By Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
TO HIS family, Edison Chai, businessman and artist, is and will always be a dreamer. The kind, they say, whose ideas sometimes seem so farfetched that one, if not careful, may be inclined to want to dismiss them in a hurry.
This probably explained the family's lukewarm response when he first approached them with the idea of creating his own tropical oasis - in what was then a remote area in St. Mary.
Members of the family eventually came around and today, are extremely happy they did. Edison Chai's dream, aptly named White River Valley because of its proximity to the beautiful White River in Ocho Rios, is not only on the verge of being realised, it also has the potential to be one of the premiere attractions in the country.
"My dad has had this dream for over 15 years," explained son Wayne. "It took some convincing but at the end of the day we knew he had it all worked out. You see, he is an artist and a visionary ... sometimes it is very difficult to see through the eyes of an artist ... he will see things that will take the average person a while to see."
Located in a valley with lush rain forest vegetation - just outside the community of Labrynth, St. Mary, a mile off the main road - White River Valley will be opened to the public by the end of September to be followed with a grand gala slated in November.
Visitors should find the attraction to be the ideal getaway spot and as one person correctly puts it, an ambience to die for. It will offer horse-back riding, river walking trail, river tubing and mountain biking. Along the river, guests will find a romantic and scenic walk, picnic areas and rest stops. The main thrust of the attraction, though, is a cluster of colourful buildings reminiscent of a quaint and rustic Jamaican village. It commands the allure of mother nature and the untrammelled beauty of tropical flora and
