BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE

Sunday Observer staff reporter

husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com

RAFT captain Frank Hamilton could easily have been making his 9,048th trip down the three-mile stretch of the Martha Brae River in Trelawny when the Sunday Observer visited some weeks ago, having taken visitors rafting at least twice per day, three days a week for 29 years.

It could even be more, since during busy periods he completes up to three trips per day, or works additional days per week. Hamilton is one of 70 raft captains employed at the attraction, which has been offering rides down the tranquil river since 1969.

But despite its perceived popularity and increased traffic since 2010 when the new cruise ship deep dock was built in the historic capital of Falmouth, residents of Martha Brae, which lies just outside Falmouth, say they haven’t been feeling the effect of the tourism dollar in the district. They claim that the attraction doesn’t hire from Martha Brae and that it is stifling their creativity by not allowing them to sell craft items to visitors.

“That attraction don’t mean nutt’n to wi,” one outspoken youngster, who was part of a group of about 10 young men, said.

“Right now, none of us out here so don’t work, yet wi have wi trade. A nuff rafter out here, a nuff man who do carving, make jewels and all sorts of things. So they could do something for us,” the youth, who gave his name as Peter, said.

The young men said while they do not expect the attraction to employ everyone, provisions could be made to accommodate as many as possible.

“The tourists have to pass here to go to and from the river,” the young man said. “So we say give us permission to set up some craft shops along the way and sell wi product. I am a carver, so I can make things. But right now you can’t even stay on the roadside and sell because they not allowing the tourist bus dem to stop.

“That would also give the tourist a wider variety of items to choose from,” another youth reasoned. “But it’s like they want to control everything.”

He and his companions said they had also been refused permission to set up craft shops at the entrance to the attraction, which boasts three craft shops of its own; one where the tour begins, and two at the end. These are supplemented by two individuals who sell their hand-made craft items on the riverbanks.

A recent visit to Martha Brae revealed an unkempt community with zinc fencing in some sections and walls that needed painting. We saw a number of young men sitting idle along sections of the roadway and in front of shops.

A facelift could do much to enhance the tourism product that Martha Brae offers, residents contend.

“I feel more hotels and resorts would send people to Martha Brae River if the community did look better,” one elderly male resident, who gave his name as Mervin, said. He added that while there is presently one guest house in the community, more should be established in order to encourage visitors.

“We don’t benefit from the raft,” Mervin said. “Is very few people from Martha Brae work there. The rest of people are from other areas and the boss not spending back no money to help enhance the community so more people can come in.”

The boss to whom he referred was John Gourzong, who operates the property.

“The ‘big man’ (Gourzong) not even a come up here come talk. To set up craft shops along the way you have to go deal with them about it, but we can’t see him. A really people from outside come in and benefit. See all di boys, nutt’n not going on fi dem,” another young man said, pointing to a group sitting on a wall.

As if on queue, two young men playing dominoes nearby suddenly started hurling fists at each other. Then came the throwing of stones, and more fists. Two men attempted, unsuccessfully, to stop them, while others declared: ‘Mek dem kill one another’. Fortunately, no weapons were drawn and the fight ended as suddenly as it had begun.

“You see what ah mean?” Peter added. “The youth dem want something to do.”

He explained that there were youths in the group who worked on and off as masons and other types of labourers.

“A work wi want; nothing nah gwaan,” one youth said loudly.

But one raft captain, employed at the attraction for 18 years, said tourists do not stay long enough at the location to justify an increase in the number of shops, since once the rafting is over visitors leave.

“And a lot of time the driver just really want to go Ocho Rios or Montego Bay instead of tarry here,” he explained.

Some workers believe this is unfair to poorer Jamaicans.

“We have been talking about it,” another raft captain said. “But management said they not doing anything to change it.”

“They really just trying to prevent local people from coming,” another said. “Because the regular man not going to take up $5,100 to pay to go raft and have children to send to school, and things like that,” he said.

“You know the saying ‘where no bones are provided…’,” he said, deliberately allowing his words to trail off. “Is not everyone the boss want on him place.”

The Martha Brae rafting tour is owned by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and has been leased and managed by Gourzong since 1985. It is 20 miles from Montego Bay and 40 miles from Ocho Rios. The three-mile-long experience lasts an hour-and-a-half and costs $5,100, irrespective of whether the patron is a tourist or a local.

Workers say business is good, for the most part, especially since cruise ships started to dock in the nearby port on Wednesdays.

“Sometimes when business really good we make up to 70 trips for the day,” one raft captain said. But there are also days when they make just about four for the day.

“So I would say the days when ship not coming in you could open up the place to locals,” he reasoned. “Make the price lower and offer packages and them things there so that we would still have the support, and locals could come in and enjoy themselves.”

In setting the record straight, Gourzong said a number of persons from the Trelawny area have been employed to the attraction.

“It’s a hundred and something people we employ from Trelawny, obviously not just Martha Brae, but from places like Bounty Hall, Falmouth, Wakefield — you name it. And a whole [lot] of service people that have to support the attraction — welders, electricians, masons, carpenters, mechanics, and the list goes on and on, it doesn’t stop. I can tell you, I pay the bill,” he said, laughing. “So we are making a significant contribution.”

Marie Barrett, marketing manager for the attraction, pointed out that it would neither be feasible nor appropriate to set up additional craft shops on the property.

“It’s a leisure attraction and persons are not interested in shopping,” Barrett told the Sunday Observer. “The ambience is not really for that. It is for relaxation.”

She explained that having residents erect shops at the entrance to the property would result in further harassment of visitors, who, she said, have made numerous complaints. She added, however, that if this were to be done, it would have to be a decision by the Ministry of Tourism.

“I am sure Mr Gourzong would like to help more people, but we cannot save everyone,” she said. “We have men employed who are from the community, but unfortunately we cannot save everybody.

“Already, the few shops we have suffer because tourists are not really interested in buying; they just come for the rafting experience and the relaxation. So the young men would really be wasting their time setting up shops.” She added that nature lovers visit Martha Brae and that they often complain that the craft items there is similar to those being offered everywhere.

She said the attraction employs 88 men from Trelawny and the raft captains are trained and licensed by the River Rafting Authority.

“You can’t just grab a man and say come raft, they have to be trained,” she said. “But if they are interested, now would be a good time to speak with Mr Gourzong.”