Day 5 – Monday, November 12^th

The Ohio contingent is heading back early (getting picked up 7’ish AM) and we told them the night before to come say goodbye, so sure enough at 7 AM they knock on the door and we wake up just enough to say goodbye, and then fall back asleep. We had planned to try to meet Wendy and Heather for breakfast at the Beach at about 9, but we don’t wake up again until about 10, and by then they’ve also left to head back to MoBay. So we meander out of bed, and of course, back to Just Natural for more fabulous food.

Unfortunately as we head through the bar area, we catch the news about the American Airlines flight that went down in New York – besides the tragedy of more senseless deaths, and the notion that it could possibly be more terrorists at work, we’re also concerned because a number of our friends are now possibly stranded in MoBay (since airports in the US are shut temporarily). We also have the New York contingent heading back to the Big Apple that day – on American Airlines, no less. Whoops.

Dave’s aunt, who has flown her first ever airplane ride to come to our wedding, and who has never been away from her husband in 30+ years of marriage, is freaked. Completely freaked. We stop at Dave’s mom’s room, where she and Dave’s aunt Barb are sitting and smoking on the porch. Barb is in tears, terrified that she won’t get home because flights are canceled, and terrified to get back on a plane. Richard is at work in the yard, and he comes over and tried to comfort Barb. It’s rainy, and tense. We go over to the bar to watch the news, and learn that they don’t think it’s terrorism, and flights are back on. The New York contingent is still going to have to wait an extra day, but those folks going back in the afternoon (my mom, Claire, Meagan, Peter, and others) are back on, and will be picked up about 2 PM.

We kiss them goodbye and decide to go to the beach, figuring that the rain will clear up soon. Kevin and Claudia decide to go with us, and we have a new driver today – Sassa, who is quite friendly and tells us about the most popular cars in Jamaica, and talks cars with Kevin, who works for Ford. As soon as we reach the threshold between the Cliffs and the Beach, the rain stops completely – the whole Beach side is sunny and fabulous.

We’ve brought our blow-up rafts down with us, and the four of us alternate between lazing on the beach, reading, floating around on the rafts, and swimming in the fabulous clear and warm water. We sit in front of Alfred’s and get Pina Coladas, and eventually some fresh fruit from the Fresh Fruit Lady - coconut for us and pineapple for them. I decide to check my email, and cross the street over to a small cyber-café. The owner, a German woman, carries on a conversation with another German woman, a tourist, as I quickly check our email, and send a quick missive to the family to let them know how well we’re doing. I’m hungry for lunch now, and in the mood for a good patty – the cyber café usually has them, but alas, I’m too late and they’re all out.

I head back across the road to the beach, where Dave, Kevin and Claudia are still baking in the sun. We’re very close to a little restaurant/bar called Irie Vibes, and they have a Callaloo Melt on the menu – Mary and Lisa have already extolled the virtues of this delicious dish of callaloo on top of thick wheat toast, with melted cheddar cheese on top of the open-faced sandwich. I’m sold. I order it, and the woman tells me she’ll bring it out to me on the beach – so nice! It takes a while, so I know it will be delicious, and it is.

We hang out on the beach for a little while longer, have a cold Red Stripe, and then catch a cab back to the hotel.

It’s about 4 PM, and Dave and I decide now is a good time to bring Jackie, from Jackie’s On the Reef, her money that we collected from our spa visitors. Johnny B Goode takes us; as we’re passing the LTU Pub a blue car passes us, and Johnny begins honking wildly as he stops next to the car – it’s Jackie! We all pull over at LTU and have a drink as we give her the considerable amount of cash (in a nice confusing mix of American and Jamaican) for our spa services.

Johnny takes us back to Xtabi, and it’s naptime!

We have a dinner date with Dave’s mom and aunt, whom we haven’t spent much time with since they eat much earlier than us and go to bed around the time we’re finishing dinner. However we’ve compromised on the time, and decide to go to Just Natural, since we’ve never been there for dinner before – only breakfast. We bump into Lisa and Mary who are just finishing a nice romantic candlelit dinner.

The dinner is heavenly – almost better than their breakfast! Dinner comes with soup, and we start with a light vegetable broth. I have the lobster pasta which is nothing short of fantastic, and Helen and Barb both have the spaghetti which comes with a delicious and interesting tomato sauce – different spices and flavors than traditional tomato sauce, but quite good. Dave has the lasagna, and it’s also wonderful. The dinners are huge, and we all have leftovers – I get mine wrapped up in tin foil, and save it in the fridge in our room. Dessert also comes with dinner, and tonight it’s homemade (of course) “beet cake” – neither Dave nor I care for beets, and we’re apprehensive, but it’s divinely delicious, and Helen and Barb order a few extra pieces to wrap up and eat for breakfast on their ride to Montego Bay the next morning.

We kiss Helen and Barbara goodbye, and tell them to wake us up in the morning to say goodbye – they’re leaving about 6 AM. Then we head back to the room and have a quick light nap.

We got nostalgic when we stopped at LTU earlier that day, since we had such a lovely time hanging out there last year – Susan, the owner, is a charming British lady, and we knew that Sharon, who used to own the Happy Banana was now working for Susan at LTU. They also make a wonderful Cuban drink there called a Mohjito – a delicious minty alcoholic concoction.

So we invite Richard and Lundi to come along with us – Richard shows up decked out in some slick white threads. Lisa and Mary also come, as well as Kevin and Claudia. We get seated around the bar – there’s a new bartender named Johnny (the original “Johnny B Goode” he tells us) who doesn’t make Mohjitos quite as well as last year’s bartender, Prento, did. They’re still good though. We buy Lundi and Richard a few beers, and all hang out and chat. We talk to a beautiful black woman named Angel, who’s a stunning singer, and Ken – the former manager of Xtabi – who is hanging out at the bar with his new German lady. We remember Ken from last year, and we talk about Xtabi and the changes that have occurred since he left. Lundi and Richard both used to work for him, so they reminisce as well.

It’s a fun time, and we head back to our little cabin happy and ready for a good night’s sleep.

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