Milk River Bath as
most of you would probably know, is named after the river there which provides
important irrigation for the Clarendon
plains where you find mostly cane and livestock farming.
However, the river itself is infested with
crocodiles and on our way we saw some fishermen with a small canoe and when
asked what they were fishing for they laughingly said "crocodiles and
fish."
However, the bath does not get its highly
radioactive water from the river, but from springs under the property itself. And radioactive it is and warm too at a consistent 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit
throughout the year. It is also said to have high levels of magnesium, calcium,
sulphate and natural chloride which is said to help alleviate pains associated
with rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica and
nerve complaints. The waters, however are so radioactive that patrons are
warned to stay in for no more than ten to twenty minutes at a time, and then
for no more than three baths per day.
These baths were opened in 1794 as according to legend, a slave, owned by one Jonathan Ludford was brutally whipped and locked away in a
dungeon. Imprisoned and severely wounded, and vowing never to be a slave again,
he broke out of his chains and escaped. Days later, the man returned to the
estate in full health, healed of the wounds he had received only a few days
before. In an effort to convince others to run away with him, he told a tale of
a remarkable salty spring in which he had bathed. Everyone who saw him was
amazed at his recovery, and soon, word reached the owner of the estate who had
ordered him punished. Ludford himself was astounded at the recovery, and
promised to grant the slave freedom if he revealed the location of the spring.
The slave led a party to the location, and Ludford promptly acquired the spring
and the lands around it, and started the Milk River Baths.
Upon his death, Ludford bequeathed all the
property and land to the government and people of Jamaica to benefit all who
needed them.
I have not visited those baths for around ten
years as the last time I went there it was in really terrible condition with
junjo growing around the edge of the baths and the rails rusty.
In September 2015,
Dr. Wyckham McNeil, Minister of Tourism
announced plans to carry out a $50-million rehabilitation project to
include:
* demolition and
alterations;
* upgrading of the electrical
and plumbing systems, ceiling and floor;
* painting and
decorating; and
* replacement of
leaking and damaged roof
On this trip in November 2015, I returned with my Fun and Thrills familyWhile the real
athletes rode from Kingston, a bunch of us drove to Osborne Store then headed south down to Gravel Hill primary school, parked and whiked the 8 km to the
bath. At least, most of us walked while
Ruth and Lisa the young turks jogged.
On the easy scenic
walk, we passed a nicely decorated (private I guess) area called "Milk
River Park" with some interesting paintings and signs, the most
interesting being the ones calling for the legalization of Obeah and the one
purporting to be a drawing of our ancestors!
Despite the
governments announcement in September, not much work seems to have been done
yet as the only noticeable improvement I saw that the the baths were
refurbished (but the rusty rails remain)
some roofing work has been done and some areas re-tiled. Hopefully the
next time I return, we will really see
$50 million improvement.!~
The bath was really
refreshing and invigorating and the food was great, although about 70 persons
took the trip while some 20 did not indicate they were coming and arrangements
had only been made for some 50 the week before. This of course created some
problems for the staff but they managed.
It was really an
enjoyable day all round and of course Maurice and his ride back posse did
declare they were riding back. I don't know if they did but the rest of us
returned to Kingston in comfortable
vehicles with some of us even rejecting the new highway to drive through Old
Harbour to get some delicious jerked pork.
Photos by David Jo
and Jackie.
