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My life vest may have looked stupid, but it made for an awesome trip. I never had to worry about swimming I just kicked my feet and kept my head under water, who cares if I looked like a spastic whale trying to surface? There were a few times I wanted to dive deeper to see things on the sea floor, and maybe I'll be surer of myself on the next trip through the Octopus's Garden.

Back in the boat, we were all, "Did you see that?" "Did you get pictures?" "Lobsters look scary!" It was a great time. Such a great time, in fact, we didn't want it to end. So, when we dropped Scott and Deb back at the Castle, and I haggled with Famous Vincent for a nice slow cliffs cruise down to Rick's Café.

I say this every trip, yeah it's a tourist trap, an all-inclusivers one trip off the resort, their noses pressed up against mini-bus' windows, maybe they'll see some real Jamaicans. But I still like it. Famous Vincent, Dee and I took a slow trip hugging the cliffs past numerous resorts.

Samsara looked great from the sea, I wonder if those pillar cottages are as cool as they look. Next, we passed Xtabi where we had a great meal a few days previous. I was glad to see the ocean view of the Coral Seas Cliffs Resort, their cliffs were untouched, non-developed, no water access, maybe that's why they are so inexpensive.

Tensing Pen, wow! It took my breath away. The new post-Ivan villas peek out from the jungle-like setting, yeah the joint is expensive, but what a primo spot. We also passed Sea Grape Villas, another sexy high end place, but still cheaper than a week at a cage like Beaches.

Soon we were approaching Rick's Café, and for a late afternoon Wednesday the place was happening. The divers were doing their thing jumping fifty feet into the small cove, and from the lower perches little kids we working the crowd diving for tips. Famous Vincent pulled in and dropped us off near a ladder telling us he'd be back in an hour and to look for him.

We climbed the limestone stairs to the restaurant level. Rick's really did a big job expanding the place, adding a seconds story, a pool with cabanas, and a large bandstand right on the cliff. We ordered Coronas with lime, and a few shots of tequila. The bartender looked at us thinking we were a few hundred miles east of Mexico. We claimed an umbrella table in the middle of all the action, and toasted Jah as the band went into a soulful rendition of No Woman, No Cry.

{quotes}Divers to the left, a rowdy bar to the right, and the house band in front of us; we ordered more shots when the waitress came with Corona refills, and our appetizer sampler. I felt like such a tourist, drinking Corona, eating Buffalo wings from the appetizer sampler, all while wearing a very loud Hawaiian shirt. I guess I was in a Jimmy Buffet mood, I've always thought his Margaritaville was an attempt to capture the feel of Rick's Café anyway.{/quotes}

I was pretty wobbly as we tried to dance to the house band's version of Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now, but I soon found my groove, and truth be told, I dance best when wobbly. From the dance floor, dance patio anyway, we saw that Famous Vincent had returned. At first we pretended not to see him because we were having such a good time, but we soon hit that reorder or don't reorder point of no return. So, we paid our tab and stumbled down to the boat dock.

Famous Vincent was there waiting for us, and we managed to make it on board without any embarrassing miss-steps. Famous Vincent was laughing at us as we laughed and carried on, it was then we noticed an older couple sitting at the bow looking at us like we were crazy people.

Tom and Pat were from Indianapolis. They were staying at The Rockhouse, and were eager to make it back to their veranda for sunset, only minutes away. They asked us to join them, but Dee didn't like the way hubby was ogling. I'd like to say wifey was ogling me, but alas, she wasn't.

When they stepped off the boat, Famous Vincent asked, "Almost sunset, do you want to stay on the water?"

"Yes, please that would be awesome," Dee replied.

I leaned back at the bow of the boat as Famous Vincent slowly motored out into the bay. Dee came over and leaned against me. Moments before the sun kissed the horizon Famous Vincent cut the motor. It was so peaceful out there as we rocked ever so gently on the placid Caribbean. We had the best sunset spot in Negril that night.

Approaching the night lit Blue Cave Castle we were impressed by its majesty sitting there on the cliff all alone.

"This is really the best place," Dee said. "The other places may be fancier, but they don't stand out like The Castle does; Everyone remembers this place when they go by."

I always have.