Special efforts had to be made to leave the palm prints on this NCB sign in New Kingston. Luckily, the paint can be wiped off. - photos by Andre Jebbinson

Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Bacchanal J'ouvert and Joker's Wild are long over but they left something for fans - and foes - to rememberthem by: paint, paint and more paint.

Retracing the path the early morning party went on around New Kingston, the streets were still decorated with paint splashes. Mother nature has taken care of some of that, but still the imprints remain on some buildings in the business district.

The palm prints plastered on signs and the defacing of some buildings proved that some of the revellers were intentional with their not-so-crafty artwork. Others, like the imprint of what looks like a woman pressed against a wall, might not have been as intentional, but the joy of the moment certainly took over.

"It happens every year, but it doesn't matter anymore. We can't be bothered with the conditions of New Kingston. You really would not like to see what happens the next morning," said Sharon Alexander, manager at Desmond Mair, an insurance company.

Daubed with paint

Area of the wall at Desmond Mair Insurance Company that was defaced with paint by revellers.

The building, which the company rents, is still daubed with red paint and is not a sight for sore eyes, according to Alexander. Considering the upscale make-up of the business district, Alexander said the party should be kept in a more remote location.

"I think they (Bacchanal Jamaica) should clean it off. You mess it up, you should clean it," Alexander said. "When you are drunk, there is nothing called caution. They should keep it in one place. You can't walk into a business district and do that."

But according to Bacchanal J'ouvert director, Michael Ammar Jr., the clean-up efforts have been extensive and efficient and power wash teams have been out. Even though there is still paint on some buildings, he said they were simply an oversight.

"We are socially responsible people. We use paints that are environmentally safe and can be easily washed off. People called to complain and we have washedit off," Ammar said.

As is customary, he said clean-up crews are usually on the road as early as Sunday morning as part of their mission to leave the streets cleaner than they found them. Ammar said that while there is a necessity in restoring the street when the road parade is over, when compared to Trinidad, the mess is minuscule.

"People must realise that in order to go to heaven, you must die. If you are going to have some culture, you have to suffer some inconvenience at times. People just need to be a little more tolerant," he said.

Other businesses such as the National Commercial Bank, University College of the Caribbean and Bijoux are either in the process of contacting or have already contacted the necessary bodies to have their property restored.