ITAL REST IS really ITAL
So, you want to get away from the city, the town, the noise, from everybody. You want to find a chill spot, away from the main road. You want to be surrounded by trees, and you want cool breeze to embrace and caress you, night and day.
You go searching on the Internet for that spot and call people in the know to see whether they are aware of such a spot. Nothing that you want comes up. Well, you might just have to walk, to anywhere, to the Breadbasket Parish.
And, if in your search you chance upon Ital Rest Cottages, at Great Bay in Treasure Beach, you have found your spot. It is as rustic as they come, perhaps more than you have expected.
It took me quite a while to find it recently. Yet I didn’t just ‘buck up’ on it. I went in search of it because of what I heard about it about four years ago. I actually missed it on my way to another destination, but found it
on my way back. The first thing I said to Frank Genus, one of the operators, who met me at the gate, was, “Yuh need a bigger sign.”
Yet, it was the hundreds of almonds on the ground that caught my eyes. Couldn’t tell the last time I saw so many almonds in one place. Memories of my childhood days rushed by, memories of when we, children, spent half a day in the almond bush opening and eating almonds, memories of stealing Mama’s sugar to eat with the almonds we brought home. But the memories of the beatings I kept at bay. They were spoiling my moment.
As we entered the property, I instantly liked the place. It was the ‘yard’ of trees and unmanicured grass that grabbed me. It seems like a place where I could raise my unborn grandchildren. I snapped out of my reverie as soon as I saw the first cottage. Cool. It has a thatch roof, similar to the other one.
The two two-storey cottages, made mainly with board, are painted dark brown. All the units have verandahs. The verandahs that I liked were the ones with the brightred floors, surrounded by board railings, and occupied by big, board armchairs. Childhood memories flashed again. Nostalgia.
But, forget me for now, as I go back to you. For, you, too, have found Ital Rest. You have got away from the city, the town, the noise, from everybody. You have found your dream chill spot, away from the main road. You are surrounded by trees, and there is cool breeze to embrace and caress you, night and day.
Now, you realise when the operators say ‘ital’, they really meant ital. The units are devoid of amenities such as TV, radio, Internet, fan, AC, electric stove, microwave, blow-dryer, etc. They have no electricity. Why? Because it is ital. And at night, things get a little romantic as the rooms are illuminated by candle and lamp lights. Turn the lights down low, for breeze is blowing the curtains.
Equally appealing to me was the outside shower with no enclosure, only the pipe stands tall. This is in addition to the internal bathroom and toilet facilities. Yet, the biggest selling point for me is the fruit trees, and for this, the operators might not want me back after my first stay. I would be raiding the sweetsop, pomegranate, guinep, tamarind, and guava trees frequently.
And under some leafy shades you will find me drinking limeade, for there are enough limes on the ground to stone stray dogs. Not even those were around anyway. Good. They and their incessant yapping would not be good for the livity at Ital Rest.