I wouldn't call it a hard-sell but I would call it a convincing one. No sooner did she spy the smile on my pal Wayne's face than the shirt was folded and placed neatly in a bag. We started the bargaining at $15, and in less time than it took her to fold the shirt that matched my eyes, we settled on $12.
No doubt about it: Felicia knew how to clinch a deal. All in a day's work at the market, which sits on the site of a 17th century fort and is one of many reasons to leave the beach chair or cruise ship -- at least for an afternoon.
Montego Bay is Jamaica's most-visited city but on a recent trip, I discovered it's a lot more than the capital of the all-inclusive resort and swim-up bar.
The second largest city after Kingston (100,000 people live in Mobay, as the locals call it), it brims with gourmet eateries, swank bars, swishy spas, the greenest golf courses in Jamaica, shopping galore, nightlife that sizzles till the wee hours, footprint-in-the-sand beaches and vistas of the Caribbean Sea that put postcards to shame.
With a room total to reach 9,000 by the end of the year and accommodations among the finest on the planet, it's no wonder the government takes the north coast seriously with the refurbishment of the main highway and the Gloucester Avenue Resort Upgrading Project that is revitalizing the main drag -- known as the Hip Strip.
STEEPED IN HISTORY
Less than a mile from the Hip Strip, Old Town is a treasure trove of West Indian history. We start our walking tour at the St. James Parish Church, with its 18th century marble monuments and stained glass windows.
Meandering along King Street to the Burchell Baptist Church, we learn it was a haven for freed slaves. Here, Sam Sharpe, one of seven national heroes, instigated the rebellion that led to the 1834 Abolition Bill.
Two blocks west to the cobbled Sam Sharpe Square we see the locals taking five -- or lyming -- and the vendors hawking kids' clothes and ladies shoes under the shady fig trees.
''Try my peanut cake,'' beckons an elderly gentleman who politely introduces himself as Mr. Art from Gordon Town. At 40 cents a slice (we didn't bother to barter), we bought two and joined the regulars on the bench for some lyming of our own.
It was here, Wayne tells me, that 312 slaves, including Sam Sharpe, were hanged at the gallows.
''This feels like a million miles from the swim-up bar,'' he adds pointing to the Cage. Once a jail for runaway slaves, it now sells T-shirts and phone cards although the old-timers sitting nearby know exactly what it once meant.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
''Hold this vial of sugar water in your hand, raise your arm slowly and the birds will come to you.'' With that directive, Fritz Beckford welcomed a gaggle of nature buffs who awoke with the sun to see Jamaica's national bird in the wild. Twenty minutes from the beach, the Rockland Bird Sanctuary in the sleepy town of Anchovy is the most un-touristy tourist attraction we'd ever seen -- no snack bar, no gift shop, not even a website.
Ruling the roost for two decades, Fritz entertains us with trivia about the Doctor bird -- like how its black crest and tail resemble the top hat and long coats doctors wore in the old days.
How many times have you given this lecture, I ask him. ''Maybe 3,000, maybe more'' he says as the hummingbirds with the long tails and iridescent feathers swoop down from the trees as if they recognize his voice.
His words morph into bird calls and in less than a minute, a feeding frenzy erupts as dozens of the diminutive birds zoom in for their breakfast. It looks like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as we furiously snap photos of the critters flitting about our heads, arms and even our hair.
On the way out, Fritz hands us brochures and tells us his birds will be waiting the next time we visit.
GET YOUR GROOVE ON
Stepping into Wine With Me, we could have easily been in Miami, New York or any hip city in Europe. Lorded over by MoBay's Queen Social Butterfly, Cecile Levee, we feel like family stopping by for a nightcap.
''Take a seat anywhere'' she tells us as we look around the cozy bar with an impressive 100-bottle wine list. We settle on a Riesling and a plate of perfectly grilled peppered shrimp in a mango and jerk rum sauce. After kicking back a few, we feel right at home.
With a flight the next morning, planning our next trip comes up for discussion.
''Come back for Reggae Sumfest,'' Cecile suggests as a Marley tune plays in the background. Ya mon, we tell her with the flair of Montegonians. ``I'll keep your seats warm and the wine chilled.''
