up. She is just the sweetest lady! I can see where Mike gets it. Dropped us off @ his place where a BBQ was taking place and I got to see a ton of friends, give gifts, eat, drank more I know it is sick! Mike was crashing so Mandy drove me home. Kitty was waiting for me all hyper with parts of her toy parts torn up and all around my house. I was happy to see her she is so cute! That hot shower I took that night was so nice my neighbors must have thought I was crazy moaning like that. Really though - nothing beats a shower in your own shower after a long trip. Today I am back to work in my new *warm* cube and just sad. I gotta get back there. I also can't let lack of JA get me down so hard this time around. Tomorrow I start yoga again, am seeing The Merchant of Venice @ the Guthrie, decorating my PenPal's end-of-year treasure box, going to a new chiropractor. Busy day and I am gonna work for a few hours too but am committed to making the most out of my days and working hard like always. Cuz I gotta get back there and until I do, I have lots of other places to visit! This was an amazing trip. I really relaxed. Massage(s), dolphins, boyfriend ahhh. I'll smoke to that!