Two of my favorite ways to relax in Negril

We have now been in Negril for two full weeks, and I have two favorite ways to relax in this laid-back town.

The first is at Xtabi - which I raved about in my last post. If you go to the left side of Xtabi, and swim across the clear blue sea, you will find a small cave - about 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. You can swim right in and hoist yourself up onto a rock that has been smoothed out by centuries of waves crashing on to it.

I love to sit on that rock, inside of the cool cave and listen to the waves crashing into the cave. The waves crash onto the rock and the warm water tickles my toes. The waves crash behind me, making reverberating, echoing sounds throughout the cave. I can sit on the rock for a good while, thinking about life and the beauty of mother nature.

For a while, I might reflect on mother nature, on the centuries-old coral imprints hanging above me, on the life of the stingrays and tropical fish below me, on what might be beyond the horizon that fades away into a blue mist. Then, I will get to thinking about my own life, my own hopes and dreams. Even something as mundane as my plans for the next day is good food for thought inside this cave. Finally, I will tire of being alone in the cave, and will swim my way back out into the sunshine, temporarily blinded by the glaring sun.

My other favorite way to reflect on life is to walk down seven-mile beach just before dusk on an overcast afternoon. This is the rainy season, so it rainshowers for a bit many an afternoon. This leaves the beach nearly empty. All of the tourists flee and the vendors also disappear. For me, however, this is the perfect time to walk and walk and walk down seven mile beach without having to worry about getting a sunburn or heat stroke and without the constant offers for a boat ride or jet ski tour.

When the sky is overcast in Negril, it almost is never fully covered with clouds. So, you have bits of blue sky to look at. And, the horizon constantly changes with the moving cloud formations. As dusk nears, the horizon begins to show its wide array of sunset colors.

I walk along the beach barefoot, allowing the warm sea to caress my toes. I think about all I have done for the day, the week, and the year. I ponder a theoretical question I have. I make plans for what I will do if and when a friend comes to visit me in this little piece of heaven.

These are two of my favorite ways to think, reflect, meditate, and relax in Negril.

crossposted at: http://globetrottingmamita.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-of-my-favorite-ways-to-relax-in.html