Keisha Shakespeare, Freelance Writer
Meet Zion, the palm reader at Herba Kadabra, a shop that specialises in healing herbs and potions.
IMAGINE HAVING your palm read, dipping your toes into the warm blue of the Caribbean sea, taking a walk down memory lane with Jamaica's greatest reggae artistes, sipping an aromatic cup of true Jamaican coffee, and ogling a watch worth more than $200,000 -- all in a quaint, village-like setting that mimics the best of Jamaica.
And there was more. Whew!
Last Thursday I took a day off from ringing telephones and pressing deadlines to chill out in -- of all places -- a plaza. But bear with me, this is no ordinary plaza, this is a Christopher Blackwell (entertainment and tourism mogul) concept created by the award-winning architect Ann Hodges. The plaza, Island Village, is located at the corner of the Turtle River on Main Street, Ocho Rios. It sits on four acres and has 38 wooden shops painted in warm oranges and reds, bright yellows and greens, and soothing blues.
"The concept of the Village came about because I thought it would be great to develop an area where people can come and use the beach, have a drink at the bar, stop by for a coffee break or just to shop," explained Blackwell.
"My vision was to make it into a village setting that portrayed quality older buildings with a boardwalk that leads straight to the beach."
The idea, he added, was to create a charming environment for cruise ship passengers during the weekdays and a place for locals to enjoy the nightclubs, restaurants, beach and bars in the evenings and on weekends.
THE PALM READER
My day out at the Village started just before 11:00 a.m. As I stepped through the main entrance of this replica of an old coastal village, one of the first things that struck me was the pristine surroundings.
My first stop was Herba Kadabra, a shop that specialises in healing herbs and potions. It also has a variety of local spices -- jerk seasonings, curry powder and more. It is located in the middle of the village just around the corner of the Rastafarian statue that is holding a guitar and also just across from Margaritaville and the Swiss Store.
I met Zion, the palm reader, a spooky looking woman whose eyes seemed able to peer into my very soul. She has a light blue greyish ring surrounding the edge of her pupils that sent small waves of electricity through my entire body when I looked into them.
Still, I found myself sitting down to chat with her and was swept away by her warm personality. Although I do not believe in palm readers and psychics I consented to having my palm read. She took my hands in hers and started to look at them in a deep concentrated way that made me uncomfortable. Things got even more weird when she started telling me things about myself (I'm apprehensive about taking risks) that I believe to be true.
