by Dr. Meloney Levy

Nestled between rows and rows of neatly planted scallion and thyme beds sits an imposing concrete structure. Eve’s Rockaway Villa is flanked by palm trees gently swaying in the soft Jamaican breeze. With a profusion of white, orange, and purple bougainvillea cascading from the rocks on the right (facing the villa), this “home away from home” offers a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of life in South Manchester. The lush vegetation surrounding the villa belies the reputation of the South Manchester-South St. Elizabeth region as ‘drought-stricken’. There is indeed dried guinea grass spread at the roots of many herbs and plants, placed ostensibly to trap the overnight moisture (called dew water by many Jamaicans), to irrigate vegetation starved of rainwater that’s lacking for days on end. I found out that the periodic rumbling of thunder in the distance is a mere tease of the heavens opening up and drenching the parched earth with much-needed rain. Not once during my short visit during the summer of 2026 did it rain, and “Snoopy”, a congenial local whom I had met, confirmed that the fine red dust underneath was a sign that it had not rained in ages.

The almond tree with yellow-orange fruits underneath offers much-needed shade from the almost unbearable heat and an unrelenting sun. Brightly colored red, yellow, and blue swings and slides for the young and young-at-heart provide a touch of modernity and suburbanite living amidst the rocks and cacti. Beyond the huge electronic gate, this mixture of old-world charm and modernity continues. There are youthful sweet sop and soursop trees, two towering mango trees, and a host of flora providing cover for the mongoose that darted among rocks and trees. The small tree-ripened ‘fine skin’ mangoes (also called green skin or blackie by some) were an added bonus to the vacation, bringing to mind the Jamaican folksong, “Mi no drink caafe tea, mango time”. A few mangoes had been missed by an earlier visitor to the trees, but my knapsack was as happy as I was for the bounty – some lying ready to be picked up, others falling from on high.

Do not be fooled by the ruralness of the villa; as a matter of fact, that probably adds to its charm. Situated in a valley in New Forest, Calabash Bay, Alligator, one could hear the low rumble of trucks and other vehicles traversing the main thoroughfare from very early in the morning to late evening. The entrance to the property is in need of much better lighting, as it took a few trips past the roadway leading up to the villa to locate. Some would describe the entry as a bit spooky or creepy for such an otherwise inviting property. Solar panels on the roof of the villa could be extended to light the roadway leading to the villa, especially after dark.

Settled into the valley of New Forest and looking up and out, the surrounding hills did not reveal any signs that Melissa had visited this part of Jamaica with the alleged ferocity some months ago. A wind farm with giant turbines turning in the wind announced that the region has not been left out of sustainable responses to climate change. Looking up at the wind turbines and the surrounding mountains, one got the sense that the hills were not just “alive, with the sound of music”, but that sustainability was the name of the game.

The taxis speeding past blared the latest Jamaican hits as well as Rhythm and Blues selections from “back in the day”. No Bieber or Swift here. Lovers of “old school” music would be impressed. This was the Jamaican countryside in all its rawness on the one hand, and the softness of lovers’ rock on the other. This being rural Jamaica, the community would not be complete without a bar and go-go club a few yards away from the villa. I was unaware of any noise nuisance created after hours, but then, I’m a sound sleeper. At this juncture, I must give a shout out to Bata and Rohan (Snoopy), two locals we met at Irma’s Jerk Centre next door to the villa. These men certainly gave us the hook up when it came to provisions. On an earlier visit to the Jerk Center while checking out the area, not only had we seen nasberry (sapodilla), papaya, plum, avocado and neem trees all around, but we had witnessed the generosity of the men in providing callaloo, sweet potato, ackees, breadfruit and yam to a visitor. While I was looking around at the cassava (yucca), escallion and thyme plots adjoining the Jerk Center, the men accepted the challenge to provide meals using only vegetables and ground provisions with fish for two residents of the villa. Yummy does not begin to describe the meal which lasted over two days. It was pure deliciousness, with a dash of ol’ time Jamaican generosity mixed in.

Baaaaaaaa, was that a sheep? Apparently, three sheep were strolling leisurely down the path to the villa. Grabbing a few more handfuls of soursop leaves from the trees on the outskirts of the villa, I reminded myself that, ”hog wash in a de first water ‘im see”, so waiting for the right time to gather the leaves didn’t make sense. Sweetsop leaves would come in handy for tea, though I’d never had the tea prior. Pundits as well as health and wellness “experts” all speak to the importance of staying close to nature in terms of what we humans eat and drink, grounding, and decreasing the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Sleeping all through the night; swimming a few laps in the pool; hanging out in the gazebo/covered recreation area at the back of the property; Eve’s Rockaway Villa allowed for a “close to nature” stay and reminded me why the Jamaican South had embraced eco-tourism wholeheartedly in the 1990s.