Travel agents on the beach
Published:Sunday | October 10, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Pulling from the rich cultural history that Jamaica boasts, the RIU Dancers arrived from a night at sea in dugout canoes. Their preferred illumination was tiki torches. This was part of the spectacular presentation which 107 United States and Canadian travel agents received at a welcome beach party at the Montego Bay resort recently.
Week three of the massive travel agent 'Fly-In', organised by the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Spanish-owned resort, was not about to allow these important travel industry experts to forget their first night in paradise.
And so it was lights, camera, action, from the many 'point-and-shoot' Minoltas, Canons and Panasonics that left the confines of the handbags. Coupled with the excitement of capturing this incredibly beautiful moment, there was marked amazement on the faces, as no matter what they were told before boarding an aircraft to Jamaica, it was obvious they had not anticipated this fantastic culturally rich presentation.
The RIU dancers were scantily clad, with loincloth as their preferred covering; the temporary tattoos painted on their bodies offered more coverage than the traditional garb worn by the first settlers of this beautiful island.
And while their drums beat loud, the music of the Tainos, the Ceboneys and the Africans reverberated in unison. Complemented by a blazing ring of fire, these dancers pleased the crowd.
But the Spanish hoteliers went all out, and the impressive food that adorned the buffet line was representative of Asian, American, Jamaican and Italian cuisine.
Topped with the island's rum, international wines and spirits, the night was just a taste of the charm, beauty and magnificence that this diverse country has to offer.