This is my first post in my journal of My Marley Adventure... Several times a month I will add a continuation of my personal journal to this page so please check to relive this magical journey with me as my life gets intertwined with the late great Bob Marley....and other famous Jamaican musicians that I have crossed paths with. I will write as well as post pics on this page throughout this magical journey you will experience with me. Enjoy this mysterious adventure that has transpired into a life long commitment that has totally captivated my life. the next journals of the best past time in the world....finding out things people DON'T KNOW about Bob Marley, the King of Reggae.
I had been traveling to Jamaica since 1989 and it is now 1992. My buddy Bob Disbrow recently passed away and I am traveling to Jamaica to fulfill my promise I made to him if per chance his life were to be cut short...which it was, he died of a massive heart attack while sleeping. My promise to him was to continue to go to Jamaica and stay in touch with the friends he introduced me to and to try to purchase some land to build on one day and employ the Jamaican people to help them prosper, one person at a time. Over the many years I have done my best to keep this promise but never knew the challenges I would have to face to get where I am today... Stay tuned next week for my second entry…
THIRD POST My first trip to Negril
The year was 1989, I am with my buddy Bob Disbrow and were heading off to the airport for my first vacation to Jamaica. Bob had been traveling to Jamaica for about 10 years and he wanted to bring me to a place called Negril. Bob loved smoking weed and so fired up a big fat joint as we made our way to the airport. When I opened the door in the airport parking garage it look like a scene from a Cheech and Chong movie or better yet when Spacoli exited the van in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Back then airport security was a joke so we just checked in and headed to our waiting area for the next plane to Miami; an international airport we had to stop at before we departed to Jamaica. So now we are off to the island of tropical forests, beautiful white sandy beaches, fresh fruit to pick from the trees, listen to roots reggae music and meet Bobs friends. By the time we landed in Montego Bay we had been traveling for 12 hours and I was ready to party and have a good time...I had cabin fever (the plane) and I wanted to let loose, I was in Jamaica! I exited the plane and had to walk down steel steps that were rolled up to the plane... Something I wasn't used, but I knew I was going to see many things I had never experienced before. The warm Jamaican air hit me in the face as I walked from the plane to the terminal, it was windy and the girls had to do everything to do to keep their skirts down however sometimes impossible due to the amount of bags and items in their hands. I glanced over to the right and noticed about 7 young Jamaican guys carrying on... Laughing and pointing at us coming off the plane so I looked back to see what they we gawking at to see a woman behind me fighting to get her dress down from around her head, her body was exposed and she wasn't wearing a bra or panties... Needless to say everyone got an eye full. I was thinking to myself "these guys must do this every time a plane lands"... Sure enough, the next plane landed as those 7 guys congregated to their regular handout and the show started over, same scenario; different cast members...I started laughing to myself as Bob and I headed to the customs area. We rounded the corner to be greeted by 3 Jamaican musicians playing Bob Marley's song One Love, and they were fantastic. They played instruments I had never seen before which created a sound I had never heard before so I stopped in my tracks to hear a few tunes while Bob tugged at my arm to get going because we still had a long way to go. I thought to myself "long way to go"? We had already been traveling for 12 hours and we ARE on the island of Jamaica... How far could it really be to Negril?? I tipped the musicians and proceeded to walk thru many long corridors following people who seemed as if they were running instead of walking. It wasn't just a few random people, I was getting passed by many people rushing forward thru these long corridors. I turned the next corner to find out what the rush was... a HUGE room filled with a bunch of metal cattle guards and all the rows were packed full of people waiting to get through Customs and Immigration. I looked at Bob and said WTF? He said "I told you to come on" All my excitement instantly changed to the opposite and I started to look around to see how fast the line was moving to get an idea of how long we would be stuck in this sardine can. I then started to notice that I was getting warm, only to look up to see 100,000 papers flapping within the sea of people ahead of us. Everyone was fanning themselves with whatever they could get their hands on because it was about 90% in that place with NO AIR CONDITIONING. I thought I was gonna die several times from heat exhaustion. It felt like we were herded cattle waiting to be slaughtered. People were pissed off, children were crying, I would often smell the gasses from asses many times throughout the journey to Customs. After 3 hours we were next in line to the booth. By this time I was so ready just to lay in my bed at the resort... That's what was on my mind. Bob and I get through customs, pick up our luggage and head toward the exit doors as we are bombarded by local taxi drivers, all of them trying to get my attention all at once, they seemed to be speaking a different language and then every now and then I would recognize a word. Just as it was getting mor chaotic, Bob cut in front of me send answered there questions in their native tongue Patois, I was impressed to see him converse with such ease and whatever he said it was like Moses parting the Red Seas... The locals opened up a path for us to get us to the road. Bob treated me to Bun and Cheese and a cold Red Stripe from a little shack that was in front of the airport. Just then a white van came to a screeching hault and a long haired Rastaman got out of the van an yelled "Uncle Bob"! He went up to Bob and gave him a big hug and said "Welcome, me Boss" they did a funky little hand shake and the manly pats on the back. I was then introduced to House of Black. House immediately headed to the food shack and started talking to the girl waitress, more flirting than ordering something but a few minutes later she called House over and gave him a fish dinner plate and a juice drink. Bob went over and paid for everything and we headed off to Negril. Before we rounded the first corner House brought out a spliff larger than a bic pen and proceeded to light it up and smoke it as he taxied us through the round a bouts and narrow roads. By this time we had been traveling for 15 hours, I was riding in a small van engulfed in smoke, drinking beers and listening to reggae music blaring on his radio. Right about this point I noticed we were only going 10 miles an hour and we are weaving around hundreds of pot holes, and craters throughout the roads. 4 hours later we arrive in Negril!! That day we traveled 19 hours to get from Alexandria Virginia to Negril Jamaica. Even though it took almost a day to get there, I woke up to the most beautiful green/blue water and the most pristine white sandy beach I had ever seen in my life. The trip to Negril from the airport only takes about 40 minutes today and there are no potholes on the main route, a definite change from what it used to be.
My Marley Adventure Hahahahaaaaa ... I did and that is coming up my friend... Funny you remember ... Oh ya I forgot you don't forget anything... Wish I had that ...SOMETIMEZ lol
Like · Reply · February 6, 2014 at 9:53am
Bartley Seibert Stayed at the T-Water....ate lobster at Pee Wee's.......(among other things) great place....I'd go back if I didn't have to get married again!
Kathy MacKay OMG reminds me of the first time I got off the plane in the middle of a black Tarmac had to walk inside to the customs.Things sure have changed. I booked that first trip as a way to thank my now ex husband for doing Disney even though he really didn't want to. My first thought was Oh God where did I bring us? The short answer to that was Heaven!!!
Unlike · Reply · 1 · February 6, 2014 at 12:27pm
Bartley Seibert Did you meet Clive and Stepford Carter?
Like · Reply · February 6, 2014 at 9:50amFourth Entry -
meeting THE WAILERS
It's 1992 and I living in Virginia, my buddy Bob is dead and I'm headed back to Jamaica to visit all our friends where I can let them know what happened to Bob; for he had big plans there... He was building an addition at a buddy's place in Negril somewhere in Iron Shore area. He wanted to put a pool table in the addition... He was a shark. So I on a plane to Jamaica and I gave to stop in Miami for customs and immigration before leaving to Montego Bay. I passed through the gates and headed to my plane. I generally get the window seat put on my headphones and chill until I arrive at my next destination. This does two things.... I don't have to converse with anybody and most of the time I can crash out and make a 3 hour trip feel like 15 minutes.... It's a beautiful thing. The only real thing that can mess this zen up is a kid kicking the back of my seat while the parents aren't doing anything about it. (I'll tell you some of those stories later). So I get on board and I notice my seat is the middle seat of three... All kinds of thoughts ran through my head as I buckled in and prayed for no body to sit down beside me so I could snag the window seat or better yet lay down. Just as I was feeling pretty good about what I was thinking a voice came over the loud speaker stating please put all extra bags in over head bins because it was going to be a full flight. My gladness turned to sadness as I heard the click of the mic and the gasps of the passengers near me... Guess they felt the same way as I did. However, this day was different. I look up and I see an army of brightly dressed Jamaicans carrying 2-3 bags each and as they got closer to me I noticed that most of the luggage were instruments in cases. Two of the men sat on either side of me and the rest found their seats right around mine like we were in a scrum in rugby. Everybody was carrying on, laughing, joking, singing while putting their instruments away and settling in their seats. I introduced myself and I asked, "Who are you guys"? and one of them says to me "we are The Wailers of Bob Marley and a The Wailers and we are just getting off tour and we are headed home to Jamaica". He said his name was Glen DaCosta (saxophone, flute) and proceeded to introduce me to the guys closest which were Vin Gordon (trombone) and Aston Family Man Barrett (bass) and Junior Marvin (guitarist). We all shook hands and buckled up to get ready for take off. Glen and Vin (with me in the middle) were still carrying on about the tour and the great times they had out on the road. Needless to say my headphones stayed in my bag and didn't come out nor did I get a TUNED wink of shut eye.... nor DID I WANT IT. I was fascinated with what I was hearing and began to ask about Bob Marley and how touring has changed since his death. Glen and I hit it off and we talked the entire trip... It seemed like 15 minutes but I wasn't sleeping I was laughing, amazed, captivated and flabbergasted all at one time, it was amazing the stuff I was hearing. Time went by so quick the next thing we knew we were landing and I was looking at the Island of Jamaica off to my right. I always loved the multi-colored water right before landing, it's a welcoming site. I was thrilled to have met the band and got as many phone numbers as I could because I knew this wasn't the last time that I was gonna see them…
I AM CURRENTLY WRITING MY BOOK AND PLAN TO HAVE IT OUT AROUND 4-20-2024. PEACE AND LOVE
I had been traveling to Jamaica since 1989 and it is now 1992. My buddy Bob Disbrow recently passed away and I am traveling to Jamaica to fulfill my promise I made to him if per chance his life were to be cut short...which it was, he died of a massive heart attack while sleeping. My promise to him was to continue to go to Jamaica and stay in touch with the friends he introduced me to and to try to purchase some land to build on one day and employ the Jamaican people to help them prosper, one person at a time. Over the many years I have done my best to keep this promise but never knew the challenges I would have to face to get where I am today... Stay tuned next week for my second entry…
THIRD POST My first trip to Negril
The year was 1989, I am with my buddy Bob Disbrow and were heading off to the airport for my first vacation to Jamaica. Bob had been traveling to Jamaica for about 10 years and he wanted to bring me to a place called Negril. Bob loved smoking weed and so fired up a big fat joint as we made our way to the airport. When I opened the door in the airport parking garage it look like a scene from a Cheech and Chong movie or better yet when Spacoli exited the van in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Back then airport security was a joke so we just checked in and headed to our waiting area for the next plane to Miami; an international airport we had to stop at before we departed to Jamaica. So now we are off to the island of tropical forests, beautiful white sandy beaches, fresh fruit to pick from the trees, listen to roots reggae music and meet Bobs friends. By the time we landed in Montego Bay we had been traveling for 12 hours and I was ready to party and have a good time...I had cabin fever (the plane) and I wanted to let loose, I was in Jamaica! I exited the plane and had to walk down steel steps that were rolled up to the plane... Something I wasn't used, but I knew I was going to see many things I had never experienced before. The warm Jamaican air hit me in the face as I walked from the plane to the terminal, it was windy and the girls had to do everything to do to keep their skirts down however sometimes impossible due to the amount of bags and items in their hands. I glanced over to the right and noticed about 7 young Jamaican guys carrying on... Laughing and pointing at us coming off the plane so I looked back to see what they we gawking at to see a woman behind me fighting to get her dress down from around her head, her body was exposed and she wasn't wearing a bra or panties... Needless to say everyone got an eye full. I was thinking to myself "these guys must do this every time a plane lands"... Sure enough, the next plane landed as those 7 guys congregated to their regular handout and the show started over, same scenario; different cast members...I started laughing to myself as Bob and I headed to the customs area. We rounded the corner to be greeted by 3 Jamaican musicians playing Bob Marley's song One Love, and they were fantastic. They played instruments I had never seen before which created a sound I had never heard before so I stopped in my tracks to hear a few tunes while Bob tugged at my arm to get going because we still had a long way to go. I thought to myself "long way to go"? We had already been traveling for 12 hours and we ARE on the island of Jamaica... How far could it really be to Negril?? I tipped the musicians and proceeded to walk thru many long corridors following people who seemed as if they were running instead of walking. It wasn't just a few random people, I was getting passed by many people rushing forward thru these long corridors. I turned the next corner to find out what the rush was... a HUGE room filled with a bunch of metal cattle guards and all the rows were packed full of people waiting to get through Customs and Immigration. I looked at Bob and said WTF? He said "I told you to come on" All my excitement instantly changed to the opposite and I started to look around to see how fast the line was moving to get an idea of how long we would be stuck in this sardine can. I then started to notice that I was getting warm, only to look up to see 100,000 papers flapping within the sea of people ahead of us. Everyone was fanning themselves with whatever they could get their hands on because it was about 90% in that place with NO AIR CONDITIONING. I thought I was gonna die several times from heat exhaustion. It felt like we were herded cattle waiting to be slaughtered. People were pissed off, children were crying, I would often smell the gasses from asses many times throughout the journey to Customs. After 3 hours we were next in line to the booth. By this time I was so ready just to lay in my bed at the resort... That's what was on my mind. Bob and I get through customs, pick up our luggage and head toward the exit doors as we are bombarded by local taxi drivers, all of them trying to get my attention all at once, they seemed to be speaking a different language and then every now and then I would recognize a word. Just as it was getting mor chaotic, Bob cut in front of me send answered there questions in their native tongue Patois, I was impressed to see him converse with such ease and whatever he said it was like Moses parting the Red Seas... The locals opened up a path for us to get us to the road. Bob treated me to Bun and Cheese and a cold Red Stripe from a little shack that was in front of the airport. Just then a white van came to a screeching hault and a long haired Rastaman got out of the van an yelled "Uncle Bob"! He went up to Bob and gave him a big hug and said "Welcome, me Boss" they did a funky little hand shake and the manly pats on the back. I was then introduced to House of Black. House immediately headed to the food shack and started talking to the girl waitress, more flirting than ordering something but a few minutes later she called House over and gave him a fish dinner plate and a juice drink. Bob went over and paid for everything and we headed off to Negril. Before we rounded the first corner House brought out a spliff larger than a bic pen and proceeded to light it up and smoke it as he taxied us through the round a bouts and narrow roads. By this time we had been traveling for 15 hours, I was riding in a small van engulfed in smoke, drinking beers and listening to reggae music blaring on his radio. Right about this point I noticed we were only going 10 miles an hour and we are weaving around hundreds of pot holes, and craters throughout the roads. 4 hours later we arrive in Negril!! That day we traveled 19 hours to get from Alexandria Virginia to Negril Jamaica. Even though it took almost a day to get there, I woke up to the most beautiful green/blue water and the most pristine white sandy beach I had ever seen in my life. The trip to Negril from the airport only takes about 40 minutes today and there are no potholes on the main route, a definite change from what it used to be.
My Marley Adventure Hahahahaaaaa ... I did and that is coming up my friend... Funny you remember ... Oh ya I forgot you don't forget anything... Wish I had that ...SOMETIMEZ lol
Like · Reply · February 6, 2014 at 9:53am
Bartley Seibert Stayed at the T-Water....ate lobster at Pee Wee's.......(among other things) great place....I'd go back if I didn't have to get married again!
Kathy MacKay OMG reminds me of the first time I got off the plane in the middle of a black Tarmac had to walk inside to the customs.Things sure have changed. I booked that first trip as a way to thank my now ex husband for doing Disney even though he really didn't want to. My first thought was Oh God where did I bring us? The short answer to that was Heaven!!!
Unlike · Reply · 1 · February 6, 2014 at 12:27pm
Bartley Seibert Did you meet Clive and Stepford Carter?
Like · Reply · February 6, 2014 at 9:50amFourth Entry -
meeting THE WAILERS
It's 1992 and I living in Virginia, my buddy Bob is dead and I'm headed back to Jamaica to visit all our friends where I can let them know what happened to Bob; for he had big plans there... He was building an addition at a buddy's place in Negril somewhere in Iron Shore area. He wanted to put a pool table in the addition... He was a shark. So I on a plane to Jamaica and I gave to stop in Miami for customs and immigration before leaving to Montego Bay. I passed through the gates and headed to my plane. I generally get the window seat put on my headphones and chill until I arrive at my next destination. This does two things.... I don't have to converse with anybody and most of the time I can crash out and make a 3 hour trip feel like 15 minutes.... It's a beautiful thing. The only real thing that can mess this zen up is a kid kicking the back of my seat while the parents aren't doing anything about it. (I'll tell you some of those stories later). So I get on board and I notice my seat is the middle seat of three... All kinds of thoughts ran through my head as I buckled in and prayed for no body to sit down beside me so I could snag the window seat or better yet lay down. Just as I was feeling pretty good about what I was thinking a voice came over the loud speaker stating please put all extra bags in over head bins because it was going to be a full flight. My gladness turned to sadness as I heard the click of the mic and the gasps of the passengers near me... Guess they felt the same way as I did. However, this day was different. I look up and I see an army of brightly dressed Jamaicans carrying 2-3 bags each and as they got closer to me I noticed that most of the luggage were instruments in cases. Two of the men sat on either side of me and the rest found their seats right around mine like we were in a scrum in rugby. Everybody was carrying on, laughing, joking, singing while putting their instruments away and settling in their seats. I introduced myself and I asked, "Who are you guys"? and one of them says to me "we are The Wailers of Bob Marley and a The Wailers and we are just getting off tour and we are headed home to Jamaica". He said his name was Glen DaCosta (saxophone, flute) and proceeded to introduce me to the guys closest which were Vin Gordon (trombone) and Aston Family Man Barrett (bass) and Junior Marvin (guitarist). We all shook hands and buckled up to get ready for take off. Glen and Vin (with me in the middle) were still carrying on about the tour and the great times they had out on the road. Needless to say my headphones stayed in my bag and didn't come out nor did I get a TUNED wink of shut eye.... nor DID I WANT IT. I was fascinated with what I was hearing and began to ask about Bob Marley and how touring has changed since his death. Glen and I hit it off and we talked the entire trip... It seemed like 15 minutes but I wasn't sleeping I was laughing, amazed, captivated and flabbergasted all at one time, it was amazing the stuff I was hearing. Time went by so quick the next thing we knew we were landing and I was looking at the Island of Jamaica off to my right. I always loved the multi-colored water right before landing, it's a welcoming site. I was thrilled to have met the band and got as many phone numbers as I could because I knew this wasn't the last time that I was gonna see them…
I AM CURRENTLY WRITING MY BOOK AND PLAN TO HAVE IT OUT AROUND 4-20-2024. PEACE AND LOVE