Pelican Bar!!

The Pelican Bar

If this story read from the ending to the front it would not be as magical. I will let you know that the ending is just awesome to me, but you may find it otherwise. Still, this tale is worth sharing. Many people believe in God, some people don’t. I have a firm belief in God, that is my choice. Everyone in the world has the ability to make a choice. I am thankful for this ability to choose, because it makes the debate interesting and my faith stronger. I will let you know that at the end of this story you will have to make a choice of what to believe.

We pulled into Ruddy’s house in Kingston and the brakes were giving a swan song. The entire week prior, the brakes had been squealing but today the sound was unbearable. We were renting the car from Ruddy who is the brother of my brother in law Wayne. (That can get confusing… I know). We had driven half way around the island from Duncans to Kingston. The trip took over twelve hours to complete after a few stops at some “off the beaten path” sites. Stephie, my German navigator and a KU buddy, had set up this trip taking us to some amazing places on the island I have never even heard of. Kacia, another KU buddy, played DJ from my handy dandy PSP. Together we were a threesome carving up the island of Jamaica on a wicked 3 day tour. This was day two.

That night, as I explained the brake situation to Ruddy, we agreed to get it taken care of first thing in the morning in order not to fall too far off of our schedule. The brake shoes would take a couple of hours to replace and we would be on the road by 10am. We all agreed and headed to bed as it was a long day.

As the morning begun Ruddy and I headed out to a local auto shop to pick up the parts. This was the first obstacle. As we learned quickly, brake shoes can be a very quirky purchase. Needless to say, the auto parts shop did not have the part. Nor did any auto part shop in greater Kingston. As we departed the store, we noticed that the rear tire was flat. At this point I was like a Nascar pit crewmember, watching the clock. The tire was changed with a quickness that would make Jeff Gordon jealous. I realized that the 10 am departure would need to be pushed back an hour or two. As we went to the auto mechanic we left the car there. Ruddy’s wife came to pick us up as we searched Kingston for these rare brake shoes. This care was a Mazda, and very common. We ended going to the dealership(on the other side of Kingston) to buy the part. Along the way the mechanic let us know that the flat tire, “was actually punctured, and would need to be replaced. Oh yeah…. btw, as the another mechanic was taking off the brake shoes, he broke a bolt from the brake caliber, so that would need to be replaced also!!”

I looked down to my watch, the time was nearing 11am, and we still have not found brake shoes. I had to put in the call. To my surprise the ladies were very calm even if I wasn’t. I think Ruddy & Michelle picked up on my angst. I wanted to get on the road as soon as possible. Murphy’s law states what can go wrong, will go wrong. By 1pm, I was a believer. We had made arrangements to meet a friend who was going to let us have “Afternoon” passes to an all-inclusive 5 star hotel. We were pumped about this, and I did not want to miss this opportunity. With each passing moment, our window of enjoying this gift became smaller and smaller, I was not happy. Also along the way, we were planning to stop at a spot Stephie insisted on, called the “Pelican Bar.”

1:30pm. - Our three hour trek to Treasure Beach and the Pelican Bar was just getting started. We stopped to get some fresh fruit and snacks along the way for lunch. (Jamaica has the best pineapples hands down!!!) We got a chance to drive through parts of Jamaica that I have not seen since I was very young. Mandeville was the highlight of this road trip for me, as we used to live there when I was a child. Driving through Jamaica, the landscape transformed from rocky ocean to a lush mountain valley and back to white sand beaches with the snap of a finger. I narrated along the journey explaining all I knew about Jamaica and its history to my female passengers. As we arrived at Treasure Beach shortly after 4:30, we could not find the Pelican Bar. The lonely planet book said we would be able to see it from the beach. This was the only case where the book was wrong. After discussing this item with a local fisherman, who was also a former NYC fireman, we discovered that it was cheaper and better to catch a boat 15 miles up the road at Parotee Beach. The evening was quickly approaching. Stephie really wanted to go to this spot. I reluctantly agreed, as I knew we might miss our opportunity to collect on the resort passes. Fate would ultimately decide and we headed in the direction of Parotee.

Two days prior to this, Stephie had randomly met two German women, who were dining in a restaurant where we were also eating. They told her of an amazing bar, in the middle of the ocean. She had made her mind up that we were going too. I was hesitant at first, because I was not sure of the road, but we agreed to make it an adventure. As we parked on Parotee Beach, in the distance, we could see a hut in the water. I was in shock, as I could not even begin to fathom something like this. We all began to get very excited. I acquired a boatman in my best Jamaican accent, (the dialect is called “Patois”…and I am terrible at it!!) and we were on our way. A 10-minute boat ride, a mile out, and we were there.

It was just after 5:30 pm when we arrived at the Pelican Bar. The Pelican Bar is a bar/restaurant built on a sandbar a little less than a mile of the coast. Its position makes it interesting for it is surrounded on all sides by water. A large number of wooden stilts hold up the hut, which is the size of a large living room. To park the boat, the driver beaches it on the sandbar two feet below the water surface. I am 150% positive that this place would never(… in a million years) pass any kind of building code for construction, but that is what makes it so cool. The bar itself serves various Jamaican seafood dishes along with cold beverages. We all decided to have a drink and then we try to make it to the resort.

I decided to check out the exterior of the bar and walk around a bit. I have never been so far out in the ocean where I could just walk like I was in a kiddie pool. As I strolled along the outside of the bar, I thought that this would be a great photo op. I had Stephie take a picture of me from the bar in the water. As I walked back to the bar I saw a stingray swim by me. I freaked. I know they are not aggressive, but that is not something you see everyday. I did not mind the fish swimming about, but those rays just look so creepy in the water. I proceeded to grab my camera and go on a photo rampage, snapping shots of this very peaceful creature.

After my close encounter I made my way inside. It was just after 6pm and the sun was beginning to set. I am a fan of sunsets if you have read my previous postings. This was by far, the most amazing sunset I have seen in my life. I put my camera into overdrive and began snapping away. I took over 30 photos of this sunset. My partners were also in awe its beauty. At one moment I looked over and caught a glimpse of Stephie. I snapped a shot that I am in love with.

I mentioned before that I have a strong faith in God. As we returned to the beach, I was beside myself. The day that had started so unpredictably had turned into one of the most enchanting moments of my life. I was forced to ponder to the question, was this all in the greater plan? Was I meant to see this? For all the things that had gone wrong in the day, were those set into place by something beyond me…? I don’t know. But…I do believe in God. I believe he intercedes for us even if it is beyond on comprehension at the time. For me, that sunset was a serendipitous event that only the creator could manifest. This is my choice. This is my belief.

On the way to the resort I could not hold in my feelings. I discussed what had just occurred to the ladies. I knew putting that kind of statement out there could field not only resentment, but also open a can of worms that no one like the smell of. In a true melting pot fashion, Kacia agreed with me, and Stephie disagreed (“and two out of three ain’t bad…A wise man once said). Thinking back on it, I am glad that we all had our own opinions. That is the beauty of it. Some people will live their entire lives not believing and some will. The choice is the real beauty; we can choose to believe in something or not. I choose to believe.

To see the pictures click here!!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/oliverrking/album?.dir=/f1ddre2&.src=ph&.tok=phV5wvEBV0WSvJ_1