The Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-10-12, Page 17Al
THIS GEM CALLED
`JAMAICA"
The Union Jack of Imperial
Britain has been gone now since
1962. The flag of free Jamaica is
green, gold and black. The
colours are there wherever you
look :the LL green in . the hilIsr and .
valleys, the gold in the sunlight,
the black in the faces of the
people. They shine and gleam,
They intermingle. They N blend
with other colours: the blue of
sky and sea, the white of beaches,
the yellow of fruits, the red of
earth.
Putting first„ things first, 'Ja-
maica is beautiful. It is also big
(-as Caribbean islands go) with an,_
,r • area exceeded only by Cuba's
and Hispaniola's and a popula-
tion pushing toward ,two million.
No "pancake with a palm tree;"
Jamaica is a land of many moods
and aspects, faces and voices. Of
lagoons and mountain peaks,
cane fields and bauxite, orchids
a and traffic jams, hotels and
history..
"Yes., . sir," ..a taximan • Y said
proudly, "our island's got every-
thing there is." Then he added,
"Except money." But even that
• seems to be corning.
I flew into Kingston, its capital.
Though one of the largest cities in
the Caribbean, it is emerging
from the -19th century. It sprawls
and swarms, but -99 per cent with
homegrown Jamaicans. • Other
r
•
yl
•
SOIfE
• PEOPLE
API U %E BLISTERS.
THE NWT T SNOW
TIL WOW
vP. � �8�.
F/N/ NEO Tk
LIONEL'S
SUNOCO
At The Five' Points
Licensed Mechanic
Repairs to all Makes
than the short -stay passengers. on
winter cruise ships, the main-
stream . of visitors prefer the
north shore resorts, where the
beaches are. I spent a total of 2
days in the Kingston area visiting
such attractions as the Hope Bo-
tanicalGardens; a splendi tarray
of tropical flora, with a few fauna
added. Close by is the University
of the West Indies, in which you
can see Jamaica's past and pow-
erfully,feel its future. Also during
your stay in Kingston a visit to
Port Royal is a must. At the tip of
the long arm of land'that forms
the otter rim of Kingston's har-
bour, the old town' was long the
capital of Jamaica, the strong -
buccaneers, once known as the
"richest and wickedest city" in
the world. In'1692 Port Royal was
stricken by an earthquake that
tumbled most of it into the sea.
After two days in Kingston
(just right, I should say, in a two-
week trip) I took to the road in a
rented cat., This is no project to
be undertaken lightly—Qne's
hired car is tiny, frail and driven
by clutch and gearstick on the.left
side of the road. Opposition °cars,
trucks and buses are often huge
and ferocious. They roar around
Jamaica's, five -million blind
curves at fifty -per, neatly strad-
dling the central dividing line.
Even if your nerves are not
quite those of an astronaut, the
strain is worth it. For the island's
interior" is surpassingly lovely.
On the flat coastal plains you are
flanked by seas of sugar cane. As
be road rises and twists you
come to the Jrealm of bananas,
coffee, cocoa, bamboo, bread-
fruit and yams. When. the land
steepens into true mountains, the
way lies through deep gorges and
'grottoes, their walls lined with al-
most vertical hanging jungles. At
the top of a rise, unexpectedly,
there may, be a.bare plateau, with
the raw red earth and looming
sheds of a bauxite plant. But
these, are soon gone. There is
NO PREVIOUS PE NICIplISARY.
2 FOUR WEEKS PAID TRAINING
SMAIst CAPITAL. INVESTMENT
4. FINANCING AVAIWILE
again only the green forest until
you top a final rise' and see, far
ahead And below, the shining blue
miles of the Caribbean.
Naturally space does not allow
me to go into complete detail.of
all the places I encountered along
the way, so I'll just mention a
few. Vrst of all there's the town
of MA& the 2,000 feet in the
ears' Mandeville has
been t'he.h tday refuge of Kings-
ton Britisher seeking the cool-
ness of elevation. But the North -
American Tourist, seeking- not
coolnessbut warmth, has
avoided it. Westward from Man-
deville are villages with won-
drou , names: among them Pep-
per, Gutter, Lilliput, Maggotty.
Here are goats,. donkeys, roos-
ters, naked wide-eyed children
and kerchiefed women beating
their wash against the stones of
stream beds.
It is not all pastoral idyll, for in
the village one finds a gas pump,
a Coke dispenser, and a sign say-
• ing F. WATSON, OFF -COURSE
BETTING. And along the road-
side are groups of men; young
and old, loafing the day away. In
spite of. Jamaica's great strides
in agriculture, industry and tour- •
ism, there is still noticeable un-
employment on the island. In the
southwestern area, most jobs for
igen - _are --otr-stigar-plantatio
But sugar is a seasonal crop, an
this was not the season. ., •
We continue on and what
gleams ahead is one of the great-
est beaches of the world. We have
come to Negril, at the island's
far -western end. Ahead, for long
miles, are bows and arcs and
crescents of virgin sand. There is
one small hotel here, the. Sun -
downer, a small open-air restaur-
ant specializing in seafood and
some beach cottages that can be
has excellent service station for
°
SALE or LEASE
Grand Bend sod Goderich, Ontario
Phone --
4 5 1-43 21 London
orwrite P.O. Box 2543, LONDON ONT.
DES GROWTI4 PROMOTANT
Consumers' Association of
Canada warns that
diethylstilbestrol (DES), a- syn-
thetic• female hormone fed to
catty and' ,sheep as a growth
enhancer, has produced cancer
in laboratory animals. CAC has
requested that the Health
Protection Branch of the Depar-
tment of National Health and
Welfare ban the use of DES in
the raising of meat animals.
CAC headquarters are at 100
Gloucester Street, Ottawa, On-
tario.
When You Shop .
Say...
SAW
IT IN THE
SIGNAL
superb fabric -s.
Guests at a beach barbecue at the foot of famed Dung's River Falls _are serenaded by a
Jamaican' combo. The feast is one of the new w Ocho Rios 'Boonoonoonoos' happenings and
includes dancing and an open bar.
lush and plush and lovely as I re-
member it from my last visit: a
resort that, to my mind, comes as
near to having everything as any
it the world. True thereis no
spectacular single beach like Ne-.
n giT's "But the justly famous
strand of Doctor's Cave (public)
and those of many of the hotels
(private or semi -private) are,. on
a smaller scale, pure gems. Day
or night in Montego there is al-
ways
something to do, and better
yet, perhaps it is the perfect
place for doing nothing.
Montego Bay establishments
run the gamut from the ` top -
bracket cottage colonies through
the more conventional .resort
hotels, to a host of small inns and
guest houses with modest accom-
modations and rates. Some are
close to town, some are .out a
way. Some are on the shore,
otherson the hillsides a short dis-
.tance inland.
In the old days, (meaning fif-
. teen years ago) the north shore of
Jamaica, 'for the tourist meant
Montego Bay, period. Now the
whole 150 -Emile. sweep is on its
way . to becoming a tropical
Riveria.
There is still confusion as to
what Ocho Rios is. Basically, it's
a town, a very small town with a
big traffic circle. But for touristic
purposes it has given its name to
the whole strip of shore from St.
rented. Here I stopped, changed
into swimming trunks. It was one
of the memorable experiences of
a lifetime, for on those seven
sweeping,milese€ beach I was the
only human being. Leaving °sansi
for silken water, I was the only
visible creature in all the miles of
the Caribbean.
Later, back on shore, a few
men and boys appeared to work
on a small beached boat a few
hundred yards from me. But they
stayed only,a short while. A small
crab sidled up, seemed to ey me
curiously and took his departure.
All that was left were sun, sea,
sand and self.
But alas, I had to continue on.
"Mo" Bay was there all.right, as
.1
Leave Winter
BEHIND!
Join Your Fellow Canadians on a
TRAVELLING A COMMUNITY
FRIENDSHIP TOUR
llth Annual Tour to' SOUTH PACIFIC
35 DAYS •— VISITING HAWAII -FIJI, NEW ZEALAND &
AUSTRALIA, DEPARTING- FROM TORONTO JAN. 10/73.
Management escorted and conducted throughout - $2295.00
per person.
4th Annual Tour to MEXICO
• 14 DAYS — VISITING MEXICO CITY, GUADALAJARA,
TAXCO & ACAPULCO. Departing from' TORONTO JAN.
24/73, Escorted by Nap Sr -,Margo. King.- King Grain '& Seed'
Co., _Paincourt, Ontario. All -Inclusive. Price • $575.00.
6th Annual Tour to SOUTH AMERICA
21 DAYS -- VISITING BRAZIL , PARAGUAY, ARGENTINA
- CHILE - PERU. Departing f; im Toronto Jari. 31,'73. Escort-
ed by Jim Murby 'KingCole Duck Farm, Aurora, Ontario
ATL -i cTusrve only$ -$1450:06 per"Oa, ', . .
Sth Annual Tour to SOUTH AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA,
RHODESIA AND EUROPE
28 DAYS VISITING, RIO DE JANEIRO, CAPETOWN,
JOjitkNNESBUR-G SALISBURY - VICTO`RIA FAILS 3=
AMSTERDAM, Departing from Toronto Feb. 19/73. Escort-
ed by native South African Mr. Carl Clayton, Napanee, On
tario, All-inclusive only $1849.00 per person.
3rd Annual Tour to SOUTH-EAST ASIA .
25 DAYS -- VISITING HONG KONG - BANKOK - P'ENANG
KAULA LUMPUR - SINGAPORE • BALI • MANILLA •
HAWAII. Departing from Toronto March 4/73 Escorted by
John Vellinga, President of Vellinga's Travel Service, Chat-
ham, Ontario. All-inclusive only $1549.00 'per person.
These outstanding Tours have been especially arranged
for you and your fellow Canadians. For your free fully
illustrut-~Brnchjtre'--ronre into this -newspaper -office to=
day or complete the coupon below and mail it today.
Yes, I/We are interested in TRAVELLINGA'S WIN -
'ER '73 COMMUNITY FRIENDSHIP TOUR. Please send
me your fully illustrated Brochure on the following Tours
SOUTH PACIFIC' MEXICO SOUTH
AMERICA SOUTH-EAST ASIA SOUTH
AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA, RHODESIA & EUROPE.
•
Come see the new season's stylings and look
through our vast collection of superb . fabrics.
You'll discover a distinguished array of the finest
British woollens, in a variety of weights, colors
and patterns. Checks, plaids, tweeds, knits, wor-
steds. This is your opportunity to have the style
you prefer in the fabric you desire.
EARL RAWSOWS
-
Style
SQUARE
Shop
Ann's Bay to Port,Maria. Town or
strip, it is beautiful, more so, I
would say, than Montego Bay,
though it still lags behind its older
rival in tradition and cachet. It
offers much to see and do. Close
anold river bed•that'for two 'Miles
bores an emerald tunnel through
the heart of a lush overgrowth. To
the west is Dunn's River Falls, a
cascade of silver water flowing
directly into the sea over rocks so
smooth yet unslippery that .ofte
can climb right up them to the
heights. If you think a plantation
tour sounds dull (as I did), you
will• be mistaken. With fabulous
flora and top-drawer guides,
Brimmer Hall is a 90 -minute de-
light, topped by a dip in the pool
and a planter's punch.
Port Antonio, the third of the
north coast's prime resort areas
is smaller•than,Mo Bay and Ocho
l..i.os and has a very bright future.
Scenically it's gorgeous. As back-
drop, thererise the highest peaks
of the Blue Mountains, and front
and center are deep bays and ,
bold headland. Also it is 'the
greenest and 'lushest section of
the island, for which a price must
be paid in more rain. But the
rains are quick; heavy, and sud-
det •--gone:-Gen--and gold re_
,turrf, richer, brighter than' ever."
The star aquatic attraction of the
area is not offshore but inland.
This is rafting on the nearby Rio
Grande, which has now 'been go=
ing on for nearly half a century
and has become one of the • is-
land's popular tourist attrac-
tions. Unique ..among island
rivers, the Grande presents an
eight -mile course of pools and
'channels, rapids and spillways.
Long bamboo rafts, lboled by ex-
pert "captains" and with a .
thronelike seat for two passen-
gers, ' makes the kaleidoscopic
run in two hours.
Oh yes,,: there's much to see, do
and enjoy in grand Jamaica. It's
a holiday destination the entire
family can enjoy, and one which I
can highly recommend to you. .
Yes
. aD�!
FOR SNOWMOBILES
We don't have a snowmobile in our office to show you,
but we do know how to help you save if you finance one.
'1 H E
REAL
PEOPLE
PLACE
Goderich Community
- Credit Union
ST 'DAVID ST 5 PHONE 571-7931
ASSETS NOW OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS
OFFICE HOURS-Mond.y to Friday 10 •. 530 p' S.twd■y 9 .:m -17 30 p.m
IT 5
WEdERE
YOU
BEL ONG
9
NAME:
ADDRESS: TEL:
VEI.LINGA'S WORLD-WIDE TRAVEL SERVICE LTD.
"Travelliinga's Quality Tours"
244 Queen St., P.O, Box 234, Chatham, Ontario
(519) 3524150
travellinga's sun1ight
HURON COUNTY COMMUNITY FRIENDSHIP
TOUR TO JAMAICA 'I'
Get away from the cold and snow this winter, join Earl and Nora Rawson and your other
friends and acquaintances from Huron County on this outstanding 2 -WEEK TOUR TO
JAMAICA
DEPARTS JANUARY 28, 1973
ONLY $369.00 per person •
Based on two. persons sharing twin -bedded room.
An island like crumpled green velvet, tossed in an unbelievably blue sea. A
land of streams and forests and beach after glorious beach. You'll bask in
the warm sunshine ... dance beneath the stars to the ragged beat and the
infectious rhythm of the steel bands ... 'and it's all waiting. for you.
You'll stay at the Club Caribbean on Runaway Bay ... over 100 individual
cottages set among beautiful tropical gardens ... fresh water swimming
pool, two hundred yards of your own private sandy beach. All cottages have
kitchenettes complete with electric burners, refrigerator, china, glassware
and cooking utensils.
Earl Rawson has been a resident. of
Goderich for 20 years. Earl is no stranger
, to world travel:•. during -the war- he -was-
stationed
was stationed on 'a hospital ship that
travelled to England, Scotland, France,
the-Mediterranian and Italy.
SUNFLIGHT INCLUDES:
Round trip jet flight from Toronto by -Air
Canada PC 8
Complimentary in-flight meals and bar ser-
vice
Air conditioned accommodations with bath
and full use of resort facilities
Welcome rum punch party •
Transfers between airport and hotel and
return including the handling and tipping for
one piece of baggage per person
Sunflight beach bag
In addition to being personally escorted by
Earl and Nora. Rawson there will be a Sun -
flight Representative service in Jamaica
For your free illustrated Color Brochure of this Tour and other outstanding Travellinga/Sun-
' flight Tours contact Earl Rawson at Rawson's Style Shop, 68 The Squrire, Goderich, 524-9312
or phone (collect, of course) or write to:
WORLD WIDE LTD.
VELLINGA'S
244 QUEEN STREET
'CHATHAM
TRAVEL SERVICE
Travelph.ee 519-352-5150 Cell Collect
•