From: paul.graveline%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Paul Graveline) 
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: CARIBBEAN TRAVEL ROUNDU10
Date: 1 Sep 92 13:18:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online, St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: paul.graveline%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Paul Graveline) 

(continued)
water  is  not  cold  (it is perfectly drinkable too) and there is a  
phone available on the premises.  
 
I  did  say  houses  -  open  air  type  with  beds, clean sheets, a  
bathroom  with  shower,  and yes they do have adequate roofs in case  
it  rains.  Citronella does have a surrounding fence with a lockable  
gate.  We  called  it the "compound". As soon as you venture outside  
the  compound  the  locals  descend  upon you. But don't worry, they  
won't  bite,  but they can be persistent. After all, they are trying  
to  earn  a  living  and you are a tourist. People will want to sell  
you  carvings,  fruit, ganja, massages, and cab rides. If you're not  
interested  just  say  "No  thank  you"  and  move along. If you are  
interested  you may want to shop around awhile. Note - Only use cabs  
with  'PP'  on  the license tags, they are government registered and  
don't  forget  that  everything  is  negotiable and prices should be  
confirmed before you get in.  
 
Most  stores,  restaurants  and  bars take Jamaican, US and Canadian  
dollars.  When  we  were there the exchange rate was 23 JA for 1 US.  
You  can  exchange money in the US at most major banks and airports.  
You  can  also  exchange  in major Jamaican airports, but you may be  
charged  a small fee. We landed in Montego Bay and then took a Trans  
Jamaica  plane  to  Negril.  Many people take the bus to Negril, and  
have  claimed  it to be one of the wildest rides they have ever been  
on.  I  am  told this takes approximately 3 hours with all the stops  
and  can  be  a  very hot ride. The flight took about 12 minutes and  
added  $100 US to our round trip airfare. The Negril airport is more  
or  less  a patch of concrete in between the trees with a small open  
air  terminal.  We  paid  $10  US  for  a  cab  from  the airport to  
Citronella  -  about  a 15 minute ride past the beaches and resorts,  
past downtown, past Rick's cafe almost to the lighthouse.  
 
Let's  talk  about  Citronella.  The  houses we rented were the COVE  
house  and  the  CAVE  house.  The  Cove house sits at the back of a  
small  cove. It can sleep 3 couples easily. We shared the Cove house  
with  just one other couple and it worked out great. We also had one  
other  couple  in  the  Cave  house  which is smaller but will still  
sleep  four, however, the house consists of one large room. The Cove  
house  has  a  kitchen with two burners and a sink. There is also an  
outdoor  shower.  Both  houses  have  a  small refrigerator but they  
never get real cold.  
 
Another  house  that  looked  very  interesting  was the ROUND house  
which  had  more ocean front property, but we're told it's a tad bit  
more  rustic.  All  houses  have  cement  stairs leading down to the  
water.  To get in the water you must go down a small ladder - no big  
deal.  You  should take a mask and snorkel to see the reef. Fins are  
not  really  needed.  I  highly  recommend that you wear aqua- socks  
when  you  go  into  the  water.  It  makes getting in and out a lot  
easier and safer should you accidentally step on a sea urchin.  
 
Regardless  of  which  house you stay in, the view is incredible and  
you'll  spend  hours  out on the porch just sitting and relaxing. We  
had  these  really  broken in rocking chairs that lean way way back.  
The  Cove house also has a hammock on the porch. The Cave house sits  
on  top of a huge cave that opens up to the sea. You can swim inside  
the  cave  all  the  way  to  the end where it forms a blowhole that  
opens  up  into  the  compound  way behind the Cave house. It simply  
cannot  be  described  in  words. Be careful if you venture into the  
cave  or  blowhole  because  it  can  be  dangerous  if  you are not  
comfortable  underwater  or  in  tight  places.  Do not go in if the  
water  is  rough.  We  took  several  cameras inside the blowhole on  
separate  occasions  and  oddly  enough  none of those pictures came  
out. Voodoo?  
We  made  daily visits outside the compound to retrieve beer, fruit,  
souvenirs,  eats  etc.  We  also  rented scooters one day which is a  
blast  and  a  great  way  to  get around. Don't worry about traffic  
lights  - I never saw one the whole time in Negril. Jamaican drivers  
are  very cautious and you use the horn a lot to let people know you  
are coming. Just remember to keep to the left.  
 
There  is  a  very  nice  Jamaican  lady  named  Olive that works at  
Citronella  and  whom  we  befriended.  She  offered  to cook for us  
several  nights  and  we  gladly took her up on it. She also braided  
the  girl's  hair and escorted them to the craft market in town. Our  
friends  had  met  her on their previous vacation so we probably got  
extra  special attention. She also had fresh pineapple and delicious  
sour  sap  juice  waiting  for  us when we arrived. What is sour sap  
juice?  I  don't know but she said it was good for our nerves - that  
made  me  want  to  take several gallons home! Remember to tip Olive  
well.  
 
Rick's  cafe  is  just  up the street and within walking distance of  
the  compound.  It's  a  very  popular place and many people come by  
land  and  sea to drink and eat. We did go there once but it was too  
touristy  for  us.  There's  a  great  place  right next door to the  
compound  called  the  LTU  pub.  The  LTU  has  very  good food and  
exceptionally  good  fruit drinks. No one is in a hurry and you will  
wait  awhile  for  your food, but it is good and fairly inexpensive.  
The  steamed  fish is excellent. Sometimes we would go to the LTU to  
get  a  cup  of  Blue  Mountain  coffee,  other times we would get a  
complete  breakfast.  We  also stopped in occasionally to sit at the  
bar  and  have  a  cold  drink.  As  far as I know, the only beer in  
Jamaica is Red Stripe and Heniken.  
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