One day, I'll be able to adequately put into words exactly how Jamaica makes me feel. Maybe when that happens, "The Lonely Planet" will call me up and ask me if I want a job. Until then, I'll just purge whatever comes to mind, in no particular order, just for the fun of it.

For me, there are a few underlying issues that cause me to feel so, "at home" in Jamaica, but from reading others' reports I can plainly see that there is definitely "something" that happens to people. Not everyone however, is affected like us; who plan on returning again before we've even left. This year I took some friends. This was against my better judgment, as I'm very independent and wasn't quite sure if I wanted to have someone else’s "good time" resting in my hands, but regardless, I took on the challenge. One friend got "the bug," and the other one, I would think it’s safe to say, won't be returning for a second visit. It's nice to have someone who understands how you feel about T.B. I found last year to be a very lonely time, post return. No one wanted to hear about all the cool people you talked to, all the neat things you saw; all they wanted to know was how much ganja ya smoked. Hardly my mission. So, thanks Cathy for truly appreciating, and accepting whole-heartedly, the gift of Treasure Beach.

I think I brought back a little something with me, as I found myself walking on Hampton Beach, NH, saying hello to strangers, and wishing them a Happy Easter. Not that this is something that I wouldn’t normally do; I’m friendly like that, but it's something that I’ve become aware doesn’t happen to ME. No one goes out of his or her way to wish you well here. This is certainly not the case in Treasure beach. For people who come from or near the city, can appreciate the profound experience of strangers approaching you just to "reason" with ya. I had a gentleman approach me while I was sittin' in the shade at Kingfisher Plaza. He was selling necklaces and hammocks. He asked me if I wanted something, and being it the end of my vacation; I was broke, so I declined. He sat down next to me and just started talking to me. We discussed, as he put it, "the most important thing in the world," Life. Life! I had a discussion with a total stranger about the importance of life, and how we should cherish and respect it.

I had my birthday in Treasure Beach this year. How cool is that? I’m so lucky! (Jotting down all of my blessings for counting, later on.) It rained and rained the entire day; apparently a blessing, because there had been some drought going on for quite a while, I was told. On that evening of March 12th, the power went out while eating my birthday ice cream at Jack Sprat’s. Everyone sprung into action, grabbing candles and putting them on tables so people could see. In the next few minutes, the entire place was dimly lit by a soft, orange, candlelit glow. My friend Cathy mentioned how everyone worked together to make the best out of the situation; even people who didn’t work there! The coolest part was that no one complained. Frankly, for people to spring into action like that here, in my town, it would take something catastrophic for the people to pull together, and then, you’d owe them something for helping you out.

I’d love to say that I’m glad to be home, but I’m not. I’ve read in the forums, people being upset by leaving Treasure Beach after staying for a whole month, so I suppose I’ll never be satisfied. I miss strange things like beeping horns, grazing goats, giant bullfrogs croaking incessantly. I miss watching Cathy running away from the lizards as if they were venomous, blood sucking creatures. I miss having coffee on the verandah, and thinking about what I’d like to do for the day, and doing whatever actually comes to fruition: usually a whole lot of nothing. I miss desperately trying to understand patois, sometimes agreeing to something that I misunderstood, only to try and back-pedal and correct my error.

Enough of this. Time to come back to reality.

So until next time,
Thank you Treasure Beach for never letting me down.

-Mair

Hi Mair,
I remember listening to you talk about TB last year after your first trip there. You made it sound so peaceful. A wonderland. You told me all about the people you met and the places you visited. I tried to visualize your experience thru the pictures you took and your stories. Back then I only dreamed of going to a place like that.

When you called me back in February and said "PACK YOUR BAGS--YOU'RE GOING TO JAMAICA WITH ME NEXT MONTH", I tried to make excuses on why I couldn't go. At 46, I have NEVER been on a vacation. I am so glad you talked me into going! It was an experience of a lifetime. And one I will never forget.

I, too, miss all the same things as you. I think I miss my little friends, the goats, more than you do!! I really miss sitting on the verandah with you, drinking our coffee and chatting with the neighbors and friends that would stop by and sit for a while. I miss the fruit and vegetable guy stopping by the house a few times a week--can't get it any fresher than that!!
To be able to sit in my chair in the sun and read my book without hearing screeching tires, cars roaring by with their stereos blasting, police cars and fire trucks whizzing by, the phone ringing or the tv, will have to wait til next year when we return to the land of beautiful peace.

Some people go on and on about their kids or their pets, I can't stop talking about my trip to Treasure Beach. And like you too, Mair, my eyes water up and I cry when I talk about Jamaica.
I just wanted to THANK YOU so very much for showing me that there really is a place called "Heaven on Earth".

I can't wait for our return trip.

Well, I have to get some tissues.
I love you, Mair.

-Cathy

P.S. If it wasn't for Opal, I wouldn't have been running from the geckos !!!

So many time I have come home from Jamaica wondering why I did. Most of my friends here don't get it at all. Although the ones I have brought with me over the years did enjoy it, there are many more who look at me like I am nuts when I say I stay in a house without hot water or air conditioning.
I think Jamaica is almost a like a virus, a good one, but once you get it, you can't shake it. I have been going for 30 years and although I should be tired of it by now and ready to go somewhere else, I'm not. My trips get longer and longer and I still don't want to come home. I don't know how long really would be long enough.
I probably will retire there, I would like to live there sooner than that but I can't figure out how an antique dealer could make a living there.
In the end, I think the thing that infects us is the unhurried pace in a serene setting. We can take the time to reflect and enjoy the beauty of the place, and the people of Jamaica that are always ready to welcome us "Home".
It's nice to know that others are infected too.

Hi Andi--I totally agree--when is your next trip?

Check MAD/Maine Antique Digest April issue for the annual review of the West Indies antique furniture annual auction at the Whim Plantation on St. Croix. If you're willing to really scrounge out the finds, there's lots of stuff still available on island/for off-island sale, however, as outside the old families, few have the ready cash or have developed a taste for it on island. The Solomons made a long go of antique dealering out of Kingston and Annabelle up at Harmony Hall has her hand in the trade as well. There's lots of country still around the island, tho most is Victorian, if well carved. No collectibles or glassware, tho. Check out e-bay,btw., and the specialists in NYC who sell West Indian to the upmarket trade. You might even sniff around tb and see if John Deer up at Caijan hasn't moved most of his collection back to the States--it's often for sale if you can higgle hard.

re: "It's nice to know that others are infected too."

A lot more!

Big thanks to those who have emailed me with their stories of love for Jamaica! What a nice surprise. I didn't expect to get such a response to my mental regurgitation. It's amazing how a geographic location can stir such emotion in people.

It must be true that T.B. is a magical place.

Tinvertonhouse..Funny you should mention antiques showing up in the weirdest places. On a grocery shopping trip with my friend Sharon, we stopped at a market similar to the one in Black River, but much smaller, to buy fruit and veggies. Outside the market was an old man selling hubcaps, tires, used but still usable tools etc. On the ground next to the hubcaps was an art deco pewter tray from the Utica NY Key Club! Naturally I bought it and every time I look at it I chuckle about where I found it.
As far as the antique business in Jamaica, I imagine nicely carved furniture might not be too hard to find. But for the most part I deal in glass, pottery, vintage toys, clothing, rugs and anything else I can lift and make a profit on.
Jamaican's are practical folks and there is not too much that gets into the secondary market, they put everything to use and when they find it doesn't do for the original purpose, they will find another clever use for the item.
Here in America, as you know, it's a disposable society, folks don't always treasure what they already have, they are always looking for the "latest" style, so they get rid of stuff that can be used for many more years.
I'll just keep plugging away here until I am too old to unload the truck and then I'll retire to Jamaica and join my heart which is always there.

P.S. to Sweetlips...Lynette, as much as I would love to say I am coming back soon, I probably won't make it until next winter. With Bush in the White House, business is not as good as it should be. My cousin has a house at the Jersey shore and it's only a two hour drive away, so I'll just hang on the beach in New Jersey and complain the whole time about the crowds, dark water and the ice cream vendors kicking up sand as they hawk their wares...

Mair:

That was very beautiful. I am so happy to see how Jamaica and most especially, the south coast and Treasure Beach touch people when they visit.

I returned back to my home two years ago after living seventeen years away (in Bermuda) and I must say I have never looked back. I do not know why I stayed away for so long, but sometimes we get caught up in things that we think are "important" in life; only to discover, they were not important at all. I would much rather have peace of mind, love, and good genuine friends, than a big bank account.

For you visitors who come back and fall in love, you definitely have the "bug", and I feel it for you, I remember feeling this way when I would come back for visits once every year - trust me, getting on that plane was hard to do.

As for the gentleman who would like to come back and retire here, don't give up on that dream - your antique dealing could be very useful here, believe it or not :-)

Take care, and we wait to welcome you all back soon again......

my mum was an avid antiquie collector, fact be known, if you went into our homes you would feel that you have entered another century, as a matter of fact some of her stuff was featured on antiques roadshow. so our villas are full of antiques. one story of a piece found , my dad who was with project land lease was way "back a bush" when he noticed an old fourposter piled up in a shed full of junk, he got it for my mum and it turned out to be one of of few of its kind. she refinished it and it is now at one of the villas [pic can be seen at web site bluemarlinvillas.com] i dont know how to post the pic so that is the best way to see it. but JA is full of old stuff that is of no value to the owners in most cases , as it is old and of no use, there are a lot of antique lovers on island, but dont know if one could make a viable buisness out of it yet.
rebecca, is there a way to post pics with the post?

I know the bed you are speaking of and it is beautiful. Instructions for formatting anything for this forum can be found on the bottom left under Getting Help, Formatting. This will instruct you in how to bold, italisize, etc.

To post a picture just use the following format.



Then when you post the message you will be given a prompt to download the picture. That's it. If I can do it, anybody can.

Looking forward to seeing the picture!

I know the bed you are speaking of and it is beautiful. Instructions for formatting anything for this forum can be found on the bottom left under Getting Help, Formatting. This will instruct you in how to bold, italisize, etc.

To post a picture just use the following format.

First type \image, then in brackets immediately after \image with no space, type the name of the picture like so {Text description} Upon posting, you are prompted for an image file to upload. Images must be either GIF or JPEG format. Images must be saved on your hard disk. Your browser must support form-based file upload (Netscape Navigator 2.0+ and Internet Explorer 4.0+ support this; IE 3.02 will also work provided that you have installed the file upload patch).

Please make sure the picture is around 72 resolution and around 250 pixel so it does not take too long to down load.

Looking forward to seeing the picture!

Nige -- See the new pix this weekend of some antiques, artifacts, furniture, even four-posters that'll look real familiar to you... ;)
Best, Tiverton House

Both the BLUE MARLIN and COQUINA villas in Great Bay have superb collections of 19th cen. Jamaican furniture, mid-century modern, shells and Taino artifacts dating 600-900 AD (and a requisite trophy blue marlin, of course), all soon to be showcased on www.jamaicaescapes.com.
45 new photos/many pages -- soon come.

Yes,

That is what is so great about JA - there is an abundance of antiques everywhere! That was my point to the gentleman who has a dream to come and live here and run an antique business - he could do quite well, Jamaican antiques are fabulous and you will be surprised to see where you might stumble across some treasures in the middle of the countryside!

My grandmother was an avid collector in Mandeville, as well as so many others - just have a look in these lovely old Jamaican homes and you will see. :-)

Sigh,
I so miss TB, I keep tring not to...
Maree

I cannot believe that there are other people out there that found paradise, like we did, upon coming to Treasure Beach. I've been all around Jamaica - since the late 1960's - but never found a place to be more like Paradise. Thanks to Ted Tathem, who owns two villas on Treasure Beach - we've been back twice. Once as a family and again for the year 2000 - we rented both his villas and had a blast welcoming in the Millenium: The Blue Marlin and Coquina...loved them both. His staff made our stay most memorable. It's ok to miss Treasure Beach...it will always be there when you're ready to return.
The only downfall (yes, there is only one) - which you forget when thinking about Treasure Beach are the "mosquitoes" - that come out around sunset.....other than those nasty creatures, I will keep returning to Treasure Beach. Let's not spread the word....I don't want too many tourists to know what we know.

I hate Treasure Beach so much

Look at the dates of all the postings. How did we reach to this current date seven years later and the gaul of "mad people" to say he/she hates Treasure Beach.

If you hate TB that much why even visit this website?

I would say this much, Treasure Beach and it's residents are good,kind,loving people ready to welcome everyone with "BIG OPEN ARMS"

MAD PEOPLE: Please do not hate. We do not hate you.

It must be those Taino Duppies from Back Sea Side. They will run anyone that dem spirit don' tek to.

Tell us!

Wow. 7 years since this note. Well, still feel the same way... just unable to get to TB as often as I wish to! Thanks mad people for bringing it back up! LoL Your hate for TB has reminded me of my love for it!

Rock on mad people!

home sweet home i cant wait to retire to return to my home land treasurebeach may god help give me health and strenght in six years time.