Hedo 2 April 21 - 28, 2001
Well, to start things off, Siggy & I had a tough time just getting out of Toronto. We taxied out to the runway, and sat in line waiting to leave, with Skyservice. They informed us that the toilets were not entirely operational and that we would have to return to the gate until they had them operational. We must have waisted more than two hours on the tarmac before we finally got back in line for take off. By then we were starving to death and glad we had brought some pre-packaged breakfast bars to eat. Nothing was forthcoming from the airline. It seemed they had a serving schedule to adhere to which coincided with take-off. Finally we did get off the ground, and headed for Montego Bay, Jamaica . The best news we had on the way there, was that the headsets weren't working properly, and that they would broadcast the movie, "Meet The Parents," free over the P.A. When we got to the airport at Montego Bay, we quickly realized that this was going to cost us a lot of money in tips, just to make things happen. The baggage guy wants money, the bus driver wants money, etc...As Canadians we notice it a little more, because we have to convert our 64 cent dollar to American funds. The next thing we notice is that the roads are far from complete on the way to Negril. You are constantly going from dirt road to paved road to dirt road to paved road, over and over again, all the way to Hedo. It was a relief to finally arrive, but I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to see the Jamaicain countryside for anything. The same holds true for the ride home. Despite the availability of TimAir, the true cultural experience comes from treking through the countryside and gawking out the window. Upon reaching Hedo 2, we soon discovered that they had over booked. Other more experienced travelers told us that this was a common practice. We were not amused. I didn't pay for Oceanview Au Naturale just to be placed in Gardenview regular. I agreed to stay prude as long as they were willing to compensate for the inconvenience. We did receive a letter under our door a couple of days into our vacation, informing us that we would be re-imbursed the difference from Sunquest when we got home. So I took the letter to my travel agent, and she is looking after it now... We had a great week, and met a lot of great people. It's hard to remember them all, but most importantly it was just so easy going. Everyone we met were warm, and friendly. Like the Jamaicans say, "no pressure man," and "respect." Our favourite mature couple were Dave & Marilyn. Dave is the Karoake king. They also were very generous with their very cool head to toe double air mattress. We also spent a lot of time with Randy & Libby (sorry we missed them in the goodbyes). Owen & Kathy helped make our week very special, Darren & Debby helped us kick off our week, Lanny & Joe Joe gave us the scoop on Hedo, where to go, what to do, what to avoid etc..a special hello to Brownie Bob... and last but not least, we concluded our week with Larry & Becky. We couldn't have asked for a better wrap up to our week than to spend it with those two. Other highlights of the week for us were; Delroys Special, Red Stripe, stingrays in the water when you're snorkeling, the catamaran trip to parrot cove with Rasta Ralph, where we swam into the caves with bats on the ceilings, while others jumped off the cliffs, swung from the rope etc...the trip to the market in Negril to haggle for souvenirs...the beautiful handcrafted giraffe we got for a great price. (We call him Delroy). The Butt Crackers, their balloon launcher, and their on-going practical jokes (dropping oversized dildo's off of balconies on unsuspecting passers by, and their daily nude run to Sandals, just to keep things interesting)..mirrors on the ceiling... reggae...conversations with the locals that usually ended with "do you like to party." P.J. party night, Toga party night, the freedom to just be...no rules...no hang ups...no problem...that's Jamaica mon. If you read this report, remember us, and would like to respond, we'd like to hear from you.
Gary & Siggy gryan35@home.com