Day 6
Whenever I visit Negril I go for 1 reason…to relax. I try to go there when it is very slow. Before spring break or after spring break. Before Jamaica Carnival or After Jamaica carnival, either time, is slow. Whenever there is a big concert in Monetgo bay or Ocho Rios it is slow. Our time was perfect. Sumfest was in Montego Bay and that meant “Negril would be slow.

The Whistling Bird is the prefect place to relax. The property is on the seven mile beach with a prime view. You can enjoy the beach and people walking along the shore all day. On day 6 all we did was hang out on the beach. It was a way to wind down from all the activities from the past few days.

During the day we saw different members of the staff on the property. We have been visiting for years and they are like family. Even the staff members who no longer work on the property came by to visit us.

We went back to Como’s for dinner that evening.

Day 7
Today we were going to visit the lighthouse. I had always heard about the lighthouse in Negril but never visited it. We had breakfast on the property and then went to the beach. My children never got bored with the beach. They could spend all day there.

The plan was to get in a little beach until about 3.00 pm. Then we would head to the lighthouse.  Lily on the property called ahead to the light house to inquire if it would be open today. She told us to ask for Mr. James the lighthouse keeper when we got there. 

The drive to the lighthouse took us pass “downtown Negril” and the cliffs. We could see the lighthouse from the main road. The side road leading to it is unpaved so the ride is a little rough. Mr. James, the lighthouse keeper, was at the foot of the lighthouse talking to 3 ladies that were leaving. We greeted him and asked if he would give us a tour inside the lighthouse. He agreed. The children were thrilled. He told us about the history of the lighthouse and also about the many instruments inside. We followed him up the steep spiraling staircase to the very top. The view on the top was amazing. The water was blue as far as the eyes could see. We could see the famous Blue Castle. We also saw Rick’s café. That would be our next stop.

Ricks café was not too far from the lighthouse. It was late evening so the parking lot was full. With the permission of a homeowner, we parked in his yard across the street from the cafe. There was a reggae band playing music. The place was crowded. Most of the people there had gathered around the diving area. There were tourists diving from the cliffs. There were also the “expert” Jamaican divers performing for the crowd.  They were the main attraction for most of the people there. I was more drawn to the tourists who were diving in. There was a lady who was on top of the platform who went back and forth. As she stood on the plank she looked over into the water then shook her head. She was not going to dive. Her friends kept encouraging her. She went back to the edge and looked over again. She withdrew again. After about 10 minutes contemplating and 5 people passing her to dive she approached the platform again. She finally jumped in.

There were also a few belly flops by tourist divers. You cringed every time you heard it as you knew they would be in pain. It was getting dark and we were getting hungry. We would eat on the property today. The food is always well prepared. It is cooked to order and served in the dining area on the property. We had Lobster and Fish. It was an enjoyable meal.