ESCAPE TO SPA KINGDOM

After two cross-continent trips I can't resist Bob Marley's invitation to "Come to Jamaica and feel all right" so here I am.

I am in the mood to savor every drop of Jamaican sunshine and restore myself for the new year at The Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall Spa that boasts divine vistas of the private beach and lavish gardens.

This tropical retreat on Jamaica's north coast includes this spacious 8,000 square-foot spa that

Crowned by The Ritz-Carlton emblem, a world of sea and serenity unfolds at this spa and for me this is solace incarnate.

This Caribbean jewel treasures its revelation of the past as the cornerstone of island specialties visitors come to enjoy here. Even in 1494 Columbus recognized a beauty when he saw one..."The fairest land mine eyes have ever seen," he wrote. This was Xaymaca, land of wood and water to the original inhabitants, the Taino Indians, Jamaica to the Spanish.

In 1655 England overran Spain and established a colony, prospering with sugar plantations worked by African slaves and indentured laborers from India and China. Culturally, Jamaica is a mini-United Nations that has people from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Nepal, Scotland, France and Portugal. As expected, traditions travel far and wide and Jamaica now shares its "national treasures" with visitors to the spa.

"National Treasures" at the Spa

During my first visit to Jamaica two years ago I recall the flower power of several island gardens - I can still hear the guides extolling the virtues of different herbs, the all-purpose pimento (allspice), sugarcane and tropical fruits and vegetables.

Island ingenuity now creates creams, oils and scrubs designed to soothe, detoxify, exfoliate, regulate, balance and refresh my body, mind and soul...truly amazing.

Spa!Spa!Spa! Caribbean Style

The cultural diversity fosters the adaptation of centuries-old customs and today the island is a treasure chest for visitors who desire an extraordinary spa visit. Signature treatments embrace a Caribbean flavor infused with Jamaica's natural offerings (refined for therapeutic use) that ultimately sets the tone for pleasant surprises.

In addition to 27 different therapies encompassing massages, wraps, baths, scrubs and facials, the facility includes a steam and dry sauna, full-scale fitness center and beauty salon.

Welcome to Spa Heaven

The spa menu is as decadent as some restaurants in Manhattan, but I can't let that faze me. I plan to indulge myself to the fullest, besides they all appear totally irresistible.

Among the specialized island therapies the Allspice Essential Oil Wrap reads like it's made for me. Hardly have I shed my robe and glide onto the table my therapist is ready to exfoliate inactive skin cells, but did I hear someone say there is gentle exfoliation? I grimace as the loofah (from a local gourd) makes contact with my skin, but within seconds I am enjoying the mild irritation that I experience during a pedicure (a pumice stone on my heel.)

Soon the aroma of warm essential oils drifts past my nose and I inhale the allspice, wild grapefruit and juniper berry as it's rubbed on my body and I am encased in a sheet to retain the moisture. But it's hardly over because what follows next is so relaxing I drift into spa heaven as I succumb to a glorious head massage, followed by a soothing foot massage.

Now I can hardly wait to discover the Sugarcane Body Scrub. The promise of a cream smeared all over my body sounds enticing, especially since it's a mixture of "delicious Jamaican sugarcane and the finest white sand." It's been over 10 years since I've put sugar in my tea which makes this seem all the more indulgent to me, oh yeah!

Following my therapist's instructions I undress and cover myself with a sheet on the table, and before I can say "Hi" she gets into the act and applies the foaming cream first on my back and then on my front. I am relishing every moment of this as I close my eyes to seal in the pleasant sights that pop into my head. I am thinking about all the times I sit on the beach and watch the water rush up to the sand creating a foamy surf that disappears as another crescendo takes its place.

Once the application is over I must rest awhile to allow the healing ingredients to do its work and soften my skin. Then comes the finale, far more decadent than the first part of the treatment - a cream that whispers 'exotica' to me. Would you believe that the moisturizing cream designed to perk up the tissues and induce a new relaxed me is a combination of exotic oils and papaya, mango and wild yam? Mmm, this is fabulous - it really smells and feels deliciously sensuous. What a pity I'm traveling solo on this trip!

Equally intriguing is the Herbal Tea and Grasses Wrap that rids the body of toxins and excess fluids while promoting relaxation. Feel the benefits of this wrap as you are cocooned in linen sheets soaked in herbal teas and grass (native to Jamaica) and relish a pressure point facial and scalp massage that I promise you'll never forget.

If you desire more than an everyday facial, put the sparkle back in your face with special extracts taken from the hibiscus blossoms to formulate the Hibiscus Facial. The newest facial therapy, the Plantation Facial, is Jamaica's answer to an all-natural treatment using a blend of sugarcane and allspice.

The island theme along which the spa treatments are patterned arouse great curiosity and this makes it all the more intriguing for guests who are unfamiliar with Jamaica. Fortunately Christine, my hairdresser, moved to Canada but she still remembers life "back home" and tells me fascinating tales from her parents and grandparents. With this in mind I cannot leave the spa without experiencing "ritual bathing" which is entitled "Jamaican Bath Elixir" on the menu.

The selection offers relief in aptly named versions - Muscle Soother, Cold & Flu, Restful Sleep, Detox, Stress Release and Women's Transition. The Stress Release sounds appealing since I plan to attend a party shortly after my flight lands.

I sink into a tub pulsating with jet streams of very warm water infused with peppermint, love bush, grapefruit, pimento and essential oils. Relaxing? Yes. Refreshing? Absolutely. Half-an-hour later the stressful anticipation of a four-hour flight plus two-hour arrival requirement all but melts away. I am doubly happy this is my farewell 'treat' when I arrive at the airport and learn my departure will be an hour later than scheduled!

Now if only I can start all over again, I'll book the Misty Blue Mountain Bath, the Vitamin Body Cocktail, the Island Aroma Massage and the Vita-Ginkgo Facial. Alas, the dreamer in me never goes away!