Chances Are…..

Chances are….you’ll find it at a bar named Chances!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  WHATEVER you need in Jamaica….you always seem to be able to find it at a bar!  I really wish life were this simple everywhere!  Remember a while back I wrote this post about needing to buy a trash bin and one magically appeared while playing pool at a bar one night?

So here’s how this next story goes.  Last year while I was in Jamaica for a few weeks I was alone and embarking on a road trip to a place I’d never been before.  Even though I got directions from a local on how to make the journey I was still a little unsure so I pulled into a bar on the roadside to make sure I was going the right way.  This bar and jerk pit I pulled into is called “Chances” and it’s such a beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere!  Not a soul was around except the bartender.  So I told myself that next time I pass by the place I would surely stop and spend some time.

Fast forward 9 months, I was on the same road trip with my Canadian friend and I told her we simply have to stop at this place and give them some business because it’s awesome and no one is ever there.  So we deliberately made the stop, and luckily for me this time the owner of the bar, Mike, was there so we got to meet him.  As an added bonus we also got to meet his father, a wonderful old man who was sitting with Mike outside the bar playing dominoes.

Now here’s the part about the “whatever you need is there” business.  Earlier in the week was when I drove this ridiculous road and ever since then one of my tires had a slow air leak.  I had been stopping every day at random air pumps to fill it up and today was no exception.

The one thing I had noticed about Chances Lounge that I’d never noticed before – not only is this a lounge and a jerk pit, but it’s a car wash and a full mechanic’s garage as well.  Who would have guessed it?  So I asked Mike if he had an air pump and of course he did.  Mike took my car over to the garage and pumped my tire while Brenda and I chatted with his father and marveled at our surroundings.  It is simply beautiful here.  Nothing to be seen for miles except the rolling hills towards Manchester and gorgeous country land.

I figure we stayed for about an hour chatting, drinking rum and pumping tires before we decided to be on the way to our final destination but we assured Mike we’d be back and we’d bring friends next time.  A couple days later we did just that….came back with a friend, drank rum and spent pretty much all afternoon at the domino table.

Again, we were the only people there which is still a mystery to me since Chances is located on a pretty main road between Treasure Beach and Southfield.  The exact location is called Little Park, as I wrote on this napkin so I wouldn’t forget when I wanted to blog about it.

Our dominoes afternoon came and went and again, we said our farewells to Mike but we did end up back at the bar a third and final time during our two weeks.  This time was to actually give him some business and get my annoying flat tire fixed once and for all.  On this third visit we also got to meet Mike’s son, a handsome young boy who seemed to know all the ropes inside the garage.  In fact it was him who ended up fixing my tire while we once again sat in the sunshine and wonderment of our surroundings.

The reason I told Mike that I’d write about his spot here is because it’s such an awesome spot!  It’s a beautiful, clean and BIG bar with a great jerk pit on the property, this mechanic garage that fixes everything under the sun, plus a car wash in behind the bar.  When I asked Mike why it’s always so quiet here he told me it’s because the location is just beyond the main turnoff to Treasure Beach and most traffic turns off to Treasure Beach.  A bit of an unfortunate location because I see so much potential here!  The parking lot is huge and I feel like this would be an amazing spot for parties and gatherings.

I guess what I’m saying to you all is if you’re ever on your way from Black River to Treasure Beach or to Lovers Leap in Southfield….make this stop on your way!  It’s such a great place to kick back and play some dominoes, drink rum, have some jerk and fix your tires!  And if you do visit please tell Mike you saw this story on my blog.  I’m always so happy to find out that my stories have helped all these local businesses along the way.

And by the way, once my tire was patched Mike’s son came to me and showed me what he plucked out of my tire.  It was a giant nail the size of a cigarette embedded in there!  I have no idea where we picked that up but I kept it and brought it home to Canada with me as a souvenir.

By the end of our two weeks we’d visited Mike’s a total of three times and driven by it several more times, doing the customary honk and wave each time we saw Mike.  It sure doesn’t take long to feel like a “regular” at the great places we find in Jamaica!