Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
Left: A sign that tells of the healing powers of Salt River.- Center: Some sorry-looking donkeys greet visitors to Salt River.- Right: Ezekel Stenford grins with pride as he describes his home town - PHOTOS BY IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
LET'S FACE it, there's nothing particularly inviting about the name Salt River. I mean in a country which has so many rivers with more romantic monikers like the tantalising Rio Minho and the alluring Rio Cobre, Salt River is a bit of a drag.
For most persons, Salt River is the kind of place that they only drive pass on the way to another destination. I mean, really, just driving by the spot, there doesn't seem to be any reason to stop. But the memorable caresses of a buck-tooth 200-pound female with whom I had something of a fling in high school, made me realise that you should never judge a book by its cover. Good old Lavern.
That's why earlier this week, photographer Ian Allen and I set off to Salt River to get to the meat of the matter.
Now the journey to Salt River, after you pass Old Harbour, is something of a roller coaster ride that seems to go on for miles. I mean miles.
FIRST SIGN OF LIFE
But after travelling along the bushy, pothole-filled road for a while, we finally came upon the first sign of life. The first living thing we had seen in quite a while. We saw something moving behind a rusting sign that read something about 'Welcome' and 'River'. Screech! When the dust cleared we found ourselves face to face with a sorry-looking group of donkeys. They stared at us for a while, and call me crazy, but I swear one of the brutes gave me a threatening look. I don't take chances with four legged beasts of any sort, so we jumped back into the car and sped off.
Just down the road we noticed a group of persons sitting at what looked like a shop. We went over to meet them.
"Hail! Hail!" the group said in unison before we could even get out a word. "Sit down, man, what you want to know?" asked a bespectacled man with dreadlocks. He was sipping from a plastic cup and puffing on a cigarette.
"Tell us about Salt River," said I.
An elderly bloke wearing a weather-beaten hat spoke up. "The place alright, man. Back in the day you used to have ships coming here. That don't happen anymore so most people around here turn to fishing," he said to nods of agreement from his companions.
1,000 RESIDENTS
There are about a thousand persons living in the Salt River community, most of whom are fisherfolk. Including, by the way, a female shopkeeper who was quite eager to show us her, ah ... gear.
The area was once a bustling little port, where ships full of all kinds of goods would dock. "It did exciting dem time deh. When me did likkle we used to run up and down and look pan di ship dem," said the man with the hat, who by the way kept looking at my shoes. I don't question these things.
Ezekel Stanford, who wore a red tam and a curious looking pair of shorts, told us that most people don't realise just how much Salt River has to offer. "We have 14 islands 'round here man. Pure fun and niceness," he said, with a lisp.
"Mi seh bredrin. You see all di one weh name Pigeon Island? It well lookable you know mi bredda! Better than Negril!" He really was getting excited now. Ezekel said Pigeon Island was about nine miles away from shore. "When mi boat a work, mi carry people go out deh fi enjoy themself," said he.
He described the beaches in the Salt River community and on the islands surrounding the area with such excitement and detail that he could just as well have been describing his girlfriend.
Chakka, a Rastafarian with what seemed like a permanent expression of anger on his face, joined in. "We have a lot of things here fi see. Mocho rabbit and crocodile like nothing!" He tried to explain what a Mocho rabbit was, but I ended up feeling more confused than ever.
"Crocodile?" I asked with obvious trepidation. "Hee hee, har har," was the reply from the experienced fishermen. I was red in the face. "I mean, you know, I ... ah ..." I tried to cover things up, but alas it was too late. "Dem won't molest you unless you molest dem. Dem more run from you," said Chakka. "Although dem a nyam off di dog and di goat dem. I mean dem can gwaan with the dog dem. Although dem bark after people still. But dem nuh fi mess wid di goat dem!"
HEALING CAPABILITIES
I had heard stories of persons travelling from far and wide to Salt River, solely for what is believed to be the river's healing capabilities. It is said that the water can cure diabetes, cancer and anything else you throw in its way. I asked about this.
"Yes! It's true!" Everyone had a story. Ezekel said people travel from all over the world to a pond down the road from where we were to heal themselves of all kinds of sicknesses. "Mi see a man that get strokes and couldn't move get heal! Mi see that myself!" said he.
Ezekel said you could see the minerals in the water. "You know when you a drink rum and water? You can see the rum different from the water. Is same way you see the minerals and water different." He actually went on for a while about the rum and water with a longing look in his eyes, but I didn't wait around for him to snap back to reality.
We walked down to the pond and found a few people splashing around and having a grand time. A few shops were open, where cooks were busy at work preparing fish, festivals and other delights. There was a large tree nearby, with several carvings. This, coupled with the scantily clad women splashing around in the pool, made an enticing scene. I stayed and watched a while.
But alas, it was getting late, and the women may have been getting a bit nervous, so we decided to leave. Back to Kingston with knowledge of one more hot spot on this beautiful island we call home.
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