Monday September 28

Another gorgeous morning in paradise. We decided today was a snorkeling day but first went to a restaurant across the street for Ackee and salt fish for breakfast. Ackee is a fruit of one of the native trees and after being boiled is stir-fried with peppers and onions. It looks and tastes like eggs.

The east end of the town of Negril is marked by the South Negril River. To the east of that is the 7 mile beach,half-moon shaped white sand beach I described before. The west end of Negril, on the sea side, is formed by limestone cliffs and caves to which walkways, stairs and ladders down to the ocean have been attached. It has, unfortunately, been fairly heavily developed with world-class resorts.

However, a resort called XTABI allows access to the caves and cliffs for the public. We decided that would be the ideal place to snorkel (okay, we are cheap and did not want to pay $30 each for a snorkel trip to Booby Island). So we taxied over and set up camp on one of their stone ledges. However, after we got in, my mask separated from my snorkel and I tried to get up on one of the rocks to sit down and fix it. Unfortunately, I picked a rock covered in sea urchins. I am still trying to get sea urchin spines out of my butt and hand. Minor annoyances. The cliffs end in reefs which radiate into the ocean and are filled with sea creatures. There are some canyons through the reefs and the water clarity is such that, even in those areas that are 5 to 10 meters deep, it is possible to see the bottom. There is some reef damage, especially near the larger resorts but there are a number of healthier reefs and lots of fish.

There are few areas to rest without climbing up out of the ocean and we decided to walk further down the western road and look for a beach area, but that, if there are any, they are behind the closed gates of the resorts.(Jamaica laws states that beaches are public but getting to them may be difficult.) We walked past Rick’s and decided to explore the lighthouse. Mr. Johnson, the caretaker, guided us up the 103 stairs to the top where we were able to go out on the top deck for a bird’s eye view of the area. The sunset was spectacular from that area and much quieter than Rick’s.
We had dinner that night at the 3 Dives Jerk Center and ordered lobster and jerk chicken. Absolutely wonderful. The lobster needs no explanation; jerk chicken (also available as jerk beef and pork) is a barbecued chicken in a unique smoky and “tongue-searing” sauce that is heavenly.