Albert Vizor relaxes at the Wyndham Rose Hall hotel in Montego Bay. - ContributedALBERT VIZOR reclined by the poolside soaking up the sunshine and friendly ambience at the Wyndham Rose Hall Hotel, a striking picture of the typical vacationer who has escaped colder climes for the warmth of the tropics.
Mr. Vizor, however, is no ordinary visitor. The Londoner has frequented the island no less than 29 times over a three-year period!
Mr. Vizor had always known about Jamaica, having first sailed to its shores in 1954 as a 19-year-old in the Royal Navy. The young Vizor was charmed by the island's beauty, but it was not until he retired after serving in the Royal Navy and the Civil Service that he returned. By that time Vizor had travelled the world twice and had seen all its glorious wonders, but it was the little island of Jamaica that remained close to his heart.
In 1997, 43 years after his first visit he was back in the island on a Caribbean cruise. His few days here confirmed what he had always suspected, that Jamaica was one of the best destinations ever. "My time in Jamaica had been far more enjoyable than at sea," he recounted. He would be back in Jamaica as soon as possible.
Vizor has been in the island 29 times since 1997, spending up to six weeks at each visit. Then he returns to England where at times he spends as little as four days, before setting out again for Jamaica. While he travels alone for the most part, every August and December he takes along his two daughters and grand-daughter to enjoy his second "home". "That's their Christmas and birthday present in one," he says.
What has made him return so often? "The people," he answered simply. Vizor sees Jamaicans as most hospitable and speaks warmly of the friendship that has developed with a number of Jamaicans. "They call me Bert!" he said. "I get very friendly with lots of people. They love me back and they say that I am part of the family. I like that. It's nice to be treated as a special person," he smiled.
He is visiting with Jamaican friends "outside the resorts" when he is not staying at the Wyndham Rose Hall or the Holiday Inn Sunspree. The staff at both properties also have been very good to him. "Everybody takes care of me, from the waiters to the general managers -- I get VIP treatment at both places and I enjoy it," he says.
While in Jamaica, he loves playing golf and visiting the restaurants, his favourite spot being the English Pub at Half Moon where he enjoys his steak fillet.
Vizor no longer views Jamaica through the eyes of a stranger. In fact, he is acutely aware of the challenges facing the island but is glad to be contributing to the tourist industry in his own way by "making it Jamaica", again and again.
